June 2001 Parasol Newsletter

Issue #43

Some of my best music buying experiences (can you say Fra Lippo Lippi?) occurred when a record store I patronized played something stunning that I had yet to hear. That's what we're going for with PARASOL RADIO. It's our version of "in-store play" (with the off chance that a wacky clerk will throw in some long lost out of print nugget from his/her personal collection). We're adding fresh songs all of the time, heavy on new titles to the Parasol house. Please give it a listen and let us know what you think. The feedback so far has been very gratifying. http://www.parasol.com/radio

SPOTLIGHT

Chitlin' Fooks - Chitlin' Fooks CD
(AHA!025) $11.00

Autoliner - Be CD
(PAR-CD-071) $10.00

Autoliner, Chicago's most powerful Power Trio has whipped up a telekinetic storm of super-orchestrated jetstream pop, orgasmic 80s British and American new wave levitation, and chromed 70s prog, that flat out rocks. Anthems so huge, they're like seamless silver skyscrapers, gyroscoping triple-harmonies that threaten to escape earth orbit, and a wave of psychedelic momentum that will flood your cranium with the most iridescent paisleys. This is The Beatles' Magical Mystical Tour on some all-natural amphetamine/aphrodisiac, and edgy to the point of serration. Throughout the songs, the three Autoliner boys regularly trade off lead vocals and join in for spot-on three-part harmonies (three-on-a-mic backing vocals played a big role in this recording) and at the heart of every song is an accomplished rock band, veteran songsmiths obviously reveling in their craft. It's advised (by rocket scientists) that you drop names like The Beatles, Bee Gees, Badfinger, Electric Light Orchestra, Cheap Trick, Love, Translator, The Posies, XTC… And like their debut CD Life On Mars, where the band "started to think we were making Abbey Road, we just kept throwing in strings and horns," Be is a similarly lush and baroque album. While a barrage of backing vocals now often take the place of the strings and horns that appeared on the first disc, Be seems somehow adorned with every conceivable sonic ornament. Speaking of adornment, in addition to nine new original tunes Be is garnished with an adrenaline-driven cover of Alice Cooper's "Living." Parasol stalwart Brian Leach was a member of Last Gentlemen (Zoo Entertainment-BMG), recorded two albums with his band Sugarbuzz (Parasol) along with a critically acclaimed solo album Sunrise Nearly Killed Me (Parasol). Leach is also a member of the enigmatic Diamond Star Halo (with Adam Schmitt and Bob Kimbell), whose never-quite-finished album is perpetually "coming soon." Autoliner joins Leach with collaborators John Ross (Monica's Interval, Vivian Section) and Tom Curless. The trio released their debut CD under the name Life On Mars and was soon contacted by another band called Life On Mars about changing their name. The CD quickly went into a 2nd pressing, with the new moniker in place.

Coming Soon...

Adam Schmitt-Demolition (Parasol) CD due in July
Jeff Kelly-Indiscretion (Hidden Agenda) CD due in July
Club 8-Club 8 (Hidden Agenda) CD due in July
The Witch Hazel Sound-TBA (Hidden Agenda) CD due TBA
The Green Pajamas-The Carolers' Song (Hidden Agenda) CD EP due in October

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT...

…Fonda wrote and recorded a song for the hit movie Spy Kids. Sure, it played during the end credits at a time when most of the movie patrons were in the bathroom washing Gummy Bear stickiness off of their faces, but a song in a Robert Rodriguez film is a grand thing to have in your body of work. This L.A. based dream pop band does not stand still. Just prior to their Spy Kids adventure Fonda worked with director Ted Raimi (Xena: Warrior Princess, brother of director Sam Raimi) on a video for the song "Close to Home" from the recent Hidden Agenda release The Strange & the Familiar. Visit this address on the Parasol site if you want to view the video: http://www.parasol.com/video/video.asp.
We're sure that it will also be streaming soon at the Insound and Launch sites. Fonda is giving you West Coasters plenty of opportunities to see them live. There are two upcoming shows in L.A. (one with Cinerama and the other with The Clientele and The Tyde), a show in Santa Ana, and a performance further east in Tempe.

SOME PARASOL RELATED ARTIST ANSWERS SOME QUESTIONS

Absinthe Blind's Adam Fein, Seth Fein & Mike Zolfo

1. Mixing session you wish you could have attended-
Adam: "The Flaming Lips' The Soft Bulletin, with Dave Fridmann, and Tears For Fears' The Seeds of Love a close second."
Seth: "The Flaming Lips' The Soft Bulletin. This was Dave Fridmann's finest hour, working for over two years and accomplishing something avant-garde yet timeless at the same rate."
Mike: "Dr.Dre's The Chronic."

2. Songs you think you probably shouldn't like but just can't help yourself-
Adam: "'Wild, Wild West' by Escape Club and 'Rebel Yell' by Billy Idol."
Seth: "'Seventeen' by Winger and 'Sister Christian' by Nightranger."
Mike: "The new single by Saliva. Backstreet Boys' 'I Want It That Way' (I know, I just can't help myself)."

3. Favorite record that you can't find on CD (or CD you can't find on vinyl)-
Adam: "Slowdive's Slowdive EP, their first release with the "Avalyn" and "Avalyn II" b-sides....pure wash, reverb soaked, I love."
Seth: "Frank Zappa's Joe's Garage."
Mike: "Urban Dance Squad, I think they only have one. DeeLite, their first album."

4. First Concert-
Adam: "U2 - The Joshua Tree 1987 - Assembly Hall - Champaign, IL."
Seth: "Tears for Fears- Oct 19 1993… my 14th birthday gift from Adam."
Mike: "Bob Dylan, with Arrested Development or Pantera with Type O Negative."

5. Favorite Bass Player-
Adam: "Colin Moulding- XTC -- Mani (Gary Mounfield) of The Stone Roses - a close second."
Seth: "XTC's Colin Moulding…specifically his work on Oranges and Lemons."
Mike: "Victor Wooten."

Adam, Seth and Mike are collectively one half of the Urbana-Champaign Mud recording artist, Absinthe Blind. The band's latest album, The Everyday Separation, was rush released locally at the end of April to make it available to the large college student fan base (University of Illinois) before semester's end. Immediately following, the band jumped in a crowded van for their first trek to the open spaces of America's West. They return in early June for some more Illinois dates and the official retail release of The Everyday Separation.

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