Califone is a critically-acclaimed experimental folk band from Chicago. The band is named after Califone International, a long-standing manufacturer of audio equipment commonly found in schools, libraries and businesses. Califone is the musical project of former Red Red Meat frontman Tim Rutili. Its regular and rotating contributors include many former members of Red Red Meat and some members of other Chicago bands, such as Tortoise.
Grandaddy are an American indie pop band formed in Modesto, California in 1992 by singer/guitarist/keyboardist Jason Lytle, bassist Kevin Garcia, and drummer Aaron Burtch; although a noisy, lo-fi approach characterized early recordings like 1994's Complex Party Come Along Theories, with the 1995 additions of guitarist Jim Fairchild and keyboardist Tim Dryden the group's sound expanded exponentially over the course of subsequent efforts including the unreleased Don't Sock the Tryer and the 1996 EP A Pretty Mess By This One Band.
Black Francis is the stage name used by Pixies singer, Charles Michael Kittridge Thompson IV. Inspired by a quip by the late Warren Zevon after the group's 1993 disbandment, Francis embarked upon a successful solo career under the inverted pseudonym, Frank Black; in addition to releasing a prolific number of stylistically departed records with Frank Black and the Catholics; until the 2004 reunion of the Pixies.
Giant Drag is a Californian indie rock group, composed of singer/guitarist Annie Hardy and simultaneous drummer/synth-player Micah Calabrese. They have released an EP, Lemona, in 2003 and a debut album, Hearts And Unicorns, which was released in the United States on September 13, 2005, and February 27, 2006 in the UK. Giant Drag played their first show on June 4, 2003 at the Scene in Los Angeles, eventually getting residencies at area clubs Silverlake Lounge and Spaceland.
There are three bands that go by the name Soft: 1. A New York City band influenced by several British guitar pop bands from the Stone Roses to The Verve. They released a self-titled EP in 2005 and a full-length CD, Gone faded, in 2007. 2. A popular band from Guadeloupe mixing traditional forms of music such as zouk and biguine. Comprising Fred Deshayes (guitar and vocals), Didier Juste (congas), Philip Sadikalay (saxophone) and Joël Larochel (double bass), they have released two albums since 2004 - 'Libération' and 'Partout Etranger' - and tour regularly.
In early 1996, the world was seemingly reconciling some of its evolutionary hang-ups. Gary Kasparov defeated Deep Blue in one of the most epic chess matches of all time. Scientists discovered the possible evidence of life on Mars. President Clinton appointed the first female US Secretary of State. And in one cluttered basement in Wilmington, Delaware, the Spinto Band began to materialize. Spinto, huh?
Anders Parker is a modest man who lives in Burlington, Vermont and works as a musician. People who are into American songwriters know him as the frontman of Varnaline. That band enjoyed the support of so many enthusiastic reviews and high-profile fans (most recently Steve Earle, who released the last Varnaline record on his own boutique label ESquared/ Artemis) that it became a widely held consensus that they were underrated. Which was impossible, though not the fault of the listening public, who actually really do have a bit of an ear, sort of.
There are two groups known as The Dream Syndicate: 1. The Dream Syndicate was a guitar-driven band from L.A. from 1981 to 1989, originally associated with the paisley underground music movement. While attending the University of California, Davis, Wynn and Smith played together (with future True West members Russ Tolman and Gavin Blair) in The Suspects. Moving back home to Los Angeles, Wynn recorded a single under the name 15 Minutes (as in “of fame”) as his intended farewell to music. He did not follow that course.