About Solar Powered People

Modesto's Solar Powered People a band that must first and foremost be described as "loud". Though the shoegaze genre is bandied about (and often misused by His Bloggership) SPP are a true and pure representation of the category. Their music was like the sound-equivalent of one of those 3D images that you stare at. It's a solid, sonic wall of with impossibly small nooks and crannies... but listen long enough, and hard enough, in the right way... and all of a sudden the image appears in your mind's ear. It was a pleasure to hear them and a joy to know that the songs I like so much on their myspace page render themselves live quite well. We are solar powered people from Modesto, CA. SPP was formed in mid 2005. The band consists of four members. Tony Pennington, Ryan Coscia, Douglass McKinnon and Dustin Morris. Our sound is often described as post rock/shoe gaze and recently has been dubbed "nu-gaze". Some of the bands we have been in are, Scenic Route, Fiver, Long Division and Apollo Trigger just to name a few. Our influences come from all aspects of life but we've been compared to bands such as Failure, The Cure, Cocteau Twins, The Deftones and some Sunny Day Real Estate. Our debut album Hibernation has been released on Three Ring Records out of San Francisco, CA. The album was recorded by Matt McCord of Sacramento, CA. Matt has also worked with The Deftones, Team Sleep and Cake. The album was mixed by Chris Woodhouse(Deftones, Cake) also from Sacramento,CA. "Hibernation Solar Powered People's debut album, sounds like it was born in the subconscious minds of some very serious musicians. The album's dreamlike quality immerges out of the psychedelic "Child's Introduction" and continues throughout in the form of subtle, straightforward melodies, airy synths and rippled instrumentals. These rush in behind driving guitars to grab the listener and then retreat like a cold wave, leaving a heavier new feeling in its place. To these elements the band has added vocals that layer and resonate like they were sung into a shallow canyon. Finally with some studio touches from Chris Woodhouse (who also worked with the Deftones, Team Sleep and Cake) uses studio touches to tie together the album's various aspects, bringing the aural dream into reality. The track "Awhile" is probably one of the best examples of the band's proclivity for shoegaze, featuring chords that seem to feed on themselves when the song breaks open into something deep, soaring and intense. The track sounds like it could blow out speakers even played at a low volume. Still the album is equally beautiful in its simple moments as in its moments of heavy orchestration. "Start the Cycle" features both, launching into heavier percussion halfway through what begins as a soft melody; meanwhile "Turn Back" is entirely slow, lingering thoughtfully through notes like an early Enya instrumental. The album's single "Picture Fade" sounds like a reflection of heartbreak, with lyrics that mirror the song's melancholy, reverberating notes. Fans of Team Sleep, Pinback and Mew will fall willingly into Hibernation. After nine tracks the listener wakes from Solar Powered People's spell; but unlike most dreams, this album is not likely to slip away. (Three Ring Records)" www.solarpoweredpeople.com -Lulu McAllister Performer Magazine West Coast San Francisco, CA Solar Powered People are currently working on their second release. The new release will be a 6 song EP also recorded with Matt McCord of Sacramento, CA. The EP will be released by August 2008 on Three Ring Record out of San Francisco, CA. solar powered people Formation Date: April 01, 2005 Record Label: Three Ring Records Label Type: Independent Band Members: T.Pennington, R.Coscia, D.McKinnon, D.Morris Sounds Like: Their music is like the sound-equivalent of one of those 3D images that you stare at. It's a solid, sonic wall of with impossibly small nooks and crannies... but listen long enough, and hard enough, in the right way... and all of a sudden the image appears in your mind's ear. It was a pleasure to hear them and a joy to know that the songs I like so much on their myspace page render themselves live quite well.

Submit a comment