| | 54 Seconds Postcards From California CD 54 Seconds Discography of CDs
(1 Customer Review)
For those unfamiliar with Austin-based quartet 54 Seconds, the band takes a bit of explaining. Their frontman, Spencer Gibb, presents himself (deliberately or not) like a singer/songwriter, a trait that his and Luis Guerrero's co-production plays up, as they lavish attention on his vocals. But 54 Seconds are not a solo act, and the rest of the bandmembers are equally crucial to the sound. Rachel Loy's sweet backing vocals provide a foil both to Gibb's own as well as her bandmates. Her bass, in conjunction with Jeff Botta's strong drums, offers more than an excellent backbone to the songs; on numbers like "I Wish I Was a Girl" and "Pocket Full of Numbers" its her bassline that reigns supreme. And then there's keyboardist Stewart Cochran, the wild card in this pack, the man who sets the musical moods, and whose awesome stylistic versatility is the linchpin of 54 Seconds' sound. His work on "New World" is astounding, as he deftly slips from ambience-laden passages into pomp rock, dips into new wave, then sprinkles the song with jazzy runs, as he agilely moves back and forth between styles. He douses "Girl" in orchestral strings, then reaches a lavish apotheosis on the psychedelic-laced, Beatlesque "Breathing." Cochran brings a special touch and an unexpected twist to all the band's songs, at times in conjunction with Gibb, whose piano skills equal Cochran's own. Then again, Gibb's guitar work is just as diverse, as he shifts from glittering, lilting, melodic strums to searing rock solos. On the splashy "Blocking the Sun" the bandmembers exalt in their instruments, bouncing off one another's playing in sheer, exhilarating joy. Hopefully that will be the band's next single; the first from this set is the more muted but equally infectious "Dirty Little Secret," awash in sweet, moody harmonies and glistening guitars. "California" is even more beautiful, filled with yearning and splashed with eloquent piano. The "Summer Version" of "How I Roll" is one of the most complex stylistically, rolling up R&B, jazz, and pop into one glorious package that pays tribute to the '60s, '70s, and beyond. A stellar set brimming with marvelous songs, thoughtful lyrics, sensational arrangements, and heady atmospheres, this is 54 Seconds' strongest album to date, and one wonders how they can possibly top it. ~ Jo-Ann Greene
Audio Mixer: Luis Guerrero.
Recording information: Lowlight Sound, Austin, TX.
Photographer: Spencer Gibb.
54 Seconds: Spencer Gibb (piano); Rachel Toy (bass guitar); Jeff Bolta (drums); Stewart Cochran.
Personnel: Spencer Gibb (vocals, guitar, piano); Rachel Loy (vocals, guitar); Stewart Cochran (vocals, piano, keyboards, synthesizer); Jeff Botta (vocals, drums, percussion); Luis Guerrero (vocals, percussion); Brian Standefer, Sara Nelson (cello); Jason Frey (tenor saxophone); Melida la Sufrida Rodriguez (trumpet, euphonium); Ray Strucker (trumpet).
Postcards From California Music 54 Seconds Postcards From California Songs Postcards From California Music Review Purchase Postcards From California CD To buy, Click on price to add to cart | Detroit Cobras Mink Rat Or Rabbit CD (1998)
Postcards From California album
$11.05
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Postcards From California CD music
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| | Them Crooked Vultures CD (2009)
Postcards From California music CDs
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| | Rosanne Cash List CD (2009)
Postcards From California songs
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| | Kings Of Leon: Live At The O2 DVD (2009)
Postcards From California album
$11.09 Standard Screen
| | Swallow The Sun New Moon CD (2009)
Postcards From California CD music
$11.98
| | Idaho Hearts Of Palm CDs (2000)
Postcards From California music CDs
$9.29 Lionel Richie might have sung about dancing on the ceiling, but Jeff Martin and Dan Seta have created something better suited for staring at the ceiling. Hearts of Palm is perfect for those days when you can't quite muster the desire or energy to roll out of bed. It's the most subdued Idaho record yet, but it's also their most intricate. No storming guitars to be found, and no real soul-drenched catharsis going on -- just, well, contemplation. But as with the whole of the band's catalog, there's little immediacy. That's no sore point; Idaho are one of the best at roping you in with their subtleties. Songs like "Dum Dum" and "Before You Go" fade in like watching a photograph develop. Seta and Martin's guitars mainly supply shading, as most everything is drum- or piano-driven. Martin is becoming so excellent at production that it wouldn't be surprising to see many artists request his skills. The moods he can create with one treated guitar track are pretty amazing, as evidenced throughout the ...
| | George Lewis At San Jacinto Hall CD (2004)
Postcards From California songs
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| | Archers Of Loaf All the Nation's Airports CD (1996)
Postcards From California album
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| | Viola Anything Can Stop Us CD (2005) Import
Postcards From California CD music
$13.85
| | MADRON Beginning CD (2004)
Postcards From California music CDs
$6.69 Madron...was an accident,with the demise of my last band,I didn't want to get into another one.I purchased a 4-Track digital recorder and started writing,and loved it.I decided to ...
| | Mia Sable Propeller CD (2006)
Postcards From California songs
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| | Roadstar Glass Mountain CD (2007) (Import) Bonus Track; Japan
Postcards From California album
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| | Oscar Brown, Jr Sin & Soul... And Then Some CD (1961)
Postcards From California CD music
$5.95 Digitally remastered by Debra Parkinson (Sony Music Studios, New York, New York).
Oscar Brown, Jr. may not have been the first jazz singer-songwriter (Mose Allison, among others, precedes him), but he certainly helped to usher in the notion of the political/protest singer-songwriter, predating Bob Dylan with this 1960 debut album. Years before Sly Stone or Gil Scott-Heron detailed the travails of black life in white America, Brown was serving up such tunes as "Bid 'Em In," where the narrator is an unrepentant slave auctioneer, and "Work Song," which added a lyric about the results of ...
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