Gary Reynolds and the Brides of Obscurity

PRESS

INK 19
Santiago's Vest (the album) is a great addition for anyone who likes jangle-pop and anything that they can bob their heads to.

THREE IMAGINARY GIRLS - Chris Estey
...he has a playful, accessible style that would make you want to listen to anything he sings ... I look forward to what Reynolds will be delivering in the future ... and I bet his live shows are ones to remember.

NOT LAME
"... you`ll hear some of the strongest Sgt. Pepper influenced modern-day pop as you may have heard in a long time in a handful or two of the 14 songs here. You`ll hear plenty of Squeeze (that Beatle-thing again), early Michael Penn, Vinyl Kings .... Extremely Highly Recommended, yes, indeed--you knew that after reading those last few reviews, right?!"

DAGGERZINE
Talented bunch of out Seattle led by, none other than, Gary Reynolds. He has a flair for the dramatic with several piano flourishes, subtle guitar playing and expressive vocals. With the music industry the way it is they could be huge by tomorrow.

OBSCURE SOUND
He has the voice of a storyteller, a deep and soulful croon that exhibits an ability to turn a chorus into a moment of absolute magnificence on vocal strength alone. ...Mark it up as another great one for ‘08.

ABSOLUTE POWER POP - Blog by Steve
Here's a good one to grab off eMusic - Not Lame had featured this disc just a week or two before we started this blog. Indie-Music.com wrote "this is the album Lennon, David Bowie, and the Electric Light Orchestra would compose if locked in a studio together." I've been enjoying it myself as well, and the one track that sticks with me is the ballad "Elijah"...an impressive debut....

SOUND THE SIRENS.COM - Phillip E. Hardy (August 7th, 2006)
Once or twice a year I am lucky enough to receive a CD from a singer unknown to me that knocks my mismatched socks off. This year, the name of that singer is Gary Reynolds, who leads a band in Seattle named the Brides of Obscurity...Starbucks and grunge rock were not the last cool things to come out of the Jet City.
My kudos go out to Robbie Adams and Gary Reynolds for doing a brilliant job producing and mixing this effort. This, in addition to the first-rate musicianship and high levels of player creativity make this CD an absolute joy to be heard. This record was released earlier this year but I believe in its artistic merit so much that I wanted to bring it to the attention of Sound the Sirens Readers. It is one of the yearís best musical efforts.

LOLLIPOP
"Gary's got the chops, the voice, and the songwriting talent to get and keep your interest, song after song... the lasting impression is great production, classy songwriting, and the vocal and playing chops to be great rock band, in this or any era."

THE STRANGER - Josh Blanchard (April 27th-May 3rd)
"... a satisfying slice of nostalgia-laced piano pop."

LUNA KAFE (August 9, 2006)
"...Gary is as clever a pop tunesmith as can be. His songs sound familiar, to some extent, but it's hard to put the finger on where you've heard them before, with a few exceptions..."

AIDING AND ABETTING #291
Dramatic songs played and sung with dramatic flair... they spin their ideas
in loud, but intricate, mixes. There's a combination that always warms my
heart. This one starts good and keeps getting better... by the middle of the disc I
couldn't wait to get to the next song. Good sequencing is always appreciated
in these quarters. Just another sign that these folks know exactly what
they're doing. And doing it well.

SKYLIGHT PRESS
Over the past few years, a handful of justifiable pop/indie bands have emerged from the scene with smoothed out melodies...although Gary Reynolds & The Brides Of Obscurity may fall under this class, they simply do it better.... I think it’s safe to say, however, that these lovable goofballs have a bright future ahead of themselves, and I’m buying in.

RACKET MAGAZINE
The album Santiago's Vest really shows you what "pop rock" is. These days we
have bands that try to say they are "pop" and, well, those bands need to
take tips from this band. Hints of the Beatles show up from time to time,
not to compare these guys to the greatest band ever but thats what i mean by
"pop rock". If you like old style pop you will enjoy this CD. If you don't,
well, shit, don't get this CD. -Abe Gastelum

BEING THERE - Ellen Rosner Feig (July/August 2006)
"...Instant Happiness reminds one of what is missing in the music of bands such as AFI -- simple unadulterated psychedelic pop with an edge of absolute irreverence."

SOUND - Blog by Alexsey
"... the music on their debut is wonderful. Filled with variety, it absorbs your senses and places you into a green field of melodies and warmth. This is a definite feel good album, not just because it has those overtones, but because you can tell it's a fine record. You know these guys have skill. It makes me feel good..."

CULTURE BUNKER - Leeds
...Reynolds' true ambition is to synthesize the big radio oriented rock that dominated in the 70s before style totally trumped substance...

INDIE-MUSIC.COM
"I was enthralled by this. And I dont use that word a lot... This is the album Lennon, David Bowie, and the Electric Light Orchestra would compose if locked in a studio together...This CD is a perfect dream. Somewhere, Lennon is smiling." -Jennifer Layton

LMNOP.COM
"... Unlike a lot of underground artists, Reynolds and The Brides of Obscurity produce timeless classic pop that is highly melodic and surprisingly accessible. Combining some of the best elements of British pop from the 1970s and 1980s with a modern updated sound, these guys have an approach that is remarkably clear and direct. Lyrics are not buried underneath walls of noise. "

THE TABLET - By Jeff Rush
"The group formerly known as POP... Gary Reynolds is the centerpiece -and
surrounds himself with musicians he finds suitable. The music is perfect
pop. Verses, choruses and enough meaty hooks to make an Italian butcher red
in the face. The most amazing part about all of this is that it never sounds
redundant."

THE STRANGER
One-Night Stand-Pop Goes the Rendezvous-By Jeff DeRoche
"When Reynolds sang, it was bright and pitch-perfect: the wail of a classic
piano-pop frontman, with the rawness of Ziggy-era Bowie. When Reynolds
screamed, it seemed as though the sound was being torn from his body...I
want to see him play many shows, to remind Seattle how to have fun."

FEATURES:

ANTIMUSIC NEWS

When we received an email extolling the virtues of Gary Reynolds and the Brides of Obscurity we shrugged it off an ravings of an over-anxious publicist. A couple weeks later we received another email that described the band's sound as psychedelic indie-rock / space pop that used "Abbey Road" as a reference when it came to mixing their new CD. That got our attention, so we did take a listen and really liked what we heard on their new Cd "Santiago's Vest," so we asked Gary to pick some of his favorite tracks and tell us about them. Today Gary tells us about the song "Capital State":

click here to read all five days

INTERVIEW FROM A REDDING,CA NEWSPAPER

The band’s latest album, Santiago’s Vest (recorded at Reynolds’ Seattle studio Electric Kitty), explores the vortex of late ’60s, early ’70s pop-rock a la post-Beatles John Lennon, along with a modicum of driving space-age modernism.

The combination of those influences, along with an astute ear for Northwest fuzz, has deemed the band a hot commodity in the underground rock circuit, eschewing the easy avenues forged by most Seattle groups.

With a West Coast tour under way, the band will be stopping by Redding’s The Sports Bar on Sunday, April 27. Vocalist/band mastermind Gary Reynolds spoke with d.a.t.e. in anticipation of the gig.

Q:What can Redding’s crowd expect from a live Gary Reynolds and the Brides of Obscurity show?

I believe we are doing two sets. The first one will be our pop “set,” meaning the one we play at all the clubs where we do a 45-minute showcase. The second set will be more loose and free form. A handful of covers, some solo acoustic stuff, etc.

Q:You’re about to embark on a West Coast tour. Are you eager to get these songs some road legs before you do a broader tour, or will you be touring on the album further after this?

Yes, very anxious to get out and play these on the road. The live versions tend to be a bit different in certain ways. We are touring as a four-piece band so some of the arrangements have had to be stripped down. We are also playing a batch of new songs off our upcoming record. We are planning another tour in late summer.

Q: I understand that Santiago’s Vest was recorded primarily as a studio album. What sorts of liberties were you afforded by going in with a clean slate to record, as opposed to having seasoned tracks to lay down?

Well, a large number of the tracks were taken with drums and scratch guitar first. This allowed us to try lots of different parts to see how things worked together. For instance, the guitar riff on “Where Do We Go From Here?” was originally a vocal line, then the idea of a trumpet line. We wanted to stay away from orchestral instruments, so the line was done on guitar and distorted organ. The good part about working this way is that there is no preconceived parts to cling to. So if something’s not working, you don’t have to struggle with getting rid of a part that you’ve become married to.

Q: More lyrically literal tracks like “Rolling Over” tackle the follies of corporate America. In what ways does the band combat the shackles of working within the industry? Does it work either way?

Rolling over is definitely my take on politics and religion. We haven’t been faced with large corporate interests as of yet. But corporate influence is very dominant in the music industry. We’ll have to see.

Q:The album’s bass-heavy presence belies the fact that these are indeed pop songs. Did listening to or admiring heavier material influence your recording approach to Santiago’s Vest?

Yes. I’m a big fan of bass guitar. In a lot of rock music, bass guitar is subservient to the electric guitar. But when you listen to bands like U2 or the Police, the bass is really very dominant. As well as hip-hop and dance music. I wanted to get this across on Santiago’s Vest. Heavy bass lends a different type of power than heavy electric guitar.

Q: What, if any, goals did you have for the creation of this new album that you’ve since seen accomplished? Is the simple product enough for you and the band, or is there a more ethereal achievement you hope to reach?

Each album builds on the advances of the previous one, hopefully a step forward in both recognition and creation. And I think Santiago’s Vest is doing just that.

Ryan J. Prado is a freelance writer and managing editor of Chico-based Synthesis Magazine.

Look for Gary Reynolds and the Brides of Obscurity’s “Santiago’s Vest” in stores.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, INTERVIEW REQUESTS, ETC. PLEASE CONTACT alex@inmusicwetrust.com or 503-557-9661.