So it looks like just about anything to which Jon Brion can be connected, even indirectly, is pretty much great by definition. Sure, there’s the easy links like Aimee Mann, Paul Thomas Anderson, and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. I didn’t know until yesterday that my favorite musical supergenius was also part of Jellyfish for their second album.
This all came to my attention this weekend when I was looking up information on Jason Scheff, a very good studio and live bass player I saw and heard on a concert DVD given to me by a friend. Scheff was involved with a project called L.E.O., a sort of ELO-style one-off project saluting the amazing studio prowess and melodic hook-heaviness of 1970s AM-era power pop, but with more modern lyrical sensibilities.
I was immediately intrigued since I grew up on ELO’s music and am not afraid to admit it. I have a bunch of their stuff on CD, including Time, which I think is one of their best. (Apparently one of the songs from that album is familiar to anime fans, meh.)
L.E.O. was put together by a Boston-area musician who goes by the pseudonym “Bleu,” and includes members of Self (free as in beer music!), Jellyfish, and other great indie acts. I found a good deal online and ended up buying not only the L.E.O. album, but also Redhead by Bleu, the two original studio albums by Jellyfish, and the new one from Fountains of Wayne.
Power pop festival at my house!
*Nothing to do with Fedora at all, but I wanted to share the melodic goodness with someone. Enjoy!
Oddly, I don’t care much for Jon Brion solo — but Aimee Mann is one of my favorite artists ever.
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spent too much time on the Wikipedia this morning! but i did learn that hanson contributed to the l.e.o. album. this is at the same time satisfying and disturbing.