Autoliner
- Be
Tom Curless - Vocals/Drums
Brian Leach - Vocals/Guitar, Keyboards
John Ross - Vocals/Bass Guitar
Autoliner, Chicago's most powerful
Power Trio has whipped up a telekinetic storm of super-orchestrated
jetstream pop, orgasmic 80s British and American new wave
levitation, and chromed 70s prog, that flat out rocks. Anthems
so huge, they're like seamless silver skyscrapers, gyroscoping
triple-harmonies that threaten to escape earth orbit, and
a wave of psychedelic momentum that will flood your cranium
with the most iridescent paisleys. This is The Beatles Magical
Mystical Tour on some all-natural amphetamine/aphrodisiac,
and edgy to the point of serration. Throughout the songs,
the three Autoliner boys regularly trade off on lead vocals
and join in for spot-on three-part harmonies (three-on-a-mic
backing vocals played a big role in this recording) and at
the heart of every song is an accomplished rock band, veteran
songsmiths obviously reveling in their craft. It's advised
(by rocket scientists) that you drop names like The Beatles,
Bee Gees, Badfinger, Electric Light Orchestra, Cheap Trick,
Love, Translator, The Posies, XTC… And like their debut
CD Life On Mars, where the band "started to think
we were making Abbey Road, we just kept throwing in strings
and horns", Be is a similarly lush and baroque album.
While a barrage of backing vocals now often take the place
of the strings and horns that appeared on the first disc, Be seems
somehow adorned with every conceivable sonic ornament. Speaking
of adornment, in addition to nine new original tunes Be is
garnished with an adrenaline-driven cover of Alice Cooper's "Living".
Parasol stalwart Brian Leach was
a member of Last Gentlemen (Zoo Entertainment-BMG), recorded
two albums with his band Sugarbuzz (Parasol) along with a
critically acclaimed solo album Sunrise Nearly Killed
Me (Parasol). Leach is also a member of the enigmatic
Diamond Star Halo (with Adam Schmitt and Bob Kimbell), whose
never-quite-finished album which may or may not be released
by Parasol. Autoliner joins Leach with collaborators John
Ross (Monica's Interval, Vivian Section) and Tom Curless.
The trio released their debut CD under the name Life On Mars
and was soon contacted by another band called Life On Mars
about changing their name. The CD quickly went into a 2nd
pressing, with the new moniker in place.
And now, a message from
John Ross:
Hello, This is John - the bass player and one of the
singers from Autoliner. We are quite pleased that our
second Parasol CD, “Be” is now done
and out. I think it’s fair to say that as a group, we feel it is, overall,
a more coherent effort than the first disc.
One of the things that makes Autoliner special is that we all make heavy contributions
to the actual writing of the songs. “Be” not only highlights our
musical interaction, it also shows all of us exploring and pushing our own
individual strengths. This is definitely a more guitar driven album than the
last one. Brian is really coming into his own as a guitar player and this is
reflected throughout all of the tracks. It’s been a gas watching what
I see as his evolution from a semi-cosmic musical philanthropist to a total
rock guitar dude/musical ice-cream man. Tom is writing and singing more vocal
parts than before (he’s also the one doing most of the high harmonies
- for you harmony enthusiasts). You can also hear his drumming better on this
disc. He is one of my favorite pop drummers ever, and it’s a pleasure
to hear the drums both sounding better and up a bit in the mix. For me, this
album was chiefly a lyrical adventure. I also decided it was time to let loose
with a bevy of big vocal choruses that I’ve always considered my musical
forte.The songs here represent all of us both singularly and collectively.
It ultimately all comes together as “Be”.
We all hope that you enjoy our second outing!
p.s. I also want to add that I’m quite pleased that we did a cover of
the Alice Cooper Group song Living. It’s been one of my favorite songs
since Junior High, and along with the Mammas and the Papas song Twelve-Thirty
(which we did on the last CD) one of the songs that I’ve most wanted to
record for years. It’s really a great song...check out both our version
and the original. Dennis Dunnaway rules! (If you’re an Alice Cooper Group
fan, you already know that).
That's it.
Happy Night
John
PRESS for Autoliner's debut Life
On Mars:
"This set of a dozen effervescent
and unforgettable power-pop tunes is a sterling accomplishment,
and one of the best efforts of its kind in these parts since
the heyday of Material Issue." --- Jim DeRogatis
/ Chicago Sun Times
"(Autoliner) write stunning
songs that meld various elements of 60s psychedelia, 70s
AM radio pop, 80s new wave and buckets of their own ideas,
prop them on a tight skeleton of warm guitars…" --- Michael
Toland / Pop Culture Press
"Imagine
a band more inspired by E.L.O.'s catchy orchestrated rock
than by that '70s supergroup's
clinical attempts to resynthesize the Beatles, and you should
have no trouble warming to Autoliner. --- Big Takeover
"(Autoliner's) Life On Mars
is like listening to a radio station that plays your favorite
sounds from the 60's, 70's and 80's... amazing arrangements
and dizzying variety in the song structures do create the
sense of other worldly prodigies at work... If a particular
riff or hook in any given song does not appeal, wait a couple
bars and the next is sure to grab you." --- Wendy
Shea / Amplifier Magazine
"The music...leaps from guitar
jangle to horn flourishes to massed strings at will. "Reversal
(Lost Direction)" careens from orchestral drama to slashing
guitar rock to spinning neo-psychedelia like "Bohemian
Rhapsody" and "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" mashed
together and then compressed into three minutes." --- The
War Against Silence |
