The Dalloways Blog: Music News from the Central Valley's Premier California Dreampop Band

Babes in Tuneland

2009-02-15T20:12:00.001-08:00

Hello, Everyone!

The Dalloways have been majorly biz turning out babies and new tunes. Seriously. With Ricky's daughter, Aaron's daughter, and our twin boys (soon to arrive this May) we're working on putting the junior varsity band line-up together.

We currently have eight new songs almost done as well as a bad-ass remix. We're hopeful for a new full album release, Distant Fairs, sometime this summer. Or maybe fall. Ok, at least by the end of 2009.

Ciao for now!
xo

Costa Rica

2008-05-31T06:29:00.000-07:00

Half of The Dalloways are in Costa Rica, surfing and drinking on the beaches of Nicoya. Is this a band business trip? Why not! We all need inspiration, so why not get inspired on a Central American beach?

New T's Designed by Cortnie Cleary

2008-05-25T11:49:00.000-07:00

Do you want to be the coolest kid on the beach this summer? Or do you just want to express your unconditional love for someone? Pick up the new “I Love You Regardless” t-shirts for guys and gals designed by none other than keyboardist/designer Cortnie “Hot Stuff” Cleary.

Available in The Dalloways Shop!

The illustrative design is printed on the highest quality Alternative Apparel T-shirts. Women can choose between "destroyed" vintage black with antique white lettering and slate gray with turquoise lettering. Men can choose between navy with sky blue lettering and chocolate brown with antique white lettering. Super soft cotton T's, super stylish cuts, super Cleary design!

All proceeds benefit future Dalloways indie recordings, so thanks for your support of smart cultcha and music!

Sincerely,

Gerhard, Cortnie, Bluff, Aaron, Ricky

March 20 Gypsy Cab Added!

2008-03-02T15:23:00.000-08:00

We've just added the fantastic beautiful slowcore Fresnans Gypsy Cab to the Thursday, March 20 Line-up! Don't miss this one - beautiful guitars, synths, and times.

Hosted By: The Dalloways
When: 20/03/2008
Where: Club Fred / Audie's Olympic
1426 N. Van Ness Ave.
Fresno, California|5 93728
United States
Description: The Dalloways, Gypsy Cab, and Loquat from SF! Organic meets Electronic.

Visit Gypsy Cab and Loquat on myspace.

Dalloways and Loquat March 20

2008-02-23T23:08:00.000-08:00

SF organic-meets-electric popsters Loquat will join The Dalloways at Club Fred March 20. The band has shared the stage with The Cardigans and Evan Dando. Visit Loquat on Myspace, make friends, and come out to the show to meet them.

Why We Love You

2008-02-17T19:08:00.000-08:00

Much to my dismay, while eating Taco Bell after our Friday, February 15 CD Release Party at Starline, I realized I hadn’t thanked a few of our great friends that had helped make the show such a success. So here ‘tis.

LOVE and PROPS to these fabulous Fresno media members:

1. Mike Osegueda of the Fresno Bee for his great article entitled “Familiar Faces Return.”

2. Mikey and the Fresno cultcha aficionados at The Dorktown Podcast for featuring an interview with The Dalloways on their latest episode

3. KFSR 90.7 for hosting our bass player on a segment before the show and playing some of our new tunes.

4. Fresno Famous for their fab calendar

And THREE CHEERS to our fabulous Dalloways Crew:

1. Jessica Moncrief, bold and fearless photographer extraordinaire, who does whatever it takes to get the shot, Annie Liebowitz style! (The photo in this blog is by JM!) Watch for her shots to be featured in a special Dalloways photo album and on dalloways.com soon.

2. Becky (a.k.a. Seamonkey for the additional awesome photo work. We will be featuring her shots as well.

3. JT and Ashley for their video engineering skills. Congratulations on their wedding … the morning of our show!

4. Chris Brown and Orion for rockin' the merch and the newsletter. We've never seen such an ambitious duo. And they look great in our new T's as well!

5. Brian Gard for the audio engineering.

And MERCI MERCI MERCI to the honorary Dalloways of the night:

1. Paul Meadors (a.k.a. Art Farkas, author of the hilarious Letters to Ebay and former 1st chair trumpeter from my high school days) for his beautiful flugelhorn playing.

2. Rachel Roelke for her fabulous, soulful backing vocals.

And GRACIAS to the most fabulous venue in town!

1. Mike and The Starline for hosting this event.

2. The bartenders and wait staff for being so kind.

3. Ray for rockin’ the sound board.

And LOVE to the bands!

1. The fab folksy Aspen Hollow for getting the word out and bringing the peeps and playing their beautiful subtle pop.

2. The Sleepover Disaster who always bring the goods (Good luck to them at South by Southwest!)

And lastly and most importantly ...

Many thanks to all the folks who came out to see the bands and add to the great atmosphere of the night.

If you happened to miss the show, you can pick up our new EP in CD or MP3 format from CDBaby. We will also be listing the new “I Love You Regardless” T’s for sale in our online store. The T design was created by The Dalloways’ own resident artist/keyboarist Cortnie Cleary, and I’m not lying when I say they are the cutest band T-shirts ever.

We hope to see you at our next show!

Dalloways: Young Americans and Downtown Shootings

2008-02-12T19:57:00.000-08:00

The Feb 9 CD Release at Sandrini's in Bakersfield was huge! We couldn't have asked for more. Started off with our good friends The Sleepover Disaster and their beautiful shoegaze sounds - silky reverb guitar swells reminiscent of My Bloody Valentine. Then The Filthies, our Bakersfield punk heroes. These guys get a mosh of happy fans rabidly dancing every time we see them live. They brought the sound and their fans in droves to this show, so we owe them lots of props.

We put together an all-star band for a few numbers. Included Matt Munoz, Mento Buru founding member on sax, Melissa of Near Miss Mallet and Cheri of Mystic Red as backing soul gals. Earlier that day put the finishing touches on Bowie's "Young Americans." This was the most fun The Dalloways have ever had with a cover song. It's been a personal dream to play in an 8 plus member band - dream come true! Check out the cool Dalloways Mini Documentary: Young Americans on YouTube.

Hectic Films debuted the new Dalloways "Dirty Money and Filthy Love" video, a moody film noir styled piece featuring the title song of our latest EP. Check it out on YouTube and leave some praise for these local guerrilla style movie makers who are taking their low-budget meets high quality craft a step up with every new feature.

So there was a shooting down the street shortly after our last number - some nutcase in The Syndicate angry that he was cut off pulled out a gun and started shooting indiscriminantly in the bar and then ran off. The entire street was locked down, and we wer stuck with some concerned people in Sandrini's for awhile. It's too bad when things like this happen downtown. These isolated incidents build up in people's minds and really hurt the scene. But those of us who know the place intimately will continue to support. Downtown is the cultural, art, and music hub of this city - ground zero - and this isn't going to change. I think it's because creative people naturally gravitate to the close, urban feel, the sense of togetherness, the great cafe meeting places and and music venues. It's our local cultural ground zero!

More props go the Bakersfield media and bloggers who stepped up and covered the local music scene like I've never seen.

View the photo slideshow by ABC 23's Jessica Moncrief
Read Bakersfield Downtown: The Dalloways and the Shooting Aftermath on Buzz Bands
Watch The Dalloways Mini Documentary: Young Americans by N.L. Belardes
Read the Matildakay.com Review of Dirty Money
Read the Bakotopia Review of Dirty Money by J.R. of Illpressed
Read the Bakersfield Californian Eye Street Feature by Shellie Branco
Read Hectic Films' blog Dalloways CD Release Party and Then Downtown Shooting by Jason Sanders

Thanks to the mad/wonderful music fans and media for helping make this show rock!

Dirty Money Featured on matildakay.com

2008-02-09T20:30:00.000-08:00

Check out the latest Dirty Money feature on matildakay.com's One Bakersfield Woman's Blog to Mankind.

Dalloways Featured in Californian

2008-02-09T20:19:00.000-08:00

Check out Shellie Branco's February 6 Eye Street feature in The Bakersfield Californian.

Dirty Money Review on Concert Livewire

2008-02-07T22:52:00.000-08:00

Read the latest Dirty Money Review on Concert Livewire.

Dalloways Get Creative to Battle Myspace Glut

2008-02-07T22:30:00.000-08:00

The Dalloways and Bakersfield compatriots Lost Ocean were recently featured in a KERO 23 article about indie marketing called "Bands Get Creative to Battle Myspace Glut." You can read the article and watch the cool video footage on turnto23.com.

Hero Hill Reviews Dirty Money

2008-02-01T14:33:00.000-08:00

Read the Hero Hill review of Dirty Money and Filthy Love.

Bakotopia Reviews Dirty Money

2008-01-31T07:19:00.000-08:00

Music critic Jesse Rivera reviews the new EP on a full-page spread in Bakotopia. Check out the article. The D's hope to see you at the CD Release Bash Feb 9 at Sandrini's! Also on the ticket: The Filthies and shoegaze wunderkinds The Sleepover Disaster. View the Feb 9 Event here. An added bonus?... You may just see a Bako all-star cast on stage, including Mr. Munos himself on sax. Keep your fingers crossed.

Dorktown Features Dalloways Song

2008-01-27T19:04:00.000-08:00

One the EP's tunes is featured on the Cafe Dorktown podcast. Download the episode at The Fresnan Blog. And say hi to our new friend Mikey at Dorktown, who is deep deep into Fresno Cultcha!

Hectic Times, Hectic Video!

2008-01-26T08:27:00.000-08:00

Supposedly, the young slasher film come action flick directors at Hectic Films are putting the finishing touches on the Dirty Money music video. That's good news!

We last left these chaps on filming day in the basement of Benjamin's in downtown Bakersfield. We drank fake whiskey poured from wine bottles into martini glasses and threw around playing cards and lots of dollar bills for this classic speakeasy-themed piece of film history. I was only a little disappointed that there wasn't more blood and gore on the set, but I guess we can save that for the next video.

Hectic Films was featured in the most recent edition of Bakotopia, so pick up a copy and read more about these up-and-coming directors.

Feb 9 Bakersfield CD Release Party!

2008-01-02T14:41:00.000-08:00

NEW CD: DIRTY MONEY AND FILTHY LOVE!
NEW HECTIC FILMS VIDEO DEBUT!
GREAT BANDS!
GOOD TIMES IN THE COOLEST BASEMENT BAR IN TOWN!
MORE MORE MORE!

DO NOT MISS!...

Bakersfield friends, come to this Feb 9 CD Release featuring the new Dalloways video by Hectic Films and much more. Confirmed at Sandrini's, downtown bakersfield. Visit dalloways.com or Dalloways Myspace for more info. More acts posted soon. Sandrini's: Venue Tel: (661) 322-8900.

Dalloways New Year

2008-01-01T17:34:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!

Our 2008 is already pretty exciting, and we hope yours is as well. We're still on schedule for the Dirty Money and Filthy Love EP, which is set to land mid-January. It will take us a bit for BIB to get the album sent off to our distributor, but we should have the CD ready to sell at shows no later than the 15th.

Currently, we are discussing/finalizing details with venues for CD release parties. We'll keep you posted. Please check back here! We wouldn't want you to miss a date in your area.

We will be releasing streaming audio tracks on myspace, and all tracks will be available for purchase through our Snocap/myspace store, iTunes, CDBaby, and loads of other retail sites. Of course, you can always buy the actual CD at CDBaby or from the merch manager at one of our shows.

We hope to see you soon!

xoxo

Dirty Money Mid January!

2007-12-14T11:22:00.000-08:00

This brand new five song EP is currently being pressed and printed. The tracks were recently mastered by the expert Mike Bozzi at Bernie Grundman.

Here is a listing of the tracks:

Dirty Money and Filthy Love
Me and Thomas Hardy
Let's Climb the Staircase
I Love You Regardless
Didn't Have the Time

Radio promotion, release parties, and a tour are in the works. More news about the release and dates soon.

EP Nearing Completion

2007-11-02T12:49:00.000-07:00

Today, Aaron and I are putting finishing touches on a ghostly song called "Let's Climb the Staircase." This will most likely be one of the five songs on our upcoming EP called "Dirty Money and Filthy Love." It's looking like December will be the completion and release of it all! Soon, we'll head down to Bernie Grundman Studios to polish the tracks off ina fab. mastering session.

As of yet, we have not CD release parties set but will start in on the planning very soon. Please check back with us on this front as we'd love for you to be there when we release the EP.

Machete in Biker Bar

2007-10-23T07:42:00.000-07:00

On the road, coming home after a brilliant weekend of touring. Currently listening to the wonderful new Fast Computers album Heart Geometry. Beautiful synth layerings, satalite beeping loops, and rich string sections.

So where’ve we been?

Friday, we drove for thirteen hours straight to Eugene, Oregon, and met up with Peter and Jen of TFC, who were kind enough to put us up in their mid-century party pad. Very quickly we got to playing Guitar Hero, ripping it up on such classics as Balls to the Wall and other fairly obscure, half-forgotten rock songs that make for great faux guitar playing.

Tapas for dinner, and then a quick set-up at Sam Bond’s Garage—a great little venue ranked in Esquire as one of America’s best bars. It’s a humble neighborhood haunt with great Oregon beer and of course, the local favorite—mead.

The last time we played Sam Bond’s, we noticed a hippie hanging by his knees from a tree down the street, and one stoned dude weaving on a bike down the middle of the avenue, riding no-hands while playing the sentimental section of “Free Bird” over and over again on an acoustic guitar. Eugene was living up to the hype. So this time around we didn’t know what to expect.

We set up our equipment for our first ever duo performance—just C and G with drum and bass tracks run conveniently through our iPod. There was a good sized crowd of Eugene citizenry who were nice enough to not heckle us. The other bands on the ticket—Ed Cole and The Underlings, and Luca, were in the crowd, nodding their heads and tapping their feet, a whoop of appreciation here and there. Worked out some of the kinks of our set in front of a live audience.

Later, we went back to the party place and had pizza rolls with Apple Jack and other mixed drinks from Fox and Dean’s vast collection of top shelf liquors. More Guitar hero till late into the morning.

Next day we all packed up for our show in Portland where we would share the stage with Home Before Sundown and Fast Computers.

After a relaxing afternoon of champagne and synth sessions at the HBS house, all three bands caravanned to a kick-ass sushi house.

We arrived at Kelly’s Olympian to load in. Kelly’s is a biker bar with about two million dollars worth of motorcycles hanging from the ceilings and walls—Harley’s and Indians and cafe racers of all kinds. A drunk punk with ripped jeans and chains was flailing around a taped up machete and trying to hug everyone. I guess the tape was to make the machete somehow acceptable in a crowded public place, but we found him just a bit unnerving.

The excellent sound man Nalin was dressed à la Richie Tennanbaum. He gave us a choice of background visual footage on stage—Saharan lion chases and killings or Twilight Zone footage for our background. We chose the Zone—couldn’t pass up the moody black and white weirdness.

Played about a 25 minute set of new tunes, and then Home Before Sundown—a self-proclaimed synth army of a band with four synths and backbeats and soulful vocals. Depeche Mode lovelorn angst meets earnest lovelorn kids of Portland.

Then Fast Computers took stage—an always ecstatic Jen Fox bouncing positively about those drums, the stylish Peter Dean cranking out upbeat synth and electric piano tinklings and masterful tales of their recent US tour. Fast Computers have a new line-up featuring the ever-cool Brenna Sheridan on guitar and synth and enthusiastic-dancing Andrew on bass.

Oh, and then to wrap up the night, of course, arm wrestling to the soundtrack of Sylvester Stallone’s masterful 80’s classic, Over the Top. This was a mini-tour worth remembering.

Pictures posted soon!

Dalloways Talk Shop on ABC

2007-09-22T00:44:00.000-07:00

The Dalloways talk about Distant Fairs with local celeb news and entertainment journalist N.L. Belardes of ABC 23 after a recent show at The Dome in Bakersfield.

Watch the interview on Youtube posted below, and read a new live review on Buzz Bands.

Dark Disco and September 29

2007-09-20T20:16:00.000-07:00

Working steadily on the mixes. Up on the block now is "Didn't Have the Time," a dark disco tune with some very cool vampiresque backing vocals. It's shaping up as one of the dance tunes along with "Dirty Money." Shooting now for a November release of the EP.

Working with our friends at Hectic Films on a video for the single, "Dirty Money." I'll keep the details under wraps for now until productions begins.

September 29 in Bakersfield is our next show for the public in Bakersfield, with Near Miss Mallet and Highway Jones.

October 19 in Portland!

2007-08-11T10:09:00.000-07:00

We've got a great show coming up October 19 in Portland with beautiful techno cuties Fast Computers and Home Before Sundown. For details, visit The Dalloways Tour Page.

Distant Fairs Sound Bites Posted

2007-07-12T12:04:00.000-07:00

The Dalloways have polished up yet another tune called "I Love You Regardless." This along with "Me and Thomas Hardy" and "Dirty Money" are now posted as sound bites on The Dalloways Myspace, so take a listen!

The band is actively seeking a label partner to team up with for the next big Distant Fairs EP/LP combo project, so if you'd like to hear the rest of these tracks in addition to other tunes from the project, simply email your request to the band through The Dalloways Online.

Polishing Trona

2007-04-27T10:22:00.000-07:00

Wednesday, April 25, Aaron and I worked on the "Trona" mix. This is the toughest mix of the album, it seems, but it's most likely going to be a demo track, so we wanted to attack it first. We've got a ton of tracks to deal with, so basically this session, we picked and chose which tracks to keep, which to dump, and which to quiet. We also worked some delay and Moog effects into a few of the tracks. What I like in particular are Cortnie's backing vocals and the flugalhorn and trombone tracks -- great strengths of this song. Cortnie showed up toward the tail end of the session and offered some feedback, some yea's and nay's.

60's British Gameshows and Spaghetti Westerns

2007-03-30T19:06:00.000-07:00

Monday, Marcy 26, and Wednesday, March 28, we managed to get into the studio and finish up all the horn parts for the new album. Trombone player Adan Infante of 40 Watt and many other bands and trumpet and flugalhorn player Thomas Lake came in and tracked my parts for "Trona," "Me and Thomas Hardy," and "Josaie."

"Josaie" is standing out as the dark horse of the lot. The trumpet part is reminiscent of a sixties spaghetti western soundtrack. The song's about three minutes long - perfect for a single - and pretty catchy if we don't say so.

The other two tracks' horn parts are lending a '60s British gameshow feel to the tunes - wonderful and rich sounding. I can almost see the BBC/Thames television broadcasting logo in my mind when I close my eyes.

Ricky also tracked some great arpeggiated and strummed electric guitar tracks for "JoSaie" - a tinge of Johnny Marr in a fabulous way.

Days of Synth

2007-03-21T19:37:00.000-07:00

Busy day: Cortnie, AWall and I descended on the demo tunes . We shifted a few around, and some dark horses have now come to the forefront. When this happens, you've got to give them room to sprint.

We started off with "Dirty Money and Filthy Love," a song I'd scratched from the demo list because I felt it was a bit unlike some of the other tunes. But it's got too much of the "single" about it to ignore it. We developed some beautiful and outrageous synth sounds today. All three of us laid down tracks on several different boards, including one fabulous old Crumar synthesizer Aaron discovered for a few bucks at a yard sale of all places. It's so Flaming Lips it's ridiculous.

The other two songs we're considering are waiting for next week's horn sections - otherwise, they're pretty much done. So we moved on to another dark horse, the surprisingly poppy and strangely named "JoSaie." Some synth Tron strings and cellos, and suddenly this spaghetti Western style tune dripped with loveliness.

After the session, Cortnie and I relaxed for a bit at Teazers, our fave Fresno tea house, and worked on polishing up our new bio.

More more more about the Distant Fairs recordings to come. Stay tuned. Until then, enjoy they slide show of today's action.

Three Songs Shaping Up

2007-03-17T19:55:00.000-07:00

March 16, 2007 - Royal Dutch Company in Fresno - The Dalloways are honing in on the three out of fifteen songs to be used as demos, developing developing developing through creative tracks.

On Friday, we tracked lots of keys - Hammond and Wurlitzer sounds, among others - in addition to percussion such as cymbal swells, snapping and clapping, triangle, and more.

Right now, we're considering "Me and Thomas Hardy," "Trona," and the dark horse, "Let's Climb the Staircase," which needs the most work of the three. Hopefully we can shape it up and transform it into something really unique and catchy - the key to the demo tunes.

After these three are shaped up and out to the labels, we'll be continuing to develop the rest of the fifteen songs for release. We're planning on a stateside tour in addition to a European tour, complete with radio and press promotional pushes, so we're hoping we can find the right visionary label that wants to join a full-speed ahead project.

More recording soon.

Trona Keys and Triangles

2007-03-05T15:51:00.000-08:00

Wednesday, February 28 - Fresno - Royal Dutch Company - Aaron and I got together last Wednesday for some recording time.

We're honing in on three songs we will be using for the demo of the new album, so I brought a slew of keyboards into the studio, and we worked on keys and percussion - triangle and some great sounding Mexican maracas some friends of ours brought back across the border awhile back.

We pretty much finished most of the tracking for "Trona." All we have left for that song are horn tracks.

We'll put together polished versions of the three songs we've chosen and then send demo packs out to some major indies. That's the plan, in any case. Should be able to start sending in a few weeks at this rate.

Distant Fairs Station to Station

2007-02-16T14:57:00.000-08:00

Wednesday, February 14 - Fresno - Royal Dutch Company Studios - This was Ricky's day. After some frustrating time spent working out hard drive issues, we finally got down to tracking some tunes. Ricky's Strat's frets definitely need some work - one in particular is making a string buzz lke a sitar - so he played my Riviera with the Seymour Duncan humbuckers in it through the Fender Twin.

"Station Girl" - This one's in 5/4 and has a pleasant lead part I wanted Ricky to play. Nailed it. It's got a bit of a low end twang to it. Beautiful.

"Kenny Filthy (The Distant Fairs)" - Tracked some pretty sliding swells on this song. Then we went on to record some trippy harpsichord to inlay into the end of the song for a dreamy fair-like atmosphere. This will be an epic tune - the epic tune of the album.

After recording, I took the Riviera to Backline in order to fix a sunken pickup I'd damaged in a previous feedback session of guitar abuse. All fixed and leveled and ready for another session.

This recording is developing!

As always, more to come.

Feedback Loveliness

2007-02-10T15:15:00.000-08:00

Friday, February 9 - Fresno, CA - Royal Dutch Company Studios - It was all about the Riviera and it's semi-hollow body humbucker tones through various beautiful amps, including a Vox 15, and Fender Twin, and one mystery boutique with no label. Pretty standard mic set-up - a Sure 57 just a bit off the center of the cone for a nice gritty sound.

"Up Tonight" - I played it rich through the boutique, with an overdriven tone out of the neck pick-up. This was the rhythm track to accompany some acoustic sounds we've got running through this song. Also set down a strum track with pretty Bigsby tremolo bar swells throughout.

"Suffragette Chrysler" - This song is a problem child. It's kind of a straight ahead rock form, so there's always the danger that it turns into a generic cheesy rock tune, which is not really what we're looking for on this album (or any Dalloways album!), so it challenges us to get creative. For this song, we played it through the Boutique as well because it was such a nice tone. I came up with a simple little riff - more of a Go-Betweens style riff than a Slash riff, if you know what I mean, something very easy and catchy, for the background. Stumbled across this line in the way the best lines are just stumbled across, through experimenting around. This song's got hope yet!

"Stop Hangin's Around" - I tracked an overdriven rhythm line through the Fender turned way up. Beautiful! Then it was all out feedback - turned the whole rig up and through a nasty distortion pedal and set down two atrocious feedback tracks to use in and out of the song, to give it some atmosphere and depth. I abused and banged the poor guitar so much it popped a pick-up screw, and the humbucker sank into its slot like it was finished for the day.

Wednesday, February 7 - Fresno, California - Royal Dutch Company - It was all about Ricky and the Strat through the Fender Twin today, but I forgot the camera! I think we worked on "Trona" and a few others. I've got to write these things down as we go, as we're writing our own history here!

As always, more soon.

Electro a-la Dalloways

2007-01-10T19:01:00.000-08:00

Recorded yesterday and today at Royal Dutch. Worked on electric guitars, battled strange humming equipment and the chore of finding that tone that's just right. I'm convinced that guitars are even more difficult than vocals.

Yesterday, I tracked e. guitar for Dirty Money, and today was Ricky's turn. He dialed in a nice Motown tone through the Strat/Deville combo on "Me and Thomas Hardy." Also tracked a fine delay/distortion track for "Dirty Money," a bit Jonny Marr-esque in flavour.

We're on a search for a label that wants to work together to release a beautiful and majestic album. If you know anyone...

More more more soon as these things are constantly developing! Soon we'll be living in Paris off our fabulous royalties.

Wurlitzer on Nightbird

2007-01-01T16:54:00.000-08:00

You haven't heard from me in awhile. That's because we took a recording break for the holidays. But I started the New Year off right by laying down a Wurlitzer electric piano track for a song called "Nightbird" at the BIB studio. The sound is oh, so silky and smooth, that classic Wurlitzer vibe, with a touch of vibrato.

I worked on the part directly in the tracking, over and over again until I had what I wanted, then dropped the final finished part down a single solid take.

Stuck Hands

2006-12-13T21:19:00.000-08:00

Monday, December 11, I set down a few more acoustic guitar tracks for "Dirty Money and Filthy Love," "Ada," "Suffragette Chrysler," and "Let's Climb the Staircase." I brought my Rode NTK mic this time, which created a very nice and bright and full sound for the guitar.

"Ada" was a breeze - just clean strumming without much fuss at all.

Next, we decided to tackle "Let's Climb the Staircase" while my fingers were still fresh. When this song is played live, I play it very loosely, and picking two strings at a time and being a little messy is just fine; however, when committing it to recording, the process can be much more demanding. Needless to say, this song took several takes, and it took a lot of energy out of my fingers.

"Suffragette Chrysler" went smoothly since the strumming it pretty straightforward, like an early Neil Diamond song. Though my fingers were tired, we breezed through this one fairly quickly.

"Dirty Money" was another story. I play two chords very high on the neck, and the song's got a long long meander of double time in the end, and by the time the right take was done and I lifted my fingers off the strings, my hand was stuck fast in the form of a claw.

I'm glad I've got this space to write down and share the tiny minutiae of these recordings to remember later on. Recording the history will make the finishing of the project all the more satisfying.

Status Report: Classical Guitar

2006-12-04T20:48:00.000-08:00

This is a Distant Fairs recording status report.

Today at Royal Dutch, I laid down classical and acoustic guitar tracks for three tunes:

"Station Girl" - I think I've told you about this one before. It's about a guy who meets a girl in a subway station, falls in love, and then falls out of love. "So you move in with her / There are no maps of the heart by Baedeker / And she bores you with coffee beans / And her tiny television dreams / Oh ohhh." This one's got an interesting classical picking style running throughout it.

"JoSaie" - Moved on to the spaghetti western steel string beginning of "JoSaie," that song about a young male model/film star. The guitar line was a particularly challenging and swiftly moving arpeggiated picking line. Many many takes, each one pushing the steel strings deeper and deeper into my fingertips.

"Up Tonight" - What to do with this song! It's frightfully strange for us. I guess I'll stop there and let this one develop where it will. It's kind of like an unruly kid wanting to do what it will, and the parent has to relinquish some control or go crazy. The song called for a bossa style classical guitar line. Thank goodness, as the steel strings had pushed heavily into my fingertips at that point.

Bla bla bla. So why are most of the pics of me! It's not because I love these pics. I'm just in the studio a lot right now. I'll get some good ones of Cortnie soon, but she has to OK them - otherwise, they won't see the light of day.

As always, more soon!

D-28 Martin in Studio

2006-12-01T21:17:00.000-08:00

The Martin D28 dreadnought I'm playing in the studio is a real pleasure. It actually belongs to Roger Wall, Matt and Aaron's dad. I must remember to ask him the history of it so I can write it down here for posterity.

What I do know is he's had it for many years, and so it's had fine time to mellow and age gracefully. It's not the frilly or excessively adorned or fancy in any way but does have nice simple edging and a great shine. It's basic, straight ahead--a no-nonsense kind of guitar.

With its fresh strings, it sounds clean and bright and rich. Today, I used it to lay down rhythm tracks for "Trona," "Kenny Filthy," and "JoSaie" in that order. I laid down an additional arpeggio part for "Trona" just in case we want to use it later.

Recording goes much more smoothly in the early mornings, so we started early. The studio was relatively quite--and very dark. So dark, in fact, it freaked me out just a bit as I walked down the hallways, feeling the walls to find the hallways that T'd off to the various rooms.

Seven more tracks need the acoustic, so we should be done with it by next week. Then comes electric guitars with Ricky.

Martin Guitars and Girl Vocals

2006-11-27T22:24:00.000-08:00

The band's been busily at work. At Bird in Box Studio, Cortnie and I have been laying down her backing vocal tracks. We built a vox booth in our office closet using blankets, clothes, towels, yoga mats, and whatever other dampening devices we could find to deaden the acoustics of the space. We draped a thick down comforter over the doorway of the closet and presto, a do-it-yourself vocal booth.

We've managed to survive tense moments and a few fights (with the help of good food and lots of breaks) in order to produce some truly fine cute girl backing tracks. So far, we've got C's vox down on "Something's Going On" (aka "Mice in the Pantry"), "Me and Thomas Hardy" (aka "MATH"), "Trona," "Nightbird," and "Love Your Regardless." I've also written and hummed out some more horn ideas for "MATH."

Today with Aaron at Royal Dutch Company in Fresno, I layed down acoustic guitar tracks. We scored Roger Wall's beautiful Martin guitar and put fresh strings on it for a brilliant tone. Aaron set me up in the vocal booth--I sat on a drummer's stool and propped up my feet on an old amp head and started in. We used a skinny condensor mic to produce a very nice and bright sound. A bright tone in the highs with less mids and low ends was preferable to something more full-bodied in some of the songs so that the acoustic guitar would find its own pocket seperate from the thick bass tones we've got going on. After some experimentation with different condensor mics and placements, we ended up with what seemed perfect for the tunes.

We managed to track the acoustic for two songs, "Me and Thomas Hardy" and "Something's Going On" before another band down the hall started rocking all of Studio 9 with excessive volume. It's impossible to track an acoustic instrument when the BOOM BOOM BOOM of a techno band is seeping through the walls. But that's two songs down. We'll pick up the recording again on Friday.

So The Distant Fairs continues growing and developing. More soon.

Silver Fox Vibe

2006-11-03T16:51:00.000-08:00

The Silver Fox - hands down, this place has the has the best vibe in Bakersfield. Case in point - our November 2 show with The Fast Computers.

There's something about the atmosphere of that little room that makes people dance with strangers and possibly wear sombreros - unlike other downtown joints where folks seem to exude that kind of slick-haired Social D. self awareness that seems to stifle the good vibrations.

Our friends The Fast Computers - pretty much the best electro dance band ever - started off the night. A hightlight of this band is the encredibly bubbly Jen Fox on drums, whose energetic straight ahead playing melds perfectly with the drum sequencing backgrounds. Peter Dean (vocals/keys/synth) and John Laney (bass/vocals) are some of the coolest chaps ever. The band brought very hip tour CD's encased in old school floppy disc cases, and, as was so fitting for a band of this name, took email list information on - a fast computer. Cortnie and I swapped CD's and and T's - their designs were cool and retro modern.

During TFC's set, people went nuts on the dance floor. Meanwhile, lots of Bakersield talent and voices began to appear. Local novelist and literary encourager N. L. Belardes made an appearance in Day of the Dead skeleton face paint (see mention of the show and more pics on his Paperback Writer Blog), and Matilda Kay (the One Bakersfield Woman's Blog to Mankind writer) showed up as well. Matt Munos (of Mento Buru and Bakotopia) also showed up with a grip of his crew in frightening Day of Dead garb. JR of Ill Press and Valley Scribe, Mystic Red, and Vecar manager Bobby Paramo showed up as well as one or two members of Liars and Thieves. Our friends Danyale and Sarah from The Mommies were the most enthusiastic and actually sported hella cute homemade Dalloways T-shirts - a first for any fan.

The Dalloways set up, and after some technical glitches, we played through a set of mostly new tunes, including a new disco tune called "Didn't Have the Time." Filling in on guitar was the talented James Ratliff of Norfolk and Indians fame, and on drums, the svelte J.T. Hughes of Serus Victoria.

Thanks to Mike and Terry and The Silver Fox for hosting this gig and putting together the friendliest venue in town!

Tuesday, November 8, 2006 Post Script: Check out Matilda Kay's mysterious pics and review of the show entitled "It's Never Too Late for The Dalloways".

November 2 Electro Dreampop Fixation

2006-10-23T17:56:00.000-07:00

I know we said our last show was the show of the century, but that was for Fresno. This show with our Oregon friends The Fast Computers is the show of the century for Bakersfield. Dalloways and TFC's go electro dreampop. Hear it ... see it ... dream it ... don't miss it!

Visit The Dalloways Tour Page for specs.

Great Date Music!

2006-10-21T23:13:00.000-07:00

October 20th, the band perform in the big electro dreampop fixation extravaganza at The Starline. The show featured Blake Jones and the Trike Shop and newcomers Poplord. Blake and the fellows were in true form--the Theremin wept joyously under the gentle coaxing of Blake's hands. This is sixties Brian Wilson inspired avant garde at its best. And Poplord is the next sleeper hit of Fresno--two guys with a big pop sound that fit great with Jones and the gang.

Fresno indie band Rademacher was to play as well, but apparently the drummer was so ill that he could not get up from bed, and so the band proper backed out a few hours before the show. Malcolm the lead singer at least made an appearance and played a solo set with a classical guitar. He finished with a Leonard Cohen cover.

Highlight? A fan named Nick came up to me and told me the best date of his life was at a Dalloways show. So put this down: The Dalloways are great date music!

The next day we headed over to the Yoshi Now! fleamarket where our good friend Eli's high energy rockabilly band The Jump Backs performed.

As Cortnie and I drove back down Highway 99 to Bakersfield, suddendly the sky lit up in a blaze of fireworks just for us. This truly happened, and we can't explain it, but it was some kind of secular blessing. At least, we choose to believe it. Drivers pulled off the freeway to watch the spectacle.

Dalloways, Blake Jones, Rademacher, and Poplord

2006-10-15T19:11:00.000-07:00

Friday, October 20th at The Starline in Fresno, The Dalloways emerge from the dark cave of their studio to offer a sneak listen to some of the new tunes.

This is the show of the century! The Dalloways go disco, Rademacher radiates, Poplord pops, and Blake Jones and the Trike Shop ride an avant garde wave! Hear it . . . and believe!

Visit the Dalloways Tour Page for more information.

Stop Hangin Around with Nightbirds

2006-10-10T01:04:00.000-07:00

I'm up late after a good weekend of recording and British car driving. Curious? I just blogged and slide show'd about the British Car Roundup where my little '69 MGB GT Coupe fit in nicely.

And now, into Dalloways related news:

Early Monday morning before work proper, we recorded two more vocal tracks with the magical Neumann golden mic at Royal Dutch. Here's a little bit about the songs:

"Nightbird" - This one's got a sway and groove reminiscent of Burt Bacharach and Prefab Sprout, if that makes sense. Two lovers simply need to be together, despite the fact that they'd like to kill each other. Favorite line? "Punch me, punch me, punch me / Storm the tower for me / 'Cause black looks good on you / I'll let you in."

"Stop Hangin' Around" - This narrator loves his friend - really, he does. He'd do anything for this fellow. It's just that he's sick of him hanging around all the time! Favorite line? "Even if God asked me / There is hardly any / Means to despise you."

Love you!

Getting Pitchy with Love You Regardless

2006-10-06T20:42:00.000-07:00

Today we had some mixed success in the vox booth at Royal Dutch. We started the session planning to lay down lead vocal tracks for four songs, but by the time I finished the first, my voice was pretty much done for the day. I've found that it's best to listen to the voice, so we packed it up.

But we got one vocal track down tight! Here's the story on the song.

"Love You Regardless" - This sexy Beatles-esque (70's era) groove has existed for several months with no lyrics but the chorus Cortnie had thought up -- the recurring "I love you regardless" refrain. I layed down scratch acoustic guitar several months ago, and then we added drums and bass, but still no lyrics. So I sat down last Wednesday, determined to crank the thing out. So what's it about? It's a meeting between two old loves reminiscing about how things were and how things are now. Despite all the differences, she loves him regardless. Favorite line? "Put girl to your natural state / 'S like breathing on the moon"

Cortnie is pretending to sing in this pic. Her tracks come later, but she thought the vocal booth looked cozy inside.

Cramming to Write a Song

2006-10-02T17:46:00.000-07:00

Whoa! We've been busily working away at the latest album, The Distant Fairs. This week, I found myself facing down a lead vocal session on a song with no set lyrics.

So I burnt the oil, typed away, worked and worked and tap tapped the keys till late Sunday night until I finished the thing! Here's a hint of what it's about:

"JoSaie" - about a vapid hipster teen Portuguese movie idol named JoSaie who loses himself in the role of his life. He surrounds himself with Shrimptoneque hangers-on and loses touch of the reality that made him. Hmm. Profound, aint it? Really, it's just a rocker.

So early this morning, before my day job began, I headed into the studio to lay down the track. It was rough going. The songs that initially seem like they'd be easiest to record end up being the most difficult. I think this is because of drawn out notes that on the surface seem simple. They are far from simple. That longer the note, the easier it is to get pitchy.

In the end, we finished with two solid takes and some good harmony ideas.

Side Note: Sunday night, Cortnie and I hit the Kern County Fair with free passes, courtesy of our friend NL. Cinammon rolls and deep friend Twinkies, yes yes yes!

The Latest on The Distant Fairs Recordings

2006-09-28T15:55:00.000-07:00

This last Wednesday, September 27th, I sped up to Fresno for yet another lead vocal session at Royal Dutch. Aaron and I cranked out vox for three more songs. Here's a tantalizing snapshot of each:

"Ada" - about a 19th Century female mathematician and daughter of a famous romantic poet. The Dalloways spin her into a tragic figure. Also creatively rhymes "Ada" with "Lay-tah."

"Suffragette Chrysler" - about a militant young girl who drives really fast, refuses to ever get married, takes pills, and submerses herself deeply into zodiac and trance.

"Didn't Have the Time" - pretty much the sexiest groove we've ever recorded.

So what's the tally so far? Bass, drums, and lead vox for ten songs.

In Studio and a Devious Honey Bear

2006-09-25T22:59:00.000-07:00

Today I drove to Fresno solo for another lead vocal session at Royal Dutch Company. We powered through two songs--"Mice in the Pantry" and "Up Tonight."

I found my own in the isolation booth today. Maybe it was the ginger tea. Or maybe it was the pull of Vodka I took to loosen up.

After a break at The Chicken Pie Shop in the Tower District (where I encountered a devious looking honey bear), we returned to crank out two more songs: "Station Girl" and "Let's Climb the Staircase." Add that to the previous three, and we've got seven solid lead vocal tracks.

We're developing lots of harmony ideas in the midst of these lead vocal sessions and are looking forward to laying the rest of the vox down.. The Distant Fairs is slowly but surely shaping up!

More soon.

Dalloways in Studio with Marlon Brando

2006-09-22T20:37:00.000-07:00

Cortnie and I drove to Fresno this morning for a frigid Friday studio session at Royal Dutch Company--Aaron's Fresno studio. The room is housed in a solid slab of a building. Burgundy paint covers some walls, gray carpet covers the rest, black ceilings press down from above--it feels like the sound lab it is. Posters of Marlon Brando as the godfather and Marilyn Monroe as a floosy keep us company.

We built what Cortnie called a carnival booth--a square corner of the room draped with tacked up blankets and comforters--in order to isolate the vocals. Then we went to work. I sipped orange ginger tea with honey as I sang in order to keep those vocal cords loose.

For this recording, the band scored a top of the line Neumann mic from the 1970's--the creme de la creme of pro studio mics, and coupled it with a Nieve preamp for an incredibly warm and distinctive sound. I could tell you more specs, but then I'd have to kill you.

In total, we finished lead vocals for three songs--"Me and Thomas Hardy," "Trona," and "Kenny Filthy"--before my voice tired and we had to quit for the day.

So the new album continues to develop. We've already got drums and bass done for fifteen tracks, and soon the lead and backing vocals we're currently working on will be added to the mix.

Stay tuned for more developments.

Final Radio Week

2006-05-24T10:26:00.000-07:00

FINAL REPORT FROM PLANETARY

We just wrapped our sixth and final week with Penalty Crusade out at radio, and we had a very good ride with the album. Overall, we made it into rotation at 169 stations with charting action at 15 stations, the highlights including KFSR in Fresno, CA and KVCU in Boulder, CO with some of the others including KSLC, KSSU, KSUB, WALF, WBIM & WRMC. We were spun at least once a week at 138 stations, and really that number was probably more because there are some stations that added the album that we didn't hear from after that.

Radio Radio Radio!!!

2006-05-17T11:35:00.000-07:00

MAY 17 RADIO REPORT FROM PLANETARY GROUP

At college this week, we picked up a debut at WCUR in West Chester, PA at #20, as well as more charting action from KVCU in Boulder, CO [#5] and KSSU in Sacramento, CA [#9].

In the breakdown of other numbers, we have been added at 152 stations are being spun at least once per week at 120 of them.

More Radio Spins for Dalloways

2006-05-11T14:46:00.000-07:00

MAY 10 REPORT FROM PLANETARY GROUP

We had another really solid week at college. We debuted at a new station this week. WRMC in Vermont came on at #23 this week. Core station KVCU in Boulder CO brought us back onto their chart at #29 this week. We also continued to chart at KFSR, KSSU, WBIM, and WLHS this week. We're getting some great spins at radio, with new medium rotation action coming from WKWZ, WVVS, WWUH, WDWN, WICB, WLUR and WNTE. There are more than 130 stations that have added us to rotation, 95 of which where we're getting light play or better.

Dalloways Radio Play Continues

2006-05-03T15:12:00.000-07:00

The Dalloways had another great week at radio as they got charting action from seven stations, including KFSR, KSLC, KSSU, WBIM, WLHS, WRSK (TOP 10 DEBUT!) & WXJM.

Other great spins came from WDOM, WVUD, WNHU, KVCU & KSLU.

Overall, Penalty Crusade is in rotation at 124 stations with seventy-seven stations that are spinning tracks at least once a week.

You can help.

Call your local college radio station and request a Dalloways tune. If they don't have the album, ask em, "Why not?!"

Dalloways Spins

2006-05-02T10:20:00.000-07:00

The Dalloways radio campain continues. Here's a brief pre-Wednesday update from Dany at Planetary Group:

I am seeing some good numbers so far. The album is on the chart at

KFSR
KSLC
KSSU
WBIM
WRSK
WXJM

Dalloways Hit the Airwaves

2006-04-26T15:16:00.000-07:00

The Dallowys are hitting the airwaves at college and core stations around the states. Here are only a few of the highlights of this week's reports from Planetary Group. Call your local station now and request a song from Penalty Crusade!

REPORT HIGHLIGHTS

CO Boulder KVCU-1/KUCB-1: 16 spins this week! huge!
OR McMinnville KSLC: solid, great!
CA Sacramento KSSU: this is f*cking awesome!!
OH Liberty Township WLHS: debutsville!
NY Alfred WALF: this will make a debut!
NY Schenectady WRUC: doing well.
NY New York WSVA: it will be debut this week.
PA Scranton WVMW: solid.
NY Ithaca 106 VIC: really liked it.
MI Allendale WCKS: doing well.
MA W. Barnstable WKKL: rocking here!
PA Mansfield WNTE: off to a good start!
IL Elmhurst WRSE: it should do well here.
NY Amherst WRUB: should chart soon.

April 2 Make-Out Room in SF

2006-03-11T19:51:00.000-08:00

Sunday night at one of the finest clubs in town! Dalloways headline at 11:00, with Ryan Mc Phun and the Ruby Suns and Parks and Recreation opening; 3225 22nd Street, SF, CA 94110; Tel: (415) 647-3997; $7, 21 and over; www.makeoutroom.com

Dalloways in Bakersfield March 31, Debut Kenny Filthy

2006-03-11T12:48:00.000-08:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

LIVE MUSIC EVENT: THE DALLOWAYS PERFORM THREE SETS IN BAKERSFIELD

DATE: Friday, March 31

VENUE: McGee’s at the Ice House, 3401 Chester Ave. Bakersfield, CA 93301

TEL: (661) 323-8730

BAND: The Dalloways

TIME: Three sets! Start times: 6:30, 7:30, 8:30 PM

COST: Free!

DETAILS: California dreampopsters The Dalloways perform three sets at fine dining establishment and club, McGee’s at the Ice House. The Dalloways will perform standards off their full length CD Penalty Crusade, play choice covers by Tears for Fears, The Smiths, and House of Love, and debut new tunes, including the scandalous and tragic “Kenny Filthy.” For more information on The Dalloways and this performance, visit www.dalloways.com.

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Fresno Famous Intereviews The Dalloways

2006-01-27T10:55:00.000-08:00

Read the revealing January 26 Fresno Famous Interview with The Dalloways conducted by Mitch on Speed.

You can also read and comment on the intereview at Mitch's myspace blog or at Mitch's blogspot.

Dreampop 101 February at The Bay

2006-01-22T05:12:00.000-08:00

San Francisco, California – January 21, 2005 – Cross a college English lit. professor with a Britpop inspired rhythm section and one platinum synth girl (who happens to be married to the prof.), and you’ll get something like The Dalloways, a stylish-- and only slightly esoteric--dreampop quintet performing at Kimo’s in San Francisco Friday, February 10 and The Stork Club in Oakland Sunday, February 12

The Dalloways are touring to promote their latest full-length CD, Penalty Crusade (Bird in Box Records), an album influenced by British luminaries such as The Smiths, Prefab Sprout, and Modern English, to name a few. About the band, frontman and songwriter Gerhard Enns says, “We’re feeling a close affinity with artists like The Dears and Belle and Sebastian--bands with melodic guitars and synths who draw on the Brit pop tradition of the 80’s.”

Enns’ background is fiction writing (he has published short stories in several literary journals), so it’s not surprising that many of the songs weave narrative threads: a down-and-out Olympic figure skater seeks lost love; a brother runs from family and friends to make his own way in New York; lovers on the Metro feel the separateness of their fractured relationship. “Every day you come across a new story,” says Enns about songwriting. “You stand behind an interesting person at the grocery store, read a cryptic headline in the newspaper, and ten minutes later, you’ve got the a new song.”

Local bands Harvey Cartel and Lurid Bliss will be performing with The Dalloways on February 10, and The Meek, Carousel, and Centric on February 12.

Kimo’s is located at 1351 Polk Street in San Franciso, and The Stork Club is located at 2330 Telegraph Avenue in Oakland. For directions and set times, call Kimo’s at (323) 876-6612 or The Stork Club at (510) 444-6174. For more information on The Dalloways, visit http://www.dalloways.com/.

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Penalty Crusade Receives N. L. Album of Year

2006-01-07T20:19:00.000-08:00

Bakersfield music critic, punk activist, and author of scandalous novels N. L. Belardes has awarded The Dalloways' Penalty Crusade Album of the Year for 2005.

The Dalloways are honored to have received their first N. L. Read the full article on nlbelardes.com for more information on the awards.

Penalty Crusade Makes Earfood Top 20 of 2005

2005-12-31T18:59:00.000-08:00

The kind editors at Earfood have listed The Dalloways' Penalty Crusade in their Records That Made 2005 Rad!!! list. The list places The Dalloways in the ranks of bands like Death Cab for Cutie, The Decemberists, Broken Social Scene, and British Sea Power, just to name a few of the other fantastic acts on the list. Says Editor In-Chief Ken Glanton, if you love "beautiful productions and great songs, put Penalty Crusade on your must buy list." Check out the list for some great 2005 pics, and be sure to link up to Earfood for great music news and articles.

Scottish Diskant Reviews Dalloways

2005-12-31T14:09:00.000-08:00

The excellent Glasgow based music review journal Diskant has just posted a wonderful review of Penalty Crusade this New Year's Eve. Simon Minter, editor-in-chief, says of the album, "This music evokes bands of a different era–- McCarthy, the Pale Fountains, even Felt --but it is of course timeless." Visit this Scottish journal online to read the full Diskant review of Penalty Crusade.

Portland and Fresno Music Scenes Unite

2005-12-27T14:56:00.000-08:00

FRESNO - DECEMBER 29 - The Dalloways perform this Thursday with three fabulous bands: The Sleepover Disaster, Climber, and Man of the Year. Climber and MOTY are touring from Portland and are the bands to see in pdx.

The show will happen at the historic Tokyo Garden in downtown Fresno, known for its great live music offerings. Visit each band's website or visit myspace to make friends with all these bands and to check out their music.

Dalloways in Bakersfield January

2005-12-16T15:30:00.000-08:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

DREAMPOP CRUSADERS RETURN TO BAKERSFIELD

Bakersfield, California – December 15, 2005 – Local dreampopsters The Dalloways kick off their 2006 tour in Bakersfield Thursday, January 12 at Jerry’s Pizza.

The Dalloways are developing and performing brand new material along with songs from their most recent full-length CD Penalty Crusade (Bird in Box Records). “The new songs have got a slightly more ‘Montreal’ sound” says Gary Enns, singer/songwriter of the band. “We’re feeling a close affinity with bands like The Dears, Stars, Broken Social Scene, Feist—the new Canadian scene of melodic synths and male-female duets.”

Other musical influences for The Dalloways are noticeably British—Pulp, Belle and Sebastian, Modern English, The Smiths, Prefab Sprout. “Those things you hear in your formative years tend to stick with you later on,” Enns says. “And it all happened to be British pop for me. It’s hard to shake the sounds that moved you so much as a kid.”

After their Bakersfield show, the Dalloways will tour Los Angeles, San Diego, Ventura, and The Bay Area, among other locations. The new album will is in production and is scheduled for release mid-2006.

Jerry’s Pizza is located at 1817 Chester Avenue in downtown Bakersfield. Telephone: 661.633.1000. Jerry’s is an all-ages venue. Cost and additional bands for the show will be announced soon. For the latest information on The Dalloways and their Bakersfield appearance, visit www.dalloways.com.

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Dalloways December and January

2005-12-01T17:53:00.000-08:00

Visit the Dalloways Tour for details on the December 16 show with Hijack the Disco and the December 29 show with Man of the Year, Climber, Sleepover Disaster, and more.

We've got more coming up in January, including stops in Bakersfield, LA, San Diego, San Francisco, so stay tuned.

Beautiful South, Please Travel West!

2005-11-17T16:44:00.000-08:00

Remember The Beautiful South? Northern Soul practitioners, child of The Housemartins? You know, "36D"... Last time we saw these Northerners in our part of the world was 2000 at the Warfield in San Francisco. It was the happiest, most positive crowd of young and old hipster music lovers I'd ever seen, and the show had a fantastic vibe, despite the fact that singer Jacqueline Abbott didn't make the tour. That was too long ago. So why such a long time gone? I'm sure a Beautiful South California visit could pay for itself.

Of course, the band has seen much more success on their home turf, but we're hoping they'll consider a U.S. tour for their tenth studio album currently in the works. This one will follow 2004's CD Golddiggas Headnodders & Pholk Songs, a limited edition U.K. collection of cover songs dear to the hearts of the band. The new album will be produced by Ian Stanley, who has worked with Tears for Fears, Pretenders, and, much more.

Dalloways a-Blur by Mattias Thorslund

2005-11-14T16:01:00.000-08:00

Thanks to photographer Mattias Thorslund for posting this killer "blur-ish" fifteen second exposure shot of The Dalloways performing at Club Fred October 29.

You didn't' make the show? The Dalloways sported new rockin'' tunes and all new Halloween wigs. Blake Jones and The Trike Shop rounded out the night with their infectious California pop.

Sadly, Club Fred has seen better days. I hope this Fresno music institution will get its act together and live up to its reputation as one of Fresno's finest venues. One can hope!

Methamphetamines and Dead Mathematicians

2005-11-12T12:40:00.000-08:00

The Dalloways are up to new music again, with a new album in sight. Lyrical themes to include methamphetamine abuse, brilliant but dead mathematicians, coffee liqueurs, graffiti and subway posters, love, getting dumped, rural punk rock kings, and more.

We're taking our time and are constantly writing new material. Currently, we're looking at February 2006 for a new release. Check back for more info.

Belle and Sebastian Touring Again

2005-11-07T15:32:00.000-08:00

Looks like Belle and Sebastian are at it again, but no 2006 US tour dates to speak of yet.

The world tour should be posted soon, however, and California should be prominant in the mix. Here's where you'll find the Belle and Sebastian 2006 U. S. tour dates as soon as they're posted.

It would be nice to see them in an intimate setting, but being as they're international indie superstars, that may be an impossibility. Coachella? Mmm... no thanks. I think I'll stay home and watch a B & S Live DVD instead.

N. L. Revealed, Lords Released

2005-11-06T06:48:00.000-08:00

NOVEMBER 5 LENGTHWISE POST-SHOW PICS AND COMMENTS

Yesterday afternoon, Nico and I joined Norfolk, The Filthies, Fatt Katt and the Von Zippers, Nunez, and Mento Buru at Lengthwise Brewery for the Official Lords: Part I Book Release Party. This show was a grand success and a groundbreaker unplugged session for Bakersfield musicians. Lengthwise was packed with happy people eating fried twinkies and French fries, drinking good beer, and purchasing copies of N. L. Belardes' new Bakersfield-grown novel. I noticed many artists and musicians in the crowd, including bloggers of Ill News, Matilda Kay, Three Chord Whore, and Art Speak.

We had some difficulty hearing ourselves through the monitors but seemed to pull off a short set of new tunes without a hitch. Usually we're feeling pretty confident in front of a crowd, but without the other guys to back us up, honestly, we were feeling a bit tentative and nervous, two folks sitting in a fish bowl. This was definitely good practice for us and a very good reason to work out some new tunes. Rumor has it there'll be a Buck City Podcast of the event up soon.

The most revealing part of the night occurred when Belardes himself joined Mento Buru front and center and shook a set of hollow-gourd maracas. Was his dream finally coming true that moment on stage? To become the frontman maraca shaker of a Latin ska band? Is there a future for him in the maraca shaking field? If last night is our preview, we may just see Belardes taking up a new career path. "More maraca! More maraca!"

November 5: New Tunes and Lords

2005-11-03T22:15:00.000-08:00

G will be playing a few solo tunes acoustically Saturday, November 5 @ Lengthwise Brewery for N. L. Belardes' Lords: Part I OFFICIAL BOOK RELEASE PARTY. Expect some new tunes plus an ole' standard or two from Penalty Crusade.

4:00 PM. Address: 6720 Schirra Court, Bakersfield, CA 93313. Tel: 661-836-ALES.

UPDATE: Notice the time slot change. We're now going on at 4:00 PM, which means N will be able to join on stage.

Rave Review in Indie Workshop

2005-10-24T22:43:00.000-07:00

The Dalloways are feeling a little bit furtunate today, thanks to writers like Mark Horan, who seems to be intimately aware--and fond of--our influences in his indieworkshop.com review of Penalty Crusade. Anyone able to write fondly about Nick Laird-Clowes the way Horan does has got to understand us on a deep level. This is a great little review in a fantastic online music mag. Take a look at the review and the pull out that old Dream Academy cassette for old time's sake. It really is brilliant.

October 29 w/ Blake Jones and Trike Shop

2005-10-19T15:28:00.000-07:00

The Dalloways host a night featuring Blake Jones and The Trike Shop--and yes, the guy plays a mean Theremin! Beach Boy goodness and dreampop syndication. $6, 21+. Doors at 8:30, music at 9:30. 1426 N. Van Ness Ave. 93728. Tel. 559.233.3733. Visit The Dalloways Online and Club Fred for more information.

Penalty Crusade a Hawaiian Hieroglyph Moment

2005-09-30T16:40:00.000-07:00

Penalty Crusade made someone's incredible Hawaiian hieroglyph moments list. Wow! This is one of the most flattering things I think we've heard as a band! I mean, reviews are reviews, but making a "moments" list means a CD has tuly made an impact. Thanks, MK, for sharing the moment with us!

New Review of The Dalloways' Penalty Crusade at Independent Clauses

2005-09-29T10:34:00.000-07:00

When I hear about a new Dalloways review, I quickly send the link to Nico for perusal. She's my reviews buffer. (I've got a kind of soft heart when it comes to criticism. Don't we all?) So I'm always pleased to get an email back from her telling me "You're gonna want to read this one!"

So, without any more chatter, check out the latest review of Penalty Crusade at Independent Clauses

How can you resist a review that mentions Britney Spears, N’SYNC, The Beach Boys, The Smiths, and Belle and Sebastian all in the same paragraph!?

Dalloways 2006 Dreampop Tour Dates

2005-09-25T17:32:00.000-07:00

Some new Dalloways Tour Dates are up on the Dalloways Online Tour Page. Stops focus on California from January to March, but the band may break out of state after that.

How to Join a Touring Band

2005-09-23T17:02:00.000-07:00

Speaking of touring bands, The Dalloways booking agent is putting together the following 2006 dates for California...

SOUTHERN CAL
-------------
Fri Jan 13: LA area
Sat Jan 14: San Diego area
Sun Jan 15: LA area

NORTHERN CAL DATES
-------------
Fri Feb 10: Sacramento
Sat Feb 11: San Francisco
Sun Feb 12: San Jose

Note: Berkeley and Chico are also
options.

SOUTHERN CAL REVISITED
-------------
Fri Mar 3: LA area
Sat Mar 4: San Diego area
Sun Mar 5: Back in LA area

Late September Recording

2005-09-18T15:38:00.000-07:00

The Dalloways are hitting the studio for the new tunes in late September. The goal is to create a demo for label consumption. New mics, new equipment, new tunes. Exciting stuff!

We're blogging more and more, so check back here for updates on the progress!

New Dalloways Tunes

2005-09-15T19:21:00.000-07:00

Through the summer I wrote a ton of new tunes, so the band is moving forward with a new demo and album. I wrote all the songs with either acoustic guitar or keyboard/synth and recorded scratches to click tracks. I'm really very happy with the progress. The new songs all seem so different from each other but with some kind of common element of style I can't quite put my finger on. It's those post-punk influences, I think, with some Bacharach, bossa nova, and Gilbert O'Sullivan peeking in. Nico and I are feeling akin to the Montreal movement in particular right now. You can hear some rough scratch tracks of two of the tunes on the Buck City Podcast Episode 5--just Nico and I on acoustic and synth to a click. It's how the magic starts.

As far as touring, our schedule is wide open right now due to songwriting, recording, and other prep work for the new tunes. School has started as well! I'm working on some Oct/Nov dates for 2005, and then our fabulous booking agent will be taking over everything in 2006! We hope to see you all soon.

Dalloways Press

2005-09-15T16:55:00.000-07:00

Looks like The Dalloways have been garnering some attention from the critics. The Dallwoays Online web editor has been collecting press clippings from music sources such as Neufutur, Outside Left, radio stations, and more at Dalloways Press.

Dalloways w/ Music Lovers in Fall

2005-09-13T17:49:00.000-07:00

The band had such a fantastic time with The Music Lovers in both Fresno and San Francisco that we'll be working with them some more in the near future. Currently, we're looking at late October or November dates for a Fresno and/or Bakersfield show/s. We'll keep you posted!

August 14 in SF! Dalloways plus Music Lovers plus Bart Davenport!

2005-08-07T23:04:00.000-07:00

Hosted By: The Dalloways
When: Sunday Aug 14, 2005 at 8:00 PM
Where: The Make-Out Room
3225 22nd Street
San Francisco, CA 94110

Description:The Dalloways, Bart Davenport, and The Music Lovers

The Go-Betweens at The Troubadour June 18, 2005

2005-07-26T09:14:00.000-07:00

The Dalloways are great fans of The Go-Betweens and were happy to meet Robert Forster and Grant McLennan on their recent Oceans Apart tour. Here are some pictures of the June 18, 2005 Troubadour show in West Hollywood, featuring, of course, Robert Forster and Grant McLennan along with Adele Pickvance on bass and Glen Thompson on drums... Enjoy! (To Right: Robert Forster and Grant McLennan)

(To Left: Robert Forster and Grant McLennan)

(Right: Adele Pickvance, Robert Forster, Glen Thompson, and Grant McLennan)

(Left: Robert Forster)

The Dalloways Online
The Dalloways Myspace

Hot Show July 28 Plus The Cutest T-Shirts in the World!

2005-07-22T14:13:00.000-07:00

BIRD IN BOX PRESENTS...

WHEN: Thurs, July 28, 8:00 pm

BANDS: The Sleepover Disaster, The Same Shape, and Man of the Year from Portland!

WHERE: Club Fred, 1426 N Van Ness

COST: $6, 21 and over

DETAILS: BIB presents Loveless recording artists and KFSR faves Man of the Year from Portland! "Swirling, spacey layers of pop goodness... Whether you want to sing along, get up and jump around, or sit down and sink into contemplative mode, Man of the Year's stunning, shimmering brand of Brit-meets-new-wave-power-pop is a jaw-dropper" (Alex Steininger, In Music We Trust). Request tunes on the air at KFSR 90.7 FM, and tune into KFSR the day of the show for the great ticket giveaway!

Visit Bird in Box for fabulous band links!

T-SHIRT SALE!

Visit The Dalloways Shop for the cutest T-shirts in the world on sale!

The Music Lovers Join The Dalloways and Sparklejet Friday July 8 at The Starline in Fresno!

2005-06-27T14:53:00.000-07:00

The Music Lovers
Originally uploaded by dalloways.

Fresh from San Francisco, The Music Lovers have made a name for themselves by writing consistently great and stylish tunes with a British meets Broadway flair. Think The Divine Comedy meets Rufus Wainwright meets Dusty Springfield meets Vic Godard.

These SF dramapopsters will join The Dalloways and local rock act Sparklejet July 8 at The Starline in Fresno. Doors open at 8:30, and The Music Lovers will start promptly after 9:00, so arrive early to catch this fantastic act--we simply don't know when they'll return again!

For show specs, visit the "tour" page at The Dalloways Online.

Friday, May 27: Spokane - Friendliest Westerners, plus One Drug Dealer with a Strawberry Blonde Mullet

2005-06-07T11:16:00.000-07:00

Spokane, Washington, with it's industrial, slightly depressed downtown area, is another highlight of the trip.

Gerhard and Nico celebrated their anniversary in Spokane, and Esther, our tour manager, celebrated her birthday on the same day, so we had a grand Italian dinner, complete with fantastic Pinot Noir purchased by Enrique, at Europa, a posh restaurant in a fantastic old turn-of-century building.

Later, The Dalloways performed at Mootsy's, a bar/pizza joint famous for its killer music scene. Gig posters from bygone shows were plastered on the back wall of the stage area, lights were dimmed, Aaron and Dan, the bartenders, served up Kettel sodas and such, and the place quickly filled with music lovers. The place was packed when we started our show after acoustic girl Vindikate's set. Dalloways played a solid 45 minute set and were followed by Le Cha-Cha--alt. rockers in cowboy hats.

Spokane folks are some of the nicest we've met on this tour. After the gig, at about two AM, folks mingled after hours on the street corner, where an older gent was selling fat Polish dog sandwiches with grilled onions and peppers. Drunk gente mingled and stumbled around in a friendly manner. A drunk guy with a mouth full of hot dog told us how great we were and hugged us repeatedly, then tackled his cousin in a drunken sprawl. A drug dealer with a strawberry blonde mullet and pegged 80's jeans lurked on the periphery, largely ignored.

Friday, June 3: Arcata - Cyclist Communes, Decapitated Dolls, and a Clothing Burial

2005-06-07T10:35:00.000-07:00

Drive through Eureka or Arcata, out over the bridges to Humboldt Bay's swampy strand, head for the center of that little finger of land, and you'll be in Manila, where good natured communalists fix bikes and set up communes. A new Arcata friend told me the story of how he was attacked by a band of renegade youth--they stripped a rack of good will clothes and started pelting him with the items as if their goal was to bury him. What started as a bit of good natured but freaky fun turned into a nightmare as the kids moved in closer to finish the job of burial. My friend had to resort to force, pushing the kids away in order to escape. Interesting anecdote for a truly inspiring place.

Humboldt County was ready for The Dalloways. There was a write-up and a picture in every major newspaper. Humboldt takes visiting bands very seriously. The band was interviewed twice while on the road. What a difference to the larger cities like Seattle, where the band received little press support.

The Placebo is a mucic event housed in a former elementary school turned community center. Ryan and Abe host these well-attended shows for locals. Eurekans and Arcatans packed the little former classroom to check us out. The place stank a bit of moldy cardboard and bathroom. Why? Don't know. But the place was packed with true music fans. They listened and grooved and talked with us afterwards. Jeronimo, an ecclectic visionary Humboldt County local, said that he felt the songs were speaking to him and referencing his life. Hmmm... Sounds like a little White Album magic. The band was filmed and recorded for The Hum City Podcast, which should air online in a few weeks. More as this develops.

The Dalloways were preceded by upstarts Bella Dramatica and followed by dapper techno fiend James III, who set up doll heads with burning candles in them, span preprogrammed music and danced with hired rave dancers in psychedelic nurse and stuffed animal costumes.

Thursday, May 26: Pullman - College Town

2005-05-31T09:22:00.000-07:00

Played at Grande Avenue Bar, where friendliness makes up for stark lighting and lack of ambiance. This was a last minute show. We had a day between the Boise and Spokane gigs, and Pullman was along the way.

Met a few cool folks in this college town that took a genuine interest--although the majority of kids had already checked out of this college town for the summer. It's good to know that some cool Pullman folks are wearing Dalloways t-shirts and listening to Dalloways CD's.

Played to an attentive crowd, sold some merch, played free pool, and stayed at the nicest Holiday Inn Express we've ever seen--heated pool, jacuzzi, massive continental breakfast, free internet access. Priceline's the bomb.

Wednesday, May 25: Boise - Fight Club and a Santana Grammy Award, Plus Neurolux Highs

2005-05-31T09:03:00.000-07:00

What a place! Boise is a highlight of the tour. It's clean--Disneyland clean, really. The downtown's thriving. The people were fantastic--very friendly!

The Neurolux is a large and very dark club downtown that has most of its shows on Wednesday. So what made this show special? We met som fantastic myspace friends Greer and Chris, who drove out from Parma to see us. We also had a fan fly out from Indiana just to see the show. Just about the most enthusiastic fan The Dalloways have ever had. Boise just seemed happy to have us in town. We got some write-ups and pics in the local entertainment mags, so folks were expecting us. The place was packed with music fans. How 'bout the practicals? We made enough to cover gas and hotel. Hey, we're not Kings of Convenience. To a travelling indie band, even a pittance helps cut travel costs nicely!

And get this: after the show, at about two o'clock in the morning, we drove up the hill to Art Hodge's beautiful house overlooking a nature preserve to record a live set in his basement studio. Hodge's Grammy for the Santana sat, unassuming, on a shelf with other nick-nacks and books. Nico and I recorded in the laundry room, while the other guys were in the main studio. Art fed us cookies and drinks between songs. The set aired as a special on Hodge's well-known Idaho radio show Sunday, May 29.

Tuesday, May 24: SLC - SLC Punk? Where's the Scene Now?

2005-05-29T21:20:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the hard world of the touring unsigned band. If you've never gone on tour, then this'll be new to you. Touring bands who aren't yet well known have a difficult time getting people out in a strange new town. Nobody's heard your stuff, so why would they come see you? Good pr and a good promoter both help. But usually it's best to get nestled onto a ticket before a local likeminded band. That way you're sure to meet a lot of their fans who will most likely dig your stuff.

It's usually a bad scenario for an out-of-town band to close out an evening. So I was pensive when locals The Happies insisted on playing first. They set up, then started at ten and proceeded to play their upbeat set of originals for about an hour--pretty long. Then, they took a long time tearing down their gear. Crickets were chirping, locals were leaving. By the time we got our gear set up and sound checked, their crowd was long gone. We played a room of four, with about five more people in the removed bar area. Came a long way for this...

On the positive side, we saw stunning scenery on the drive through Grand Junction, Colorado and then Utah--that prehistoric-looking state with grand crumbling mesas as far as the eye can see. Bronson, known as Professor Crumb (our relief bass player for the tour) enlightened us on the wonderful world of ghouda cheeses. We got in some fancy skateboarding (we've got three boards on tour) and Nerf football playing at the truck stops along the way. And the Dalloways are toughening up and insisting on a few things from here on out.

Monday, May 23: Denver - Scatology and a Guy Named Denver in Denver

2005-05-27T11:55:00.000-07:00

Ate at Streets of London Pub because Bronson needed a Shepherd's Pie fix. Ate bangers and s. pie and drank Beamish stout and played pool befor the gig.

Change into our show clothes in van in front of Cricket on the Hill in Denver, a crazy cool dive on Capitol Hill--the coolest neighborhood in Denver.

Solo guitarist and song writer Jared Steinberg opens, and Holiday Hotel, a new band putting things together in an Americana kinda thing closes.

Each band gets berated by this crazy Denver cowboy named Denver in a black cowboy hat and rider's trench. After the show, I have to interrupt this guys convo with the big, tattooed gruff door guy in order to get the door money, and Denver lays into me. "Hey, I'm trying to have a f***ing philosophical conversation here, you f***ing c**k sucker! Do you mind?"

I apologize and make nice, try to meet the guy, but he has nothing of it. He keeps it up, with some choice scatalogical lines. Denver, thanks for the f***ing hospitality, man!

Band makes some door money and sells some merch, despite the fact this it's a Monday show. Jared S, Holiday Hotel, Sheigh, the bartender, and fans were wayyyy cool. Denver, hopefully we'll see you again soon.

Sunday, May 22: Albuquerque - Downtime and Ricky as Sith Lord

2005-05-27T11:50:00.000-07:00

Band has no gig, so spend the night in Albuquerque, a great halfway spot between Phoenix and Denver. Check into the Red Roof off the freeway, then head out for an evening with the Sith Lords. Ricky dresses up as a sith Lord to get in free. Scares a young child buying candy.

All in agreement--Lucas can't direct actors, Natalie Portman looks ugly when she's supposed to look beautiful in the moonlight, she wears a mini-skirt travel outfit when she's pregnant (why?) and the movie is definitely the best of the three latest.

Saturday, May 21: Phoenix - Get Fix at Phix

2005-05-27T11:40:00.000-07:00

Travel through the ghettos of Phoenix, burning up in the May heat of the desert.

Arrive at Zia Records in the afternoon for an in-store. Hip hop tracks are playing, and native Phoenixians are milling about at the hip hop stations.

Set up on stage and play to a few folks and the staff, who clap intermitantly. We treat this as a practice chance and way to break in Bronson, who's filling in on bass for Matt for the tour.

That night, arrive at Phix in the depressed downtown Phoenix area. The Phix is a stripped out industrial space with the raw rafters showing and some drywall pressed up against the wall here and there.

First band was a screamo thrash metal band with some young kids twirling their hair around and a lead singer crouching down, screaming into the mic like it was some kind of secret delicacy. They end with Michael Jackson's smooth criminal and then leave with all their teenage fanbase, leaving about ten folks for us to play to.

We meet some more myspace friends for the first time after the gig. How cool is it to finally meet folks who have been so good to us with tips and advice.

Band makes about $50 at the door and sell NO MERCH! Ouch. This is not a merch town. That makes it tough for a touring indiw band that relies heavily on merch income. Good thing we're up from Las Vegas.

Friday, May 20: Las Vegas - Drummer and Guitarist Double Band Fund at Crap Tables

2005-05-27T10:13:00.000-07:00

Arrived at The Aristocrat, an ultra hip little lounge in a neighborhood about a mile or two off the strip. Very cool people started showing up at about 10:30, right before our set. Several myspace friends showed up to meet us in person. Play a 40 minute set off our album--the lounge atmosphere is a perfect vibe for the tunes. Peeps are kicking back, sitting at the bar, relaxing and enjoying the tunes. What a great little gig this was! The band made some bank via cover donations and grip of merch sales.

Checked into the Luxor--that ancient Egyptian place with the pyramid in the middle of everything--satin bed covers and complimentary drinks.

Ricky and Aaron take off down to the crap tables with the band's tour cash and quickly double it. They keep gambling, winning and losing till 7:00 AM. They slouch back into the room a little after 7:00, with $200 extra for the band and $300 for themselves. Now it's time for the high life!

From SLC, with Love...

2005-05-25T08:33:00.000-07:00

Dear Fans and Friends,

I'm sitting in the Salt Lake City writing madly before I'm kicked off my 30 minute session. The tour is going splendidly. Las Vegas, Phoenix, and Denver were great shows, the most fantastic so far being Las Vegas. We played at a smooth little lounge where all the hip people go after hours. The place was packed with recent Myspace friends and new friends. Our dreamlounge style seemed to fit the place to a T. At the bar were built in bar slot poker machines, and before and after our set, DJ's spinned ecclectic tunes including Sam and Dave to Chemical Brothers.

Today we're off to Boise, Idaho, to play at Neurolux, made famouse by hometown boys who made it--Built to Spill. More when we can...

Love,

Gerhard and the rest of The Dalloways

May & June! Northwest by West Tour

2005-05-16T04:39:00.000-07:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Fresno, California – May 13, 2005 – California dreampop. Is there such a thing? Attend a Dalloways tour date, and you’ll have your answer. With button ups and silk ties, pretty vintage guitar tones, and an ambient pop sound akin to Coldplay and Belle and Sebastian, The Dalloways offer up a decidedly cosmopolitan alternative to the indie music scene.

Things are looking up for this talented California quintet. “Penalty Crusade,” the latest LP released on Bird in Box Records, has consistently ranked at the top of the CD Baby editor’s picks for California Pop and Brit Pop. The band has secured Japanese distribution at Tower Records and HMV stores overseas and is embarking on a West by Northwest leg of a larger U.S. tour.

According to the band, the CD is the kind that gets better with each passing listen. “Brit pop fans and audiophiles will love this album,” says Gerhard Enns, singer and songwriter. “We’ve inlayed these subtle touches that develop the more one listens. Our goal was to create songs that get better with age.”

So what can one expect at a Dalloways show? “This isn’t Good Charlotte or Taking Back Sunday,” Enns says. “We’ve got a shoegaze, Brit pop influence, more Flaming Lips, more Smiths. And live that really shines through. We want folks to relax and enjoy the beauty. Hopefully the next morning they’ll be humming one of our tunes, wondering how it got into their heads.”

The Dalloways are making Las Vegas their first main tour stop. After Nevada, the group will continue on a fairly demanding schedule of the West and Northwest, with stops including, among other cities, Phoenix, Denver, Salt Lake City, and Portland.

For show information and directions, visit the Dalloways Tour Page or call 661-331-5000. And check back here often; The Dalloways will be posting tour updates when circumstance permits!

###

DALLOWAYS PRESS BITES

“[The Dalloways] reach for Brit Pop and manage to find the sweet ether where California coolness ends and the emotional reverb of '80s British rockers begins.” – Danielle Belton for “Spin Zone Music Reviews.” (The Bakersfield Californian 6 Jan 2005, sec. Eye Street: E7.)

"Like a casually gorgeous waitress serving Sunday afternoon coffee, The Dalloways serve up pretty California dream-pop like a delicacy on Penalty Crusade." – Billy Gil for Splendid

“The musical arrangements are rich and are so beautifully put together that I hear something new every time I listen. I highly recommend [Penalty Crusade].” – Jesse Rivera for Planet of Sound

“Gerhard Enns’ ability to talk about relationships in a song like he’s talking about your own horrid pitfalls is purely magical.” - N. L. Belardes for Skeleton Head Reviews

###

Dalloways Plus Bart Davenport and Simone Rubi of Call and Response April 10: Bringing Home the New Loud

2005-04-02T22:26:00.000-08:00

Local dreampop quintet The Dalloways seem to be magnets for talent. On Sunday, April 10 at Tokyo Garden, The Dalloways will play host to international recording and touring artists Bart Davenport and Rubies (Simone Rubi of Call and Response).

“This is a big event for Fresno,” says Gerhard Enns of The Dalloways. “Fresnans may not know much about Davenport or Rubi and Call and Response since this is their first visit to Fresno, but folks in San Francisco and Los Angeles and other major urban areas around the country and abroad have definitely heard their music. In SF, Davenport and Call and Response are basically household names.”

So what kind of music can you expect to hear? With Davenport and Rubi, less is more, and tenderness reigns supreme. Davenport’s latest album, for instance, mixes 60’s and 70's folk pop a la Arthur Lee of Love, Gil Scott Heron, and early Paul McCartney with “Girl from Ipanema” bosa nova stylings. The result is a laid back California “Ventura Highway” feel.

Both Davenport and Rubi (with Call and Response) have toured the U.S. and Europe with the likes of Mates of State, The Court and Spark, and international sensations Kings of Convenience—the duo that first coined the term “quiet is the new loud” to describe the movement toward a quieter, more sensitive pop tune, and whose latest single “I’d Rather Dance With You” has steadily climbed the Billboard and MTV charts.

“April 10 will be an intimate affair with some internationally renowned artists,” Enns says. “It’ll be a great place for Fresno musicians and music fans to meet and connect with some rising stars living the dream.”

The Dalloways will start the night at 9:00 PM with a short set of music off their latest album Penalty Crusade.

Tokyo Garden is located in downtown Fresno at 1711 Fulton Street, three blocks south of Divisidaro. Doors open at 9:00 PM with a five dollar cover. For more information including links to the artists’ web pages and music, visit http://www.dalloways.com/ or call 661-331-5000.

April 15 and 16: Huge Fresno & Bakersfield Shows

2005-03-23T23:31:00.000-08:00

Fresno, April 15 - Friday, April 15, Club Fred in Fresno, The D's headline a raucous night with 2 A.M. Orchestra, the infamous Filthies (they're blowing up, folks, so don't miss' em!), and more! Blue shag carpet and pink stage lights--this is rock 'n roll history! Visit the tour page for more info.

Bakersfield, April 16 - Saturday, April 16, The Dalloways join Johnny Come Lately and Norfolk at Narducci's, one of Bakersfield's premier Basque haunts, now open to eighteen and over! Don't miss this opportunity to hang out in one of the coolest venues in town and listen to music so raucous and beautiful, you'll want to laugh and cry in your drink, guaranteed. 18+ 18+ 18+ 18+ 18+! Visit the tour page and nlbelardes.com for more info. Also, Enrique, glam master femme music and fashion critic, will make an appearance at this show. Cat's definitely out of the bag now.

Cocktails, Ghosts, and Three Chord Whore

2005-03-16T23:39:00.000-08:00

So what's going on Wednesday night down a downtown alley in Bakersfield? A little speakeasy haunting--that's what.

Nico and I checked in at Maxwell's, the alley restaurant and bar just east of downtown Chester, a little hole in the wall famous for fantastic Frangelico-steeped deserts and one resident ghost. We happened to catch up with N.L. Belardes. Perfect place, too, for this guy just seems to be everywhere and nowhere at once, a bit ethereal, like the spirit that moves through the old catacombs below the restaurant. We talked about Lords a bit, but not too much, and always seemed to dance around certain touchy, and frankly, disturbing, subjects within the new novel. Best not to press, I thought. We talked about the Bakersfield music scene past and present, KoRn (yes, KoRn), and Fresno literary criminals...

And guess who walked through the door? None other than Three Chord Whore--one of Bakersfield's toughest bands. Heather, Shirl, and the very cool Shantell. Do yourself a favor--when you meet them, don't try to peg them as some cliche typical girl band. They're very nice and will most likely be accommodating, but really, they've got their own thing going and most likely won't appreciate someone trying to lump them up with The Donnas, The Bangles, or L7 (well, they might just like the L7 connection). I haven't heard 'em yet, but by just talking with the trio, I've got a feeling about what I'll hear--killer upbeat fast-break angst-ridden grunginess.

They took stools against the horseshoe shaped bar for some drinks. One of them looked a little familiar. Oh, it's that Shirl the Pearl (nothing much on her website right now but bad links), front woman for the now defunct angry synth punk band The Mia Maids.

Here's some history: The Dalloways played a Boiler Room show (always a strange mixture of math metal, screamo, punk, and shoegaze bands all lumped onto one ticket) with the Mia Maids awhile back. I remember the vibe of that now lost band, and so I'll write it for history's sake right here--The Mia Maids were angry, defiant, snarling, railing against religious hypocrisy (the band name was derived from the term used for young LDS women between the ages of 14 and 15), and sexual fascism. Their set was intense and loud and raucous.

I asked Shirl if TCW had the same vibe. "No," she said, "Three Chord isn't so dark as that." Hmm, OK, but if Shirl's involved, I've got a feeling this is no tame soiree. Hopefully they'll stick around longer than the Mia Maids, and long enough to make an indelible mark in the Bako scene and beyond.

For more on The Dalloways, visit The Dalloways Online. And be sure to make friends with the group on The Dalloways at Myspace.

PS: I just heard a rumour circulating that Enrique may be making an appearance at the Dalloways April 16 gig at Narducci's. Someone told me that some cat was let out of some bag on some blog somewhere. Frankly, this resident social mingler and saucy writer is somewhat of a mystery, and so I'm not sure what kind of entrance he'll make, or whether he'll remain incognito the entire night, or whether he'll be there at all. More soon...

Dalloway Ticket 5/16/05: Norfolk

2005-03-16T13:10:00.000-08:00

Norfolk
3-4 song EP
Release: April 2005

SHOW SPECS - Date: Friday, April 16. City: Bakersfield. Venue: Narducci's. Age: 18+. For Details: The Dalloways Tour Page

Group members and side projects: James Ratliff, Pete Prevost (also in Johnny Come Latley), Jason Ford Turner (also in stepsonday), Pablo Alaniz (also in Diary).

The ideal fit on a national tour: The Thrills, Superdrag, and Pedro the Lion

Name an artist fans will be surprised you're is into: There are a few Diamond Rio songs that get me all worked up.

Got an elevator pitch? Norfolk is music for people who enjoy music. It has a subculture feel to it, but hopefully it can be excepted as just well written music.

Name the best live show you’ve ever seen? What in particular made this performance so good? Thats a tough one. It's got to be Weezer at Jerrys Pizza in Bakersfield. There were a few hundred poeple cramed into a small basement to see one of the first Weezer comeback shows in 2000. Later that month I was getting married and the show actually made me worry that the Weezer day would overshadow my wedding day as the best day of my life.

Describe your band's look: (Don't you love this question?) My bandmates look like the people you go to school with. How else do you answer that one?

Got a master plan? What’s the next step for this band? 1). Record a ridiculously good indipendent album. 2). Play a bunch of ridiculously good shows. 3). Get signed to a ridiculously solid Label. 4). Make ridiculous amounts of cash. 5). Burn out and become a grade school teacher.

- Q's by The Dalloways, A's by James Ratliff of Norfolk -

Dalloway Ticket 5/15: 2 A.M. Orchestra

2005-03-14T15:45:00.000-08:00

2 A.M. Orchestra
Impermanence
Release: April 2005

SHOW SPECS - Date: Friday, April 15. City: Fresno. Venue: Club Fred. Bands: The Dalloways, The Filthies and 2 A.M. Orchestra. For More: The Dalloways Tour Page

Group members and side projects: David J. Kelley - Guitar/Vocals; Randy Stindt - drums (also sings in a band called Hero Myth); Aaron Taunton - bass

The ideal fit on a national tour: Muse, Radiohead, and Pedro the Lion (in our dreams, anyway).

Name an artist fans will be surprised you're into: Though I've been throroughly made fun of, I have to admit that I've really been into Emperor lately. Emperor is, or was, rather, a Norwegian black metal band that defined and continues to define the genre.

Got an elevator pitch? "2 A.M. Orchestra ... plays emotional alt-pop with the ups of a Ben Folds record and the downs of a Radiohead epic." –Performing Songwriter Magazine (Vol. 10, Issue 60, May 2003)

Name the best live show you’ve ever seen? What in particular made this performance so good? Jon Brion Live at the Large ... Incredible one-man show. You have to see it to believe it.

Describe your band's look: (Don't you love this question?) We look like three guys between the ages of 25-26 playing music ... uh ... yeah."

Got a master plan? What’s the next step for this band? New record coming out in April.

Bakersfield on a Friday, Fishlips and Lunatics, Jerry's and Jenoah, Gigantic the New Factory

2005-03-12T08:13:00.000-08:00

Last night I got antsy and had to get out of the house. I had heard a rumor that a friend was going to be roaming the angry streets of Bakersfield looking for trouble wherever he could find it, and so I slipped on my kicks thinking I'd cross paths with Nick, this old school punk and Star Wars buff. Never saw him. But what I did see . . .

10:15 -- FISHLIPS AND LUNATICS -- Wandered into Fishlips because I heard some sick 80's metal guitar screaming from the stage. Dark, as always, so I let my eyes adjust till they focused on the ocean treasure decor mounted atop the bar. Then I checked out the crew on stage. It was Lunatic, Bakersfield's favorite metal cover band, in all their old school glory, playing "La Bamba" with Randy Roads lead guitar tones! Mix Ritchie Valens and Ozzy, and you've got a very strange concoction. "Try back later," I thought. "They do a mean 'Rainbow in the Dark'."

10:25 -- JERRY'S AND JENOAH --Checked out Jerry's Pizza. Walked up and read the fliers outside while some scream metal band screamed away downstairs. Talked to a skinny young guy outside with frazzly old bell bottoms and grunge cowboy boots. He turned out to be in a traveling band called Jenoah. Asked for their elevator pitch, and he said "I don't know. Our music is very hard to explain." Typical. So I asked him, "If you got to choose the ideal band to tour with, who would you choose?" He said Death Cab. Alright! I'm down. That puts me in the ballpark.

So we networked a little, and then I got in for free somehow and descended into the dank pit under Jerry's. Reminded me of the basement of a WW II era building somewhere in Eastern Europe, a place that's never been refurbished after the war, just maybe swept of fallen plaster and dust once or twice in 1962 or something -- grungy walls with gum all over them, chipping black paint, a chalky concrete floor, and no place to sit. Have I read a description similar to this before? . . . So I leaned up against the one dirty pillar and checked out the band.

The PA sound sucked! Tinny high ends and mushy vocals, like stabbing needles and oatmeal. So I stuffed some napkin shards into my ears and listened as best I could. Jenoah turned out to be very fine stuff regardless. Less Death Cab for Cutie, more Jeff Buckley jam band. Frontman Stephen Martinez plays a thrashed Fender bass and sings so hard the sinews of his neck pop out. Now I know why his boots look so trashed. He shuffled around like crazy, particularly during the small bass licks between verses.

Between songs he panted and wiped sweat off his brow as he talked and sniffled. He sounded sick, like he'd been catching a tour cold from all night drives in a grungy van. The twelve people listening didn't seem to mind; they nodded attentively and moved, ever-so-slightly, to the energy-driven tunes. On broadjam, Martinez says, "Our songs will never make complete sense to anybody. All of our songs are just complete feeling." Yup, and it's workin'. I hope they make another album. Maybe we can work out a show swap.

10:50 -- GIGANTIC -- Wandered down 19th Street, stepped over the black-clad punks laying down on the sidewalk and walked up to Gigantic to see if there was some music. Sign said closed, but Sapo let me in. AJ and a few other guys were just hanging out. AJ filled me in on the new dance floor plans and the Northern Soul and other free dance nights they had planned for the future. Finally, an alternative for Bako! A few dance/stage lights, and some snacks and drinks for sale, and this place could really take off. This could very well become Bakersfield's own Warhol-esque Factory.

11:25 -- RONNIE JAMES DIO -- Decided to head home. Passed by Fishlips on my way to the car. Heard, "Do your deeeemons / do they ever let you goooo / When you've tried, do they hide, deep inside / Is it someone that you know oh oh oh oh ohhhhhh? . . .

For more on The Dalloways, visit www.dalloways.com. And be sure to make friends with the group at www.myspace.com/thedalloways.