Echolyn

echolyn is an American progressive rock band based in eastern Pennsylvania.

History

echolyn was formed in 1989 when guitarist Brett Kull and drummer Paul Ramsey, members of a recently split cover band called Narcissus, joined with keyboardist Chris Buzby to form a new band to focus on original songs. They were soon joined by fellow Narcissus veteran Ray Weston on vocals and bassist Jesse Reyes, and quickly began playing live and recording their eponymous debut album, which was released in 1991. During the recording of that album, Reyes was replaced on bass by Tom Hyatt.

With this lineup, echolyn recorded a second album, "Suffocating the Bloom", and a 4-song EP, "...and every blossom", and with these releases attracted the attention of Sony Music. In 1993, echolyn was signed to a multi-album deal on Sony's Epic Records label, and their major-label debut, "As the World", was released in March 1995.

However, the band and the label did not agree on the band's musical direction, and the band was forced to promote "As the World" without the support of Sony. Disillusioned, the band split up, releasing a posthumous album of demos and live tracks in 1996 called "When the Sweet Turns Sour"(featuring a cover of the early Genesis track "When The Sour Turns To Sweet", which Sony refused to allow to be included on a Magna Carta Genesis tribute CD entitled "Supper's Ready").

Weston, Kull, and Ramsey formed a new, semi-progressive rock band called Still and released a disc called "Always Almost" in early 1996, on the Pleasant Green label. Later that year the band changed its name to Always Almost, releasing a much more progressive-oriented album entitled "God Pounds His Nails", also on Pleasant Green. Buzby formed a jazz-influenced progressive rock band called Finneus Gauge. It was during this time that echolyn were asked by Magna Carta Records to contribute to a Jethro Tull tribute album. Weston, Kull, and Ramsey (who owned the "echolyn" trademark name) chose "One Brown Mouse," recorded the song, and the CD "To Cry You a Song: A Collection of Tull Tales" was released July 2, 1996. [cite web|url=http://www.amazon.com/Cry-You-Song-Collection-Tales/dp/B000003ZBA/|title=July 2, 1996, Magna Carta Records, "To Cry You a Song: A Collection of Tull Tales", ASIN B000003ZBA] The CD contained Tull covers by prog giants Keith Emerson (with Mick Abrahams, Clive Bunker, and Glenn Cornick), Magellan, and John Wetton, among others.

Echolyn reformed, without Hyatt, in the spring of 2000, with Weston picking up bass duties and new member Jordan Perlson, a Berklee College of Music graduate and former student of Buzby, supplementing Ramsey on drums and percussion. This lineup produced the 2000 album "Cowboy Poems Free", a loose concept album centering on Americana, and the 2002 album "mei", which contains only a single, 50-minute-long track.

After playing as a guest with the band in 2002 and early 2003, Tom Hyatt officially rejoined echolyn later that year. The first album from the fully-reformed lineup was "The End is Beautiful", released in September 2005. Subsequently, the band embarked on their first European tour. They also contributed a new track called "15 Days" to the benefit album, "After the Storm" (NEARfest Records), in support of the survivors of the Hurricane Katrina disaster. The band was later featured at the inaugural Festival des Musiques Progressives de Montréal in Quebec, Canada in September 2006. 2008 will see the release of a new studio album and a reprise performance at NEARfest X in June.

Musical Style

echolyn's members have cited Genesis, Gentle Giant, Yes, Steely Dan, Jethro Tull, Igor Stravinsky, Electric Light Orchestra, and The Beatles as influences.

While the band's style has varied over the years, those influences have been consistently reflected in their music. Intricate guitar leads, unorthodox harmonic structures influenced by modern classical music, and complex contrapuntal vocal passages have remained significant aspects of echolyn's musical sound.

The albums they recorded before their 1996 breakup sounded more like "classic" progressive rock, with layered keyboards and extended arrangements. Following their reformation, they have streamlined their style significantly, emphasizing strong, tightly constructed songwriting and more prominent rhythmic grooves, while maintaining much of the subtle sophistication that has caused their music to be labeled "progressive."

Personnel

Current Lineup

* Ray Weston - vocals, bass
* Brett Kull - guitars, vocals
* Chris Buzby - keyboards, vocals
* Paul Ramsey - drums, percussion
* Tom Hyatt - bass

Former Members

* Jesse Reyes - bass (on "echolyn")
* Jordan Perlson - percussion (as a full member on "Cowboy Poems Free" and as a guest musician on "mei")

Discography

*"echolyn" (1991)
*"Suffocating the Bloom" (1992)
*"...and every blossom" (1993)
*"As the World" (1995)
*"When the Sweet Turns Sour" (1996)
*"" (contribution) (1996)
*"Cowboy Poems Free" (2000)
*"A Little Nonsense (Now and Then)" (2002) (box set)
*"mei" (2002)
*"Progfest '94 (the Official Bootleg)" (2002) (released for trading among fans)
*"Jersey Tomato, Volume 2 (Live at the Metlar-Bodine Museum)" (2004)
*"Stars and Gardens, Volume 4" DVD (2004)
*"The End is Beautiful" (2005)
*"" (contribution) (2006)

External links

* [http://www.echolyn.com Echolyn's Official Website]
* [http://www.brettkull.com Brett Kull's Official Website]
* [http://www.rayweston.com Ray Weston's Official Website]
* [http://www.starsandgardens.com Stars And Gardens DVD Website]
* [http://www.artistdirect.com/nad/store/artist/album/0,,232515,00.html To cry you a song: a collection of Tull tales - album reviews]

References