- Friends of Dean Martinez
Infobox musical artist
Name = Friends of Dean Martinez
Img_capt =
Img_size = 200px
Background = group_or_band
Alias = Friends of Dean Martin
Origin =Tucson, Arizona ,USA
Genre =Instrumental rock , Ambient
Years_active = 1995–present
Label =Sub Pop Knitting Factory Glitterhouse Narnack Aero Recordings
Associated_acts =Calexico ,Giant Sand ,Naked Prey
URL = [http://www.friendsofdeanmartinez.com www.friendsofdeanmartinez.com]
Current_members =Bill Elm Andrew Gerfers Mike Semple
Past_members = Joey Burns Van Christian John Convertino Woody Jackson Dave Lachance Tom LarkinsFriends of Dean Martinez is an instrumental rock band featuring members of
Giant Sand ,Calexico , andNaked Prey . Beautiful ambient rock a laUnwed Sailor . In a nutshell, FoDM is a combination of bits of electronic static intertwined with surf guitar inspired leads, reminiscent of pre "dark side"Pink Floyd , all droning to the beat ofNick Mason -esque drums, stretched over 30 minute intervals.History
The band was originally formed in
Tucson, Arizona as an experimental side project by various members ofGiant Sand ,Calexico andNaked Prey . Originally called "The Friends of Dean Martin," they were forced to change their name afterDean Martin refused to give his blessing. It worked out for the best, as "Martinez" provided a south-western spin to their retro lounge sound, with their debut album, "The Shadow of Your Smile," released withSub Pop in1995 .The band has evolved several times since then. They've gone through a variety of line-ups, moved to
Los Angeles , and have now settled inAustin, Texas . Currently the trio includesBill Elm onsteel guitar and organ,Mike Semple onguitar , andAndrew Gerfers on drums. Originally a guitar player, Elm first started experimenting on the steel guitar with the formation of "Friends". Pushing beyond the instrument's country twang traditions, he pioneered a distinctive new sound for the pedal steel guitar, by playing it more like a voice rather than merely as a background instrument.Cinematic Musical Work
With a distinctive filmic sensibility that is able to create images and mood without words, the "Friends" eventually embarked on a project to perform a live score to the silent film masterpiece "
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari " at theAlamo Drafthouse in Austin. Part performance and part film, the band began to redefine the boundaries of the conventional film music score.Feature film scoring work has included the
Richard Linklater film "Fast Food Nation " and the John Waters narrated feature documentary "Plagues & Pleasures on the Salton Sea ".Upon seeing "Plagues & Pleasures on the Salton Sea" for the first time, Elm recollects, "I felt I could really write music for this. It was a nice fit for what we do, the images, and the story. It felt natural to watch it and want to write music. It was inspiring, and that's the most you can ask for when you score something or write music."
"The music we play supports things well," adds Semple, "and I think that the Salton Sea is very compatible with that because of the vastness, the openness and the people that live there - there are certain qualities to them that leaves space for interpretation. I think leaving things open and not entirely filling up all the spaces is the commonality between the music and the desert."
Discography
*
The Shadow of Your Smile (1995 )
*Retrograde (1997 )
*Atardecer (1999 )
* A Place in the Sun (2000 )
*Wichita Lineman (2001 )
*Live At Club 2 (2001 )
*On the Shore (2003 )
*Under the Waves (2003 )
*Random Harvest (2004 )
*Lost Horizon (2005 )External links
* [http://www.friendsofdeanmartinez.com/ Official Site]
* [http://www.myspace.com/friendsofdeanmartinez "MYSPACE page"]
* [http://saltonseadoc.com "Plagues & Pleasures on the Salton Sea" - Official film website"]
* [http://www.foxsearchlight.com/fastfoodnation/ "Fast Food Nation" - Official film website"]
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