Jody Porter

Jody Porter is a New York City-based guitarist who has spent the past decade playing and co-singing in the Grammy-nominated powerpop band Fountains of Wayne, which have released four major label albums, including "Welcome Interstate Managers" on Virgin Records in 2003, an RIAA-certified Gold LP. The album spawned the hugely popular U.S. Top 40 hit and number 1 music video "Stacy's Mom".

The Belltower

Known for his impressive virtuoso abilities and British guitar pop playing style, Jody first garnered attention fronting and writing the songs for London-based band The Belltower with co singer and then wife Brita Philips in the early 1990s. Although the band created a buzz for itself overseas, including Melody Maker and NME singles of the week and top chart positions, their major label debut Popdropper sold marginally. The band came back the to US and eventually broke up in 1996.

Fountains of Wayne

Porter was then asked by friend, Adam Schlesinger (who had already been brought into The Belltower briefly), to join his newly-formed band, Fountains of Wayne before their self-titled Atlantic debut. Porter continued with Fountains of Wayne through their 1999 release, "Utopia Parkway". However, after the band was dropped from Atlantic Records in 2001, Fountains of Wayne went on hiatus. In 2003, the band reformed and entered the studio to do a spate of demos which would eventually become "Welcome Interstate Managers" on Virgin records. The band received two Grammy nominations in 2004 and released Out of State Plates, a collection of b sides and rarities the following year. They reassembled in 2007 for their next studio album Traffic and Weather which was said to have been recorded largely by Schlesinger and Porter.

The Astrojet

Jody Porter also once fronted the short-lived New York-based alternative band The Astrojet. In 2002 The Astrojet recorded a 6 track EP of Porter penned songs entitled, "The Mile Low Club." In early 2004 he disbanded the group to reassemble Fountains of Wayne and continue as a solo artist.

Guest appearances

Porter has played on albums with Albert Hammond, Jr., Ivy, Jesse Malin, Brookville, David Mead and Juliana Hatfield.

Instruments

Jody has used an arsenal of vintage instruments over the years, including his main stage guitars: a black Les Paul Custom and the
Gibson Firebird in different finishes.He has also been seen using various other Gibson, Fender and Gretsch model guitars and has usually favoured Vox amplifiers.

Porter also has been credited on albums playing bass, keyboards and drums in addition to vocals and guitar.

olo

In 2008 Porter finished work on his debut solo album "Close to the Sun". The 12 song album bridges the gap between the sonic atmospheric stylings of The Belltower and the guitar driven powerpop of Fountains of Wayne. It was co produced by Michael Tudor and Gordon Raphael (Strokes, Regina Spector). The album was first released in Japan by FAEC/Rough Trade on July 2nd and made available worldwide on August 22nd.

External links

* [http://snow.prohosting.com/ukband/discography_belltower.htm Belltower discography]
* [http://www.jodyporter.com Jody Porter's Homepage]