Album Notes

Piano rock has slowly been on the rise in the past few years with the popularity of Coldplay, Keane, and the like, but few bands have managed to combine the sound of pounding ivory with sophisticated guitar in the way this San Francisco based quartet makes sound so effortless. In their newest release, Even Elroy delivers an album full of upbeat rock with a healthy dose of electric guitar, towering piano, and harmonic traces of Ben Folds, Radiohead, and The Beatles sprinkled throughout. And while “happy songs, sad lyrics” isn’t quite a musical genre, it does help to define the intelligent, wry, lyrical sense of a band who refuses to record sappy love songs or clichéd subject matter. Instead, stories of a carnival worker going through a midlife crisis or the yearning desire to meet Tommy Lee Jones are expertly woven around catchy, radio-friendly pop melodies, reminiscent of early Billy Joel classics. Produced by Jerry Becker, whose credits include Rob Hotchkiss (Train) among others, NOTHING’S REALLY CHANGED is both a debut record from the band, and a second studio album from lead singer and piano guy Jeff Michaels. Michaels’ previous recording, Red Jacket, provided the basis for the group’s formation in 2003 and featured Steve Bowman on drums (Counting Crows) as well as members of the San Francisco Symphony. Prior Even Elroy, Michaels was the original keyboardist for the acclaimed San Francisco band Luce, whose songs have graced the national airwaves and appeared in shows on NBC, the WB, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days (Kate Hudson, Matthew McConaughey), and 13 Going on 30 (Jennifer Garner). He is also a multiple award winning member of the West Coast Songwriters Association, was signed to Swallow Tail Records as a solo piano recording artist, and is the author of two novels.