MELODROME: Happens While You Blink

Melodrome

Happens While You Blink

© 2005 Melodrome (634479089879)

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Guitar driven, modern Rock/Pop that reaches deep into its British roots, full of hooks and intelligent lyrics.

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"Power-popping tracks" (Dave Madeloni, Berkshire Eagle)
"I love it!" (Martin Folkman, Musician's Atlas)
"I love the album! You guys are a really excellent Pop/Rock band" (Celia)
"This record kills, man" (Paul Rapp, Entertainment Attorney, Metroland)

Excerpt from an Article from the Berkshire Eagle (March 31, 2005).

On Melodrome's brand new record, "Happens While You Blink," the band decided to de-emphasize the roll and accentuate the rock. After "Play America," their previous politically inclined release, songwriter Robby Baier felt like taking a break from the seriousness.

"One day I picked up my crappy Silvertone guitar, plugged it into a no-name amp I had bought at a tag sale, turned everything up to 11 and started rocking, writing some riffs," said Housatonic's Baier in an e-mail exchange.

The rollicking "What More," the funky and profane "Jagged Love" and the rough-and-tumble "Rumors" all sprang from the Silvertone session.

Drummer Matt Sloan acknowledged the wish to move to a more aggressive approach. "I think we were ready to move in a totally different direction. We always had an edgier side, that I think never really came out on the previous albums. It just felt like the right time to lash out and say "Here's the Rock."

Baier turned his attention away from global affairs for "Happens While You Blink" to the politics of the heart.
"Lyrically I turned back to a time when I was not so lucky in love, a time where I was going through a major break-up," he said. " 'What More,' 'North Dakota,' and 'Jagged Love' all talk about love gone sour and being really pissed about it."

The record includes makeup songs ("Crying Is Done"), straight-out love songs ("The Making Of"), and a song about traveling in time with your lover ("Yesterday"). Other compositions deal with more existential matters.

"There are the songs that are about self-realization and consciousness, like 'All the Same' and 'High Noon Breakdown,' " Baier explained. "These songs offer both sides of the story, one is about the confusion of life, one about being one with everything."

The Berkshires-based band remains committed to social causes and participating in a sustainable future. Their eco-friendly attitude is evidenced by an innovative approach Melodrome took toward packaging the new album. Mystery Train Records donated 250 recycled, 12-inch vinyl album covers to the band, who then had them cut down and sewn together to create jackets for the new CDs.

The band will be releasing the first 1,000 copies with "one-of-a-kind" album artwork where no two jackets will be identical. Said Baier, "Doing this cover is a small thing that we as a band can do to say to folks: 'Check it out. We tried to come up with a different, less harmful way to do what we do."

Sloan talked about the theme behind the CD's title. " 'Happens While You Blink' is a reference to all the subtle things that happen in your life day to day," the drummer said. "One moment everything is beautiful and perfect and the next thing you know everything is going down the drain. In a rock band you experience this stuff pretty regularly!"

Baier added, "For me, the title has more to do with my philosophical approach to life. Life happens while you blink, all the time, non-stop and it is silly to hope for something in the future that is somehow going to make your life better.

"Our brains are constantly searching, looking, judging ... 'Happens While You Blink' reminds me to take a breath and be present to life in every moment, in every word I write, just writing and being."

Dave Madeloni - Berkshire Eagle

reviews

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  • A strong & entertaining CD. Can't stop listening to it.
    author: C.R. Miller, Pittsburgh, Pa.

    This CD is very balanced. It rocks, it has heart, it is easy on the ears; plus, it has smart lyrics and the musicianship is effective. The melodies & hooks pleasantly echo in my head throughout the day. Not a bad CD to have in your collection. I'm trying my best not to listen to it any more. There is a fine mix of dissonance and harmony throughout keeping the listener almost theatrically entertained. The music and lyrics support each other well. Take a chance and get your copy.

  • Every song swings for the fences, and whether railing about a lost lover (the ja
    author: Paul Rapp - Metroland - Albany, NY

    Housatonic, Mass.-based trio Melodrome’s third release is a wondrous combination of the literate, the sublime, and nerve-tearing rawness. Singer-songwriter and guitarist Robby Baier somehow combines the piss of Stiv Bator, the swagger of Jagger, and the majesty of say, Leonard Cohen and Johnette Napolitano into perfect exploding pop-rock bombs that say what needs to be said and move on. Familiar pop conventions and sounds are introduced, chopped, combined, and pasted, resulting in 12 songs that are at once easy on the ears and challenging on the first listen, and stay that way through the 20th. Bassist Jesko Stahl and drummer Matt Sloan play minimally and within the often deceptively nonlinear songs, and throw in backing vocals that recall Philly soul, Lennon and McCartney and (I’ll be damned!) even N*Sync. The result is the sound of a thinking, organic, fire-breathing band who are way more than the sum of their parts, which is rare these days, and virtually unheard of on a local recording. Every song swings for the fences, and whether railing about a lost lover (the jarringly persona1 “North Dakota”) or wooing a new one (“The Making Of”), every song hits its mark. The first thousand copies of Happens While You Blink are packaged in hand-sewn recycled LP jackets. Mine’s a Mantovani. This disc stands up against any rock record you’ll hear anywhere. In other words, if this had come out a month ago on a major label, with a video placed on Fuse, and the usual half-a-mil spent on indie promo, it would be platinum right now. It’ll take something awfully bodacious to knock this off my best-record-of-2005 pick.

  • Rock-Solid Stuff...
    author: Tom Baier

    When anyone mentions sex, drugs 'n Rock and Roll, this is the kind of rock they're referring to. Solid material that demands a listen if only to remind you where the rock starts and the roll leaves off. Highly recommended.

  • Great, new site of Melodrome!
    author: Clemens Knieper

    Since I know all of melodrome's albums, this one seems a bit different to me. All of that album's tracks are unique and beautiful! Thank you guys for beeing such a great Band, this CD is a MUST HAVE!

  • fresh energy for old formula
    author: mark ellison

    As I listen, Happens While You Blink is making me smile. It's great to hear this mix of melody, clear vocals, bright playing and simplicity. Go and see them!

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