andy sturmer

Hey, didn’t I say I’ll be back with more Jellyfish-related material? Well, here it is. Sort of.

leo No, it’s not the Jeff Lynne group. And you’re not dyslexic either, are you? I think, it’s just so cool that they actually sound quite a bit like E.L.O. and whatever else Jeff Lynne, Tom Petty, Roy Orbison and George Harrison did together.

L.E.O. is not much a band as it is a bunch of like-minded musicians around the country who instead of getting together physically, used technology to bridge the distance between themselves to create such masterful work of music. Andy Sturmer, that awesome drummer from Jellyfish, was a major contributor to the making of the album Alpacas Orgling and is a big factor in my liking L.E.O.’s music.

If you haven’t heard them yet, do yourself a favor and listen to the entire album on last.fm and check out this video of their song Goodbye Innocence. You’d swear you’re hearing a Traveling Wiburys song you’d never heard before.

This is just getting a bit frustrating to me already. I really want to get this CD done before the end of the year but it seems like I have been traveling on the slow side of musical creativity for a while now. Could it be that I’m getting a little old for this? Yikes! Hopefully I’ll get a song produced completely before the end of summer. That’s actually better than nothing at this point. So, here I am in the basement… and I couldn’t produce a decent note all morning. For some inspiration, I am now listening to my favorite Internet Radio Station while lifting some weights. Yep! And in between sets, I am scribbling a little something while waiting for a light bulb to pop over my head as I keep myself busy with other things. Hang tight, gotta do another set of curls.

Ahhh, cool! The radio just played Jellyfish. Remember Jellyfish? They’re one of my all-time favorite Indie Rock acts from the early nineties. I love the almost unique features of this hippie/glam/punk outfit, like the drummer/singer playing a stand-up drumkit and is in front with the band as opposed to being behind it like the usual setup. If you’re not familiar with them, their sound is a mixutre of A Day At The Races-era Queen, Magical Mystery Tour-era Beatles with retro as well as alternative sounding pop hooks. Their second release, Spilt Milk, was almost like a modern-day rock opera! Too bad they only put out two CDs before calling it quits. But it was enough to keep a cult following alive and well to this day. Okay, wait a sec, time for the bench press.

Let’s see, I’ve collected some youtube embed scripts from videos of Jellyfish that I’ve checked out just moments ago. It took me awhile as I was really enjoying these mightily. Oh alright, I guess I’ll share! These are some of my favorite ones. It’s a good time for you to check them out… as I do my crunches.

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Sebrina, Paste and Plato

This is one of my favorite songs. It’s got that With A Little Help From My Friends kinda vibe to it.

Bye, Bye, Bye

I love the folk sensibilities oozing off of this song. It’s done in an almost sarcastic manner. So punk, so beautiful!

The Ghost at Number One
Excellent bridge, in my opinion! Very classy! I’m a sucker for good bridges.

Joining a Fan Club

The first time I heard this song, I thought it was Queen. From the vocals to the bombastic drums and guitars, it will, uhmm… rock you.

The King is Half Undressed

Although it’s got a typical 90’s alternative sound, the chorus progression reminds me of a 60’s folk/rock song, like Jefferson Airplane or something like that. Really cool!