Lilys
The highly influential indie rock band LILYS is the constantly changing concept vehicle of Kurt Heasley, the group's frontman, founder and sole constant member. His harmonically complex songwriting has resulted in six albums and five EPs. Originating in Washington, D.C, the nomadic Heasley refers to LILYS different periods as Epochs I, II and III. Through him and the rotating players in LILYS, the musical style and approach shifts continually. The early recordings or Epoch I, including 1992's stunning, noise laden debut album In the Presence of Nothing and the etheric sophomore album Eccsame the Photon Band, were strongly influenced by MY BLOODY VALENTINE. Epoch I continues in the same year with the mini LP, A Brief History of Amazing Letdowns, on which LILYS refashion themselves as a dream infused experimental noise pop group.
Shortly thereafter, Epoch II is born as a now Boston-based Heasley delivers Better Can’t Make Your Life Better, and with it evidence of a strong British Invasion. The album’s single, “A Nanny In Manhattan” rose to #16 on the UK Charts after being used in a 1998 advertising campaign for Levi’s directed by Roman Coppola. The following year LILYS perform the first fully live performance on Top of The Pops in almost twenty years. Epoch II recordings go on to include The Services (For the Soon to Be Departed) EP, Zero Population Growth EP and The 3-Way.
The new millennium dawns and with it a Philadelphia based Epoch III including the Selected EP, Precollection and Everything Wrong Is Imaginary. By 2008 and 2009 a post-Epoch version of LILYS performs live shows in and around San Francisco and Los Angeles, the All Tomorrow’s Parties festivals curated by My Bloody Valentine in the abandoned city retreats of New York and London and open for MBV at some of their other US shows. A meticulously remastered vinyl version of LILYS’ second full-length album, Eccsame The Photon Band is currently being re-issued through the legendary FRONTIER RECORDS.
In Fall of 2015 LILYS performed a one-time-only, “big band” show called “Corruption Wrecked My Life”, that featured never before or rarely performed early material by LILYS – EPOCH I, circa 1990 – 1995. With Don De Vore (LILYS, Sick Feeling) as musical director alongside James Richardson (MGMT), Will Berman (MGMT), Travis Roseberg, Matt Werth (RVNG Intl. founder), Chris Colley (School Of Seven Bells), and Alex Craig (Limited, Ducktails, Big Troubles). The expanded format of “Corruption Wrecked My Life” is just another development in the Lilys’ ever-revolving lineup that has included more than 72 different musicians since 1991, as well as a myriad of collaborators. Heasley is always pushing the boundaries of his music.
Julian Never
Julian Never is the recording project of long-time Sacramento CA underground stalwarts Julian Elorduy and Mark Kaiser, both of noise-punk legends Mayyors. A melting pot of influences ranging from 70s-80s U.K./Aussie/Kiwi D.I.Y. & post-punk to American power-pop of the same era colliding to form a punchy, layered web of sound anchored by Elorduy's (also formerly of Fine Steps) dreamy tenor. Full length in the works for early 2022.
“Been a while since I’ve heard rumblings from Mayyors’ camp, but this new project from the band’s Julian Elorduy and Mark Kaiser embraces a less gritty vision of pop, setting their sights on the sun-warped jangle of ‘80s Flying Nun this time around. Backed by ethereal synths and beset with jangles, the title track to this single is a bittersweet gem that would fit in well with the acolytes of the Nun that have currently cropped up all over Australia in the last few years. Elorduy and Kaiser have worked out a pretty solid handle on pop here, shedding some of their raucous punk past (Kaiser was also in Male Gaze), and it all comes crashing to a head on “Silver One.” On the flip, the band postures in am more tender vein, opening with the somber strains of piano, given a slight nod to their more lo-fi past before swapping the keys for strums that, like new works from The Tubs, rope in some of the more tender side of the Creation catalog to the mix with touches of Felt and The Sneetches sneaking in. A solid single from the new band and one that gives cause to keep an eye on them. Hoping that this works itself out into something longterm. “ - Raven Sings The Blues