Artist description Cliff Hillis is a pop songwriter with a sound that has been described at times as Beatles-influenced. He has developed a unique melodic style with his sometimes acoustic, sometimes rocking music. Backed by a supporting cast of many of his musician friends, he has created a very strong group of songs for his first solo cd "Be Seeing You" on Not Lame records.

Music Style intelligent singer-songwriter power pop

Musical Influences Beatles, Cheap Trick, Todd Rundgren, House of Freaks, Sebadoh, Nick Drake

Similar Artists David Mead, David Gray, Beatles, Elliott Smith, Matthew Sweet, Michael Penn/Aimee Mann, XTC

Artist History Hailing from the sleepy resort town of Rehoboth Beach DE, Cliff Hillis spent his formative years surrounded by music. From hearing the strains of John Denver being played by his parents (1970's-bad!) to his first dose of Cheap Trick resounding from his ol der brother's turntable (1970's-good!). That, combined with his obsessive love of the harmonies of bands such as the Beach Boys and the Beatles instilled in him a strong sense of melody at an early age.From high school jazz band to underage cover band Cl i ff got off to a quick start of making his mark as a rising musician. After several years of leading bands trying to conquer the local indie/pop/alternative scene, he decided to switch gears when offered a chance to travel on several national tours as g uit ar tech with the Innocence Mission and the Ocean Blue. He ended up filling in on bass guitar for a brief bit and played on-stage nightly between the Innocence Mission's Karen Peris and renowned country artist Emmylou Harris.Upon his return to the East coa st he formed the Baltimore-based band Starbelly with bassist Dennis Schocket and drummer Greg Schroeder. A true-to-form power pop trio, the band toured music festivals from Atlanta to Los Angeles, wowing crowds with their incredibly tight three part h armonies and succinctly cutting pop songs. They even made a fan of one Freedy Johnston, who gladly purchased a copy of their debut album "Lemon Fresh" at a show in New York.When singer/songwriter John Faye (formerly of A&M recording artists "the Caulfie ld s") asked Cliff to play lead guitar for the newly-formed John Faye Power Trip, Cliff once again shifted gears and hit the road rock and roll style. While the band opened for R.E.M. and Matthew Sweet this change also gave Cliff a chance to concentrate o n h is o wn songs. At the final JFPT show of 2000 Cliff unveiled some of his own new material and was greeted with a wildly enthusiastic response.The year 2001 finally gives Cliff Hillis the opportunity to showcase his musical skills not only with the inc lusi on of his song "Better Than Myself" on the soundtrack to the Brooke Shields film "After Sex", but also with the release of his debut album, "Be Seeing You" on Not Lame Records. Contemplative singer/songwriter one minute, power popper the next, enigmatic love song balladeer three minutes after that. You may think that you are hearing Paul McCartney meeting Michael Penn at a Posies reunion but you would be wrong. It's that East coast beach boy Cliff Hillis.º

Group Members Cliff Hillis with various supporting players.Ï€

Instruments vocals, acoustic and electric guitar, bass, wurlitzer electric piano, organ, piano, drums.

Press Reviews Be Seeing You continues the stellar track record Not Lame has achieved by pushing their artists to make records that go beyond "average" Power Pop. Al though Cliff Hillis is certainly familiar to fans of the genre through his work in Starbelly and the John Faye Power Trip, it's finally time for a disc that showcases his indiv idual personality and talent. Most distinctive on the record is Cliff's voice, a clear, subtle tone with an edge similar to Jason Falkner's It's a voice that doesn't need to r esort to the shouting and spitting so often heard on the radio these days. Another factor setting him apart from the rest is his guitar playing, using effects without getting fl ashy and bending sounds around a melody instead of just playing along. Combine that with his production talents ("Be Seeing You" is self-produced and engineered) and y ou have a one-man super-group! Obvious care and attention has been taken with every track. "Be Seeing You" is lush with layered harmonies, such as in the moody "Coming Out Alive;" punched up with horns, as in the very Squeeze-like "Sheila Said;" and motivated with propulsive drum sounds and radio-ready guitar crunch on "Me and You." Some of the so ngs have an oblique, stand-offish quality, leaving the listener wanting just a little bit more, not an easy feat in this give-'em-all-you-got world. I'm sure we'll be seeing plent y of Cliff Hillis in the coming year because this release is destined for many Top Ten lists. -Anna Borg: April, 2001 fufkin.com

Location Rehoboth Beach, DE - USA

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