Artist description Post-Beatles melodic Pop with a heavy dose of Groove.

Music Style pop rock funk

Musical Influences beatles, peter gabriel, jellyfish, sly stone, prince, XTC, sting, beach boys, steely dan

Similar Artists peter gabriel, jellyfish, beatles

Artist History Omnipop is the brainchild of singer, bassist, songwriter Jeff Ciampa. After the dissolution of his successful band Zero One, Jeff began writing songs for a new project. Retaining ultra-funky guitarist Kevin Oliver from Zero One and recruiting drummer Tony McClung and multi-instrumentalist Jim Ed Cobbs, Jeff has assembled a formidable group of some of the finest musicians anywhere.Omnipop was originally called Vinyl and has one epynomous CD under that name.Vinyl was nominated as Outstanding Alternative Pop Band, with Jeff Ciampa as Outstanding Rock Vocalist at the Columbus Music Awards in 1996. Vinyl was also one of 185 finalists chosen from 10,174 entries in the Music Showcase Tour sponsored by Ticketmaster and Musician magazine in September 1995. In addition, Jeff and Tony were selected as best instrumentalists in the 2000 Columbus Music Awards.

Group Members Jeff Ciampa, Tony McClung, Kevin Oliver, Jim Ed Cobbs

Instruments bass, guitar, assorted keyboards and samplers, drums, percussion and hand drums

Albums vinyl; my imagined life with alfred moore

Press Reviews Omnipop believes in homemade soundLocal Chords Monday, January 15, 2001Curtis SchieberFor The Dispatch The just-released Omnipop album was home-birthed. Nearly all of it was recorded by bassist, singer, composer and producer Jeff Ciampa in the bedroom studio of his Clintonville home; the drums were taped mostly in the living room. The tracks were mixed entirely in house. My Imagined Life With Alfred Moore is the first release by Omnipop, formerly known as Vinyl, which itself released one album. A dazzling product of the "do-it-yourself'' spirit and affordable high-tech, it raises the bar for self-produced recordings. Four years of effort produced an album whose clean and complex sound betters more than a few big- studio productions. It raises the question: Are huge, costly studios really necessary? "To a large extent, studios are becoming obsolete,'' said Ciampa, who also works as a local session man. "(But) there are good reasons for big studios and there are things you can't re-create (at home). . . . In some ways, they have less personality. Therefore, you can give it the personality you want. "I'm a real big believer in taking limitations and making them a strength. With the Vinyl CD, I said, 'I'll be damned if I can't make a record sound as good as these guys . . . if I spend enough time on this, I can do that.' '' The long, frustrating saga of Alfred Moore began in John Schwab Recording, when, in January 1997, drummer Tony McClung laid down tracks for four Ciampa demos. In the fall, the entire band began recording in the Ciampa home, replacing all but two studio drum tracks. Ciampa began mixing the next summer and called cover artist Keith Novicki in December 1998. Six months later, with little artwork, the fastidious producer decided to remix the entire album, which took all summer. Rick Essig mastered it that fall in California and sent it to the CD plant. After months, Ciampa discovered that the company had gone bankrupt, taking his master. Essig, who had changed jobs, didn't have a backup. A reference CD of the final master -- which included an early mix of one tune -- was all that was left, yielding the final product last month. The band, which includes guitarist Kevin Oliver and keyboardist and percussionist Jim Ed Cobbs, lost momentum with the name change three years ago. It played out only once last year, waiting for the release. The album is an impressive introduction to the name, which describes the band's genre-busting music. Propelled by pounding funk grooves, the dense sound layers reveal shimmering pop melodies, a jazzy feel, substantial instrumental technique and Ciampa's love of the Beatles -- a love that he he said he had been suppressing since he and Oliver were in their band Zero One. Although the elaborate production threatens to overwhelm the songs, Ciampa said he hopes it keeps listeners coming back for more. "Like a good novel -- there's a good story line, and that's seductive and it hits the reader -- but then, there's a lot of levels beneath that, the metaphors and so many levels to peel away.'' For this diehard fan of pop music, the song is prime. "On my record, if (that) doesn't happen,'' he said, "it's not that I overproduced it. It's that I didn't write a good enough song.'' ------------------------------------------------------------------------Copyright © 2001, The Columbus Dispatch ------------------------------------------------------------------------OmnipopMy Imagined Life With Alfred MooreDig RecordsColumbus music vet Jeff Ciampa has turned in another terrific recording. My Imagined Life With Alfred Moore is the second disc from Omnipop (formerly known as Vinyl), bassist Ciampa's band with frequent rhythm partner Tony McClung on drums, keyboardist/percussionist Jim Ed Cobbs, and former fellow Zero One member Kevin Oliver on guitar. My Imagined Life is a wonderfully realized mix of funk, rock, a little jazz, and pop, pop, pop. The disc also sounds great, with rich, multi-layered instrumentation and a sizzling rhythm section that jumps out of stereo speakers--and, amazingly, it was recorded and produced by Ciampa at his home studio.Ciampa, acting here as singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist as well as bassist, wears his influences on his sleeve. First track Carousel is carried by James Gang-era funk breaks, Monkey Tale is a similarly flavored party jam and U Got Everything is a soulful funk romp, a la 1980s Prince. But the best and most obvious Omnipop influence is the Beatles. Like, say, Elliott Smith (but not like riff-thieves Oasis), Ciampa understands the clever melodies, tight harmonies and unexpected minor tonalities that make the Beatles the best. Within is an up-tempo pop jam with strings seemingly arranged by George Martin; Drowning builds to a huge melodic hook, complete with a swirling, backward-tracked psychedelic guitar solo; and River is an endearingly sweet ballad with ethereal vocal harmonies. My Imagined Life sounds like it could have been recorded in Abbey Road's Studio Two in 1969. But Ciampa's a good enough songwriter to pull off the stylistic homages without being derivative. (While I'm not one to judge a disc by its cover, I also have to give My Imagined Life a special nod for the artwork and packaging. The design and photos, by Keith Novicki, Greg Raymond and Chas Krider, make for an enticing pop art piece even without the great accompanying music.)The disc's one weak point is Ciampa's lyrics. Unfortunately, he can't match the wry wordplay that spiritual advisors Lennon and McCartney used to back their rich music. "Thank you very much/ I have been thinking of you/ And it's just too much/ It's more than just obsession... I want to touch you/ I need to touch you," Ciampa sings on Touch, an otherwise Beatlesque melodic jam with a groovy bass line. But hey, when the music sounds this good, it's hard to complain about anything.Omnipop will perform at a CD release party on Saturday, January 13, at Oldfield's on High.--Brian LindamoodCopyright © 2001 Columbus Alive, Inc. All rights reserved.

Location columbus, oh - USA

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