Music Style indie pop

Similar Artists The Mercury Rev, Death Cab for Cutie, Flaming Lips, Grandaddy, Belle and Sebastian, the Feelies, Guided by Voices

Artist History "shellito's second outing 'ingredients' (Birtha), is a winsome, meticulously crafted collection of guitar-based, slice -of- life pop." - Philadelphia Weekly One of indie music’s most promising bands, shellito, has a new record to share with you. ingredients comes out May 7, 2002. shellito's music has been compared to those of artists as varied as David Bowie, Elliot Smith, the Feelies, Simon and Garfunkle, and Guided by Voices. On stage, as well as behind the scenes, it is Mike Shellito's vision and inspiration which shape shellito's methodical musical direction. In the same vein as pop pioneer Todd Rundgren or new wave orchestrator David Bowie, Mike acts as producer, engineer, singer, and songwriter. Mike's key partner in the process of creating and recording is Jeff Tanner. Jeff, also of Photon Band (Darla Records), is an accomplished guitarist who shares in production and lends skillful bass and vocals. The latest result of Mike and Jeff's collaborative recording efforts is ingredients, an impeccably arranged and lushly produced album which was recorded in Mike's own 24-track Birtha Studios. ingredients is a bundle of delicate balances: trusted pop structures with intricate modern arrangements; simple melodies with complex instrumentation; sensitive musical flow with sharp emotional images; shimmering danceable pop with understated character studies. Packed with lyrically poetic songs, and propelled by hummable melodies, ingredients appeal is also complex - the typical listener ranges from emo kids looking for something a bit more mature, to classic pop lovers, who appreciate the exquisite songcraft of the melodies and hooks. ingredients can be heard all over Philly, picked up for play on dozens of jukeboxes at area bars and clubs. Despite having no professional radio promotion, ingredients made a quick entrance into area airplay. "Lima," a questioning study of empathy versus self-examination, has seen rotation on 88.5 WXPN. "Virgo Torpedo," a mix of echoing harmonies and evocative lyrical vignettes, is currently one of Boston's WZBC's Top Ten Listener Favorites. Selections from ingredients were broadcast earlier this year on BBC's Radio 1 by DJ John Peel - more proof of shellito's far-reaching appeal. Enjoy ingredients. www.shellito.com

Group Members Mike Shellito, Jeff Tanner, Ken Finn, Jason McKibben, Robert Fanelli, Ken Brune

Albums On Sale, ingredients

Press Reviews "shellito mixes strumming guitars, literate lyrics and psychedelic frippery into one of the most satisfying records we've heard this year." - The Philadelphia Inquirer "ingredients is a polished gem, full of lush, highly addictive vocal melodies, surging synthesizer passages, light acoustic guitar strumming and quality songwriting. Each song stands a testament to shellito's greatness." - Epitonic "The warm chummy-strummy songs embody a sense of stripped-down songwriting buttressed by gently layered sonic flourishes" - Philadelphia Citypaper "Mike Shellito's reedy, hushed vocals sound a lot like Elliot Smith's." -CMJ "a richness of production-precise, crisp layers of sound - beyond the cunning hooks. Up close there's more texture than you'd expect, and from far away, the picture just looks complete." - Philadelphia Weekly "shellito's second outing 'ingredients' (Birtha), is a winsome, meticulously crafted collection of guitar-based, slice -of- life pop. - Philadelphia Weekly Press Nobody tells Mike Shellito how to do his thing. The musician/producer goes his own way. His band, Shellito, a studio project with primary partner Jeff Tanner (also of Photon Band fame), is an exercise in refined pop beauty, and the effort and care that goes into it is evident. Exhibit A: Ingredients, the band’s Y2K sleeper on the local Birtha label. The expertly crafted 12-track CD was recorded in a cabin in Blythewood, SC (near relatives in Columbia). Mike, who’s recorded projects for the likes of Photon Band and The Beach Balls, packed his studio into a U-Haul truck and headed south to write material for the follow-up to the band’s 1997 debut On Sale. "I respect the process of writing and recording immensely and knew that I had to get out of Philadelphia to find my focus," explains Shellito. It appears that he found it. Two years in the making, with help from Simon Nagle, Ken Finn and others, Ingredients feels meticulously arranged, yet this watched pot maintains a steady, rolling boil. The warm, chummy-strummy songs embody a sense of stripped-down songwriting buttressed by gently layered sonic flourishes, as on the lead track "Orange or Green" with its two lines of lyrics, "a-ha-ha" chorus, acoustic guitar, vocal harmony and pitter-pattering percussion. The song somersaults into "Smart People" which has a crunchy, Byrds-y ’60s-guitar pop feel, but is more than a mere reference. Mike Shellito’s songs tell stories in snippets, and there’s a sort of reserved happiness that permeates the shimmery collection. "When you’re in the woods alone for four weeks, you tend to get to know yourself or at least convince yourself that you do," he figures. "Since I engineered the record myself, it was nice to drop out of everyday life and have 24-hour access to the process of writing and recording.… I am not delusional enough to assume that my creative gifts allow me to write songs during commercial breaks or at band practice. No pretension, just a healthy respect for the amount of work required of anyone doing anything they can be proud of. Jeff and I were forced to be with each other 24 hours a day. If you know me, you realize how challenging that can be. Luckily, Jeff and I emerged as stronger friends and collaborators after South Carolina." As a result, they look forward to recording a new album and touring the U.S. and Europe. The band’s live gigs (rounded out by a large supporting cast) have been rare, elaborate affairs and their upcoming performance with Brian McTear at the Mask & Wig should be no different. Though details aren’t abundant on what exactly should be expected, Mike explains that the band likes to have control over most aspects of the performance, from lighting to choreography to music, so expect a little more drama than your standard club set. - Brian Howard: Philadelphia City Paper: April 26th- May 3, 2001 Mike Shellito has always squirreled away his own compositions whilst recording others in his studio, Shellito partner Jeff Tanner's Photon Band among them. Ingredients is the second collection of these recordings, and it's a low-key affair, its bright indie-pop center ringed by pensive, jittery edges. Mike Shellito's reedy, hushed vocals sound a lot like Elliott Smith's, and they are the primary source of the Philadelphia duo's vague, uneasy tone. Instead of sounding dour, though, Shellito's lyrics strike the right ambivalent chord amidst the minor key, layered chirpings of guitars, organ and muffled percussion. The scratchy, pattering rhythms build through the songs Feelies-style. The acoustic and electric guitars are set on non-stop jangle, everything piping along together in the mix, no one instrument or riff ever really asserting itself. It all adds up to a pleasingly off-kilter, toned-down commotion. - Deborah Orr: CMJ New Music Report Issue: 698 - Jan 22, 2001 Sometime in September of 1998, recording engineer and music producer Mike Shellito flipped his lid. Dropping everything, he packed his studio into a U-Haul trailer and drove from his home turf in Philadelphia to a cabin in Blythewood, South Carolina. There, in total isolation, he embarked on an intense four-week creative exploration. This marked the beginning of the majestic Ingredients. Well, it wasn't total isolation. First of all, he brought his dog, Bones. Eventually Shellito and Bones were joined by Jeff Tanner of the Photon Band. Ingredients became a two-year project for Shellito and Tanner, during which they wrote songs together and perfected their sound. The result could not possibly be any more honest or wholesome. Ingredients is a polished gem, full of lush, highly addictive vocal melodies, surging synthesizer passages, light acoustic guitar strumming, and quality songwriting that would hold even the fickle interest of the most ADD-afflicted Guided By Voices fan. Each song stands as a testament to Shellito's greatness, grabbing firmer hold of the listener's heart with each listen. Mike Shellito first began recording under his surname in August 1996 and released a solo Shellito record, On Sale in 1997. Since then, Shellito has evolved into a full scale seven person band, including Tanner and drummer Jason Mckibben of Reizoko. - N. Lannon: Epitonic.com Cool concoction On their latest CD, Ingredients, the indie pop duo shellito mixes strumming guitars, literate lyrics and psychedelic frippery into one of the most satisfying records we’ve heard this year. The polished popsters play at the North Star, 27th and Poplar Streets, at 10 p.m. Saturday. -Michael Harrington: Philadelphia Inquirer: Sunday, August 12, 2001 Let's face it. The world of independent music isn't exactly famous for its commitment to quality. The whole scene, in fact, is characterized by laconic, half-assed "slacker charm" (which, truth be told, has grown a whole lot less charming since 1992). So it's both remarkable and refreshing to discover a group like Philly's own Shellito--accent on the first syllable, please--a group for whom water-treading and laurel-resting are decidedly out of the question. Worlds removed from both the three-chord yawners and Brian Wilson retro-fits that remain the ruling orders of the day, Shellito's second outing, Ingredients (Birtha), is a winsome, meticulously crafted collection of guitar-based, slice-of-life pop. Over taut strums and hairpin time changes, Mike Shellito delivers a flurry of images ranging from the Waltons in Surround Sound to kissing in the shower to "a diet soft drinker who never cries." The band manages to be smart without being smarmy, writing songs for people who still pay attention to the words. "Virgo Torpedo" is a laundry list of juxtapositions delivered in falsetto over ringing guitar and subtle electronics; "All Right" is a soft, sunny ballad, Mike Shellito's ether-light voice lending odd grace to a young girl's disconcerting ambivalence. The meaning is as much between the words as in them, Shellito sly-winking through lyrics like, "I don't care about beautiful music/ Or writing a song with something to say/ Nobody listens ..." It's as much a lament as it is a dare to up the ante. The band's dedication to quality extends beyond songwriting. Shellito has rented the rustic, old-timey Mask and Wig Club to showcase their brainy, intricate pop, overseeing all aspects of the evening to ensure class and distinction. Promising a flawless mix, relentless professionalism and a performance to eclipse (if not surpass) any indie icon, Shellito's grand-scale debut has all the makings of an "I saw them when ..." Make sure to be counted among that number. - J. Edward Keyes: Philadelphia Weekly: April 25, 2001 Local musician/producer Mike Shellito has taken two years to follow up 1997’s On Sale. On ingredients, his wistful Art Garfunkel tenor and acoustic strumming --aided by Photon Band bassist Jeff Tanner’s guitar work and harmonies--recall the particular brand of ‘60s pop that’s seen such a big revival of late. But further listens yield a richness of production--precise, crisp layers of sound--beyond the cunning hooks. A pitter-patter of finger taps is the percussive spine of the opening track while a trail of ticking leads from the distant chanting chorus of “Human” into the eerily familiar “You Really Really Like Me.” New Wave keyboards meet up with effects pedals springing out notes like uncoiled wires. It’s perhaps unsurprising that Shellito, who’s recorded albums for the Beach Balls and the Turncoats, among others, shows such deft handling of sound. He takes a more oblique approach to lyricism, evoking broadly rather than pointing and poking. “Happy” is a list of fragments, small memories, wishes. The effect is impressionistic, images made from words, and sometimes just “la la las.” For this, ingredients is deceptive: Up close, there’s more texture than you’d expect, and from far away, the picture just looks complete. - Elisa Ludwig: Philadelphia Weekly: November 22, 2000

Location Philadelphia, Pa - USA

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