Artist description Four guys plus two drummers. One bi-year, one studio and eleven songs. Excuding a stream of consciousness, funneled and anal-packed to a malleable consistency fine enough to draw with. We didn't know what we were doing or where we were going. We knew that we had something to spill... Work ethic and perseverance. Passion and frustration. Love and commitment.

Music Style Rock (Glorious Intoxicated )

Musical Influences David Bowie, Led Zepplin, Pink Floyd, Radiohead, STP, The Beatles, Alice in Chains, The Doors, The Cars

Similar Artists Radiohead, U2, Oasis, Jeff Buckley, STP, Blur, The Cars, Coldplay

Artist History Way, way back in Portland, OR Autumn 2001 Clark (formerly of Louis Says and Lowcraft), Josh (formerly of Louis Says and ----) and Billy (formerly of Lowcraft), who had all played music together in various incarnations for over 15 years invited Chris in on a jam over at Clark's beautiful recording studio. A good time was had and it became a semi-regular thing during the cold, dark autumn evenings. Candles, incense and stimulants were present. (yes, these were jams.) Nothing more or less. Clark would record everything, never to be shortchanged in case a good section came out of it. After a few of these get-togethers we discovered that with a bit of shaping and mixing, we actually did get a few tracks out of it. Mind you, we were in quite a different zone back then, and let's just say, the music was, well, jammy. Soul, funk. hell we even went to Brazil and back on some of those tracks. What we learned was that we had a good chemistry going, and that we liked making music together. So we got ambitious. We started working. During daylight hours no less. We even drew up a constitution! We signed a contract with one another that basically made sure that we would honor and respect everyone's creativity and commitment to making good music. How very rock'n'roll, yeah?!? We started to write songs together as a band, and almost immediately it became apparent that the music would take on a more dark and harder guise. I mean for the most part we love listening to Radiohead, Led Zeppelin, The Police, Soundgarden, The Beatles and Bowie, etc so it was only natural that we'd follow more in those footsteps. We pretty much replaced the acoustic with the electric and you know, ah, let mayhem prevail. And then we called Nathan (formerly of Tales Untold and Lowcraft). His angelic voice and his genius melody-making were exactly what we needed to put the songs over the top. And so it came to pass. From Jan-June 2002, when there was time to get together, we wrote and recorded 11 songs. Along the way we lost the brilliant Billy on drums, but we were lucky enough to meet Todd who took over percussion duties on 5 of the 11 songs with about a day's notice and what an excellent fucking job he did. So now we have a record. And it's yours if you want it. And there will be more to come, 'cos we're just getting started.

Group Members Chris Anthony Clark Stiles Nathan Khyber Josh Crawley Todd Moritz Bill LaGrand

Instruments Drums, Bass, Guitar, Piano, Whurlitzer, Strings, Vocals, ProTools

Albums The People Involved

Press Reviews (from ActionAttackHellicopter.com) The People Involved s/t Independant These guys are from Los Angeles, and don’t seem to care what anyone thinks. They are just happy about making their own brand of music. To me they sound like a more rockin’ Radiohead, with a hint of 80s melancholy melody similar to Simple Minds or The Cure. I can even hear some Oasis or U2 in there. Depending on your musical tastes that might be a good or bad thing. I assure you I mean it in a good way. And it is not all Britpop; it just has nuances of it peppered throughout their record. Whether in the key of minor or sardonic major, the melodies travel to covert nooks of musical dexterity and innovation, all the while keeping their sound catchy, smooth and appealing. I really like “Cantilever,” it’s got an inventive rhythm and makes for a driving and compelling listen. The vocals escalate into unexpected ranges that make one realize that this is not just some mediocre band. They have some really good stuff here and are four talented musicians. From their bios it seems they are quite quirky as well. I was particularly interested in the fact that that the guitar player has directed music videos for the Dandy Warhols. This record is produced well, and from not knowing much about this band I would say they are pulling from all the right influences and could do great things if they keep at it. - Brooke Black (from ROCK N ROLL EXPERIENCE DEC 2002) THE PEOPLE INVOLVED S/T Track Listing: Hard WIred, Cantilever, Hey Dude Law, Swallow, Saints & Simpletons, Purple, More, Some Resemblance, Of My Name, High Cenered This indie rock band actually surprised me...I get alot of demos & indie releases that are, well, crap, but this disc is actually REALLY, REALLY good! The harmony & melody is immediatley catchy & I actually liked this disc from the very first song. If they get a major label deal, they will definitley be the critics picks with songs like "Saints & Simpletons" which reminds me of Soul Asylum meets Radiohead....it's a classic mix of alt energy with power pop, it really works! "Purple" is a little erie in a cool way & the vocals have that Jeff Buckley quality to them, very soft, sweet & emo, but not in a way that would rip off anyone, the singer has a great voice! "Some Resemblance" could be a radio staple in just about any modern rock market, it has a catchiness to it that Oasis would kill for & a good hook to boot! If you are a music fan, you MUST ckeck out this band, they are totally original, new, fresh, & non jaded by the corporate machine of rock, so they are good! www.peopleinvolved.com (from Atomic Duster) The People Involved - The People Involved Writen and recorded in apparently just a few months - probably the best way, no countless productions, just the vigour of an early idea committed to what would once have been vinyl, but now mere noughts and ones. So a band form initially in Portland, Oregon, before moving (in part) to the earth moving excesses of Los Angeles to further their carears as hell raisers; ethereal globe trotters who by now should be sharing tales with St. Michael if their love of the Absinthe-nectar had anything to do with it! Oh well guys, keep the naked flame subdued as we allow the air to ignite as we press play... N: Goth rock in its presentation, circa early nineties is well aranged, engineered and produced, again leaving the question - "Are we sure these guys are not yet signed?" I'm sure it can't be long. "Hardwires" is perhaps not the best opening track; its successor "Cantillever"might have been a better choice, but also, this screams "Debut Single"! T: Some well produced tunes, thoroughly listenable and enjoyable. This is a very good album, leaving with you the impression that this band has the potential to go all the way and next time make a classic one. Shades of The Cult and, as you say, early nineties Goth Rock, The People Involved here have done a sterling job. N: That would explain it then - the band's bassist and producer, Clark Stiles, is the owner of one of the more prolific studios in Portland. With ammunition like that in the band, surely you've gotta go far. 8/10 (from Delusions of Adequacy) This is music you can feel; whether or not it’s the best feeling to have is disputable. The People Involved have a unique outlook on the way things are. The music is about mistrust, and losing hope, and conditional love. It’s not only music, it seems more or less a soundtrack to a horror movie. With the band's vocals it seems more like a soundtrack to a dream. They are one of the new style of bands that put a lot more into their music than instruments and meaningless words. TPI is a very unique band in the sense of what they have created, although it is easy to tell who has influenced their music (they fit their sound in with bands like Radiohead, 90s Brit-pop bands, Bowie, and Blur). The easiest comparison to make would be to the infamous Smashing Pumpkins. Once you listen to it, the feel of Billy Corgan’s vocals and the music as well come to mind. Of course they are a very unique band, so it seems a little harsh to categorize them easily. They have the same dark, depressing sound as The Pumpkins, but this is music that wouldn’t be played on mainstream radio. Not everything about TPI can be described as amazing though. A few of the songs sound strangely similar. Tracks four and five have a drum beat that sounds nearly the same. The vocals in the majority of the songs seem too repetitive. It’s hard to hear the same line so much. The ironically great thing about this band is that sometimes it's not even really the words, it’s more or less the melodies that come with the words. It’s great to find a band that can’t be defined just by the words they sing. The band can’t be defined by "Sun escapes the sky, left to learn, to die." They have a great amount of musical talent, and experimental ]talent at that. When you listen to the songs, you can just picture the band writing music and asking each other "Does this work?" In most of the songs on here there are a lot of effects. It kind of diminishes some of the album's intensity, seeming like there is too much going on. One of the things that stood out as amazing are the transitions between songs. They just fit perfectly. They end one track with congas, keyboards, and a choir vocal sound, and they make it work so well! Track six starts with a classical piano and progresses to a composition between guitar, cymbals, and a great keyboard ambience. It honestly seems to be the nicest sounding song on the album. As a debut album, this is astonishing. There’s an intense dark and rhythmic feeling that not many bands seem to have, or want to have. They are taking their own music to another level. If there is one band I can say has the most hidden talent, I’d take time to consider this band. Adam, 1/20/03 (from Invisibleyouth.com) Band: The People Involved Title: s/t Review: I can't help but mention the influence that bands like Radiohead had on "The People Involved." This is a very eclectic album within the rock realm. In comparison to Radiohead, TPI play in a more driving manner. They also are not afraid to step outside t he boundaries and throw in a few oddities. This is a well-rounded record that is very well-written and recorded… Label: self released

Additional Info Do it yourself.

Location Los Angeles, CA - USA

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