Artist description In a land of 10,000 lakes, it is the consistently amazing songwriting of Sean McNamee that is Minnesota's most valuable natural resource. On "The Neurotic Years," McNamee for the first time compiles 27 of his best tunes from the last ten years onto one CD. Tracks like "You Make Me the Professor," "Pictures," "Half-Cocked," and "Closed Beaver Dams" will rekindle your love affair with chiming guitars, dulcimer voices, and a quick wit.

Music Style Power pop, indie rock

Musical Influences Guided By Voices, The Beatles, Eliott Smith, Talking Heads, The Suburbs, Bob Mould, Husker Du

Similar Artists Guided By Voices, The Beatles, Eliott Smith, Talking Heads, The Suburbs, Bob Mould, Husker Du

Artist History Some people choose their destinies, while others have their destinies chosen for them. Sean McNamee fell into the latter category during a teenage trip to K-Mart's music department. Although the "department" was merely a wire rack wedged between the school supplies and feminine hygiene products, McNamee spent an hour looking at the LPs and eight-tracks contained there for something interesting. Suddenly, McNamee saw two products that would forever change his life: The Beatles Red and Blue albums on eight-track. With his K-Mart bag in hand, McNamee scurried home, bounded up the stairs to his bedroom, and popped Red into the stereo. He sat at the foot of his bed and studied the pattern on the shag carpeting as he listened to the album. "Love Me Do," "Please Please Me," "From Me to You." By the end of "She Loves You," McNamee decided to move all of his possessions into his finished basement, stuff a dormer fridge full of Steak-ums, and hang a poster of John Lennon on the faux wood paneling that adorned the wall. McNamee now knew what he wanted to do with his life: become a famous musician. McNamee managed to accomplish 50 percent of that goal in the ensuing years. After teaching himself guitar, bass, drums, and keyboard, McNamee played in several Minneapolis-area bands in the '80s, including Waiting for One and Floral Anxiety. Eventually, McNamee purchased an eight-track and recorded his first album, 1995's Emotional Sofa, which included the songs "Who Is John Galt?" and "Driveway." McNamee followed up this album the very next year with the provocatively titled Who Will Pay The Go-Go Dancer?, featuring the tracks "Surrogate" and "I Can't Feel You." 1997 saw the release of two McNamee albums, Superimposed and Get Poppy!!. The first album featured the minor hits "ILU" and "Come Home," while the second album included "Love Beam" and "Someone Said I Love You." Despite such heavy output in '97, McNamee returned to the studio in 1998 for Vacancy, which boasted the songs "Christ Fish" and "Powerful Luv." It was during the following two years that McNamee hit his musical stride and inched closer to his rock-and-roll dreams. Between 1999 and 2000, McNamee was involved in five albums, three of them solo, and two of them with his side project Antheap. His solo albums included 1999's Dry, featuring "Pictures," and Sean McNamee's Burlesque, a covers album that paid homage to The Beach Boys, Yo La Tengo, and Guided By Voices. But it was his third solo album from 1999, Long Live the Gold Rush, that many critics consider his best work. On this album were the sweeping anthem "Closed Beaver Dams," the sing-along pop song "Streets Named After Birds," and the soothing lullaby "Pig Ears." In 2000, McNamee released Don't Freak Out and The Miracle of Stereo. Don't Freak Out saw McNamee joining experimental song structure with the catchy, memorable melodies that have become his trademark. The Miracle of Stereo was an even more experimental album on which McNamee ventured beyond the world of rock into the new worlds of techno and dance music. This year of experimentation inspired McNamee to return to guitar, bass, and drums in 2001. Currently, McNamee is working on two side projects, The Vanishing Spies, which just released their debut album in 2001, and The Halcyon Brothers, who released their first album in 2002. Both ensembles are currently in the place McNamee loves most: the studio. As if that has not made for busy times in the McNamee camp, he has also compiled more than a decade's worth of music onto his first greatest hits compilation. The Neurotic Years features 27 McNamee favorites that span his numerous albums and style changes. Rotisserie Records will unveil this special collection on November 12, 2002. Advanced tracks will be available exclusively through the Sounds page of the label's website. While he may not be famous in the same way that The Beatles are famous, his lengthy musical legacy shows that Sean McNamee is, indeed, a musician. Ultimately, it is that achievement which has brought McNamee's teenage rock-and-roll dream to full fruition. Pass a Steak-um, please.

Group Members Sean McNamee

Albums The Neurotic Years (2002), The Miracle of Stereo (2001), Don't Freak Out (2000), Long Live The Gold Rush (1999)

Location Minneapolis, MN - USA

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