Artist description "Damn inventive...any fan of underground pop which doesn't take itself too seriously will love it too." (ESCAPIST magazine) -- "Retrolicious" (BILLBOARD magazine) -- "One of the best and weirdest: the irresistible LIZ PHAIR IS MY SISTER by Bloomington, IL. wiseass Geoff Beran." (ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY) -- "Very funny" (CHICAGO SUN-TIMES) -- "He's also capable of writing a rather interesting tune" (TAILSPINS magazine)

Music Style Modern Rock, Pop

Musical Influences The Beatles, Queen, Cheap Trick, Prince, Leonard Cohen, Lenny Kravitz, Liz Phair, Violent Femmes

Similar Artists The Cars, Smashing Pumpkins, They Might Be Giants, Geoff Beran, Flaming Lips, Pink Floyd/Syd Barret

Artist History The following article is by Adam Kinzer, written for The Pantagraph newspaper in Bloomington, Illinois (July 20, 2000)----- Here is a musical rule of thumb: The more innovative an artist's music, the harder it will be to define. This truth could certainly be said of singer/songwriter and sometimes-producer Geoff Beran. The Bloomington resident's raw, open musical style seems to remain always on the fringes, refusing to compromise itself with a direct technique or approach - choosing instead to flow freely from form to form with its own sense of momentum and purpose. Beran's maverick pop sound is by very definition innovative. It is a challenge just to keep up with it, because you can never truly predict which direction its rhythms will go in next. His high-energy guitar and distinctive voice always sound a little unstable, like all of the variables might break away from the middle and zigzag away at any moment. And he probably wouldn't have it any other way. Beran began his love for music at a young age as a self-described "radio junkie." He would write goofy songs with his friends at school and they would go home afterwards and bang on trash cans and instruments they hadn't learned to play yet until a song was born. "We didn't know what we were doing really, but I started really enjoying the process of playing and recording, and I started trying to amount a good supply of mixing equipment", says Beran. "I think my brother gave me some very basic guitar lessons, but in the beginning I played very badly. But I kept up with it and just sort of taught myself." After high school, Beran moved down from the Chicago area with some friends to attend ISU. His schooling would have to take a back seat to his musical aspirations however. He soon found himself working at SoundLink, a downtown Bloomington recording studio, in which he became part owner in 1995. It was a move that would vastly increase his understanding of the recording and mixing process and give him the opportunity to produce and mix music for other Bloomington-Normal musicians as well as his own. Beran even founded his own record label, Night of the Spinning Records, all the better to accomplish this feat. "After coming to Bloomington and working at SoundLink awhile, I started making a lot of cassette albums and I would give them to friends and pass them out. I did the last one of those in '92, and I released a couple of singles here and there but for the most part I was spending most of my energy trying to raise money to put out my first CD," says Beran. "That is what I thought mostly about." One of the singles he put out in 1995, entitled "Liz Phair Is My Sister," brought him some national attention, including a write-up in Entertainment Weekly. The single became a sort of local calling card for Beran, but the song is really only one of many cuts on "Geoff Songs" (his first CD) that pokes fun at pop culture with Beran's original sound and smart, catchy lyric-writing. Other "Geoff Songs" with obvious pop culture references include "I Know What You Did Last Summer," "I Like U2" and the "Mission: Impossible"-influenced "Self-Destruct." Another song from the CD, "Beautiful, Sick, and Sexy," was sought after by a Canadian television producer for a fashion program- which Beran credits to his having ventured heavily into the Internet over the past year. (His Web site is www.mp3.com/geoffsongs). "I'm kind of eclectic in my influences, both in my music style and lyric writing. I love movies, TV, and like to have those influences along with my musical ones," he says. Beran had originally wanted his first CD to be released in 1995, along with the "Liz Phair" single, but just wasn't quite ready. "The tinkering got the better of me," he laughs. "So I waited and kept writing more songs and by the time I was ready to release the CD last year, I had written so many songs that the CD became a collection of the best songs I wrote while I waited - and a couple more songs that seemed to be crowd favorites during our live shows. I don't think I'll have to worry much about a sophomore slump, I have a lot of songs left over for the second album." Since the release of "Geoff Songs" last year, Beran has begun playing more often with a band behind him, and has put a stronger emphases on playing live. "I had sort of run the course of playing by myself. It is a lot of fun playing with a band, with the momentum they can give me. And it seems to be better for the audience as well," says Beran. I think before I was always worried I would get tired of the road, but I've never really done it, so I guess it is time." He hopes to have upcoming summer or early fall shows in Bloomington-Normal, Champaign, and possibly Chicago. He also makes regular appearances at Illinois Brewing Company's Thursday night open mike night. But Beran's second album is first and foremost on his heart and mind. "It's going to be more spiritual, something I've wanted to do for a long time but I wasn't really ready for until now. I had to get the first one out of the way first. I hope to have it done this fall," he says. "I don't like to take too long when I get going. I like to keep it as raw and spontaneous as I can. A lot of my favorite times writing and recording are when I can get a song in my head, just put it down on paper right off and pound it out and get it recorded on the same day. When I work that way it feels fresh and good, and seems to carry over in spirit to the songs." Sounds like someone who fell in love with music while writing silly songs and banging on trash cans as a kid.--------- Copyright 2000 The Pantagraph, Bloomington, Illinois.

Albums The Death Of An Artist --- Let The Noise Begin --- GEOFF SONGS

Press Reviews BILLBOARD MAGAZINE: "With tongue-in-cheek vocals that recall the cheeky charm of They Might Be Giants, Geoff Beran sings a saucy song to hum along to."ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: "One of the best and weirdest: the irresistible 'Liz Phair Is My Sister' by Bloomington, IL. wiseass Geoff Beran."ESCAPIST: "Damn inventive. Any fan of underground pop that doesn't take itself too seriously will love it too."CHICAGO SUN-TIMES: "Very funny."ILLINOIS ENTERTAINER: "Beran plays some sour, droning guitar on 'Self-Destruct' that is reminiscent of the overlooked Pink Floyd record 'Meddle.'"TAILSPINS: "He's also capable of writing a rather interesting tune."

Additional Info Singles: Liz Phair Is My Sister/No. 1 With A Bullet --- Self-Destruct/Theme From 'Mission: Impossible' --- Beautiful, Sick& Sexy/I Know What You Did Last Summer

Location Bloomington, Illinois - USA

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