Music Style Punketallic, Postmodern, Arena FolkRock

Artist History The Telegenic is Tom Petty in a drunken fist fight with Bruce Springsteen at a party thrown by The Clash where the News is on the TV full blast but no one sees it because everyone is watching the fight. The Telegenic as such became a band in 1999, but Snyder and Etz have been playing in bands together since high school and this is the core and foundation of The Telegenic's identity. In fact the musical relationship of Snyder and Etz predates their ability to play any instruments at all. Snyder and Etz decided to start a band because they felt a need to convey something. And then they started playing guitar and drums. Etz and Snyder played in several different groups over the years, recording two independent records, the latter of which contained tracks produced by Dennis Herring (Counting Crowes, Camper Van Beethoven, Cracker, etc), and mixed by Nick Didia (Pearl Jam, STP, Bruce Springsteen, etc). Around this time, Etz met Matt Johnson while they were playing in a side project together with Tom Morello (Audioslave, Rage Against the Machine) and asked Johnson to play on a few songs that he and Snyder were recording. The chemistry between the three was instantaneous and shortly thereafter The Telegenic was formed. Up to the formation of The Telegenic, Snyder and Etz style had been changing and developing over the years. But The Telegenic for Etz & Snyder (now joined by Matt Johnson on guitar) represents the moment when they musically matured to the point of a unique coherent self contained identity, which as it happens is not in accordance with the current KROQ vernacular. But which is destined to be the benchmark of a new vernacular; A retrospective view of rock which incorporates the decadence of the 60's and 70's arena rock, the consciousness of a protest song, the nihilistic desperation of punk rock, all slung over the shoulder of a unique narrative voice delivering worldly humanistic poetry. It wasn't until 2002 that the band, after a couple personnel changes settled on it's current lineup, the lineup which is a tasty blend of All Star Team and Bad News Bears. Johnson's guitar lines are often understated but articulated with pitch perfect awareness of each song's individual personality and provide the backbone of The Telegenic's rich harmonic texture. Falkenstien is the consummate groovemaster whipping and driving The Telegenic's low end like a team of horses. If The Telegenic is a car built to win a quarter mile drag race and the bass, drums & guitar comprise the bands' formidable engine, then Jason Federici's (Son of Danny Federici, ... the E Street Band) Organ playing is the contoured, aerodynamic fuselage that enables them to cut through the wind with grace and elegance. And of course Snyder is driving the mother fucker. The songs are his. His heart is Telegenic's heart. His vision is Telegenic's vision. Snyder sees the world with startling clarity. He expresses what he sees and how it makes him feel with unflinching, arresting honesty. Hearing his songs you are reminded how lucky you are that there is rock music, and that someone loves it, and that that person has spent years busting his ass figuring out how to write songs that remind you that you are alive, and that being alive is good. And that it sort of sucks, too. Snyder's perspective is his own, but it is brought to life by the players around him. And his voice is complemented by, and the depth of his lyrics plumbed by, Hamilton's soulful backing vocals. The strength of Hamilton's voice, her deep register and her emotive harmonies make up a thread that runs through all of The Telegenic's music and is an integral part of the bands sound. Telegenic's approach to songwriting assumes that the band itself lies exactly in the middle of the greater rock timeline and it takes a sudden but penetrating glance in both directions every time it writes a note. When the group plays one of their songs you can hear them looking all the way back to Elvis and asking, "Ok, what have we learned?" and looking forward asking, "Where will we take this?" This timelessness of their music complements the universality of Snyders lyrics. They reflect each other perfectly. The Telegenic is rocks synthesis springing forward. The Telegenic is a rock multivitamin. It is the Rosetta Rock. The Telegenic is the type of rock that comes through the car stereo and turns itself up. It is the rock that plunges you into the explosion of life, where you can feel the flames, but endure them. Where someone knows you, sees you, is you.

Group Members Abe Etz-Drums and Percussion Matt Johnson-Electric and Acoustic Gutiars, Vocals Scot Falkenstien-Bass Jason Federici-Organ, Piano and Accordion Tiffany Hamilton-Backup Vocals J Snyder-Vocals,Electric and Acoustic Guitars,Piano and Harmonica

Instruments Guitar, bass, drums, piano and organ

Albums The Telegenic(self titled)

Press Reviews "There's no way this could be anything but an american album... Los Angeles based Telegenic have perfected the Petty sound and corrupted it just enough to make it their own... eminently listenable, very pleasant and perfect beach music." -Sue Nami, Live Magazine "...Guitarist frontman Jason Snyder's passion can be infectiuos and backup singer Tiffany Hamilton's a gutsy Rosemary Butler for the 00's. Summertime rock well-suited for backyard keggers and rolled-down windows on the 10" -Bliss, Pasadena Weekly

Location Los Angeles, CA - USA

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