Low Heat Records

Featured Artist

cerveris
dog eared (gib001) cd/lp release date 24 February 2004
1.Crosshill 2.Disconnect 3.SPCA 4.Two Seconds 5.Dog Eared 6.Can't Feel My Soul 7.Drinker's Peace 8.Snowbound 9.Another Time 10.Golden 11.Eleven 12.Monkey Tennis

Nothing is quite as compelling on record as the restless fluctuations of the fractured heart, as singer/songwriter Michael Cerveris proves on his ferocious and fragile solo debut album dog eared. From the roiling anthem "SPCA" (Cerveris' cheeky, power-pop collaboration co-written and sung with Sleater-Kinney's Corin Tucker) to the melancholy, but muscular musings of "Can't Feel My Soul" and "Snowbound," dog eared is Cerveris' lush declaration of liberation not only from lousy love affairs, but from his parallel life as a critically-acclaimed, Tony-nominated actor --
an extraordinary, but convoluted path for a rock musician.

Cerveris -- former frontman of British band Retriever (Hinterlands) and the U.S. group Lame, as well as touring guitarist/vocalist on Bob Mould's 1998 US/UK "Dog and Pony Show" sojourn -- originated the title role in the Broadway hit Tommy and in the late 90s, he starred in the smash cult hit Hedwig and the Angry Inch on London's West End, in New York Off Broadway, and in Los Angeles.

dog eared is a unique, confessional "family" project for Cerveris, encompassing the skills of his diverse network of musician compadres and friends: co-producer/engineer Adam Lasus (Madder Rose, Clem Snide, Helium), Sleater-Kinney's Corin Tucker and Janet Weiss, Ken Stringfellow (Posies, REM), Steve Shelley (Sonic Youth), Laura Cantrell, Norman Blake (Teenage Fan Club), Jeremy Chatzky (They Might Be Giants), Kevin March (Guided by Voices, Dambuilders), Anders Parker (Varnaline, Space Needle), Lara Gray (Luna, Ben Lee), Joe McGinty (Psychedelic Furs), strings arranger David Arnold (Bjork) and Alex Lutes (Nightnurse, Retriever) for recording sessions that took place sporadically over the course of six months in locales ranging from Brooklyn's Red Hook waterfront to Portland, Oregon to Glasgow, Scotland.
The album was mixed by Adam Lasus, Cerveris and Nick Brine (Oasis, Stone Roses) at the famed Rockfield Studios in Monmouth, Wales and mastered by Greg Calbi at Sterling Sound NYC.

Some thoughts on cerveris and dog eared…from some of his stellar cast of not-quite-thousands:

Adam Lasus (co-producer) - "[What's] interesting about Michael's work -- [is that] the very subtle songs begin to creep into your mind with all these little hooks, drum parts and vocal melodies. He has a great sense of not overdoing things or trying to make it sound like things you've heard before. There's not one moment of this album that has that clichéd bullshit."

Corin Tucker (Sleater-Kinney, co-writer/vocals on "SPCA): "One of Michael's strengths as a musician and songwriter is his versatility ... and it's easy for him to draw on his big vocal range. And with Janet and Ken playing on [the album], it felt like a little supergroup."

Ken Stringfellow (The Posies, various tracks) - "Subtlety in textures and writing, a world-class cast and crew ... everything was exciting!"

Laura Cantrell (vocals on "Two Seconds") -- "[Michael is] a fabulous singer and it was a real revelation to hear his music -- I'm just terribly flattered to be asked to come in and sing with him."

Norman Blake (Teenage Fanclub, guitar/vocals on "Crosshill") -- "There's this classic thing of actors wanting to be musicians -- but Michael can really do both, which is difficult ... and unusual."

Michael Cerveris -- "[dog eared] was my way of making one big alternative reality. I have such a literal or emotional connection with all these people and it seemed as if they all belonged in the same room together ... and that room became this record.

©Kara Manning 2003

www.cerveris.com

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