BLUE STATES: First Steps Into… (Memphis Industries)

themilkman on Sep 21st 2007 01:00 am

Blue States: First Steps Into…

BLUE STATES
First Steps Into…
MI090CD

Memphis
Industries 2007
13 Tracks. 47mins16secs

The history of Blue States has been a much more tumultuous affair than the band’s music. Originally the solo project of Brighton-based Andy Dragazis, Blue States got caught up in the chillout craze of the late nineties with a series of EPs and a debut album, Nothing Changes Under The Sun, released in 2000 on Memphis Industries, which showed a penchant for largely instrumental down tempo compositions and cinematic orchestrations. Determined to prove that Blue States was not just another act on a rapidly fading scene, Dragazis recruited the services of vocalist Ty Bulmer and put together a live band to take his instrumental pop to a new level, with a second album, Man Mountain, released in 2002. Following Bulmer’s departure, Dragazis was joined by Chris Carr (vocals and guitar) and Jon Chandler (durms), and released The Soundings, an album on which the band showed a much more indie pop approach, but tensions developed during the tour that followed and the band eventually imploded. Dragazis went on to produce a handful of records, including the deliciously Spector-driven Pipettes album of last year. Continue Reading »

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