New Music..

12 MP3 Songs
ROCK: Americana, POP: Beatles-pop



Details:
Instrumentation
Peter Avigne - drums, vocals
Francis Jaramillo - keyboards, vocals
Frank Jaramillo - bass
Brian Sheehan - guitar, lap steel, synthesizer, vocals



Biography
Simplicity, the latest offspring of the Motor City's metropolitan turnstile of hip, soulful sounds and cultural shock waves, play an amalgam of rootsy americana rock, echo space soul, and earnest neo-standards. Survivors of the same all-boys Catholic high school, Simplicity came together in 2001 with a common desire to escape the inevitable boredom and emptiness of traditional career paths. It became apparent early on that this strange mix of Yzermanesque leadership (Brian Sheehan), blue-collar work ethic (Peter Avigne), quiet confidence (Francis Jaramillo) and stoic reliability (Franklin Jaramillo), along with an exceptional songwriting talent and prodigious instrumental ability, would transform Simplicity into more than just another local rock band.

Touring heavily since February 2001, Simplicity has shared the stage with the likes of Galactic, Merl Saunders, Greyboy All Stars, The Charlie Hunter Trio, Jazz Mandolin Project, Govât Mule, Addison Groove Project, The Brothers Past, The Almighty Senators, The Slip, and the Flaming Lips.

In 2002, Simplicity was honored with three Detroit Music Award nominations: Best Live Act, Best Songwriter (Brian Sheehan), and best Instrumentalist (Sheehan). The band released their self-titled debut album in April of 2003. In 2004 the band released its second album "Life After Life", garnering them a nomination as âBest Pop/Rock" recording at the 2005 DMAâs.

Simplicity is currently recording and mixing its third studio album. Release date is set for spring 2007. Touring will resume thereafter to support the record's release.



Life After Life - Simplicity
Northern Express Robert Downes December 2005

The great CD Roundup
Robert Downes


Life After Life ⢠Simplicity

The real thing: an electric pop band with an acoustic vibe thatâs square on the scene in the style of The Beatles channeling the Band or the Grateful Dead.
Simplicity has performed several times at City Park Grill in Petoskey and Union Street Station in TC. If theyâre as good live as they are on this 12-song CD, then they deserve a spot high on your âmust seeâ list this winter. Led by songwriter Brian Sheehan, Simplicity mixes Beatlesque melodies with a fat bass dance groove, an epic keyboard attack and after-hours jazz joint guitar leads that go down as smooth as Courvoisier. The great thing about this mercurial band is theyâre hard to pin down: theyâre a bit Britpop with shades of the old dancehall era. Thereâs nothing to suggest a âDetroitâ band here in terms of the cityâs iconic garage rock sound -- the ethos of alt rock Motown has been cold-filtered out of the music and barely exists as an aftertaste. Yet in fact, the band has won several Detroit Music Awards for songwriting, recording, and their live act. Sheehan was also a top 10 finalist in the John Lennon Songwriting Competion, and itâs easy to hear why. Highly recommended.