Groove oriented, roots rock and alt-country jam band from Madison, Wisconisn. Del Mar keeps the focus more on the songwriting than the improv.

12 MP3 Songs
ROCK: Roots Rock, ROCK: Jam-band



Details:
To try and translate Del Mar's music, one first needs to understand the element that gives us all life, water. The band, whose name means "of the sea", symbolizes the diversity of aquatic life. As the make-up of the sea is far from ordinary, so is Del Mar's musical repertoire.

Del Mar churns vintage roots rock sounds of yesterday with timeless licks of tomorrow. They combine groove rock, alt-country, funk, electronica, and bluegrass into their feel-good sound. Drawing from influences as wide ranging as Wilco, Paul Simon, Willie Nelson, Beck, Cake, Phish, and the Smashing Pumpkins, the band has not forgotten about the importance of soulful songwriting. Del Mar crafts original songs with harmonies that ring in our heads, and collective grooves that move our feet.

After officially getting started at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater in 1997, this Madison based band has rolled through Wisconsin and the Midwest like the hills of the Kettle Moraine. Dedication has paid off for the band; after each show more and more people are becoming part of the Del Mar Playpen. In 2002, Del Mar racked up 75 shows while traveling to Colorado, Illinois, Minnesota, Indiana, and Michigan. During this run, they also shared the bill with acts such as Keller Williams, John Brown's Body, Dark Star Orchestra, Jazz Mandolin Project, Strangefolk, ekoostik hookah, and Natty Nation.

2003 looks to be the biggest year yet for Del Mar, with the release of their debut album Face to Face. The record strikes an original and healthy balance of country, funk, and jam infused rock. Del Mar breaks away from the "jam band" stigma, and proves that a young band can produce a lyrically stimulating album, without excessive and over-indulgent soloing.