Indie/Rock/Alternative/Power Pop - guitar oriented songs with tongue in cheek lyrics.

5 MP3 Songs
ROCK: Emo, ROCK: Modern Rock



Details:
Louden Swain. Wait a minute. I know that name.

Sure you do. Either you're a long time fan of the 80's classic Vision Quest, starring Mathew Modine as high school wrestling protege Louden Swain...or you're even hipper than that. You've had your ear to the Los Angeles music scene for the past few years, and you've heard the high energy sound of rock pranksters Louden Swain emanating from the streets.

Fans of the movie and of the band will be happy to know Louden Swain is still registering take downs. In the past year the band has been in the studio working hard on a new and evolved sound. A challenging year for the band that has included members overcoming personal loss, a bad breakup and a car wreck has yielded their edgiest, sharpest songs to date. The result is a batch of tunes to be released in February 2003 on a new EP entitled "Overachiever". The songs include crowd favorites "Undergrad" and "Prom", (mixed by Wallflowers/Jayhawks tour player/producer Evan Frankfort); the Cars influenced "Codependent", and the witty rock saga "Cast Off".

To achieve their studio sound on an independent budget, the band hired indie wiz Kirk Wheeler to produce and mix the new songs. The drums were recorded at Swing House, the dynamic L.A. studio that has tracked the likes of Green Day, the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Rage Against the Machine. Enter the indie part of the process, as the band mates holed up in drummer Stephen Norton's studio in the confines of his Hollywood apartment and laid down guitars, bass and vocals. Dogs barked, neighbors complained, and the rock was made.

Louden Swain's power pop trio of Rob Benedict, Mike Borja and Stephen Norton call L.A. their home, but if pressured will reveal that all three originate from the Midwest. This common denominator helped bring the boys together back in the day, when Louden Swain was simply a chance to drink beer and play fun rock tunes. But soon the tunes started sounding really good--even after they'd sobered up. And that's when things got serious. They traded in their beat up acoustic guitars for Les Pauls and Marshalls and headed out to spread the Swain. A year later they released their first full length record, the critically acclaimed "Able-Legged Heroes". And today, the band boasts a loyal following of lyric shouting fans, a full catalogue of catchy rock gems, and a popular website, www.LoudenSwain.com, where fans can get their daily dose.

With influences ranging from The Cars and The Ramones to the Foo Fighters and Weezer, Louden Swain crafts catchy rock riffs iced with witty lyrics to create songs that simultaneously put you in a full nelson and give you a wink. It is music that you can rock out to and then chuckle to yourself as you sit down with the liner notes and discern the lyrics, which are as clever as they are sensitive. Songs like "Cast Off" tell stories of the ill-fated-- a car crash victim who falls in love with his nurse and sings, "Her breath smells like gum/juicy juicy fruit/if my jaw wasn't wired, I'd have me some".

To know Louden Swain is to love them. They are true rock competitors. Once you listen, 1-2-3, you're down!