July 10, 2006

GREG LASWELL -- Free Instore

**Indie 103.1 Presents: GREG LASWELL In-store Wednesday, July 12th 7:00pm

Our friends at Indie 103.1 have been making a point of playing some great local music, and their latest local find is Greg Laswell. Greg is currently calling San Diego home, but those who new him when, will remember when Long Beach was a big part of his address, and since we have pledged to spend more time enjoying the great sounds that are coming out of our own backyard, regardless of what the wench on the other side of the fence thinks about what is clearly an acceptable volume level, but I digress. Greg’s new record, Through Toledo comes out this Tuesday and we are very happy to be able to host him while it’s still sticky fresh. A few months ago a friend slipped me a copy of some early tracks from Greg and I knew we had to get him in asap, as while his name isn’t of the household variety yet, his music is sure to lead him into that territory – the folks who make comparisons are mumbling names like Beck, Snow Patrol, Lou Barlow, Jeff Buckley and Radiohead (those last two seem to earn a lot of comparisons, and personally are the two I usually dismiss, but in Greg’s case I have to say I heard them a bit myself, but in a fresh way, more like he was adding something, than just aping something). Anyway, comparisons aside, Greg’s music is coming from a singer-songwriter place, but it is fully informed by his years spent as a producer, Through Toledo’s songs boast every feel from sparsley acoustic to fully orchestral. Please join us to welcome Greg back to the LBC.

Some recent press:
“Working alone in the studio -- he plays virtually every note on the album himself -- Laswell nevertheless managed to capture an incredibly focused, cinematic set of sonics. From the woozy lilt of “Come Undone” (which recalls Jeff Buckley meeting Radiohead in an underground cabaret) to the misty shuffle of the title track, each song is stamped indelibly with an individual personality and sense of place -- giving Through Toledo the feel of a series of aural short films.” – Filter

"Laswell draws from intelligent alt-pop sources, such as Mutations-era Beck, building his songs around personal stories and fantastic melodies." - The Tripwire

"Recalling Final Straw-era Snow Patrol...Laswell comes across like sweeter voiced Lou Barlow." Filter-Mag.com

You can check out a song here: Amazed MP3