Musicians on the album include:
Meredith Meyer- vocals, guitar, keys, Mellotron, harmonica, frog.
Brian Kehew- keys, guitar, organ, Mellotron, percussion.
Jim Laspesa- drums.
Derrick Anderson- bass.
Petur Smith- drums.
Frank Macchia- bass flute.
Dave Pearlman- pedal steel.
Sheldon Gomburg- acoustic bass.
* Also Brian Demski, Bill "Smitty Smith", Pauline,
and assorted other Kindred Spirits.
Influences
Oklahoma City. Bare feet. Pop Rocks & Kool-aid. The "Miracle Mile of Cars" in Norman. Pet raccoons. Apollo Elementary Eagles. Hula hoops and Bubbles. Camping out. Frog hunting. Piano Lessons. The State Fair. Vacant lots. Lake Hold-her-closer. Being unpopular. Late Night Trips to Denny's. Dancing. Aching. Friends I wasn't allowed to see and did anyway. Talking to strangers. Giving the finger to my authority figures. Travelling. Changing apartments. Aversion to guns. Florida skies. Spanish Moss. Hot muggy nights and smoothies. Being the door-girl. Having regrets. Giving the finger to them. 50 different jobs. Laughter and Tears. Running Away. Cross country trips. Conquering habits. Forgiving myself and others. Realizations. Scrapbooks of otherwise inconsequential bits and pieces that make up my life. Climbing mountains and boulders. The desert. People who walk their walk and never need to tell you they are doing it. People who, above all else, can be kind. My real friends and my cat. Afternoons at Leon's Steakhouse playing old Hank Williams. Oh yeah- and music: all of the people who would have done it without the money anyway... the flaming lips. kate bush. ed mattiuzzi. charles mansfield. the natural disasters. divisadero. the eagle rock lanes! everyone at pehrspace. laura jansen. michael miller. smitty. michael penn. brian kehew. thailand. billy mark. grey squirrel. john aes-nihil. the innocence mission. the sundays. ride. dean wareham's bands. stina nordenstam. bjork. sandy denny. beth orton. the stone roses. david sylvian. fleetwood mac. the who. john lennon. the exotic guitars. leonard cohen. legs. that guy who's always on riverside drive sitting in the sun, and the people i know i can call "before nine and after midnight."
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"For a debut from one so young, this is a remarkably assured, confident and mature release, bursting with great arrangements and great tunes...Meredith Meyer has a very, very good future ahead of her."
- Adam Kimmel (www.ectoguide.org)
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Meredith Meyer was born in Oklahoma City. Between playing with worms, and imagining herself to be a famous trapeze artist on her swing-set, she spent alot of her childhood sitting at the piano, making up songs to avoid practicing Bach’s inventions. Growing up, Meredith always had an affinity for singing, including appearances in musical theatre plays and talent shows. However, it wasn't until high school, when she spent many hours in her room (grounded), next to her stereo, that she developed a real appreciation for music and its transcending powers. After leaving home at a young age and going through a period in her life of unplanned travels and hard-won lessons, Meredith finally began to express her own voice and experiences through music.
She came to California “completely unintentionally.” After singing with several various local music projects, Meredith met producer Brian Kehew through happenstance. Brian works from his own OFR Studio in North Hollywood, CA, and is known for combining classic sounds of the past with more timeless elements of modern recording (using mostly vintage/analog gear). In addition to co-producing Fiona Apple's album, EXTRAORDINARY MACHINE, he has also engineered for AIR, Beck, Aimee Mann, Michael Penn, and produced many talented indie artists including Eleni Mandell, Mother Superior, the Streetwalkin' Cheetahs, Harlow, and more. (He is also the co-author of the 2006 book Recording the Beatles, an extensive history of the Beatles’ recording techniques endorsed by Abbey Road studios). Meredith gave Brian a cassette tape of several songs roughly done on her handheld recorder, and he suggested they begin working on her solo debut, ITEMS YOU WON'T FIND ELSEWHERE which was released independently on her own Diamond Dove Records in 2005.
Meredith's repertoire ranges from haunting, keyboard-driven melodies ala Suzanne Vega or Aimee Mann, to more traditional styles of alt-folk-rock. Known for seeking out the unusual, she has played “every kind of place from the Musuem of Contemporary Art, to ice cream parlors, 70’s steak joints in the valley,” along with the usual more typical Los Angeles music venues. She is currently singing on her own as well as moonlighting with other Los Angeles bands like Divisadero, Brandon McCulloch & the Deadbirds, and more.
She is excited about recording her next album in 2008 with producer Bill Racine (Rogue Wave, Mark Gardener, The Flaming Lips) and is looking forward to continuing on her artistic path, making music that has style AND substance…
“In a time when image often becomes more important than the music itself, Meredith is a rare discovery. She provides music for real people, without apology and without needing permission, and leaves her listeners smiling with wonder... as she disappears around the corner, onto her next creation.” -Ed Webb
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She most recently performed at pehrspace in Los Angeles.
awwww, thanks. my ass thanks you, too. are you gonna be in town for a visit this summer? let me know if you plan to be around... we can get a drink or something!
hey! well since i see you are feeling all quixotic and all...why don't you come to hotel cafe this tues dec 18 at 9p. i'll be there, i'll be playing. it'll be lovely. hope you are well ; ) x aks
