Dad's LPs

A couple months ago, my friend Jay Seals debuted his brand new band, Dad’s LPs at our local favorite bar, the Divided Sky. It was their first show ever and though their sound could have been a little bit tighter, their promise shined through and I could see that something very great was happening in front of me. It’s not often that you can say, “I was at their very first show.”

Well, I was at their very first show and since then, Dad’s LPs has played 11 shows. They’ve opened for the Dead Winter Carpenters, gotten radio play in Reno, released an album, put together a video, played at the top of the Heavenly Gondola, secured a slot at the Placerville Hangtime Halloween Ball, and, as of this coming Friday, will play the aftershow for British Indie Rock band Gomez.

This past weekend, the band returned to Divided Sky to play a two set show. They had new material, a more in sync and tighter sound, and quite a few rocking covers. The bar was packed and everyone was dancing. I was thrilled when they covered Filter’s “Take a Picture” as an encore song. Their sound, self professed as “NorCal Rock” is strongly rooted in 90's alternative and I love it.

It’s shocking to see a band that you know is so young yet somehow has it together more so than Kings of Leon. I know these guys are going to go far!

I’m pretty excited for the Gomez show next week at Crystal Bay Casino – I haven’t seen Gomez in years and having Dad’s LPs close out the night is a bonus! - Lauren Lindley

Lake Tahoe Action's 2011 Band of the Year play a show Friday which will be opened by a band which might make a run at next year's title.

The Dead Winter Carpenters, which last month packed the Crown Room at its first ticketed show, plays this week at South Shore in the American Legion Hall. Dad's LPs, which coalesced last fall, will open.

“We play our blend of bluegrass and Americana,” said Dead WInter Carpenters guitarist Jesse Dunn. “People can dance and leave their worries at the door and have a good time. That's the goal.

“We finished recording our second album in January in Cotati at the Prairie Sun Recording Studio. “(We plan to) have the CD ready by April. It's Americana rock, alt country with a touch of bluegrass."

Blue Turtle Seduction's Jay Seals is now playing in Dad's LPs, an alternative rock-based band.

A South Lake Tahoe band, Blue Turtle Seduction for seven years toured the region and nation, playing an eclectic blend of jam and bluegrass-rock. It began an “indefinite hiatus” in spring 2010.

Dad's LPs, a quartet with has a self-titled LP available for free download on Facebook has an edgier sound.

“Definitely answering the call to rock 'n' roll, which is where my heart has always lied,” Seals said. “Ever since the ‘90s, my sweet spot as a music fan is alternative rock and has continued to today. Dad's LPs is a bit more traditional rock 'n' roll based, but with a modern twist. Like Tom Petty, a lot of the tunes are chordal-based vs. riff based.”

Seals still lives at South Shore and his band mates are from Sacramento. Three of the members sing.


- Lake Tahoe Action

Spider webs, dangling skeletons and orange-illuminating jackolanterns provided ambiance to Dad's LPs maiden voyage at Divided Sky on Thursday, Oct. 29.

Although it was a band debut, the eclectic musicians that form Dad's LPs have been playing the West Coast music scene for some time. The group consists of John Morales, lead vocals and drums; Chris Gene, bass; Andrew Harris, lead guitar; and Jay Seals, rhythm guitar, a South Lake Tahoe resident and former Blue Turtle Seduction member who felt right at home at Divided Sky, calling it his “hometown bar.”

Dad's LPs started off the night with an original song, “Adelaide.” Right off the bat you could see and hear that Dad's LPs was something unique.

Morales, standing over 6 feet tall with long, curly, dark locks, sat behind his REMO trap set and proceeded to sing deep harmonic vocals, sometimes a cappella, while keeping the band's beat alive.

Harris kept his fingers busy with solos, bending the neck, and adding feedback to songs when necessary.

“The kid can play,” Seals said.

You won't get tired of hearing one singer from Dad's LP's — Morales, Gene, and Seals take turns with lead and backup vocals while producing a harmonizing sound together.

“We don't even know what our sound is yet,” Seals said. “We are just rock 'n' roll.”

Dad's LPs produces a sound similar to alternative rock with a vocal focus that can be compared to bands such as Minus the Bear, Mumford and Sons, the Head and the Heart, and the Talking Heads. Whatever you want to classify them as doesn't matter. What does matter is the stoke level, and that was very high on Thursday night.

Dad's LPs started rehearing for a live show one week before their debut at Divided Sky.

Besides a couple of cover songs, everything that was performed was from the debut self-titled album, which was recorded individually by each member.

Given the limited amount of time each song was rehearsed as a group, their sound live was solid and rocking. There were a few slip-ups here and there, but if you were not listening closely you would have never known.

When asked about putting the music of Dad's LPs in front of people, Seals said, “We want to put as little limitation in front of a person coming to see our music. We are giving our album away on Facebook for free, and that's why we have shows like this, that are free.”

If you haven't checked out Dad's LPs, go to www.dadslps.com for upcoming shows and free music.
- Tahoe Daily Tribune

Matriculating at the school of rock, Dad's LPs already has graduated to the Red Room.

The band debuted Oct. 30 at the Divided Sky with a short but impressive set. The sound is clearly in the flavor of '90s alternative rock.

Like Action's 2011 Tahoe Band of the Year, the Dead Winter Carpenters, nearly two years ago, the brand new Dad's LPs apparently has been booked in the prestigious venue because of the reputation of the members' former bands. Here's your shot, guys.

Ex-Blue Turtle Seduction guitarist and South Shore resident Jay Seals has teamed with lead singer-drummer and John Morales from Sacramento. Want more cow bell? Another Sacramentan, Chris Gene, plays bass and also sings. The lead guitarist is Berkeley's Andrew Harris.

A press statement that has Blue Turtle-like footprints all over it said, “With an anticipatory gaze to the horizon and an appreciative glance behind, Dad's LPs looks forward to playing the Red Room on Wednesday, Dec. 28 at 10 p.m.”
- Lake Tahoe Action

Guitarist-singer-songwriter Jay Seals was one of the tent posts for beloved, now-defunct California rockers Blue Turtle Seduction, and that band’s core following has likely missed his infectious ways. Good news is he’s back with a winning new band called Dad's LPs, who’ve just released their first video, an uplifting, catchy modern rock ditty ideal for strolling around as it caresses your ear buds and shakes off the rising autumn malaise. - JamBase

Jay Seals has found an alternative to Blue Turtle Seduction.

He is playing in an alternative rock-based band. Dad's LPs performs free on Thursday at a familiar Blue Turtle haunt, the Divided Sky. It also plays Sunday, Oct. 30, at the Hangtown Halloween in Placerville.

A South Lake Tahoe band, Blue Turtle Seduction, for seven years toured the region and nation, playing an eclectic blend of jam and bluegrass-rock. It began an “indefinite hiatus” in spring 2010.

Dad's LPs, a quartet which has a self-titled LP available for free download on Facebook, has an edgier sound.

“Definitely answering the call to rock ‘n' roll, which is where my heart has always lied,” Seals said. “Ever since the ‘90s, my sweet spot as a music fan is alternative rock and has continued to today. Dad's LPs is a bit more traditional rock ‘n' roll based, but with a modern twist. Like Tom Petty, a lot of the tunes are chordal-based vs. riff based.”

Seals still lives at South Shore and his band mates are from Sacramento. Three of the members sing.

Drummer Jose Morales, who played several years with the Bay Area band Ten Mile Ride, began collaborating with Seals in January.

“In addition to playing drums, sharing the lead singer role and writing songs, (Morales) also recorded and engineered our album,” Seals said. “I initially was trying to recruit him as just a drummer for another project, but quickly realized how much he was bringing to the table. His writing is very complimentary to mine and we soon found out we write and work well together, so we decided to make a whole new project where we'd share the leader hat.”

Chris Gene, an acoustic guitar player and band leader of 2me, plays bass and sings. Recent Humboldt State graduate Andrew Harris, the youngster in band, plays lead guitar.

“I've been working,” Seals said, “with (Gene) sporadically for over a year now for one simple reason: the kid is a lightning bolt on the guitar.”

The band has a video, “If You Need Some Time,” on a website, www.dadslps.com.

Seals explained the band's name.

“(John's) dad died five or so years ago to aggressive stomach cancer, Chris' dad died this last May to heart failure, and my dad had been, and was, fighting long-term chronic leukemia which got much worse during the times I was putting this band together. So there was an obvious connection to this name and it suddenly was a no-brainer that Dad's LPs was our name.”

Blue Turtle Seduction's other band members have left Tahoe.

Drummer Adam Navone is in Chico going to nursing school. Christian Zupancic (violin, mandolin, vocals) is in Oregon going to law school. Glenn Stewart (harmonica, vocals) is living outside of Chico. Jay's brother, Steve, (bass) just finished his degree in welding engineering from Ohio State. - Tahoe Daily Tribune

From the opening refrain of “I’ll hold on if you hold on,” the first video from new Northern California rockers Dad’s LPs is as fine a slice of uplifting modern rock as DI has heard in a spell. It’s not easy to offer uplift without coming across as hokey or overly sincere but Dad’s LPs, which includes former Blue Turtle Seduction guitarist Jay Seals, pull it off without a hitch on “If You Need Some Time”. The band make their official live debut at the Hangtown Halloween Ball with a free Hangtown warm-up show at The Divided Sky in South Lake Tahoe, CA on Thursday, October 27th. Dad’s LPs debut album will be available for download and on CD soon, but in the meantime you can stream it here or listen below. - Dirty Impound