Music
The best kept secret in music
Press
San Francisco's Dealership have nailed the indie-rock and indie-pop sounds, creating bouncy, full-throttle rockers like
‘Just So’, ‘Twins’, and ‘Domesticated’, trading off between male and female leads, with the other always adding the
perfect back up for each other. They also manage to deliver soft, fluttering ditties, laid back and easy going, twinkling
with beauty as they carefully deliver the songs with a loose sensation. ‘Toujours Ta Fille’, with its French twist, the lo-fi
jangle of ‘TV Heart’, and the steady punch of ‘Model Mortal’ make Dealership of the best newcomers in 2001-2002.
They're destined to be an indie rock favorite in a year or two if they can crank out another album this good. I'll give it an
A. - In Music We Trust
Dealership - TV Highway to the Stars (CD, Keiki, Pop/rock)
It's amazing what these three San Francisco residents are able to do using drums, bass, and guitar. TV Highway to the Stars is a obscure yet superb and incredibly melodic delight. Dealership is a band in the true sense of the word, as all three individuals (Chris Groves, Jane Pinckard, Chris Wetherell) write the songs. The band's tunes range from soft and pensive to loud and punchy pop music. The arrangements are simple and basic, allowing the lyrics and vocals to shine through. This is something like a wild grab bag of hooky songs. On the first spin we were virtually singing right along with the band on many of the tracks. The louder stuff is great...but the softer material is even stronger. "California" is easily one of the most beautiful songs we have heard by any band this year. But there are many more highlights. Check out "Tetsuo," "Gia" (this one features some great vocal stuff), "I Start To Explode" (oughta be a hit), and "Faded Crushes." Dealership is a band without gimmicks...and they are not into wearing stupid clothes. These three individuals are pumping out tunes that come straight from their hearts. This is an album that is easy to love. (Rating: 5++) - Babysue
...Dealership has progressed to the point where indie rock should have been four years ago: a cross between the
power of the Pixies with the boneheaded simplicity of the Ramones. - drawerb.com
Not beholden to any particular style or scene (one definite advantage self-taught rookies have over jaded pop music
veterans), Dealership taps diverse musical approaches, from sugar sweet twee to slacker college rock to lo-fi bedroom
fuzz to enjoyably snotty pop-punk, without ever giving you the feeling that they're overtly aligning themselves with a
particular genre. Whether they're in noisemaking mode or hushed mode, the trio's combination of intricate boy/girl
vocal parts and an endless supply of buzzing guitar hooks makes them as cuddly and fun as can be. - epitonic.com
Discography
Albums:
TV Highway to the Stars
Secret American Livingroom
Singles:
Model Mortal 7"
songs from all releases can be heard at http://www.dealerkids.com/mp3s.asp
Photos
Feeling a bit camera shy
Bio
Dealership are a witty trio of pop punkers. Pioneers of digital music distribution, they've developed a dedicated following of fans who follow their online journals, MP3s and message boards. A smart and hard-working Berkeley, CA band, they've developed a close relationship with their fans by sharing themselves online.
You can see this energy at their shows. The front rows are filled with humming, nodding fans following their lyrics, taking digital pictures. Later these fans upload their shots and compare notes online. Dealership have melded a catchy pop melodic sensibility with brash intelligence and fun banter, giving their fans a fun live experience. They manage to hide their talented musicianship and honed composition skills under a gleaming bright smile; they’re a multicultural threesome who can't resist teasing each other between songs.
The people behind Dealership are Chris Wetherell (drums, vocals), Chris Groves (bass, vocals) and Jane Pinckard (guitar, keyboards, vocals). Dealership have released two full-length albums. The first, Secret American Livingroom, spent eight weeks on KALX-Berkeley's music charts, and had continuous airplay on KITS-Live 105's new music program Soundcheck. The second, TV Highway to the Stars, climbed into the CMJ 200, and was #3 on KALX-Berkeley's Top 100 for September and October of 2001. In addition, their songs have appeared on several compilations, including, most recently, the Noise Pop 10th anniversary CD.
Their forthcoming album finds Dealership remaining true to their pop roots, while experimenting with instrumentation. Action/Adventure adds vintage Casio synths to their guitar-bass-drums musical foundation. They're on the verge of replacing the drummer with his PowerBook. That electronic sound complements the topics that drift through their songs - anyone who has played Zelda or Super Mario Brothers will find themselves smiling and raising an eyebrow as Dealership evoke the media that taught them music and friendship.
Dealership are a mainstay on the San Francisco independent music scene, including numerous appearances at San Francisco's Noise Pop festival. In addition, they've toured up and down the west coast and appeared at the CMJ MusicFest and North-by-Northwest, sharing bills with the likes of Beulah, Xiu Xiu, Rainer Maria, Polysics, Guided by Voices, Bis, and Stereo Total. More recently, they’ve been compared to the Postal Service and Rilo Kiley.
Now over four years old, Dealership's website draws thousands of fan-visits a month, as well as 600 monthly MP3 downloads, running web publishing software hand-coded by the Chris the drummer. Fans routinely show up on www.dealerkids.com to beg for Dealership to play in their hometowns.
Online or in concert, Dealership is exciting to watch. Their third album shows they have enough experience to advance to the next level. From the bounce of "All the Kids" to the lament of "Database Corrupted" to their popular cover of "Anarchy in the U.K.", Action/Adventure shows Dealership at its strongest - creating songs that are friendly and smart with a hint of a snarl.
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