Music
The best kept secret in music
Press
It's so Nada Surf to adopt musical personas that transcend geography, but listen to a few tracks from Flyaway Minion's debut album, Fair Travels, and you might find yourself wondering just where in the heck these guys hail from. These songs that grab your hand and pull you ... somewhere were initially the brainchildren of vocalist Tim Pritchard, who paired up with Patrick Himes about a year ago to layer the burgeoning sound. Since then, Adam Edwards took up bass and the Brians (Hoeflich and Greaney) now bring the beats with everything from drums to tambourines to cowbells (for crying out loud). Travels was the product of an exertive summer search for the perfect sound and was well received on its maiden voyage in early 2005. The hook is this: a heady combination of all-embracing diversity with a stone foundation in pure and simple Rock music. Honest and tight drumbeats, persistent and steady guitar changes and an overall optimism give Flyaway Minion its band-next-door sound. Lyrically and melodically, Travels reinvents no wheels, but multiformity is an evident credo and less than a measure away at all times. "Sleeper" rains so lazily that one can almost smell the fish-and-chips of its BritPop influences, while the twangy "Blue Collar Fire" is a campfire-ish Folk ballad dominated by mournful mandolin sequences. Lyrics like, "Let me be whom you're talking to/'Cause it's only you who can make me feel so blue" stir up images of exhausted cowboys, rather than nomadic rockers who aren't afraid to dabble in a little Electronica. The band gets away with all of this thanks to a healthy dose of Middle American confidence and an assurance that there is more to come. (Hannah Roberts) - Cincinnati CityBeat 4/27/05
Discography
Flyaway Minion "Fair Travels" LP 2005
Photos
Feeling a bit camera shy
Bio
Flyaway Minion is a force to be reckoned with! Hailing from Dayton, OH, these gentlemen live, sleep, eat, and dream in avid rock and roll reverence. With a classic rock meets indie rock ethos, Tim Pritchard, Patrick Himes, Adam Edwards, Brian Hoeflich, and Brian Greaney are five seasoned musicians who are not afraid to explore the space. Their recently released debut album Fair Travels showcases everything from powerpop, americana, soul, and indie, yet never leaves you wondering what happened to good old rock and roll. Recorded entirely at Team Evil Studios in Dayton, and mastered by Jim Demaine at Yes Master studios in Nashville, TN, this twelve song LP is nothing short of a professional release. Live, these songs suffer no hacksaw or cleaver. Flyaway Minion's five member lineup and arsenal of both new and vintage equipment create the only kind of sound scape appropriate for their energetic stage performance. Playing along side such notable national acts such as The Bloodthirsty Lovers, Flesh Vehicle, The Only Children, The Slackers,Ted Leo and the Pharmacists, Bishop Allen, and Maritime, Flyaway Minion has established a sturdy fanbase that continues to multiply at an impressive rate. Fans return expecting big guitar rock enhanced by leslie driven organ, synths, piano, theramin, various percussive tools, and fully developed vocal harmonies. No pretensions, no shame, no excuses. This is rock and roll!
Links
