Gannon

Beach Boy harmonies flood your earphones as Room 40 opens with organ keys and lyrics asking you to "Step into the room, everyone's waiting" This is the opening track, appropriately placed on Gannon's 2006 release, on Hot Rod Porta Records, Luck or Fate. With Shins thoughts and a Jim Noir cadence, only better, Room 40 is one of the most overlooked songs from last year...and this includes by me as well.

You see Gannon (AJ Pyatak) sent his cd along with numerous videos (for The Collective) last year and while the videos have been thrusted into the music scene here by way of the tv show, a proper review of the album was never given. Fast forward through an office move and misplacement, and luck would have it that Luck or Fate would fall back into my lap.

I will briefly mention some highlights from this release in preparation for the review of his latest release, The Company Pays and an interview with Mr. "Gannon" himself.

Besides Room 40, my favorite track on the release, a few other tracks standout as must listens. From the bluesy feel without being harnessed by the Blues / and instrumentation that conjures up thoughts of that background track from the Gorillaz on SM Skatepark, to the 60's rhythm pattern that makes me want to listen to Under the Boardwalk or Sam Cooke's Another Saturday Night again on Send it Back, to the excellent uke and vocal stylings that are so good you can't place them on Shipmates. Luck or Fate provides a song for everyone, and is an album that needs to be in every car for that road trip you've always dreamt of taking.

Throughout the album you will notice the layers of sound and music on almost all of the tracks. It's the intricate background instrumentation that allows for the catchy guitars, ukes and, more importantly Gannon's vocals to hover off the page into the forefront. One of the qualities I like most about Gannon is his unique sound that sits with you like a long lost friend. You might not think so at first, but wait, next week you'll be saying who was that --- And I'll be here to tell you it's AJ Pyatak of Gannon.

I keep going back and being bothered by the above paragraph in which I name a few of the excellent tracks as standouts, because as I listen more and more as I write this, it really occurs to me that this album as a whole, not just tracks, but from start to finish, is a true gem in the sea of lost albums. I implore you to visit Gannon, enjoy Room 40 below, and stay tuned here for The Company Pays review, and an interview with Gannon himself. - The Perm & Skullet

Singer-songwriter Aj Pyatak has released his third effort Luck or Fate under his long-time moniker Gannon on the small grassroots label Hot Rod Porta Records. The nine track album has folksy songs that are subtle and reminds the listener that the simplicity of a great melody can allow thoughtful lyrics to shine through. Most of the songs don't have more than a few instruments on each track. Aj (and a few of his friends) use a few distorted guitars, 8 bit keyboards, a ukulele and very little else. The title track 'Luck or Fate' is an instrumental piece that caps off the album well and leaves the sounds lingering in your ear and you longing for just a little more. My other favourite tracks are 'How to Fake a Smile', 'The Sad Goodbye', and 'Christmas in California'. - Villians Always Blink

Beaucoup de plaisir à l'écoute de la musique de Gannon, qui n'hésite pas à bousculer les genres et les références sur son tout nouveau et formidable Ep "But the love never stays". Installé à Los Angles, le californien Aj Pyatak ( l'homme qui se cache derrière Gannon) n'en est pas à son coup d'essai puisqu'il a déjà sorti trois albums (2004, 2005, 2006), et un Ep, "Rush to wait" en 2006.
Surtout n' hésitez pas à aller ici pour télécharger " But the love never stays", c'est Gannon qui régale! - L'Oreille Cachée