Scott reynolds

Snappy pop rock whose lyrics burn with life questions and are punctuated by memories.

On his Myspace page, Scott Reynolds takes almost four hundred words to explain just what Scott Reynolds and The Steaming Beast is. The closest approximation Reynolds arrives upon for labeling the talented, cross-genre conglomeration comes when he notes that, “there can be like a hundred incarnations of the Beast.” With help from Dave Fridmann, Steven Drozd of The Flaming Lips, members of The Pavers, Bonesaw Romance, Drag the River and Bleed for Me, Reynolds’s latest release—the 10-song rollick entitled Adventure Boy—is a punk-rock melting pot boiling with Reynolds’s insightful lyrics. Oddly enough, Adventure Boy came off sounding more pop than its roots would indicate, but I wasn’t turned off in the least. Afford this full-length release a couple of listens and you’ll see what I mean.


There isn’t a particularly weak song on Adventure Boy, and for such a Frankenstein-esque collective of musicians to accomplish this is testimony to Reynolds’s control of his lyrics. Take the song “The Boy Who Stole Your Heart,” pick it apart, and you have what amounts to poetry. The opening verse runs: “I search the crushed velvet sky tonight, for a sign tonight, / that you could be mine tonight. / There’s no one around but you. / Not a soul in this town but you. Every sight, smell and sound is you.” The repetition of words is simplistic in nature, but Reynolds’s image of a crushed velvet sky stuck with me, and his personification of his girl-on-a-pedestal worked as “every sight, smell and sound” was touching and realistic. We’ve all felt that, I think, and Reynolds said it plainly and poetically.


As I was pouring over the lyrics on Adventure Boy, I was captivated too by the mini-biographies Reynolds provided for each song. They’re the grounding that makes each song uniquely his, giving them life and meaning. It helped outline the revolving door cast of characters and give them lives. My favorite was Gene Beeman, the heady protagonist of the super-catchy “Jesus, Satan, Gene Beeman, His Car, and Pizza Hut.” Gene walks everywhere because his car’s broken-down and he refuses to fix it. The song chronicles the annihilation of his belief in anything, and the subsequent interactions Beeman has with The Devil and Jesus. Reynolds uses the song to humorously point out how horrible it is to believe in nothing; it’s social-commentary in song form with a solid story line. That’s tough to do, and I give Reynolds credit for pulling it off.


Adventure Boy is marked by its guitar-tones. For much of the album—even with its slew of collaborating artists—the guitar-tones sound, for the vast majority, like a Telecaster on the rhythm pickup, tone-knob turned down hard, and run through a crystal-clear, slightly reverberation-tinged tube-amp. Across the board, these are pop-songs. There are backing claps (“Jesus, Satan, Gene Beeman, His Car, and Pizza Hut”), slide guitar lines (“Angel”), ooh’s and aah’s (“None of This is Funny”), and multiple backing harmonies scattered throughout Adventure Boy, stamping it as pop.



There’s so much to say about Adventure Boy, it’s just best to take a listen, steep in Reynolds’s witty and insightful lyrics while tapping your feet to the various styles that permeate this album. Enjoy it.


Timothy C. Avery - Independent Clauses

Scott Reynolds and the Steaming Beast is the project of a few friends getting together to make some music. The Steaming Beast's debut effort, Adventure Boy features the work of Scott Reynolds, Steve Drozd of the Flaming Lips, and multi-instrumentalist David Friedmann. The sound of the Steaming Beast is multi faceted there's strong songwriting, each song could work on just an acoustic guitar, but it's not folk. Each song has more than a little bit of heart and occasionally a slide guitar, but I wouldn't call it alt. country because the structure and lyrics are too quirky. I think the best fit of genre would be the late 80's early 90's alternative label, although don't think this is old fogy music, there's occasionally electronic blips and beeps to keep the kids these days interested in the bouncy tunes and witty narrative.

There's quite a bit of variety on the album, and the fun the musicians are having translates well into the recording and makes me think that a live performance would be just as fun. - SUNDAY, JANUARY 27, 2008

In terms of credibility, lyrics are far too often the weakest link in the career of most artists. The first thing we noticed about Adventure Boy...was that the lyrics are way, way, WAY above the average verbiage churned out by most folks. The second thing we noticed is that this album contains some absolutely kickass tunes. Scott Reynolds is best known as the leader of the legendary band All. After All (after all?), he formed Goodbye Harry and the Pavers...and now The Steaming Beast. This is a short album that lasts just over 30 minutes. But that don't matter none, because this little album has real substance. Reynolds worked with Dave Fridmann and Steven Drozd on this CD. Adventure Boy is basically a pop album...but it's a different sort of pop album. Reynolds' music is unique on many different levels. He delivers his songs with extraordinary focus and has a really unique presence that shines through in these recordings. And man, what a voice. This guy sings like he means it. All of the songs here are keepers...but particular standouts include "Jesus, Satan, Gene Beeman, His Car, & Pizza Hut," "Scaffold Lick" (a really nice piano piece), "Tracy Hardman's Cheek" (destined to be an underground classic), and "The Truth Teller's Soul." Such a thoroughly entertaining spin. Highly recommended. (Rating: 5+++)

- LMPOD

Back in the day, Scott Reynolds was a key member of one of the all-time great first-generation pop-punk acts, All. His first album under his own name could not sound further from the speedily efficient three-chord rockers of that band, however: written and recorded in collaboration with producer Dave Fridmann and Flaming Lips multi-instrumentalist Steven Drozd, Adventure Boy is a quirky pop record with subtle psych and country touches. Fridmann and Drozd are known, separately and together, for favoring a hazy, diffuse sound based on slow, dreamy chord progressions, but the antic tunes on Adventure Boy tend to speed along at a good clip, which keeps both men from slipping into their usual atmospheric bliss-out mode. Similarly, their contributions are what make Adventure Boy such a musically varied, inventive, and engaging album. Ranging from a genuinely great little power pop number called "None of This Is Funny" through the winsome acoustic shuffle "The Boy Who Stole Your Heart" to the doomily atmospheric "Scaffold Lick," Adventure Boy moves through a variety of styles and emotions, held together by Reynolds' smart, often funny lyrics and affable vocals. - Stewart Mason

Everything about this release sucks.

That's right. You read correctly. Everything about this release sucks. But before you go scrambling for your email program to tell me what a twit I am, hear me out. It sucks that the Pavers, who are currently one of the best bands out there playing a melodic form of punky rock, are relegated to smalltime label status. It sucks that they aren't getting a lucky, Offspring-esque break and have a catchy song like, oh, "Mr. Falkhurst, I Like Your Daughter" get massive radio play. It sucks that more girls don't come to their show with the sole intention of dancing topless, particularly in Denver when I see the band live. Okay, so the last part I made up, but the rest holds true.

But the good news is that the five men who make up the Pavers are dedicated to making great music, regardless of their circumstance or what may or may not be fair in life. Return to the Island of No Return, their second actual full length (following up a pair of fun EPs), is a fourteen song affair that utterly and completely places the Pavers in a new light. Since the band has been playing together for a number of years now, one can finally hear the great chemistry and energy within the band. Better yet, the band has expanded their songwriting motif to include a broader range of influence, so one is not subjected to a series of soundalike tracks passing themselves off as different songs. In other words, these guys have progressed.

Return to the Island of No Return, as I said earlier, shows the Pavers expanding their horizons quite a bit. The album contains both the fast paced, punky anthems as well as songs based on acoustic guitar. Moreover, the songs themselves show a much stronger sense of arrangement with the band intermixing hardcore and softer, moodier segments. Moreover, Scott Reynold's vocals cover a wider territory than ever before, from the edgy terror of the title track to singalong parts to scat segments. Most importantly, half the time Scott sounds like he's losing his mind and on the brink of going utterly bonkers. Fans of musical mental breakdowns should take note. The thing that sticks out about this CD the most is that these songs are instantly memorable but in a way that suggests they will still be very catchy six months or a year down the line. Bubblegum, this ain't.

This album is, by far, the band's best release and strongest collection of songs. Word is they have a considerable amount of unrecorded material still sitting around, so the sheer prolific nature of the band is also impressive. If you liked the Pavers before, Return to the Island of No Return will have you drooling and if you haven't heard this band yet, prepare yourself for the some of the finest punk-tinged rock music around. Go to their website, threaten the owner of the closest mom'n'pop record store, but do get ahold of this CD - John Chedsey

The Pavers are the best band you’ve never heard of.

When I did a search for the Pavers in the reviews section and nothing came up, I was a bit surprised...but not surprised at the same time. In their existence, the Pavers somehow managed to stay under the punk public’s radar almost completely. Despite their first album not only being released on the wonderful Owned & Operated label, but produced by the illustrious Bill Stevenson (of Black Flag, Descendents, ALL fame). It really is a rather sad story. In the band’s six-year career ('97-'02), to my knowledge (info on these guys is hard to find), the Pavers recorded some of the best punk rock music released in years. Yet, still, they never achieved even minor punk rock popularity. So here I am now, a few years later, reviewing their first album for you guys in hopes that I can spread a little word about this amazing band, and hopefully get some of you guys into them.

Now, just a little more background info about these guys, then I’ll get on with the review. In case you didn’t already know, the Pavers are fronted by the brilliant Scott Reynolds (ALL, Goodbye Harry). The rest of the band members are mostly relatively unknown (to my knowledge) outside of Buffalo, NY, but are all very capable musicians. Two guitarists (Eric and Tim), a bassist (Mark), and drummer (Josh) make up the band along with Scott, so it’s all pretty standard.

Now, onto the actual album. Out of all the Pavers’ releases (three EPs, two albums) their first album Local 1500 will always be my favorite. A bona fide “punk rock explosion,” if you will, the band wastes no time getting things going. Clocking it at just over a minute and thirty seconds, “No Laughing” is a pretty standard Reynolds song. Catchy, lyrically interesting and upbeat, it appropriately sets the stage for a twisting ride of an album. Following the first track comes the fantastic “1 To 10,” a humorous song mainly about managing your anger. The spoken word intro makes me chuckle every time, and the awesome instrumentals will make you want to dance all around your room whilst singing along with Reynolds’ flawless vocals.

Next up is “Mr. Shepherd’s Bandage,” definitely one of my favorite songs on the album. Razor sharp guitars accompany Scott’s telling of the experience of a man injured in World War II. The vocals are truly chilling, especially on the bridge, with Scott wailing his heart out. This song really shows off some amazing songwriting, with verses like "White cotton gauze still running red without a pause / While everyone forgets the 'cause / Of the honor there beneath the gauze / That goes on and on / For Mr. Shepherd."

“The Trees” contains some of Scott’s craziest vocals on the album, with him rapidly spouting off lines about a woman named Rosie and a man named William. Fascinating song, I recommend looking up the lyrics as there are too many good verses to list here. Coming in next is the hilarious “You’re A Sicko Dad,” another narrative, this time about suburban life and a perverse dad (kinda reminds me of the movie "American Beauty"). Very funny lyrics, and super catchy music. “Oscillator” is an amazing song, with some of my favorite instrumental work on the album, and some of the best lyrics the record has to offer as well. It's easily the darkest song on the album, offering up lines such as "I gave you the knife but you made the incision / I poured the salt / Yeah this is all my fault." “Humiliation” is a blazing punk rock track, with a singalong chorus and more high quality instrumental work. Reynolds’ voice is again perfect for the song, especially in the faster passages, which is where he usually shines. This song will be stuck in your head all day.

Ah, “Peanut.” After seven tracks, we finally get a nice, slower song. Scott really shows off his voice here, making it pleasant and clear, as opposed to the harsh, rapid vocals he’s mostly known for. It’s essentially a deceptively happy but really sad song about parents using their kids as tools to make themselves look better, rather than treating them like actual human beings; "Peanut laugh, Peanut smile, no Peanut don't cry. It ain't adorable. / Angels ain't angels with snot nose and red running eyes."

Next up is “Tie Me Up,” a good, fast punk rock track with a nice catchy chorus. “Scary Eyes” is an upbeat, catchy song about…well, a girl’s scary eyes. The vocal style on this song reminds me somewhat of the opening track, another great, catchy song. “Bleach” is a chilling song, basically about cleaning up this fucked up world…for a girl, of course. “Bilge Rat” is another speedy punk song, somewhat in the vein of “The Trees", but less wordy. It’s a great head-banger, especially towards the middle. “Mysterious” is a nice, slightly slower song, that’ll have you singing along and head-banging all the same, with more awesome instrumental work -- I absolutely love the vocals toward the 1:25ish mark, really showing off Scott’s range. “Breakfast” is easily the fastest song on the album, mostly detailing the scolding of young children. As with any Reynolds’ song, however, the are numerous other subjects detailed in the 1:49 the song possesses.

With a constant handclap and moderate tempo, “Pig” is a somewhat bluesy, catchy rocker, perfectly setting up the absolutely brilliant final track, “Silver Moon.” After 30 minutes of intense, high powered and intelligent pop-punk, “Silver Moon” comes in, bringing everything to a screeching halt. Just Reynolds’ with a piano backing, “Silver Moon” is 2:55 of some fantastic singing. I can’t say enough good things about this song, it’s just wonderful, nice and low key with Reynolds’ voice resonating beautifully as he sings such memorable lines as "Foolish daydreams at nighttime talk to the moon / Outside my window lurks my future / Can't close my eye 'cause it might come / And I'd miss it for sleeping, that would be shameful / Dad makes sure I'm ready to snatch it up / Made me grateful for the chance." As much as I love the song, they aren't my *favorite* lyrics, but it’s fitting.

So, in conclusion, if you do not own this album, you are doing yourself a massive injustice. I do apologize for the rather long review, but I feel anything less would be an insult to easily the most overlooked band of the last decade. I’d also recommend checking out all their other releases, they’re all on the same level as this one. In fact, I’d say that they haven’t recorded any songs that are anything less than fantastic.

Also, if you like the Pavers, check out Goodbye Harry’s two albums -- they basically sound like a less musically mature Pavers. They're a bit “wackier,” melding multiple styles on their albums; they even through a country song in there.

Oh, and to any of you douches who are just gonna post "ROFL WHY ARE YOU REVIEWING A FIVE YEAR OLD ALBUM STUPID FACE ROFL," I'll tell you why right now and save you the trouble: It's a fucking great album, and not enough people have heard it. That's all I have to say really, and again, sorry for the lengthy review.

- Greenerton NYNY

Scott Reynolds was the singer for ALL, spinoff band of legendary pop-punkers The Descendents, in the early 90’s. Since leaving them, he’s fronted other punk bands including Goodbye Harry and The Pavers. Adventure Boy is a bit different, though. Reynolds has always been a storyteller in his songs, and this album emphasizes his singer-songwriter side. It’s a collection of laid-back story songs without a hint of distorted guitar or galloping drums. The disc was produced by longtime Flaming Lips producer Dave Fridmann, and Lip Steven Drozd pops up on about half the songs adding various instruments and backing vocals. Labelmates Drag the River provide their signature alt-country sound on “Angel”, a rearrangement of a Goodbye Harry song. Other highlights include “Jesus, Satan, Gene Beeman, His Car, & Pizza Hut”, a song whose title says it all, and “Adventure Boy”, a song about continuing to chase childhood dreams as an adult. This is a solid album which emphasizes Reynolds strongest qualities- his voice and his songwriting. - Chris Conaton

Livin' The Dream, Scott Reynolds
Not sure who Scott Reynolds is? Well he was ALL's singer after Dave Smalley left back in 1989? Don't know who ALL are? They were the Descendents, minus Milo. Don't know who they are? Well, then you really are missing out.

Scott reynolds was the vocalist behind most of ALL's better work and after he left in 1993 he recorded tonnes of tracks under various different guises, from Goodbye Harry to The Pavers and this 22-track compilation is a selection of his finest work, including a solo cover of ALL classic 'Frog in my pocket'. But it's when the tempo is up and Scott's going at it in a way only he knows, as he does on 'Maybeline' and 'One To Ten' that makes this record as good as it is. And while it did make me pull out some old ALL records, this at least serves as a great reminder of how good a frontman and songwriter he was/is. - Paul Blackburn

I really like this album. When I think of early ‘90s rock, I usually think of Nirvana and Pearl Jam, but whenever I see reruns of Beavis and Butthead, there are always videos of a bunch of also-ran college and alt rock bands. A lot of these bands definitely were quirky and unique sounding in a way that’s just a little bit different from bands today. The Steaming Beast managed to snag all the good bits about the jangly and poppier sides of the alt rock spectrum (like the Flaming Lips and Urge Overkill), and avoid the crappier aspects (i.e. the pseudo adult contemporary kibble that is the Counting Crowes and Goo Goo Dolls). From what I understand, The Steaming Beast is really more of a concept than an actual band, sorta like Steely Dan, but the record holds together really well and has great lyrics which easily could of fit on records from Scott’s most famous past band, All. This is really great chill music that keeps one’s attention. Also, Scott provides really great liner notes in the CD. There’s also a second CD included with this which is a pretty good label sampler of the Suburban Home roster. –Adrian - Razorcake

It’s all in the jocularity of their rhythms stride that make the music happen for Scott Reynolds & the Steaming Beast. Lead singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Scott Reynolds forms his own jamband, the Steaming Beast, to create his latest release Adventure Boy. It's produced by David Fridman, who plays bass, organ, and piano in the band. Reynolds and Fridman compose a canvas of country folk landscapes with reggae-hinged rock strokes and soft-ska punk shades. Adventure Boy has composites of folk musings reflective of Beck, country-frilled rock reminiscent of Patrick Park, and ska-infused punk with a stride liken to Weezer. Sometimes you'll feel like there is more than one songwriter for the album because of Reynold's chameleon-like shaped melodies which have a different look each time the next track is played.

Assisting Reynolds in making the music for the album are Mary Friedman, Steve Drozd, Nick Gonzalez, Chris Gajewski, Tim Patteson, Eric Tuberdyke, and members of Drag the River, which includes Jon Snodgrass, Chad Price, J.J. Nobody, Casey Prestwood, and Dave Barker who play on “Angel.” The track “Angel” is a hammock-swinging country tune with a sun-kissed gleam. Those sunny-pop shimmies return on the title track pinned down by the lower registers of the organ joining in the mix. The band gravitates to percussive shimmies and rhythmic tumbles like lead shavings to a magnet, especially with the ska-tempered strides of “None of This is Funny” keeping the listener’s feet tapping to the rhythmic beats.

The opening track “Jesus, Satan, Gene Beeman, His Car, & Pizza Hut” racks ska-pumped rock movements with a tongue-in-cheek jocularity liken to Weezer, while the country-folk shuffles of “The Boy Who Stole Your Heart” have a southern swag that harks of Reynold's roots in Austin, Texas. The gentle rhythmic pivots of “Tracy Hartman’s Cheek” bob up and down like a merry-go-round ride contrasting the retro rock trembles of “Rumplestiltskin.” The modern folk feel of “The Truth Teller’s Soul” has a coffeehouse gurgle with profound symbolism in the lyrics: “The truth is jello, shaped like the bowl / Shaped like its vessel, the believer’s soul / Purpose is lightning / Bright white then gone / Vivid, exciting then it’s all gone / Faith is styrofoam painted up like steel or carved like stone.”

Scott Reynolds & the Steaming Beast's latest release Adventure Boy is built for a cult following. The band’s mix of influences provides contrasting textures which make the material rich in one way and ambivalent in another, because it seems like they don’t know if they want to be a country band or a ska-punk band. It’s an album that will have people picking out which tracks they like, and leaving the rest for someone else to take similarly to a buffet table. The different textures are put together without assimilating into each other, although Scott Reynolds gets credit for at least dipping his fingers into the different crucibles. - sweetpeasuzie