Music
Press
In The Sea of Cortez’s new self-titled 7 track EP soaring guitars and simple harmonies are the name of the game. You get a true sense of the indie scene in San Diego with this EP and its’ well rounded construction leaves a good taste in your mouth. The first track of the record, Intro, a short, instrumental segway seems a bit out of place but every other track on the EP brings something different to the table. Track 2, Mystified is a good place to start. The guitar is strong but the lyrics are still audible relieving the listener of having to replay to discriminate the message. Track 4, The News displays the band’s ability to easily mitigate the transition in and out of acoustic tracks fluidly. This song is a gentle number which as the lyrics state can carry you down the highway, it opens fittingly with the sound of the seashore and the chorus is catchy enough that you may find yourself repeating it throughout your day, “How do you like my news?” The track, High and Low (II), number 6, showcasing some piano work and longingly lonely lyrics evoke the sound of John Lennon’s solo work. This track is definitely worth a second listen. The Sea of Cortez’s 7 track EP is an excellent representation of what a good pop band should be.
4/5 Stars - Yesterday Magazine, San Diego
Discography
The Sea of Cortez, EP (2007)
Make It Sound, LP (2010)
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Bio
Having a unique musical vision in the vast ocean of rock is certainly no easy task for a band. An accomplishment and testimony to the fact that a biologist, a photographer, and former DJ have forged their own distinct sound through their honest approach.
Starting out as neighborhood friends in San Diego in 2006, The Sea of Cortez quickly caught attention when Billabong selected “Mystified” as the opening song for a surf DVD distributed world wide in Surfer Magazine. This was quickly followed up by a self-titled, six song EP in the fall of 2007, praised for its “soaring guitars” and “lonely lyrics evoking the sound of John Lennon’s solo work” by Yesterday Magazine. The EP release was followed up by shows in San Diego, Los Angeles, and a 2008 spring tour of the Southwest. The end of the summer culminated in a high profile show opening for the Burning Brides and Nico Vega at the Blender/Mini Cooper Music Festival at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena.
At the end of 2008, the band re-located to Los Angeles, where they built their own studio and continued to play shows and record. They have finished recording a full-length album, entitled “Make It Sound”, which was self produced and mixed by Jay Pellicci (Deerhoof, Erase Errata) at Tiny Telephone in San Francisco. The group plans to release the album in early 2010 on Obscure Magpie Records, and they look forward to getting back on the road.
The multi-layered sounds of The Sea of Cortez are an homage to classic and modern rock that pushes boundaries. Widely varied influences can be heard, including acts like Modest Mouse, My Bloody Valentine, Guided by Voices, and even a little Tortoise and Kings of Convenience here and there. And they are just getting started…
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