The
Subject was Alex Rose
"Crescit eundo,"
our state motto, a Latin phrase which translates as "It grows as
it goes." could also apply to a slew of talented musicians
who've fled our fair state. It's no secret, if you're going to “make
it” you've got to get out the hell outta Dodge. Episode #49 touched
on a pair of such musicians (Amy Linton-Henry's Dress and Lucia
Garcia-Electric Grandma) This time around the focus is on Santa Fe's
own Alex Rose... the musician behind noteworthy Santa Fe /
Albuquerque bands Mistletoe and The Bum Out Patrol. Simultaneous to
his role as front man for the aforementioned bands, Alex also made a
name for himself both in Santa Fe and Albuquerque due to his work as
a studio engineer and producer. This led to his moving to Seattle in
pursuit of a career in music production.
Mistletoe was a
project formed by high school friends Alex Rose, Javier Romero and
Mark Heyman. This version of the band recorded an album 'Sorry It's
Been So Long' in 1999... Self released, well realized.... bold ideas
delivered via adequate resources. Seven intelligently infectious
songs about girls and other hazards. The lyrics exhibited an
underlying bitterness and yearning beneath a sweet exterior while
focusing on the emotional fallout of missed opportunities and
unrequited attraction. The musical similarities between early
Mistletoe and early Weezer are glaring, but keep in mind that in 1999
it was de rigueur among the rock & roll set to draw on River
Cuomo for inspiration. Mistletoe worked that formula. Oh! Ranger
aping Weezer was good for three decent albums. Starsky did it to good
effect.
Mistletoe's stock shot up
with the addition of Westin Glass on drums and Brian Rains on bass. A
move that allowed Alex Rose to switch from drums to guitar. This
totally changed the dynamics and fortunes of the band in ways they
never would've imagined. “The band started to develop a bigger,
more rock sound as we became a tighter live band and started touring
a lot,” says Rose. “That was really fun, but I also wanted to do
something smaller.” This growth spurt led to Mistletoe appearing on
the same bill as The Breeders, Superdrag, The Shins, Pedro The Lion
(just to name a few) Another change that took place was a move to
Albuquerque. Cracking the 'Burque scene gave Alex Rose an opportunity
to showcase his studio skills by working on a number of recordings
with local bands.
Alex and Westin began honing
their songwriting skills “I usually walk around with songs in my
head that don’t exist yet.” said Rose. “I finally started
capturing a handful of them around this time.” Some songs didn't
quite fit the Mistletoe mold. This led to the formation of The Bum
Out Patrol. Alex and Westin shared front-man duties with one singing
and playing guitar while the other played drums and vice versa.
B.O.P. grew beyond being a mere side project, performing shows with
Enon, Limbeck, The Decemberists and The Frogs. More of a live band,
Bum Out Patrol's recorded output was sparse. Three hard to find demo
tracks released online is all you'll find (Through the Windshield,
Until the Summer, Before You Drive Away... which was later included
on the Model Photographer album)
Mistletoe 2.0 released
'This Is Evidence' in 2003. The new album went a step beyond “Sorry
It's Been So Long” the growth and maturity evident from the opening
track. Driven by muscular guitars, adorned with a few subtle
unexpected chord-progression shifts and keyboard textures, the
combination of which packed a marvelous rock 'n' roll punch. It's a
triumph of musically pleasant, lyrically fascinating songs, tight
and vibrantly on the emotional money with the band demonstrating an
instrumental expansiveness comparable to the acts that influenced
them. (Modest Mouse, Built to Spill, Death Cab for Cutie, Big Star
etc.) If a mash-up of 1970s influenced power pop, indie alt-rock,
shoegaze and emo is what you’re buying, “This is Evidence” was
an easy sell.
In retrospect “This is
Evidence” was a platform for Alex Rose to show off his production
and recording skills. The added depth of production makes the album a
sweeping local epic. That being said, this is not the type of album
that’s trying to change your life. It somehow manages to achieve a
seamless time warp that reflects brilliantly on the past, the present
and all concerned. Adventurous yet familiar. “Towards the end of
three years in Albuquerque, Rose had two thriving bands and had
become a sought-after recording engineer, making records with many of
his favorite local bands. Despite this success and the admittedly
charming southwest locale, there remained a growing desire to escape
the home state for the greener pastures of the Pacific Northwest”
Relocating to Seattle in early 2004, Alex Rose began working on a
solo act that included songs from The Bum Out Patrol's repertoire as
well as newer songs that would later turn up on “Model
Photographer” (“We Stayed Home,” “Cassette Tape” and
“Don’t Be A Moper.”)“Most of the songs were written right
before or after I moved from Albuquerque to Seattle,” says Rose. “I
was thinking about the future a lot, but I often felt unable to
escape the past.” Alex soon found himself playing guitar for
Heather Duby and keyboards with Minus the Bear (having worked on
their album, Menos El Oso) A reunion with Westin Glass (who also
relocated to Seattle) and the addition of bass player John Bagley,
proved to be the impetus that led to Alex's solo act evolving into
Model Photographer.
Sonicbids bio: “It is an album of
honest and direct songs that give the listener a glimpse into the
internal world of a musician entering his mid-twenties”One
would be tempted to say that “Model Photographer” was either
Mistletoe's third album or The Bum Out Patrol album that we never
got. Either way, it wouldn't be a far fetched assessment. The album
was well executed, the result of Alex Rose having meticulously
tweaked the tracks over the course of two years. Completed in 2007,
the album was initially released for free online prior to its proper
release on June Records. “When I was young and discovering
music, I wanted to believe my favorite songs were about real
experiences” said Alex Rose. “Since I began writing songs, I
have always wanted them to feel like that.”
Versus Magazine wrote: “Sans
braces and a Led Zeppelin t-shirt, Model Photographer was much like
my first date: young, talented, nervous, and about to steal my heart
... With melodies that promenade hand in hand with sultry vocals,
each tune was sweet and sour with tales of almost love” Sonicbids
bio: “Much like the contradictory conditions during which they
were written, the songs themselves display a certain duality: they
are both expansive and intimate, bold and delicate, detached and
eager. Rose’s bittersweet vocals and fuzzy guitars blend dreamily
with the propulsion of John Bagley’s bass, Westin Glass’ drums
and the occasional keyboard overdub.” Due to circumstances, a
follow-up album slated for release in 2008 never came to fruition and
Model Photographer fell by the wayside.
Alex jumped at a chance to
become a full time member of Minus the Bear, a Seattle based indie
rock band he joined in 2007, replacing keyboard player Matt Bayles.
Having worked with the band on “Menos el Oso” in 2005, Alex
contributed to “Planet of Ice” in 2007 and all their subsequent
album releases. He eventually took on a more prominent role in the
composition process, even taking over lead vocals on a few songs.
Minus the Bear's sound is described by Paste Magazine.com as
"Pele-esque guitar-taps, atmospheric keyboard textures, quirky
odd-time signatures and electronics with sophisticated time signature
composition. It’s fresh, frantic, uproariously fun stuff - and
ferociously well-played” I'm not sure if “Pele-esque”
refers to the Brazilian soccer legend.
In 2006, Westin Glass formed
The Reformation which primarily consisted of Westin (playing
all the instruments) though it came to include ex-Model Photographer
bassist John Bagley and drummer Patrick Huerta. This resulted in two
albums “Floral War” in 2007 and “Living the Dream” in 2008.
Drawing on influences ranging from late-90 s post-punk to shameless
alternative radio hits both drew comparisons to The Foo
Fighters, Nada Surf and Kings of Convenience. Concurrently, Glass was
also tour drummer for Say Hi To Your Mom. Based in Seattle, Say Hi is
Eric Elbogen, who records at home playing all of the instruments and
providing vocals. Since 2008, Westin Glass has been a member of
Portland based indie band The Thermals, a band formed in 2002 by
Hutch Harris and Kathy Foster.
Minus the Bear is still going strong
after sixteen years having just released a new album “Voids” Alex
Rose is currently taking time off in London. Affording him time to
work on his solo project, Nghtblnd (a reference to retinitis
pigmentosa, an affliction that renders him blind at night) “It’s
rare, and nobody really knows about it. As a kid, it caused me some
turmoil. I grew up in Santa Fe, NM. A lot of my friends liked to go
on night hikes in the woods, but I couldn’t do it. There were no
street lights in a lot of areas; it was pitch black and I couldn’t
see” Alex has posted a handful of Nghtblnd demos on Soundcloud
as well as tracks he's worked on including: Slowbirdband, Minus the
Bear, Rusty Maples, Nouela and there's even a remix of Britney Spears
“I Wanna Go” Click play and enjoy.
“The shiny roadsters of
today will fill the junkyards of tomorrow”
Alive ~ Constant Harmony
Arsonist ~ Manuka Piglet
Don't Be a Moper ~ Model
Photographer
Lordymine ~ The Haptics
Patty Mayonnaise ~ Mistletoe
Brighton ~ Firstone
Lipbiter ~ Pancakes
Gold ~ Electric Grandma
Through the Windshield ~ Bum
Out Patrol
Hollywood Happy ~ Hurdle
Rise and Shine ~ Pilot to
Bombardier
Hover ~ Mistletoe
Gone ~ Model Photographer
Loveless ~ Constant Harmony
What the Wonders ~ Electric
Grandma
Until the Summer ~ Bum Out
Patrol
Radio On ~ Full Speed
Veronica