THE ME DECADE
The Me Decade was born just like any flavorful soup might be conjured up on a long Sunday afternoon. An old recipe of pop sensibility, songwriting craftsmanship, intricate harmonies, breathtaking melodies and delicate arrangements was simmered on low heat such that flavors combine and overlap in just the right places. The broth was stirred and tasted, and dashes and pinches of various influences were folded in, in order to give the hint of something else, but nevertheless retaining the originality and boldness of the original flavor.
And now that the group has found just the right blend of spice and consistency, Spade Kitty has unleashed their stunning debut record and naturally, it's delicious. "Gentrification is Theft" (SK017) offers all of the band's best aforementioned musical elements woven into a fifty minute opus, and also retains a common lyrical themes of cautiously optimistic realism and self-effacing humor that truly allows the award-winning writer in founder Larry O. Dean to shine through.
Although "Gentrification is Theft" is officially the band's debut, the Me Decade was born many moons before, and actually makes an appearance on one previous record. Me Decade founder and principal songwriter Larry O. Dean, having found an outlet for his distinctive pop music in Chicago's Post Office in 1996, was eager to explore more eclectic arrangements in another forum. Having emerged from the mid 90s San Francisco melting pot of independent rock, these types of arrangements had actually first surfaced on his debut solo album "Throw the Lions to the Christians.� "Throw the Lions..." was recorded and mixed by Greg Freeman, now nationally famous for his work with such artists as Thinking Fellers Union Local 282, among others. "Throw the Lions..." features Dean on guitar with a veritable who's who of the mid 90s San Francisco music scene backing him up.
But with Larry moving, and making a fresh start in Chicago, he now needed to find new compadres to venture forth with. Playing solo shows acoustically was a great place to start in 1996 and 1997, but Dean yearned for a broader brush with which to paint his vision. And in 1998, Larry was able to cross-recruit Post Office skinsman Jeff Greaves and talented Sub Rosa bass player Tim Ferguson to begin playing shows featuring Dean�s eclectic solo material. The trio was able to bring out a bit more character of the previously stripped down acoustic material, and Larry began to compose a fresh batch of tunes. Very shortly thereafter, singer/songwriter Pam Richardson was brought in to flesh out the vocal harmonies. As 1998 drew to a close, the four-piece found themselves in the studio to begin work on a second Dean solo effort, "Sir Slob." During the recording sessions, violist Derek Walvoord and violinist Chad Gifford (who has since left the band to pursue other projects) also joined the fold, and the band began to develop some of it's most sophisticated arrangements this new material.
"Sir Slob" was completed as 1999 drew to a close. And realizing now that the band had developed a definitive, original sound and a singular identity that stretched beyond just a backing band, the band was rechristened "The Me Decade" as a name of its own at the onset 2000, a new Decade for a new millennium. "Sir Slob" was released in 2001 as a solo effort, but the Me Decade was credited as the band behind the sound in huge type on the inner sleeve. It was now clear to everyone in and around the band that a group effort would be recorded very soon, with another fresh batch of tunes by the prolific Dean already on the backburner at the time of Slob's release.
"Gentrification is Theft" was realized by the band in 2001 at the Uberstudio. Mark Schwarz (Freakwater, The Wes Hollywood Show) was brought in to engineer and mix the record. He and the band fleshed out an incredible blend of melodies and harmonies that illustrates a well-balanced band truly coming into its own. The twelve tunes illustrate a maturity and confidence few bands discover in a lifetime, and if "Gentrification" is any indication, many great things are on the horizon for The Me Decade.
