Suburbiac (Expanded) by Dolour

"When we hear the music we listened to as kids, it gets a new value attached to it now that we're older. There is some innocence that you get back with the music. It takes you back to being a little kid, or the wonder of hearing that song for the first time." Dolour's Shane Tutmarc writes the kind of songs you grew up listening to, timeless, and inventive songs, the kind you think you've heard before, and already know by heart. Remarkably enough - in a world mired with tired and trite attempts at music, Dolour's brand of pop is like a breath of fresh air that does not resort to the cliche.

His first release on Fugitive Recordings, Suburbiac comes on the heels of a full length on Sonic Boom Recordings, and contributions to a few compilations including a tribute album to Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys. "I feel that writing pop songs is more rebellious than writing punk songs these days. To me, pop is the alternative to alternative."

Flirting with contemporaries like Ben Folds, Flaming Lips and Weezer, Dolour also mines the depths of The Beatles and Brian Wilson's contributions to modern-day pop, with nods to Leonard Bernstein, Cole Porter, and Irving Berlin. Tutmarc's prodigious song writing employs an "everything and the kitchen sink" approach.

Aurally pleasing embellishments are woven into the fabric of his songs. At any moment one might hear mandolin, theremin, piano, woodwinds, electro-beats, strings, Beach-Boyish harmonies, driving guitar rhythms, and punctuated drums and snares. Foregoing the title of musician, Tutmarc prefers to call himself a song writer. "What I'm most into is the craftsmanship of putting together each section. I want every note to count."

Perhaps in the tradition of songwriters like Prince and Stevie Wonder, all of these clever tunes are written, arranged and played almost entirely by Tutmarc, as if music were his Mount Everest to conquer. "Every instrument is a tool for song writing. I don't even feel like I've scratched the surface for being a musician. I learn instruments to make my songs better." With the exception of a few guest musicians, and the nimble production of the ever-present Aaron Sprinkle, and extra musical input by Phil Peterson, this is a one-man show.

Thematically, Suburbiac moves effortlessly between wistful love ballads, tongue-in-cheek pop irony, and smart jabs at mall-rat culture. "Once the title was decided, I think it helped me unify a lot of the record, because there are elements of it from my last year of being a teenager, living at my parents house in the suburbs. There's stuff about cell phones and email, and lyrics like "I'm so done with you."

With a backing live band to carry out his sonic concoctions, Tutmarc is polishing the live sound to match his studio efforts as closely as possible. Plans to hit the road on a more widespread tour are in the works. Already a staple band in the local Seattle scene with a solid backlog of past shows, Dolour should not have any difficulty finding a nationwide audience. The dynamic live show correlates in energy with the zest and lust for life that is reflected in Suburbiac.

One of Tutmarc's aspirations is to make music that is memorable and lasts longer than the shelf-life of an average Top 40 cd. It certainly seems within reach. Mature, witty and catchy as hell, Suburbiac is a testament to the enduring power of well-written pop.
- L. JEANETTE STROLE, 2002 press release

"Stop the press! It's a new band you simply gotta hear to believe! Well... it's not really a band, just one guy... So then, it's one guy you simply gotta hear to believe! Shaggy-headed Dolour mastermind Shane Tutmarc is all about the pop, that beauteous pop all you kids are hep to these days." - Pitchfork, 2003 review

The music of Shane Tutmarc: Dolour, Solar Twin, and Traveling Mercies.

shanetutmarc.com
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