I used to have the romantic notion that a popgroup is always formed after a couple of highschool friends pick up some musical instruments and learn to play them. Of course, there are some bands who start this way, but I have noticed that a large number of bands have started out as the solo product of one musician. Usually a singer/songwriter who have recorded his (or her) songs at home and after a while starts looking for a band to play these songs live. Like Ryan Finnerin from Baltimore has done in 2004.It started with his basement-tapes and now it has resulted in The Red Vines. They had their first live show as the opening act for The Autumn Defense, the former backing band of Elliott Smith. The seventies folkrock of Ryan Finnerin and The Red Vines also sounds a bit like the music of this unfortunatley deceased singer/songwriter. Or like Todd Rundgren on his first solo albums in the seventies.
The Red Vines consists at the moment of Denny Finnerin, Micah Huerta, Neil Cotterill, Jason Butcher and Eric Bloodsworth. They released their debut album "Everyday Needles For Electromagnetic Lovers" two weeks ago on The Beechfields Record Label and you'll find some excellent popsongs on this album.
>mp3: Electromagnetic Lover
>mp3: The Last Sing-Along
>mp3: Melody of Falling