New Albanian Riots
The New Albanian Riots is the brainchild of writer/artist/musician Frank Young. The project developed from his love of 60s instrumental music, though the band is also influenced by his interest in earlier American popular music, Mersey Beat, folk rock, jazz, exotica, cartoon scores, b-movie soundtracks and just about any oddball sounds from the mid-20th century. (Young is a contributor to Cool & Strange Music magazine.) After turning his friend Kelly Shane on to the sounds of Joe Meek (the first tape is always free...), the two decided to record an album of retro instrumental music in Shane's home studio. Young played the guitars and organ, Shane played drums and manipulated sounds, and the Cream of the Stars was born. Young's accessible, yet subtly sophisticated songwriting and arrangements made the record a hit with surf, lounge and indie rock enthusiasts, but it also appealed to a surprisingly varied demographic, garnering significant college radio play in the United States, as well as fans of greatly varied ages and backgrounds. The band was particularly proud that the record was played by UK DJ John Peel.
The Riots followed Cream with Unknown Worlds, an EP of science fiction oriented music. The response for their mini-soundtracks without films has been enthusiastic, encouraging the group to develop more thematic music. Right now, work is being done on out-takes from the sessions which produced Unknown Worlds. The band is also in the development phase of producing its follow-up. |
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