Morella's Forest
Encyclopedia
Morella's Forest was a band from Dayton, Ohio
which formed in 1992. They released three albums on Tooth and Nail Records and one with an independent label. Their signature sound is noise pop
or space music
comparable to Starflyer 59
or The Breeders
.
, Morella's Forest produced two works - a demo called Bass, and an EP entitled Bozur. Their 1995 debut, Superdeluxe, was produced by Steve Hindalong (The Choir) and Chris Colbert (Fluffy). It's sound was characteristic of 1980s style new wave or 1990s shoegazing
. Sonically it featured noisy, "dreamy, hypnotic" melodies, and featured Bill Campbell of The Throes
as a guest. Morella's Forest appeared on the cover of 7ball
magazine in September, 1996. Ultraphonic Hiss and From Dayton With Love were produced by Keith Cleversley. Ultraphonic features a sound which moves the band slightly away from the noise of their debut. Dayton features some electronic elements - keyboard and drum machine - and moves their sound to an even more sugary guitar based pop sound, which one reviewer referred to as "space age garage pop." Some found this sound to be lacking of "solid melodies," while others found the voice of Sydney Rentz layered over the background lively and fluid.
The band struggled with the Christian music marketplace, finding the struggle between artistic integrity and profitability hard to maintain. After a half-cancelled tour in 1996 the band reported that although they were still "100% about fashon" they would direct their efforts toward the general market and emphesise a radio friendly sound. They told 7ball magazine that the only way to make money was to be like dc Talk
or Audio Adrenaline
, and as for themselves "We don't want to be some innovative, cool band that's doing something really weird for the Christian market."
Following their 1998 release drummer Nate McCorkle left to join the Christian rock band Johnny Q. Public
. The band went through several drummers and played Cornerstone sporadically, but did not generally tour. In 2002 produced an album entitled Tiny Lights of Heaven. On this album the writing responsibilities were taken by Shawn Johnson instead of long-standing writer Sydney Rentz. With production help from Jesse Sprinkle
their music departs a bit from their signature sound, taking a lighter and more indie pop influenced, radio friendly tone.
Dayton, Ohio
Dayton is the 6th largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County, the fifth most populous county in the state. The population was 141,527 at the 2010 census. The Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 841,502 in the 2010 census...
which formed in 1992. They released three albums on Tooth and Nail Records and one with an independent label. Their signature sound is noise pop
Noise pop
Noise pop is a subgenre of alternative rock developed in the mid 1980s in the UK and US, that mixes atonal noise or feedback, or both, with the melodic instrumentation and production elements more often found in pop music, making it more melodic and angst-free than noise rock.-History:Noise pop has...
or space music
Space music
Space music, also called spacemusic, is an umbrella term, synonymous with a segment of New Age Music and Ambient Music, used to describe music that evokes a feeling of contemplative spaciousness. Space music can be found within a wide range of genres. It is particularly associated with ambient, New...
comparable to Starflyer 59
Starflyer 59
Starflyer 59 is an alternative rock band from Riverside, California that was founded in 1993 by Jason Martin, brother of Ronnie Martin of Joy Electric. While Jason Martin has written nearly all of Starflyer 59's songs, the band has included a number of different musicians over the years, including...
or The Breeders
The Breeders
The Breeders are an American alternative rock band formed in 1988 by Kim Deal of the Pixies and Tanya Donelly of Throwing Muses. The band has experienced a number of line-up changes; the current line-up consists of Kim Deal , her twin sister Kelley Deal , Jose Medeles , Mando Lopez Todd the Fox...
.
Background
Before signing to Tooth and NailTooth & Nail Records
Tooth & Nail Records is a record label founded by Brandon Ebel in the U.S. state of California in November 1993. The label later moved to Seattle, Washington, where it is situated today...
, Morella's Forest produced two works - a demo called Bass, and an EP entitled Bozur. Their 1995 debut, Superdeluxe, was produced by Steve Hindalong (The Choir) and Chris Colbert (Fluffy). It's sound was characteristic of 1980s style new wave or 1990s shoegazing
Shoegazing
Shoegazing is a subgenre of alternative rock that emerged from the United Kingdom in the late 1980s. It lasted there until the mid 1990s, with a critical zenith reached in 1990 and 1991...
. Sonically it featured noisy, "dreamy, hypnotic" melodies, and featured Bill Campbell of The Throes
The Throes (band)
The Throes is an indie band formed in 1988 in Northern Virginia.The original lineup consisted of singer/guitarist Bill Campbell, percussionist Harry Evans and bassist Joy Gewalt...
as a guest. Morella's Forest appeared on the cover of 7ball
7ball
7ball was a Christian music magazine, first published in 1995, founded and created by Frank Chimento. They focused on rock, hip-hop, and other "alternative" forms of Christian music. The magazine was initially published by the Royal Magazine Group alongside Release magazine and others...
magazine in September, 1996. Ultraphonic Hiss and From Dayton With Love were produced by Keith Cleversley. Ultraphonic features a sound which moves the band slightly away from the noise of their debut. Dayton features some electronic elements - keyboard and drum machine - and moves their sound to an even more sugary guitar based pop sound, which one reviewer referred to as "space age garage pop." Some found this sound to be lacking of "solid melodies," while others found the voice of Sydney Rentz layered over the background lively and fluid.
The band struggled with the Christian music marketplace, finding the struggle between artistic integrity and profitability hard to maintain. After a half-cancelled tour in 1996 the band reported that although they were still "100% about fashon" they would direct their efforts toward the general market and emphesise a radio friendly sound. They told 7ball magazine that the only way to make money was to be like dc Talk
Dc Talk
DC Talk , is a Grammy-winning Christian rock music trio. The group was formed in Lynchburg, Virginia in 1987 by Toby McKeehan, Michael Tait, and Kevin Max Smith. They have released five major studio albums together: DC Talk , Nu Thang , Free at Last , Jesus Freak , and Supernatural...
or Audio Adrenaline
Audio Adrenaline
Audio Adrenaline was a Christian rock band that formed in the late 1980s at Kentucky Christian University in Grayson, Kentucky. During the band's 17-year existence, they were awarded two Grammy awards, multiple Dove Awards and they released 17 number one singles. They were regular performers at the...
, and as for themselves "We don't want to be some innovative, cool band that's doing something really weird for the Christian market."
Following their 1998 release drummer Nate McCorkle left to join the Christian rock band Johnny Q. Public
Johnny Q. Public
Johnny Q. Public was a Christian alternative rock band from Springfield, Missouri. Although their sound was wholly modern, it was influenced by bands such as Led Zeppelin and Cream. In addition to their music they were known for their Charismatic theology, which they would dramatically display...
. The band went through several drummers and played Cornerstone sporadically, but did not generally tour. In 2002 produced an album entitled Tiny Lights of Heaven. On this album the writing responsibilities were taken by Shawn Johnson instead of long-standing writer Sydney Rentz. With production help from Jesse Sprinkle
Jesse Sprinkle
Jesse Sprinkle is a singer, songwriter, drummer, guitarist, and rapper. His musical career started as a drummer alongside his brother Aaron Sprinkle in the Christian alternative rock group Poor Old Lu. After Poor Old Lu amicably disbanded, Jesse moved to New York where he married...
their music departs a bit from their signature sound, taking a lighter and more indie pop influenced, radio friendly tone.
Discography
- 1995: Hang Out [EP] (Tooth & Nail)
- 1995: Superdeluxe (Reviews: Allmusic, CCM)
- 1996: Ultraphonic Hiss (Review: Allmusic)
- 1998: From Dayton With Love (Reviews: Youthworker, Phantom Tollbooth, 7ball, Cornerstone)
- 2002: Tiny Lights of Heaven (Big Beef (US) / Endearing (CAN), Reviews: Phantom Tollbooth (4), Allmusic)
Members
- Shawn Johnson - guitar (1992–2002)
- Sydney Rentz - Vocals (1992–2002)
- Jesse Sprinkle - drums (2001–2002)
- Joel Votaw - bass (2001–2002)
- Christopher McCorkle - bass (1992–1998)
- Nate McCorkle - drums (1992–1998)