The Lassie Foundation
Encyclopedia
The Lassie Foundation is an indie band from Southern California
. Their style has been described as "pink noise pop
." They disbanded in 2006 after having released three albums as well as several EPs, but have reunited and are working on a new full-length album.
", "MTV's The Real World
", and "MTV Road Rules
". Singles in the U.S. and Australia followed, and the band continued its regimen of performing in Southern California clubs with bands like Phantom Planet
, At the Drive-In
, Mates of State
, Creeper Lagoon, and Imperial Teen
.
2001 saw a turn in the band’s musical direction with its split soundtrack for the independent film I Duel Sioux and the Ale of Saturn, followed soon thereafter by The El Dorado LP, their second full-length album. Both albums abandoned their traditional shoegaze elements for a cleaner pop sound. It also marked the end of the band.
In its two year absence, Lassie received many requests for their catalog, for media placement, interviews, European releases, and tours of Europe, prompting the founding members and songwriters Wayne Everett (vocals), Campuzano (bass), Jeff Schroeder (guitar) to start writing a new album. Supported live and in the studio by Happy Tsugawa-Banta (vibes & keyboards) and Joel Patterson (drums), The Lassie Foundation reinvented itself on Face Your Fun, citing influences such as Echo & the Bunnymen
, The Jam
, New Order
, U2
, A Flock of Seagulls
, Guided by Voices
, and The Jesus and Mary Chain
.
After playing many shows throughout 2004 and 2005, opening for bands such as The Walkmen
and The New Pornographers
, the band agreed to call it quits in 2006, but are now recording an album that is due out in 2008.
As of May 2007, Jeff Schroeder
is the touring guitarist for The Smashing Pumpkins
, although he is featured on the new Lassie Foundation album. Everett and Campuzano are both former members of The Prayer Chain
and Starflyer 59
.
Southern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
. Their style has been described as "pink 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...
." They disbanded in 2006 after having released three albums as well as several EPs, but have reunited and are working on a new full-length album.
Biography
Formed in 1996, The Lassie Foundation released their first EP, California. California defined the group’s sound, a mix of the smooth ‘60s and early ‘70s West Coast pop music and the sonic power of British shoegaze music. Lassie followed up its EP with their first full-length album, Pacifico. Pacifico caught British attention by being featured in the "What's on the NME Stereo" section of New Musical Express magazine. In 1998 the band released the El Rey EP (also featured in NME), whose title track was featured on TV's "Buffy the Vampire Slayer", "PopularPopular (TV series)
Popular is an American teenage comedy-drama on The WB Television Network in the United States, created by Ryan Murphy and Gina Matthews, starring Leslie Bibb and Carly Pope as two teenage girls that reside on polar opposite sides of the popularity spectrum at their high school, but are forced to...
", "MTV's The Real World
The Real World
The Real World is a reality television program on MTV originally produced by Mary-Ellis Bunim and Jonathan Murray. First broadcast in 1992, the show, which was inspired by the 1973 PBS documentary series An American Family, is the longest-running program in MTV history and one of the...
", and "MTV Road Rules
Road Rules
Road Rules was an MTV reality show that debuted on July 19, 1995. The series, which was MTV's second reality show after The Real World followed six strangers between the ages of 18 and 24 after stripping them of their money and putting them on an RV traveling from location to location only guided...
". Singles in the U.S. and Australia followed, and the band continued its regimen of performing in Southern California clubs with bands like Phantom Planet
Phantom Planet
Phantom Planet are an American alternative rock band from Southern California. Formed in 1994 in Los Angeles, the band consists of Alex Greenwald , Darren Robinson , Sam Farrar and Jeff Conrad . The band is best known for its track "California", which became the theme song for the Fox TV series,...
, At the Drive-In
At the Drive-In
At the Drive-In was an American rock band from El Paso, Texas, considered part of the post-hardcore genre and active from 1993 to 2001. They were known for their extremely energetic stage shows which hearkened back to the 1980s hardcore scene...
, Mates of State
Mates of State
Mates of State are an American indie pop duo, active since 1997. The group is composed of the husband-and-wife team of Kori Gardner and Jason Hammel .Over the course of the band's fourteen year career, they've released three EPs and six full-length, studio...
, Creeper Lagoon, and Imperial Teen
Imperial Teen
Imperial Teen is a San Francisco-based indie pop group made up of Roddy Bottum primarily on guitar/vocals, Will Schwartz primarily on guitar/vocals, Lynn Truell primarily on drums and backing vocals, and Jone Stebbins primarily on bass and backing...
.
2001 saw a turn in the band’s musical direction with its split soundtrack for the independent film I Duel Sioux and the Ale of Saturn, followed soon thereafter by The El Dorado LP, their second full-length album. Both albums abandoned their traditional shoegaze elements for a cleaner pop sound. It also marked the end of the band.
In its two year absence, Lassie received many requests for their catalog, for media placement, interviews, European releases, and tours of Europe, prompting the founding members and songwriters Wayne Everett (vocals), Campuzano (bass), Jeff Schroeder (guitar) to start writing a new album. Supported live and in the studio by Happy Tsugawa-Banta (vibes & keyboards) and Joel Patterson (drums), The Lassie Foundation reinvented itself on Face Your Fun, citing influences such as Echo & the Bunnymen
Echo & the Bunnymen
Echo & the Bunnymen are an English post-punk band, formed in Liverpool in 1978. The original line-up consisted of vocalist Ian McCulloch, guitarist Will Sergeant and bass player Les Pattinson, supplemented by a drum machine. By 1980, Pete de Freitas had joined as the band's drummer, and their debut...
, The Jam
The Jam
The Jam were an English punk rock/New Wave/mod revival band active during the late 1970s and early 1980s. They were formed in Woking, Surrey. While they shared the "angry young men" outlook and fast tempos of their punk rock contemporaries, The Jam wore smartly tailored suits rather than ripped...
, New Order
New Order
New Order are an English rock band formed in 1980 by Bernard Sumner , Peter Hook and Stephen Morris...
, U2
U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
, A Flock of Seagulls
A Flock of Seagulls
A Flock of Seagulls are an English New Wave band originally formed by brothers Michael "Mike" Score and Alister "Ali" James Score , with Frank Maudsley , Michael Kuby , H.J...
, Guided by Voices
Guided by Voices
Guided by Voices is an American indie rock band originating from Dayton, Ohio. Beginning with the band's formation in 1983, it made frequent personnel changes but always maintained the presence of principal songwriter Robert Pollard...
, and The Jesus and Mary Chain
The Jesus and Mary Chain
The Jesus and Mary Chain are a Scottish alternative rock band formed in East Kilbride, Glasgow in 1983. The band revolves around the songwriting partnership of brothers Jim and William Reid...
.
After playing many shows throughout 2004 and 2005, opening for bands such as The Walkmen
The Walkmen
The Walkmen are an American indie rock band, with members based in New York City and Philadelphia. The band formed in 2000 with three members from Jonathan Fire*Eater—Paul Maroon , Walter Martin , and Matt Barrick —and two from The Recoys, Peter Bauer and Hamilton Leithauser . All but Bauer...
and The New Pornographers
The New Pornographers
The New Pornographers is a Canadian indie rock band formed in 1997 in Vancouver, British Columbia.-History:The band's first four albums each ranked in the top 40 on The Village Voices Pazz & Jop year-end poll of hundreds of music reviewers. From 2000 to 2006, either a New Pornographers' album or a...
, the band agreed to call it quits in 2006, but are now recording an album that is due out in 2008.
As of May 2007, Jeff Schroeder
Jeff Schroeder
Jeff Schroeder is a Korean American rock musician, who became a guitarist with the alternative rock band The Smashing Pumpkins in 2007. He is currently finishing his Ph.D...
is the touring guitarist for The Smashing Pumpkins
The Smashing Pumpkins
The Smashing Pumpkins are an American alternative rock band that formed in Chicago, Illinois in 1988. Formed by Billy Corgan frontman and James Iha , the band has included Jimmy Chamberlin , D'arcy Wretzky , and currently includes Jeff Schroeder Mike Byrne , and Nicole Fiorentino The Smashing...
, although he is featured on the new Lassie Foundation album. Everett and Campuzano are both former members of The Prayer Chain
The Prayer Chain
The Prayer Chain was a 1990s Christian alternative rock band. The band has been called "the epitome of the Christian underground". The Prayer Chain was known for producing moody, angst-ridden music which was, in turn, the result of creative differences within the band and with their record...
and 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...
.
Full-length albums
- PacificoPacifico (album)Pacifico is the debut album by The Lassie Foundation. The album was originally self-released in 1999, but the band re-released the album in 2000 on Grand Theft Autumn. The album has minor-key melodies and falsetto harmonies. The songs contain much guitar, which give the album a fuzzy, shoegaze feel...
(1999, Shogun, Grand Theft Autumn) - The El Dorado LP (2001, Shogun, Anisette)
- Face Your Fun (2004, Northern RecordsNorthern RecordsNorthern Records is an independent record label located in California. It was founded in 1999. It is currently being distributed in the United States and Canada by RED Distribution .-CD releases:-Digital releases:...
)
EPs
- California (1996, Velvet Blue MusicVelvet Blue MusicVelvet Blue Music is an independent record label founded in 1996 by Jeff Cloud . They are a label that has prided itself on a completely independent nature and DIY ethics while also living up to these same qualities...
/Brainstorm) - Dive Bomber (1997, Velvet Blue Music)
- El Rey (1999, Shogun Sounds/Anisette Records)
- Leaves California (2000, Shogun Sounds)
- I Duel Sioux and the Ale of Saturn (2001, Grand Theft Autumn)
- The Lassie Foundation (2008, Northern RecordsNorthern RecordsNorthern Records is an independent record label located in California. It was founded in 1999. It is currently being distributed in the United States and Canada by RED Distribution .-CD releases:-Digital releases:...
)
Singles (7" vinyl)
- Promise Ring/Before it Blows split w/ Sounds like SunsetSounds Like SunsetSounds Like Sunset are a band based in Sydney, Australia. The group formed in 1997 and as of 2008 have released 2 albums, 'Saturdays' in 2001 and 'Invisible' in 2005 as well as various other releases on cassettes, 7" and compilations.-Early days:...
(2000, Quietly Suburban Recordings) - Corona Del Mar (1996, Velvet Blue MusicVelvet Blue MusicVelvet Blue Music is an independent record label founded in 1996 by Jeff Cloud . They are a label that has prided itself on a completely independent nature and DIY ethics while also living up to these same qualities...
)
External links
- The Lassie Foundation - The Lassie Foundation's Official Site
- Somewhere Cold - 2002 Interview with Lassie Foundation frontman, Wayne Everett.
- Somewhere Cold - 2003 interview with Jeff Schroeder.