Tonic Rays
Encyclopedia
The Tonic Rays was a rock band that formed in Pai
, Thailand in 2006. They were led by Marie Dance, a singer/songwriter from the UK, and Joe Cummings, a US-born guitarist/songwriter better known as a freelance travel journalist for Lonely Planet
and other publishers. Earlier in his career Cummings played in US rock bands Rocking Horse and The Fog. More recently Cummings has toured and recorded with Mexico City's La Sabrosa Sabrosura.
The Tonic Rays quickly became local favorites in Pai, a haven for Thai tourists and Western backpackers, but later moved to Chiang Mai
. From 2006 to 2008 the band performed regularly in Chiang Mai
, Pai
, Bangkok
, Pattaya
, Ko Lanta
, and Ko Phi Phi.
The band changed rhythm sections frequently in the first six months, finally settling on Thailand's Chakkaphan Satthaphan on bass and Japanese drummer Mark Iwamoto.
Initially the band played a repertoire of covers, including songs by Razorlight, Neil Young, Pink Floyd, Nirvana, Johnny Cash, The White Stripes and others, but they soon began adding original songs by Dance and Cummings.
In 2007 they produced a self-named album of original music. The songs were recorded and mixed at Rangsan Chaiya's studio in Chiang Mai. Also known as Rangsan Rasidib, the Thai producer-musician had previously earned Album of the Year and Best New Artist awards at Thailand's annual Season Music Awards. After mixdown, Cummings took the tracks to the USA and had them mastered at Prairie Sun Studios, well known for its work with Tom Waits
.
In a June 2008 review for online music magazine Blurt, rock critic Chuck Eddy
described The Tonic Rays' sound as a 'rustic, sitar-spiced, and surprisingly catchy species of psychedelic folk-rock that Jefferson Airplane or the Shocking Blue might recognize.'
In December 2008 Chuck Eddy
named The Tonic Rays to his Top 10 Albums of 2008, as published in Billboard and Rhapsody.
Pai
-People:* Pai , includes Konkani region of India name origin, plus people with the name* Pai , includes Chinese name origin, plus people with the name...
, Thailand in 2006. They were led by Marie Dance, a singer/songwriter from the UK, and Joe Cummings, a US-born guitarist/songwriter better known as a freelance travel journalist for Lonely Planet
Lonely Planet
Lonely Planet is the largest travel guide book and digital media publisher in the world. The company is owned by BBC Worldwide, which bought a 75% share from the founders Maureen and Tony Wheeler in 2007 and the final 25% in February 2011...
and other publishers. Earlier in his career Cummings played in US rock bands Rocking Horse and The Fog. More recently Cummings has toured and recorded with Mexico City's La Sabrosa Sabrosura.
The Tonic Rays quickly became local favorites in Pai, a haven for Thai tourists and Western backpackers, but later moved to Chiang Mai
Chiang Mai
Chiang Mai sometimes written as "Chiengmai" or "Chiangmai", is the largest and most culturally significant city in northern Thailand. It is the capital of Chiang Mai Province , a former capital of the Kingdom of Lanna and was the tributary Kingdom of Chiang Mai from 1774 until 1939. It is...
. From 2006 to 2008 the band performed regularly in Chiang Mai
Chiang Mai
Chiang Mai sometimes written as "Chiengmai" or "Chiangmai", is the largest and most culturally significant city in northern Thailand. It is the capital of Chiang Mai Province , a former capital of the Kingdom of Lanna and was the tributary Kingdom of Chiang Mai from 1774 until 1939. It is...
, Pai
Pai
-People:* Pai , includes Konkani region of India name origin, plus people with the name* Pai , includes Chinese name origin, plus people with the name...
, Bangkok
Bangkok
Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...
, Pattaya
Pattaya
Pattaya is a city in Thailand, located on the east coast of the Gulf of Thailand, about 165 km southeast of Bangkok located within but not part of Amphoe Bang Lamung in the province of Chonburi....
, Ko Lanta
Ko Lanta
- Slogan :Based upon Krabi province, it holds the slogan as of the province i.e.:"The province of coal mines , Fossil shell beach , towering mountains, beautiful streams, an abundance of islands, palm plantations, sandy beaches, wonderful sea world, Emerald of Andaman, and heavenly Phi Phi...
, and Ko Phi Phi.
The band changed rhythm sections frequently in the first six months, finally settling on Thailand's Chakkaphan Satthaphan on bass and Japanese drummer Mark Iwamoto.
Initially the band played a repertoire of covers, including songs by Razorlight, Neil Young, Pink Floyd, Nirvana, Johnny Cash, The White Stripes and others, but they soon began adding original songs by Dance and Cummings.
In 2007 they produced a self-named album of original music. The songs were recorded and mixed at Rangsan Chaiya's studio in Chiang Mai. Also known as Rangsan Rasidib, the Thai producer-musician had previously earned Album of the Year and Best New Artist awards at Thailand's annual Season Music Awards. After mixdown, Cummings took the tracks to the USA and had them mastered at Prairie Sun Studios, well known for its work with Tom Waits
Tom Waits
Thomas Alan "Tom" Waits is an American singer-songwriter, composer, and actor. Waits has a distinctive voice, described by critic Daniel Durchholz as sounding "like it was soaked in a vat of bourbon, left hanging in the smokehouse for a few months, and then taken outside and run over with a car."...
.
In a June 2008 review for online music magazine Blurt, rock critic Chuck Eddy
Chuck Eddy
Chuck Eddy is an American music journalist.He was born in Detroit, Michigan. After starting his journalism career with The Village Voice and Creem, where he published one of the first national interviews with the Beastie Boys in the mid-1980s, Eddy then wrote for Rolling Stone, Spin,...
described The Tonic Rays' sound as a 'rustic, sitar-spiced, and surprisingly catchy species of psychedelic folk-rock that Jefferson Airplane or the Shocking Blue might recognize.'
In December 2008 Chuck Eddy
Chuck Eddy
Chuck Eddy is an American music journalist.He was born in Detroit, Michigan. After starting his journalism career with The Village Voice and Creem, where he published one of the first national interviews with the Beastie Boys in the mid-1980s, Eddy then wrote for Rolling Stone, Spin,...
named The Tonic Rays to his Top 10 Albums of 2008, as published in Billboard and Rhapsody.
External links
- ReverbNation: The Tonic Rays
- The Tonic Rays' Myspace Page
- Paper Faces' Myspace Page - Marie Dance's New Band
- La Sabrosa Sabrosura