About Me
CJ Grogan music available at:
www.cjgrogan.com
www.amazon.com
www.notlame.com
www.fakechapter.com
..
Rising from East Coast garage/pop scene (Phantom Five/Grievous Angles) of the late Eighties and early Nineties, CJ Grogan established himself as an energetic performer with a unique songwriting style. In the mid to late Nineties, he struck out on his own to forging new ground when he recorded two solo e.p.'s ("The Christopher's"/ The Watercourse Way") that ran the gamut from driving power-pop to well-crafted acoustic arrangements.
After a brief hiatus, CJ began work on his first full-length album, with the intent of exploring a myriad of musical styles. With the release of "newsongtoo", he delivered a powerful and diverse collection of songs that cover a disparate range of moods, while managing to create a cohesive sound and feeling.
It has been said that Grogan writes songs with a "retro" feel (Big Star, The Chameleons, Richard Thompson, Nick Drake, and Procol Harum). What stands apart though, is that he does not mimic his influences. He builds on the same foundations of great songwriting that they did, while managing to take them to new places. From the dark guitar of "Truth Inside My Lies", the melancholy vocals of "Go", and the driving piano and Hammond organ of "Thrashing Doves", to the well crafted melodies of "Bacharach" and "Painted Line" and the acoustic wall of "Chalk Circle" and "Fall down on Me". Some parts pop, some acoustic, some noisy, and some quiet. This record is the culmination of many different directions that all seem to lead back to one place.
In early 2003, CJ Grogan was approached by North Jersey's veteran label Fake Chapter Records (Green to Think, The Trauma Queens, Four Minute Mile, and Fortran) to release his first full-length album to be released nationwide on January 6th, 2004. CJ will be touring the East Coast in the beginning of 2004 to support "newsongtoo", and is currently planning a tour of the West Coast and Europe for the late spring and early summer. CJ Grogan has participated in the national IPO festival, toured the East/West coasts, and has toured England and Ireland. He's been featured on local radio (WHTG, WRSU, WFMU, and WPRB) and international radio in Europe, Australia and Japan.
Produced with journeyman musician/producer Kurt Reil (Grip Weeds, Jim Babjak's Buzzed Meg, Richard X. Heyman, The Holy Goats), and mastered by Alan Dousches (Ben Folds Five, Galaxy 500, The Chemical Brothers, Luna, and Jets to Brazil) On "newsongtoo" he assembles a formidable collaboration that is supported by bass player extraordinaire brother Vincent (Gigantic, Jim Babjak's Buzzed Meg, Viewmaster) and powerhouse drummer Reil. With this latest effort, he brings a dynamic range of sound to an already diverse collection of songs. Some parts pop, some acoustic, some noisy, and some quiet. This record is the culmination of many different directions that all seem to lead back to one place.
In 2007 Grogan added the band Third of Never to his resume. The band, which is made up of members of the Grip Weeds and Grogan's solo band released MOODRING in 2008. The album features guest spots from John "Rabbit" Bundrick of The Who, Kristin Reil of The Grip Weeds, and Dennis Diken of The Smithereens. The band is currently working on a follow up and playing shows in New Jersey, New York, and Philadelphia.
For his own part, Grogan is currently preparing a retrospective of rare recordings, a new solo album, and solo dates. For more information, visit www.cjgrogan.com
Main text by Easton West
Additional text by Jon Dawson
