The Lampshades formed in April 2003 in central Pennsylvania by lead singer/guitarist Jaren Love. Drummer Josh Imler and bassist Chris Kibler soon joined.
As a trio, The Lampshades recorded a number of imaginatively titled CD-Rs. One of these lo-fi gems, probably "Demo 2," caught the ear(s) of Scranton-based Prison Jazz Records, and music video producer Jonathan Buchanan. Amazingly, these real, live music industry (semi) professionals saw something of worth amidst the clattering, clanking whirlwind of teenage awkwardness and rudimentary musical ability that was the early Lampshades.
In the summer of 2005, Prison Jazz released The Lampshades' debut proper; a nine-song, 20-odd minute CD entitled "Sunshine." Sometime prior to the record release, the band made a music video with Jon Buchanan. The video was filmed on the man made beach of a local lake. The budget was $0. Park Rangers and campers looked on skeptically as Josh Imler pounded furiously on his drums, but the shoot was relatively uneventful.
In the fall of 2005, Scott Kessler joined as second guitarist. The Lampshades finally ROCKED!
They rocked all the way back to Bill Filer's Audible Images studio and recorded their second album, "Surprise!" During the recording of the record, The Lampshades parted ways with Kessler, much to the chagrin of most of the band's fanbase (who were virtually all friends of Kessler.)
Yet, The Lampshades forged ahead undeterred, well, not totally undeterred, they kicked out longtime drummer Josh Imler, and lost more fans in the process, but.... In July 2006 released their long-awaited second album, "Surprise!" on their own label, Soap Bar Records (Prison Jazz decided that they would rather keep their money than release another Lampshades record.)
The Lampshades replaced the lost members with drummer Chris Leiden, and guitarist Brady Lanzendorfer.
In 2007, during the recording of their yet unreleased third album "Are Alright" , the ever-evolving, or possibly just plain fickle, Lampshades released Leiden from his duties behind the drum kit, and brought in Dane Adelman, the prolific multinstrumental genius who was recording and producing the album, to play drums.
The Lampshades have just finished and released their third album, Are Alright, and are continuing to play as many shows as their geographical, educational and occupational situations allow.
WHAT OTHERS HAVE SAID:
"...throwback power-pop..."-The Washington Post
"This is music made by social misfits whose outcast status has made them more melancholy than angry, and who still hope to be accepted into the mainstream someday, if only they can get that girl in the sweater to give them the time of day. Personally, I hope they do."- Brian Mosher, www.bmosays.net
"...the quartet are from Pennsylvania and they have some very nice pop songs..." - John Laird, Side One: Track One, http://sideonetrackone.com/
DISCOGRAPHY:
BUY SUNSHINE FROM PRISON JAZZ RECORDS!
Sunshine, 2005, Prison Jazz Records.
