The Pseudo Dates
Encyclopedia
The Pseudo Dates is a Denver, Colorado
indie rock
band
formed in September 2007 by bassist and vocalist Suzi Allegra, guitarist and vocalist Nathan Brasil, and drummer John Fate. The members began collaborating while working with other projects, including Allegra's other bands My Sister Outlaw, Supply Boy and Tornado Alley. By the beginning of 2008, they were playing venues in Denver notable for bringing out indie acts, including Bender's Tavern, Lion's Lair and the Larimer Lounge.
In May 2008 they embarked on a small tour of the Northwestern United States
, including stops in Seattle, Olympia, Washington
; Portland, Oregon
; Eureka, California
and San Francisco. In a MySpace blog post May 31, 2008 the band said "this tour has been amazing" and that they "made lots of friends, stayed with lots of wonderful people, had lots of whiskey, and lots of crazy times".
The Pseudo Dates released an EP June 7, 2008 titled Because We Love You, and celebrated it with a release party and live performance that night at Lion's Lair in Denver. The band recorded the EP in analog to give it more of "an old-school quality." Before the EP's release, the band provided demo clips on their MySpace.
In the fall of 2008 the band added a second guitarist, Taylor Rice.
During spring 2009, the band launched their own YouTube channel which features clips of performances and of the band recording their debut album.
At the end of May 2009 The Pseudo Dates released their debut, full-length album, 400 Some Odd Songs In 400 Some Odd Days, on the eve of their 2009 West Coast tour throughout the month of June. The album was released on May 29, 2009 at a show at the Skylark Lounge in Denver.
After the tour the band stopped playing around town. In the fall of 2009, the band broke up. Allegra cited irreconcilable differences about the band's future and overall direction. The band announced it on their MySpace page with the headline "2007-2009."
's KPSU ahead of their northwestern tour. Their songs generally touch on love, romance, and failed or fleeting romance, as hinted by the band's name. Their description further reads, "We have songs about walking home alone late at night, orange skies, tired footwear, feeling like a tv show that should be canceled, and purple umbrellas—among a vast array of other mundane/extraordinary things". The band also said it believes in the International Pop Underground Convention
.
When it comes to songwriting Allegra said many of her songs come from events in her life "but then they can evolve into something else that's not just about the factual event; it can become more conceptual". Brasil said the song "Tambourines and Toasters" is broad, but stems from a long-ago experience, and that the other songs he penned on their EP "are about giving up and panic attacks".
Brasil said part of the band's attitude and reasoning behind their debut EP title is a response to the cynicism that runs through the music industry:
Fate described the band's music as a lifesaver saying, "You know when your mouth is all dry after eating pretzels? We’re like the water the comes to rescue you".
The band lists some of its musical influences as The Zombies
, The Velvet Underground
, Donovan
, The Television Personalities, The Breeders
, Syd Barrett
, Beachwood Sparks
, The Minders
, The Everly Brothers
, The Beach Boys
, The Olivia Tremor Control
, The Dinnermints, Nirvana
, Debussy, Frédéric Chopin
, The Rondelles
, Belle and Sebastian, Doo Crowder, The Kinks
, Harry Nilson, Neil Young
, Booker T. & the M.G.s, T. Rex, Gong
, Elmore James
, Tom Petty
, Black Sabbath
, Weezer
, Blur
, Bob Dylan
, Vitamins, The Kissing Party
, Christopher Moore
, The Rolling Stones
, The Apples in Stereo
, Jefferson Airplane
, Edgar Varese, John Prine
, The Brian Jonestown Massacre
, The Warlocks
, The Strokes
, The Casual Dots and The Monkees
.
reviewing the band's May 1 performance at the Larimer Lounge. He wrote that the band was "contagious" and said, they "played with a joyous abandon reminiscent of Beat Happening. Even when they slowed down the good times, the band still sounded cohesive and uplifting".
The staff of the CCD Community News, the student newspaper for the Community College of Denver where Fate attends school, chose The Pseudo Dates as its band of the month in March 2008. In an article writer Cat Howard said they had the freshest sound she's heard come out of Denver in a long time. In describing their performances Howard wrote that their "songs are well-written and performances clean, entertaining and interactive; it's not unusual to see a group of people on stage hugging the indie rockers during a set".
Denver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
indie rock
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
band
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
formed in September 2007 by bassist and vocalist Suzi Allegra, guitarist and vocalist Nathan Brasil, and drummer John Fate. The members began collaborating while working with other projects, including Allegra's other bands My Sister Outlaw, Supply Boy and Tornado Alley. By the beginning of 2008, they were playing venues in Denver notable for bringing out indie acts, including Bender's Tavern, Lion's Lair and the Larimer Lounge.
In May 2008 they embarked on a small tour of the Northwestern United States
Northwestern United States
The Northwestern United States comprise the northwestern states up to the western Great Plains regions of the United States, and consistently include the states of Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, to which part of southeast Alaska is also sometimes included...
, including stops in Seattle, Olympia, Washington
Olympia, Washington
Olympia is the capital city of the U.S. state of Washington and the county seat of Thurston County. It was incorporated on January 28, 1859. The population was 46,478 at the 2010 census...
; Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
; Eureka, California
Eureka, California
Eureka is the principal city and the county seat of Humboldt County, California, United States. Its population was 27,191 at the 2010 census, up from 26,128 at the 2000 census....
and San Francisco. In a MySpace blog post May 31, 2008 the band said "this tour has been amazing" and that they "made lots of friends, stayed with lots of wonderful people, had lots of whiskey, and lots of crazy times".
The Pseudo Dates released an EP June 7, 2008 titled Because We Love You, and celebrated it with a release party and live performance that night at Lion's Lair in Denver. The band recorded the EP in analog to give it more of "an old-school quality." Before the EP's release, the band provided demo clips on their MySpace.
In the fall of 2008 the band added a second guitarist, Taylor Rice.
During spring 2009, the band launched their own YouTube channel which features clips of performances and of the band recording their debut album.
At the end of May 2009 The Pseudo Dates released their debut, full-length album, 400 Some Odd Songs In 400 Some Odd Days, on the eve of their 2009 West Coast tour throughout the month of June. The album was released on May 29, 2009 at a show at the Skylark Lounge in Denver.
After the tour the band stopped playing around town. In the fall of 2009, the band broke up. Allegra cited irreconcilable differences about the band's future and overall direction. The band announced it on their MySpace page with the headline "2007-2009."
Songwriting and influences
"We write songs. That’s what we do. Songs that encapsulate the feeling you get when you think, 'What am I supposed to do now?'" reads the band description given to Portland State UniversityPortland State University
Portland State University is a public state urban university located in downtown Portland, Oregon, United States. Founded in 1946, it has the largest overall enrollment of any university in the state of Oregon, including undergraduate and graduate students. It is also the only public university in...
's KPSU ahead of their northwestern tour. Their songs generally touch on love, romance, and failed or fleeting romance, as hinted by the band's name. Their description further reads, "We have songs about walking home alone late at night, orange skies, tired footwear, feeling like a tv show that should be canceled, and purple umbrellas—among a vast array of other mundane/extraordinary things". The band also said it believes in the International Pop Underground Convention
International Pop Underground Convention
International Pop Underground Convention is a live compilation documenting the International Pop Underground Convention, a six-day festival held at the Capitol Theater in Olympia, Washington in August 1991. The festival was organized by Calvin Johnson, who also performs on the album as part of the...
.
When it comes to songwriting Allegra said many of her songs come from events in her life "but then they can evolve into something else that's not just about the factual event; it can become more conceptual". Brasil said the song "Tambourines and Toasters" is broad, but stems from a long-ago experience, and that the other songs he penned on their EP "are about giving up and panic attacks".
Brasil said part of the band's attitude and reasoning behind their debut EP title is a response to the cynicism that runs through the music industry:
"There's so much damned cynicism. Yeah, lots of things suck, and there's lots of problems, and I don't suggest you turn your back on those things. But there are plenty of bands that have contempt for their audiences, and they're dark and scary — all of that sort of depressing stuff. Not that there's anything wrong with that. It's just another angle for the whole thing."
Fate described the band's music as a lifesaver saying, "You know when your mouth is all dry after eating pretzels? We’re like the water the comes to rescue you".
The band lists some of its musical influences as The Zombies
The Zombies
The Zombies are an English rock band, formed in 1961 in St Albans and led by Rod Argent, on piano and keyboards, and vocalist Colin Blunstone. The group scored a UK and US hit in 1964 with "She's Not There"...
, The Velvet Underground
The Velvet Underground
The Velvet Underground was an American rock band formed in New York City. First active from 1964 to 1973, their best-known members were Lou Reed and John Cale, who both went on to find success as solo artists. Although experiencing little commercial success while together, the band is often cited...
, Donovan
Donovan
Donovan Donovan Donovan (born Donovan Philips Leitch (born 10 May 1946) is a Scottish singer-songwriter and guitarist. Emerging from the British folk scene, he developed an eclectic and distinctive style that blended folk, jazz, pop, psychedelia, and world music...
, The Television Personalities, 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...
, Syd Barrett
Syd Barrett
Syd Barrett , born Roger Keith Barrett, was an English singer-songwriter, guitarist, and painter, best remembered as a founding member of the band Pink Floyd. He was the lead vocalist, guitarist and primary songwriter during the band's psychedelic years, providing major musical and stylistic...
, Beachwood Sparks
Beachwood Sparks
Beachwood Sparks are an American alternative country band from Los Angeles. A Daily Telegraph article on America's underground psychedelic pop scene described Beachwood Sparks as "country through a kaleidoscope".-Biography:...
, The Minders
The Minders
The Minders is a band closely associated with The Elephant Six Collective. Started by Martyn Leaper in Denver, Colorado in 1996, the band's original members included Leaper on guitars and vocals, Rebecca Cole on drums, Jeff Almond on guitar, and Marc Willhite on bass.Leaper formed the Minders in...
, The Everly Brothers
The Everly Brothers
The Everly Brothers are country-influenced rock and roll performers, known for steel-string guitar playing and close harmony singing...
, The Beach Boys
The Beach Boys
The Beach Boys are an American rock band, formed in 1961 in Hawthorne, California. The group was initially composed of brothers Brian, Dennis and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and friend Al Jardine. Managed by the Wilsons' father Murry, The Beach Boys signed to Capitol Records in 1962...
, The Olivia Tremor Control
The Olivia Tremor Control
The Olivia Tremor Control is an indie rock band prominent in the mid to late 1990s which, along with The Apples in Stereo and Neutral Milk Hotel, was one of the three original Elephant 6 projects...
, The Dinnermints, Nirvana
Nirvana (band)
Nirvana was an American rock band that was formed by singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic in Aberdeen, Washington in 1987...
, Debussy, Frédéric Chopin
Frédéric Chopin
Frédéric François Chopin was a Polish composer and virtuoso pianist. He is considered one of the great masters of Romantic music and has been called "the poet of the piano"....
, The Rondelles
The Rondelles
The Rondelles are an indiepop band originally from Albuquerque, New Mexico. The band, which formed in the late 1990s, when the three members were still in high school, consisted of Juliet Swango on guitar and vocals, Yukiko Moynihan on bass, and Oakley Munson on drums and keyboard...
, Belle and Sebastian, Doo Crowder, The Kinks
The Kinks
The Kinks were an English rock band formed in Muswell Hill, North London, by brothers Ray and Dave Davies in 1964. Categorised in the United States as a British Invasion band, The Kinks are recognised as one of the most important and influential rock acts of the era. Their music was influenced by a...
, Harry Nilson, Neil Young
Neil Young
Neil Percival Young, OC, OM is a Canadian singer-songwriter who is widely regarded as one of the most influential musicians of his generation...
, Booker T. & the M.G.s, T. Rex, Gong
Gong
A gong is an East and South East Asian musical percussion instrument that takes the form of a flat metal disc which is hit with a mallet....
, Elmore James
Elmore James
Elmore James was an American blues guitarist, singer, songwriter and band leader. He was known as "the King of the Slide Guitar" and had a unique guitar style, noted for his use of loud amplification and his stirring voice.-Biography:James was born Elmore Brooks in the old Richland community in...
, Tom Petty
Tom Petty
Thomas Earl "Tom" Petty is an American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He is the frontman of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and was a founding member of the late 1980s supergroup Traveling Wilburys and Mudcrutch. He has also performed under the pseudonyms of Charlie T...
, Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath are an English heavy metal band, formed in Aston, Birmingham in 1969 by Ozzy Osbourne , Tony Iommi , Geezer Butler , and Bill Ward . The band has since experienced multiple line-up changes, with Tony Iommi the only constant presence in the band through the years. A total of 22...
, Weezer
Weezer
Weezer is an American alternative rock band. The band currently consists of Rivers Cuomo , Patrick Wilson , Brian Bell , and Scott Shriner . The band has changed lineups three times since its formation in 1992...
, Blur
Blur (band)
Blur is an English alternative rock band. Formed in London in 1989 as Seymour, the group consists of singer Damon Albarn, guitarist Graham Coxon, bassist Alex James and drummer Dave Rowntree. Blur's debut album Leisure incorporated the sounds of Madchester and shoegazing...
, Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
, Vitamins, The Kissing Party
The Kissing Party
The Kissing Party is an indie rock band from Denver. Theband is composed of Deirdre Sage , Gregory Dolan , Joe Hansen , Lee Evans and Shane Reid ....
, Christopher Moore
Christopher Moore
Christopher Moore is an American writer of comic fantasy. He grew up in Mansfield, Ohio, and attended Ohio State University and Brooks Institute of Photography in Santa Barbara, California....
, The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
, The Apples in Stereo
The Apples in Stereo
The Apples in Stereo, styled The Apples in stereo, is an American indie rock band associated with The Elephant Six Collective, a group of bands also including Neutral Milk Hotel and The Olivia Tremor Control. The band is largely a product of lead vocalist/guitarist Robert Schneider, who writes the...
, Jefferson Airplane
Jefferson Airplane
Jefferson Airplane was an American rock band formed in San Francisco in 1965. A pioneer of the psychedelic rock movement, Jefferson Airplane was the first band from the San Francisco scene to achieve mainstream commercial and critical success....
, Edgar Varese, John Prine
John Prine
John Prine is an American country/folk singer-songwriter. He has been active as a recording artist and live performer since the early 1970s.-Biography:...
, The Brian Jonestown Massacre
The Brian Jonestown Massacre
The Brian Jonestown Massacre is an American eclectic musical group led by Anton Newcombe, whose music spans multiple genres including psychedelia, electronica, folk music, blues, experimental music, and many others....
, The Warlocks
The Warlocks
The Warlocks are an American rock band based out of Los Angeles. Their music has been defined as neo-psychedelia, but much of it spans multiple genres.-Music:...
, The Strokes
The Strokes
The Strokes are an American indie rock band formed in 1999 in New York City. Consisting of Julian Casablancas , Nick Valensi , Albert Hammond, Jr. , Nikolai Fraiture and Fabrizio Moretti ....
, The Casual Dots and The Monkees
The Monkees
The Monkees are an American pop rock group. Assembled in Los Angeles in 1966 by Robert "Bob" Rafelson and Bert Schneider for the American television series The Monkees, which aired from 1966 to 1968, the musical acting quartet was composed of Americans Micky Dolenz, Michael Nesmith and Peter Tork,...
.
Reception
While The Pseudo Dates have not been widely written about, in early 2008 Jeremy Bradshaw wrote a blog item on the website for the Denver alternative newspaper WestwordWestword
Westword is a free alternative weekly newspaper based in Denver, Colorado.Westword was established independently in 1977. In 1983 it was bought by New Times Media. In 2005, New Times acquired Village Voice Media, and changed its name to Village Voice Media...
reviewing the band's May 1 performance at the Larimer Lounge. He wrote that the band was "contagious" and said, they "played with a joyous abandon reminiscent of Beat Happening. Even when they slowed down the good times, the band still sounded cohesive and uplifting".
The staff of the CCD Community News, the student newspaper for the Community College of Denver where Fate attends school, chose The Pseudo Dates as its band of the month in March 2008. In an article writer Cat Howard said they had the freshest sound she's heard come out of Denver in a long time. In describing their performances Howard wrote that their "songs are well-written and performances clean, entertaining and interactive; it's not unusual to see a group of people on stage hugging the indie rockers during a set".
External links
- The Pseudo Dates on MySpace
- San Diego Reader | The Pseudo Dates
- The Pseudo Dates June 2008 Westword article
- THE PSEUDO DATES on Live Friday | KPSU
- Westword review of May 1, 2008 show at the Larimer Lounge
- Westword review of July 16, 2008 show at Hi-Dive
- Westword review of July 27, 2008 show at Lion's Lair
- Westword review of Aug. 12 2008 show at the Auraria Campus
- Singles going crappy: The Pseudo Dates come clean on their best worst dates - Denver/Boulder Decider
- The Denver Post review of January 8, 2009 show at Hi-Dive
- The Denver Post Reverb blog interview posted on May 28, 2009