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"Breathe In" pulses over a majestic groove, with
swirling keyboards and skyscraping guitars matching Grundler's
advice that when you "feel heavy, make it steady, that's
all you've got. Breathe in." "Fade Out/In"
recalls Smashing Pumpkins not only for its mesmeric groove
and blaring guitars, but its barbed lyrics: "I don't
want to fade out/fade in like everybody should/I don't want
to fade out, like everything before."
Featuring a riotous Andy Blunda guitar solo, "Fade In
/ Fade Out" nails your ears to the wall. "Last Way
Out" is gentle, lyrical and modern psychedelia for the
anti-flower power set. The ethereal "Throwing Stones"
seeps into your brain like a lost summer day, chimerical guitars
and sympathetic strings underpinning Grundler's breezy falsetto
as the song rises with increased strength. When darkness is
near, stand fast is the message behind "What You Are,"
a song about determination and self-invention.
Throughout Heroes and Villains, Producer Rick Rubin's steady
hand
reveals Paloalto's great natural resource by paying remarkable
attention to detail in every track. This is evident in Grundler's
passionate pop songs that have caustic, emotional vocals,
Blunda's whiplash guitars, Black's fluid grooves and Reinert's
tight drumming.
"[Real life] is what this whole record is about,"
says Grundler. "Every song is therapeutic in a different
way and tell stories to help work out the inner demons."
Back in 2000, serendipity visited
Paloalto when Grundler's songs found a favorable ear in Rick
Rubin. Impressed with their still unfinished demo, Rubin visited
Paloalto's rehearsal studio and was stunned with what he heard.
Enchanted by their crystalline melodies and slightly cynical
worldview, Rubin quickly signed the group to American Recordings.
Rubin notes, "James has a truly unique gift for melody
and a tremendous voice to back it up. This is a lethal combination.
Heroes and Villains really pounds the point home."
The Paloalto buzz quickly grew amongst music fans as well
as musicians.
Stone Temple Pilots' Scott Weiland said, "Paloalto are
a beautiful lush adventurous pop hybrid with something much
needed in music
today.passion." About Paloalto's debut, Sugar Ray's Mark
McGrath noted, "Paloalto has made the record Radiohead
should have made. The first brilliant American record of the
millennium. A semblance of brilliance in a sea of shit."
Fred Durst of Limp Bizkit remarked, "Paloalto is a real
band with a real sound and real songs! Make no mistake that
this band has credibility and a definite career".
The Single - Fade Out/In - out on American Recordings/Mercury
Records 10/2/03
The Album - Heroes and Villains out 24//2/02
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