Telescopes [ENHANCED]

Waking Ashland

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 13, 2006)
• Original Release Date: June 13, 2006
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Enhanced
• Label: Immortal
• ASIN: B000FIHJN8
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #171,018 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

About the Artist
Waking Ashland, a band formed during the re-emergence of independent rock, merges the energy of artists like Jimmy Eat World and Weezer with the songwriting craft of Elvis Costello and Joe Jackson to create something both original and beautiful.

Since I grew up playing piano, I always wanted to integrate the emotion of the piano-based singer/songwriters like Elton John and Billy Joel with the edginess of bands like the Pixies and Husker Du explains lead vocalist/keyboardist Jonathan Jones.

And yet, ironically, we do not sound anything like our influences. They merely served as emotional guides to help us integrate keyboards into our music without sacrificing the sonic impact of the guitars.

Formed in November 2003, the San Diego-based Waking Ashland began to take shape after Jonathan Jones met co-founding members Ryan Lallier and Thomas Lee at college and began recording their promising debut EP, I Am For You. The EP not only received critical acclaim, but went on to sell over 10,000 copies, without retail distribution apart from shows and the bands website.

In 2004, the addition of Andrew Grosse on bass completed the line-up. The groups first real tour--a spring headlining runwas followed almost immediately with a July-August stint on the Vans Warped Tour and non-stop touring thereafter.

The only touring break we have taken was to record our first album. Says Jones, The constant touring stems from our philosophy that real bands are created on the road, not in the studio.

Nonetheless, the group did take December 2004 off to record their full-length debut Composure, released May 10th on Tooth & Nail Records. Composure is a potent dose of emotionally-driven guitar rock fused with piano-based rhythms. Recorded at Water Music Studios with producer Lou Giordano (Ataris, Taking Back Sunday), the album showcases each of the genuine components that have made Waking Ashland so appealing from the start.

We chose Lou not only because of his recent successes, but because of his earlier work with bands like Sunny Day Real Estate and Sugar, Jones explains. From the start Lou liked our natural sound and his only goal was to enhance it and capture it.

Giordanos touch is evident, as the albums diverse dynamics range from the atmospheric opening of crisp piano and vocals on Shades Of Grey to the infectious chorus of I Am For You and the deeply adorned orchestral arrangement of Sing Me To Sleep.

Jones concludes, For us, it is all about songwriting and presentation. How can we write songs to the best of our ability and present them in the most engaging way possible. It is not an easy task. We are a young band. Were just getting started.

Product Description
The Complete JAPANESE EP featuring 7 NEW Songs and 2 NEW Videos.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars wake up, March 14, 2007

By	Heather Rhinehart "Heather" (CA) - See all my reviews

So you like the catchy and melodic tunes from such bands as The Classic Crime, well then you should run out and pick up this album. I promise you that you will not be disappointed. It is amazing, and I was impressed immediately. You should buy the CD, and catch a live show or two afterwards. They are a incredibly hardworking band, and I'm very impressed with the effort put forth on this disc. I recommend you stay tuned for more to come as well.

5.0 out of 5 stars Never gets old, March 13, 2008

By	Kevin J. Ruhf - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

After the great success of "Composure," the "Telescopes" EP is possibly one of those gems of music which is often overlooked. When I first got this cd back in 2006, I initially got it because of hearing tracks such as "julian" and "Flowers..." online. That same year I took that cd on a road-trip across country, and though it wasn't the only cd I listened to it did get a lot of play time. Two years later, the melodies of waking ashland (RIP) are still getting stuck in my head. This cd is nothing but a catchy and brilliant piece of artistry which most likely, if you appreciated "Composure," will never get old.

Be sure to check out "We shot the moon" - Jonathan's new band with two guys from the band Sherwood. They sound awesome and very much like Waking Ashland did on "Telescopes" and its predecessor "Composure"

5.0 out of 5 stars Love the CD, February 9, 2008

By	John A. Yowan - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is great music. The CD even included some music videos that I could play on the computer.