Delivering its own incarnation of the Rolling Thunder Revue, Trampoline Records brought down the House of Blues in Hollywood on Tuesday night. The three-hour event showcased many of their Greatest Hits Vol. 1 artists: Mavis, Happily Ever After, The Hangups, Evan Frankfort, Rusty Truck, Jeff Trott, Phil Cody, Gary Jules, Peter Himmelman, Gingersol, Minibar, Jukebox Junkies, and Pete Yorn. With thirteen 10-minute sets divided by pit-stop set changes and culminating in a grand finale jam, the enthusiastic and receptive crowd soon discovered that a restroom break was just plain risky. This was a sonic adventure that demanded your devoted attention. Rightfully pleased with the evening's success--OK, and how much fun it was--Trampoline Records has future hopes of taking their show on the road. Stay tuned to trampolinerecords.com for tour news, and be prepared for this rock to roll your way.
-- Sessa/H.F.
Reviews:
Variety
Singer-songwriter Pete Yorn and Wallflower Rami Jaffee started Trampoline
Records with the laudable aim of "exposing the world to good music." The
label's maiden release, "Greatest Hits Vol. 1" shows they are serious about
fulfilling their promise, collecting 18 tracks that smartly update Los
Angeles' folk-rock tradition, giving focus to the loosely knit scene
centered in small clubs such as the Hotel Cafe and Largo. But at the House
of Blues Tuesday night, the collective conviviality and bonhomie trumped the
talents of the individual musicians.
In the spirit of the evening, Yorn and Jaffee mostly stayed in the
background, introducing the bands, and backing up various musicians -- Yorn
on drums and Jaffee on various keyboards. Forced to fit 13 acts and a final
jam into a three-hour window, the show was structured like an old battle of
the bands, with everyone sharing equipment and most acts limited to two
songs. While this allowed a broad range of musicians to be heard, none of
them really had a chance to make a strong impression. Adding to the
evening's limited tonal range was that many of the acts draw from similar
sources -- "Rubber Soul"-era Beatles, the Byrds and Bob Dylan.
Self-sustaining bands fared better in this format, with the Hang Ups'
sprightly pop and Minibar's urgent Brit pop being the standouts. Among the
singer-songwriters, Peter Himmelman's skewed rock; Phil Cody's wry, Warren
Zevon-styled tunes; and Gary Jules' elegant folk came off strongest. And
fronting Rusty Truck, photographer-video director Mark Seliger proved he is
just as comfortable performing with musicians as he is photographing them.
But everyone seemed most at ease during the Yorn-led jam, bashing out
scruffy loose-limbed covers of Elvis, Dylan and the Beatles. Playing just
for fun, the musical affinities and obvious affection that were the impetus
for forming the label were most apparent.
-- by Steven Mirkin
LA Music Scene
Tuesday night at the House of Blues ushered in one of the most exciting new musical developments in the LA music scene. This night marked the launch party of Trampoline Records, a new record label established back in September by Pete Yorn, Rami Jafee of The Wallflowers, and Marc Dauer of Jukebox Junkies--a label created to offer an outlet to good old-fashioned rock and roll, the kind banked in country/folk roots and classic rock tradition. Anyone already familiar with Pete Yorn's music (which should be all of you!) already knows his gritty rhythms and soulful lyrics and how listening to his songs can recall fond memories of the way good rock music used to be. Now, take Pete, add twelve more of the most talented up-and-coming bands around, and what do you get? The Trampoline Records launch party.
All of this talent, one night, one stage: Mavis, Happily Ever After, The Hangups, Evan Frankfort, Rusty Truck, Jeff Trott, Phil Cody, Gary Jules, Peter Himmelman, Gingersol, Minibar, Jukebox Junkies and Pete Yorn. Whew! With so many bands, it's impossible to do each one justice. To touch on just a few...Gary Jules was obviously held in high regard by both the other bands and the patrons of the HOB this evening as "Mr. Hotel Cafe", and brought some thoughtful observations of Los Angeles with his songs. Phil Cody brought a unique passion to the stage that proved to be infectious with the crowd. Peter Himmelman, while certainly an exceptionally talented singer and guitarist, also provided some very entertaining comic relief. The Hangups brought with them a bit of a Beatles influence, with their appealing pop beats. Minibar, as always, blew the house away. Without bringing too much bias into it, they are without a doubt one of the most promising emerging talents around Los Angeles today. And Pete Yorn. Nothing needs to be said - he never fails to astound. Whether it's his passion, his talent, or his affability, you name it, he's got it and then some.
The format of the show at first seemed unworkable. Only 2-3 songs per band? It didn't seem like enough time or space for the artists to really show what they had. But soon enough, this unusual format turned from unrealistic to pretty smart. Turns out, just two songs by performers gives you at least enough of an insight into where they've come from, and what direction they're heading, to give you a sense of their musical style. Plus, with 13 bands playing, the clock doesn't stop, so compacting the set lengths is fairly essential to maintaining an interactive and involved crowd. Most impressive was the time between bands, or rather the lack of time. One band was off, the next on, within 3-5 minutes of each other. And if any technical difficulties arose, not to fear, Rami Jafee is here, working his other job of the evening: stand up comedian. (He and Peter Himmelman really could work some magic together...)
In the midst of all of the incredible songs, fun atmosphere, and excitement over a record label that has been long awaited by some of us, one thing stood out this night - collaboration. This was not a night of opening acts and main acts, nor of fame or popularity. This was a perfect display of some of the most incredible, rising musicians around, coming together to create some truly amazing music, pure and simple. From Chris Joyner of Mavis who played in several other acts including Jeff Trott and Peter Himmelman, to Malcolm Cross of Minibar and Rami Jafee, both of whom played in just about every band of the night, and culminating brilliantly in the collective JamFest as the show's finale, complete with a rocking cover of Elvis' "Suspicious Minds" with Pete Yorn's vocals, collaboration was the name of the game. And it certainly paid off. The House of Blues was filled with more promising new music than has been seen around LA in a long while. Thank you Trampoline Records, because it's about time.
For more information on Trampoline Records, or to order the Trampoline Records Greatest Hits Vol. 1 CD (do yourself a favor and grab this one), please visit http://www.trampolinerecords.com.
-- by Jenn Cassie
Hollywood Reporter
In celebration of their new label, Trampoline Records, singer-songwriter
Pete Yorn and friends threw a three-hour hootenanny featuring a mix of local
up-and-coming talent like Mavis and former major-label artists including
Peter Himmelman and Minibar.
Yorn, Wallflowers keyboardist Rami Jaffee and Jukebox Junkies frontman Marc
Dauer launched the indie label in September with "Trampoline Records:
Greatest Hits Vol. 1." The compilation, distributed exclusively at Barnes &
Noble stores, features previously unreleased tracks from Yorn and Dauer, a
song from Jaffee's side project, Sake Sushi Orchestra, and material culled
from the trio's L.A.-centric circle of singer-songwriter friends, many with
folk, rootsy rock and y'alternative leanings.
At the showcase, a staggering lineup of 13 acts, whose members regularly
collaborate with each other on record and onstage, mixed and matched their
players -- Yorn filled in on drums for upbeat rockers the Hang-Ups, and
Jaffee contributed keys, accordion and jesterlike humor for virtually
everyone. This, and the fact that each act had time for only a couple songs,
made it hard to differentiate between sets and gave the night the feel of a
long jam session, albeit with plenty flashes of standout virtuosity.
Following a few generic, driving rock acts, Rusty Truck, who, on play with
Jakob Dylan on "Greatest Hits," featured the beautiful, melodic voice of
singer/rock photographer Mark Seliger. Skinny, spectacled acoustic guitarist
and singer Phil Cody rocked the house with his big, resonant,
ragged-round-the-edges voice. Neo-folkster Gary Jules moved the crowd with
buoyant vocals and offbeat, lyrical observations of Los Angeles. And
Himmelman's free-form, rollicking rock and witty, improvised lyrics had the
crowd howling.
Yorn -- whose 2001 debut, "musicforthemorningafter" (Columbia), received
critical acclaim -- finished off the night. In his slightly raspy baritone,
the folk-rock star delivered kicking versions of "Hunter Green," from the
compilation, and Elvis' "Suspicious Minds."
False starts, onstage jokes about tuning problems and shouts to friends in
the half-full house all underscored the night's informal, down-home vibe,
which smacked of the collective's unplugged get-togethers at the L.A.
singer-songwriter hangout Hotel Cafe. It also suggested how Trampoline, with
its familylike roster and artist-owned, co-op mentality, offers the city's
blossoming singer-songwriter scene a nice alternative to the handful of
impersonal major labels.
-- by David Wollock
About Trampoline Records
Trampoline Records was founded in 2002 by Rami Jaffee, Marc Dauer and Pete Yorn, who combined, have a lifetime of experience in the music industry. Rami Jaffee plays keyboards with the Wallflowers among many others; Marc Dauer is former frontman for Five Easy Pieces and is the founder of Jukebox Junkies; Pete Yorn has had critical success as a solo artist. With a combined appreciation of great music and talented friends, "Trampoline Records Greatest Hits Vol. 1" will be the first of many releases to come.
