E.Joseph

What started as a singer-songwriter with a beat up acoustic guitar, an assortment of effects pedals, and a cassette boom box armed with lo-fi home recorded drum kit beats has evolved into a full band arrangement for e.joseph and the members of the phantom heart. The new album “All the Medicine in the World…” is the first real full band release from e.joseph (whose given name is Edward Joseph Neenan) and band mates Nick Porcaro--drums, Snuttock--keyboards, and Mia Regalado--bass.



For this, the third release from e., (following up on 2006’s “Absinthe Minded” and 2007’s live acoustic CD “The Rules of Intimacy”) he purposely strayed away from recording and mixing at the same studio he had for a decade and recruited the mixing talents of indie rock, shoegaze, post-punk music lifer Jason Martin in Riverside, CA. Martin, the heart and brains behind such bands as Starflyer 59 and Bon Voyage was a natural choice, says e.joseph. “I’ve been a fan of Jason and Starflyer 59 since the 90s,” he said, “and once the two of us began talking about the demos I sent him and the overall project, we discovered that we both loved many of the same bands like The House of Love, The Church, and Echo and The Bunnymen—lots of good post-punk stuff—it was a no-brainer…Jason had to mix the record.” Everyone in the band was adamant as well, including the decision to record with e.j.'s old friend Michael Collins of Glenwood Sound located near Columbia, MD. The result is the September 2008, 13 song release, “All the Medicine in the World…” on The Beechfields Record Label (www.thebeechfields.com).



In years earlier Neenan was either a founder or co-founder and principle songwriter of bands such as Fiction Bridge, 360 Loose, and Bunny. He’s also been a touring and studio "gun for hire" for major indie label power-poppers Splitsville and Mryacle Brah. While driving his various band projects throughout the late 80s and most of the 90s, Neenan supported many noteworthy and musically influential touring artists from The Church, The Lucy Show and The Connells to Throwing Muses, The Soup Dragons, Dumptruck, Tommy Keene, and The Judy Bats. More recently, e.joseph has played venues in LA, Nashville, Boston, and points up and down the east coast supporting national and international artists such as Dave Davies (The Kinks), Bettie Serveert, and Steve Wynn (The Dream Syndicate), as well as Peter Himmelman and John Easdale and Dramarama. His first solo CD, "Absinthe Minded," stepped outside of the one-person-one-guitar framework that he honed in his live shows, thus bringing e. a little more than halfway to back to a band “full-circle” mode by recruiting studio band members Joe Klompus (Jack Drag, Blake Hazzard, Letters to Cleo, Kay Hanley) on bass and drummer Dave Buckner to add more depth to about half of the 9 songs on the album. The material was a departure from the alt-rock, power-pop offerings of Neenan’s years past with a more downbeat, sparse, "light-gazer-esque" approach that still honored the impact of the memorable hook. Albeit a bit less pop thematically, the record delved into more introspective persuasions in songs like "Low Flying Aircraft," "The Necessary Evil," and "Aint Life Grand?"



The next two years that followed saw the release of a live CD from e.joseph’s Rams Head On-Stage performance with keyboardist Snuttock from July 2007 entitled "The Rules of Intimacy." But perhaps more important, was how during that time e.joseph the singer-songwriter act bloomed into a well-seasoned band with friends Porcaro on drums and the electro-industrial Snuttock on piano and synths—despite a revolving door of bass players. Even before “All the Medicine” was finished bassist Eric Donohue (formerly of Ad Frank and the Fast Easy Women) regretfully departed not just the band but the U.S. for a different life experience adventure in Africa with his wife. Almost immediately Mia Regalado joined the live and studio band midway through the recording of the new album, adding much desired backing vocals to her bass playing which had been coveted by the band more than a year earlier. Soon the band name was augmented from simply e.joseph to introduce the collective name and identity of the backing band of Porcaro, Regalado and Snuttock—The Phantom Heart (described as a heart that’s been ripped-out but still palpitates and generates pain, like that of an amputated arm or leg).



Currently, the band is pushing forward recording new songs at Mobtown Studios to follow-up to their 2009 CD maxi-single release entitled "The Ghosts Around You". A new full-length release is expected mid-year 2011.



REVIEWS:



"Baltimore’s EDWARD JOSEPH NEENAN, AKA E.JOSEPH, is a longtime soldier in the power pop wars as a trooper in SPLITSVILLE, MYRACLE BRAH and BUNNY. All the Medicine in the World, his first album with his backup band THE PHANTOM HEART, gives the singer/songwriter a chance to stretch out in a logical direction: mid-80s psychedelic alternative rock. Echo & the Bunnymen, the Church and the Psychedelic Furs are touchstones, but don’t think that E.Joseph is merely a rip-off artist. Glistening tunes like “Selfish,” “Changing Trains” and “Pulling Me Under” filter those beloved sounds through the leader’s thoughtful, heartfelt vision, resulting in a pop album that plunders the past but sounds modern. Folks with a fondness for 120 Minutes may smile knowingly at E.Joseph’s sonic aesthetic (while singing along, of course), but I guarantee younger listeners will find All the Medicine in the World… appropriately fresh, intelligent and exciting."

—Michael Toland, The Big Takeover Online



"Supremely melodic tunes in the vein of The Church and occasionally Echo and the Bunnymen from Mr. Edward Joseph Neenan who used to be in power pop faves Splitsville and Myracle Brah. Both "Drifting" and "Pulling Me Under" were soaring tunes well worth repeated listens (as are a few others). Don't miss this!"

—Dagger Zine



"Killer guitar hooks and a seminal nod to retro alternative pop-rock.

Power-pop this golden needs to be shared with anyone who will listen."

—Smother



"Elvis Costello-esque vocals amid power-pop melodies reminiscent of bands like Echo and the Bunnymen and The Church. Be sure to check out catchy 'Drifting.'"

—The Baltimore Examiner



"Above all, what E. Joseph and the Phantom Heart offer is a release from the caustic rage exhibited by so many in today's music scene, sacrificing none of the poignancy or the volume. It's the songwriting and the tight-knit interaction among the band members that makes All the Medicine in the World. an excellent debut."

—ReGen Magazine



"Pulling Me Under" selected Number 5 in the "Top 89 Songs of 2008." "I love Ed Neenan as a writer and The Phantom Heart rock."

—John Mathews, WTMD (89.7-FM, wtmd.org)



TOP RECORDS of 2008: All The Medicine In The World. "A total stand out record. Awesome production from the Starflyer 59’s Jason Martin. And incredible songs that pull from a lot of the best bands of the 1980s with out being derivitive or cliché."

—Olympus Mons.com



[Live review: The Talking Head Club, 12/12/08] ".all settings are on proverbial stun as the feedback and sustain drench the listener in a sea of ambient noise the likes of which will easily remind of Medicine, The Jesus & Mary Chain, and My Bloody Valentine, but once again with those catchy pop melodies contrasting with introspective songwriting."

—kryptych81x blog



[Live review: Fletchers, 1/5/09] "It was nice to hear songs from 2008's All The Medicine In The World . . .Their live sound is still a bit heavier.the more energetic rock sound of the closing "Selfish" helped the band leave off on a high note."

—Al Shipley, City Paper



DOWNLOAD THE NEW ALBUM!



ALL THE MEDICINE IN THE WORLD.

is also available through The Beechfields label www.thebeechfields.com,

in Baltimore at Sound Garden in Fells Point,

and now on most major digital download sites like www.emusic.com, iTunes, and others.



Download ABSINTHE MINDED on



"The Big What If" performed live in-studio on WTMD, September 2007 with Nick Porcaro on Drums and Snuttock board.



"Antenna" performed live in-studio on WTMD, September 2007 with Nick and Snuttock. Watch the clip AND check out afternoon DJ, John Matthews in the FM broadcast booth behind me:



Check out the PSA E.Joseph did for Music4Maryland. E Joseph talks about the importance of music in public schools and what music4maryland is about.



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