The Polyphonic Spree
Led by Tim DeLaughter, the Polyphonic Spree are renowned for their happy and uplifting blend of psychedelic pop, orchestral rock, and touches of gospel. When the Dallas symphonic pop group first appeared in 2000, they were as much a band as a "happening," in the 1960s sense of the word, with the Spree's two-dozen members taking the stage in flowing robes of snowy white. They found chart success with Together We're Heavy (2004) and The Fragile Army (2007), followed by Yes, It's True (2013). After an extended hiatus, they issued a covers LP, Afflatus (2020), and returned to original songs with Salvage Enterprise (2023). The costumes changed over the years, but the Polyphonic Spree's message remained consistent, drawing comparisons to the Flaming Lips and the Beach Boys with a smidgen of lively Godspell-like attitude thrown into the mix.
The Polyphonic Spree were founded by vocalist Tim DeLaughter, who fronted the band Tripping Daisy until 1999, when a drug overdose killed his bandmate Wes Berggren. Tripping Daisy subsequently folded, and DeLaughter pulled together surviving members of the group for the Polyphonic Spree, a massive collective that admitted more than 20 new members into its fold. The band put together a demo entitled The Beginning Stages of the Polyphonic Spree and distributed it to fans during a holiday performance; a Dallas-based indie label, Good Records, later issued the release. Boasting a ten-member choir, two keyboardists, percussion, bass guitar, flute, trumpets, trombone, violin, French horn, Theremin, pedal steel, and an electronic effects wizard, the group had little trouble carving out their own unique niche.
DeLaughter emerged as the band's musical director and lead vocalist, and the Polyphonic Spree hit the road with more than a dozen full-sized vans. Despite the cumbersome nature of touring with an immense lineup, the group drew attention with their cathartic performances, including a gig during 2003's Reading Festival. The single "Follow the Day" was featured in Volkswagen commercials as well as on the Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind soundtrack, which helped the Polyphonic Spree earn even more exposure. The group's proper debut, Together We're Heavy, was co-released by Good Records and Hollywood Records during the summer of 2004, garnering the Spree additional accolades despite a vicious review by Entertainment Weekly.
Released in 2007, the Wait EP found the band moving in a darker, slightly more atmospheric direction, and they returned that summer with The Fragile Army, a reprise of the vibrant Technicolor sound of their earlier work. The group now sported black military outfits with red crosses stitched onto the front, signaling a newfound darkness that flecked The Fragile Army with brief flashes of melancholy and textured rock. As before, the Polyphonic Spree took their tent revival-esque show on the road, and the Live from Austin TX CD/DVD captured their strength as a live act later that year. In 2012, the psych-pop extravaganza decided to take on the challenge of holiday music, releasing Holidaydream: Sounds of the Holidays, Vol. 1, which found the band putting their own exuberant spin on some classic Christmas standards. Continuing to color the pop culture world with their brand of vibrant psychedelia, the group took on a cult classic and released the live album Songs from the Rocky Horror Picture Show in 2013, as well as the crowd-funded studio album Yes, It's True. A companion remix album, Psychphonic, arrived the following year. In 2021, the group released a collection of cover songs, Afflatus, followed in November 2023 by a second crowd-funded full-length, Salvage Enterprise, featuring the single "Got Down to the Soul."
© Andrew Leahey & Linda Seida /TiVo
Artistas similares
Discografía
24 álbum(es) • Ordenado por Mejores ventas
-
Salvage Enterprise
Rock - Editado por Good Records Recordings el 17 nov. 2023
Disponible en24-Bit/96 kHz Estéreo -
Afflatus
Rock - Editado por Good Records Recordings el 16 abr. 2021
Disponible en24-Bit/48 kHz Estéreo -
Section 44 (Galloping Seas)
Rock - Editado por Good Records Recordings el 19 sep. 2023
Disponible en24-Bit/96 kHz Estéreo -
Got Down To The Soul
Rock - Editado por Good Records Recordings el 20 jul. 2022
Disponible en24-Bit/96 kHz Estéreo -
The Beginning Stages of...
Alternativa & Indie - Editado por Good Records Recordings el 4 jun. 2002
Disponible en16-Bit/44.1 kHz Estéreo -
Together We're Heavy
Alternativa & Indie - Editado por Good Records Recordings el 13 jul. 2004
Disponible en16-Bit/44.1 kHz Estéreo -
Together We're Heavy
Alternativa & Indie - Editado por Good Records el 13 jul. 2004
Disponible en16-Bit/44.1 kHz Estéreo -
Live From Austin, TX
Rock - Editado por New West Records el 18 sep. 2007
Disponible en16-Bit/44.1 kHz Estéreo -
Wait
Pop - Editado por Good Records Recordings el 20 feb. 2007
Disponible en16-Bit/44.1 kHz Estéreo -
The Beginning Stages Of ...
Dance - Editado por 679 Recordings UK. Ltd. el 2 may. 2002
Disponible en16-Bit/44.1 kHz Estéreo -
Light and Day (Live from Shepherds Bush Empire, London 27/10/02)
Dance - Editado por 679 Recordings el 1 ene. 2003
Disponible en16-Bit/44.1 kHz Estéreo -
The Fragile Army
Alternativa & Indie - Editado por Good Records Recordings el 27 ago. 2007
Disponible en16-Bit/44.1 kHz Estéreo -
Holidaydream
Músicas navideñas - Editado por Cherry Red Records el 23 oct. 2012
Disponible en16-Bit/44.1 kHz Estéreo -
Two Thousand Places
Alternativa & Indie - Editado por Good Records el 22 nov. 2004
Disponible en16-Bit/44.1 kHz Estéreo -
Yes, It's True.
Alternativa & Indie - Editado por Good Records Recordings el 6 ago. 2013
Disponible en16-Bit/44.1 kHz Estéreo -
Light and Day
Dance - Editado por 679 Recordings el 1 ene. 2003
Disponible en16-Bit/44.1 kHz Estéreo -
Holidaydream: Sounds of the Holidays, Vol. One
Alternativa & Indie - Editado por Good Records Recordings el 23 oct. 2012
Disponible en16-Bit/44.1 kHz Estéreo -
Yes, It's True
Alternativa & Indie - Editado por Cherry Red Records el 28 may. 2013
Disponible en16-Bit/44.1 kHz Estéreo -
Songs from the Rocky Horror Picture Show Live (Live)
Alternativa & Indie - Editado por Concert Live Ltd el 4 mar. 2013
Disponible en16-Bit/44.1 kHz Estéreo -
Section 48 (Shadows On The Hillside)
Rock - Editado por Good Records Recordings el 17 oct. 2023
Disponible en24-Bit/96 kHz Estéreo -
Hold Me Now
Alternativa & Indie - Editado por Good Records el 28 sep. 2004
Disponible en16-Bit/44.1 kHz Estéreo