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The Towels They say that great music, like fine wine or a friendship worth keeping, is not something that happens overnight. Actually, in the case of The Towels, the 3 ex-patriots from Akron, Ohio who separately found their ways to the East Hollywood area, it took almost ten years of life in LA for them to bump into each other. But, after just one listen to their debut CD "A Group of Splendid Artists," you'll certainly be glad they did. The Towels were house band for Frasier Smith's "KLSX Live" broadcasts from The Laugh Factory, a quirky trio comprised of the songwriting genius and lead vocals of guitarists Noral Squizz and Leusley Aschbudt, and multi-instrumentalist Dennis Davis. As teenagers in Ohio, Noral and Dennis played together in a band called Eyes, who were the few local bands doing original music at that time. While they view their hiatus from each other's company as more of an education than it was a future, the totally worthwhile end result is a humorously poetic look at the absurdity of a culture, through that culture's musical influences of the last few decades. During that time, Noral Squizz played with many an LA band and formed Foreign Language in order to feature his own music, which gathered for itself quite a local following. Noral was also recruited by the remnants of the band The Box Tops, to play the Alex Chilton character. Jonathan Michaels, producer of Frasier Smith Live, put together a Rock 'n' Roll Review band called Saints and Sinners, which also featured Noral Squizz. Dennis Davis, who has worked as a session musician for various recording acts, is responsible for the orchestrations on The Towels' CD, as well as having produced and engineered the album. Although Leusley Aschbudt has been writing songs since he was a teenager, most of the groups he has played with, which include Chaser and Ralph & the Buicks, have been basically cover bands. While the group display an avid sense of humor, obvious in their name which was chosen simply for the baffled reaction that it would invoke upon hearing it for the first time, they are nevertheless, very serious about their songwriting. "We do not write songs following a formula. We have never sat down and said 'Let's write a pop song,' or a country song, or whatever. Every song is different, some begin with the music, some the other way around, but each one shows the direction that it will go, as it develops," says Squizz. By the way, if the group ever does decide to add back-up singers, they will call them The Moist Towelettes. Here is a review from KC Clifton from the New Artist Showcase (newartistshowcase.com): THE NEW ARTIST SHOWCASE Keith "KC" Clifton www.newartistshowcase.com kcnasc@aol.com The Towels..."A Company of Splendid Artists" is an absolute marvel! From "If You Were My Baby" to "Amazon", the current single on the New Artist Showcase. "A Company of Splendid Artists" rocks!!! "Drive Me Wild" has an awesome 80's-style sound while "Leprechaun Trousers" has an incredible 60's flavor with a touch of Jim Morrison from The Doors. Then, just when you think it's safe and you've figured out what The Towels are all about, in comes a Bowie influence with "The Step". What is so incredible about The Towels and why their fans love them so much is that "A Company of Splendid Artists" has a lovely British flair that takes listeners on a journey. Internet fans have responded in mass to The Towels "Amazon" with quotes like "Good Stuff", "They make great tunes", and "The Towels are the bomb". And The Towels are just that....The Bomb.... -KC 9/4/01 www.newartistshowcase.com Check out the artist's website: http://www.thetowels.com Track List: 1. Godzilla Christmas 2. She's My Baby Suggested CDs:Other Genres:
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