A master of warm and colorful power-pop, Evan Dando recently re-formed his celebrated band The Lemonheads to record a new self-titled album. Dando performs a solo set from WXPN and World Cafe Live in Philadelphia along with an appearance by the Canadian pop-rock band The Dears.
The Lemonheads came to prominence in the early '90s with It's A Shame About Ray, which included the hit title track as well as a rousing cover of Simon and Garfunkel's "Mrs. Robinson." After a string of follow-ups that ranged from pop to country to rock, Dando folded the band and took a long hiatus, but he re-emerged in 2003 with a solo album, Baby I'm Bored. His new incarnation of The Lemonheads, which includes the rhythm section from California punk band The Descendents, picks up where he left off, trafficking in the sly, winsome pop that made Dando omnipresent 15 years ago.
The Dears' members play a distinct brand of indie-pop music that sounds simultaneously easy-going and groundbreaking. With a layered sound accented by whimsical, ethereal vocals, the group has been around in various incarnations since 1995, with the only constant being singer Murray Lightburn. After touring constantly and releasing its 2003 breakthrough, No Cities Left, the band was finally acknowledged by Canada's Juno Awards in 2004 — for Best New Group, no less. The Dears' new album is the brightly winning, inappropriately titled Gang of Losers.
Copyright 2006 XPN
