APOLLO 13: Lovebomb

Apollo 13

Lovebomb

© 2006 L.I.S. Publishing (837101172523)

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Imagine a rock, floating in outer space, painted in vibrant colors with electrical wires sticking out like bad hair. What you'll see is Apollo 13's Lovebomb: rock/pop/electronic music that rocks, seethes, and soars.

notes

Album Vitals:
Made possible by winning the Electronica Grand Prize in the 2004 John Lennon Songwriting Competition (http://www.jlsc.com/winner2004.html).

Produced, Engineered, Mixed, and Mastered by Mike MacFarland at Apollo 13 Studios, Lawrence, KS.

Apollo 13 Bio:
In a world of iPods and attention-deficit disorders, it takes equal measures of adroitness, ingenuity and luck to make a name in today's fickle music business. We live in an age where malleable bands can actually reap rewards. It's finally a "good thing" to be an upstart act with an overactive imagination...

"We are venting something out into space." - Apollo 13 Commander James Lovell Jr.

The space cadets in the five-piece, Lawrence, KS based Apollo 13 have pegged this famous distress call as their mantra. Eschewing industry pigeonholes, these boys have opted to throw the rulebook out the command module's cockpit window and release their sonic effluvium from all vents, hoses and fixtures. What does it smell like? It depends on your angle of approach.

From the bow you'll get a big whiff of Mike MacFarland and John Wirt's ultrasonic guitar rock, reminiscent of The Kinks and Lenny Kravitz. At the stern is the haze of MacFarland's sub-woofer pleasing electronic mixes, conjuring images of The Chemical Brothers and Massive Attack. Off the port and starboard you'll catch scents of drummer Danny Rojas and bassist Will Dinkel's R&B flavorings, steeped in the spices of The Roots and Mint Condition. Tingeing the entire odorous cocktail are the bombastic vocals of Shannon Savoie, the band's efficacious lyricist and frontman.

This olfactory mélange permeates the band's sophomore full-length album, "Lovebomb". Featuring an electro-rock vibe with hints of techno, pop and singer-songwriter flair, the disc doubly illustrates Apollo 13's maturity as song-crafters and applicability to today's mass-media markets. They are invariably comfortable in all modern musical venues: live performance, video games, feature films, television, etc. Listeners won't find it surprising that their material has successfully been placed in all of the above.

A valued ally in this cause is the 6th astronaut: the Apollo 13 digital studio. In fact, the studio is the elder, the band the progeny. Originally assembled by MacFarland and Savoie to cheaply preserve their musical musings, it began life as a discombobulated cabling mess, prone to malfunction (thus the naming reference to the similarly star-crossed NASA mission). With time and success came repairs and upgrades, eventually resulting in a finely tuned music-making machine.

The oft-elusive beast that is critical acclaim has not been a stranger. The initial pressing of "Lovebomb" was made possible by winning the Dance/Electronica Grand Prize in the 2004 John Lennon Songwriting Competition. The Apollo 13 trophy case also accommodates honors from the International Songwriting Competition and the Independent Music Awards. Internet denizens have joined the chorus as well, with recognition from esteemed music sites including purevolume.com, sonicbids and Onlinegigs.

Accompanying the album's release is a self-powered Internet and independent radio push. Live appearances throughout the Midwest are to begin in the heart of summer 2006, with tentative ventures to the coasts later in the same year. Tune all television sets and radio antennas to http://www.apollothirteen.com for up-to-date intelligence.

Apollo 13 Members:
Will Dinkel - bass, backing vocals
Mike MacFarland - lead guitar, keyboards, samples, backing vocals
Danny Rojas - drums
Shannon Savoie - lead vocals, rhythm guitar
John Wirt - guitar, backing vocals

reviews

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  • Diverse
    author: Christopher

    I like the different styles breaking up the normal redundant droning typically found in popular music. It keeps my wandering ear interested. I gave 4 out of 5 stars because the recording quality is not as great as the music is.

  • Both modern and accessible
    author: Jon Sobel

    Fusing pop, rock and electronica allows new bands to get away with old-fashioned (e.g. meaningful) songwriting without sounding dated or uncool. All sorts of comparisons come to mind listening to Apollo 13’s new CD: Elvis Costello with a dance beat, Power Station, Cat Stevens, Deep Purple, even The Who (”Oh I can see for miles, but I still can’t find the end,” they croon in “No Sign of Land”). The band’s success on college-centric Purevolume.com and at getting video and game placements bears witness to its hipness. The hard-rock screamer “The Bomb” leads into the smooth techno of “Interference,” followed by the melodic “Up Up & Away” which spreads 80s-style harmonies over a thumping dance beat. “Rollin’ On” takes on hard southern-rock, with Shannon Savoie’s amped-up tenor shredding the high notes. The slinky “Another Lovely Day” suggests Robert Palmer recorded underwater, “Grandiose Palaces” sounds like Queen meeting the Turtles, and there’s a bit of soul in “Landslide to Oblivion.” Yet there’s consistent melodic and lyric depth beefing up the clever creativity of the production. Its songs interspersed with theatrical instrumental interludes, Lovebomb isn’t quite categorizable, yet it’s both modern and accessible. That’s a tough thing to pull off. These lines from “Rollin’ On” sum up Apollo 13’s union of the tried-and-true with the up-to-the-minute: “I’m a-rollin’ down this old highway / Gonna find me a brand new life / Well I’m a-rollin’ rollin’ on / Don’t bother checking your GPS system girl / ‘Cause I’m gone yeah.”

  • Editor's Pick
    author: Smother Magazine

    While they’ve been garnering some awards in the dance/electronica competitions, Apollo 13’s best song might be their dance-punk pop hit “The Bomb”. But with that said, there’s plenty of sweet synth work and disco beats to keep it raw and unbridled. Fantastic catchy hooks are populated alongside gnarly melodic vocals and acid lines. Textures are thick with poppy rhythms and sweeping ambient synths. A popular outfit on Purevolume, and one that’s established themselves with the grand prize in the 2004 John Lennon Songwriting Competition for Dance/Electronica as well as an appearance in an XBox game, film trailer for “Eros”, and a Nike commercial, Apollo 13’s limit may only be the moon.

  • excellent rhythm
    author: anup ramani

    well compiled CD, most songs have great rhythm.Guitar sounds fabulous!!

  • Smokin', baby
    author: SECKMF

    I can't take it out of my CD player...it's that good, man. A13 is unique and refreshing, and Lovebomb is a must-have. Don't allow yourself to miss out any longer.

  • Apollo 13 rocks!!!
    author: Jade

    "Lovebomb" is the tightest, sharpest, most kick ass album to come out of the midwest since.... well it's been a long time. I can't get "The Bomb" out of my head. Rockin' groove, killer vocals, Apollo 13 is the real deal. Don't be the last kid on your block to be in the know. Check it out now!

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