Album Notes

Originally performing with the jazz rock group Naked Lunch (including the Cambridge Music Festival) the Bottled guitarist, singer and songwriter Paul Brazier went on to join North London based 'college art rock' outfit The Dangerous Bananas.
The 'Bananas' provided the support act on tour for one of John Peel's favourite bands; Martian Dance and covered the London small venue/club circuit. As a side project to the Bananas, Paul was the "mad axeman" guitarist in a band set up for a rock opera and led by vocalist Tim Pope (who went on to become The Cures main video director) together with keyboard player Charlie Gray. Paul then provided the bass and driving force behind the slightly dangerous ska/punk and psychobilly bands The Xtras and The Mad Dogs along with Chris Young on guitar and Cramps/Straycats inspired John Woodman delivering the manic vocals to hi-energy live sets.
Following an invitation to work in France from ex-Press Any Key member Richard Taylor, Paul formed the five piece New Babylon. As a key songwriter for this Anglo-French rock band he created a diverse rock set that thrilled French audiences. New Babylon received some favourable UK press reactions to studio releases and gained radio airplay but failed to progress much further beyond their base in France. Without further financial backing for the project they finally split following one last extensive tour of France.
Interestingly New Babylon were uncanningly like the Kings of Leon and preceded them by a good five years.
Returning to England Paul embarked on a recording project in North London with ex-1000 violins drummer Ian Addey. Ian then moved family to South Wales to join the Welsh rock band Orange Fall and Paul returned once again to the Cambridge music scene where he had begun.... to form Bottled.

Songs From The River is a taste of completely new material recorded and produced in central Cambridge UK from the Summer of 2004 to Spring 2005. The collection is a pot-pourri of musical styles from indie-rock to funk and reggae and excessive doses of English psychedelia using classic vintage instrumentation.

Although inspired by classic British rock bands and paying tribute to Syd Barrett's Pink Floyd with the four part 'Emeralds and Diamonds' it also, and maybe most importantly, makes a distinctive, original and relevant contribution to the current UK music scene.