Album Notes

Combining the best elements of country, folk and classic rock Topanga Canyon, California’s CITY FRITTER presents “FROM THE OCEAN TO THE DESERT” their debut full length CD release. What ARE the best elements of country? The simple honesty and grit of Loretta Lynn and Buck Owens. Folk? The storytelling of Bob Dylan and the harmonies of CSNY. Classic Rock? The ringing guitars and energy of The Beatles, Byrds and Stones. What IS CITY FRITTER? A fried-up tasty mix of all those influences flavored by the experience and creativity of songwriting duo Jewels and Johnny Nation. Incorporating and reflecting all of the varied environments and circumstances that have shaped the band and their sound.Rooted firmly in the present, listening to what’s come before,with eyes to the future - this is timeless music. “FROM THE OCEAN TO THE DESERT” sounds like a road movie- the story of Jewels and Johnny Nation as they came together in music and in life. The 10 tracks were written in Topanga Canyon and Joshua Tree, California, Baja, Mexico, on Kauai, Hawaii and on the journies between them. Each song is a little side trip down a different path – internal or external. One of the songs, the ridiculously catchy “Don’t You Know”, can be heard in the 20th Century Fox film “FLICKA” starring Tim McGraw. Listen carefully during the rodeo scene! Recorded with producer Eric Corne at Dusty Wakeman’s Mad Dog Studios, headquarters of LA’s rockin’ Americana sound, “FROM THE OCEAN TO THE DESERT” features Johnny’s warm acoustic and twangy electric guitar work perfectly complemented by Chris Lawrence’s shimmering pedal steel, 12 string and b-bender. Jewels’ expressive harmonica accents add a rootsy quality to “See You” and “I Know What To Bring” the latter a pied piper sing-along that adds mandolin and banjo on the way. Holding everything together, master drummer Fabian Jolivet kicks out a wide variety of drum styles from dirty Bakersfield shuffles to jazz inflected fills. Eric Corne lends his considerable skill on the bass as well as his incredible ear and knowledge of the vintage Neve 8088 board. Jewels and Johnny’s organic harmonies float over the carefully layered instrumentation. The result? A beautifully crafted album, each song realized to it’s fullest potential collectively adding up to a whole that's more than the sum of its parts. A complete work - clocking in just under 40 minutes, listeners will want to let it spin and take the trip “FROM THE OCEAN TO THE DESERT” again and again. “Massively talented” – Jimmie Dale Gilmore “Wild and fun” – The Sun Runner Magazine “A feel good cross between alt-country and sonic country rock” – Skratch Magazine