Album Notes

Still maturing from a childhood project that combined brothers Sean and Jimmy Galloway’s first names, The Shimmies have created a self-appointed genre for themselves, which they lovingly refer to as “home school rock.”

Much the way a home schooled child’s take on a book may have less to do with the collective opinion of their peers, so does The Shimmies’ take on pop music stand apart from the collective pretense of our generation. Sean and Jimmy started out in the late 90’s as an acoustic two piece, and before that as kids trying to perfect difficult harmonies by panning Simon and Garfunkel’s Wednesday Morning 3AM on their small cassette deck boom box. They’ve since plugged in and added younger brother Stephen on bass and long time friend Jack Gingerich on drums.

The Shimmies’ music has come a long way since inception, but it’s defining characteristic remains angelic harmonies from the bands two front men, giving them a magical quality similar to that of The Avett Brothers or Fleet Foxes. A quality that Craig Gordon of The Delta Mirror claims directly contributed to the success of their single "He Was Worse Than The Needle He Gave You." With a sound that also garners comparisons to the likes of Band of Horses, Jeff Buckley, and Sigur Ros, in To All Beloved Enemies, The Shimmies have written a lyrically powerful record for a generation who puts little to no emphasis on lyrical content.

Having won The Chico News & Review's "C.A.M.M.I.E. Awards" three years consecutively, The Shimmies have also already won the musical hearts and minds of their native Chico, CA. Presently, The Shimmies’ sights are set on sharing their music with a greater audience, with the national release of To All Beloved Enemies along with an upcoming tour of the US in late 2010.

While other bands look to the future or to a time before they were born for inspiration, The Shimmies continue to make their home school rock. Rather than steal from their parents music, they’ve updated the music they grew up with, adding a more contemporary anthemic quality to our favorite 90’s memories.



Press Quotes:

"The Shimmies are probably without question the most talented band I've seen in this part of the country." - Bill Fishkin, Synthesis Magazine

"The Shimmies' songs are packed with a strong sense of atmosphere, layered with beautiful harmonies, piano and guitars that shift effortlessly from spacey passages to distorted riffing and solos. Their music also packs quite an emotional wallop, thanks in large part to the range of the vocals, which are just as likely to bask in the hushed beauty of a quiet melody as they are to tear the house down with a fierce scream." - Landon Moblad, Chico News & Review

"Like many albums of our generation, To All Beloved Enemies is a throwback, not to a forgotten genre, but rather to a time when a musician wasn't something just anyone could be, a time when pop music was written by a chosen few tortured ambassadors to the human condition.” – Craig Gordon of The Delta Mirror

"...their sound reminiscent of Grizzly Bear meets Conor Oberst meets a Jeff Buckley-fronted Band Of Horses. High-arching guitar build-ups, resonating vocals and drum skins hit like they’re going out of fashion make their upcoming album “To All Beloved Enemies” sound like a truly genuine and emotional take on well-written rock music." --listenbeforeyoubuy.net

"The Shimmies are well-versed in rock 'n' roll's beautifully pock-marked history--introspective and loud, elegant and ramshackle. This is a lifestyle more than a rock band. If you're listening, congratulations on your impeccable taste."
--Mark Lore, TheDaysofLore.com