Bryan Snyder
Underbelly
© 2004 Monofo Music (670213262221)
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An album charged with acoustic guitar melodies that is further enhanced by great vocal lines and harmonies. This is the first solo project by singer/songwriter Bryan Snyder, and his first release in this genre. Sponsored by the letters 'U' and 'B'.
tracks
- 1 Driftwood
- 2 Benchwarmer
- 3 Alibi
- 4 Control
- 5 Textures
- 6 As It Was
- 7 Falling Star
- 8 Ages
- 9 Sleepless
- 10 Doghouse
- 11 Far & Few
- 12 Thunder
- 13 Spackle
- 14 What The World Needs
- 15 Down
- 16 The End
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ABOUT THE ARTIST
Bryan Snyder is originally from Bowling Green, Ohio. He moved to Tucson, Arizona in 1983 with his parents because of changes in child labor laws that all but eliminated the available employment for the 9 year old population. Bryan started playing guitar virtually after moving to Tucson at the early age of 16; a time when the grunge movement was about to hit and give rock music a much-needed facelift. The year was 1990. His early influences were bands such as Metallica, Megadeth and The Beatles. Between midnight and mid-day skateboard sessions, Bryan learned how to play guitar through the assistance of chord charts, tablature, and wearing out cassette tapes attempting to emulate his musical heros.
Within 3 years of first learning to play guitar and just after graduating high school, Bryan's first band, Racer Café, was formed and began gigging around the local Tucson area. Alternative rock was king, and all kings had long hair, wore flannel shirts, and wore combat boots. Playing live sets on local television and radio programs, Racer Café generated a mild buzz that climaxed with the release of their first and only full-length cassette tape, Brainstorm. Newly formed radio station 92.1 KFMA played "Now," a track from Brainstorm, on its program called 'The New Music Test Department' through early 1996.
With the rise and fall of Racer Café came the birth of Th!nkAdectomy in late 1996. Unlike the quintet that was Racer Café, Th!nka was a power trio and Bryan's first exposure to being the only guitarist in the band as well as taking over the lead vocal duties. With a harder edge, a focus on taking the road less traveled musically, and by just being themselves, the band stormed out into the local scene. Together for 3+ years, the band wrote and performed over 40 original songs, released two cassette EP's titled "4 song demo" and "Equilibrium" respectively, and participated on a national compilation CD released by MAS titled "Even More Corporate Rock" in the fall of 1999. Songs from that compilation were heard on MTV's The Real World, but there is still no confirmation that the Th!nkAdectOmy track was played. Th!nkAdectOmy was also nominated in the local Tucson Weekly newspaper as one of the best new bands of 1997 and one of the best hard rock bands in 1998.
2000 - 2003 was a blur of band and band member changes that came to a head when Toehook, an offspring of Th!nkAdectOmy, took a second hiatus. This was the motivation leading to the July 2003 phone call, initiating a meeting with Jim Pavett that began the Underbelly project. Bryan was already working on solo material at home and recording it through his home studio, but it lacked the feel and depth he was looking for. Enter Allusion Studios in July of 2003.
Fast-forward to July 2004; the time at which this document was written. Bryan just released his first solo album titled 'Underbelly'. This is his 6th studio effort and his 6th overall release. Literally thousands of people have heard and/or owned a medium containing his musical efforts. Many have been moved by his music already. Underbelly has the content and ability to exceed that beyond his wildest dreams.
Although Bryan is an accomplished guitarist and vocalist, he prides himself both on his distinct style and his ability to write songs. His musical influences continue to broaden and can be heard in most of his songs. Yet, no one song sounds like any particular artist. He has written over 130 songs in his career and recorded approximately 45 of them throughout his various projects.
ABOUT THE ALBUM
Bryan Snyder's debut album "Underbelly" is a collection of songs both from his solo and band songwriting efforts. With the exception of "Sleepless" which was co-written with Aaron Massari, Bryan wrote all of the music and lyrics for the entire CD. He has truly challenged himself with this release as it touches many different musical facets that have influenced his writing style over the years. From hard-hitting songs, such as "Spackle" that is about one friend trying to patch up a two-sided friendship, to almost folk music with "What The World Needs", which is about mankind ignoring the warnings of mother earth, the listener is pleasantly surprised from track to track with a wide variety of styles that all seem to flow together in this 16 song release. "Falling Star", a tribute to the untimely death of Bryan's cousin Jason DeWitt, is an eerie track, intentionally standing out from the rest of the songs on the album, which will make the hairs on the back of your neck stick up. By listening to this, you can tell he really pushed himself musically in a direction that he had not previously explored.
This album was recorded at Allusion Studios in Tucson, Arizona by Jim Pavett, produced by both Jim and Bryan. Bryan, with the aid of Jim, hired professional musicians to play on "Underbelly"; a completely new concept to him. Previously, Bryan had always recorded with a band. This time, he needed to pay attention to every aspect of the recording process, from concept to final inlay designs, and help convey to the musicians what the desired end results were to be.
For a complete list of musicians that performed on "Underbelly" and lyrics, refer to the CD inlay or visit www.knutz.net
reviews
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Clever artistic
author: JohnI found Bryan on Myspace and really dig As It Was. That song is so moving. Then I heard Falling Star and was blown away. I hope he continues to write songs with that much emotion.
i love u
author: budoori love massary he is my best singeer i like that he send 4 me all his son writen my email sweety_baby_cool@hotmail.com mu best song real love thanku
Original
author: Michelle MendozaI'm not much of a writer. Really liked the CD. Especially Falling Star. Very deep and touching. That song alone is worth the cost of the CD.
Pleasing to the ear and pocketbook
author: Barb RiversI think a review I read earlier said it. Bang for the buck. 17 songs for under $10 is a steal, especially when they are as well written as the songs contained on Underbelly. Bryan's CD is awesomely diverse and will satisfy almost any musical mood. Well done, Bryan.
Soulful, original, and talent-filled
author: Rob Whittenin 1995 I heard Dave Matthews for the first time. I hated it. It was so foreign sounding. 11 years later DMB is by far my favorite band. I say this because when I first heard Underbelly by Bryan Snyder, I felt the same way as I did when I first heard DMB. Not being one to make the same mistakes, I came back and listened to it again. It started growing on me. I'm not as fond of the heavier songs, but the opener "Driftwood" and "As It Was" are my 2 favorites. If you are looking for quality music that should be on every radio in the world, buy this CD ASAP. If you are looking for something that sounds like what is currently on the radio, this is probably not the CD for you.
Talented. Original. Original. Original.
author: Melissa JohnstonThis is the most original sounding CD I have heard this year. Bryan has a unique style and his talent as a songwriter is showcased in this CD. I was awe-struck with As It Was, Falling Star, Down, and Ages. There are gems on this CD that I hope get recognized by everyone. This is the kind of music that deserves to be on the radio.
A melting pot of rock, pop, and folk influences
author: Robert HughesActually, I give it 4.5 stars. A hodge-podge of rock, pop, and folk influences melded into a unique style that is simplistically brilliant. The only fault I found in "Underbelly" was that there was so much to take in ... and that isn't the fault of the artist as much as it is today's society, where, in general, attention span is seriously lacking. The artist (I'll refer to him as Bryan from here on out) did a great job of mixing the different styles within the cd from song to song as there is a lot of genre ground covered in the 16 songs. Make sure you pop this CD in the computer as there is a video of what appears to be the studio session on the song "Spackle". Also, there is a psuedo-hidden track at the end, which is an alternate, all acoustic version of "Falling Star". There are some great tracks on this CD including my favorites Far and Few, As it Was, Falling Star, Down, and What the World Needs. Bryan Snyder's 'Underbelly' is definately a bang for the buck buy worth every penny. Buy it today.
You must obtain this cd!
author: Jessica MatrazzoI bought this cd without the ability to listen ahead of time (my soundcard was broken). I was not in the least disappointed. This album impressed me from start to finish. I love variety when it comes to music, and this cd delivers in a beautiful, funky and thought-provoking manner. My husband even enjoyed it (I think he's got it stashed somewhere...) - and he's hard to please. Highly recommended!
Spastically Wonderful
author: Chris TimmonsUsing all tools available to an artist, Bryan Snyder composed not just songs, but emotions. Being his first project and kicking out 16 though-provoking, head-bobbing, melody-catching songs is incredible. The sound quality of this cd is something you would expect from a "mainstream" studio. Here is one listener that is sold and hoping that this is just the tip of the iceberg from the Bryan Snyder Project.
Original, unique, and worth every penny
author: Mike WilsonThis CD has a unique, but very listenable style. Bryan's vocals are original, which can take a little while to get used to if you're looking for something familiar (aka corporate radio garbage). The songs groove and the recording sounds very crisp. This CD is definately worth the $$$. I just found the sort of hidden track and video as well. Way cool.
Fresh and original.
author: Jeff SalazarFresh. Original. Catchy. I like it.
Unquestionably progressive, surprisingly melodic, and very listenable.
author: Aaron MassariBryan Snyder’s unique brand of song-writing is undoubtedly a force to be reckoned with, and his first solo release, “Underbelly,” is no exception. Although this current project takes a step in the acoustic-rock direction, many of the tunes in this collection are classic examples of Snyder’s unorthodox song-writing approach. From the first notes of “Driftwood” pounded out on a keyboard, it is clear that this album represents a departure from Snyder’s previous recordings. Like many of the tracks on the album, the song is quickly filled with what seems to be a room full of guitars and other instrumentation. The vocals throughout the album are edgy, perhaps reminiscent of Dave Mustaine, but well-harmonized in most cases. Snyder changes keys mid-song and often mid-verse in ways that are surprisingly fluid. Although it is difficult to categorize the musical style, many of the tracks recall the keyboarded bliss of FNM and the melodic punch of Kings X. Particularly noteworthy tracks include “Far and Few”, “Falling Star”, and my personal favorite, “Control”. To be somewhat critical of an otherwise great album, 17 tracks are a lot to swallow at once, no matter how good the music. It would be easy for the average listener to get lost in the shear magnitude of “Underbelly”, and the focus of the album could have been better defined with a fraction of the material. That being said, this is a problem that many musicians would love to have. Overall, the chord progressions here are unusual, the mood changes are great, and the song-writing is impressive. With “Underbelly”, Bryan Snyder has produced an album that is unquestionably progressive, yet surprisingly melodic and listenable.