Album Notes

This record is a catchy collection of pop tunes with just the right mix of jangle and melancholy to convince you this band plays from the heart. From the opening, "Let's ditch this haunted house and catch a bus downtown"(Runaway) to "Now that my heart is gone, I'm a harmless man" (Amputate), the songs could be a soundtrack for most of our lives. One reviewer (NotLame.com) says "Saving Faded Dreams" is "Absolutely fantastic jangle-pop par-excellance! Imagine Del Amitri and REM-insprired Byrds jangle and you have The Strawmen. Oceans of gorgeous jangle, an army of melodic hooks and thought-provoking lyrics."

The Strawmen are:
Bill Harmon: Lead singer, lyricist, guitarist, and songwriter. . .Bill once upon a time had the rare opportunity to pitch some songs to the late Johnny Cash in person. The Man in Black didn't care for those particular tunes, but appreciated Bill's spunk (Bill had chased Cash down in an open field on Cash's property) and told him to "never put that guitar down". Bill has never been quite sure of the wisdom of that advice.

Mark Harmon: Bassist, guitarist, songwriter, background vocalist, recording engineer, and producer. . .Mark's love for the bass shows in his lyrical approach to the instrument. If you like bass parts that contribute to the atmosphere as well as provide a rock-solid bottom end, then you'll like Mark's playing. Check out the sample from Track 12 ("I Don't Live There Anymore") to get a flavor. Mark and Bill are brothers.

David Leonhardt: Main guitarist, keyboardist, songwriter, and hook-meister extraordinaire. . .David's inspiration for many of his guitar parts comes from Johnny Marr of "The Smiths". You can hear Dave's chimey melodies particularly well on "Can't Satisfy," "Saving Faded Dreams," and "The Reason Why."

"Saving Faded Dreams" also features:
Mike Roe: Producer, guitarist, background vocalist and relentless promoter. Mike is on the road a lot doing solo gigs and playing with "The Lost Dogs" and "The 77s". Mike's tasteful electric and acoustic guitar work is all over the record.

Bruce Spencer: Drummer for "The 77s", Bruce volunteered to play drums on this record just because he liked the songs. He's a musician's musician.

Scott Reams: Percussion and post-production work.