e My Life

Whether wielding a guitar, pounding a drum kit, or packing a pen, Epic Soundtracks has always been on the edge. At 12, he and his brother, Nikki Sudden, formed the Swell Maps, precocious pre-punks who doted on experimentalists like Can. The late '70s and 1980s saw him play drums for a veritable Who's Who of modern rockers including These Immortal Souls, the Red Krayola, Crime And The City Solution, and the Jacobites.

With the 1992 release of Rise Above, Epic Soundtracks emerged from behind his drum kit to become a piano-playing songwriter and singer. While the change was bound to baffle those who only knew Soundtracks from his previous bands, fans of alternative rock were drawn to the album's dark romanticism, a strange blend of Harry Nilsson and Alex Chilton. Several well-known Swell Maps fans joined Soundtracks on it, including J. Mascis, Rowland Howard, and members of Sonic Youth. Rise Above made many year-end ten-best lists, as did the follow-up,1994's Sleeping Star.

In the wake of Sleeping Star, Epic Soundtracks did a tour with Evan Dando, a longtime fan. They have been writing together and the material may be used on a forthcoming Lemonheads album.

Change My Life, produced by Primal Scream's Henry Olsen, is Soundtracks' third, and it's no coincidence that the title speaks of change. To his favorite subjects of love and loss, Soundtracks adds an unprecedented level of rock and roll energy. Musicians like Will Pepper (Thee Hypnotics) and Russ Bassman (Plush) feed the vibe. From the opening salvo of the Neil Youngian rocker "You Can Be My Baby," to the pet sounds of "Ring The Bells," to the sinisterly romantic "Wishing Well" Soundtracks retains his songs' highly-praised intimacy while juicing up their emotional and musical intensity. Pop without the pap.

Listeners wanting a taste of Soundtracks' current live band need only skip to the hidden bonus track, a medley of Big Star songs "Nightime" and "Thirteen." On that track, Soundtracks is backed by Bassman, Anthony Illarde (Lava Sutra), and Kevin Junior (The Rosehips), the same musicians who will join Soundtracks this summer in his first US full-band tour.

Despite the optimistic-sounding title, Change My Life has a dark edge that will be familiar to fans of Soundtracks' previous work. But, as Soundtracks recently explained to Billboard, there's a silver lining to his sound: "A lot of people think the songs are sad, because it's usually just piano and vocal. But I want people to go away from hearing my songs with hope. Music gets me through more than anything. I'm not being ironic or clever or kitschy. I truly believe that it's made a difference in my life."

Discography

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