Press Reviews
IEMA's, SCMA's, OCMA's
Music Awards
Best Song and Best Indie Band @ The Inland Empire Music Awards (inlandempiremusicawards.com)
Best Indie Band @ The Orange County Music Awards (orangecountymusicawards.com)
Best Indie Band @ The Southern California Music Awards (southerncaliforniamusicawards.com)
"...Is Good" w/ Jon Hershfield
killradio.org
Ann Lynn's live acoustic performance and interview w/ Jon Hershfield for "...Is Good" on KILLRADIO.ORG, 8/21/06.
DOWNLOAD INTERVIEW AT: http://www.radio4all.net/proginfo.php?id=19428
Dreamy and Dreary
OC Weekly
Live Review
Dreamy and Dreary
By ELLEN GRILEY
Thursday, April 6, 2006 - 3:00 pm
HELL AT NIGHT, ANN LYNN, THE MINOR CANON
DETROIT BAR, COSTA MESA
THURSDAY, MARCH 30
It’s pouring rain in Santa Ana as I write this, which means it’s most likely snowing in Big Bear—and this, in turn, means great news for you and me. In fact, if were it up to me, it’d snow in Big Bear every single day for the next five years, if only so Ann Lynn’s Pool brothers—Josh and Matt, singer/guitarist and drummer, respectively—would have no choice but to hole themselves inside a cabin and keep writing the types of songs that are typically found only in the basements and garages of Pacific Northwest bookworm bands. But that’s purely selfish and, thankfully, not the case: after all, this is Southern California we’re talking about, not Oregon or Washington, so our snowstorms dilute rather easily into rainstorms, affording Josh and Matt the luxury of ditching their small-town solitude once or twice a week—a week!—to join band mates Tim Stafford and Steve Dunlap for shows in the Big City—or, well, Costa Mesa. Specifically: a Thursday night at Detroit Bar, with Ann Lynn playing middles on a bill between LA’s honest-to-god stellar sad-pop sextet the Minor Canon and last-minute fill-ins/Pixies-in-a-can/twin construction dudes by day, rockstar duo by night Hell at Night. It was all so dreamy (and dreary) that for a night ....Detroit.... became ....Seattle....: on songs such as “Coward’s All the Rage,” Ann Lynn proved Death Cab for the Wilco set, delivering infectious-if-not-very-threatening melodies bolstered by Josh’s gotta-get-out-of-this-place lyrics and the band’s Barsuk-or-Bust! precision. And yes, at times, Ann Lynn were a half-step away from being labeled too whitewashed or derivative, but fortunately it was a big half-step—you can write off a band for listening to Transatlanticism too much, but you can’t write off the thruth: wedding rings on every young band member’s left hand; references to late nights with a Bible and a pack of cigarettes; whispered memories of the snow falling outside the window. Turns out small towns and freezing temperatures will always make boys pick up acoustic guitars and start confessing secrets; we just forget sometimes we’ve got one or two of those towns—and a handful of those boys—close by.
VIEW ARTICLE AT: http://www.ocweekly.com/music/music/live-review/24894/
This Week in Red Hot Rockers
OC Weekly
Thursday, 16 February 2006
By Arrissia Owen Turner
Nominated for Best Song and Best Indie Rock band at the Inland Empire Music Awards in January, Ann Lynn (made up of brothers Josh and Matt Pool) zipped down the mountain roads from Big Bear Lake to Casino Morongo in Cabazon. Thankfully, they took both categories—Ann Lynn was on fire that night. Well, Josh was at least. His car lit up on the way and had to be towed. And Matt? He got a speeding ticket en route.
Things are happening fast for the brothers from the sleepy ski town. Within months of forming, Ann Lynn played shows at DiPiazza’s, Chain Reaction and Tangier. Plus, for the month of February, the duo scored their big hipster Monday-night residency at Detroit Bar, which is considered to be a turning point by many groups.
“Music is a blessing and a cure,” Matt says about the constant struggles of musicianitis. Both say depression goes hand in hand with rocking. “It’s the best time to write, though,” he admits. Josh’s sardonic love twists dominate Ann Lynn’s first EP, What Love’s Meant to Be, which hit the streets this month. The band’s sound could be compared to the Shins or maybe even a Wes Anderson soundtrack: Bob Dylan, Wilco, Death Cab for Cutie and—reluctantly—Bright Eyes are all on their shortlist of influences.
“There is such a naked honesty with folk music,” Josh says. “It’s being alone and being able to express yourself through music.”
And sometimes, it’s hotter than they can handle.
[Ann Lynn performs at Detroit Bar, ....843 W. 19th St..., ..Costa Mesa...., (949) 642-0600. Mon., ..9 p.m... Free.]
VIEW ARTICLE AT: http://www.ocweekly.com/music/previews/this-week-in-red-hot-rockers/24558/....
.. ..
Locals Only....
OC WEEKLY
Breath of Life ....
By ELLEN GRILEY....
Thursday, January 18, 2007 - 3:00 pm....
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All the rage, photo by Jennie Warren ....
Ann Lynn
What Love’s Meant to Be EP
Self-released....
....
....
In a few weeks, The O.C. will quietly go off the air, an unceremonious end to a show that did more to promote indie rock (as adolescents aged 13-17 now know it) than perhaps any other medium, ever. Thanks in part to early episodes full of Death Cab for Cutie name-drops and Modest Mouse songs, the television audience simultaneously met Newport Beach’s fictional elite and indie rock’s real-world darlings—bands who’d been around for years, treading water in big-but-not-huge venues with good-but-by-no-means-great record sales. By season’s end, it wasn’t just that adorable Seth Cohen who kids were talking about, but Ben Gibbard and Isaac Brock and Sufjan Stevens, too: What is this new music? And where can I get it? All of which makes the silent demise of The O.C. the more interesting, since its freefall into cancellation begs some pretty hefty questions: Does this mark the end of indie rock as well? Might Death Cab’s next album sell only 9,000 copies—instead of 90,000—in its first week? And what of the countless next generation bands—the bands who formed because of bands like Death Cab and sound a lot like them, too?
It wouldn’t quite be fair to pronounce this sound dead (yet). But a dying sound—which it very well might be—is a little different. There is still room for invention and new directions (for last gasps and deathbed reconciliations), which is exactly what makes a band like Long Beach/Riverside/Big Bear foursome Ann Lynn interesting to watch. Consider their curious country take on Peter Gabriel’s “Mercy Street”: it’s one thing for an indie band to cover ‘80s cover songs and replace the synths with handclaps; it’s another when lead singer Josh Pool (a 75/25 mix of Ben Gibbard and Jeff Tweedy) peels straight to the core of Gabriel’s sadness with a slight tremble in his voice, reimagining the original song’s muted world beat melody with a quiet snare beat and acoustic picking. “A lot of music writing is nostalgia,” says Josh. “’Mercy Street’ means more to me than any other song.”
To prevent fading away, Ann Lynn should continue to make more moves toward the honesty and depth of “Mercy Street.” On What Love’s Meant to Be, for example, songs like “Bechelli” and “Gnarl Carl” come off well-written and catchy (clearly the boys can play) but fall flat when compared with the EP’s first two tracks, “Coward’s All the Rage” and “The Scene.” Offering political and social commentary (respectively) with sweet sing-along choruses, it takes a good listen or two to these songs before you realize this isn’t TheO.C. anymore. Here you have a band with varied views on life and politics (“We’re a political melting pot—a political mosaic,” says band member Steve Dunlap; “’Coward’s All the Rage’ was inspired by what you could call politics, but more so the vulnerability of our generation—so many people just jumping on the first political bandwagon that seems interesting enough to build a point-of-view off of,” explains Josh) and when you throw that into the song writing process the result is something valid, something people can latch on to, even if they don’t always agree with it. At the very least, a move like this would gain them even more fans—at the most, it might save their careers.....
Inspiration From Dylan To Dad
Big Bear Grizzly
Wednesday, January 11, 2006 11:50 AM PST
Sketches By Arrissia Owen Turner
Ann Lynn never shows off her great legs or sports short skirts. And she won't remind you of a field of daffodils.
Ann Lynn is four shaggy guys who play folky indy rock, two of whom were born and raised in ....Big.. ..Bear.. ..Lake..... Josh and Matt Pool make up the band's nucleus.
The girly name comes from the brothers' parents' middle names. “When I was writing I wanted a name that described a lot about me,” Josh says.
“Every once in a while it's fun when people think we're a girl,” Matt says.
Their dad, Bob Pool, who owns Sleepy Forest Cottage in ....Big.. ..Bear.. ..Lake.... where the guys hold down their day jobs, gave the boys their start, buying them each drum kits. He was a 1970s rock ‘n roll drummer in younger years.
The band's first E.P., titled “What Love's Meant To Be,” comes out Jan. 16. And the band's song “The Scene” shares company with nominees for best song at the Inland Empire Music Awards at Casino Morongo Jan. 19, along with a nod for best band in the indie rock category.
Things are happening fast for the brothers from a slow town. The songs started as a solo project for Josh while living in ....Redding..... Then Matt joined in, they moved back to Big Bear, and in the last year they pulled a band together, adding bassist Tim Stafford and guitarist Steve Dunlap.
Within months they were booking shows at The Lab in Costa Mesa, DiPiazza's in Long Beach, Chain Reaction in Anaheim, The Cat Club in Hollywood and now they have two big shots at getting their names on the lips of hipsters, a Jan. 15 show at Tangier Restaurant and Lounge in Los Angeles, and a Monday night residency at Detroit Bar in Costa Mesa.
Gigs at the venues helped jump start music careers for many indie rock faves like Richard Swift and Matt Costa, and Ann Lynn hopes to be the next. Which helps since living in Big Bear stalls getting the word out about their music. “Our fan base grows slower,” Matt says. Most musicians work the scene, going to other bands' shows to promote their own bands.
Josh and Matt are each married, Josh is a father of two, and they live 7,000 feet in the air. Luckily for them they've received a few breaks. Lifelong friends Luke Macmaster and Derek Heule, also originally from ....Big.. ..Bear.. ..Lake...., have already broken into the ....Costa Mesa.... and Silverlake scenes with their band The Colour.
The four friends played in bands together since before middle school. “A lot of our songs are about break ups with friends with bands,” Josh, the seemingly more sensitive of the two brothers says. Josh is the singer-songwriter and rhythm guitarist, Matt plays drums.
“Music is a blessing and a curse,” Matt says. Both say depression can be a blessing for a musician. “It's the best time to write,” Matt says.
“....Redding.... had a lot to do with Ann Lynn's sound,” Josh says of the year he spent up north after graduating high school. “I'm always nostalgic about that time when everything was new.” While the experience wasn't full of keggers and girls gone wild, it was inspiring musically. “It was a dark time,” Josh says.
That's where the folk influence creeped into the brothers' musical styles, which had ranged from punk rock to emo to their current incarnation, which could be compared to The Shins or maybe something like a Wes Anderson soundtrack. They list Wilco on their short list of influences, Death Cab for Cutie, and reluctantly, Bright Eyes. The king though is Bob Dylan.
“There is such a naked honesty with folk music,” Josh says. “It's being alone and being able to express yourself through music. Sometimes that honesty touches on the challenges of having a family and playing music. “It's a huge inspiration in our music right now: family, struggle and the joys of family life,” Josh says. “What Love's Meant To Be” is written for Josh's 2-year-old daughter, Esmé.
If the band does break big, they're ready to leave behind their sleepy mountain town for the big city. They're also ready to rock. Now as a foursome, the band hopes to bring in more influences like The Beatles and their unlikely hero Tom Petty.
“He's like a god to us,” Matt says. “The simplicity of his songwriting, the acoustic tendencies, we're drawn to that.” The brothers enjoy discovering artists from different eras to see where different sounds originate.
“Just when you think you've heard it all, someone like Emmit Rhodes hits you out of nowhere,” Matt says, referring to the artist's song “Lullaby” they discovered from the “Royal Tenenbaums” soundtrack.
It all creeps into Ann Lynn's music eventually. And with any luck, onto a Wes Anderson soundtrack.
[Ann Lynn's music can be found at myspace.com/annlynn. The ..7 p.m... Sunday, Jan. 15, show is at Tangier Restaurant and Lounge at ....2138 Hillhurst Ave..., ..Los Angeles...., (323) 666-8666.
The Inland Empire Music Awards Jan. 19 are at Casino Morongo at the Key Club in Cabazon. Starts at ..8 p.m... February's Free Monday shows are at Detroit Bar at ....843 W. 19th St..., ..Costa Mesa...., (949) 642-0600.
Contact reporter Arrissia Owen Turner at (909) 866-3456, ext. 142 or by e-mail at aoturner@bigbeargrizzly.net.]
VIEW ARTICLE AT: http://www.bigbeargrizzly.net/articles/2006/01/17/activities/arts_and_entertainment/band.txt
The Pools Go ..Lakeside..
Big Bear Grizzly
By ARRISSIA OWEN TURNER
..Wednesday, July 12, 2006.. ..5:47 PM..
Ann ....Lynn....'s Pool brothers strive for folky transparency in their music. The band's songs-melodic, heart-wrenching country-esque indy rock that tickles your sensitive side-conjure memories of a young Bob Dylan blending with modern music by The Shins, Death Cab for Cutie and Wilco.
The influences commingle creating compositions chock full of emotion helping their fan base blossom. Josh and Matt, singer/guitarist and drummer, in that order, spent the first half of 2006 picking up Inland Empire and Orange County music awards (the other half of the band, Tim Stafford and Steve Dunlap, live in Orange County and Long Beach), and landing their EP “What Love's Meant To Be” on iTunes.
The Pool brothers, who have spent most of their young lives in Big Bear short of a stint in ....Redding...., combine small town angst with big city dreams. Their songs overflow with yearning, hard luck, introspection and finding balance while transitioning from care free youth to adulthood.
Gigs at Detroit Bar, Chain Reaction, Tangier and other hipster havens in ....Orange.... and ....Los Angeles.... counties have taken the band from a tiny practice room in their parents' home in ....Big.. ..Bear.. ..Lake.... to drawing raves from audiences and earning fervent fans at lower elevations.
But Saturday, July 15, the other half of the band puts pedals to metal to conquer ....Big.. ..Bear.. ..Lake.... during a city sponsored concert at ....Veterans.. ..Park.... on ....Big Bear Boulevard.... at ....Knickerbocker Road.... in ....Big.. ..Bear.. ..Lake..... The concert is free and open to the public. Concert time is ..2 to 4 p.m...
The band also performs July 22 at Anthem in ....Riverside.... and July 25 at The Prospector in ....Long Beach.....
VIEW ARTICLE AT: http://www.bigbeargrizzly.net/articles/2006/07/12/activities/arts_and_entertainment/annlynn.txt....