Instrumental Rock, Alternative Pop/Rock, Indie Rock
Major Members: Bill Elm
Representative Albums: "A Place in the Sun," "Random Harvest," "Lost Horizon"
Biography
A Southwestern alternative rock supergroup of sorts, Arizona's Friends of Dean Martinez features past and present members of Giant Sand, Calexico, and Naked Prey. Giant Sand leader Howe Gelb, though not a member of the group, plays guest keyboards on their debut album, The Shadow of Your Smile, a surprisingly retro set of guitar-based instrumentals inspired by instrumental and surf rock of the late '50s and early '60s. With plenty of lounge music and desert country guitar twang thrown in, it's certainly retro in feel, but not revivalist; with Bill Elm's keening steel guitar at the forefront and occasional insertions of found sound and experimental bits, they evoke open dusty landscapes with wit and, one suspects, a bit of tongue-in-cheek irony. At any rate, it's a refreshing change from the often too-serious alternative rock paths that the musicians pursue in their full-time bands. Retrograde followed in 1997, and two years later the Friends returned with Atardecer. A Place in the Sun appeared in early 2000. The group switched to Narnack for 2003's On the Shore and the following year's Random Harvest, and also released Under the Waves on the German imprint Glitterhouse. Aero released the concert album Live at Club 2 in 2005. ~ Richie Unterberger, All Music Guide
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Joey Burns
Van Christian
John Convertino
Woody Jackson
Dave Lachance
Tom Larkins
Friends of Dean Martinez is an instrumental rock band featuring members of Giant Sand, Calexico, and Naked Prey. Beautiful ambient rock a la Unwed Sailor. In a nutshell, FoDM is a combination of bits of electronic static intertwined with surf guitar inspired leads, reminiscent of pre "dark side" Pink Floyd, all droning to the beat of Nick Mason-esque drums, stretched over 30 minute intervals.
The band was originally formed in Tucson, Arizona as an experimental side project by various members of Giant Sand, Calexico and Naked Prey. Originally called "The Friends of Dean Martin," they were forced to change their name after Dean Martin refused to give his blessing. It worked out for the best, as "Martinez" provided a south-western spin to their retro lounge sound, with their debut album, "The Shadow of Your Smile," released with Sub Pop in 1995.
The band has evolved several times since then. They've gone through a variety of line-ups, moved to Los Angeles, and have now settled in Austin, Texas. Currently the trio includes Bill Elm on steel guitar and organ, Mike Semple on guitar, and Andrew Gerfers on drums. Originally a guitar player, Elm first started experimenting on the steel guitar with the formation of "Friends". Pushing beyond the instrument's country twang traditions, he pioneered a distinctive new sound for the pedal steel guitar. By using an e-bow it acts more like a voice rather than merely a background instrument.
Cinematic Musical Work
With a distinctive filmic sensibility that is able to create images and mood without words, the "Friends" eventually embarked on a project to perform a live score to the silent film masterpiece The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari at the Alamo Drafthouse in Austin. Part performance and part film, the band began to redefine the boundaries of the conventional film music score.
Upon seeing Plagues & Pleasures on the Salton Sea for the first time, Elm recollects, "I felt I could really write music for this. It was a nice fit for what we do, the images, and the story. It felt natural to watch it and want to write music. It was inspiring, and that's the most you can ask for when you score something or write music."
"The music we play supports things well," adds Semple, "and I think that the Salton Sea is very compatible with that because of the vastness, the openness and the people that live there - there are certain qualities to them that leaves space for interpretation. I think leaving things open and not entirely filling up all the spaces is the commonality between the music and the desert."
