When they started making music as the Clean Prophets, Jerrold Balcom, Dave Koenig and Johnny Sleeper shared a vision–the sound of ’60s psychedelia as filtered through the noirish Britpop underground of the late ’80s and early ’90s.
Two years, dozens of shows and $1,500 later, the L.A. trio has a finished album, “Praise Is Poison,” which takes those influences, adds a splash of Americana and rides Balcom’s authoritative vocals to a satisfying finish. The trio is shopping the album to record labels.
“It’s not produced in a way that screams psychedelia to you,” Balcom says of the album, a do-it-yourself affair made on the cheap in three studios and held together by Nic Jodoin’s mix. “There’s definitely an emphasis on melody; I’m very into making sure the songs have traditional elements.”
Balcom, former frontman of Sunstorm, credits his bandmates and their pedigrees–bassist Koenig spent three years with the Brian Jonestown Massacre; drummer Sleeper played with the Superbees–for keeping the project focused. “It has all worked, chemistrywise,” the singer-guitarist says.
With the wistful stomp of “Tambourine Crown” creeping onto indie playlists and a gig set in March at the South by Southwest Music Festival in Austin, Texas, Balcom is hopeful: “There’s a small groundswell right now.”
Check out the Clean Prophets at cleanprophets.com.
