Chosen by the staff of Las Vegas Weekly's 2003 Music Issue, as one of "Our picks for the best bands," Poppermost is an original alternative rock pop band based in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. The very name of the group propels their continued drive "to the toppermost of the poppermost," just as it did when the Beatles coined the term for their own early inspiration.
Bitter Suite Swan Songs, Poppermost's third full length disc is the sound of their willingness and confidence to explore more potent musical ideas. The disc shows a wide and rich musical palate where orchestral and choirboy harmonies and power-pop rub shoulders with folk music social commentary, and rock. The eclectic musical diversity of Bitter Suite Swan Songs showcases some of the best Poppermost songs written to date and has been compared to R.E.M., Oasis, Jet, Queen, and the Beach Boys.
The album represents the next phase in the band's career. Poppermost started out as a duo on July 4, 2001, when singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Alex Oliver and bassist/audio-graphics guru Roy Al Rendahl freed themselves from a garage band experience headed in a direction that conflicted with their own goals of producing quality original material. One year later, in July 2002, Alex and Roy released their self-titled debut full-length CD that concentrated mostly on the acoustic side of the rock and pop genres. It quickly became a regional must-have for fans of indie pop/rock music, getting airplay on local commercial radio while earning great reviews from the press and fans.
Getting back to their more aggressive rock roots, they added a drummer for the recording of Absolutely Sonic. Released on October 9, 2004, this second full-length CD is a muscular collection of high voltage, catchy rock songs that is a sonic journey to "absolute rock and roll heart." LV Weekly compared it to Oasis, Jet, and The Hives with the songs being "catchy, infectious good times." Dee Chapman from the UK-based Internet radio station, Radio Gets Wild says Absolutely Sonic is "absolutely brilliant."
They are quick to point out that their live shows are energetic and volatile because they put their all into emulating some of their heroes, like the Beatles, Rolling Stones, early Bruce Springsteen, Van Morrison, and the Who to name a few. "We're just paying homage to some of the artists that we dreamt of being when we started," Alex says. It is reflected not only in their original music, but also onstage when they swagger, jump around, scream, and pound their instruments. Roy says, "I play and move the way the music tells me to. We play hard! If we didn't, what would be the point?"
Poppermost is determined to win the hearts of their fans as the band continues to increase their radio and Internet presence. As Jarret Keene of Las Vegas CityLife says, "Can't stop Poppermost!" No matter where the journey takes them, Poppermost is working to make their own significant mark on rock 'n' roll history.
The Poppermost name originates from the early Beatles' inspirational call and response, ". . . to the toppermost of the poppermost!"
THE MEMBERS
Poppermost is the creation of music director Alex Oliver (ASCAP), a singer / songwriter, acoustic and electric guitarist (both lead and rhythm), and pianist / synth player originally from Los Angeles, CA. There he spent the 90s as a solo performer and as a veteran of several pop/rock bands such as Junetown, Clover Club, and After Hours.
Roy Al Rendahl (ASCAP), the technical director, plays electric bass guitar, is the audio, video, and graphic art director (the band's logo and web page designer). The '80s saw him in bands such as The Barb Timm Band, Changes, and Sweetwater in his hometown of Winona, MN playing a wide range of genres including R&B, country rock, and pop rock. This is where Roy started M City Music and Art studio. The 90s took him to Fresno, CA doing audio and video recording, and changing the name of his studio to Trimordial Studio.
© 2001-2007 Poppermost
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