Joel Gion is best known as the animated tambourine player from Brian Jonestown Massacre. Whilst battering the hell out of sixties tambourines (he prefers them as they’re better made) that fame is all set to change with the release of his solo album Apple Bonkers via The Reverberation Appreciation Society.
Like his tambourines the album is dripping in 60s psychedelic sounds coloured by his own broad record collection spanning shoe-gaze, post-punk, psychedelia, alt-country and mod/beat music. Featured on the album several current and former members of the BJM and other west coast friends. Get a taster below with the video for the opening ‘Yes’
“With all the BJM members now living so spread out across the world, I found myself increasingly missing the album making process. This feeling of disconnect is what kick started me into exploring my own song writing process and turned out to be a hugely important piece of self discovery. No more time for my beloved laziness. So I made my own music with a with bunch of friends in the studio coming and going and having a great time creating. I think a lot of people are going to be surprised by this album. “
Co-produced by current BJM members Collin Hegna and Rob Campanella, “Apple Bonkers” also features contributions by Jonestown members Daniel Allaire and Matt Hollywood, along with former BJM members Jeffrey Davies and Miranda Lee Richards. Also along for the ride: Pete Holmstrom of The Dandy Warhols, Ryan Van Kriedt of the The Asteroid #4/Dead Skeletons and Jason “Plucky” Anchondo of the Warlocks/ Spindrift. Much more than getting by with a little help from his West Coast friends, “Apple Bonkers” sees Gion leading the trip to a psychedelic land of honest-to-goodness rock and roll.
Joel’s fellow bandmates aren’t the only ones who have left Joel’s San Francisco neighborhood, and the album title “Apple Bonkers” is in reference to a city changed by an influx of tech startups and higher rents, for better or worse. There’s a serious tone to the album that might surprise some listeners, colored by the sometimes insane realities of the world in the year 2014.
Apple Bonkers will be available in VINYL / CD and DIGITAL formats via The Reverberation Appreciation Society, and also on cassette via a co-release with Burger Records.
Joel is in the UK in September to promote the album:
SEPTEMBER
24 – Newcastle Cluny 2 – seetickets.com / 0871 220 0260
25 – Nottingham The Bodega – alt-tickets.co.uk / 0845 413 4444
26 – Birmingham Institute – ticketmaster.co.uk / 0844 844 0444
27 – TBC
28 – Manchester Deaf institute – see tickets.com / 0871 220 0260
29 – London Hoxton Bar & Kitchen – ticketweb.co.uk / 0844 847 2316
Also check this debut single (not on album) “OVERTHROW” 7″ by Joel Gion, in partnership with The Committee To Keep Music Evil: