Before The Shimmers there was Baby Flamehead…
… The amazing Philly-based acoustic folk-rock band that featured the gorgeous vocals of Eden Daniels, Chris Unrath on guitar, Dean (Clean) Sabatino of the Dead Milkmen on drums, and the incomparable Andy Bresnan on the Ukranian Burda - a three string bass instrument that looked like a cross between a cello and a Noguchi coffee table. Baby Flamehead released one great album in 1990 on Texas Hotel Records called Life Sandwich and squeezed out one tour before Bresnan's departure (Burda slung over his shoulder) and Dean's Milkmen obligations put the band into several years of low gear. During the Flamehead tour Eden and Chris forged a friendship with Jonathan Segel of Camper Van Beethoven that survives to this day.
After Flamehead, there was Gimme…
… With Chris, Eden, Dean and Andrew Chalfen, who is the guitar player and song-writer in The Trolleyvox, on bass. More rocking than Flamehead, Gimme flirted with the music industry “beast” via a development deal with Ruffhouse/Sony-Columbia – but Eden refused to lie about her age and wear the leather pants to the meetings so it all came to naught and Gimme broke up in 1995.
Then finally …
Eden had started to see Dave Bielanko, whose band Marah was rapidly building a fan base in Philadelphia. Together they formed The Shimmers to play songs that they co-wrote. Andrew Chalfen was recruited on bass and Ronnie Vance from Marah on Drums. They played a number of gigs and recorded a bunch of songs in 1996 and 1997 with producer/guest guitarist Chris Unrath and Marah producer Paul Smith. Eden and asked long-time friend Jonathan Segel to play violin on most of the tracks and a whole host of guest-players and part-time Shimmers sat in as well. But as happens in so many bands where romantic and musical affairs are intertwined, when Eden and Dave’s relationship came to an end, the decision was made to discontinue The Shimmers. Only the Christmas song “Coal” was ever released on the Seasons Greetings Philadelphia Compilation (Record Cellar Productions). Until Unrath started packing up his studio…
- David Bielanko is the lead singer, songwriter, and guitar-player for Marah, the internationally known Philadelphia-born and Brooklyn-based indie rock-band that features his brother Serge Bielanko and counts Nick Hornby and Stephen King among its many ardent admirers. Marah regularly tours the US and Europe.
- Eden Daniels is a singer and lyricist who has performed with Philly-based bands including Baby Flamehead, Gimme and The Shimmers. When not making beautiful music, Eden can be found as wardrobe director on major motion pictures, television programs, and commercials.
- Andrew Chalfen is a multi-instrumentalist who is the songwriter and guitar-player for the acclaimed Philadelphia-based guitar pop-band The Trolleyvox. Andrew was also the songwriter and guitar-player for The Wishniaks and has played guitar with Joey Sweeney and bass with Gimme and The Shimmers. The Trolleyvox’s third album, The Trolleyvvox Present The Karaoke Meltdowns will be released on Transit of Venus in October of 2006.
- Jonathan Segel is best known as the violinist for college rock pioneers Camper Van Beethoven and is a composer, performer and multi-instrumentalist. He plays guitar, violin, computer, electric bass and sings. Jonathan has put out CDs and toured with his own bands Hieronymous Firebrain, Jack & Jill, and Chaos Butterfly. He has also played with notable bands and artists such as Eugene Chadbourne, Sparklehorse, Fred Frith, and many others.
- Chris Unrath is a Philadelphia-based songwriter, guitar player and producer who has played with Baby Flamehead, Gimme and Helen Back and the Str8 Razors. In addition to The Shimmers new album, Chris has produced Catch 33 for The Wishniaks, Life Sandwich for Baby Flamehead and recordings for many Philadelphia-based bands including The Wayward Wind and Buddhist Delight. He has also been one of the prime musical forces in Philadelphia’s highly regarded experimental musical group and theater company The Big Mess Orchestra.
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