Transit of Venus

The Trolleyvox began with the multitalented guitar-pop maven Andrew Chalfen (Wishniaks, Gimme, The Shimmers, Joey Sweeney) recording demos in 1993-95 with guitarist-vocalist Dave Gray (Idlewilds, Vegas Nerve) and producer Adam Lasus (Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Helium, Madder Rose, Juliana Hatfield). Beth Filla answered their "vocalist wanted" ad in a local Philadelphia paper and though Chalfen suspected she was a witch because of the odour of burned wood and spices she exuded (she did come to the audition straight from a pagan ceremony), she impressed him sufficiently with her smoky rendition of the Byrds' "Everyone's Been Burned," and a selection from an Italian aria, he invited her to join.

Chalfen and Filla did some acoustic gigs together and teamed up with Lasus, Gray, and drummer Ken Buono (Flight of Mavis, Buzz Zeemer, Dragstrip Courage) to record basic tracks in 1997. They recorded more the following year and finally released a debut album Ephemera For The Future which featured 11 Chalfen penned songs. Ephemera received rave reviews in a wide range of national and grass roots media outlets.

In 2001 the song "Jupiter Light" (from Ephemera), and a cover version of the Monkees’ "(I'm Not Your) Stepping Stone" appeared in the independent film Chutney Popcorn. In 2002 the group contributed a covers of "Crows on a Phone Line" to Every Word: A Tribute to Let's Active, and Department S's "Is Vic There?" to the Stiff Generation tribute album respectively.

They also gradually put together a second album, Leap of Folly, with Andrew, Beth, and Ken joined by Brett Tobias (Moped, the Bigger Lovers), and Greg Dubrow (Idlewilds). The album was released in 2003 and garnered airplay throughout the US on college and community stations as well as in Europe and South America. Leap of Folly landed on several “Best of the Year” lists and got rave notices for its great songwriting, musicianship and Filla’s emotive vocals.

In 2005 the band began work on album number three with long-time producer/collaborator Adam Lasus. Self-financing the sessions they completed five songs early in 2005 with Lasus at his Fireproof Studios in Brooklyn in off-hours and late at night in order to save money. In late 2005, Lasus moved his studio to Los Angeles while The Trolleyvox signed with the newly inaugurated Transit of Venus label. With the label’s backing they were able to record the rest of the album at Brian McTear’s Miner Street Studios new Northern Liberties location in early ‘06. Lasus flew in and co-produced four more tracks with McTear. Joining Andrew and Beth for these sessions were long-time collaborators Ken Buono and Brett Tobias on drums and newest member of the Trolleyvox, Owen Biddle, on bass.

A proud Berklee School of Music drop-out and veteran of Boston’s Love Scream and Philly’s Peppers Ghost, Owen has most recently been doing session work for The Roots. He is credited as co-producer on three tracks and co-writer on two tracks on their new Def Jam album The Game. He also regularly backs up the Jazzee Fatnastees on bass for live performances.

The incredible Pat Berkery (The Pernice Brothers, Bigger Lovers) drummed on “Whisper Down The Lane”, which also highlights Owen’s muscular and tastefully inventive bass work.

Three quieter acoustic numbers were recorded with Chris Unrath (Baby Flamehead, The Wishniaks, The Shimmers) at his Eardrumland Studios; at one point they took mics outside to capture the hoofbeats of horses returning to their stables after a long day of pulling carriages of tourists around Philadelphia’s historic Old City district for “Deep Blue Central.” In Spring 2006 Chalfen flew to California and the entire album was mixed in ten exhausting days at Lasus’s new Fireproof West Studios.

In typical Trolleyvox fashion, it has been a long-time in the works, but the wait is well worth it – THE TROLLEYVOX PRESENT THE KARAOKE MELTDOWNS is an uncommon album of powerful and beautiful guitar rock and pop.
(Portions adapted from the AMG bio by Todd Kristel)

Management & Booking:
Jim Moran
TovJim@aol.com

Press Contact:
Howard Wuelfing
Howlin’ Wuelf Media
HowlingWuelf@aol.com

Websites
http://www.myspace.com/thetrolleyvox