BELLYACHE RECORDS (BR-025) [2011] Many Metro-Detroiter's know Ryan Allen, the 31 year old singer and songwriter from such acclaimed bands as Thunderbirds Are Now!, Friendly Foes, Destroy This Place, and more. Ryan Allen & His Extra Arms finds inspiration in classic one-man-band albums by Emitt Rhodes, Paul McCartney, Jason Falkner, Dinosaur Jr., and Stevie Wonder. Last June, Allen - a multi-instrumentalist that has played bass, drums, guitar, and more in all of his various projects - decided the time was right to put together a full-length album all by his lonesome. However, that's not entirely true. That's where his Extra Arms come in. Recorded at the Tempermill Studios in Ferndale, MI with long-time producer and mentor Dave Feeny (White Stripes, Loretta Lynn, Blanche, the Dirtbombs, Thunderbirds Are Now!, Friendly Foes, etc), Ryan Allen & His Extra Arms features contributions from members of Thunderbirds Are Now!, Big Mess, Arranged Marriage, The Silent Years, FAWN, Child Bite, New Grenada, Destroy This Place, Copper Thieves, Bang! Bang!, Wallside, and The Cold Wave. Allen did, however, play a bulk of the bass, drums, guitar, and piano himself, referencing pop songwriting legends/heroes like Elvis Costello, Alex Chilton, Ray Davies, Robert Pollard, John Lennon, Bob Mould, and Mac McCaughan along the way. Though this is his first solo album, Allen is no stranger to releasing his recordings, and his music has been featured and praised by such print and web publications as Pitchfork, Rolling Stone, Spin, URB, Prefix Mag, Tiny Mix Tapes, Stereogum, Real Detroit Weekly, the Metro Times, and many more. INCLUDES CD COPY! SIDE A: 1. Oh Yeah 2. Why Can't I Sleep? 3. Heart String Soul 4. The Negative End 5. That's How I Came To Be 6. Headache Nights SIDE B: 1. Alice Heathen 2. Kids R Dicks 3. Impossible People 4. Rules/Regulations 5. Elevator Street 6. Unpacking You can purchase the download version from Band Camp by clicking HERE! |