OurStage

By Steve Morgan A band’s first album can be a tricky. There is no shortage of things that can go wrong, and there are even more things that can go overlooked. Often, attention to detail and careful production are cast aside in the name of saving money or just outright laziness. But with all of these possible pitfalls, Louisville’s own Deloreans have come along and made a record that is not only executed with care, but filled with fun, contagious, hook-riddled songs. Their sound is certainly fresh. It’s something of a combination of 1950s button-down rock mixed in with spooky, surfy guitar riffs, dipped in a 1970s lovesick Costellian urgency (if that makes any sense). Lead singer/songwriter/guitarist Jeremy Perry’s unconventionally dramatic vocal style may raise an eyebrow or two at first listen, but after hearing the thick, layered harmonies of songs like ‘Beast’ and the desperate catchy pleas of ‘Why Don’t You Say,’ it’s clear that Perry knows exactly what he’s doing, and it works very well. Drummer Evan Pouchak, along with bassist Bill Willis, lock into Perry’s riff-driven ditties and show a clear symbiosis. Pouchak impressively commands a variety of funk/rock grooves and feels throughout the 12 cuts, yet manages to remain stylistically coherent and aware without sounding repetitive. The groove on ‘Demons’ is probably one of the nastiest on the record, and I mean that in the good way. Love Outrageous is truly a fine album. It’s a collection of 12 songs which rarely hit the three minute mark but will stick in your brain for hours and hours after listening. I urge everyone to check out the Deloreans as soon as possible. Find out more at http://www.myspace.com/thedeloreansmusic.

BY DENNIS O’NEIL Deloreans’ frontman/guitarist Jeremy Perry really digs the crooners of ’50s and ’60s rock and roll. Take one look at the back of The Deloreans’ first album, Love Outrageous, and you’ll understand just how much. With a pink button-down under a solid black suit; a silver, American Bandstand-ish mic; and an earnest, lovelorn expression triggering memories of Tom Jones, Perry looks ready to bring the heat on “It’s Not Unusual.” One look at the album and there is no mistaking what dimension you’ve wandered into. These guys bring not only the image of the era, but also the youthful innocence.Love Outrageous is a listen away from Franz Ferdinand and The Killers, but Perry’s lyrics tackle simple subjects like boy-meets-girl with the heartbroken weariness of Roy Orbison. The production is low-rent, as Perry recorded most of the songs himself, but his prowess as a songwriter makes up for it. Songs like “Scream” mesmerize with a spooky, Animals-like energy while “Do It Like You Mean It” is so simple and charming that it winds up being unforgettable. Spirits dampened when drummer Evan Pouchak moved to Los Angeles, but Perry and bass player Bill Willis are ready to soldier on with Squeeze-Bot drummer Megan Samples. They hope to tour later this summer. LEO: The album has a real ’50s flavor to it. How much of an influence was that type of music on this record? Jeremy Perry: We stole the drumbeat for “OOO … Ah” from the Phil Spector song “Be My Baby.” Some of the songs from back then are so strong that you wouldn’t change anything — not one chord, not one beat, nothing. I wouldn’t pretend that our songs are as good as those guys, but I really like a lot of the sounds from back then as well as what those guys wrote about. LEO: What kind of approach did you take in songwriting on this record? JP: I tried to approach really simple subjects, like guy-meets-girl, but do it with some bizarre metaphor like a panther on “Attacked by a Panther.” Really I just wanted to put something new and different out there that was as good as anything else coming out in Louisville. LEO: You guys have been playing for a couple of years and are still building your following. What are some of the things that you think keep people coming back to your shows? JP: On a local level, more important than probably anything else is for people to just know you are nice guys. I talk to the audience a lot in concert, or people will call out songs and we’ll play them. It’s important to interact rather than act like rock-star assholes. We aren’t like that, and it is important that people don’t perceive us that way.

BY JOSEPH LORD. Let’s just get this out of the way: The Deloreans are one of the best Louisville bands you’ve never heard. The three-piece fronted by Jeremy Perry has played too few high-traffic shows — perhaps none — for this notoriously picky city to get behind them. And Louisville might never get behind them, but who cares? “Love Outrageous” is energetic and whimsical, with clear nods to Talking Heads and the better parts of Devo. Perry’s singing is soaring and excessively dramatic — a fun thing if you get it, a distraction if you don’t. But fun is the key — The Deloreans make no statements and they’re not imploring listeners to get drunk and screw. The lyrics are simple, mostly guys-wants-girl stuff that succeeds in not being a distraction to peppy rhythms and Perry’s distinct guitar playing and singing. It borders on silly, good, clean fun pop rock that manages to be interesting but also inoffensive, except to those who are turned off by fun. “Love Outrageous” shows rookie mistakes: the best song, “Why Don’t You Say,” ends awkwardly and the home-recorded production doesn’t quite work for this style of music. This shouldn’t matter much. The Deloreans are amusing, and that’s what matters.

Jeremy Perry’s plan, briefly, was to be a concert pianist. That didn’t exactly work out, but Perry put his degree in piano composition from the University of Louisville School of Music to use — writing catchy pop tunes. Perry, 31, was a music late-bloomer — learning piano at 18 and heading to music school in his late-20s. During the day, Perry gives private piano lessons. At night, Perry picks up a guitar and gathers his three-piece pop band the Deloreans. “I like to write pretty much just straight-up love songs,” said Perry. The Deloreans formed in 2007 and have played frequently, although rarely at Louisville’s prime music venues. Perry’s David Byrnesque singing and unconventional guitars over upbeat pop songs can charge an audience. The Deloreans are recording and mixing their 12-song, as-yet untitled debut album. It’s set to be released in May. “I want to do a great Louisville album,” Perry said. “Something that will stand out in the history of Louisville music.”