J. Allen
Set in a town that perpetually runs at full speed, J. Allen’s ‘Wonder City’… Read Full Bio ↴Set in a town that perpetually runs at full speed, J. Allen’s ‘Wonder City’ builds slowly and focuses closely on single moments, enrapturing the listener with large scale washes of melody as it deconstructs a profound loneliness. His heartbreaking bedroom epics observe New York City from just outside of its whirlwind. His impressionistic arrangements use the city’s hums and whooshes as a soundscape upon which to layer songs of solitude and reflection, dreams and distraction.
J. Allen is the reclusive songwriter and founding member of Brooklyn’s spacey folk outfit Meanwhiles. In early 2010, finding himself currently unsigned, he began recording and arranging what would become his first ever solo release, ‘Wonder City‘. The nine song LP is a true ‘solo’ record on which he writes, plays, and sings all of the parts himself.. except for the street noise and subway rumble. He captures those ‘on location’ with film production microphones and portable recording equipment. In an affecting combination of sound design and intimate performance each track blends together recordings from different sonic spaces, resulting in a cinematic landscape of a song. A verse might take place on a rainy street…a chorus in a quiet bedroom.
In his time with Meanwhiles, J. Allen and his brother Todd recorded 2 full length albums, 2 eps and travelled across the US and Europe, sharing stages with the likes of Martha Wainwright and Dean Wareham. Their debut album, ‘The Nights Rewind’ features Wainwright singing harmony vocal with Allen and was produced alongside Alan Weatherhead (Sparklehorse, Mary Timony). In late 2006 it was released by Decoder Records in Germany and the band began touring in earnest. Meanwhiles released their second LP, ‘Slow Motion Summer’ in 2009 on which Weatherhead again lent pedal steel and orchestral samples to the mix, as he had for ‘The Nights Rewind’. The London songwriter Nadine Khouri also made a guest appearance adding a haunting vocal to Allen’s ‘Dreams from the Underground’.
‘Wonder City‘ will be officially released in Europe and the UK in early September to coincide with a European tour, a performance at the Reeperbahn Festival in Hamburg, and video releases for ‘Afterglow’, ‘Heavy Head’ and ‘Other Side of the Day’. American tour dates will follow in early 2013.
J. Allen is the reclusive songwriter and founding member of Brooklyn’s spacey folk outfit Meanwhiles. In early 2010, finding himself currently unsigned, he began recording and arranging what would become his first ever solo release, ‘Wonder City‘. The nine song LP is a true ‘solo’ record on which he writes, plays, and sings all of the parts himself.. except for the street noise and subway rumble. He captures those ‘on location’ with film production microphones and portable recording equipment. In an affecting combination of sound design and intimate performance each track blends together recordings from different sonic spaces, resulting in a cinematic landscape of a song. A verse might take place on a rainy street…a chorus in a quiet bedroom.
In his time with Meanwhiles, J. Allen and his brother Todd recorded 2 full length albums, 2 eps and travelled across the US and Europe, sharing stages with the likes of Martha Wainwright and Dean Wareham. Their debut album, ‘The Nights Rewind’ features Wainwright singing harmony vocal with Allen and was produced alongside Alan Weatherhead (Sparklehorse, Mary Timony). In late 2006 it was released by Decoder Records in Germany and the band began touring in earnest. Meanwhiles released their second LP, ‘Slow Motion Summer’ in 2009 on which Weatherhead again lent pedal steel and orchestral samples to the mix, as he had for ‘The Nights Rewind’. The London songwriter Nadine Khouri also made a guest appearance adding a haunting vocal to Allen’s ‘Dreams from the Underground’.
‘Wonder City‘ will be officially released in Europe and the UK in early September to coincide with a European tour, a performance at the Reeperbahn Festival in Hamburg, and video releases for ‘Afterglow’, ‘Heavy Head’ and ‘Other Side of the Day’. American tour dates will follow in early 2013.
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J. Allen Lyrics
Afterglow I'm needing you more than you know You got me spinning…
Fall out of Love How in the hell do I fall out of love…
Hold On to Me Won't you hold me Ooh, you take my breath away Take me…
I Got You Don't worry, I got you Tell me do you need someone Look…
Marry Me I remember when I first saw you I was broken but…
O My Love What's up baby? It's Ambrose in this bitch and uh I'm bout…
Other Side Of The Day Just the other day it was a just dream to…
Question Mark And they come again to Jerusalem: and as he was walking…
We Can Act Now's the time for all good men to get together with…
Xanax Rompo tu esquema mama, mi nombre en él epitafio Eres mi…