A Look Inside the New Limb's Sounds People Can Hear Listening Party

By Arrissia Owen Turner Thu., Apr. 1 2010 at 4:40 PM

Categories: album preview, album review

For a bunch of reticent rockers from Costa Mesa, the New Limb crew likes to make a lot of noise. Made up of brothers Joey (vocals) and Adam Chavez (drums), Dan Perez (guitar) and Lauren Salamone (keys), the band releases its first full-length recording, Sounds People Can Hear, April 3, kicked off by a show that night at House of Blues in Anaheim.

But before the public gets a gander at the pretty, pastoral songs, the band invited friends and family to a private listening party at their shared abode for a peek into the what's been consuming the band since fall. To help guide listeners through the journey, the New Limb members displayed album artifacts that helped inspire the CD.

Ashley Eliot

Laid out, numbered with corresponding descriptions, were some copies of lofty literature like Mark Pendergrast's hush-rock tome Ambient Century along with Harry Potter titles, the Bible, Sudafed (sniffle) Beatles lyrics, personal journals, a metal bracelet from Adam and Joey's musician father, a Woodstock album, a vintage mic and a hatchet.

"We have a lot of pent up aggression," Adam jokes about that last bit of inspiration. "It doesn't really come out in the music, I guess. Maybe our third album will be our thrash metal album." We have no doubt it will be the most beautifully melodic thrash we've set ears on.

The recording took form when a friend mentioned a producer who did double duty as his uncle. Tom Mgrdichian produced recordings for Air Supply, Stevie Wonder, Art Garfunkel, Jackson Browne back in the day, and now the New Limb--which makes total sense. The New Limb is Costa Mesa's indie rock version of Air Supply with a little Duran Duran thrown in for good measure.

Ashley Eliot

Dave Mau of Dinner with Dave and a very moostached Travis Parsons.

Mgrdichian helped the soft rock hipsters refine their sound, acting as an editor for the young group. He started by giving the band track-by-track feedback. They ate up his knowledge and insight, building on the band's intimacy with a stranger's take.