Songs from an American Movie, Vol. 1: Learning How to Smile

Performer: Everclear
Engineer: David Bryant; Mauricio Iragorri; Josh Turner; Al Schmidt; Neal Avron; Charlie Paakkari
Distributor: EMI Music Distribution

Notes: Everclear: Art Alexakis (vocals, electric & steel guitars, banjo, percussion); Greg Eklund (vocals, ukelele, drums, percussion, bells); Craig Montoya (mandolin, bass, percussion, background vocals). Additional personnel includes: Richard Altenbach, Vage Ayrikyan, Bette B. Byers, Frank Capp, Matthew Cooker, Wade Cullbreth, Cathrine Del Russo, Louise Ditullio, Bruce Dukov, Steve C. Durnin, John C. Eidsvoog, Arme Garbedian, James Hughart, Patricia Johnson (strings); Brandon Fields (saxophone); Greg Adams, Chuck Findley (trumpet); Nick Lane (trombone); James Beaton (piano, harmonium, organ, synthesizer); Lars Fox (percussion, loops, background vocals); Kendall Payne, Andrew Stevens, Erica Stewart-Giuhan, Sydnne Ebong (background vocals). Producers: A.P. Alexakis, Lars Fox, Neal Avron. Personnel: Art Alexakis (vocals, guitar, steel guitar, banjo, percussion); Greg Eklund (vocals, drums, percussion, background vocals); Craig Montoya (mandolin, percussion, background vocals); Brandon Fields (saxophone); Chuck Findley (trumpet); Nick Lane (trombone); Lars Fox (percussion, loops, background vocals); Kendall Payne, Petra Haden (background vocals). Audio Mixer: Neal Avron. Recording information: Art's Basement Studio; Capitol Studios, Hollywood, CA; Encore Studios; House of Blues Studios. Photographer: Craig Montoya. Over its first three albums, the West Coast band Everclear provided consistent, fairly simple, breezy, catchy, modern rock with relatively few frills. On SONGS FOR AN AMERICAN MOVIE VOL. 1, the threesome, fronted by the outspoken, charismatic Art Alexakis, suddenly finds frills galore. The album opens on a country note with the short, soft ballad title track, before kicking into a zippy, hip-hop flavored "Here We Go Again," replete with Chuck D samples. "AM Radio" uses Jean Knight's 1971 classic "Mr. Big Stuff" to back an infectious exploration of late night radio listening long before the advent of MTV, followed by an almost breakbeat-meets-Celtic folk re-working of Van Morrison's classic "Brown-Eyed Girl." "Unemployed Boyfriend" and leadoff single "Wonderful," reminiscent in both flavor and theme to SO MUCH FOR THE AFTERGLOW's "Father of Mine," are closest to Everclear's traditional sound, while "Otis Redding," a sweet, retro power ballad, stands out as one of the most sincere and sublimely lovely songs the band has created. SONGS FOR AN AMERICAN MOVIE, VOL. 1 finds Everclear experimenting as much as ever with satisfying results.

Rolling Stone (1/4/01, p.107) - Included in Rolling Stone's "Top 50 Albums of 2000" - "...These songs are powerful....Alexakis chronicles the ups and downs of American fatherhood, husbandhood, sonhood and just plain asshole-hood." Q (9/00, p.99) - 4 stars out of 5 - "...12 understated, beautiful songs, which place Alexakis' always appealing vocals in the setting they deserve....Everclear's finest moment....What a surprise." CMJ (7/10/00, p.22) - "...Tries to paint a broad, humorous picture of American life using a far larger palette of sounds than the group has used before....the hooky, mid-tempo songs will not disappoint [their] legions of fans." Melody Maker (8/8/00, p.50) - 4 stars out of 5 - "...It's good. It's a glutton's pop-fest....this album hits heights Ween would dig....Utterly repellent in intent. Utterly gorgeous to the touch. Love it."

In the aftermath of the Nirvana-led grunge explosion of the early 1990s, Everclear's grunged-out roots rock brought it all back home without a trace of pretension. At first glance, songs like "Santa Monica" and "Everything to Everyone" are deceptively simple-sounding, grunge pop affairs. By the end of the '90s, however, people listened a little harder and began to realize that bandleader Art Alexakis was actually a major songwriter of his time.

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