Loading details…
Artist
Himalayans
12+ albums
indiealternative rockamericanOakland
about
The Himalayans began their partnership towards the end of 1990 in a dark and overly damp rehearsal studio located under the streets of San Francisco. Although things weren't so great underneath the city, above ground was a thriving music scene full of new and talented bands playing in any one of the many local venues. Guitarist Dan Jewett and drummer Chris Roldan started the band from the ashes of numerous failed bands in an attempt to add a new sound to this developing music scene that included everything from Primus to Green Day. Keeping the name Himalayans (about the only part of their musical past worth salvaging), Dan and Chris began working out a smooth modern style using only guitar and drums. From these early sessions came the beginnings of songs such as "River Shannon," "Floating Over You," "A Little Discipline" and "Ordinary Superman." Chris' almost lyrical drum parts were totally unique and perfectly suited to the compressed and chorused guitar sound coming from Dan's Stratocaster and Roland Jazz Chorus 120 amplifier. The full melodic possibilities of this new sound were not fully realized until the band added its third Himalayan, Dave Janusko, playing a Musicman bass guitar. Dave used a very minimal approach to bass playing, but combined it with a complex feel for melody and texture. Dave used a guitar pick while playing to create a relentless pedaling backbeat that would follow the root of Dan's chord and then suddenly break away to create unexpected har
why this is interesting
# Why This Album Deserves Your Attention Emerging from San Francisco's fertile early-'90s underground, this band arrived with genuine ambition: to synthesize the experimental complexity circulating through their scene while forging something distinctive. Rather than simply echo their contemporaries' approaches, they investigated how progressive textures and unconventional song structures might coexist with accessible songwriting. The craft evident here—particularly in arrangement choices and instrumental interplay—reflects musicians thinking carefully about what distinguishes their work. For anyone interested in how regional music scenes incubate innovation, or how bands navigate between accessibility and artistic risk-taking, this album offers revealing insights into a pivotal moment when American rock was simultaneously fragmenting and rein
