Blinker the Star article - LB mention

[Les]

Date: 04-24-2003;
Publication: The Toronto Star;
Author: not listed

Blinker The Star back to solo act

For all the Canadian bands scooping up international recording contracts at a furious rate these days, we present the saga of Jordan Zadorozny as a cautionary tale.

From the moment A&M Records agreed to release a collection of lo- fi demos cooked up by a 22-year-old kid in a Pembroke, Ont. basement as Blinker The Star's eponymous debut album in 1995, Zadorozny has been perennially "on the verge." Three albums, two major labels, a move to Los Angeles and one much-publicized writing session with Courtney Love later, though, the affable musical multitasker is back in Pembroke with his cat, sans record deal, and doing the one-man-band thing in his own studio once again. That is nevertheless precisely where he' d like to be because, after three years of vainly trying to convince DreamWorks Records to let him follow up Blinker's underrated 1999 symphonic-pop opus, August Everywhere, he's actually able to make music again.

"Over the course of two years, I ended up demoing, like, 70 songs and sending them to DreamWorks as I wrote and recorded them," Zadorozny recalls. "I was basically never able to get a green light from them to make a record ... They didn't hear a single or whatever in all the songs that I gave them, which I guess is a pretty typical situation. I tried not to take it personally, which was pretty hard. My life was at a standstill."

Sensing he would soon be with neither a record deal nor a record and broke, to boot, he finally opted out of his contract with DreamWorks last year. Having already established himself as a producer, Zadorozny - who recently manned the boards and the drumkit for Sam Roberts' hit The Inhuman Condition EP - reinvested what money he got out of the deal in a spacious studio back in Pembroke where he's since taken on projects for such friends as ex-Hole/Smashing Pumpkins bassist Melissa Auf Der Maur, Tool's Paul D'Amour, and Joydrop's Tara Slone.

Over the winter, Zadorozny also completed a new Blinker the Star record, using the same solo modus operandi that birthed Blinker The Star in '95, "except with a lot more knowledge of how to record and produce albums" and the clout to call in Fleetwood Mac's Lindsay Buckingham to sing on one track. The resulting album, entitled Still In Rome, is closer in tone to the first couple of Blinker records, too, opting for loud guitars, big, AM-radio choruses and a Cheap Trick-esque sense of fun rather than the piano- and string-streaked pyschedelic pop of August Everywhere. A new live band has also rolled into action, featuring former Joydrop drummer Tony Rabalano and old Pembroke buddies Pete Frolander and Paul Leach on bass and guitar, respectively.

"I'm always excited to make music, and it was just frustrating to not be able to do that," says Zadorozny. "So I just took matters into my own hands ... You think of Rufus Wainwright, you think of Elliott Smith, you think of Eels - those guys make whatever record they want. But I guess someone had to go ... It was definitely a different mindset starting the record because, ultimately, if I'm gonna make my own record with my own money, I'd better like it. I'm not going to write a tune that I think DreamWorks might like because they want something that sounds like the Goo Goo Dolls."

[wondergirl9847]

When you pronounce the name LINDSEY, how do YOU say it? I say Lind-see. The way most "journalists" spell it, you would say it Lind-say. Sounds (and LOOKS..no offense to any girls or guys named Lindsay spelled the WRONG way..LOL) stupid. LOL WHY, WHY, WHY can they NEVER spell LindsEy correctly?!!?! Just works my LAST nerve!!!!

Anyways...thanks for the heads up Les!! I'll have to go find the song to hear Lindsey!! What kind of music do they do?

Did ya'll catch the "You mean, Stevie is the GIRL and Lindsey is the GUY?" on E today? *YAWN*

[Johnny Stew]

Originally posted by Les
Three albums, two major labels, a move to Los Angeles and one much-publicized writing session with Courtney Love later...

Thanks for posting that, Les.

Given the mention of Lindsey, it's odd that they didn't also mention the fact that the song he co-penned with Courtney Love, was written with the intention of Stevie recording it.

Apparently Courtney wanted to write something to give to Stevie, and decided that Jordan would be the perfect collaborator.
He referred to the finished product as "in your face, but wispy."

Six years later, and nothing more has been said about the song.

[Les]

I remembered that too -- that song that Courtney & Jordan were working on for Stevie. That was also back when there was talk of Courtney and/or Billy Corgan working on a solo album for Stevie. It seems like that just never materialized once Stevie decided she wanted to work with Sheryl.

Although flattered by the cover, Stevie said Courtney's Gold Dust Woman was a little "raucous" for her. If Stevie ever even heard the song Jordan & Courtney intended for her, maybe it was the same.

Christy, honestly, I'm not sure what Blinker sounds like either. I haven't heard their music firsthand.

[KathyD]

Originally posted by wondergirl9847
When you pronounce the name LINDSEY, how do YOU say it? I say Lind-see. The way most "journalists" spell it, you would say it Lind-say.

LOL... whenever I read the name LINDSAY, I always say it in my head the way you spelled it... Lind-say.

[Les]

Reviving another old thread to add some somewhat related tidbits that may or may not interest you.

As mentioned in the article above, Lindsey makes some kind of appearance on Blinker the Star's new album, Still In Rome (which I don't think has a release date yet still). I'm guessing his appearance probably grew out of the relationship from when Lindsey was apparently supposed to produce Blinker in 2000. It seems that project never quite came to fruition as Dreamworks kept rejecting Jordan's songs during 2000-2002 until he finally gave up on them and pulled out of his deal with them. (It must be part of that weird black hole thing that seemed to swallow things Lindsey was involved with for a while - the solo album, the Blinker album, the Joni Mitchell tribute, etc. )

Anyway, I received an article today about a guy named Brad Laner who has been in various incarnations of bands called Electric Company and Medecine. (Medecine has a new album due out soon.) This article mentioned, in passing, that Brad had spent some time with Lindsey during those ill-fated Blinker sessions because Brad was playing bass during those sessions. (In the Summer of 2000, someone here (Josh maybe?), actually found a picture of Brad, Jordan and Lindsey in the studio during some of those sessions and posted it on the Ledge.)

Long explanation to get to my point, which is this: After a little search, I happened upon a quote from Laner (in whose work there is a heavy dose of electonica) from back in 2000 (when the LB-produced Blinker album was still viable), which shows him to be the enlightened sort who saw the beauty and innovation of Go Insane and Lindsey.

This was from an online magazine called insound:

Laner hasn’t completely abandoned his past life as a rock musician, playing bass for Blinker the Star as it records its new album with Fleetwood Mac’s Lindsay Buckingham serving as producer. While many in the electronic music community may see Buckingham as some rock vestige from the ‘70s, Laner speaks in far more admiring terms. “He’s not just some Freedom Rock guy, y’know,” he says. “He did one of the first all Fairlight records back in ’84, which is completely amazing—100 percent 8-bit! But [he’s] also one of the greatest singers and guitarists, very raw and passionate, and still very much at the top of his game.”

[shackin'up]

wow, les! it still sounds interesting. lindsey working together with a young lad that can't put his music out. Why is buckingham so keen on major record deals? Didn't - and aren't - we donate enough ? he could bring out some interesting solowork on a label of his own... and help some young artists. just to plant some seed where there's only greed.....


gerald