Milwaukee’s Telethon release their 90-minute, 30-song, five-act concept album will be released this Friday, September 29 via Halloween Records, and features guest spots by Laura Stevenson (on “On Companionship” and “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve”), Chris Farren (on “Stillwave”). The Hold Steady‘s Franz Nicolay (who plays multiple instruments all over the record and contributes spoken word on “The Sudden Walk”) , Roger Lima of Less Than Jake (on “The Runner’s High”), and Peter Hess (The Hold Steady, TV on the Radio).
Produced by Jack Shirley (Deafheaven, Jeff Rosenstock, Joyce Manor, The Smith Street Band) ‘The Grand Spontanean’ is a cosmic trip of punk rock filtered through straight up rock n’ roll a la Thin Lizzy, Weezer’s anthemic power pop and every other style in which they could meld their sound into. It resulted in a true blue rock opera about a self-centered, internet addicted twenty-something realizing the world’s about to end in a storm of noise and chaos.
Lead singer, rhythm guitarist and lyricist Kevin Tully explains,“It all revolves around a normal, millennial-era dude, just a person who’s slightly screen-addicted. And he’s going through tough times in his relationships with people, and various anxieties and worry and pushing away people around him. That’s how it begins. So he starts going to therapy in around the third or fourth song. And he hears some stuff that’s hard to hear, gets some stuff to work on, and ultimately he winds up where he always winds up at night, which is on the internet, just looking at nothing in particular. And he stumbles upon a website that is “The Page at the End of the Internet,” which is a mysterious website prophesying the end of the world in only a couple weeks, in a sort of grisly fashion. And it sends him spiraling, because for some reason or another he believes it, as we do when something triggers our imagination and anxiety at the same time. We believe it. And he keeps it to himself, and eventually the rest of the world finds it too, through some means that isn’t really explained. And that sets off a series of apocalyptic events that comprise the second half of the record.
Digital pre-orders are available on Bandcamp, along with a limited edition CD box set with extensive liner notes and more.
Telethon are taking The Grand Spontanean on the road this fall, including an appearance at this year’s Fest 16.
Upcoming shows:
9/29- Milwaukee, WI- Sabbatic Bar
10/5 – Milwaukee, WI – Frank’s Power Plant
10/6 – Chicago, IL – Burlington Bar
10/7 – Delavan, WI – LSJ Music Company
10/27 – Gainesville, FL – Durty Nelly’s (FEST 16 gig)