Former Swervedriver frontman Adam Franklin aims Bolts of Melody at the U.S., collaborates with Interpol drummer in Setting Suns project.

Adam Franklin spent the 1990s as singer, guitarist and main songwriter for London-based Swervedriver, the genre-breaching Creation Records rock band. Was it dream pop? Was it shoegrunge? Listeners could always shuffle the words “dream”, “grunge”, “pop”, “shoe” and “melange” to their own tastes, but what remains consistent even to this day is the diehard dedication of Swervedriver fans. Certainly the group's heavy melodies incorporated traces of The Stooges, The Velvet Underground, Husker Du and Sonic Youth, but it never fit conveniently into a singular genre. Swervedriver's live shows were known for being loud and hypnotic with soaring, hook-laden tunes about UFOs and driving through the desert in the middle of the night.

Since Swervedriver went into orbit in 1999, Franklin has experimented with a number of stylings on six releases under the name Toshack Highway and one appearance on a compilation album under his own name. Franklin's forthcoming seventh post-Swervedriver solo album, Bolts of Melody is his first under his own name.

Franklin's newer work alternates between a full band sound with acoustic/electric guitars, electric keyboards and bubbly moogs played through guitar effects pedals -- someone described the first album as “Spacefolk.” Sometimes, it's a much more back-to-basics affair -- just Franklin on his own playing simple melodic pop songs accompanied by the warm glow of the compression of the tape machine. Bolts of Melody is occasionally a little electronic and sometimes a little bit psychedelic, a little bit country, a little bit rock'n'roll. You know, whatever... Just take a listen.

In addition to his Toshack Highway and forthcoming albums, Adam Franklin's collaboration with Interpol drummer Sam Fogarino, Setting Suns is in the works. The power duo has posted a few new tracks on its MySpace page.

Bolts of Melody features Franklin's recent “Syd's Eyes” single and “Birdsong (Moonshiner Version),” which were previously only available as Black Mountain seven-inch and Shifty Disco download-only releases respectively. Additionally, the singer/guitarist's cover of Wolf Parade's “Shine A Light” that was posted on the Toshack Highway MySpace page. The lead of track from Bolts of Melody, “Seize The Day” is also available for download (MP3).

Bolts of Melody Tracklisting:
Release Date: June 26th, 2007

01 Seize the Day (MP3)
02 Sundown
03 Morning Rain
04 Song of Solomon
05 Theme from LSD
06 Shining Somewhere
07 Birdsong (Moonshiner Version
08 Canvey Island Baby
09 Syd’s Eyes
10 Walking in Heaven’s Foothills
11 Birdsong
12 Morning Rain (Return)
13 Ramonesland

On The Web:
www.adamfranklin.com
www.myspace.com/toshackhighway
www.hispeedsoul.com
www.myspace.com/hispeedsoulmusic
www.fanaticpromotion.com/current/adam_bolts.html

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