Jaime Garamella
Brooklyn, New York, United States | Established. Jan 01, 2000 | SELF
Music
Press
"A guitar-driven, uptempo sound...a show that Philadelphia power pop fans won’t want to miss...they're a perfect band to see live...catchy lyrics and hook-laden music...you'll be singing along." - Mike Showalter, CultureMob.com
"This earnest uptempo pop/rock band aims to please. Led by singer/guitarist Jaime Garamella...The Spanish Channel stand out, as the lyrics and hooks are far from boilerplate. The band...stylistically resembles The Spin Doctors...but keeps things fresh with a variety of rockers that are really unique in sound. The best song here is the Fountains of Wayne-like "Trivia Night". The band chugs on all cylinders here. " - Aaron Kupferberg, Powerpopaholic.com
"This earnest uptempo pop/rock band aims to please. Led by singer/guitarist Jaime Garamella...The Spanish Channel stand out, as the lyrics and hooks are far from boilerplate. The band...stylistically resembles The Spin Doctors...but keeps things fresh with a variety of rockers that are really unique in sound. The best song here is the Fountains of Wayne-like "Trivia Night". The band chugs on all cylinders here. " - Aaron Kupferberg, Powerpopaholic.com
"Catchy rock songs with 4 part harmonies, big hooks and guitar solos right out of the classic rock era...The new album continues on the course set on 2008's Upside Downer while showing some definite growth as a band...Jaime Garamella has a talent for writing lyrics that blend personal thoughts, clinical perspectives and humor in sometimes surprising ways...It's like a painting in song, full of vibrant images and tones...[Lauren] Stockner's extended guitar solo recalls some of the later work of David Gilmour...The pacing of the album is great." - Wildy Haskell, Wildy's World
"Nice music production & arrangement...great artistry, this group is one to watch." - International Acoustic Music Awards (IAMA.com)
The Spanish Channel – Upside Downer
2008, Dogburn Records
Jaime Garamella is a Brooklyn-transplanted singer/songwriter originally from Boston. Along with his band, The Spanish Channel, Garamella produced and recorded his debut CD in 2008, Upside Downer. Combining the quirky song craft of Elvis Costello and Ben Folds with the stylistic vigor of Ryan Adams or Fountains Of Wayne, Garamella dazzles with eight songs full of gorgeous melodies, arena rock style harmonies and memorable instrumental arrangements.
Upside Downer opens with The Wishing, a compact rocker than opens up with soaring harmonies and new wave keyboard accents. This song is radio ready today, and would get a lot of attention in the right market/demographic. Tiny Voices has some of the most striking harmonies on the CD, buoying a positive message with jangly guitars. It’s a very distinctive composition that could only come from Garamella. Upside Downer is a wonderful song that is probably 25 years too late for its maximum commercial potential. Delicious minor triads in the harmony make this one stick out in your head. Still a potential hit even today.
Me & You is a refreshing surprise amidst all of this great Rock N Roll. A bleakly beautiful song of love and sorrow, Me & You captures the angst of love lost more perfectly than any photograph ever could. The last track on the disc is of particular interest. A Weak Heart juxtaposes physical heart problems with the pain of a broken heart. The song is a bit of a downer and displays Garamella’s willingness to take chances musically. It is the primary reason why I am convinced we’ll still be talking about Jaime Garamella in ten or twenty years time. Other highlights include Devil’s Advocate, Odyssey and Pompeii.
Jaime Garamella writes pop gold in a musical age when such things are extremely undervalued. Garamella is the sort of artist who could make it in most any era of music because he has the ear necessary to breach the imaginary walls of musical culture and taste. Upside Downer is a brilliant album. Even if Garamella never records again, he’ll be remembered for this album.
Rating: 4.5 Stars (Out of 5) - Wildy's World (wildysworld.blogspot.com)
The Spanish Channel – Upside Downer
2008, Dogburn Records
Jaime Garamella is a Brooklyn-transplanted singer/songwriter originally from Boston. Along with his band, The Spanish Channel, Garamella produced and recorded his debut CD in 2008, Upside Downer. Combining the quirky song craft of Elvis Costello and Ben Folds with the stylistic vigor of Ryan Adams or Fountains Of Wayne, Garamella dazzles with eight songs full of gorgeous melodies, arena rock style harmonies and memorable instrumental arrangements.
Upside Downer opens with The Wishing, a compact rocker than opens up with soaring harmonies and new wave keyboard accents. This song is radio ready today, and would get a lot of attention in the right market/demographic. Tiny Voices has some of the most striking harmonies on the CD, buoying a positive message with jangly guitars. It’s a very distinctive composition that could only come from Garamella. Upside Downer is a wonderful song that is probably 25 years too late for its maximum commercial potential. Delicious minor triads in the harmony make this one stick out in your head. Still a potential hit even today.
Me & You is a refreshing surprise amidst all of this great Rock N Roll. A bleakly beautiful song of love and sorrow, Me & You captures the angst of love lost more perfectly than any photograph ever could. The last track on the disc is of particular interest. A Weak Heart juxtaposes physical heart problems with the pain of a broken heart. The song is a bit of a downer and displays Garamella’s willingness to take chances musically. It is the primary reason why I am convinced we’ll still be talking about Jaime Garamella in ten or twenty years time. Other highlights include Devil’s Advocate, Odyssey and Pompeii.
Jaime Garamella writes pop gold in a musical age when such things are extremely undervalued. Garamella is the sort of artist who could make it in most any era of music because he has the ear necessary to breach the imaginary walls of musical culture and taste. Upside Downer is a brilliant album. Even if Garamella never records again, he’ll be remembered for this album.
Rating: 4.5 Stars (Out of 5) - Wildy's World (wildysworld.blogspot.com)
Chris Dahlberg
March 12, 2009
Pop/rock band The Spanish Channel was originally the solo project of singer/guitarist Jaime Garamella, but in recent years it has blossomed into a full group with a stable lineup. The group’s debut, Upside Downer, was released under Garamella’s name and not as The Spanish Channel and features a lineup of musicians that is different from who is in the band now, but despite this it is clear from the songs on this release that the band already has a solid base established thanks to their vocalist/guitarist. There are plenty of different styles evident throughout the course of the eight songs offered here, and this should serve as a great introduction to what the band has to offer in the future.
The instrumentals on Upside Downer move between a variety of different rock styles, but all of them are very focused on melody. At times it sounds as though The Spanish Channel has definitely taken a bit of influence from The Beatles and other 60’s pop/rock acts, though this doesn’t mean that they haven’t pulled from some more recent styles as well. Upside Downer likes to alternate between up-tempo, bubbly pop rock and slower paced acoustically driven material, but no matter which direction the instrumentals go in the songs remain memorable. One thing I would like to see The Spanish Channel do is bring out the sound of their drums on the more up-tempo songs, as this would give them even more energy.
Vocalist Jaime Garamella has a melodic voice and some noteworthy lyrics to go along with it. On some of the songs his lyrical content is quite witty, while on other tracks his topics take on a much more personal and emotional flair. Garamella has a light and airy style that matches up wonderfully with the instrumentals, and when the songs pick up in tempo and energy he adjusts his voice to match. He clearly has a knack for writing lyrics that are not of the normal variety, and this could certainly help The Spanish Channel stand out.
The Spanish Channel’s lineup may have changed since Upside Downer was recorded, but if the new instrumentalists are able to continue what was started on this album then listeners should have nothing to worry about. I would like to see the drummer given a bit more attention as by bringing the drums out in the mix the group will sound even better. Keep an eye on this band, as now that they have a stable lineup in place it seems likely that the only direction they can go is up. - CosmosGaming.com
Discography
2013 EP: Emergency Exit (Dogburn Records)
2011 CD: Brooklyn, Off Atlantic (Dogburn Records)
2008 CD: Upside Downer (Dogburn Records)
http://www.TheSpanishChannel.net
Photos
Bio
Mash up the stylistic vigor of Sufjan Stevens and Ed Sheeran with the songcraft of Ryan Adams, Courtney Barnett and Ben Folds and you get Jaime Garamella. With irresistibly catchy hooks and lyrics far from boilerplate, the Brooklyn-based songwriter has a Jekyll-and-Hyde approach -- writing timeless acoustic tunes steeped in American soul, country, folk, and blues, but with the fire of a blistering Marshall stack just below the surface of even his gentlest fingerpicking. It's live shows where Jaime's energy, charisma, and ability to connect with an audience really bring the music to life.
A Finalist in the 2014 NewSong/Mountain Stage Contest, Jaime has recorded two albums and several EPs of his songs. He has also written music for other artists, indie films, documentaries, TV commercials, radio jingles, and even the theme song for a pro hockey team. He has sung at Madison Square Garden and Carnegie Hall as well as in TV commercials, radio jingles, and even a PBS Kids album. He's played guitar with bluesman Roy Roberts and rapper Big Daddy Kane. He's toured nationally both solo and with his band, The Spanish Channel, supporting national acts including Tim Reynolds (of Dave Matthews Band) & TR3 and Alex Skolnick of Testament. Most recently he performed solo at NYC's Lincoln Center.
Raised in Connecticut, Jaime has lived in North Carolina, Tokyo, and Boston, and now calls New York City home. When he's not performing, he teaches voice, guitar, and bass and runs the Vocal program at NYC Guitar School.
Band Members
Links
