Tall Tales and the Silver Lining

Winter Singles on Bandcamp

2012-02-23T10:20:00.000-08:00

A couple of my favorite things

2012-02-22T12:49:00.000-08:00

January Lineups

2012-01-25T12:07:00.000-08:00

One of the reasons that we enjoy Tall Tales and the Silver Lining so much is that every show is different. If you've seen us play before, especially if you've seen us more than once, then we've experienced something new. Not only for yourself, but for the band as well.
Sometimes we're not sure till the day of who's going to play from our steady cast of characters. Sometimes we're not sure who's going to play till 20 mins before the set. Sometimes during the set.
To us this is a blessing. We're never bored and the music is always in pursuit of high art. The music is real and fun. It's really fun.

January 6th, Taix, L.A.

Trevor- Vocals
Tania- Vocals, Percussion
Mel- Vocals, Percussion
Evan- Guitar, Vocals
Brook- Drums
Willard- Bass
Nels- Guitar
Tim- Pedal Steel
Matt- Guitar

January 7th, Amnesia, S.F.

Trevor- Vocals
Tania- Vocals, Percussion
Mel- Vocals, Percussion
Evan- Guitar, Vocals
Brook- Drums
Nels- Guitar
Edgar- Bass

January 8th, Wicked Shamrock, Lompoc

Trevor- Vocals
Tania- Vocals, Percussion
Mel- Vocals, Percussion
Evan- Guitar, Vocals
Brook- Drums
Nels- Guitar
Edgar- Bass

January 12th, Avalon Bar, Costa Mesa

Trevor- Vocals, Drums
Tania- Vocals, Percussion
Mel- Vocals, Percussion
Evan- Guitar, Vocals
Willard- Bass
Matt- Guitar

Sit ins:

Josh- Drums
Joel- Keys

January 13th, Echo Country Outpost, L.A.

Trevor- Vocals
Tania- Vocals, Percussion
Mel- Vocals, Percussion
Evan- Guitar, Vocals
Brook- Drums
Willard- Bass
Nels- Guitar
Tim- Pedal Steel
Matt- Guitar

Sit ins:

Joel- Keys

January 14th, The Hub, Ojai

Trevor- Vocals
Tania- Vocals, Percussion
Mel- Vocals, Percussion
Evan- Guitar, Vocals
Brook- Drums
Willard- Bass
Nels- Guitar
Matt- Guitar

Sit ins:

Joel- Keys
Matt- Percussion

January 15th, Bombay, Ventura

Trevor- Vocals
Tania- Vocals, Percussion
Mel- Vocals, Percussion
Evan- Guitar, Vocals
Brook- Drums
Willard- Bass
Nels- Guitar
Tim- Pedal Steel
Matt- Guitar

January 20th, Crepe Place, Santa Cruz

Trevor- Vocals, Bass
Tania- Vocals, Percussion
Mel- Vocals, Percussion
Evan- Guitar, Vocals

Sit ins:

Joel- Keys
Josh- Drums

January 21st, Kruezberg, SLO

Trevor- Vocals, Guitar
Tania- Vocals, Percussion
Mel- Vocals, Percussion
Evan- Guitar, Vocals
Brook- Drums
Willard- Bass

Sit ins:

Joel- Keys

January 23rd, Constellation room, Santa Ana

Trevor- Vocals
Evan- Guitar, Vocals
Willard- Bass
Matt- Guitar

Sit Ins:

Matt- Sax
Jeremy- Drums

January 24th, Copper door, Santa Ana

Trevor- Vocals, Guitar
Evan- Guitar, Vocals
Matt- Guitar

Sit Ins:

Gram- Vocals

Favorite shows of 2011! Band Picks

2012-01-04T11:53:00.000-08:00

The Bootleg Theater was a great show. Awesome venue, good audience, one of our only shows with violin(as a full band), we debuted new songs that night, sound man was cool...

Brook Dalton

Both Fernwood shows were awesome! I liked playing as a mellow three piece to open for the energetic Kurt Vile and my favorite highlight: Evan and Trevor acting the part of "John the Baptist' meets the Big Sur River". However the Fernwood show with the whole band (ceptin' Evan) was also hard to forget with such a great place and such a great band o' rapscallions to have fun times with. Then there was also that Rock-a-billy biker bar in Santa Barbara, where we were sure we were going to get boo-ed or worse off the stage and people were shockingly receptive, even to Tall Tales as a folky-acoustic 2 lady plus two guy, four piece. Yar, that's them beans!

Melly Lou

Oh, wow, there's so much to remember. There were a ton of people there. They were all very young. They were wearing all the new clothes like they do, where you can't tell if it's a visual joke, or if clothes have just moved someplace beyond the place you thought they were supposed to rest and wait for you to catch up. Enough about clothes. Back to the crowd. They seemed to be so enthusiastic about music. It was certainly something. The acoustics in the room were loud. Things bounced around. Then, people started dancing. That was good to see. Our friends were there. They were slightly older than the other people, the very young people. I saw several friends in the crowd as I performed with the band. I saw Stephen and Malaika and Betsy. Also, some other people, who kept getting in the way. It was a fun night, and I was very glad to be part of the band. Later, we ate tacos, and they were so good. It was almost raining. I smoked my pipe. Willard met some chick who plays in Avi Buffalo. "She probably wishes she was in Tall Tales, instead" I thought. All the TT songs were played with an edge, and we started to sound like the Rolling Stones playing Tall Tales songs. I really like them, too, but I'm too young to join. Tall Tales is wonderful, and if you happen to also like the Rolling Stones, that was a good night.

Matt Van Winkle

Well it's hard to remember all of them but I guess it would be May 29th the echo country outpost show. I remember that day fondly because it was one of our first times playing there if not the first with the whole band and I felt very comfortable there. The energy was right and I saw a lot of familiar and friendly faces watching us play. Fun time

Tania Beld Jimenez

My favorite was the Bootleg Theater show. The sound was great, the band was in full form, and we played better than ever.

Tim Ramsey

The Verdugo bar show… we were missing Tim and the crowd was on the thinner side, but it was a smiley drunken afternoon with friends. Dancing on tables and we met some folks from England who were very nice! Summer in L.A., some hate it, but I love it!

Trevor Beld Jimenez

yes, this is actually pretty hard for me, too. so many good shows, so many cool memories.

Since I have to pick one, I'll say that my favorite was the show we played in SLO at the Sparrow's Gate house. the whole day was maddening, hazy, and revelatory. That was the day Melissa and I drove shotwell down from her parents' house in the bay area, all the while not knowing whether the car would hold up and get us to SLO in time to play. I drove because Melissa was new to the stick shift. i was very worried the car would break down, maybe unjustifiably so. But there was the final stretch where I knew we'd make it, and I vividly remember listening to the flaming lips cover of the dark side of the moon, and the urgency of the moment.

Eventually yes, we made it, just in time, and everything about the sets we played (eap band and tall tales) felt victorious, like we were meant for this. And during the sets reminding myself that this is it, funneling the groove to the band through the bass, keeping the boat steady.

After we just partied, hard, and I was excited about going home to delaine but also wishing there were more shows. I got some very awful sleep on the sparrows' living room floor (i mean that endearingly). But by dawn, there was a certain calm. i was one of the first to wake up, and eventually we launched on the road back home.

i tasted that shaky rambling life for a minute, and have since wondered whether there will ever be more of it. I still don't know. But I'm so fucking happy to have at least that. I've learned so much that I didn't even know I didn't know.

Consider this my love letter to you all. Some of the best times of my life.

Edgar Acosta

I enjoyed the 2nd annual fish fry at the Outpost. If that's the one with the Kraken Rum, Bunch of Food, Lot's of people, and dogs. I liked it. I liked it a lot (Forest Gump voice)

Nels Rosengren

Weeeeeeell, deciding on one Tall Tales show that stands out as a favorite really presents me with a perplexing dilemma; how can one choose a favorite show by one's favorite band around and also one's favorite band one has had the pleasure of being a member of? So much favoritism creates a heap of difficulty in this case of comparisons which, as the bard says, are odious. If i had to live on a desert island and could only attend one Tall Tales show over and over again I would choose the one we played at the Bootleg Theater in Los Angeles, CA. USA, Planet Earth, The Milky Way Galaxy.

Evan apRoberts

The Understanding and Fall In on BANDCAMP!

2011-12-22T21:12:00.000-08:00

January shows with friends

2011-12-21T19:35:00.001-08:00

January Shows 2012

2011-12-08T18:09:00.000-08:00

Past albums are to be up on Bandcamp soon!

2011-11-17T13:38:00.000-08:00

Hey Y'all-
Something pretty cool is going to happen really soon. All our old records will be available on Bandcamp! Short Songs, Earthling, The Understanding, and Fall In. We'll be doing some special deals, so definitely keep yer eyes peeled! Hope you're well. Peace

The Catnap

2011-11-07T11:17:00.000-08:00

COMING VERY SOON!

2011-10-20T13:58:00.001-07:00

Albums we’ve been listening to…

2011-09-24T15:35:00.000-07:00

Tania Beld-Jimenez
1. Jackson Browne - Late for the sky
2. Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues
3. Sam Cooke- Live at the Harlem Square Club, 1963

Trevor Beld-Jimenez
1. Burt Bacharach- The Look of Love, The Burt Bacharach Collection
2. Jackson Browne- Late for the sky
3. Little Wings- Black Grass

Nels Rosengren
1. Superchunk- Foolish
2. Simon and Garfunkel- Greatest Hits
3. No Knife- Drunk on the Moon

Phoebe Parros
1. Avi Buffalo- Eponymous
2. Frank Sinatra- Close to you
3. Lhasa de Sela- Lhasa

Evan apRoberts
1. Dillard and Clarke- Through the Morning, Through the Night
2. Grateful Dead- Hundred year hall
3. Sleepy Sun- Embrace

Edgar Acosta
1. Wired- Pink Flag
2. Radiohead- In Rainbows
3. Miles Davis- Kind of Blue

Tim Ramsey
1. Devon Williams- Euphoria
2. Ryan Adams- Love is Hell
3. Kings of Convenience- Riot on an empty street

Brook Dalton
1. Boston Spaceships-Let it Beard
2. True Widow- A.H.A.T.H.H.A.F.T.C.T.T.C.O.T.E.
3. Seam- The Problem With Me

Melissa Castellano
1. Burt Bacharach- Reach Out
2. John Fahey- The Transfiguration of Blind Joe Death
3. Chris Darrow- Artist Proof

Our Very Own Summer Show Reviews

2011-09-12T19:53:00.000-07:00

SUMMER SHOWS 2011

MAY 28TH SHELTER SURF, LBC
PLAYERS: EDGAR, TIM, TREVOR, TANIA
TIMS HIGHLIGHT: LAID BACK SHOWS TEND TO BE THE MOST ENJOYABLE, AND GRAHAM AT SHELTER LET US DO OUR THING WITHOUT MAKING US FEEL RUSHED. I REMEMBER THERE WERE SOME VERY YOUNG KIDS IN THE ROOM THAT NIGHT AND WE WERE PLAYING MINOR THREAT'S "I DON'T WANNA HEAR IT". TREVOR SAID HE WAS GONNA SING THE "CLEAN" VERSION, BUT AS SOON AS THE "SHIT" IN THE SONG ARRIVED, HE JUST SANG IT ANYWAY. EDGAR AND I WERE BOTH CRACKING UP

MAY 29TH ECHO COUNTRY OUTPOST, LA
PLAYERS: EDGAR, TIM, TANIA, TREVOR, EVAN, MELISSA, BROOK, AND NELS
BROOKS HIGHLIGHT: THIS WAS A COOL DAY SHOW WITH A BUNCH OF BANDS AND FOOD AND BOOZE (FOR THE BOOZERS). I REMEMBER MEETING A COUPLE OF FOLKS FROM VENTURA AND IT TURNED OUT WE KNEW SEVERAL OF THE SAME FRIENDS. I REALLY ENJOY THE ECHO COUNTRY OUTPOST AND I HOPE THEY CAN HAVE MORE SHOWS.

JUNE 9TH HM157, LA
PLAYERS: EDGAR, TIM, TANIA, TREVOR, EVAN, MELISSA, BROOK, AND NELS
NELS HIGHLIGHT: COOLEST VENUE. FROM OUT FRONT IT LOOKS LIKE A HAUNTED HOUSE, AND PLAYING CAVE COUNTRY’S RECORD RELEASE SHOW AT THIS PLACE MADE IT EXTRAORDINARY.

JUNE 24TH MUDDY WATERS, SANTA BARBARA
PLAYERS: EDGAR, TIM, TANIA, TREVOR, EVAN, MELISSA, BROOK, AND NELS
NELS HIGHLIGHT: GOOD BEER, GREAT PEOPLE, AND OF COURSE ART AND MUSIC ALL EVENING.

JUNE 29TH ORAGAMI VINYL, LA
PLAYERS: EDGAR, TIM, TREVOR, EVAN, MELISSA, BROOK, AND NELS
TREVORS HIGHLIGHT: ORIGAMI VINYL IS A REALLY COOL RECORD STORE WITH HELPFUL AND NICE STAFF! THEY HAVE BANDS PLAY IN AN UPSTAIRS LOFT, AND THE ONLY WAY TO
GET YOUR GEAR UP THERE, IS BY USING THE SPIRAL STAIRCASE OR LIFTING IT UP WITH SOMEONE AT THE TOP RECIEVING. TANIA COULDN’T PLAY THE SHOW CAUSE OF WORK, SO I FELT A LITTLE UNEVEN, THOUGH I SAW SOME FOOTAGE AND WE SOUNDED PRETTY GOOD!

JULY 3RD VERDUGO BAR , LA
PLAYERS: EDGAR, TANIA, TREVOR, EVAN, MELISSA, BROOK, AND NELS
EVAN HIGHLIGHT: TREVOR SINGING ON TOP OF A TABLE

JULY 6TH THE CENTRAL, SANTA MONICA
PLAYERS: EDGAR, TIM, TANIA, TREVOR, EVAN, AND MELISSA
EDGARS HIGHLIGHT: THIS IS THE SHOW WHERE WE INVITED PEOPLE TO COME UP ON
STAGE. MY HIGHLIGHT IS WHEN BETSY, WHO USUALLY DOCUMENTS THE SHOWS BY
TAKING PICTURES, CAME UP TO HANG OUT ON MY BASS AMP. I WISH SHE
WOULD'VE STAYED THE WHOLE SET.

JULY 12TH ECHO COUNTRY OUTPOST, LA
PLAYERS: TANIA, TREVOR, EVAN, AND MELISSA
TANIAS HIGHLIGHT: THIS WAS A COOL SHOW! WE WE’RE PLANNING ON PLAYING WITH THE FULL BAND, BUT FOUND OUT A COUPLE DAYS BEFORE THAT IT WOULD HAVE TO BE AN ACOUSTIC SET. I THINK WE PLAYED THE QUIETEST WE HAD EVER PLAYED. THE BLANK TAPES AND EVAN APROBERTS BAND PLAYED TOO. IT WAS SO QUIET BUT SO MELLOW RAD! EVERYONE WAS SITTING ON THE FLOOR COZYING UP NEXT TO EACH OTHER AND IT TURNED OUT TO BE SO NICE.

JULY 23RD PEHRSPACE, LA
PLAYERS: EDGAR, TIM, TANIA, TREVOR, EVAN, MELISSA, BROOK, AND NELS
BROOKS HIGHLIGHT: THIS DAY WAS HECTIC, BY FAR THE BUSIEST DAY OF THE YEAR SO FAR. WE HAD TO DRIVE TO VENICE AND PLAY IN A WINNEBAGO FOR A WEBSITE SHOOT (AFTER GOING TO A COOL GALLERY), THEN DRIVE ACROSS TOWN FOR A PHOTO SHOOT. THERE WAS A TON OF TRAFFIC AND WE WERE LATE TO THE SHOOT, BUT WE DID MANAGE TO GET SOME GOOD PICTURES TAKEN. THEN, WE DROVE AS FAST AS WE COULD TO THE VENUE TO PLAY THE SHOW, THEN I WENT AND SAW EARTH PLAY. DESPITE THE RUNNING AROUND AND BEING FRAZZLED, WE PLAYED GREAT AND HAD A BLAST.

JULY 27TH FERNWOOD, BIG SUR
PLAYERS: TREVOR, EVAN, AND MELISSA
MELISSAS HIGHLIGHT: MY FAVORITE PART ABOUT THIS SHOW WAS GETTING TO SEE EVAN AND TREVOR (IN HIS MR. RODGERS' SWEATER) DO AN ALMOST RITUALISTIC CLOTHED BATHING (SPLASHING ABOUT, HAIR WETTING) IN THE BIG SUR RIVER. IT WAS LIKE WATCHING MIRRORED, BUT SEPARATE DEPICTIONS OF JOHN THE BAPTIST FROM TWO TOTALLY DISTINCT, BUT SIMILAR PERIODS IN ART HISTORY. THEY CONGREGATED IN THE RIVER FOR A WHILE AND COMPARED THEIR PRIMITIVE BAPTISMAL METHODS. I HAVE PICTURES OF THIS MOMENT AND THEY'RE REALLY FUNNY AND CHARMINGLY STRANGE. ALSO, THAT CHAP KURT VILE PUT ON A GOOD SHOW AND I WAS IMPRESSED THAT OUR TRIO AS TALL TALES, STILL HAD PLENTY OF CHUTZPAH TO GO ROUND'. A SIDE NOTE: I FELT BAD FOR EVAN AND TREVOR, WHOM HAD TO DRIVE BACK TO LOS ANGELES THAT NIGHT TO GO TO WORK EARLY IN THE MORNING...AND I GOT TO STAY BEHIND TO CAMP WITH NIKKI SHAFFER, ONE OF THE BEST PEOPLES' IN THE WORLD.

JULY 29TH TACO NIGHT, TOPANGA
PLAYERS: TANIA, TREVOR, EVAN AND MELISSA
TANIAS HIGHLIGHT: ANOTHER MELLOW RAD SHOW! MATT VAN WINKLE HOSTED THIS EVENT, MADE TACOS AND WAS AN EXCEPTIONAL HOST. WE GOT TO SEE MATT TAYLOR PLAY WITH LIZZIE FOR THE FIRST TIME AND WOW THEY WE’RE GREAT. FUN TIME.

JULY 30TH CREEKSIDE BAR, SANTA BARBARA
PLAYERS: TANIA, TREVOR, EVAN, AND MELISSA
TREVORS HIGHLIGHT: I REALLY ENJOYED THIS ONE. WE ROLLED UP LATE BECAUSE OF THAT GOOD OL’ LA TRAFFIC, BUT WE WERE BASICALLY ON TIME. IT WAS A VERY WILD SCENE AND WE DIDN’T REALLY FIT, ‘CAUSE THEY WERE EXPECTING THE FULL BAND PLUS THIS SEMI MYSOGINISTIC ROCKABILLY BAND WAS ON BEFORE US. WHEN WE BEGAN TO PLAY A TON OF PEOPLE CAME AND SAT DOWN IN FRONT OF US. AFTER THE PERFORMANCE A WOMAN CAME UP TO ME AND SAID SHE HAD A DOG NAMED BLUE AND THAT OUR SONG SO LONG BLUE MADE HER CRY. IT HAD A HUGE IMPACT ON ME. I TOOK A LOT FROM THAT SHOW! VIVA THE MUTINEERS! THEY KNOW HOW TO MAKE YA FEEL GOOD!

AUG 10TH THE HOTEL CAFÉ, LA
PLAYERS: EDGAR, TIM, TREVOR AND PHOEBE
TIMS HIGHLIGHT: THE SOUND AT THE HOTEL CAFE WAS TOP-NOTCH WHICH MADE THE SHOW A BLAST FOR EVERYONE ON THE STAGE. IT WAS SO DARK IN THERE THAT IT FELT MORE LIKE A MOVIE THEATRE THAN A BAR IN HOLLYWOOD. "WINGED SPIRIT" WAS A HIGHLIGHT IN THE SETLIST THAT NIGHT BECAUSE IT TRANSLATED WELL TO THE STRIPPED DOWN TALL TALES SOUND. ALSO, HAVING PHOEBE PLAY VIOLIN ADDED A LOT OF DRAMA TO THE SONGS, WHICH MADE OUR SET FEEL FRESH.

AUG 29TH THE BOOTLEG THEATRE, LA
PLAYERS: EDGAR, TIM, TANIA, TREVOR, EVAN, MELISSA, BROOK, NELS, AND PHOEBE
EVANS HIGHLIGHT: NEW SONG "SALTY DOG"!

AUG 31ST 4TH ST AND VINE, LBC
PLAYERS: TREVOR, EVAN, PHOEBE, AND MATT
PHOEBES HIGHLIGHT: WHO NEEDS A MIC WHEN YOU'VE GOT LOVE: WATCHING AS TREVOR, EVAN, AND MATT SNUGGLED UP AND SANG HARMONY INTO A BATTERY-OPERATED LANTERN.

SEPT 3RD MUDDY WATERS, SB
PLAYERS: EDGAR, TIM, TANIA, TREVOR, EVAN, MELISSA, BROOK, AND NELS
MELISSAS HIGHLIGHT: TRAVELING WITH ALL THE PLAYERS (SUBJECTIVE, I KNOW) IN TALL TALES, IS LIKE TRAVELING WITH AN IMMACULATELY BORN PACK OF SIBLINGS; EVERYONE IN TALL TALES HAS A GOOD CUT OF THE JIB (ALBEIT VERY INDIVIDUALISTIC) AND IS THE BEST KIND OF GENUINE PERSON, YOU PROBABLY WOULDN'T MIND BEING STRANDED ON A DESERT ISLAND WITH--A LEAST FOR A LITTLE WHILE. ALSO, I LOVE LANDON SEA AND SPARROWS GATE AND WE DON'T GET TO SEE EITHER OF THOSE BANDS PLAY TOO OFTEN/AND OR PLAY WITH THEM. LAST BUT NOT LEAST: ZEBEDEE ZAITZ' KNEES NEVER FAIL TO IMPRESS ME; THEY'RE NIMBLE LIKE A WOLVERINE IN THE BOREAL--IT'S A SIGHT TO BEHOLD, REALLY.

SEPT 4TH BOMBAY, VTA
PLAYERS: EDGAR, TIM, TANIA, TREVOR, EVAN, MELISSA, BROOK, NELS AND PHOEBE
BROOKS HIGHLIGHT: I LOVE PLAYING IN MY HOMETOWN. BOMBAY HAS A PRETTY SMALL STAGE AND THERE WERE NINE OF US UP THERE, BUT IT FELT MORE INTIMATE THAN CROWDED. WE PLAYED SOME BRAND-NEW SONGS AND I GOT TO HANG OUT WITH MY DRUNCLE AND A BUNCH OF FRIENDS. PLUS, WE DID A MINOR THREAT SONG FOR AN ENCORE.

SEPT 10TH TACO NIGHT 2, DOWNTOWN LA
PLAYERS: EDGAR, TANIA, TREVOR, PHOEBE, MATT AND DARBY
EDGARS HIGHLIGHT: AFTER THE BANDS' FORMAL SETS WERE OVER, THE TACO NIGHT 2
AFTER PARTY BEGAN. MY HIGHLIGHT IS TREVOR STRUMMING AND SINGING BOB
DYLAN'S "SHE BELONGS TO ME," WITH PHOEBE DOING HER THING AND DAVID
FROM MATT VAN WINKLE'S BAND PLAYING THE DRUMS.

Sept 3rd and 4th

2011-09-02T19:06:00.000-07:00

Upcoming Goodness

2011-08-21T20:02:00.001-07:00

Nice words

2011-08-15T14:09:00.000-07:00

SOME NICE WORDS PEOPLE ARE SAYING ABOUT OUR NEW ALBUM!

As Meet You progresses, so do its sonic tricks: “Into the Fray” boasts a funky, Black Keys-esque bass line; “Show Me,” a galloping drum roll straight out of the Old West. Even better, these sonic stretches don’t detract from Beld-Jimenez’s lyrics, which remain as heartfelt, imaginative, and sweetly nostalgic as ever.- Aly Comingore, Santa Barbara Independent

Lead single Dyed In The Wool is a breezy, effortless number with a little Paul Westerberg devil in the details.- My Old Kentucky Blog

The album puts a fresh face on this corner of the indie scene. By mixing in with their 60′s fold rock you’ll find traces of blues with a touch of psych rock.- The Muse in Music

“Nice to Meet You Again,” reveals that that he’s mastered unblemished, picturesque folk-pop, best exemplified on the upbeat summer track, “Dyed in the Wool.”- Ears wide open, Buzzbands.LA

Where Nice to Meet You Again succeeds is in its ability to mirror emotions, to call upon listeners to see themselves within the carefully chosen words, evoking memories that may never have existed except in flights of fancy.- VC Reporter

Dirty Hippie Radio INTERVIEW

2011-07-24T14:16:00.000-07:00

“I’m a tall guy and I like to tell tales in my songs,” admits Trevor Beld Jimenez of Ventura/LA’s Tall Tales and The Silver Lining. “I just like the idea of a silver lining… Better times coming.”

Indeed, we can all embrace the consolation of better times ahead – and thus, let us be grateful for one of the finer silver linings from summer 2011, gleaming forth with the release of Nice To Meet You Again, the latest LP from Tall Tales and The Silver Lining.

Sitting tall at number 2 in Origami Vinyl’s Weekly Top 10 Records list for the first week of July was none other than Nice To Meet You Again. It’s already a considerable honor to even be noticed by the reputable record shop and label based in Echo Park (Los Angeles); but to also be rated and regarded so highly in a pool shared by Bon Iver, The Flaming Lips with Prefuse, Ty Segall, Summer Darling, and Avi Buffalo… Well, that’s just bitchin’!

Tall Tales deliver a fluid blend of folk, rock, and pop, dripping with a lucid psychedelic texture which seems to evoke a very west coast (California) feel. A very – wandering and brooding under the coastal redwoods in Big Sur before retiring to Fernwood Tavern for a delicious pint and conversation – kind of feel. Their clean sound ranges from the brightly lit infectiousness of catchy pop to the darker, more enigmatic musings of life all too real.

“People have called it folk rock, country folk, and stuff like that,” says Beld Jiminez of their sound. ”I would say there have been songs like that, but I’d also say there’s a ton of other material I’ve written that doesn’t fall under that guise. I like all kinds of music… Burt Bacharach to Tim Hardin, to Minor Threat.”

What comes out is definitively Tall Tales: original compositions that are musically endearing while lyrically entreating the raw core of the human experience.

“Not that I haven’t made an honest album, but I wanted to just be blunt here,” shares Beld Jiminez of the new album. ”I wanted to call myself out about different aspects in my life… Fall In is a much softer album… kinda a sad album… Nice To Meet You Again definitely has some sadness, but I’m also chasing the wonder and trying to push myself musically and lyrically.”

…As bluntly demonstrated on the track Your Misery… “You’re all tied up from head to toe, it’s funny how you see the world. You’ve been afraid to watch me grow, it makes laugh the way you’ll never know. Ya know, I’d rather tell a tale tall, I’d rather feel than build a wall, I’d rather speak about what’s on my mine, I’d rather love than attack mankind. Someone like me aint’ meant to bring you misery. Someone like me ain’t meant to bring you down…”

Tall Tales and The Silver Lining - Fall In

Fall In is a flawless album, cover to cover; and Nice To Meet You Again follows up with a dynamic strength and expanded sound. On some cuts we hear the application of horns, violin, and synthesizer.

Tall Tales and The Silver Lining are Trevor Beld Jimenez (guitar, voice), Tania Beld Jimenez (voice), Brook Dalton (drums), Edgar Acosta (bass), Evan apRoberts (guitar, voice), Nels Rosengren (guitar), Melissa Castellano (voice, percussion) and Tim Ramsay (pedal steel).

“There’s been so many different lineups and it can change depending on who can play or how I’m feeling,” says Beld Jiminez. “Tall Tales is mine, but it can and has been a community effort… (I like to think of it as a Robert Altman style of film making). I kinda spearhead it, but it takes the talent of others to get your vision to the next level. (I just played a show the other day that started out by my lonesome, but halfway through I got some people to come up and play drums and piano… They didn’t even know the songs… Gotta keep it interesting).”

Trevor and Tania

The prolific talent buzzing from within the core Tall Tales circle includes members of Franklin For Short, The Spires, Cave Country, and Billy the Kid. In fact, Beld Jiminez himself also plays in Franklin For Short and drums for Seth Pettersen and The Undertow. Together, like a modern day John and Yoko – seemingly in pure and inseparable love – Trevor and Tania Beld Jiminez generate an artistic synergy that melds together a collective energy which compliments and manifests the creative oversight of Trevor’s tall tales.

“We definitely all chip in when needed,” says Beld Jiminez.

Tall Tales and The Silver Lining have performed with such notable acts as Little Wings, The Entrance Band, Mother Hips, Blitzen Trapper, Kimya Dawson, The Blank Tapes, Dawes, and Neal Casal. And they’re performing Pehrspace in Los Angeles, tonight July 23, with i hate you just kidding, Nicole Vaughn, and Sofa City Sweetheart.

Look for their previous releases on Beehouse Records, including Short Songs, Earthling, The Understanding, and Fall In. Nice to Meet You Again is out in full force and attracting mounting critical acclaim throughout the underground and mainstream alike.

“We’re just really stoked on this record,” shares Beld Jiminez. ”We want to play shows and have fun!”

Tall Tales and The Silver Lining play Pehrspace in Los Angeles (today) July 23, Creekside Bar in Santa Barbara July 30, Hotel Cafe in LA Aug 10, the Ventura Folk Festival in Ventura Aug 20, and Bootleg Theater in LA Aug 29. Look for Nice To Meet You Again out now for digital download and limited vinyl. Listen to Tall Tales, Seth Pettersen and The Undertow, and Franklin For Short on DHR. Fans of Tall Tales et al will also enjoy The Blank Tapes, Dirdy Birdy, and Vera Gogh.

UPCOMING SHOWS

2011-07-22T10:27:00.000-07:00

July 23rd Pehrspace, L.A., CA
July 27th Fernwood, Big Sur, CA
July 30th Creekside bar, Santa Barbara, CA
Aug 10th Hotel Cafe, L.A., CA
Aug 20th Ventura Folk Fest, Ventura, CA
Aug 29th Bootleg theater, L.A. CA
More on the way...

Upcoming SHOWS

2011-05-25T00:10:00.000-07:00

Bandcamp

2011-05-08T11:23:00.000-07:00

THE NEW ALBUM'S ON BANDCAMP Y'ALL!

http://talltalesandthesilverlining.bandcamp.com/

Nice to Meet You Again

2011-05-04T11:37:00.000-07:00

Hey there, Friendlings,

Trevor and Tania Beld Jimenez here. If you’re reading this, it’s probably because you’ve taken an interest in Tall Tales and the Silver Lining and we thank you for that.

This particular blog is to let you know about Nice to Meet You Again, our upcoming LP for June 2011.

Nice to Meet You Again was recorded, mixed, and mastered from the summer of 2010 to the spring of 2011.

Jim Reynolds produced the album at The Prohaus, a home studio nestled in the hills of Highland Park, a neighborhood in Los Angeles. It’s a super vibey spot with tons of good energy and gear.

Jim is the kind of person who will pick you up in the desert if you’re stranded … and, in a way, that’s also how he records. Jim can see the pulse of the song within the artist—and knows how to encourage when encouragement is needed. He’s a talented, knowledgeable, and understanding brother for life.

John Thompson engineered the record meticulously, but also with an off-the-cuffness that worked its own kind of magic. A gentle human being who helped create a peaceful atmosphere, John was essential in getting the sounds and rough mixes ready to go.

Andrew MacIver, a solid bro, assisted with the engineering and was around to charge it up and lend his talents to the music whenever he could.

These dudes make up the staff of The Prohaus—and three-fourths of the band Cave Country (the other fourth being the great Evan apRoberts). They are really hard-working musicians, and I highly recommend them to anyone who wants to make a record worth making.

Mr. Beau Raymond mixed Nice up in Portland, Oregon. Beau brought out parts and took parts out. He was accommodating to any ideas the team had. Beau was given and took liberties, which took the record to another level. A visionary.

Pete Lyman mastered the record at Infrasonic in L.A., and pulled it all together in a big way. He really made it gel.

The players, besides Tania and me, are as follows: Jim Reynolds, John Thompson, Andrew MacIver, Nels Rosengren, Brook Dalton, Jason Bays, Seth Pettersen, Keegan Wood, Landon Smith, and Tim Ramsey.

It’s hard to explain how integral these gents were to the process. What I will say is, each one of them has a completely different approach, yet each understands the means and what it takes to get there. They are real and soulful.

Dale Dreiling put the art together. Dale is one of my favorite fine artists with an exclamation mark; in fact, he’s nothing short of brilliant. The dude has a good Hawkeye sense about him.

Jeff Grimes, a true friend and brother, wrote the liners for the back of the vinyl. Jeff is my guru. It’s hard to write about writing, so it’s best to let his words speak for themselves.

Nice to Meet You Again was an urgency. It had to be made. Most of the songs were written in a very short period of time.

It’s also a very personal record, and each song is like a micro social
commentary about the wonders and absurdities that take place in our everyday.

We weren’t trying to achieve a certain vibe or sound. We were just making music to fit the songs and ideas.

It was a long process, and sometimes a practice in patience, but always a joy and a huge/important life experience.

For us, it’s way up there in the records we’ve made, if not the top. We hope you think so, too.

Peace always,

Trevor and Tania

A couple shows coming up...

2011-02-28T14:13:00.001-08:00

The New Year!

2011-01-03T14:40:00.000-08:00

2011! We made it another year mostly unscathed by the skin of our teeth.

2010 was a year full of milestone events, from releasing our 4th album "Fall In" to relocating down south in Los Angeles. Plus everything in-between.

We're going to start the year off nicely with a few shows in the Southern California area here and there. Please check our Facebook and Myspace for upcoming show dates.

http://www.myspace.com/talltalesmusic

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Tall-Tales-and-the-silver-lining/322410017434

Also, our new record "Nice to meet you again", which we recorded in the late Summer through the Fall of 2010, is getting mixed currently and we expect to have it out on vinyl only by the Spring of this year. Probably with a download too...

We hope all is well in your life and wish you the best in all you do this year!

Peace

GIVE THANKS FEST!

2010-11-04T20:04:00.000-07:00

Hola!
Fall is here, which is probably my favorite time of year, and the T Tales camp is really looking forward to playing the Give Thanks Fest on Saturday, November 20th at The Rubicon Theatre!

What is the Give Thanks Fest? Well, truth be told, it's all in the title, but for those still wondering:

It's a community-based gathering where we can get together without the forced history of Thanksgiving and just... give thanks.

It's going to be rad!
The line up is:

North Woods: a Ventura-based folky ensemble. Very sparse, sweet, minimal music.

Jeff Grimes: A surfer, poet, musician, storyteller. Jeff is a soul brother and we have played many events together, so this is only fitting. Jeff will be reading a story accompanied with music.

Cave Country: These dudes play from the heart. They are for real. Very reminiscent of the 1970s LA country rock scene a la the Bernie Leadon Eagles. A little bit of Crazy Horse with the clean plush harmonies of Brinsley Schwarz. Lately they've shifted the lineup taking on a simpler approach with a more danceable feeling. I likes.
Neal Casal: Neal has been writing and playing his tunes for sometime. I met him in Big Sur where we played the Hipnic. Tania and I were truly mesmerized by his set. He has a very unique and beautiful voice, and is a very good guitar player as well.
He did some time with Ryan Adams and the Cardinals, and has lent his talents to many groups including The Beachwood Sparks (a personal favorite).

Give Thanks Fest is an All Ages show, so bring out the family. 5 dollars at the door or 3 dollars with a can of food which will be donated to the Ventura County Food Share.

This is a very special event that shouldn't be missed.

Falling In

2010-10-21T18:34:00.000-07:00

I was inspired and convinced by my old friend Seth Pettersen to write a kind of overview/summary for Tall Tales latest album, Fall In.

In retrospect, Fall In, is a modge podge of recorded material from different studios, in different towns, with very different people, yet there is a fluidity and cohesiveness to it that is provocative and intriguing to me.

Fall In, started on a whim of sorts with Rory Stalwick (a very talented, kind-hearted, multi-instrumentalist/producer) mentioning to me he would like to record the band. I jumped on it.

In truth I can't really remember what our intentions were... possibly to capture the live, raw sound with the band in-studio or to maybe demo some new material. Either way, it started to take shape and those two ideas converged making whatever vibe it is. I began to write a song every couple of weeks and record it with Rory or in Lompoc, CA with Randall Sena, this went on from the Spring of 09 to the Fall of 09.

At the time The Silver Lining was: Brook Dalton(drums), Nels Rosengren(guitar), Seth Pettersen(lap steel), Jason Bays(bass), Brian Granillo(percussion), Matt Barks(synthesizer), and Tania Beld-Jimenez(vocals). These are my dear friends and my wife. Some still play with the group and some don't, but I feel like this was a good period for the music and we captured it.

The Silver Lining played on probably half the record in some form or another, and their contributions cannot be over stated. I have true gratitude for their generous work. Examples like, Brook's tom tom beat on "In between the leaves," Jason's bass melody on "Do not be afraid", and Nels and Seth's guitar/lap steel intermingling on "Darling Dear," are some faves. Rory also sprinkled some guitar, bells, banjo and piano on different tracks. My favorite Rory performance is his Rhodes piano playing on "What you found," which is actually about a trip that Tania, Matt, Rory and I took to J tree.

Two of the songs "So long blue" and "My Constant" were recorded with Randall Sena at Certain Sparks Studio in Lompoc, CA. Randall filling in on keys and guitar. Certain Sparks is a very accommodating studio and Randy is professional and quick, which is a plus. I had good time collaborating and hanging with Mr. Sena and it was nice to get out of town.

The track "Bury me" was recorded by Scott Okuma at Little Bear studios (a familiar basement in downtown Ventura, CA). It was initially meant for The Understanding album, but left off at the last minute (due to way too many freaking songs). I liked the song and wanted it to be heard.

The album was mastered by Tony Humecke who is a super rad dude and a com padre of Rory.

The artwork was conceived by Dale Dreiling, who is someone that I admire and respect a great deal, and probably my favorite artist. Seriously.

There is a sort of haze over Fall In. Out of all the recordings/albums T Tales has made it probably has the saddest material for me, but it also has some new tricks (technically speaking) and I see it now as a transitional project for me.

Fall In ALBUM REVIEWS

2010-09-16T12:49:00.000-07:00

Hey Folks! I figured a good starting point for our new blog was to post some reviews from our most recent release "Fall In."
It was officially released on July 13th, 2010 on Beehouse Records. There might be more reviews out there, but this is all that I've come across. Some are very kind, some have some light snark, and some are thin, but overall they're a good read. Keep checkin in. Peace

The Beehouse Records fam strikes again with Fall In, the latest release from Ventura’s Tall Tales and the Silver Lining. While big belly folk is still the Tales’ driving sound, Fall In is far from a lo-fi acoustic endeavor. On the sweet and sing-songy “What You Found,” frontman Trevor Beld-Jimenez is backed by a simple but resonating keyboard arrangement; on “Don’t Be Afraid,” it’s quietly crashing cymbals and percussion. Elsewhere, “Bury Me” walks the line between eerie and upbeat with its dirge-like organ parts, warm, rich guitar lines, and matter-of-fact lyrics, such as “Everyone must die / Even you and I.” At its core, Fall In finds that perfect middle ground between poignant, sobering folk and sunny ’60s pop (think The Tallest Man on Earth meets The Mamas & The Papas) and only reaffirms the talent and finesse we’ve come to expect from Tall Tales.
-Aly Comingore, Santa Barabra Independent

Sunny Day estate agents outta Ventura hoping to close big on the fast-fading optimist futures division of mod-pop, TT & TSL make cheery, simple music for people looking for that interior Happy Place so elusive in this gloom-laden spring. The cover is a goof on The Monkees' deathless Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones, Ltd. LP, and at least seven of the eight-piece horde (plus assorted guest musicians) have gathered to act as appendages, extensions and high-functioning waldoes for multi-instrumental singer-songwriter Trevor Beld-Jimenez. This California pop guru follows in the tuneful, lightly mystical romantic line of David Gates and Jay Ferguson on his fourth full-length for Beehouse. His unadorned honesty gets him compared to Jonathan Richman, but this band's main man is a lot closer to a cheerier Townes Van Zandt--one more singing cowboy adding a high and confidential note to the prevailing desert wind.

---Ron Garmon, LA Record

This band, fronted by multi-instrumentalist singer/songwriter Trevor Beld-Jimenez, hails from Ventura, CA. This band also really sounds like they are from Ventura, CA. For me, a music lover sitting over in cold Norway, this is the sound I hear when I dream about California. And believe me, I dream a lot about California.Fall In is an album that grips you the first time you'll hear it, but the great thing about it is that it even get better every time you spin it. From opener "My Constant" until the closer "Love is Not a Sin" Tall Tales takes us for what feels like a drive up and down the 1o1 along the California coastline. My favourite song on the album is "What You've Found" which is a really really great jangly sixties kind of pop song.
Sometimes jangly and other times reflective, Tall Tales and the Silver Lining reminds me of a lot of other favourite bands like Vetiver, Beachwood Sparks, America and Wilco. Maybe a little touch of the good ol' Grateful Dead and Neil Young also. A great band and a great album that you probably haven't heard the last of.
- Heartworn Highways

The sunny mood that dominated the first album from Tall Tales & the Silver Lining has been filtered through some light cloud cover on Fall In, the second effort by Trevor Beld Jimenez and his collaborators, and the shift in tone suits them well. Where The Understanding sounded just a shade too sweet for comfort, particularly in its moments of forced naivete, on Fall In, Beld Jimenez's warm, lived-in voice betrays a bit more life experience (as well as increased confidence), and he seems in better control of his instrument, making his vocal limitations an asset in this context. The arrangements follow suit, recalling late-'60s and early-'70s folk-rock with a gentle but adult tone that's tuneful but sophisticated, a bit like a more spare version of the Autumn Defense. Beld Jimenez's lyrical wordplay remains witty and playful, but he's willing to venture into deeper territory, with more drama and honest emotion along the way to his usual happy endings. And the production is simple and straightforward on Fall In, which turns out to be just the right choice; these recordings capture the natural ambience of a band of gifted musicians playing together in a room, and the organic tone is made to order for this music. Fall In's 11 songs play themselves out in just over 29 minutes, but the modest scale of the album feels just right; there isn't much wasted space on this record, and Tall Tales & the Silver Lining make each moment count; it's a considerable improvement over their debut.
~ Mark Deming, All Music Guide

An apt title for an immersive record. Trevor Beld Jimenez (Franklin for Short) and his tribe make music that beckons the listener to escape into its sonic happy place. Seductively soothing and earthy, these are songs to lie in the grass and watch cloud formations to. Life must be good for the people who make up Tall Tales, or they’ve mastered “acting as if” (a vastly underrated spiritual practice). Whatever the case, it’s positive, dreamy, introspective pop for lovers and seekers, that manages to sound new and natural despite its obvious roots and distinctly coastal SoCal sound. Imagine an early morning drive north on the 101, the Pacific Ocean glistening, you and Neil Young passing a flask and singing folk songs, 100 percent in the moment.
-Michel Cicero, VC Reporter

Here we go!

2010-09-15T12:14:00.000-07:00

Hey there-

This is the new Tall Tales and the Silver Lining blog. We figured the band could use yet another outlet for those interested in T Tales doings. We're gonna try to keep this thing updated with show info, album info and just some basic essentials like personal interests and points of view. Follow us if you dare!