Facel Vega (band)

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Facel Vega
Singer Melissa Lechner
Singer Melissa Lechner
Background information
Origin Los Angeles, California
Genre(s) Lounge music
Electronica
Jazz
Years active 2002 – present
Label(s) italie13
Website www.facelvegamusic.com
Members
Del Johns
Melissa Lechner

Together as the band Facel Vega since 2002, producer/musician Del Johns and singer/actress Melissa Lechner form a unique musical duo. The band builds on a 60's retro lounge music theme, with modern electronica and Italian spy/pop styles thrown into the mix. With a characteristic sultry spy sound, listeners are often attracted to the slinky beats and smooth sexy vocal styles. Facel Vega is named after a car manufactured by the now defunct French luxury sports car company Facel[1] (Forges et Ateliers de Construction d'Eure-et-Loir) which was in business from 1954 - 1964. The Facel Vega unfortunately became infamous as the death car of French author and philosopher Albert Camus. He died as a passenger in a crash involving his publisher's Facel Vega.[2]

Contents

[edit] History

Facel Vega began in Los Angeles,California in 2001 as a production project. Producer Del Johns decided to see what would happen when normal song writing and recording methods were reversed. He recruited friend Melissa Lechner to sing the jazz standard "You Go To My Head"[3] a cappella (no music or click track for pitch or rhythm reference). The music and drums were then methodically constructed around the edited vocals. The result was striking and unique, and became the first Facel Vega song "You Go". Though the song was well received, it was determined that subsequent song production would move away from the DJ/turntablism styles of "You Go" and focus more on 60's lounge music mixed with electronica. Lechner and Johns decided they wanted to work together long term after agreeing on this overall style and theme, which turned the project into an actual band in 2002. Their newer songs are a mix of drum and music loops, synthesizers and upright/electric bass. Johns plays all of the instruments as well as handling the production. Lechner sings all of the vocal tracks including backing vocals. Both share in writing vocal melodies and lyrics. Facel Vega will be touring around Southern California in the summer of 2008. Johns will be playing dual roles as both DJ and upright bassist, with Lechner on vocals, and various special guest drummers and guitarists joining in.

The band's first radio airplay in 2001 was on local Los Angeles college radio station KXLU [4], who continue to play new songs. Shortly thereafter 3 songs were added to LA station KCRW's [5] music list. With the recent release of their debut EP Do or Die[6] under the italie13 label, the band's songs are being played around the world. [7] European radio stations (both terrestrial and online) have been very receptive of the new album and it is in regular rotation on stations in Germany, Italy, France, Greece and Spain. Recently the band was the featured artist on Energy 92.7 FM's Below Zero show in San Francisco (also online at Live365). Several songs will be featured on European and Asian lounge - chill compilations in 2008.

The forthcoming Michael O'Connor film Finding Red Cloud[8] will be featuring the Facel Vega song "Dreaming".

[edit] Discography

  • Do or Die EP (italie13, 2007)
  • New York Fashion District compilation (Cool D:Vision, 2008)
  • Fusion GOA compilation (Hi Note Records, 2008)
  • There Will Always Be Tomorrow (italie13, summer 2008 release)

[edit] Band members

  • Del Johns - production, music, keyboards, upright/electric bass
  • Melissa Lechner - vocals, backing vocals, vocal fx and clarinet - In addition to being a jazz singer, Melissa is also an accomplished actress [9] who has starred in several independent films, plays, and appeared on network tv shows. She is a lifetime member of the Actors Studio [10] in Hollywood.

[edit] References

  1. ^ The Auto Channel-Sports Car International Magazine
  2. ^ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_Camus
  3. ^ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/You_Go_To_My_Head
  4. ^ http://www.kxlu.com/main/index.asp on the Programs Demolisten. Euro Lounge and Molotov Cocktail Hour
  5. ^ http://www.kcrw.com/ music director Nic Harcourt has 3 Facel Vega songs in the KCRW music rotation library (310) 314-4640.
  6. ^ UPC: 859700477373 Do or Die on International iTunes US, UK, Japan, Australia and Europe see - http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?i=270927776&id=270927770&s=143441, Do or Die listed internationally on amazon at http://www.amazon.com/Do-Or-Die/dp/B00122IXUO/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=dmusic&qid=1204392929&sr=8-1 EP Listed on discogs http://www.discogs.com/release/1228408
  7. ^ A few of the stations currently playing Do or Die http://www.smoothlounge.com/ iTunes radio station smoothlounge http://www.soupygato.com/?s=100 http://www.munich-radio.de/ http://www.rmnrelax.de/home.htm -show Die Klangwelt http://www.rai.it/RAInet/musica/Rpub/raiRMuPubArticolo2/0,7756,5651^musica^,00.html Show- PopCorner http://www.upradio.it/ Radio shows Jazz Affair & Differti Sono http://www.ibizasonica.com/
  8. ^ Finding Red Cloud (2008)
  9. ^ Melissa Lechner
  10. ^ Welcome To The Official Web Site Of The Actors Studio

[edit] External links