Roger Joseph Manning Jr.
| Roger Joseph Manning Jr. | |
|---|---|
| Born | May 27, 1966 |
| Genres | Power pop, alternative rock |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, singer-songwriter |
| Instruments | Vocals, keyboards, guitar, bass, Omnichord |
| Years active | 1988–present |
| Associated acts | Beatnik Beatch, Imperial Drag, Jellyfish, Logan's Sanctuary, Malibu, The Moog Cookbook, TV Eyes, Interpol |
| Website |
rogerjosephmanningjr |
Roger Joseph Manning Jr. (born May 27, 1966)[1] is an American power pop and electronic rock musician, singer and songwriter. He has been a founding member of several well-known bands including Jellyfish, Imperial Drag and TV Eyes, and has released a number of solo albums.
Band membership
Manning was a founding member of bands Jellyfish, Imperial Drag, The Moog Cookbook, and TV Eyes. He has also spent several years as an integral member of Beck's backing band, and made contributions to several recordings by the band Air.[2] He is known for his distinctive style of playing various analog and digital synthesizers. Electronica, power pop, psychedelia and jazz are his primary genres although he also does session work with a number of artists as well as commercial and soundtrack music. He worked with producer Jerry Finn, through whom he was credited as keyboardist on a number of recordings with pop-punk band Blink-182.
Solo releases
In early 2006, Manning released his first solo album in Japan only: Solid State Warrior. It was subsequently issued in the U.S. under a different title, The Land of Pure Imagination, along with an altered song content. In March 2008, Manning released his second solo album in Japan only.[3][4] That album, Catnip Dynamite, was eventually released in the U.S. on February 3, 2009. The U.S. release contains three bonus tracks that were recorded during a live performance at Fujifest in Japan. Roger is also credited with playing keyboards on several 2004-2009 works by singer Morrissey.[5][6]
Influences
Manning lists his influences as various artists who emphasize keyboards in their work, including Yes, Genesis, King Crimson, Pat Metheny, Herbie Hancock, Jean-Luc Ponty, Chick Corea, Frank Zappa, Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Brian Eno and Roxy Music, Steely Dan, Mahavishnu Orchestra as well as punk rock and new wave artists like Gang of Four, Thomas Dolby, Peter Gabriel, Talking Heads, Elvis Costello, Buzzcocks, Dead Kennedys, Talk Talk, The Damned, XTC, Tears for Fears, Suicidal Tendencies, Madness and Wall of Voodoo.
Works
Solo works
- Solid State Warrior. Japan: March 2, 2006, Pony Canyon
- The Land of Pure Imagination. U.S.: September 12, 2006, Cordless Recordings
- Robo-Sapiens (as Malibu). Japan April 18, 2007, Pony Canyon; November 6, 2007, Expansion Team Records
- Catnip Dynamite. Japan: March 19, 2008, Pony Canyon; February 3, 2009, Oglio Records
TV Eyes
- TV Eyes. October 25, 2006, Noise McCartney Records
Imperial Drag
- Imperial Drag, May 7, 1996, Work Records
- Demos, May 2, 2005
References
- ↑ Manning, Roger Joseph Jr., 1966– faqs.org
- ↑ Margot Whitmire (30 October 2004). "Expansion Team". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc.: 44–. ISSN 0006-2510.
- ↑ Billboard review. Retrieved 13 February 2016.
- ↑ Prefix Mag. Review of The Land of Pure Imagination. Retrieved on 13 February 2016.
- ↑ Review by Joseph McCombs. "Roger Manning, Solid State Warrior". AllMusic. Retrieved 2016-02-25.
- ↑ Review by Ned Ragget. "Roger Manning, Catnip Dynamite". AllMusic. Retrieved 2016-02-25.