After the critically acclaimed glam/psych miasma of 2009’s Universal Malcontents, and subsequent tours in Europe and the USA, Detroit’s O.C. returned to their analog cave to record Matthew Smith’s latest batch of tunes. Wanting to capture the energy and vibe of their recent live performances in a semi-controllable studio environment, Seemingly Solid Reality was recorded on a reel-to-reel 8-track in a house in the same neighborhood, (and with the same architectural dimensions) as the old Motown studio.
The band recently got a lot of love from The NEW P*RNOGRAPHERS who released a EP of Outrageous Cherry covers titled Togetherness -The New P*rnographers play Outrageous Cherry. Last time WILCO played in Detroit Jeff Tweedy offered a warm shout-out to Matthew Smith, who he dubbed a “local hero” and his group “one of my favorite bands of all time.”
When he’s not fronting Outrageous Cherry, Matt Smith is often producing and sometimes playing on stage with numerous other artists. He has recently worked with Rodriguez, Andre Williams, and Scott Morgan (ex-Rationals, Sonic’s Rendezvous Band). He also produced the last two albums by late Detroit soul legend Nathaniel Mayer. Guitarist Larry Ray has played with the Spike Drivers and the Ivories. Drummer Samantha Linn has played with Little Claw and the Arch Mystics. Bassist Sean Ellwood also plays with Don Bolles’ group the Fancy Space People.
Listen to their songs below:
“Un-American Girls” here!
“Fell” here