THE INSOMNIACS
"AT LEAST I'M NOT WITH YOU"

# OF TRACKS: 13 / RELEASE DATE: 04/21/09 / CATALOG #: DGPCD130

THE INSOMNIACS:
Vyasa Dodson: vocals & guitar
Dean Mueller: bass
Alex Shakeri: piano & Hammond B-3
Dave Melyan: drums

SPECIAL GUESTS:
Al Blake: harmonica (1)
Mitch Kashmar: harmonica (7)
Joel Paterson: Pedal Steel Guitar (2)
Jeff Turmes: Tenor Sax (3, 5, 9, 13) Baritone Sax (3)

“It is rare these days to see young blues musicians come along who have the kind of vision and commitments to play this music and make a go of it like these guys are. I am impressed by their talents and their humility…” – Al Blake (Hollywood Blue Flames)

"Vyasa really is a triple threat: guitar player, singer and songwriter. No doubt he is one hell of a guitar player, but it is his singing on this that really knocks me out." – Junior Watson

"The Portland, Oregon, group has that West Coast Swing sound down pat, performing tight numbers with original songwriting…There are no wasted notes and the music breathes with the palm trees.” – Blues Wax

DESCRIPTION
The Insomniacs seemed to literally explode onto the scene out of nowhere in 2007 as a fully formed and functional unit delighting audiences with their joyous, yet highly contagious musical sound and irresistible sense of swing. Their self-produced debut release “Left Coast Blues” recorded in the living room of bassist Dean Mueller’s house was quickly snatched up and issued on Delta Groove Music, hitting a peak position of No. 5 on the national Living Blues radio charts. Critical praise and industry recognition from the blues community soon followed garnering the band a 2008 Blues Music Award nomination for Best New Artist Debut, as well as a 2007 Muddy Award presented by the Cascade Blues Association for Best Contemporary Blues Act.

Since the release of “Left Coast Blues,” the band has been racking up the miles on their Sprinter van and introducing their fresh take on West Coast Blues to festivals and clubs up and down the coastline and into the Mid-West, continually expanding their reach as they conquer new towns and add to their ever growing list of adoring fans. The Insomniacs have in the process stylistically filled a void left by many of the pioneers and practitioners of this uniquely left coast music who are either no longer with us, or have decided to move on and explore other avenues within the musical realm.

In October 2008, The Insomniacs were once again caught off guard as they were whisked into the studio by Delta Groove to record the follow up to their critically acclaimed debut on what was thought to be just another routine pass through town. Unbelievably the album was recorded in only two days! The band led by 27-year old vocalist/guitarist Vyasa Dodson, together with bassist Dean Mueller, keyboardist Alex Shakeri and drummer Dave Melyan, laid down an astounding set of material that had been finely tuned night after night out on the road over the last two years; only this time the band had the benefit of utilizing a professional recording studio for superior sound with access to a grand piano and Hammond B-3. Joined by special guests Al Blake, Mitch Kashmar, Joel Paterson and Jeff Turmes, The Insomniacs expand on their original intoxicating formula and deliver what is sure to become an instant classic. A recipe guaranteed to provide the band with many more sleepless nights as they now must answer the call and respond to the demands of fans waking up everywhere with those left coast blues!

CREDITS
Produced by Jeff Scott Fleenor & The Insomniacs • Executive Producer: Randy Chortkoff • Recorded and Engineered by G. Preston Boebel (Clear Lake Audio, Burbank, CA - October 2008) • Mixed by G. Preston Boebel & Jeff Scott Fleenor • Creative Fulfillment President of Delta Groove Music: Robert Fitzpatrick • Track Sequence by Jeff Scott Fleenor • Mastered by Robert Hadley (The Mastering Lab, Ojai, CA) • Artwork & Design by Joshua Temkin • Photography by Ian Bondi (Studio 3, INC.) • Liner Notes by Junior Watson • Retail by Jeff Fleenor • Radio by Jody Best • Business Affairs by Malcolm Wiseman