Before there was Louis XIV...

[leo]

There was Convoy, and before that there was Dishwater.


Dishwater

This band started in the very early nineties (1991 or so) and consisted of Ryan Ramos on vocals, Jason Hill on guitar and vocals (he sings lead on "Good Friends Lady"), Robbie Dodds on guitar, and Jeff Winfrey on bass. At some point, Brian Karscig (guitar) and Mark Maigaard (drums) joined the band as well. They were managed by Ryan's brother Matt Ramos (Face Management). They released The Wooden Nickel Album which was nominated for Best Adult Alternative Album at the San Diego Music Awards in 1996. They also had a song, "Slow by the Riverside," appear on the SLAMM volume 1: Elvis on Acid compliation album put together by the San Diego Lifestyle & Music Magazine (which was bought by another company and subsequently morphed into the San Diego CityBEAT www.sdcitybeat.com/). People in the San Diego area might try their local Music Trader store in the off chance this is still available there.

The Wooden Nickel Album tracklist:

1. One Bed And Regret
2. Snapfinger
3. Caffiene Eyes
4. The Rainy Day Song
5. Sunset Strip
6. Slow By The Riverside
7. Dose On Sunshine
8. Fifth And Main
9. Pit River Hill
10. Good Friends Lady

Dishwater Links

* San Diego CityBEAT SLAMM backissues (although it seems the articles aren't there):
o Issue #47, JON SPENCER BLUES EXPLOSION www.sdcitybeat.com/issueslamm.php?IssueNum=047
o Issue #025, TOMCAT COURTNEY www.sdcitybeat.com/issueslamm.php?IssueNum=025
* Golden Gater Online www.journalism.sfsu.edu/www/pubs/gater/fall96/nov14/23.html



Convoy

In 1996, Ryan Ramos parted ways with Dishwater. The rest of the band continued on to become Convoy, with Shaun Cornell evenutally joining on bass. Brad Bogart taking over as their manager. Interesting to note that his father, Neil, managed such legendary acts as Donna Summer, The Bee Gees, and KISS. Settling down on a ranch in Jamul, CA, the band lived together and recorded their first album over a year's time and self-released in 1999. Titled The Pinneapple Recording Sessions, it won "Best Rock Album" from SLAMM magazine in 2000 and began to generate a lot of interest from the major labels. The stars algined correctly later on and history was made when they became the first unsigned band to play on The Late Late Show with Craig Kilbourn in 2000. Convoy eventually signed with Hybrid Recordings (http://www.hybridrecordings.com/) and 2001 saw them playing with the likes of Zwan, The White Strips, Tom Petty, Aerosmith, and Better than Ezra. Retreating back to Jamul, Black Licorice was recorded in 2001. Released to high acclaim, it won both "Best Rock Album" and "Album of the Year" at the 2001 San Diego Music Awards. However, frustration with the entire recording and production effort left certain band members with feelings of disenchantment for the whole project. Convoy was disbanded in 2003 after Jason, Mark, and Brian packed their bags for Paris, where they spent 2 weeks holed up in a warehouse recording what became the debut album for Louis XIV.

The Pinneapple Recording Sessions Tracklist

1. Weekends
2. Here's Lookin' at You
3. Late Night Feel
4. Dollhouse Queen
5. Gone So Quick Tomorrow
6. Is He in Your Heart Tonight?
7. Loosen it Up
8. Sugarcane
9. Bah Bah Birdie
10. Hey Girl
11. All My Friends
12. Tiny Little Fingers
13. Ladyfinger
14. Been Out Walking

The Pinneapple Recording Sessions B-Sides Tracklisting

1. Cherry Soda
2. Cherry Soda (outtakes)
3. I Love NY
4. My Heart is Stuck in Mud
5. Only to be Your Friend
6. Too Late to Roll
7. Waited to Long
8. Yesterday
9. You Look Fine

Black Licorice Tracklisting

1. Gone So Quick Tomorrow
2. Here's Lookin' at You
3. Caught Up in You
4. Anytime She Wants It
5. Is He in Your Heart Tonight
6. Weekends
7. Alice
8. Wet Cement
9. So Much You Can Do
10. Loosen It Up
11. Goodbye Everybody
12. California Girls
13. Eleventeen

Convoy Links

* AdWeek www.adweek.com/aw/national/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1881525
* BMI www.bmi.com/news/200002/20000207100.asp
* BYU NewsNet newsnet.byu.edu/story.cfm/38719
* Creative Loafing Atlanta atlanta.creativeloafing.com/2002-05-29/vibes_feature3.html
* Five Star Reviews www.fivestarreviews.com/entertainment/convoy_bl.asp
* Great American Music Hall www.musichallsf.com/artist_pages/convoy_122301.html
* JamBands.com (superb review of Pineapple Recording Sessions) www.jambands.com/mar00/monthly/cdreviews.html#cd15
* NUVO.net www.nuvo.net/archive/oldarts/articlex1896.html
* NY Rock www.nyrock.com/worldbeat/02_2002/020502b.asp
* Philadelphia Weekly www.philadelphiaweekly.com/view.php?id=2317
* Rolling Stone Artist Page
www.rollingstone.com/artist/_/id/5203/convoy?pageid=rs.ArtistBio&pageregion=mainRegion&rnd=1121918437437&has-player=true&version=6.0.12.1069
* San Diego CityBEAT www.sdcitybeat.com/articleslamm.php?id=766
* Yahoo! Artist Page music.yahoo.com/ar-275727-bio--Convoy

[ladypenelope]

You're a clever bunny, I never know stuff like that x

[Sans Nom]

Apparently they had quite a following as Convoy. It's all I can do but think about how many times they probably passed my way when I was growing up in the States and I never knew.

[ladypenelope]

It's always the way...you find out about things after the event

[Sans Nom]

Yeah...I guess I can appreciate them more now...

[ladypenelope]

I always manage to pick the dead artists to get into like Nick Drake or Syd Barrett...god damn it!

[Sans Nom]

awwww. poor thing!

[samwise]

Some of the best harmonies I have ever heard.

[Sans Nom]

Convoy? They do have amazing harmony. Did you ever hear Cherry Soda? Such amazing harmony on that...such a beautiful song...

[samwise]

Yes I know I heard it but I don't remember when. One my favorite vocals is "Here's look'n at you" It and
"Gone so quick tomorrow" Beach Boy like in it's quality.
I would also like to give props to Robbie Dodds for hjs part in that great three part harmony.

I would also like to add that Convoy never got the radio play they deserved because they were labeled as a country alt band which they never really were. Convoy's sound was Cross between California soul and power pop.

[Sans Nom]

I'm really into Here's lookin at you. That's just a really sweet song...and you're right, the harmony on that song's amazing...other faves of mine from that album would have to be Is he in your heart tonight and, heh heh Wet Cement. I'm sorry, but I DO remember people writing U+Me in 1993...just as I remember UBU in 1992.
I heard they actually learned about harmony by listening to the Beach Boys and sort of copying what they heard when they were younger. After a while the harmonization just came naturally...

[samwise]

I actually got to see them play In your heart tonight live. I think came off better live, it did not sound so country. It was one few times I saw Jason actually sit down and a play an acoustic guitar.

[Sans Nom]

OMG that is soooooooooooooooo cool.

[leo]

nice man. i don't mind the country sound, i'm a sucker for a good harmony and a sweet old pinning song.

[ladypenelope]

I was forced to listen to Country as a small child, it's had a really bad phsycological effect on me I think. I only like Johnny Cash.