The Red Telephone

Inspired largely by Sixties psychedelia -- their name comes from a track off Love's seminal 1967 LP Forever Changes -- as well as more contemporary influences such as Wilco, My Bloody Valentine and Radiohead, the Red Telephone was comprised of singer/guitarist Matt Hutton, guitarist Sean Toohey, bassist Pat MacDonald and drummer Mark Britton. A product of Boston, the group debuted in 1998 with a self-titled LP issued on Warner Bros. Not surprisingly, Warner had no idea what to do with a left-of-center band like the Red Telephone, and the group was dropped unceremoniously by the label. The band persevered and released the Aviation EP on their own Raise Giant Frogs imprint; it sold more copies than their major label album. In early 2001, the group returned with their second full-length Cellar Songs. ~ Jason Ankeny