The Pennies: 10,000 Things deserve to be heard
Jeremy Podgursky and The Pennies were going strong in 1999 with a buzz surrounding the band after they released their critically acclaimed Come, We Go, and bands like My Morning Jacket were opening for them as they toured nationally. Songwriter and vocalist for the band, Jeremy Podgursky began writing the songs and lyrics for their next album, 10,000 Things, in 2000. The album was recorded in Podgursky's home with a Pro Tools setup and two years passed before the album was completed in May of 2002.
The Pennies were pinning down the right indie label to release the album, but unfortunately they broke up and haven't been in the same room since. Jeremy explained to Puddlegum, "I moved away to Chicago for some soul searching," as he tried to piece a new band together in Chicago, but eventually "decided it wasn't the time."
Podgursky, who began studying classical piano at the age of six, left Chicago to work on music composition in Louisville, Kentucky, still hanging onto 10,000 Things. He released an album of ambient chamber music, called Subtle Bodies, meant to inspire relaxation and meditation. Jeremy shared: "I did a CD for the Louisville School of Massage that their therapists use. It is 60 minutes of very ambient stuff for piano, percussion, and strings." He also began working on chamber orchestral music, inspired by metaphysics and experimentation.
Since Jeremy was the songwriter for The Pennies, he retained the rights to continue writing under their name. "To put it in perspective, I wrote every song and lyric on the record. So I could write and record a new album by myself and call it The Pennies." Flash forward to 2006 and The Pennies are releasing 10,000 Things on Ear X-tacy and Darla Records on November 28. A full band line-up has come together and Jeremy's return to rock is being prepared.
This album shows that Jeremy was writing music ahead of their time in 2002, showing Jeremy's ability to compose complex layers that fit seamlessly together. 10,000 Things tastefully mix analog textures with swelling guitars, emotionally drenched vocals, driving percussion, and a variety of other instruments to create a cinematic sonic-scape. This album brings in the perfect instrument to cap the scenery of the song: from a saxophone attacking in the second track, piano building in the third, distant mandolin and a haunting accordion, and strings sweltering in another.
Fans of Pilotdrift will love this album. The Pennies and 10,000 Things deserve to be heard.
The Pennies – Moontides and Lullabies
The Pennies – Ivy
Jeremy Podgursky – O Dance! O Light! Onami!
Jeremy Podgursky – Lookout Bellows
Subtle Bodies – All of the Possible Bodies
The Pennies on:
Hype Machine // Elbo.ws