El Dorado County, A Tale of Love and Loss

Released: December 26th, 2009

1. Everybody's Talkin' About El Dorado County!
2. Placerville
3. The Desolation Wilderness
4. Forgive Me
5. In The End

Based on events that happened in El Dorado County, this new EP encompasses the overdubbed ornamented baroque sound of "Orange County", and a new found melancholy of empty space. This EP brings in beautiful piano sounds of Josh Chang (former collaborator on the song "Moss Street" and past band The Paper Orchestra) as well as a song written for piano by Alex (Placeville). Long songs forms with plenty of horns permeates the major tracks on this EP, and although recorded in 3 or 4 days the production and panning only make this release an evolution for the band.

Alex P: guitar, piano, banjo, bass, Harmophone, bells, singing, percussion, flying cymbal, engineering
Tim Rottenberg: baritone, trombone, chorus, bass
Ryan Poska: trumpet, chorus
Jake Satola: drums
Josh Chang: Piano on 3 and 5, chorus
El Dorado Miner's Chorus: Alyson Durrant, Faith Myhra, Richard Kennel, Kim Shuch and sister, Kevin and Megan Horan, Mike Duran, Josh Chang.

A personal description about the contents of them album:
"On the new EP "El Dorado County: A Tale of Love and Loss" there aren't many songs that are about one person (whereas our last album Orange County, is a conglomeration of songs including love songs about one ex-girlfriend). There is a thin storyline on El Dorado that isn't totally fleshed out by the released songs. The original storyline was going to be a rough sketch and partly fictitious account of a weekend I had in Lake Tahoe. It started with a lot of excitement for the trip (hence the first track) and it ended in Placerville with the realization of failure with 2 girls. Placerville is second because it basically vibes the whole EP and story. It's a glorious failure complete with dark horn choruses, meandering piano, swelling cymbals and long songs of epic prorportions (at least for Your Yellow Dress).
As the EP progresses there is The Desolation Wilderness, a dark tonally uncentered instrumental. Ryan wrote a trumpet part that fits my intentions perfectly. The dark trumpet gleams for moments but the dissolves away into beautiful piano. The trumpet continually tries to make a stand but then cannot maintain, a perfect metaphor for many people I have interacted with or even tried to "flirt" with.
Forgive Me is at best a resignation, at worst a woo-ing love song gone wrong. It's shiny, is plinky but it always gives way to the chorus minor chorus. The song asks for forgiveness for doing things that I should not do but I do them anyway in playing the game of love. This song is about 2 different people, possibly 3 subconsciously.
If there is any glimmer of hope it comes in the form of the last song, while it is a resignation, its also a proclamation. A proclamation that I will do better, that I am going to keep doing what I need to do and be a better person. If no one (in this case women) accepts that or finds it "right" it's ok cause I've done my best to be a better person.

Maybe its the fear that no one will accept you that really permeates the EP, and that being single is frustrating (especially after a letdown from my last relationship) but hopefully anyone who reads this will have a better understanding and appreciation or this EP. A few people have told me its good, bad, confusing, and most of all different from our last album, but ultimately instead of coating the frustrated songs and disappointing (love) songs in major chords and melodies, this EP manifests itself with a schizophrenic melancholy which I hope you will enjoy."

Thanks to all you for listening, all the kind people on our Winter Tour, the Jumping Chupacabra Kids (for bringing shows back to south OC), Steven Ray Morris, The Carpentry, Cllct, JOSHUA CHANG!, and everyone whose played with us!

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