David Steinhart

David Steinhart
Birth name David Steinhart
Genres pop, folk
Years active 1984-present
Labels Stonegarden Records
Associated acts Pop Art, Smart Brown Handbag, Furious Seasons

David Steinhart is a singer-songwriter, guitarist, best known for the bands Pop Art, Smart Brown Handbag, and the Furious Seasons.[1][2][3][4][5] He has been active in the Los Angeles pop scene since the 1980s.[6]

Career

Steinhart has been a staple of the Los Angeles indie pop scene since the 1980s. His career spans 30 years and over 20 releases.[6][7][8][9][10]

He founded the band Pop Art in 1984 with his brothers, Jeff and Richard, bassist Tony Ortega, Other players such as keyboardist Lyn Norton, drummers Steven Weisburd and his cousin, Steve LePatner, contributed to the band’s albums over the years.[7][9][11][12] Pop Art was active for 6 years and released 5 records.[7][9]

Steinhart also founded Stonegarden Records in 1984 to publish and release his own music.[7][12][13][14] Since then, Stonegarden Records has released over 50 albums featuring Steinhart and other indie pop musicians.[9][12][14][15]

After Pop Art disbanded, Steinhart released two solo albums before starting Smart Brown Handbag in 1993. Smart Brown Handbag included Norton, Cindy Albon, Steinhart’s brother Jeff on bass, and John ‘Slim’ Glogovac on drums and percussion.[16][17] SBH was active until 2006 and released 10 full length albums.[7][9][18]

Steinhart has been active in the Furious Seasons since 2008.[7][19][20] Band members include Jeff Steinhart (bass), Paul Nelson (guitar/vocals), Bob Gannon (drums/percussion) and Eric Marin (keyboards). Nate Steinhart (guitars) and Ray Chang (violin/guitar/vocals) have also contributed to the band.[19][20][21][22] The Furious Seasons have released 4 full length albums and are still active and continue to record.[7][8][23]

The Furious Seasons continue to play shows around Los Angeles. With the 2015 release of My Love is Strong, they have played with the John Hiatt, David LIndley and Eleni Mandell.

Steinhart's music has also been used in television and films.

Musical style and reception

Music magazine the Big Takeover describes Steinhart’s musical style as “soft, finely crafted, windswept pop,” commenting that Steinhart sings and writes, “warm, literate, sober, preoccupied folk pop, always well-crafted, and full of small, conspicuous, workmanlike extras (pacific strings, mellotron, piano, guitar tweets, a southern blues harmonica), [with an] aptitude for unpretentious, poppy hooks.”[19][20]

Steinhart’s music is often understated and driven by his distinct vocals, which critics have called a “privilege of craftsmanship”.[19][20][21][24][25] His voice is noted for its range and has been called “soaring... redemptive... at once world-weary and angelic”,[25] “cynical and charming at the same time.” The Arizona Daily Star labeled Steinhart’s vocals in Pop Art, “clear, crisp, and angst-driven.”[13]

Steinhart composes songs about relationships and heartbreak, earning him a reputation as “especially adept at chronicling complicated reunions with faded flames.”[26] LA Weekly wrote that, “For anyone who needs a little reassurance about that thing called love (or has had it with whiny dirges on the radio), Smart Brown Handbag's ouch-that-hurts anti-luv songs, harmonies, bouncy bass lines, and-peppy rock-style riffing are just what the therapist ordered,” praising Steinhart’s honesty in his lyrics.[27]

BAM described Pop Art’s Long Walk to Nowhere as “punchy acoustic rock [which is] at once bracing and powerful.”[25]

Rolling Stone commended Smart Brown Handbag’s The Big Sigh, writing that "Smart Brown Handbags catchy guitar pop has been rumored to be on the edge of greatness for a long time and we believe the hype."[28] The Orange County Register defined SBH’s sound as, “early R.E.M jangle-pop with Johnny Marr guitars and slightly, off-kilter Paul Weller-influenced vocals.”[18]

PopMatters reviewed the album, My Analog Face, by saying: “At times the band brings an acoustic, folksy leaning Elvis Costello to mind... But throughout it all, the Furious Seasons are adept at crafting timeless melodic pop.”

"This is one of those types of bands who makes refreshing music by having a broad palette in musical, lyrical, genre, and influential tastes, and manages to weave it into a mosaic that is undeniably, uniquely their own sound." – MW Powerpopholic[29]

Discography

Solo

Year Album Details
1992 Everything She Says
  • Stonegarden Records
1993 The Almighty Night
  • Stonegarden Records
2001 Clean
  • Stonegarden Records

Pop Art

Year Album Details
1984 Radio Tokyo Tapes Vol 1: Ancient Art
1984 Pop Art
  • US 12" EP (Stonegarden SGN 266)
1985 A Perfect Mental Picture
  • US LP (Stonegarden SGN-267)
  • GER LP - White Vinyl (Full Blast Records 941701)
1986 Long Walk to Nowhere
  • US LP (Stonegarden SGN-115)
  • GER LP - White Vinyl (Full Blast Records)
1986 Live at KCRW
  • Bootleg
1987 Snap Crackle Pop Art
  • US LP (Stonegarden SGN-829)
  • UK CD (Blue Moves BMCD 3001) (1988)
  • UK LP (Blue Moves LPBM 3001) (1988)
  • UK CS (Blue Moves)
1989 Never No
  • UK 7" Single (Blue Moves SBM 2)
  • UK 12" EP (Blue Moves TSBM 2)
1989 Neon Fire
  • UK 7" Single (Blue Moves SBM 3)
1990 Later on in the Same Life
  • US CD (Stonegarden SGN 903)
2000 Really Blind Faith: A Retrospective, 1984-1990
  • US CD (Stonegarden SGN 954-2)

Smart Brown Handbag

Year Album Details
1993 Smart Brown Handbag
  • David Steinhart, Jeff Steinhart, Lyn Norton
  • Stonegarden Records
1994 Silverlake
  • David Steinhart, Jeff Steinhart, Lyn Norton, Steve LePatner
  • Stonegarden Records
1995 Sabrina
  • US 7" EP
  • Stonegarden Records
1996 Monkey in the Middle
  • Lineup change: David Steinhart, Cindy Albon, John Glogovac
  • Stonegarden Records
1997 Lullabies for Infidels
  • Stonegarden Records
1999 Little Things Are Everything
  • Stonegarden Records
2000 Just Like Driving Backwards
  • Stonegarden Records
2002 Fast Friends
  • Stonegarden Records
2004 The Big Sigh
  • with Jeff Steinhart
  • Stonegarden Records
2005 Harry Larry
  • Stonegarden Records
2002 Fast Friends
  • Stonegarden Records

Furious Seasons

Year Album Details
2008 The Furious Seasons
  • Stonegarden Records
2009 Thank You for Saturday
  • Stonegarden Records
2011 My Analog Face
  • Stonegarden Records
2015 My Love is Strong
  • Stonegarden Records

References

  1. ↑ "Stonegarden Records". Retrieved 2013-11-20.
  2. ↑ "The Furious Seasons: My Analog Face". Retrieved 2013-11-20.
  3. ↑ "Smart Brown Handbag". Retrieved 2013-11-20.
  4. ↑ "IUMA: David Steinhart". Retrieved 2013-11-20.
  5. ↑ "Artist: Ethan James & Cindy Albon". Retrieved 2013-11-20.
  6. 1 2 "100 Favorite Albums of 2004.". Hoboken Rock City.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Smart Brown Handbag". Retrieved 2013-11-20.
  8. 1 2 "David Steinhart". Retrieved 2013-11-20.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 "David Steinhart". Retrieved 2013-11-20.
  10. ↑ Spurrier, Jeff (1986-01-19). "Pop Art: Pop-folskters Pop Off". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2013-11-20.
  11. ↑ Raymond Ecke (Nov 1994). "Striking Gold on Silverlake." 8 (9). Cover Magazine.
  12. 1 2 3 Jeff Spurrier (January 19, 1986). "Pop Art: Pop Folksters Pop Off.". Los Angeles Times.
  13. 1 2 M. Scot Skinner (1986). "Metaphoric ballads form Pop Art’s trademark.". The Arizona Daily Star.
  14. 1 2 J.R. Taylor (May 29 – June 4, 1996). "Smart Brown Handbag.". New York Press.
  15. ↑ "Revolutions Per Minute". Retrieved 2013-11-20.
  16. ↑ Eric Layton (November 1987). "Smart Brown Handbag: Just Like Driving Backwards.". Entertainment Today.
  17. ↑ "COAT". Retrieved 2013-11-20.
  18. 1 2 Ben Wener (May 4, 1996). "An ‘Argument’ for the band with a sound and sensibility.". The Orange County Register.
  19. 1 2 3 4 "The Beauty of Folk Music". Retrieved 2013-11-20.
  20. 1 2 3 4 "the furious seasons". Retrieved 2013-11-20.
  21. 1 2 "Music Review: The Furious Seasons – My Analog Face". Retrieved 2013-11-20.
  22. ↑ "Special Night at Yamashiro Farmers Market to Benefit Ellen "Twinkles" Meyers". Retrieved 2013-11-20.
  23. ↑ "Releases". Retrieved 2013-11-20.
  24. ↑ "David Steinhart – Clean". Retrieved 2013-11-20.
  25. 1 2 3 C. Darling (April 11, 1986). "Reviews: Pop Art.". BAM.
  26. ↑ "Smart Brown Handbag". Retrieved 2013-11-20.
  27. ↑ Libby Molyneux (Oct. 25-November 7, 1996.). "Good Times: Smart Brown Handbag.". LA Weekly. Check date values in: |date= (help)
  28. ↑ "The Big Sigh". Rolling Stone Online. April 11–13, 1997.
  29. ↑ "Search Results for “the furious seasons” – Powerpopholic". www.powerpopaholic.com. Retrieved 2016-02-14.
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