Kevin Ridel

Last updated

Kevin Ridel
AMRADIOVR.JPG
Background information
Birth nameKevin Ridel
Born1969[ citation needed ]
Connecticut
Genres Alternative
Occupation(s)Musician, singer-songwriter, guitarist
Instrument(s)Vocals, bass, guitar, keyboard
Website kevinridel.com

Kevin Ridel is an American musician and songwriter most notable for being the lead singer and primary songwriter of '90s power pop band Ridel High (A&M Records) and 2000s alternative rock band AM Radio (Elektra Records).

Contents

Early life and influences

At age 14, Ridel was playing in bands in Connecticut. In 1989 he moved from Connecticut to Los Angeles to pursue a career as a rock singer and songwriter.[ citation needed ]

Career

Bands

Ridel's first band was the '80s hair metal band Avant Garde, formed with Rivers Cuomo (who would later form the band Weezer). Ridel was the lead singer. Avant Garde, later renamed Zoom, were active from 1985 to 1989.

After Avant Garde ended Ridel moved to Los Angeles where he started the band Lunchbox.

Ridel has made music with the Los Angeles bands Ridel High [1] (A&M Records), Peel (Beyond Music) and AM Radio (Elektra Records).

Ridel High

In 1995 Ridel formed the band Ridel High, which released a 2 track vinyl single on Morpheus Records in 1995. The band then released the album Hi Scores, and then Emotional Rollercoaster (1997) [2] [3] both with Joey Cape's label My Records. During this time the band played shows around LA with such bands as That Dog, Size 14, Summercamp. Emotional Rollercoaster rereleased by A&M Records in 1998, where it was not successful. In 1999 the band split up, releasing the album Recycle Bin containing song that had been recorded for their 3rd album.

After the split of Ridel High, Ridel went on to form Peel with Ridel High guitarist Steve LeRoy. Leroy was later replaced as guitarist by Matt Fuller. Ridel reformed Ridel High with Fuller in 2013. The band performed live in 2013 and 2014 on the Boozacarooza Cruise with Nerf Herder.

AM Radio

In 2001 Ridel formed AM Radio. Cuomo was AM Radio's manager, and the band toured the United States and Japan with Cuomo's band Weezer. [4] In 2001 after signing to Elektra records AM Radio released the album Radioactive. The band had recorded tracks for a 3rd album for Elektra which was not released. These tracks would appear on the 2005 album "Reactive".

Ridel's band AM Radio have toured the US, Canada and Japan, supporting the bands Weezer, Third Eye Blind, Eve 6, Rooney, Ben Kweller and The Psychedelic Furs. Their song "I Just Wanna Be Loved" was featured on the Smallville soundtrack – Talon Mix, and also placed on an episode. Another song "Taken for a Ride" was featured on EA Sports Madden NFL 2004 , placed on an episode of One Tree Hill , and used on a television trailer for FOX feature film The Girl Next Door . The song "Pretty Stupid", was featured on the DVD for Wonderfalls .

AM Radio's album Reactive was released on Fiveman Army (FAEC Inc.). The band was signed with Sony Music Publishing, and released the album Shine in 2013. [5]

Solo

Ridel sang on two songs on the video game Elite Beat Agents , and covered The Kinks' song "You Really Got Me" for a national Japanese television ad for Soft Bank.[ citation needed ]

Bands

Albums

Album information
Peel by Peel
  • Released: 1999
AM Radio by AM Radio
  • Released: 2001
Radioactive by AM Radio
  • Released: 2003
Reactive by AM Radio
  • Released: 2007
Bigger Better Bolder Brighter by AM Radio
  • Released: 2009
Shine by AM Radio
  • Released: 2013
Emotional Rollercoaster by Ridel High
  • Released: 1998
High Scores by Ridel High
  • Released: 1997
Recycle bin by Ridel High
  • Released: 1999

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Weezer</span> American rock band

Weezer is an American rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1992. Since 2001, the band has consisted of Rivers Cuomo, Patrick Wilson, Brian Bell, and Scott Shriner. They have sold 10 million albums in the US and more than 35 million worldwide.

<i>Weezer</i> (Green Album) 2001 album by Weezer

Weezer is the third studio album by American rock band Weezer. It was released on May 15, 2001, by Geffen Records. It was the second Weezer album produced by Ric Ocasek, who produced their debut album, and it is the only studio album to feature bassist Mikey Welsh, as he left the band a few months after the album's release.

<i>Maladroit</i> 2002 studio album by Weezer

Maladroit is the fourth studio album by American rock band Weezer, released on May 14, 2002, by Geffen Records. Produced by the band, it was their first album to feature bassist Scott Shriner, following the departure of former bassist Mikey Welsh in 2001, although he was featured in some music videos for the Green Album songs. Musically, the album features heavy metal riffs uncommon to Weezer's previous releases.

<i>Pinkerton</i> (album) 1996 studio album by Weezer

Pinkerton is the second studio album by the American rock band Weezer, released on September 24, 1996, by DGC Records. The guitarist and vocalist Rivers Cuomo wrote most of Pinkerton while studying at Harvard University, after abandoning plans for a rock opera, Songs from the Black Hole. It was the last Weezer album to feature bassist Matt Sharp, who left the group in 1998.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rivers Cuomo</span> American rock musician (born 1970)

Rivers Cuomo is an American musician. He is best known as the lead vocalist, guitarist, and songwriter of the rock band Weezer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Matt Sharp</span> American musician (born 1969)

Matthew Kelly Sharp is an American songwriter and musician. Until 1998, he was the bassist for the rock band Weezer, which he cofounded in 1992. He appears on their first two albums, the Blue Album (1994) and Pinkerton (1996). In 1994, Sharp founded the Rentals, who have released five albums. Sharp has also released an EP and an album as a solo artist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tim Buckley</span> American musician

Timothy Charles Buckley III was an American musician. He began his career based in folk rock, but subsequently experimented with genres such as psychedelia, jazz, the avant-garde, and funk as well as unconventional vocal stylings. His commercial peak came with the 1969 album Happy Sad, reaching No. 81 on the charts, while his experimental 1970 album Starsailor went on to become a cult favorite. The latter contained his best known song, "Song to the Siren." Buckley died at the age of 28 from a heroin and morphine overdose, leaving behind sons Taylor and Jeff.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">AM Radio (band)</span>

AM Radio is an American alternative rock band from Los Angeles.

Jason Rosanoff Cropper is an American musician. He was a founding member and the guitarist of the American alternative rock band Weezer. He left the band before the release of their debut album Weezer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Patrick Wilson (drummer)</span> American musician, singer and songwriter

Patrick George Wilson is an American musician, singer and songwriter. He is best known as the drummer and cofounding member of the rock band Weezer, with whom he has recorded 15 studio albums.

<i>Make Believe</i> (Weezer album) 2005 studio album by Weezer

Make Believe is the fifth studio album by American rock band Weezer. It was released on May 10, 2005, by Geffen Records. The album was considered to be a return to some of the emotionally vulnerable lyrics of Weezer's previous releases, and due to the strength of the hit single "Beverly Hills", the album was a commercial success, peaking at number two on the US Billboard 200 and number eleven on the UK Albums Chart. In addition, "Beverly Hills" also earned Weezer their first Grammy nomination for Best Rock Song. Despite this, Make Believe received mixed reviews from critics and fans, although it has remained a consistent seller. The recording process of Make Believe began prior to the release of their previous album, Maladroit; however, it was prolonged compared to the recording of most of Weezer's previous albums, and lasted for almost three years. Rivers Cuomo's songwriting on Make Believe was described as "[a] return to musical, emotional bloodletting", although the lyrics were noticeably simpler than before.

<i>Songs from the Black Hole</i> Unfinished album by Weezer

Songs from the Black Hole is an unfinished album by the American rock band Weezer, recorded between 1994 and 1996. The songwriter, Rivers Cuomo, conceived it as a rock opera that would express his mixed feelings about the success of Weezer's 1994 self-titled debut album. Its characters were to be voiced by members of Weezer, plus the guest vocalists Rachel Haden and Joan Wasser.

<i>Weezer</i> (Red Album) 2008 album by Weezer

Weezer is the sixth studio album and third self-titled album by the American rock band Weezer, released on June 3, 2008, by DGC and Interscope Records. Rick Rubin and Jacknife Lee both produced parts of the album, with the band producing a handful of tracks themselves. Like in the band's 1994 debut, all band members contributed to songwriting. This is the first and, so far, the only Weezer album to feature lead vocals from all four band members. The album also features more musical experimentation in comparison to their previous efforts, especially shown in such songs as "Dreamin'", "The Angel and The One", and "The Greatest Man That Ever Lived".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rowan Robertson</span> English rock guitarist

Rowan Wingate Robertson is an English rock guitarist who currently performs in the Las Vegas production show Raiding the Rock Vault and plays for Bang Tango. He also plays for DC4. Robertson also played guitar for AM Radio, Dio, Vast, and Violet's Demise. Robertson has also done work as a film composer for director Amber Moelter's Dirty Step Upstage and has filmed numerous instructional guitar videos.

<i>Everything Will Be Alright in the End</i> 2014 studio album by Weezer

Everything Will Be Alright in the End is the ninth studio album by American rock band Weezer, released on October 7, 2014. It is Weezer's only album released by Republic Records, and the third and final Weezer album produced by Ric Ocasek, who previously produced the Blue Album (1994) and Green Album (2001).

Ridel High are a mid 1990s American power pop band formed in Los Angeles by lead singer and songwriter Kevin Ridel. Ridel was the lead singer for Avant Garde, which featured Rivers Cuomo of Weezer.

Justin Fisher is an American born bassist most well known for being the bassist in Nerf Herder, touring bassist for The Rentals and lead singer for Psoma. Fisher also co-founded Rivers Cuomo's second band Avant Garde.

Peel was an American rock band formed by musician Kevin Ridel in 1999 following the breakup of Ridel High. Ridel recruited Steve LeRoy of Ridel High on guitar, Matt Fuller later replaced Steve LeRoy on guitar and finally Joe Higgins on drums. Peel recorded and released one album titled Blindside produced by Face to Face singer Trever Keith, track 6 on the album "Facelift" was previously released as a Ridel High song on the 2000 compilation CD Happy Meals 2Blindside was recorded in tribute Kevin's dad, Gerald “Jerry” Ridel.

<i>Weezer</i> (White Album) 2016 album by Weezer

Weezer is the tenth studio album by the American rock band Weezer, released on April 1, 2016. The album marks their first produced by Jake Sinclair. It is the first release through Crush Music and was distributed by Atlantic Records.

<i>OK Human</i> 2021 studio album by Weezer

OK Human is the fourteenth studio album by American rock band Weezer, released on January 29, 2021 by Crush Music and Atlantic Records. Featuring a baroque-pop influenced sound, inspired by albums such as Harry Nilsson's Nilsson Sings Newman (1970) and the Beach Boys' Pet Sounds (1966), the album was recorded entirely with analogue equipment and features a 38-piece orchestra. The album was preceded by the lead single "All My Favorite Songs", released on January 21, 2021. The album received generally positive reviews from critics. OK Human is the first of two Weezer albums to be released in 2021, followed only four months later by Van Weezer.

References

  1. Ankeny, Jason. "Biography: Ridel High". Allmusic . Retrieved May 22, 2010.
  2. "Emotional Rollercoaster review from Powerpopacademy". powerpopacademy.com.
  3. "Emotional Rollercoaster review". avclub.com.
  4. "Weezer's Rivers Cuomo Helps AM Radio Dress For Success". mtv.com.
  5. "Interview with Kevin Ridel". layouth.com.