Rajiv Divyang Patel | |
|---|---|
 Rajiv Patel while performing with Before Braille | |
| Background information | |
| Genres | indie rock |
| Occupation | guitarist |
| Years active | 2002-2004, 2006–present |
| Labels | Sunset Alliance |
Rajiv Patel is a musician and solo-guitarist from Mesa, Arizona.
Soon after Before Braille recorded its debut LP, The Rumor , Rajiv Patel was recruited and joined the band as its new lead guitarist. [1] Although he was still only in high school, Patel would seriously influence the style of Before Braille's music [2] and, according to members of the band, significantly improve it. [1] The significance of his contributions to Before Braille are most obvious when discovering that some of the music from his solo-releases, such as Make Like a Tree from Of Black Water and Make Like a Tree Part 2 from Get Phased directly inspire the Before Braille song Ticker Tape Charade, which appeared on the Spring Cleaning album.
Patel is also well known for his work as "lead bass player" in the band The Letterpress. Unlike many other bands, The Letterpress lacked any guitars, featuring only two bass players and a drummer. [3] This, however, allowed the band to showcase Patel's skills in quite a different way to make up for the lack of guitarists. [4]
In addition to his work as a member of various bands, Patel, would also garner significant attention as a solo-guitarist. Because of his unique style, which draws on rock and Middle-Eastern influences, many critics agree that his music might take a couple listens to get used to, [5] yet all appear to enjoy his work, noting that "If you take the time to get into it, you’ll REALLY like this." [6] Ron Trembath at FensePost.com provides another example of the critical acclaim for Patel's solo work, calling it "the fresh cigarette on a Sunday morning or, if you prefer, the black coffee for the unsurpassed rain. This is just plain wonderful." [7]
His live show has been as well received as his recordings, leaving critics "blown away by what an amazing guitarist he is" and finding it "hard to believe someone could make that much music with just one instrument." [8]
In 2004, Patel took a two-year hiatus from the music industry in order to serve a mission in Peru for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). [9] After returning from Peru, Patel got back into music. However, because Before Braille broke up while he was still in South America, [10] he would initially pursue other projects. One of them, for example, was a venture with former members of Before Braille and Jared Woosley of Fivespeed called Red Means Red, although it does not appear that this band ever really got off the ground. [11] Then in 2009, Patel released his first solo recording in five years, the Get Phased EP, and toured with Dear and the Headlights as both an opening act, as well as its bass player. [12] [7]
| Release date | Title | Label | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Obey the Cattle | Sunset Alliance | |
| 2004 | Of Black Water | Sunset Alliance | |
| 2009 | Get Phased EP | Sunset Alliance | This was initially released as a tour EP, that later became available to the broader public. |
| Release date | Band | Title | Label | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ? | The Retaliation for What They Have Done to Us | Self-Titled | Sunset Alliance | Patel's song Bipolar Bear, which appears on his Of Black Water album, is a hidden track on this album. |
| 2003 | The Letterpress | Input/Output | Sunset Alliance | Ravij Patel played bass in this band instead of guitar. |
| 2004 | Before Braille | Cattle Punching on a Jack Rabbit EP | Sunset Alliance | |
| 2004 | Before Braille | Balance and Timing EP | Sunset Alliance, Bad News Bears Records | |
| 2005 | Before Braille | Tired of Not Being Away From Here | Sunset Alliance, You and Whose Army? Records | |
| 2009 | Before Braille | Kill the Messenger, Keep the Message | Sunset Alliance | |
| 2009 | Before Braille | Spring Cleaning | Sunset Alliance | The songs Ticker Tape Charade and Oh Well appear to be directly influenced by Patel's Make Like a Tree and Deer in the Headlights, respectively. |
| 2011 | Before Braille | Instrumentals | Sunset Alliance | |
Bob Hoag is an American record producer, songwriter and musician based in Mesa, Arizona. In 2005, he was recruited to be the pianist and keyboardist for American rock band The Ataris.
Dear and the Headlights was an American indie rock band from Phoenix, Arizona, formed in 2005. They released two widely known demos, recorded by future bassist Chuckie Duff, before their debut album was released. These demos included five songs re-recorded for the album. The most notable change to the songs upon re-recording was the drop from standard guitar tuning to E-flat standard tuning. Two songs heard on their purevolume.com page, recorded acoustic on a local radio show, also later appeared on Small Steps, Heavy Hooves. Small Steps, Heavy Hooves, the band's debut album, was released on February 6, 2007 on Equal Vision Records.
Bruce Connole is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He was the lead singer for the Jetzons and several other bands based in the Southwest United States.
Relentless7 was an American rock band, formed in 2008 by singer/guitarist Ben Harper. The band was composed of Harper, Jason Mozersky, Jesse Ingalls (bass), and Jordan Richardson (drums).
Sunset Alliance Records is an independent record label based in Mesa, Arizona. It is owned and operated by David Jensen.
Before Braille is an independent rock band from Mesa, Arizona known for its DIY work ethic and as a pioneer of Arizona's emo-core movement, or as they liked to call it, "480-area-core," during the early 2000s.
Cattle Punching on a Jack Rabbit is Before Braille's third studio recording and was released as a limited release Extended Play in 2004 by Sunset Alliance Records.
Balance and Timing is Before Braille's fourth studio recording, released as a "Holiday EP" in 2004 by Sunset Alliance and Bad News Bears Records.
Tired of Not Being Away from Here is the fifth studio album, and second LP, recorded by the indie rock band, Before Braille. It was released in 2005 in the United Kingdom by You and Whose Army? Records, and distributed in the United States by Sunset Alliance and Common Wall Media.
Obey the Cattle! is the first solo-recording released by guitarist Rajiv Patel. This EP was released by Sunset Alliance in 2003.
The Letterpress was a rock band from Mesa, Arizona, most widely known for its lack of guitars, as the band originally only consisted of two basses and a drum set.
Input/Output is an EP by the band The Letterpress that was released in 2003 by Sunset Alliance.
Loyal Wife is a band from Mesa, Arizona. It is former Before Braille frontman David Jensen's latest project.
Art for Starters is a band from Mesa, Arizona. It is essentially former Before Braille frontman David Jensen's solo project.
Half Visconte was an indie rock band from Tempe, Arizona, fronted by Scott Tennent and Rich Minardi. Tennent was owner and operator of the now-defunct label, This Argonaut Records, and the former manager of the Phoenix indie/art rock-music venue Modified Arts. At that time Mike Wright, original drummer, also owned The Argo which was a warehouse venue designed to support touring bands by the collection of donations and support of volunteer work offered by the local underground music community.
Not One Light Red: A Modified Document is a compilation album created by Scott Tennent and David Jensen to serve 3 essential missions. Its first mission was to create a record that would showcase and introduce local Phoenix bands to the rest of the United States. Second, it was supposed to serve to help promote the local Phoenix music and art venue, The Modified. Finally, it was to serve as a springboard for a national independent record label based in the Phoenix area along the same lines as Kill Rock Stars in Olympia, Washington and Dischord Records in Washington, D.C.
Kill the Messenger, Keep the Message is the sixth studio album, and third LP, recorded by the indie rock band, Before Braille. It was released in 2009 by Sunset Alliance.
Common Wall Media is an independent record label, film production, and media company based in Mesa, Arizona. It is owned and operated by Chuckie Duff, former Dear and the Headlights bassist and current co-owner of Flying Blanket Recording.
Faux Light is the first studio album recorded by the indie rock band Loyal Wife. It was released on April 3, 2012 by Sunset Alliance Records.
Coalizione del Volere is a record from The Seldon Plan. The album was released in 2011 on both Magnatune and The Beechfields Record Label. The Beechfields Records version was released as a limited edition translucent red 12" record with additional bonus tracks in 2012.The album features Michael Nestor on vocals and guitars, David Hirner on Bass, Chris Ehrich on guitars, and Frank Corl on Percussion. The record was produced by Frank Marchand and is the final full-length record by The Seldon Plan.
| Authority control databases: Artists |
|---|
