Born in the northeast, based in Los Angeles, the members of Cerulean are familiar with being anomalies. Before joining the band, guitarist Noel Kelly was a signature away from being a fighter pilot, drummer Dave Cerwonka was becoming a mountaineering guide, and singer and guitarist Rick Bolander was doing something with top secret satellites, but won’t go into the details.

Cerulean has been compared to the Catherine Wheel, Ride, Echo & The Bunnymen, and post-punk pioneers The Chameleons. An affinity for chiming guitar leads and angular drumming has also raised the occasional nod to early U2. Their penchant for crashing, uptempo hall-tremblers and haunting, atmospheric mood pieces also yielded licenses on some of television’s most critically acclaimed programming (HBO’s 'Six Feet Under'). Constant touring and an incendiary live set that stunned the crowd lucky enough to catch them at CMJ last fall has Cerulean continuing to garner a steadily growing and loyal fan base.

Review: No Sense In Waiting

[Rated 8 out of 10 stars] Is it too early for shoegazer nostalgia? As the New Wave resurrection continues to build steam in the U.K. and even in the U.S. with the mammoth success of the Killers and Franz Ferdinand, the eventual revival of genre spin-off dream-pop shouldn't be far behind.

To Cerulean's credit the Los Angeles-based group (http://www.ceruleanmusic.com) has been swimming in the waters of guitar swirl for a number of years now, traveling in the path abandoned by pioneers such as Ride, Swervedriver, and Catherine Wheel, the latter two seeming to have the largest impact on the band.

Vocalist Rick Bolander recalls both Rob Dickinson of Catherine Wheel and Swervedriver's Adam Franklin. However, Cerulean manages to avoid the excesses of the two and really shoegazer acts in general. There aren't any tracks here that meander into a cloud of psychedelic smoke; the songs are compact and radio-friendly, given a pop sheen by co-producer David Newton, former guitarist of the Mighty Lemon Drops.

Too often groups of this sort would get lost in their own dreaminess, lose focus as effects pedals are exploited and bled dry. Thankfully, Cerulean's tracks move forward without taking long glances at the scenery. Songs such as "Stop Running" and "Hi Riser" propel themselves briskly. And there really isn't a boring moment on the LP. It's a blast and not just a blast from the past.
- Adam Harrington, www.whisperinandhollerin.co.uk

Full Bio

Garnering praise for their self-released album No Sense In Waiting, Cerulean has been compared to the Catherine Wheel, Ride, Echo & The Bunnymen, and post-punk pioneers The Chameleons and the Comsat Angels. Their affinity for chiming guitar leads and angular drumming has also raised the occasional nod to early U2. Fortunately, or unfortunately for diehard indie fans, their ‘best-kept secret’ status is precarious.

:: Debuted in CMJ Top 200 (Oct 2005)
:: The #9 most-added new record to college radio (Oct 2005)
:: Charting on Seattle's highly-influential KEXP 90.3fm (Oct 2005)
:: Completed 42 date US tour (Aug-Nov 2005); Booking Spring 2006 tour
:: Sold over 1000 copies since 13 August self-release
:: Strong critical praise in both the US and UK
:: Licensing on HBO's Six Feet Under
:: Licensing on Fox TV's Wonderfalls
:: Licensing MTV’s Real World / Road Rules

No Sense In Waiting was recorded with ex-Mighty Lemon Drops guitarist and songwriter David Newton (whose production credits include Aberdeen, Fonda, Kissing Tigers, and The Blood Arm), reveals a band thriving in Newton’s straightforward, hands-off recording philosophy and finding a blistering sonic focus that is both timeless and prescient.

“A definite buzzband!” HITS Magazine