 DYLAN RAMSEY ALIAS • RAMSEY PLAYED BY • WILLIAM BECKETT OCCUPATION • MUSICIAN/ACTOR VOICE • SAY HI(TO YOUR MOM)/THE MACCABEES BIRTHDATE • 28 MAY 1983 BIRTHPLACE • SEATTLE, WASHINGTON RESIDENCE • LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA OTHER • MANHATTAN, NEW YORK BIOGRAPHY Face it, the singer/songwriter you've been waiting for all these years is JAGER DYLAN RAMSEY, a Seattle born, New York-based, indie-pop/lo-fi rock singer, songwriter and guitarist. Not convinced? Give me a moment to introduce you the Miracle of the Great Northwest. The vast shield of rain that clouds over Seattle is anything but barren, at least from a creative standpoint. Our story begins in Seattle circa 2000. The Grunge Invasion had swept out of the Northwest and into the ears of every kid with a pawn shop guitar. It affects everyone differently. And then, there comes to pass a monumental distillation of post-punk garage rock, the indie sounds of Chicago and a healthy dose of pure, unadulterated pop from a time when Brian Wilson was at the helm. Melody is key. Hooks are aplenty and then some. Some stars are born. Call it a natural progression. Eight years, 5 records, acclaimed tours with Modest Mouse and Califone, countless other live dates and three film ventures later, Jager Ramsey have finally begun to get his just desserts. Why did it take so long? Who really cares? Just be glad you made it this far without him, and take comfort in knowing that the yearning is over. Just like that. Hailing from the grunge field of Seattle, Ramsey took shape in Brooklyn, New York in 2003 where Jager Ramsey was attending NYU - one member, several different instruments, a view slightly askew, culled from nearly a decade of playing out of pure boredom and for "shits and giggles". Counterpoint guitars gave way to a single guitar pitted against calculated keyboard passages, swarming indie rock machinations to pop-based melodic endeavors. In 2004, Jager Ramsey was scouted and signed to a deal with SUB POP RECORDS. Soon enough, a proper debut RAMSEY lp was released and became a critical success, with haunting pop numbers such as "Refuel" and "No Retreat." His album not only caught the attention of Hollywood starlet SAMANTHA THEROUX whom he dated well into 2005, but also The Gap — which placed "No Retreat" in a television spot, but it also helped re-establish the profile of Sub Pop, which had been without a marquee artist for much of the late 1990s. After touring, Jager released the tiresome LUMMOX lp in 2005 that did not go over well with fans before taking a sabbatical to do countless voice overs for animated films like the voice of Buddy Pine/Syndrome in THE INCREDIBLES and Bones in MONSTER HOUSE; but more notably the voice of UNDERDOG in 2006 and Simon in ALVIN & THE CHIMPMUNKS and Wilbur in MEET THE ROBINSONS 2007. His biggest breakthrough, however, came the next year, when two of his songs from his 2006 BRAILLE ep were included in the winsome film GARDEN STATE. The film's soundtrack was certified platinum, though its success riled some Ramsey fans, some of whom felt that his appeal was partly due to its well-kept secrecy. In the fall of 2007, he garnered his BA in English and Music Theory at NYU before returning to work on his next full length album, which was a less sleepy-eyed and more bustling follow-up. Two years after GARDEN STATE's name-drop, Ramsey finally released his most anticipated album BOOMGERANG 2008, which debuted at Number Two on the Billboard sales chart, a first in Sub Pop history and received a Grammy nomination for Best Alternative Album and voiced the role of Igor in the animated film IGOR. In 2009, Jager's resulting sounds on his ep RUSSIAN ROULETTE have germinated in a post-punk aesthetic with nods to traditional pop ethos. There's nothing like it on which to base analysis. Nothing at all. His live sets deviate enthusiastically from recorded works - there's just no telling. Rasmey is a story that's still being written, edited and recorded at Jagers' brownstone in Brooklyn with him playing a majority of the instruments (though he profers a Fender Jazzmaster) and providing vocals. On tour, friends accompany Jager as his backing band. Jager has consistently kept his foot in the door with a voice over role every year including the voice of Wybie in the multi-nominated animated film, CORALINE and reprised his role of Simon in ALVIN IN THE CHIPMUNKS: THE SQUEAKQUEL 2009. “His brand of music has since drawn comparisons to such disparate artists as Belle & Sebastian, The Beatles, The Strokes, Interpol, and Gary Numan. And his lyrics are noted as being one of the band's biggest strengths for originality. With such sounds that draw on several musical genres, including pop, alternative rock, alternative country, and folk. Jager Ramsey helped bring the pop traditions of 1960s pop bands — groups like the Beatles, the Zombies, and the Beach Boys — to a new generation of music fans under the catchall music sobriquet of indie rock.” -- ROLLINGSTONE As you read, his 2010 tentatively titled LUSTRE lp is currently being mastered and has recently completed his voice role of Mr. Fox in FANTASTIC MR. FOX 2010. Jager has also recently been added to cast of WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE 2011 as the voice of Alexander. So what happens next is anyone's guess. You can take active part by listening. What you'll discover is a musician your ears have been yearning for. |
JAGER DAILY • 