PET

'PET' - Hightone Records
Full Length Compact Disc #HCD8105
PRODUCED & RECORDED BY KELLEY RYAN

With Pet, pop singer/songwriter Kelley Ryan returns from her 1996 HighTone Records debut, You Win The Bride, with a batch of fresh, catchy tunes which place her at the forefront of the new pop movement that's been brewing overseas and starting to bubble under in the States.

When You Win The Bride hit the streets, it was embraced by lovers of cool pop melodies and gorgeous harmonies, quickly becoming a college radio favorite (16 weeks on the CMJ chart) and becoming a staple in television and movie soundtracks. "Don't Be" was featured in the NBC-TV movie, Friends Til The End, which starred Shannen Doherty and has recently surfaced in multiple airings on VH-1."Underdog" and "Don't Be" were both used in the Warner Bros. feature, The Trojan War, which starred Jennifer Love Hewitt; and "Dead Around Here" was used over the opening credits for indie film fave Colin Fitz.

The first incarnation of astroPuppees was a three piece: Kelley Ryan on vocals and guitar; Maureen Serrao on bass and vocals; and John Oreshnick on drums. They played a handful of LA-area dates, as well as a showcase at South By Southwest in Austin. Then it was back to her basement studio working on new songs. Over a seven-month period, Kelley wrote, sang, played, mixed, teased, hammered and enlisted help from some of her talented friends, many of whom had also answered the call during the production of the first album. Since You Win The Bride was released in North America, Kelley also started to generate considerable interest in her music in Europe and especially in Japan, where the late 1998 release of that album included two bonus tracks not included in the domestic version. In early 1999, she co-wrote and was tapped to produce a track for hot Japanese female pop singer, Chocolat, which will appear on that artist's Sony album, scheduled for release later this summer.

Once again, the three original members of astroPuppees contributed the majority of the sounds heard on Pet. In addition to producing and engineering the new album, Kelley had a hand in writing 12 of the 13 tracks, played guitar on most and added various instruments on others. Maureen co-wrote five of the songs, played bass on many of them and added vocals throughout. John did most of the drumming on the album. Special guests include Marshall Crenshaw, who adds a six-string bass on "Angelica;" Don Dixon plays bass on three songs; and Marti Jones adds her considerable vocal skills to "Woo Hoo Hoo." The lone cover on the album is a way-cool version of the Marshall Crenshaw/LeRoy Preston rarity, "Crowded Town," which Kelley had always dug from her days working at Bug Music.

During the recording of this album, excitement about Kelley Ryan's music continued to grow both here and overseas; consequently several songs from the album have already made their presence known. "Angelica" has been recorded by Japanese pop artist Yuko Yamagucci; while "15 Seconds" was covered and is the debut single for the group Indiana, released on Polygram Records in Europe. Meanwhile - back in the U.S. - an advance astroPuppees track from Pet, "Like A Suitcase," was used on the long-running NBC soap opera, Another World; and Los Angeles radio station KCRW's popular "Morning Becomes Eclectic" show played both "Crowded Town" and "Olive 5" from a preview version of Pet.

With insightful lyrics and powerful, heartfelt vocals, Kelley Ryan and Maureen Serrao sing about what they know best on Pet: love lost, love regained and love that maybe should not have happened in the first place. Their bright, cheerful delivery puts a positive spin on what are often tearful laments; and their vibrant, contemporary singing style soothe the feelings in the most down-hearted sentiments.

The astroPuppees particular girl-group brand of pop-rock is one that is gathering steam from all parts of the world. Fans of honest, exciting music based in solid songwriting should embrace this new album with all the affection and comfort that comes from finding a new friend. And this Pet is coming home to stay!