Kelly Stoltz

Kelley Stoltz is actually the reason Please Please You exists. He was our second ever guest when he visited The Junction in York on his birthday in 2006 after a couple of amazing psych-pop albums for which he'd played almost all the instruments and recorded at home. That night, Kelley brought with him a few buddies from his original hometown of Detroit who happened to be Dirtbombs. The band were absolutely killer and it was a memorable evening.

Having relocated to San Francisco some years ago, Kelley set up a studio in the garage behind his house, with a collection of vintage synths, 17 guitars, tape echos, mellotrons, a 50's jukebox, a Teardrop Explodes poster, a tape machine used by The Residents, an amp used by Stooge James Williamson, and a myriad other noise making devices which rear their heads on his new record. All told the place is called Electric Duck Studio and it's become a muse capturing zone for Stoltz, as well as Sonny & the Sunsets, The Mantles, Tim Cohen, Life Stinks, The Sandwitches and many other tuneweavers big and small.

Kelley has been off touring with Rodriguez, playing keyboards for the recently rediscovered counter-culture hero and recording others in his garage. Finally, he has found time to record a new album and get himself over to Europe to play some shows. We're honoured to be hosting one in Leeds as Kelley is a real hero and the exact kind of guy that makes Please Please You tick.

His new album, 'Double Exposure', was mixed and mastered by the crazy talented Mikey Young of Eddy Current Supression Ring and features Stoltz once again playing most of the instruments himself and overdubbing parts through his trusty 8 track tape machine. It's one of the best we've heard all year, one Thee Oh Sees main man, John Dwyer, describes thusly, "A piece of gold in your ear, A lovely thought in your mind, A breeze in the sun, This record is perfect…".

'Double Exposure is both a 500-piece jigsaw puzzle and a daydream. It’s an intricate, carefully crafted set of songs that blows by in a warm breeze. Kelley Stoltz is as good as he’s ever been in this album, and that is very good, indeed.' - Dusted Magazine

'Like much of the rest of this fine record, [final song, "It's Summertime Again"] sounds like a forgotten hit beamed in from some beatific version of the past.' - 4/5 – Uncut

'The continued obscurity of Kelley Stoltz is bewildering. His refraction of mindwarp pioneers (Fabs, Brian Wilson, Ray Davies) through more psychedelically inclined UK left-fielders unfailingly weaves groove-grit with devine melody, and Double Exposure feels like his best yet.' - 4/5 - Mojo

To make the night all the more special, we're asked two bands from our friends at Sea Records to support. The Illness make krautish rock n roll music and feature members of Ambulance, Broken Arm, Avenging Force, The Static Waves, Stink Taps and one Alisia Casper. Wolf Solent is one man, one guitar, one loop pedal and the kind of hooks that made The Clean so perfect.

Get on this. It'll be magic.