Heralded as lo-fi geniuses for quite some time, Modesto, California's Grandaddy are an interesting piece of work -- literally. Self-recorded and produced, the band's singer/ringleader Jason Lytle mixes and mashes keyboards, found sounds and traditional rock instruments into densely layered, textured pop songs. The steady progression of their eclectic and peculiar sound into a streamlined and perfectly orchestrated one seems the product of a great deal of work -- not just a tortured artist's brilliance. The music has a relaxed, wry sort of bittersweetness engrained in it (see: Pavement), but Grandaddy up the ante a bit, throwing wild oscillations and the sound of helicopters into ingratiating pop songs alongside the expected bass, guitars and drums. Huge underground success in Europe changed the rules for Grandaddy, allowing them new studio effects and gadgetry exemplified by the glorious, twisted sounds on 2003's Sumday. Over time, their individual stamp of retro-futuristic indie pop has earned them more than a few diehard fans and even a few copycat bands. 2005's The Diary of Todd Zilla continues their skyward trajectory.
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