a san francisco journalist did her homework on granfaloon bus when she declared: "few other bands can claim to have opened for nirvana and toured europe with souled american, been compared to guided by voices and sparklehorse, and put out six albums of wonderfully melancholic and captivating music and still keep a low profile." with their seventh album, "exploded view," set to be released in late january 2002, granfaloon bus is likely to appear on many more maps.

drawing their dreamy tunes along a creative line sweeping both americana and alternative country styles, granfaloon bus congregates poetic lyrics with the domineering presence of blissful melodies. assembling in san diego, ca, in 1990, granfaloon bus counts on with a four-piece lineup consisting of felix costanza (guitar, vocals), ajax green(guitar), jeff palmer (drums, keyboards), and jeff stevenson (bass, pedal steel). during the months following the band's constitution while still in san diego, they released their first major recording, it's all just parlor tricks. however, a few months later bus settled on relocating to san francisco. in 1992, the group released their second album, a love restrained, via the discobolus records label. developing an always larger fan base, the california team offered a second disc, the 7" single coffee girl/sip away, two years before their third major release, rocket noon, in 1996. sleeping car hit record stores in 1997, and in 1999 it was time for good funeral weather, bus' fifth album. in that same year, the crew managed to record yet another album, necks & backs, and in 2000 contributed a theme to take me home, a john denver tribute disc. at the end of 2001, the group entered the studio to record their seventh full-length disc, exploded view, issued in february 2002. ~ mario mesquita borges, all music guide