Recordings
Discography 1993 - Present
Recordings
Music’s essential to my artistic life —creatively, professionally, and socially. I’ve been writing and recording songs forever, and spent much of my career working closely with other music makers in one way or another.
I cut my troubadour teeth playing anywhere they’d let me — driveways, dormitories, coffeehouses, church basements, galleries, and subway stops — from the Massachusetts North Shore to Greenwich Village. In the 90s, I immersed myself in Boston's music scene, designing album art and posters for bands and labels at my Newbury Street office by day, and by night, fronting a jangly, twangy, mock-n-roll group called the Eddies.
"...inventive, original, retro and refreshing... Pinch me, I must be dreaming!"
— Jordan Catalano, The Noise
Over the years since then, I’ve released solo mod-folk/indie-pop records, collaborative concept albums, and many special tracks and singles for London’s WIAIWYA Records. Oakland-based poetry press Kolourmeim Press published an anthology of my lyrics, and some of my songs have been recorded by some of my indie artist pals. Probably the best thing to come out of all this has been meeting and collaborating with so many talented, multifaceted people, doing something we all love.
I don’t record or perform much these days, but I’m still writing whenever I can. And the aesthetics of music, and all the things I’ve learned from my experiences making music, continue to inform everything I do.
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1990 –99>
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REVIEWS
“R.E.M-cum-Yo La Tengo jangle with balls, a brassy frontal attack crossing musty antique store monster-billy guitars with sock-o-delic harmony vocals that would do Cream or the Yardbirds proud.”
— The Noise, Boston
“Really poppy and rocking… bluesy and rootsy, with a bit of Beatles, a dash of punk attitude and a beach thing… it’s the blend. Three thumbs up.”
— New England Performer
— Bruce Gellerman, Here & Now, WBUR (NPR News Boston)
“This Boston-based rocker's collection of infectious melodic jangle pop and swamp folk is actually a combination of two self-released EPs from the late '90s. Divided into two distinct sections, part one finds Mellin plowing through the groovy sounds of the British Invasion and mid-’60s American pop with guitar arpeggios, falsetto harmonies, handclaps, Farfisa organ textures, and a backbeat worthy of Ringo Starr’s hearty approval. Cuts such as “Frankly Babe,” “Shocked at First,” and “Wilson Squared Airport Disaster” utilize primitive studio trickery such as canned applause, spoken word vignettes, and the crackling pop of vinyl to add an additional smattering of authenticity. Part two could be sub-titled “Mellin's Music From Big Pink” as the singer/songwriter opts for acoustic guitars, upright bass, accordion, and echo-laden vocals which give the cuts an aura of desperation and loneliness. Mellin's rootsy persona shines best on “Half-Moon in 4/4,” a tongue-in-cheek country dirge that bemoans the perils of romance. Though he wears his influences on his sleeve, Mellin is never derivative and his songs are well crafted. The musicians on this album are among the cream of the crop of New England's underground pop coalition, including Andy Pastore and John Clarke (Charlie Chesterman & the Legendary Motorbikes), Suzi Lee (Coronet Premiers, Slide), brother Joel Mellin (the Oscillators), and Jake Guralnick (the Eddies, Tuffskins).”
— Tom Semioli, AllMusic Guide
“…a catchy and diverse musical package. While the 10 cuts are undeniably filtered through Mellin’s ear, a listener can't help but hear snatches of Crowded House, a ’60s Turtles vibe, a cheery side of the Velvet Underground, a bit of Paul McCartney bass and even some Dylanesque vocals and lyrical images. …Mellin’s songwriting and his way with a tune show he's headed in a promising direction.”
— Ames Arnold, Style Weekly
“Clever lyrics, interesting delivery, prime musicality...what more could one ask?”
—Doug Treadway, Nightflying, Arkansas
“To those in the know, this album is worth its price tag just for the collection of Boston-area pop names involved. ...good mix between pop and experimentation.”
— Kevin Gibson, Louisville Eccentric Observer
“‘Shocked (At First)’ has all the hooks of a Matthew Sweet or Lemonheads song”
— MP3Reviews.com
“[Three On A Match] is more Belle and Sebastian, Velvet Underground and Sufjan Stevens than anything else…. While it may not be be everyone’s cup of tea, it’s been on my play list quite consistently and, if you are so inclined, I would highly recommend downloading this truly unique album here. Or, if you’re feeling indulgent, order their exquisite special edition. Worth ever bloomin’ penny: the art deco design is simply irresistible– any album that includes a match box and candy cigarettes is simply aces.”
— MissCarley (Social Ambassador for the 10th Annual TCM Classic Film Festival), The Kitty Packard Pictorial
“Stars closes with Jeff Mellin's ‘January Bluff,’ a down-tempo ode to New Year’s. It’s the perfect ending to a nearly perfect album. ‘Don't worry ’bout a thing… New Year’s here.’ The lyrics beautifully (and in great detail) describe New Year’s Eve. I don’t know the traditions in the UK, so I don't know if the drop he's describing is like our Times Square drop, if it is our Times Square drop (via telly), or if it is simply metaphorical--but it does make it very relatable for Yanks. This is a long song and there’s an awful lot going on in it. But, in typical Indie Pop fashion, the key is the duel meanings of the title, ‘January's Bluff.’ In one sense, a bluff is a cliff... a demarkation point, the end of one thing and the beginning of another. I love the way Webster’s Dictionary phrases the other meaning: ‘to deter or frighten by pretense or a mere show of strength.’ See? This whole idea of wiping away the old year and starting anew is a fraud. And it's a fraud we repeat year after year--convincing ourselves ‘by pretense or a mere show of strength’ that this day will change everything. As if to lay it out more plainly, there is an extended repetition in the last part of the song: ‘Cry your eyes out, dry your tears.’ On one level, many people do precisely this. On another, it's a metaphor for life. And (while, again, I may be reading too much into all this) the song is as long as it is because there is no demarkation between the years — nothing changes (everything changes) — life just goes on, and goes on, and goes on...until it doesn't.”
“7 singles released via 7-inch on the 7th of participating months. It’s all too confusing. But not as confusing as this piece of pop throwback, as energetic and surprising as the only Jay Bennett &Edward Burch album. Yes, pop is not a dirty term down here though we drown it in mayo like the Dutch do french fries (so I’ve been led to believe). But this is sugary sweet happy-go-lucky bonanzas and we can’t disguise the flavor no matter the condiment. Even fish sauce can’t wash out the taste of sunshine and rainbows. But a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down, and whatever medicine you’re on will be coated by bubblegum Motown A.M. Mmmm mmmm!”
— JSpicer, Tiny Mix Tapes
“…breezy and cynically fun, and remind[s] me vaguely of Bill Pritchard. So, good then.”
— Singled By Choice
“Jeff's Mellin's SMILE LIKE A LEMON PEEL, KISS LIKE A PAPER CUT has the best record title of the year, bar none FULL STOP... PERIOD. If that wasn't enough, it's a classic US feisty Powerpop bounce-along... when Jeff gets to headline Madison Square Gardens THIS will be the tune the 19,522 punters scream for throughout the set... THIS will be the tune WINONA RYDER, PHOEBE CATES and MOLLY RINGWALD resurrect JOHN HUGHES for to retrospectively make the best US college flick EVER, solely to have it played over the closing credits... oh, and also features DOUG YULE and Helen and Steph from SHRAG, and as such is the past, the present and the future handily compressed into 2 minutes 56 seconds of MAXIMUM POP JOY... GRIN, SPIN, WIN... oh yes..”
— John Jervis, wiaiwya