Winzenried a.k.a. Hollywood Drunks

About Winzenried a.k.a. Hollywood Drunks

After completely losing his dead dry hair by 17, Eric Winzenried realized at a young age that life has a way of forcing its stereotypical imprint on the soul. Since then, writing and recording music has been a way for him to forget the various bad hairstyles he attempted throughout the 90's (for instance, the infamous bald guy with pony tail look). He's had the privilege of working many exciting shitty jobs. From office supplies replenisher to food delivery specialist, from wrangler of the mentally ill to naked guy in plays, all his experiences have influenced the eclectic nature of his music. But it wasn't until he found himself divorced at 28, displaced, and sharing a tiny studio apartment with giant sized cockroaches that he finally found his voice as a singer-songwriter.

Self-depracating humor, sarcasm, and their not-so-distant cousin, anger, are a common link throughout the debut album "Hooray". Songs such as "You Can't Stay at My Apartment" which deals with the psycho uninvited house guest who never leaves and "Therapy" which tells the charming story of a crystal meth smoking ex-girlfriend are examples of Winzenried's lyrical style. The music itself is a synthesis of different genres including hip hop, pop, rock, glam, and alternative. "Ohio" and "Smarter One" best showcase this unique bled of musical styles.

After spending many numerous drunken nights at the old Hollywood bar Boardner's, Eric met his brilliant future producer and guitarist Lloyd Stuart Casson. Stuart hooked up the amazing Carl West on bass and Eric's old friend from Ohio, Paul "Fingers" Sandberg, would later join the group on keys. The incredible Sebastian Sheehan climbed aboard the band last year just in time to lend his drumming talents to their new album SWELL just released in 2007.  Around L.A., this group of alcoholic misfits are also know as The Hollywood Drunks, especially since the name Winzenried is too hard to spell, pronounce, or even look at without becoming completely exhausted.  In hindsight, they realize now that it was a bad name choice but alas they are stuck with it like an old cold sore that never leaves, thus, the entirely not subtle name change to Winzenried aka Hollywood Drunks.   They are currently working on a Christmas album that will be available in November just in time for the holidays.

HOORAY!!

Life has a way of forcing its stereotypical imprint on the soul.  "Life likes to have its fun with me. When it drops its guard we're gonna wait and see."  As Eric Winzenried explains in
"Punchline", he knows the deck is stacked in life's favor, but as an artist he's gonna resist becoming its punk.

Stepping way beyond the trite images of a one genre artist, Eric's music is an eclectic blend of pop/rock with elements of hip hop to alternative.  His debut album, "Hooray", captures the diversity of his musical influences from the humor and sarcasm of The Kinks and The Replacements to the lyrical flow of Sublime and A Tribe Called Quest as well as the unpredictability of David Bowie.  The signature songs "Ohio" and "Smarter One" best showcase this unique blend of musical styles.

His debut album highlights his unique comical insights into life's absurdities.  He takes situations, from the truly tragic to the simply inconvenient, and breaks them down to what's really worth crying over.  In "Therapy", Eric tells the charming love story of a
crystal meth smoking ex-girlfriend while in "Punchline", Eric makes light of his ex wife's painful marital infidelity by contrasting it with the even greater tragedy of the death of his sister .  In the featured song, "You Can't Stay at My Apartment", he documents the
sufferings we have all endured of the psycho uninvited house guest who never leaves and questions our inability to stand up for ourselves.

While Eric Winzenried's songs contain self-deprecating humor, sarcasm, and their not so distant cousin, anger, they all share the same message:  if you are able to laugh at the humorous fragile nature of life,  you'll stop viewing yourself as a victim and take back the
controls.

Influences

The Replacements The Kinks Queen The Pharcyde

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Hollywood Drunk

Hollywood Drunk


album: Hooray!!
genre: Alternative Rock
 
Ohio

Ohio


album: Hooray!!
genre: Alternative Rock