Yes, it's been 5 years, 11 albums, 2 EPs, and 250 songs for Essex Chanel!
“The Good Times” explores more of the Folkier/Americana side of Essex Chanel’s catalog, reminiscent of bands like Big Star, Sufjan Stevens, & Wilco, with a big band type arrangement full of horns playing intertwining melody lines. This is the first Essex Chanel track to use saxophone, clarinet, and tuba.
Essex Chanel is still continuing “FREE IN 2010” where we are offering all of Essex Chanel's Catalog: 250 songs, 11 Full Albums, 2 EPs for FREE in 2010! If you haven’t downloaded our back catalog, right now would be the time to do it before the year is over!
Genre – folk, pop, indie, rock, singer/songwriter, big band
Like Artists – Big Star, Wilco, Sufjan Stevens, Elvis Costello
“The Good Times” Credits:
Written, Arranged, Recorded, Mixed, & Mastered by Travis Lee Wiggins
Vocals, Banjo & Guitar by Travis Lee Wiggins
Drums by Mitch Nimnicht
Clarinet & Saxophone by Steven Aleck
Trumpet by Stephen Dranger
Tuba by Robert Pleshar
Recorded at Beware of Dog Studios in Chicago, IL
5.13.2010 Audio & Video has been posted from Essex Chanel's last show at Uncommon Ground. Allison and Travis performed as a duo, and also through in a bunch of Dolphins Swimming Songs & A never-released Summer Salts song. Thanks to Richard Trumbo for the video!
April 5th, 2010
BREAK UP
The Salts Officially Break Up! The Salts Offering all their recorded music for FREE (3 albums, 33 songs) full press release here
Chicago, Illinois – Three piece indie/rock/alternative Chicago Supergroup The Salts have officially broke up on March 29th, 2010. The Salts really never had a chance to show the world new tracks off their self-released second album, called Broomstick Rock Star (released on December 22nd, 2009). The Salts would love for everyone to have a chance to listen to the music they put so much time and effort into, so they are giving away this new album, along with their other 2 albums for FREE.
RIP
The Salts
active late 2006 to March 29th, 2010
(called The Summer Salts until 5.2009)
Albums Released: 3 Do A Somersault!, self-released 5.2008, 13 songs Broomstick Rock Star, self-released 12.2009, 11 songs Just A Pinch, self-released 3.9.2010), 9 songs
Total Songs Released: 33
Sure, bands form and break up all the time. But once and a while there are those bands that when they were around they were only a blip on the radar….maybe they didn’t promote or play enough shows, but the band was really good spectacular and a special thing and made some great music and recordings.
Love is Proximity Sessions, Disk 3 RELEASES
TODAY! 3.23.2010
Streaming and Available for FREE download!
Love is Proximity Sessions, Disk 3 by Essex Chanel releases TODAY (3/23)!
This album is streaming on the website and available for FREE Download!
Stream Album HERE.
Download the single, To Be Loved!
Download the single, Don't Say Goodbye!
If you haven't listened to the main album, Love is Proximity, make sure to listen!
It contains the best tracks from the entire project!
1.21.2010 Essex Chanel in the Illinois Entertainer!
1.21.2010 Essex Chanel on Indie Rock Cafe! "We first heard Essex Chanel's 2009 album, Love is Proximity, last fall, and they immediately went up on our radar."
1.18.2010 The Salts New Album! Just A Pinch!
Download for FREE Just A Pinch (releasing 2.9.2010) During the recording of Do A Somersault! and Broomstick Rock Star, the Salts recorded a lot of songs. They wanted to make a cohesive album, so they had to leave some out. The Salts are making these songs available to fans for FREE! 9 new unreleased tracks, from the recording sessions from The Salts first two albums!
1.10.2010
Love is Proximity Sessions, Disk 2
Streaming and Available for FREE download! The second Love is Proximity Sessions Disk is streaming on the website and available for FREE Download! The album officially releases 1.26.2010.
Stream Album HERE.
Download the first single, That Girl From St. Louis!
Download the single, Some Kind of Diversion!
Download the single, So You Wouldn't Go To the Weezer Concert!
12.23.2009 Essex Chanel on NoiseAddicts!
"...one can’t help but want to know what Essex Chanel is going to come up with next."
- Heather Fuhrer, Noise Addicts
11.24.2009 The Salts' Broomstick Rock Star on Deli Chicago! The Deli Chicago Broomstick Rock Star
"Few would dispute that Wiggins has tremendous songwriting capabilities...
his choice of instruments is impressively varied and at times....
There is much to love about this album...."
The Salts Release 2nd Album Broomstick Rock Star on December 22, 2009! The Salts offering 2 FREE singles from Broomstick Rock Star! The Making of Broomstick Rock Star Released!
Chicago, Illinois – Three piece indie/rock/alternative Supergroup The Salts are self-releasing their second album, called Broomstick Rock Star, on December 22nd, 2009. This album takes a radical departure from their first album, Do A Somersault! with tightly crafted dance/rock tunes that will get your blood pumping as well as the melodic bass and guitar lines that have become symbolic with The Salts’ music.
The instrumentation for Broomstick Rock Star was recorded during a 5 hour session in Chicago on March 7th, 2009 at Engine Studios where such acts as Iron and Wine, Andrew Bird, and Modest Mouse have recorded. Mike Regan Engineered & Mastered the album, with Producing and Mixing credits going to both him and The Salts. Broomstick Rock Star has 11 amazing tracks, varying from upbeat dance/rock numbers (“Body Moves”, “Go There”), Western-themed double entendre (“Thinking With Your Gun”), to comedic themes of current times (“Parent’s House”). The album instrumentation was recorded live with the 3 members in one room at Engine, with vocal overdubs and harmonies being recorded at The Barn in Valparaiso, Indiana, in April and May 2009.
Lead singer Travis Lee Wiggins shot, produced, & edited a short film called The Making of Broomstick Rock Star that follows The Salts in the studio during the making of the album. It’s quite entertaining. See it at: www.themakingofbroomstick.thesummersalts.com
The album can be purchased as a physical CD through the band’s website, www.thesummersalts.com and digitally through such retailers as iTunes and Amazon.com or Lala.com.
10.13.2009 = The Summer Salts are transforming! How fitting during this time of the year we have dropped the Summer from our name. You can now call us just "The Salts."
10.12.2009
Love is Proximity Sessions, Disk 1
2 FREE singles & Available for ADVANCE Purchase
The first Love is Proximity Sessions Disk is Available for ADVANCED purchase! The album officially releases on Sweet Goodness Music on 11.24.2009. Stream Album HERE.
Download the first single, She Cuts His Hair for FREE!
Download the single, 33-2-21 for FREE!
10.2.2009
Essex Chanel on AV Chicago!! AV Chicago had some nice things to say about Essex Chanel. Part of a preview for the Love is Proximity CD Release Show.
9.29.2009 Essex Chanel on Break Thru Radio!!
Essex Chanel stopped by Shelter Island Sound on 9/23 while in New York City on The 2009 Essex Chanel East Coast Tour. Break Thru Radio recorded Essex Chanel's set and had an interview with BTR's Maia Macdonald. Click above or here to listen!
9.29.2009
Essex Chanel on Examiner.com & Windy City Rock!
Frank Krolicki had a nice writeup of Love is Proximity and a preview of The Subterranean CD Release Show!
9.8.2009 Love is Proximity CD Release Show Announced!
Check out the tour dates for more shows in your area!
Thursday October1st, 2009
Essex Chanel's LOVE IS PROXIMITY CD RELEASE SHOW! Sure to be Essex Chanel's biggest show of the YEAR! The Subterranean 2011 W North Ave
Chicago, IL 60647-5413
(773) 278-6799
w/ Ami Saraiya & 1 more
8pm, 17+!!, $8
9.4.2009
Essex Chanel Band of the Week on What to Wear During an Orange Alert!
Interview with What to Wear During an Orange Alert & Essex Chanel! Travis answered some questions from Orange Alert's Jason Behrends! Check it out!
9.1.2009
Love is Proximity CD of the Month on Deli Chicago!
"Essex Channel captures both a sense of dense orchestration and the intimate sound of bedroom recordings...Wiggins keeps every track fresh and moving...."
8.30.2009
Still shots from the Skinny Dippin' Music Video!
8.15.2009 Essex Chanel's Love is Proximity reviewed by ReDefine Magazine!
"...A -...the end result is sugary sweet, inside and out."
- Rachel Helm, Redefine Magazine
"a sublime collection of songs full of bouncy melodies and charming instrumentation...an irresistible piece of indie pop...."
- Taylor, Music For Ants
See Essex Chanel & Travis's artwork in the same night! Essex Chanel (Mike Regan & Stephen Dranger will be filling out the lineup with Travis)will be playing a set at Minnetrista Cultural Center on 2.8.2008. Travis will have an artwork on display as well. It's all part of littlesurprises, a show celebrating the 20 year tenure & retirement of Marilynn Derwenskus, who was Travis's Senior Project Mentor. Travis also shared an Honors College Fellowship working on collaborative paintings with Marilynn. John Kill will play some music at this show as well, with a long list of other artists involved.
littlesurprises
Friday 2.08.2008
Minnetrista Cultural Center
1200 North Minnetrista Parkway
Muncie, IN 47303
6:30-10:00pm Click here to look at Travis's Senior Thesis and pictures from his Senior Show, which Marilynn was his Senior Project Advisor.
CD Release Show Coming Up! Essex Chanel is having a CD release
show at Schuba's Tavern on February 1st for Dancing at
Weddings! Travis will be performing with many friends
(Stephen Dranger, Mike Regan, Mike Rice, & Micah
Trivisonno) to play the whole CD live.Click here to listen to the single, Get Up and Dance. click this image
Dancing at Weddings CD Release Show
2.1.2008 Schuba's Tavern
3149 N. Southport Ave.
Chicago, IL 60657
9:30 pm, +18, $10
w/ Ra Ra Riot & The Virgins
Essex Chanel will be performing the CD in its entirety, full band.
11.28.2007 Two new songs released for The Album is Dead! Listen
to them here.
10.30.2007 Thanks to everyone who came out to the show on
Saturday! Pictures and video will be up soon.
10.10.2007
Essex Chanel Show Announced! Saturday 10.27.2007 South Union Arts 1352
S. UNION (just 2 blocks south of Roosevelt Rd)
Chicago, IL
w/ Brett Rosenberg & The
Metapuffs
8:30pm,
$10 suggested donation FREE BEER
click on Essex Chanel for more details
9.27.2007 The Summer Salts show was a great success!
Thanks to everyone who came out to see us!
9.17.2007 SUMMER SALTS LIVE! The
Summer Salts will be playing in Chicago this Saturday September 22nd! Try to make it
to the show if at all possible. Travis & Co. be playing many songs
from their new album, to be released in late October.
Also, a YouTube
page has been created that will house many Travis Wiggins
related moving pictures. A new project Travis has been working on the
last year calledBrad has been uploaded. They are pretty funny, and there are 34 of them, so
you should check them out.
8.15.2007 The Travis Lee Wiggins Online Store has been created,
where you can purchase tons of stuff Travis has worked on! Click above
to check out the merchandise! ALSO! A new song
for the Album is Dead called The
day I forgot to put deoderant onhas been uploaded! Listen
to it here.
8.5.2007 The Essex
Chanel album Spur of the Moment is now available on iTunes & Rhapsody.com!
8.1.2007 An
email newsletter called Travis Lee Wiggins
Creative Endeavors has been created. Sign up at the
bottom of this page to stay up to date with all the latest work Travis
creates!
7.14.2007 - Travis is recording his band, The
Summer Salts, at Beware
of Dog Studios (Travis
plays bass, keyboards, and sings for the Salts). This
will be The Summer Salts' first CD.
Stephan Dranger has just come back from Japan! I'm
sure we'll see some projects with Fetla again! Or maybe "Fetla 2"?
Travis
is also working on a new Essex Chanel CD, loosely titled Dancing
at Weddings. This album is quite a departure from some of
the Essex Chanel sound, and was quite a surprise from the get-go. It's
really fresh and we'll see where it takes us. He's still working on Love is Proximity,
but when you have many musicians involved, maybe it isn't the best idea
to start a CD with 38 songs!
6.23.2007
3 new songs released under Essex
Chanel for The Album is
Dead Project. Listen here.
4.18.07 - Travis
is working on a new album called Love is Proximity This one is going to be a little bit different than most Essex Chanel
releases, in part because he's not playing the majority of the instruments
on the album. Travis is doing a lot of arranging, and working with some
friends who play: violin, cello, drums, lapsteel, pedal steel, and some
female singers. He'll probably release an album or 2 before this one comes
out, so stay tuned.
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