Cliff Hillis: press/reviews

Cliff Hillis should be a major star. There, I said it … and his latest release, The Long Now (Tallboy Records), proves it. It’s a stylish, thoughtful, consistently excellent collection of catchy pop tunes that never fails to engage. A few tunes written with the Rembrandts’ Danny Wilde (“She Sees” and “Northern Lights”) are top-shelf, but there’s really nothing here less than very good, as Hillis is a supremely talented craftsman whose way with a hook is undeniable throughout. Not flashy, not life-changing — just great.

If there is such a thing as an impeccable power pop pedigree, Cliff Hillis comes as close to anyone I can think of to possessing it. After solid stints with pop royalty Starbelly and the John Faye Power Trip, Hillis launched his solo career with a pair of aces, 2001’s Be Seeing You and 2004’s Better Living Through Compression. The Long Now, Hillis’ latest release on Anna Borg’s Tallboy Records label, completes his solo trifecta. The Long Now is, in many ways, the perfect pop record: its songs are expertly constructed, melding wickedly clever lyrics with inescapable pop melodies. Hillis, unlike anybody this side of Bay area rocker Chris von Sneidern, possesses the pluperfect pop voice—he can sing sweet and intimate, as on “She Sees” or “Ought to Know,” or can reach back and belt out a rocker, as on “Northern Lights,” or “Faded Star.” Most impressively, he makes it all seem effortless. And if you’re going to ask for a little help from your friends, it surely doesn’t hurt if your Rolodex contains the numbers of Danny Wilde, Willie Wisely, and Kyf Brewer—all of whom co-wrote tracks on The Long Now—or former Hooter Eric Bazilian, who contributes a scorching guitar solo to “All for the Sake.” Kudos, as well, to jack-of-all-trades Ritchie Rubini, who, in a addition to coproducing the disc, contributes drums, percussion, piano, and synth throughout, and co-wrote “Like an Island,” to boot. But it’s Hillis who truly shines on The Long Now—it’s difficult to confine his considerable talents to a 4-1/2” diameter slab of aluminum.

Some people are so full of talent that it almost seems unfair. Cliff Hillis has such a monopoly on talent: a consistently wonderful songwriter, tasteful guitarist, and smooth vocalist. "The Long Now", named after an intriguing Foundation of the same name, is Cliff's third solo release. Prior to his trio of solo records, he built his musical muscle with one of my favorite power pop bands, IKE/John Faye Power Trip.

"The Long Now" finds Cliff more serious and matured; this can be detected in the subject matter covered by the lyrics and what some would call a more "seasoned" musical feel. The tunes just ease right into the ears and the melodies impress gently on the brain. Like other records by Cliff, "The Long Now" charms quickly, with Cliff's soothing voice more hypnotic than ever. The release has a more laid back feel with a lot of mid-tempo and breezy numbers, but there are some kick ass rockers too, like "Northern Lights" and the smoldering closer, "Faded Star".

The CD features an outstanding collection of collaborators that are no strangers to pop rock. One of my songwriting heroes, Danny Wilde, co-wrote "Northern Lights" and "She Sees", both of which would have fit nicely on The Rembrandts' "Untitled" release. Kyf Brewer (Ravyns, Company of Wolves) does his thing on "All For The Sake" and "Shake Me Down". Eric Bazilian (The Hooters) joins in to solo on "All For The Sake", and Cliff's old Caulfields colleague, Ritchie Rubini is a heavy contributor.

This is an artist who strives for the best and avoids filler on his records. In the spirit of pop wizards like Paul McCartney, Glenn Tilbrook, or Danny Wilde, Cliff Hillis continues to be inviting and accessible while expanding his horizons as an artist. It did not take long at all for "The Long Now" to now be a favorite of mine.

With so many artists out there and so many records to hear, and so little time in which to listen to it all, an artist who delivers consistently great music is worth his or her weight in gold. And in the power pop community, very few artists fit this bill as Cliff Hillis does. From his work in Starbelly (whose brilliant 2002 release Everyday and Then Some deserves a spot in the Top 20 power pop discs of the decade) and Ike to his high-quality solo work, Hillis is a known quantity, and his brand new solo disc The Long Now is another feather in his cap.

All of what I said above means that I'd buy his records sight unseen (or hearing unheard I guess), making the rest of this review superfluous for those familiar with his work, but for the uninitiated or those who have overlooked him, Hillis' sound is the golden mean of power pop - punchy enough to satisfy fans of Fountains of Wayne or Cheap Trick, but melodic enough to satisfy fans of Squeeze, Michael Carpenter and Paul McCartney. The rollicking, acoustic-based "She Sees" opens the track in "I've Just Seen a Face" territory, and it's followed by the brilliant "Never Understand", an electric guitar-heavy melodic gem that recalls his Starbelly days. By the time "Elevator" rolls around three tracks in, you're left to marvel at how effortless his sound seems as another near-perfect melody wafts through your speakers. And the rest of the album lives up to the standards - "Northern Lights" rocks with grace; "Follow You Anywhere" is more bright pop; "Like an Island" is positively majestic; and "All For The Sake" has a laid-back, country-rock-pop sound that reminds me of Carpenter and Bryan Estepa.

When the year-end list rolls around, there may be only be one digit in front of the period on this one, and make sure you pick it up through Not Lame or Kool Kat, where you get a bonus EP of 6 songs that include tribute tracks (including a cover of McCartney's "This One") and his contest-winning Chili's baby back ribs jingle.

Cliff Hillis (formerly of Starbelly and IKE) pulls together his third solo record. After he left IKE, Hillis worked on some songs for movie soundtracks and even won last year's Chili's contest with his Beatles-style take on the eatery's "Baby Back Ribs" jingle. This new Hillis album has a more mellow spin here, with the pleasing tight melodies that sound like Glenn Tilbrook (Squeeze) mixed with John Mayer. The smooth catchy opener "She Sees" shuffles along at a casual pace that switches to the guitar buzzing goodness of the great "Never Understand" with those great "ooh ooh" vocals in the chorus. The album boasts a cadre of pop experts including his band The Thinkers, as well as Eric Bazilian(The Hooters), Danny Wilde (The Rembrandts), and Willie Wisely. The song "Elevator" is another standout of awesome light pop melody and tempered beat that flows right into the chorus. "Northern Lights" echos back to earlier albums and flirts with a Posies-like sound with heavier guitar. The Beatlesque mid-tempo "Ought to know" is another great tune with an unusual synth break during the main banjo melody. Every song here is good, and even the ballads don't get too weepy. The songs delve into subjects about maturing relationships and marriage - without the usual gloom and doom you hear with other artists. This is a good solid album you are sure to enjoy.

Local singer-songwriter Cliff Hillis has been a familiar face in the regional music scene for years. Whether playing with power pop titans (Philadelphia’s IKE and Baltimore’s Starbelly), former local favorites (Tisra Til and Mystery Machine) or, more recently, assuming guitar duties with eternal party purveyors Love Seed Mama Jump, Hillis has done his part to put his native Rehoboth Beach on the rock ‘n’ roll map.
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Now, Hillis is taking some time for himself.

This weekend, Hillis will release his third solo album, “The Long Now,” with a CD release party at the Dogfish Head brewpub in downtown Rehoboth Beach. He will be joined by his longtime backing band the Forward Thinkers (guitarist Ken Herbin, bassist Greg Maragos and drummer Ritchie Rubini).

On the new disc, Hillis is accompanied not only by the Thinkers, but also by a slew of his musician friends — Ian Walsh, Ed Shockley, Greg Schocket and Eric Bazilian (acclaimed guitarist for Philadelphia hometown heroes, The Hooters, for whom Hillis has recently worked as a guitar tech). Adding to the credits, there are also collaborations with Danny Wilde of The Rembrandts (responsible for the “Friends” theme song) and Willie Wisely.

While mellower in tone than his previous efforts, “The Long Now” finds Hillis reveling the power pop hooks and layered melodies that established his career and his following.

Before his CD release, we checked in with Hillis.

Q: What was it like having Eric Bazilian of the Hooters — one of your idols growing up — guest spot on the new disc?

A: It was great — although I’ve been lucky enough to get to know him recently and even was able to record some of the rhythm tracks for this new CD at his studio. He is a busy guy and his guitar solo on “All For The Sake” happened through the magic of the interweb. I actually e-mailed him an MP3 of the song and when he had time he put something down he e-mailed that back to me. I happened to love it, which was a relief, but I knew I would because Eric is such a great guitar player.

Q: There are a lot of other guests on the album — many of them musicians you’ve worked with before in some way or another. What’s it like collaborating with old friends as opposed to writing and recording with a regular lineup?

A: Hmm, well, it’s been so long since I’ve recorded with a regular lineup I’m not quite sure. Just kidding, but I have to say I’m thankful for having so many talented musician friends that I can call on. Plus, it’s cool to write a song and think, “I know who’d be perfect for this,” and then actually be able to get them to play on it. And with the songwriting, I made it a goal a year or two ago to do as much co-writing as I could with songwriters that I know and look up to. And some I didn’t really know until I pestered them, like Danny Wilde of the Rembrandts and Willie Wisely. Sometimes it clicks and sometimes it doesn’t, but it’s never been a bad thing. I think I’m pretty easy going personality-wise so I think that might be a plus when attempting to do co-writing. So far it’s been a great experience.

Q: You road-tested some of the songs on “Long Now” at solo shows before recording them. In the end, did that have any impact on the final versions of those tracks?

A: I’d say yes and no. Some songs it did affect the way I approached the recording. The fact that I got used to hearing a song with the rhythmic approach that’s necessary when playing solo acoustic probably came into play on some of them, but also on others I really just started putting down parts and seeing where it would go. Case in point would be the song “Ought To Know” that has not only a moogy-synth but also a banjo. It just felt right.

Q: The new album reveals a slightly darker, mellower side of your songwriting, as opposed to the straight-up power pop from your earlier career. Was there a conscious decision to go in that direction or is that more or less how the songs organically came about?

A: Well I’m sure getting older has something to do with it, but I also have had some emotional growing-up and some heavy life experiences in the last few years, so I think all of the above had a strong influence on me. And, to be honest, I’ve always had a leaning toward the melancholy, but maybe since there aren’t as many Beach Boys-y harmonies it lets the serious side become a little more evident.

Q: I understand this was pretty much a DIY album, recorded by yourself at home (far from a first for you). What have you found are some of the pros and cons of taking that route?

A: Well, the modern world with everyone having a home computer studio (Garageband, Pro Tools, etc.) is great in that it allows more people to get their music out, but the one problem I would say is that now everyone thinks they’re a studio engineer. I feel lucky to have built a pretty respectable home studio over the years, and that combined with the experience of recording a lot of other bands has allowed me to pull off making what I consider to be a recording that can hopefully stand against other ones that have had a considerably larger recording budget. The downside would be cranking up an amp at all hours of the day in your house trying to get a good guitar track.

Q: You’re known around the area as the King of Power Pop. Where do you think power pop stands now as a genre and where do you see it headed?

A: Well, I always joke about the power pop leaning of my songs. Kind of like with food, I don’t really notice specifically that something has garlic in it, but I just think it makes it taste really good. I’m the same way with the “Beatles-y” sound. I’ll hear a song on the radio (well, these days more likely an iPod commercial) that has a good melody and some nice harmonies and my head will turn. I think there was a possibility of power pop music to really become mainstream again, but these days I think it’s very much of a niche thing and is actually quite indie in it’s own right. Not sure where music in general is headed at this point!

Q: You’ve had your songs featured in several TV shows and movies (Brooke Shields film “After Sex”; Jennifer Lopez film “Enough”; “Party of Five”; Roswell”; “All My Children”). What is like hearing your work used in those contexts?

A: It’s pretty cool, actually. Last fall I was in a store in the mall and a familiar song came on the piped-in music. It took me 15-20 seconds to realize that it was my version of a Paul McCartney song that I had recorded for a tribute CD. It was pretty surreal actually. I’m very much hoping I can get some more song placements in movies and TV with this CD — that is about the only way indie artists can make a living these days unless they tour like crazy.

Q: Quick — what albums can’t you live without?

A: Beatles “Revolver,” American Music Club “Mercury,” Kinks “Village Green Preservation Society,” Wilco “Summerteeth”

Q: What’s next for Cliff Hillis?

A: World domination! And if not that, I’d like to keep recording and playing shows and continue to make a living at it.

PHOENIXVILLE — Cliff Hillis is finally making his music a priority. This Phoenixville singer/songwriter/guitarist had been performing with other artists such as his former band IKE, filling in with other bands including Love Seed Mama Jump and most recently performing with Mary Arden Collins, producing and recording other artists, and working as a guitar tech for the bands The Hooters and Scandal. It is easy to see why his own music took a back seat for awhile. And then he had a life-changing experience and his priorities began to change.

"A lot of it had to do with my parents passing away," said Hillis in an interview at Steel City Coffee House, where he will have a CD Release Party on Saturday night. "I realized I needed to make some goals for things I want to achieve in life before it got any later, and one of those (goals) was (to do more) songwriting. Another was to make the time to put out a new album."

Hillis admits "I've spread myself thin… just because of the different things that I do." In addition," he continues, "there was a year that I was basically trying to take care of (my parents) when they weren't well, and after they passed away I was laying low for awhile."

Now Hillis is back in a big way with The Long Now, which was released this week on Tallboy Records. The release - his first solo project in four years - signifies not only his return to focusing on his music but a change in direction.

"I used to describe my music as power pop, but these days I'd say its more melodic singer-songwriter, whatever that means," he laughs. The change in direction started with the songwriting process; the album features songwriting collaborations with 5 others on 7 of the 11 songs.

One of Hillis' collaborations is with his long-time friend Kyf Brewer. Brewer speaks highly of Hillis, not only as a songwriting partner but as a producer, engineer and instrumentalist.

"Cliff plays nicely with others," says Brewer. "He's easy to write with and the best part is that with a lot of the stuff we write together we can then lay down almost all of the instruments ourselves… We've had placements in a number of TV shows through my publisher."

In addition to writing songs together, Hillis also produced Brewer's album Bright Jewels (Ryf Records, 2003) and he engineered Bonny Prince Bailey (Ryf Records, 2008), the latest CD by Brewer's band Barleyjuice.

Hillis has also done recording and production for local artists Lotus Hill (A New Sun, 2008), Tim Butler (That's the Way You Want Me to Be, 2008) and has worked with Joe Miralles and Craig Bancoff. He receives high marks for the work he does in his home studio, The Hacienda.

The studio is "modest," says Hillis, "but I feel I can get really good results with it. I really do enjoy producing, engineering and mixing for other people," he continues, and says he'd like to balance producing for others and continue with his own work. This is great news for his many clients.

"I had actually wanted to work with Cliff for a very long time," said Butler. "I have been a fan of his music for years. I felt a real connection with his music and believed he could bring out all those qualities in my music. He did just that. He is a true pop genius. I really trusted him and his input. He knows just what things are supposed to sound like and makes it happen. I can't wait to work with him again."

Miralles adds: "Cliff was great to work with. Extremely professional in all respects. (He) has a great ear for production and is (an) all-around great musician as well."

Hillis has also been working as a guitar tech. One of his clients, Eric Bazilian of The Hooters, had nothing but great things to say about Hillis when he took the time for a phone interview while working in Nashville. The two met about a year-and-a-half ago when Bazilian needed a guitar tech and Hillis was recommended to him.

"I checked out his MySpace and immediately realized he was way overqualified to be teching for me," says Bazilian. Since then Bazilian has used Hillis for engineering work, and Bazilian played the guitar solo on "All For the Sake," which he said he was "absolutely honored and thrilled to do" for Hillis.

Now that The Long Now is done, Hillis has vowed to make his own music "a much higher priority." He said "I was just juggling stuff… it was kind of first come, first served. I get random calls just from all the things I've done over the years. I'll get called out of the blue. If I can swing it I'll do it but I've basically been carving out a lot more time for myself."

Hillis intends to focus on marketing the CD and says he has booked a lot of shows with his band The Forward Thinkers. "I'm trying to play as many shows as I can," he says. And he adds "I feel like I've worked hard (on the CD) and I'm pretty confident with what I've got."

The CD is available through Hillis' Web site, the Tallboy Records Web site and locally at Creep Records in Phoenixville.

As for his future plans, Hillis says that one of his goals is "to not take so long between this CD and the next one as I did between the last CD and this one." He's already talking about his next recording project — "maybe a stripped-down EP," he says, that he'd like to release next year.

In addition he says he wants to "actively pursue getting my songs out there and hopefully use some of the connections I've built up over the years to get more songs placed in movies and TV. That (is) a huge goal. That'll be the next phase of what I'm trying to do."

As far as getting his music "out there" Hillis relays an interesting story.

"This past Christmas season my wife and I were shopping in the King of Prussia mall in (a) shoe store and they had the music pretty well cranked in there and this song comes on and it was my version of this Paul McCartney song that I did for a Paul McCartney tribute (Coming Up: An Indie Tribute to the Music of Paul McCartney, Oglio Records, 2001). It was the song "This One" and it took me about 15 seconds before I realized. I said 'what is this? I totally know this song,' and then as soon as I heard my own voice I was halfway embarrassed but also pretty psyched. It was kind of surreal, actually… It's always exciting (hearing your music played). I'll never get tired of that."

This writer also had a Cliff Hillis mall experience recently. Hillis' song "So Much to Tell You" from his album Better Living Through Compression (Tallboy, 2004) was recently played at JC Penney, also in the King of Prussia mall. Though some artists might consider it cheesy to be mall music, Hillis is happy to have his songs played anywhere. It is likely they will be for years to come.

For more information about Cliff Hillis see www.cliffhillis.com.

For more information about this writer send an e-mail to fbrodkin@yahoo.com.

Stay tuned for Part 2 of this article, which will focus on Cliff Hillis the songwriter.

Editor's note: This is the second in a two-part series on local singer-songwriter Cliff Hillis. Check out the Saturday/Sunday, Oct. 11/12, edition of The Phoenix for the first part of the story.

The Phoenix Correspondent

Cliff Hillis has many roles — singer, instrumentalist, producer, engineer and even guitar tech — but he considers himself first and foremost to be a songwriter. He wrote his first song at age nine and began writing "seriously" at age 18 or 19.

"The first song I ever recorded (was) with a band I had with my brother called The Name… and after hearing what it sounded like as an actual recorded song I started thinking 'maybe I could really do something with music and songwriting.'"

With support and encouragement from his parents he began to hone his skills.

Since then Hillis has enjoyed success as a songwriter; his songs have been placed in movies and television shows, including "All My Children" and "Roswell." In 2007, he even won a contest, sponsored by Chili's, in which he wrote a newer, catchier Baby Back Ribs jingle. And he has won other songwriting awards as well. He has an uncanny knack for writing great hook-laden pop gems that stick in your head.

"Songwriting is definitely the thing I feel closest to," says Hillis. "Especially on the new CD (The Long Now, Tallboy Records) I really do feel like I was trying to say something and I actually said it."

But that doesn't mean songwriting always comes easy for him.

"I've become a little pickier in recent years," says Hillis. "Maybe I'm growing as a songwriter. It used to be where I would write a song and maybe not be 100 percent pleased with it but feel like 'oh, that's good' and be done with it. Whereas now I labor over it a little more."

He adds: "I think I used to feel in the past that if it took too much effort to write a song that maybe it wasn't there, but (now) I think that's not true. It's something I kind of learned over the last several years. If I have a chunk of a song that's valid it doesn't necessarily end when the inspiration is gone."

So Hillis decided to pursue doing more songwriting with others.

"A lot of it is I have all these pieces of songs and I'm too lazy to finish them. Or it's hard to get the inspiration (back) once it's gone. I'll have (parts) of songs and I think 'man, I could really do something with this' and I never end up finishing them."

Hillis continues: "It was a conscious thing trying to write with other people. I had ideas that I thought were valid but I didn't think I could actually finish (the songs) on my own… I'd been doing writing over the years with my friend Kyf Brewer and we definitely seem to click in a really good way," he says, "(but) I really had only tried writing with one or two other people…"

So Hillis began to actively seek other writers to collaborate with, and many of the fruits of those collaborations are on The Long Now.

"Rather than just be shy and say 'I wish I could write a song with that guy,' I will just throw it out there… the worst that can happen is that they say no!"

Cliff got his first opportunity to approach someone new a couple of years ago.

"I started chatting (with) Danny Wilde (of The Rembrandts). He was pretty friendly and I just threw (the idea) out there — 'hey, would you ever wanna write a song together?' I think he actually was a little surprised at first that I asked him because we didn't really know each other but he (responded) 'yeah, I co-write all the time.'"

Hillis continues: "I actually had a plan to be in California to do a gig… and (while I was there) I ended up going to his place. I had (parts of) three songs that I played for him. He liked them all, which was pretty cool."

Two of the songs that they co-wrote are on The Long Now.

It was a similar situation when approaching Willie Wisely, but Hillis says the actual songwriting process was different.

"With the song 'Good and Bad,'" a song that Hillis co-wrote with Wisely that is also on The Long Now, "it was interesting because we got the bulk of the song finished in the first songwriting session and then (we) tried to e-mail ideas back and forth a bit, but it seemed to work better for the two of us to be in the same room bouncing ideas directly off each other. So it wasn't until later that year when I was back in California that we were able to finish it properly," says Hillis.

Hillis says the songwriting process with Wilde was much different.

"It was a totally different songwriting experience but they were both really inspiring in their own ways. "Like with Danny Wilde it was quick-moving and working and coaxing whereas with Willie Wisely we just sat around strumming guitars for a long time, really throwing ideas back and forth."

Hillis' adaptability and easy-going nature makes him successful in dealing with others who have different styles and approaches.

Cliff's long-time friend and musical collaborator Ritchie Rubini confirms how easy it is to work with Hillis.

"Working with Cliff is always a real easy-going process. There's not a lot of second-guessing going on when we're working together," says Rubini, who is also the drummer in Hillis' band The Forward Thinkers. "As far songwriting goes, he'll have an idea and I'll add to it or vice versa." He adds: "Cliff's ideas are always very strong and melodically centered, so you could say we start off on the right foot."

Though Cliff is known for his catchy power pop, the songs on The Long Now signify a somewhat new direction in his songwriting.

"I think my music has gotten a little more serious since the last CD (Better Living Through Compression, Tallboy Records, 2004)," he says, "probably because I'm getting a bit older, but also because I have had some heavy life experiences in the last few years."

But at his CD Release Party at Steel City Coffee House on Saturday night, where he performed a lot of the new material from the CD for the first time, he got high marks from those in attendance.

Hillis says that he is continuing to write and that he will continue to pursue other co-writing opportunities. He hopes to put out another recording next year.

For more information about Cliff Hillis see www.cliffhillis.com.

A cooler sounding Chili's
Not too long ago I wrote about a Chili's MySpace contest that was searching for a new version of its "Baby Back Ribs" song. Well, musician Cliff Hillis has won, and I'm proud to say he's a Pop Candy reader! Hillis was the first person to alert me of the contest, and now he'll be flown to L.A. to meet with a record company and stay in a snazzy hotel. Congrats, Cliff, and I hope Chili's will be smart enough to stick your song in a commercial.

Hillis' Baby Back Ribs
Talking with Cliff Hillis, winner of the Chili's jingle-off
There's bound to be some backlash when a young whippersnapper comes along thinking he can improve on a classic, but even old heads should go for local singer-songwriter Cliff Hillis' remake of the Chili's jingle. You know the one. In Hillis' hands, it's more indie power-pop than it is Spicealicious, with groovy background vocals (chirping "baby back") and a catchy chord progression. The 50-second ditty won the top prize in a national Chili's jingle-off. (You can hear it at myspace.com/chilis.) We caught up with Hillis, formerly of the band IKE, to find out if he gets a lifetime supply of Reggae Sunsplash margaritas or what.

City Paper: What made you want to enter the contest?

Cliff Hillis: After hearing a version by the Old 97's — whom I love — I figured what the hell and recorded my own ELO/Queen-inspired take on it. I used the original lyrics: "I want my baby back, baby back, baby back ribs, etc."

CP: Will they use it in commercials?

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CH: They haven't told me yet exactly where they will be using the jingle, but have mentioned possibly using it for a cell phone ringtone, plus as the winner I get a trip to L.A. all expenses paid and get to meet with an A&R person from New West Records.

CP: Name your favorite non-baby back ribs Chili's food item.

CH: I actually am a fan of Chili's fare. I'd have to say I especially dig the southwestern eggrolls and maybe the "Awesome Blossom" onion thing. Anything deep fried is good in my book.

Los Angeles Times
Kevin Bronson

Delaware Divine
If Cliff Hillis lived In L.A. he might have a posse -or at least a gig writing catchy jingles for movies or television. But Hillis lives in Delaware, where he makes earnest powerpop that is neither twee nor overblown- material that would fit snugly on a play-list with Squeeze, Teenage Fanclub and Jason Falkner.
Hillis' second album, "Better Living Through Compression," just released on L.A. indie label TallBoy Records features contributions from Mike Bitts and Steve Brown of the Innocence Mission.
"I recorded it on my own over the past couple of years and I couldn't be happier," says Hillis, 34, who makes a rare visit to L.A. tonight, performing at the Derby on a bill with the Eugene Edwards Band and Robbie Rist.

Low budget, high hopes for album
Cliff Hillis stokes pop machinery

By RYAN CORMIER
Wilmington News Journal

When Cliff Hillis and his wife, Beth Lennon, met Adam Schlesinger of Fountains of Wayne last weekend in Dewey Beach, Lennon was ready.

She whipped out a copy of Hillis' new solo album, "Better Living Through Compression," and handed it to Schlesinger, a prince in the pop music world.

Later, when a Fountains fan asked Schlesinger if he has heard any good, new music lately, he put Hillis' CD to his ear and bopped his head around.

When Schlesinger eventually does pop the disc into a CD player, he certainly won't be the first to hear it.

The album, released in April, already has its first single, "So Much to Tell You," on WXPN (88.5 FM), the University of Pennsylvania station.

And Hillis, 34, is taking his tight, well-crafted pop across the country later this week. He'll play a gig Thursday at the The Derby, the legendary Los Angeles club, for a show sponsored by his record label, Tall Boy Records.

"We got a really good review from the Los Angeles Times last time we were out there, so maybe that can happen again with the new album," Hillis says.

He first played in Los Angeles at the International Pop Overthrow Festival in 1998, where he met his wife. Beth Lennon promotes Hillis and designs the art for his albums and advertisements.

The pair moved to Wilmington from Rehoboth Beach last year when Hillis got a job as an engineer at Target Studios in Elkton, Md.

But he says they were ready for the move anyway because they found themselves continually commuting to Wilmington and Philadelphia for shows.

The move, the marriage and Hillis' work with other bands accounted for his three-year break between solo albums.

In addition to his solo work, Hillis is the lead guitarist for Philadelphia-based IKE, a pop/rock band headed by John Faye, formally of The Caufields. He also is the guitarist for Philadelphia-based songwriter Brian Seymour.

It was during those three years that he had a "creative spurt," accounting for many of the songs on the new album.

In addition to the new tunes, one song, "Better Than Myself," is actually from his time with the power-pop trio Starbelly in the late '90s. It was re-recorded with his current band - the Forward Thinkers - and found its way onto the album.

A little slice of Delaware is also attached to the album through its title: "Better Living Through Compression." It's a play off an old DuPont advertising slogan: "Better Things for Better Living ... Through Chemistry," says Hillis, a graduate of Cape Henlopen High School.

Hillis has even seen some of his songs make it to Hollywood. His sweet sounds have landed his tunes on films and television, including 2000's "After Sex" starring Brooke Shields, 2002's "Enough" with Jennifer Lopez and the Oxygen network's "Good Girls Don't."

That kind of exposure can help an indie musician get a big break. When the Australian band Jet had their song "Are You Gonna Be My Girl" featured in an iPod commercial, it catapulting them from a band with buzz to a band with a legion of fans.

Without connections to media conglomerate Clear Channel or millions of dollars in promotion money, using television, movies and commercials to get your songs to the public can be key, Hillis says.

It also helps to have admirers in high places. That's why Hillis is hoping Schlesinger - part of the team behind the hit song "Stacey's Mom" - takes a listen to his disc sometime.

Besides his work with Fountains of Wayne, Schlesinger (an Academy Award nominee for "That Thing You Do") does a lot of producing in his New York studio.

"It would be a goal of mine for him to produce me someday," Hillis says.