Singles Spotlight:
The Lives of Famous Men – “Parallel Lives”

Hello reader,

How are you today?

I’m excited to discuss The Lives of Famous Men. Ooh, what a scandalous-sounding name, eh?  If you’re not a fan of the band and of a certain age, either a catchy as hell 2002 song by Good Charlotte and/or Robin Leach’s familiar English voice, echoing the verbiage from his famous mid-80s to mid-90s TV show, “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous,” has most likely come to mind. If you’re lucky enough to be in that sweet spot age-wise, like me, you grew up with both. The former was an entertaining music video featuring some recognizable faces, including one of SWT’s favorite human beings, Mike Watt, as a jury foreman. The video’s just over three minutes long, watch it all.

The indie pop band, The Lives of Famous Men, was formed nearly 20 years ago in the fall of 2006 in Portland, Oregon, with all members originally from Anchorage, Alaska. The name? Taken from the fascinating poet Jack Gilbert‘s poem of the same name. The band’s original lineup of Daniel Hall (vocals), Ari Katcher (guitar), Dylan Mandel (drums, percussion), Andrew Totemoff (bass), and Jason Wahto (keys, programming) remains strong today. They self-released two EPs in 2007, Rehearsal and Modern Love, The Wooden Vehicle, which were followed by some heavy touring in 2008. In 2009, the band released a new EP, Sunshine, and won a contest to perform on Jimmy Kimmel Live. They performed “You’re Everyone I Know Right Now”. A year later, the band released their first full-length album, Marigold Maxixe (2010), and a mere thirteen years later, their sophomore album Greener Pasture Blues (2023), along the way becoming known for their cerebral pop that examined, explored, and won over the hearts and minds of fans with their wit and melodies. Not every group releases albums frequently, and that’s ok.

Which brings us to now. The band’s new album End Times Elevator Music is coming out Friday, April 24th, digitally and limited edition vinyl via the band’s Bandcamp page.

Via a press release for the single, “Parallel Lives”, lead singer Daniel Hall said the following about the song and video: “In every relationship, there is the time that came before each other, and I wanted to write a love song about that time. ‘Parallel Lives’ isn’t about fate per se, but it’s an appreciation for the rest of the story of two people, and what is true about each of them that ultimately brings them together. Director Lucas Ortiz Estefanell’s concept for the video took this story into a whole different stratosphere, exploring the connections between many lives across time and space. It was so fun to collaborate with Lucas and his team on all the little details that populated this surrealist playground and brought a new dimension to the song.”

Recently, I first heard the song “Parallel Lives,” and I was intrigued. I hadn’t heard of The Lives of Famous Men before, but of course, the name took hold of my attention. While I hadn’t heard any of their songs before, I quickly realized that I loved both the video and the music… well, my ears and brain were reminded of Death Cab for Cutie and Superchunk, groups I’ve spent some time listening to over the years. And maybe you have too. I think this video and song are worthy of shedding some spotlight on today. Kudos to Lucas Ortiz Estefanell’s concept and execution of this video, combining shared elements of the human experience across time periods and time zones. It’s truly beautiful. The lyrics are poignant and the vocals are lovely as well. I think this song serves as a great introduction to the band, as it was for me as well, and I’m proud that I can share it with you as part of SWT’s Singles Spotlight series.

Take a look and listen for yourself and see what you think below.

The excellent thought-provoking video for the song, “Parallel Lives” from The Lives of Famous Men’s YouTube channel:

(All credits and rights to The Lives of Famous Men)

The cover art for the End Times Elevator Music album:

The track list for End Times Elevator Music:

1. No Alarm
2. Wish I Were Here
3. Lost in the Branches
4. Waiting
5. The Imposter
6. Parallel Lives
7. It Stays with You
8. End Times Elevator Music

Giving credit where it’s due. End Times Elevator Music credits:

• • Written and performed by The Lives of Famous Men: Daniel Hall, Dylan Mandel, Andrew Totemoff, and Jason Wahto.
  • Words by Daniel Hall.
  • Additional performances on “Waiting” by Kate McVey, and on “The Imposter” by Colette Ramos Auburn.
  • Produced, engineered, and mixed by Alex Newport at Tiny Creatures Studio, Yucca Valley, CA.
  • Additional engineering by Dylan Mandel at Berkeley Road Studios, Glenside, PA, and by James Glaves at The Tone Palace, Anchorage, AK.
  • Mastered by Carl Saff at Saff Mastering, Chicago, IL.
  • Art direction and design by Danny Parker, 9-7 Studios.

Alex M Theel

Co-Founder, Reviewer, Content Creator, Business side, Editor at Scummy Water Tower Productions | Web

Scummy Water Tower Productions co-founder, reviewer, business manager, and editor. Thank you for visiting this site, scummywatertower.com, and YouTube for Water Tower Sessions and SWT Interviews. And all of our socials.
Questions, feedback, or more? Contact me: alex@scummywatertower.com