thereal, thoughtful, Brookline is a rock band with modern, psychedelic overtones. The band presents strong songwriting skills and effectively combines very hard edges and solid bridges with beautiful, drifting musical scenarios that are reminiscent of the ‘shoegazer’ generation of the early 90’s.         

Brookline lives and plays the music it originates with a rock-solid rhythm section and spiraling guitar work that is always in conversation with first-rate vocals and backing keyboards.

Hailing from Orange County, California, the 5-piece band began dealing with concepts and band members five years ago when founding members Brandon Villegas and Rob Ray had a clear vision of what they wanted to produce.

Writing, playing small gigs and adding guitarist Justin Morales, the founders settled on the name Brookline and began playing larger venues with an ever-widening repertoire.

Another guitarist was required to ‘deepen’ the sound of Brookline and achieve ‘psych’ intonations that a single guitar couldn't provide. Villegas, Ray and Morales came across guitarist Tommy Coatney and added him to the roster.

Through a set of rehearsals, the original music being created was resulting in soaring, intertwining melodies of guitar and voice and three minute ditties becoming protracted songs of diversified length.

To shore up the drums and attain a desired precision to ‘the bottom’ all four members agreed, after a number of auditions, that adding Vince Phung as the bands permanent bass player would solidify the original vision of founders Villegas and Ray.

It did. And the result of the Brookline quintet in its early trials before concert and club goers was a resounding success. The five members set about refining and honing their sound and headed into the studio in 2008.

After months of rehearsals and ‘take-after-take’ they laid down the final set of tracks for “Poking Holes in Passing Crowds” and the album was ‘in the can’ waiting for summer audiences of 2009.

This July, on July 16th to be exact, Brookline will release their debut album and get out on the road to support its premiere. The band has a list of bookings throughout the Southern California region including: Orange, Los Angeles, San Diego and Riverside counties. Check this site for a list of venues and dates.      

“Poking Holes” by Brookline is sure to achieve success and the current line-up of Villegas, Ray, Morales, Coatney and Phung are already working on material for a follow-up album tentatively named “Emergent” for a summer of 2010 release.

Whether on CD or live or both, Brookline is excited about bringing you, the listener, the band’s half-decade preparation of psychedelic rock songs culminating in “Poking Holes” and we’re sure you’ll agree there is more to life than dance-beats and moaning singers.