Granian

The name Granian is to singer/songwriter Garen Gueyikian what the name Alice Cooper is to Vincent Furnier: a name that was originally applied to a band but was subsequently applied to solo performances. Before 1975's Welcome to My Nightmare, the name Alice Cooper technically referred to a band as well as that band's leader/frontman; from Welcome to My Nightmare on, Alice Cooper was officially the name of a solo artist -- and similarly, Gueyikian started recording as the leader of the band Granian but continued to use that name when he recorded his third album, Live Sessions, by himself. But whether Granian is the name of a band or a solo project, Gueyikian specializes in a style of alternative pop/rock that is melodic and tuneful as well as sensitive and introspective. Gueyikian brings a certain thoughtfulness to his writing, which has been compared to Toad the Wet Sprocket, Live, the Rembrandts, and Guster (among others). Granian's recordings of the '90s and early 2000s didn't make him a huge multi-platinum superstar, but they did earn the New Jersey resident a small following (mostly on the East Coast). Based in Holmdel, NJ, Gueyikian formed Granian's original lineup in 1995, when he joined forces with George Schultz (electric bass, background vocals), Chris Nicoletti (acoustic guitar, background vocals), and Anthony "Faz" Fazioli (drums). At first, Gueyikian's band was called Grane, but after learning that there was a band in Pittsburgh called Grain, Gueyikian opted for a name change. Because of the different spellings, perhapsGueyikian could have continued to use the name Grane without any legal problems; however, he learned that Grain's name had been copyrighted and decided to err on the side of caution. Along the way, Granian had their share of lineup changes. In...