Dana Countryman

Dana Countryman is an American electronic music composer, songwriter and performer notable for his sustained presence in the Seattle Pop scene[1] as well as his collaborations with French electropop artist Jean-Jacques Perrey.

Reviewer John Borack has described Countryman as "a one-man Brill Building," in reference to the New York-based songwriting and recording scene of the 1960s.

The group's satirical approach and vocal harmonies were described by Don Heckman of The Los Angeles Times as "...wacko musical lunacy."

"[4] The group featured two men and two women doing satirical songs with smooth harmonies somewhat similar to the Manhattan Transfer but without the jazz leanings.

"[2] Reviewer Skylaire Alfvegren in the Los Angeles Examiner found their album Destination Space to be a "more sophisticated understanding of the type of folk drawn to electronic music".

[3] When performing with Perrey, Countryman "spun dials, twisted knobs, and pressed buttons to produce a sweet rush of sugary, sci-fi melodies" and which had a "synthesized, surreal sheen.

Reviewer Peter Lee describes the album as "...a primer on how to write a perfect pop song," and notes its "focus on chords, melody and arrangement...Countryman doesn’t leave a stone unturned in unleashing every weapon in his arsenal.

Inspired by the classic girl-group genre of the early 1960s, the album contains 19 original songs performed by a variety of female vocalists including Tricia Countryman, Lisa Mychols, Swan Dive's Molly Felder, Pop 4's Andrea Perry, Kelly Harland, Lisa Jenio, Julie Johnson Sand, Kathy Hettel, Tana Cunningham and Mary Chris Henry.

Taking his musical cues from the Beach Boys, Nilsson, the Beatles, Gilbert O’Sullivan, and various ‘60s/’70s AM radio hits, the unashamedly retro The Joy of Pop is an enjoyable romp..."[13] Cabaret of Love, released in December 2018, and contained 16 new songs.

Adam A. Waltemire, on the Pop Garden Radio blog, reviewed the album as "...an infectious blend of joy, love and fun...superb production, smooth vocals and catchy melodies.

"[16] Countryman released a digital-only selection of tracks from his recent pop albums on the digital music site Bandcamp in January 2022.

Dana Countryman and Jean-Jacques Perrey in concert, 2006
The Amazing Pink Things, 1990: Clockwise from top, Tricia Countryman, Tami Martin, Dana Countryman, Bob Overman.