Mystics Anonymous
Mystics Anonymous is the name of singer/songwriter Jeff Steblea's musical project, best defined as eclectic indie/college rock. "With Mystics," says Steblea, "the whole point was to establish a project where nothing is off-limits."
Mystics Anonymous music has invited comparisons to artists such as R.E.M., Wilco, Yo La Tengo, Robyn Hitchcock, Gomez, Dave Matthews Band, and Guided By Voices, and Jeff's expressive baritone has drawn comparisons to singers such as Jim Morrison, Nick Cave, and David Bowie. Although Mystics has an eclectic nature, Jeff's distinctive voice and songwriting skill are the glue that holds Mystics together and keeps its sound unique.
Jeff Steblea, former lead singer for alternative band Go Figure, began the Mystics project in 1995 as a way to focus on artistic freedom and break free of the constraints of popular music expectations. Since then, Mystics Anonymous has been defined by its fierce independence and adventurous eclecticism.
Jeff recorded the eponymous debut Mystics Anonymous CD while traveling the United States, and he enlisted many talented friends to perform on the CD. The CD focused on a rootsy alternative sound with poetic, confessional lyrics, and has been compared to artists such as R.E.M., Wilco, and the Dave Matthews Band. The CD was released in October of 1998 and garnered radio airplay in the United States and abroad.
After the release of the CD, Jeff spent several months assembling and rehearsing with a live band to tour behind the release. Unfortunately, the band lineup never became stable, and Jeff was rethinking his approach when he was asked to contribute original score to some independent film and television projects. In order to record his original scores, Jeff began the slow process of building his Gondwanaland studio. During this period, he decided to abandon any plans of forming a live band and instead focus on Mystics Anonymous as a recording project.
Jeff released a limited edition mail-order CD of seven new songs, The Brutality of Beauty, in the summer of 2003. The first Mystics CD consisting of Gondwanaland material, it showed initial growth in studio experimentation and presented some early versions of songs that would eventually end up, in different form, on Winsted in the Space Room.
During this time, Jeff also composed and recorded an instrumental score, Middle Distance, for the 2003 art exhibition Of the Earth at Artworks Gallery in Connecticut. The installation focused on the American southwest, and the Mystics Anonymous score offered an intoxicating blend of sound manipulation, drumming/percussion, and groove rhythms evocative of the southwestern landscape. A CD of the score was released in October 2003, and showed marked growth in studio experimentation.
Mystics Anonymous released its latest full-length, Winsted in the Space Room, in 2004. The CD features 14 original songs that are simultaneously experimental and accessible. Myriad musical styles are represented in the release, and its lo-fi studio experimentation steeps the compositions in a pleasing indie aesthetic. The newest release is eclectic, edgy, and smart independent rock.
Mystics Anonymous continues to be the outlet for Jeff's creative impulse and unique voice. The Mystics Anonymous website regularly offers up new songs for download, and a new CD will be released in the near future.
In addition to Mystics Anonymous, Jeff is the bass player in Fiesta Brava, a five-piece indie rock band that includes Ray Keane and Chris Rea on guitars and vocals, Matt Snow on drums, and Pat Garland on keyboards. Jeff was also a founding member of alternative rock band Social X-Ray.
Mystics Anonymous music is for sale online at CD Baby and Amazon.com. Digital downloads of Mystics Anonymous music are available at most digital download sites, such as Apple iTunes and Rhapsody.