The Color Bars began in 2003 as the recording project of New York-based singer/songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer Gerald Slevin. Influenced by a mix of '60s and '70s pop, and the psychedelic eclecticism of acts like the Flaming Lips and the Elephant 6 indie scene, Slevin's songs are generally melodic, well-crafted pop tunes with an obscure bent and wry sense of humor. The original version of the band came together as a trio with Slevin on bass and keys, John English on guitar, and Dave Spelber on drums. They released their self-titled debut EP in 2003 followed by their first full-length, Making Playthings, in 2005. After temporarily relocating to Seattle, the band recorded their sophomore effort, 2008's Kairos at Infinity, and signed with Japanese EMI imprint 5D Records. Multiple west coast tours and a tour of Japan followed before they returned to settle again in Brooklyn, New York. After 5D folded, the band regrouped and working primarily as a duo; Slevin and Spelber recorded their third LP, the sprawling and ambitious Prosopopoeia in 2011. ~ Timothy Monger