We named the band after a bar in our home town where Catie used to sing.

We play around Southern California.

Sunset Room is working diligently within the DIY ethic. Signing to an independent record label would be of interest but it would have to be under the right terms. We are not even considering promoting ourselves to major labels.

Sunset Room proves there is life after dark. Whether you crave the vibe of a smoke-filled jazz club, the groove of an underground party spinning down-tempo, or the relaxed atmosphere of an evening at home with a drink and your favorite vinyl album, Sunset Room brings the sound, soul, beat and mood all together into one infectious package.

This is best represented in the band’s recently released debut album, Almost an Angel. The Southern California-based group’s self-produced album features a future-retro mix of acoustic and electronic instruments, tied together by jazz-driven vocal lines. The album is currently available online at the band's Web site, www.sunsetroom.com. The site also contains music samples, video, photos and reviews.

Almost an Angel was recorded over the course of a year and a half in the band’s own studio, Erica's Playroom, in Brea, California. Produced by Sunset Room and engineer Marty Beal, the album captures the band as they effortlessly weave in and out of flirtatious vamps, hypnotic dance beats, down tempo melancholy and soulful R&B grooves. Throughout the album, live instruments teasingly play with electronic loops, samples and soundscapes, blurring the lines completely to form the Sunset Room sound. Top that off with the Delta Nove Horns (Rob Covacevich and John Harrington) who play on three tracks, and the album quickly becomes a 'must have' for fans of jazz and electronica.

The band consists of Catie Moore on vocals, James Flores on drums and keyboards, and Tim Rumbaugh on bass and programming. Sunset Room will perform shows in early 2002 to support Almost an Angel, and will include additional musicians to recreate the album’s signature textures and sounds.

Sunset Room was formed in the late 90’s by Flores and Rumbaugh as a homage to British trip hop artists such as Portishead and Morcheeba. The band quickly evolved into something distinctly its own when Moore joined the group shortly thereafter. They soon found that their appreciation of such diverse classic artists as Sarah Vaughn, Janis Joplin and Pink Floyd, together with their modern influences such as PJ Harvey and Lamb, would make their original intent merely a starting point for an entirely different style of music.

Or as someone was overheard to say at a Sunset Room show, "their vibe is so thick, it completely takes you over and rips you in half."


Catie Moore - Vocals
There is no mistaking the vocal stylings of Catie Moore. With her heart and soul buried deep in the jazz and blues tradition, Catie's passion and respect for the music comes through with every word she sings. As a songwriter, Catie makes a personal journey seem universal and intimate at the same time. Nearly anyone who listens to songs like "Smoke" and "In My Mind" can instantly relate to their themes. Catie's musical resume twists and turns around diverse styles just like Sunset Room's sound. Her love for jazz was implanted at an early age when she would spend hours scatting to the standards with her grandfather, an accomplished jazz-pianist. And when she wasn't trading fours, she was singing classical music with her parents. Then at the age of 15 it all changed. She heard the blues. From her first taste of Janis Joplin and Aretha Franklin, there was no turning this girl back. While other teenagers in high school were listening to Nirvana and Pearl Jam, Catie had her ear pressed firmly against the wails of songs such as "Summertime" and "Respect." Catie has sung with numerous bands playing everything from hard rock to jazz and dixieland. But it wasn't until she met James Flores in 1997 that she found a musical soulmate. They immediately shared their passion for contemporary artists such as Erykah Badu and Portishead, as well as classics like Smokey Robinson and Sarah Vaughn. This passion paved the way for the two to begin a songwriting relationship based in a mutual love of music. Catie's vocal style continues to break new ground, infusing old school jazz and blues with modern sensibilities and textures.

James Flores - Drums & keyboards
James is from a rare breed of drummers. Not only is he the groove behind Sunset Room, he's also responsible for much of the group's music. Songs such as "Smoke" and "Nice to Meet You" explore musical styles that have set the foundation for what is the Sunset Room sound. James was destined for a life of groove. As a child, he grew up listening to the great Motown classics. He was weaned on musical greats such as Stevie Wonder and Smokey Robinson. But once he began playing drums, he switched musical gears and favored the sounds of Led Zeppelin, Rush and Cheap Trick. He soon became intrigued with the sounds of electronic music and traded in his drumsticks for a keyboard and drum machine. By listening to dark synth bands that offered an alternative approach to traditional pop music, James developed a taste for haunting melodies and thick textures. He looked to groups like Tears for Fears and The Cure for inspiration and started a band "just to hear what my music would sound like live." That's when he met Tim Rumbaugh, another student of the synth-pop music scene. The two became immediate friends and played in a half dozen incarnations of that first synth band before James left the band in 1997 to pursue "a different style of music." Sunset Room had begun. James eagerly jumped back on the drummer's throne and began writing, but this time he tapped his first love – classic grooves and soul. Combined with a touch of dark electronica, it's all comes together in the form of Sunset Room.

Tim Rumbaugh - Bass & programming
More than just "the guy with the cool stand-up bass," Tim Rumbaugh not only provides the bottom-end grind of Sunset Room's groove, but is an integral part of nearly every aspect of the group's performance. Whether it's songwriting, programming beats, sound design, or arranging, Tim's personal stamp can be heard on every Sunset Room song. Tim grew up with music courtesy of his older brother, a drummer who introduced him to everything from Kiss to Depeche Mode. The two shifted in and out of musical styles, giving Tim an appreciation for artists such as Rush, Kate Bush and Led Zeppelin. But with all the music flowing in and out of Tim's life, it wasn't until he heard "The Hurting" by Tears for Fears that he fully realized how strong music and lyrics could be. He bought a drum machine and began programming his first beats. A keyboard soon followed, and he was writing and playing synth pop with friends. He soon found a project that was too good to pass up. James Flores, a friend of his brother, was interested in starting a dark mood synth band. Tim jumped at the chance to play keyboards for the project, and his brother quickly joined the band on drums. They went through many stylistic changes, as well as members over the course of a few years, and when the band wanted a new sound, Tim started playing bass guitar. He found himself on an entirely different musical path. Tim started taking in everything organic. Artists such as Lenny Kravitz, PJ Harvey, Sheryl Crow and Curtis Mayfield attracted his full attention. And when groups like Portishead, Lamb and Morcheeba utilized his favorite elements of music old and new, a side project ensued with James. Then at a Portishead concert in December of 1997, James introduced Tim to a new singer he met, Catie Moore. Sunset Room was official. What once started as a side project has now taken center stage in his life.

Portishead, Sarah Vaughn, Led Zeppelin, Morcheeba, Pink Floyd, PJ Harvey, soundtracks, RL Burnside, Janis Joplin, Lenny Kravitz, Aretha Franklin, Lamb

Apple G4, Digital Performer and third-party plug-ins, MOTU hardware, NI B4, E-Mu Planet Phatt, Alesis DM Pro, Korg O1W, Line 6 Pod, Avalon pre-amps and compressors, Eventide H3000, Mackie mixers, Rogers drums, NS Design electric upright bass, Fender Jazz, Line 6 Bass Pod, Fender & Les Paul guitars

Sunset Room's debut album, Almost an Angel, is available for secure purchasing through their web site at www.sunsetroom.com.