Joseph Michael "Shiny Joe" Ryan (born 23 August 1987) is an Australian

psychedelic rock Psychedelic rock is a rock music Music genre, genre that is inspired, influenced, or representative of psychedelia, psychedelic culture, which is centered on perception-altering hallucinogenic drugs. The music incorporated new electronic sound ...

musician, singer and songwriter. He is the founding mainstay multi-instrumentalist and guitarist of

Pond A pond is an area filled with water, either natural or Artificiality, artificial, that is smaller than a lake. Defining them to be less than in area, less than deep, and with less than 30% Aquatic plant, emergent vegetation helps in disting ...

, which have released nine albums. Ryan has issued two solo albums, ''The Cosmic Microwave Background'' (30 May 2014) and ''Shiny's Democracy'' (23 July 2021). He also does the visuals for fellow Australian band

Tame Impala Tame Impala is the psychedelic music project of Australian multi-instrumentalist Kevin Parker. In the recording studio, Parker writes, records, performs, and produces all of the project's music. As a touring act, Tame Impala consists of Parke ...

Biography

Joseph Michael Ryan was born on 23 August 1987 in

Nenagh Nenagh (, ; or simply ''An tAonach'') meaning “The Fair of Ormond” or simply "The Fair", is the county town and second largest town in County Tipperary in Ireland. Nenagh used to be a market town, and the site of the East Munster Ormond ...

, Ireland. At the age of six-and-a-half his family emigrated to

Perth Perth is the list of Australian capital cities, capital and largest city of the Australian states and territories of Australia, state of Western Australia. It is the list of cities in Australia by population, fourth most populous city in Aust ...

Mink Mussel Creek

In 2007, Shiny Joe Ryan joined the recently formed Mink Mussel Creek on guitar, with

Nick Allbrook Nicholas Allbrook (born 23 November 1987) is an Australian psychedelic rock musician, singer, and songwriter. He is best known as the frontman of Pond, and a member of musical duo Allbrook/Avery. He was a touring member of Tame Impala before le ...

on vocals, Richard Ingham on synthesisers, Kevin Parker on drums and Steve Summerlin on bass guitar. Mink Mussel Creek recorded an unreleased album in 2008.

Pond

In 2008 Ryan, Allbrook and

Jay Watson Jay Watson (born 27 May 1990 ) is an Australian multi-instrumentalist, producer, singer and songwriter. He is best known as a member of the psychedelic rock bands Tame Impala and Pond. Watson records solo material under the name GUM and, as of ...

had the idea of an "ego-free project where they were able to get anyone they wanted to play whatever they wanted." That collective,

, have released nine albums, ''Psychedelic Mango'' (2009), ''Corridors of Blissterday'' (2009), ''Frond'' (2010), '' Beard, Wives, Denim'' (2012), '' Hobo Rocket'' (2013), '' Man It Feels Like Space Again'' (January 2015), ''The Weather'' (May 2017), ''Tasmania'' (March 2019), and ''9'' (October 2021).

''The Cosmic Microwave Background''

On 30 May 2014 Shiny Joe Ryan digitally released his debut solo album, ''The Cosmic Microwave Background'', in Australia. The album was digitally released worldwide on 14 October 2014.

Cosmic microwave background In Big Bang cosmology the cosmic microwave background (CMB, CMBR) is electromagnetic radiation that is a remnant from an early stage of the universe, also known as "relic radiation". The CMB is faint cosmic background radiation filling all spac ...

in the title refers to the radiation and energy left behind by the

Big Bang The Big Bang event is a physical theory that describes how the universe expanded from an initial state of high density and temperature. Various cosmological models of the Big Bang explain the evolution of the observable universe from t ...

. It was self-written over two years and partly-recorded in Ryan's apartment in Berlin. The tracks "Holding Out for You" and "Medicine Hat", which were to appear on his album, were released on Pond's ''Man It Feels Like Space Again''. He supported his album with a brief tour of Australia and then returned to his duties with Pond. TheMusic.com.au's Hannah Story felt ''The Cosmic Microwave Background'' was "traditional psych fare in this laidback debut... that roams between genres and sonic textures. Unfortunately Ryan's vocals are weak throughout but this is made up for amply by wailing guitar lines and experiments in instrumentation." His label touted it as a "heart-rending journey of interstellar innocence." While Clare Armstrong of

4ZZZ 4ZZZ (pronounced "Four Triple Zed" or simply "Triple Zed") is an independent community radio station operating in Brisbane, Australia at the frequency 102.1 FM. As a community radio station, 4ZZZ is a member of the Community Broadcasting Associ ...

opined that its "psychedelic pop... asjust not quite enough that's new or exciting to differentiate it from its contemporaries." Later in 2014 he toured as part of the support crew for Tame Impala, doing their visuals.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ryan, Shiny Joe 1987 births 21st-century Australian singers Alternative rock singers Australian indie rock musicians Australian multi-instrumentalists Australian rock guitarists Australian rock singers Lead guitarists Living people Musicians from Perth, Western Australia Psychedelic rock musicians 21st-century guitarists Pond (Australian band) members 21st-century Australian male singers Australian male guitarists Australian male singer-songwriters Australian singer-songwriters