Elsinore - Nothing for Design (2006)

Elsinore are an adventurous pop group from Illinois whose music combines elements of folk-rock and alt-country as well as indie pop, the latter influence growing stronger as the group's history wears on. Elsinore were formed in 2004 when songwriter, vocalist, and guitarist Ryan Groff, keyboard player and vocalist Mark Woolwine, and drummer and vocalist Dave Pride were all studying music at Eastern Illinois University in Charleston, IL. The three classmates became friends, and as they discovered they had similar tastes in music, they got together to play open mike nights at Charleston night spots. The three became regulars on the local music scene, and after they met another EIU student, bassist and vocalist Chris Eitel, he joined the group and Elsinore was born.

In 2005, the group released On Display: A Live CD, which as the title suggested captured the sound of the group's concert set. A studio album followed, 2006's Nothing for Design, and an EP, The General, was released in 2008. The band developed a passionate following in their hometown of Champaign and attracted attention on the road, touring both as headliners and as openers for St. Vincent. In 2009, Elsinore finished work on their second studio album, the ambitious Yes Yes Yes, their first for the Parasol label; the album's 2010 release became unexpectedly controversial when the estate of noted pop artist Roy Lichtenstein threatened a lawsuit against the group. The cover featured a painting by Brittany Pyle that was adapted from an image from a comic book; the same image was appropriated by Lichtenstein in his painting Kiss V, and Lichtenstein's representatives initially contended Pyle's work infringed on their copyrights. The suit was eventually abandoned and Yes Yes Yes was released without incident.