Bryson and the Bulbs is the solo project of Bryson Meunier, who as the frontman of local Chicago band Arnold Jackson in the early aughts wrote and performed as "Black Bryson" as an homage to Charles Michael Kittridge Thompson the Fourth, otherwise known as Pixies frontman Black Francis. Bryson used the band as a way to meet girls and medicate his depression, neither of which was particularly effective. After getting tired of suicidal ideation he found Jesus medication and quit writing songs.
In the 20 years since then this aging gen X indie rocker has become the poster boy for Venlafaxine, moving out of his small Ukrainian Village apartment and in with his girlfriend, now wife Jennifer, with whom he has three kids. He gave up music for ten years and focused on his family and a career in search engine optimization, in which he is now one of the top experts in the world.
Bryson and the Bulbs' first record, The Death of Black Bryson, is Bryson's attempt to make thoughtful, melodic music that he likes to listen to and is proud to share with his family and friends. It draws from a wide range of influences and includes such tracks as "Bones," which sounds like Lou Reed fronting Nirvana, to the Rubber Soul and Bob Dylan jangle pop "Hands," to Jonathan Richman and Magnetic Fields inspired "Nice Guy Blues," to the more noise rock inspired "He'd Do The Same for Me," which gives an undocumented immigrant hero a dark and frenetic soundtrack to the same syllable count as This Land is Your Land.
Bryson and the Bulbs are all Bryson Meunier, who wrote all the music and lyrics and plays all the instruments on the record. He is open about his major depression diagnosis and treatment in order to help others living with mental illness and will donate $1 from every album, t-shirt and ticket sold to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.