http://rocktableofcontents.blogspot.com/
1)Shazam
2)Chris Mascara
3)P.J. Shapiro
4)SLOP with Matt O'Connor
5)Audrey Ryan Band
6)Thaddeus Hogarth
7)Kelly Riley
8)Deb Pasternak
9)Rani Dabo & Daisy Mayhem
10)Chris Pureka
11)Type 4
12)Kevin Gilligan - FOR/The Orphans
13)#19 Ale House
14)Honey Fitz
15)Lauren Bateman
16)Alastair Moock
17)Willie Loco Alexander (new article, see Willie's page
http://willielocoalexander.blogspot.com/ August 3, 2007
Thaddeus Hogarth
http://www.thaddeushogarth.com/amg.htm
Live at Bose
Review by Joe Viglione
Former songwriter/guitarist/vocalist and general power behind Boston's legendary Heavy Metal Horns, Thaddeus Hogarth brings his creative music to a unique setting on his fourth album, Live at Bose. Recorded on June 24, 2004, at the Bose Live Music Technology Division Performance Center at Bose Mountain, Framingham, MA, this funk/jazz/pop sounds like a studio recording, which was the general idea. The sonics remind one of '70s classics like George Benson's Weekend in L.A. and Jackson Browne's Running on Empty and feature Hogarth's chromatic harmonica, smooth soulful vocals, and boss band, a trio that includes David Buda on bass, David Sparr on keys, and drummer Joey Scrima, whose résumé includes work with Connie Stevens, David Benoit, and British/American singer Jules Ellison. The ten tracks are well paced, "The Long Goodbye" finding a nice Earth, Wind & Fire groove but sounding like it was penned by David Crosby midway through CSN&Y — a good blend of diverse styles.
With the only "overdubs" being backing vocals tracked at keyboardist Sparr's Little Dog Studios, listeners will have a tough time picking up that the mellow ballad "I Want You in My Life" wasn't a total studio effort. Hogarth teaches guitar at the Berklee College of Music and tastefully plays alongside the keyboards, giving a nod to Boz Scaggs' trademark style. The album is immediately inviting, Hogarth's personable presence given a chance to emerge on disc here, perhaps because of the in-studio audience. "It Will Be True Always" could be the sleeper track, an understated modern-day "bachelor pad" vibe with the band tastefully giving the guitarist/singer the platform he needs. Having the Bose corporation sponsoring this effort across the country at high-end stores ought to bring Hogarth a wider audience, which he deserves. It would be nice to see the company push the work to mainstream radio and not take the same road tape company BASF did with their '70s Boston-based label. This strong effort is major-league, and though the influences are easy to identify, the end result is refreshingly original.
http://www.bordersstores.com/search/title_detail.jsp?id=55556217
Big Old Life Rani Arbo & Daisy Mayhem
http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&token=&sql=10:avfexzy5ldfe
Review by Joe Viglione
Big Old Life is an album bursting with fun and exuberance, the quartet known as Daisy Mayhem balancing a tight sound with spirit that translates perfectly through stereo headphones. "Joy Comes Back," a song composed by Sean Staples of the band the Resophonics (a group with Paul Kochanski of the Swinging Steaks to give the reader a point of reference) opens this terrific blend of old and new sounds with something that can only be described as gospel music played at a hootenanny. Deb Pasternak, Polly Fiveash, Rose Sinclair and Indra Rios-Moore all add to the backing vocals, which make it sound like a big old party, as much as a big old life. And speaking of the title track, Loretta Lynn would be proud of this Arbo original, Anand Nayak's smart guitar playing halfway to Hawaii, the hootenanny morphing into a luau. The traditional "Red Haired Boy," with lyrics by Rani Arbo, is an interesting role reversal while the cover of "Thief" gives the music a 180, bluesy and deep, an eloquent change of pace from the incessant up-tempo "mayhem." Leonard Cohen's "Heart with No Companion" has Andrew Kinsey's banjo front and center with Arbo's fiddle falling in and rounding out the mood. Bob Dylan's "Farewell, Angelina" has an interesting production by the band and Chris Rival, harmonica from Ben Ross and the fiddle-gone-wild giving Zimmerman something different to think about. The cardboard fold-out cover is chock-full of pictures like the band is auditioning for a Beatles or Herman's Hermits film, photos with smiles that reflect the very polished and exciting work within. In the '80s and '90s Boston had a regional act called Country Bumpkin which had the buzz and were a favorite for quite some time. Daisy Mayhem fill that void nicely while front woman Rani Arbo proves she could be the Kitty Wells of the new millennium by delivering this heartfelt disc which is very deserving of your time and ear.
SHAZAM 11-19-05
http://www.kenselcer.com/shazam-medfordarticle.html
Medford Transcript - Arts & Lifestyle
SHAZAM! Local band records every gig
By Joe Viglione/ Correspondent
Thursday, November 17, 2005
SHAZAM! - the magic word used by comic superhero Captain Marvel and often quoted by America's favorite PFC Gomer Pyle - is also the name of a local band which records every practice and live show.
Medford guitarist Rich Caloggero, bassist Jeff Lowe, former Medford resident and band leader Ken Selcer and a variety of drummers/percussionists make up the popular group, "Shazam," which plays a blend of roots rock, blues, reggae and everything in between.
Caloggero was raised in Medford and still lives in the city. He started playing music as a teenager while taking a music appreciation class during his second year of prep school.
The school offered classes on guitar or recorder so Caloggero took guitar. He later attended Worcester PolyTech, the same college where The J. Geils Band formed years earlier, and worked towards a bachelor of science degree in computer science while practicing guitar whenever he could.
"I had some friends that were musicians, (though) I was never in a band in college, but I learned a lot, jammed when I could, jammed with different people," he said.
Outside of school, Caloggero had no formal lessons or band experience, but he continued to play for usually an hour or so every day. He was invited to join The Psychedelic Conspiracy in 1998, a quartet of two guitars, bass and drums that performed Grateful Dead inspired rock and roll.
"We played lots of tunes that the Dead played (written by other people), but only a couple of their original tunes," Caloggero said. "We improvised jams like the Dead, all electric and had a blast. I love playing that stuff."
The group disbanded towards the end of 2000, but Caloggero was simultaneously appearing in another band called Tiger Method, which was around for three years or so. He joined Shazam around 2002 after meeting Ken Selcer at an invitational jam at the All Asia bar in Cambridge.
Shazam, from Caloggero's perspective, is working to be a mellower kind of music group "as stylistically diverse as possible." The band combines "blues to rock to reggae, jazz stuff here and there...even a little country and bluegrass."
"I actually was really envisioning the sound of the Grateful Dead's 'Reckoning' thing (a live album from the early 1980s) that interesting hybrid of rock/bluegrass/country," Caloggero said.
As for his own influences, Caloggero said the Grateful Dead is number one and its leader, Jerry Garcia, influenced the way he plays guitar. Other inspirations come from "all the usual suspects: the Beatles, Stones, the Who, Led Zeppelin, with the primary ones being the aforementioned Garcia, the Allman Brothers (as well as the jazz folks.")
"And then when I started listening to the country stuff it was Tony Rice and David Grisman, Doc Watson," Caloggero said. "They took acoustic instruments to another level."
Psychedelic Bluegrass
Shazam evolved over time just by players of like minds finding each other, most notably when Selcer started performing at the All Asia and invited people to play. Caloggero showed up one night at the jam with lots of other people playing in an improvised atmosphere.
Selcer picks the story up from here: "Bassist Jeff Lowe was a friend of a friend, and turned up about a year ago (circa 2004) and he kept on showing up.
"We record every show. I just recorded Friday night (Nov. 11) at a little place called The Java Room in Chelmsford," Selcer said. "The drummer that night was Michael Migliozzi, percussionist with The Boogaloo Swamis."
The band records every single gig digitally - even the rehearsals.
"We do things differently," Selcer noted. "Sometimes we do things that we don't do live, and sometimes it's really, really good. That's why I record it, so we have it on record, so to speak, but we haven't translated a lot of it (the practice improvisations) to live performance yet.
"At the rehearsals we really practice and we also experiment," he continued. "We want to find a permanent drummer, work out the material live, and sooner or later we'll record it all in the studio."
Selcer, who lived in Medford from 1983-1987 and was a DJ on 91.5 FM, WMFO, the station based at Tufts University, has performed live on the station about five times. Selcer has two solo albums, "Dreamin' Of Heaven" and "Breaking the Glass."
- For more on Shazam, check out the band's Web site at http://www.blogger.com/shazam.html.
http://janisreedink.blogspot.com/
Mascara
http://www.mascaramusic.com/press/medfordtranscript-2006-4-20.html
by Joe Viglione
Special to Janis Reed's HOTLINE TO THE UNDERGROUND
Medford recording artist Chris Mascara has come up with an intriguing and innovative six-track, five-song CD, "Spell," on Mr. Fibuli’s Records. It’s a smart and highly polished sophomore disc from the singer who played the lead role in a 2000 production of "Jesus Christ Superstar" opposite another former Medford resident, Extreme’s Gary Cherone (as Judas).
The music on "Spell" leans toward the dark side, the semi-autobiographical "Percy’s Revenge" an easy fit inside the repertoire of, say, Marilyn Manson. Think early Alice Cooper circa the "Love It To Death" and "Ballad Of Dwight Frye" phase.
Born in Long Island, N.Y, Mascara grew up in South Florida and "came up to the Boston, specifically Medford/Somerville, to go to Tufts University" in the 1980s. He met his wife, Deb, at Tufts in the early 2000s.
"We have made the neighborhood around Tufts our home ever since, buying an adorable updated 1920’s bungalow in Medford Hillside," he said.
Mascara and his wife appeared on the Food Network show "The Secret Life of...Pastries" when they filmed a sequence at the newly opened Danish Pastry House, located at 330 Boston Ave.
"I like Medford because its neighborhood-feel is reminiscent of the Long Island area where my extended family lives," Mascara said. "In fact, we’ve been ‘adopted’ by our 88-year-old Sicilian neighbor, Frank Amato. We share family recipes and dishes, go food shopping together and discuss gardening tips. I even helped him trim back his grape vines."
But do the neighbors know the singer’s music was dubbed "Sinister Pop" by students who write for the Tufts Daily?
The current members of Mascara’s group come from other parts of New England to play in the band. Chris Girard, the bassist, lives in Manchester, N.H. with his wife and family. Rikki Bates, the drummer, hails from Cape Cod and the group rehearses together in Woburn.
Musical loves
Mascara discovered his love for music very early.
"I learned how to play a Bach piece on the organ entirely by ear when I was 8 years old, having never learned a note of music previously," he said. "Music was always part of family life, but not until this discovery of my innate ability did I receive formal classical music training on the organ. By my early teens, I was a professional substitute organist, playing church services, weddings, etc., and also, on the radio. I have press dating back to the late ’70s chronicling my early artistic accomplishments."
Fast-forward to his years in the Boston area.
"After transitioning from classical organ as my primary vehicle to rock guitar in my late teens, I was in a Tufts psyche band, The Void before I came into my own as a lead singer/songwriter," Mascara said. "A harbinger of things to come, my real introduction to
Boston’s music fans was when I played the sitar on the George Harrison song ’Within You Without You’ in Boston Rock Opera’s "SGT. PEPPER’S..." productions in ’95 & ’96."
Listeners can hear those Beatles influences in "Time Is A Lie," the third track on "Spell," a short CD that is well paced and gathering a good amount of local area press.
The singer/songwriter is industrious, to say the least.
"After reconstituting the Mascara trio and allowing the new line-up to gel, in 2003 I designed an eclectic variety show entitled Scara’s Night Out and showcased it at the Lizard Lounge in Cambridge," Mascara said. " It’s a sell-out bi-weekly series and included local rock stalwarts, Celtic dulcimer performances, Portuguese/English hip-hop, burlesque dancers, Charlie Chaplin-esque skits, acoustic and multimedia comedy, reproduced old-time radio acts, poetry, belly dancing, electrified spoken-word blues; and even drew The Wu Tang Clan out of hiding and into the audience for the theatrical madness.
"In addition, I always continue to immerse myself in various musical endeavors: performing ragas and original compositions with my wife Deb in our project Sitar Tabla Power, creating new material for MASCARA, singing in a Sinatra lounge combo at cabaret nights and Mardi Gras/Bastille Day Balls as well as contributing lead vocals to a Paula Kelley song and to a track on the non-profit Project: Think Different compilation album," he continued.
Three of the tunes on "Spell" come in under three minutes, the driving "No Afterlife," like the rest of the album, recorded at the Indecent Music studio in Medford, owned by engineer Hendrik David Gideonse.
"My creative process involves three alternate guitar tunings besides standard tuning that help give my songs a distinctive flavor," Mascara said. "My early years as a child prodigy on the classical organ continue to inform or torque my rock compositional instincts. Another important factor is my bandmates’ ability to ’rock’ my expansive, sometime angular tunes, that in turn shapes the songs I bring to them.
"They match my headiness and bring the muscle and urgency that the music craves," he added. "This line-up has proven to be more edgy, raw, concise, and intuitive when it comes to interpreting my songs."
The new band is already working on a new full-length CD and plan to tour in 2006. They also plan to license the music out to movies and TV.
"I think, for instance, that the folks that produce the program, ’Charmed’ would just love Mascara ’Spell,’ especially since the show is about three modern-day witches, one of whom owns a fictional rock club," Mascara said with a laugh. "Somebody get my agent on the phone!"
For more on the band or for information on how to order your "Spell" CD, log on to
http://www.mascaramusic.com/.
Check out a preview of my article in Thursday's
MEDFORD TRANSCRIPT!
http://www.pjshapiro.com/IKWYMO_Reviews.html
http://www2.townonline.com/medford/artsLifestyle/view.bg?articleid=185860&format=
Recent Arts & Lifestyle
P.J. Shapiro performs at Avenue C's
By Joe Viglione/ Correspondent
Thursday, February 17, 2005
Songwriter P.J. Shapiro, who moved to Medford from
Newton in the year 2000, was the featured performer at
Avenue C's Thursday night open mic on Feb. 10. Of
course a mini snowstorm hit a few hours before and
during show time, but that added to the ambiance of
the gig at the elegant new Malden nightclub located at
166 Eastern Ave., between Ferry Street and Eastern
Avenue, at the Route 60 split.
Shapiro has an appealing voice and interesting
lyrics - "Who knows which way the magma flow," he
sings in "Continental Drift." When music fans hear the
letters "P.J." they may first think of female singer
P.J. Harvey or the band 40 Ft. Ringo's P.J. Farley,
but Shapiro has something different to offer - a
series of dark rolling essays accompanied by a folk
guitar, which he manipulates in creative ways.
Live at the Avenue C showcase he set the mood by
applying those subtle dynamics, kind of like a
progressive rock band without the bombast. It's an
interesting concept that demands attentiveness and was
embraced by the ever growing crowd at organizer Jeff
Munro's Thursday evening get-togethers.
The event itself was impressive, a guitarist
named Randy coming all the way from the South Shore,
other participants sometimes showing up from New
Hampshire or other parts unknown to the local Medford/
Malden/ Arlington region.
After author Rushworth M. Kidder (from Maine) was
interviewed for a cable show at around 8:45 p.m.,
singer Donny Schultz began the open mic - Schultz
requesting to open for P.J. Shapiro, which shows the
respect fellow musicians have for the performer.
The featured artist then took the staging area in
front of a fireplace and black drape backdrop and
began his set. The only "cover" song performed by
Shapiro was Joss Whedon's theme song to the sci-fi TV
show "Firefly." It's available only in secret places
on the Web, one of those little treats performers put
out for the world to hunt down and cherish.
Another song, "Justice," doesn't appear on the
singer's 12 track "I Know What You're Made Of" CD from
2001, but it has the same style and flavor as the
excellent material on that disc. More information
about the CD can be found on http://www.pjshapiro.com/
The singer was thankful that the crowd would
"brave the elements; hope it's been rewarding" he
said. The applause in response was sincere - the other
musicians in attendance seem to have a camaraderie
which spills over to the non-participants, those just
walking in for a beer or some of the excellent food
served at the club.
Promoter Jeff Munro is also the station manager
at Arlington's Comcast Cable station. He's been
putting open mics together for at least six years and
has a handle on bringing like talents together for
what was one of the more fun nights this jaded writer
has experienced in quite some time.
Kevin McQuilken appeared after Shapiro to play
instrumental versions of songs ranging from The Police
to the 60s hit "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" as well as
the 1970s gem "Loving You" by Minnie Ripperton.
The level of musicianship was surprisingly very
high for a suburban showcase, higher than many similar
events found in Cambridge and Boston.
A pretty gal named Marissa showed up with her
friends to join the event in a jam after songwriter
David Munro played an excellent albeit brief
collection of his tunes.
This club is something special - opening Labor
Day weekend 2004 it has a New York-style decor that
adds to the legitimacy of the artist mix. In other
words - it's a classy place!
SLOP with Matt O'Connor
Band debuts while lead singer moves
By Joe Viglione/ Correspondent
Thursday, January 27, 2005
http://joevigfirstimpressions.blogspot.com/
http://www2.townonline.com/medford/artsLifestyle/view.bg?articleid=171309
A debut performance of the band "Slop" at an established Cambridge hotspot, the All Asia Bar in Central Square, proved to be lead singer/vocalist Matt O'Connor's final show as a resident of Medford.
The local landscaper who is also a singer/songwriter is moving outside the Worcester area, but will continue performing with the Boston based Slop.
The all-ages show on Dec. 11 contained an interesting blend of originals and music by some of the group's heroes, from Jimi Hendrix to Bob Marley, and what they lacked in proficiency this new group certainly made up for with heart.
Belmont's Pierre Ratzki is lead and rhythm guitarist for Slop with his friend Joey Jebari handling the bass guitar. They met O'Connor on Sept. 18, 2004 at a festival in Boston where O'Connor performed solo to approximately 200 people.
Slop formed shortly after that meeting when O'Connor emerged from the recording studio at the end of summer 2004, putting to tape music by his friend from Los Angeles, the late Greg Zera.
O'Connor's travels have taken him from Worcester to Woburn to Spokane, Wash., eventually leading him to Los Angeles. He became friends with Chris Poland of the group Megadeth and taped an interview with Poland for his TV show, The Rehearsal Space, when Poland played Johnny Ds in Somerville.
When Zera tragically passed away in Los Angeles, O'Connor made it a mission to get some of his musician friends songs put to tape.
O'Connor moved to Medford in January of 2004, where he worked for a local landscaper and found musicians to help him bring the new music to life. The Deal, another band which recently exited the city, loaned their drummer, Peter Kelly, to the sessions.
After the recordings O'Connor began looking for people to play with on a more regular basis.
Encountering Jebari and Ratzki at the festival led to a quick friendship and thus "Slop" was born, an old school blues sound fused with hard rock that began by playing a mixture of songs composed by O'Connor with instrumentals from Joey, Pierre and an earlier drummer.
A bassline from Jebari led to "The Slop Anthem" when O'Connor and Ratzki put additional music to it. O'Connor added lyrics later.
Drummer Jake Staley came on board after being introduced to O'Connor through a friend from college. Staley is a sophomore at Berklee College of Music majoring in Contemporary Writing and Production. His solid beats keep the Slop boys organized.
Staley takes private lessons from Casey Scheurell and cites Led Zeppelin's John Bonham and session musician Vinnie Colaiuta as his influences. Born in Silver Springs, Md., the 19-year-old Staley now hails from Toledo, Ohio, though the pull of Berklee College brought him to New England and this unique and creative quartet.
Joey Jebari is a self-taught musician who hooked up with Ratzki at Belmont High School around April of 2003. His musical tastes range from blues to jazz to 60s rock and indie music to techno. Born in Cambridge, the Jebari family moved to Morocco from 1988 to 1995. They returned to Massachusetts setting up residence in Belmont.
Joey has owned his bass since 2000 and joined a local pop band with other Belmont High musicians James Green and Geoff Wright. That group, Suburban Legends, performed at the 2004 Belmont Talent Show at Belmont High Auditorium.
The final gig with "Suburban Legends" was on May 19, a celebration for the passing of the same-sex marriage bill. At that event Jebari jammed in public for the first time with Pierre Ratzki.
Ratzki commented on his friend's skills: "Joey's basslines often become the backbone for songs, and if I introduce a song I've written, I know that his bassline will complement the guitar perfectly. We feel very comfortable playing together, and I don't think either of us would have as much fun in a band without a good friendship, which is what we have."
The guitarist went on to explain the composition of their own material: "The way we write originals, there's no set method. Joey will start with a bassline, and I'll come up with a guitar part, and Matt will do something over that, while Jake brings it all together, etc. But it could start with any of us, and most of the originals we will be playing at (upcoming shows) were created on the spot like that, and refined later. We just jam a lot in practice, which helps fuse a band and make them communicate well together. You can't just throw four guys together and expect them to be tight on the first song, you have to jam first. Plus, jamming is awesome. So far, Matt has written all of the lyrics, but I hear that Jake has a bunch of originals he will soon be introducing to the band."
The show at the All Asia is the first since Ratzki's return from a trip to Paris, France, where he has relatives. And for such a young group of - - O'Connor in his 30s, Jebari, Ratzki and Staley in their late teens, it is amazing the amount of traveling they have all done, Morocco, Paris and Los Angeles contacts can only help the group in obtaining some kind of tour schedule or CD release outside of the Massachusetts area.
Ratzki commented on the importance of the band's newest member, drummer Jake Staley: "Jake is the key ingredient to the band, because he is sort of like the director. He brings the songs up or breaks them down, and has complete control over dynamics. Without him, we sound thin and lacking. It's humbling to play with someone from Berklee, especially someone with as much musical talent as Jake. He can play faster and louder than any drummer I have ever heard, but he can also play soft and jazzy."
Prior to the formation of the band lead singer O'Connor, the group's most veteran member, found himself on the Cambridge Central Square music circuit, performing solo at the All Asia Bar, The Zeitgeist Gallery as well as the Cantab. The decade before he found himself in both the Seattle and L.A. music scenes, ultimately recording a two song tape on 24 track tape resulting in the tunes "Errand Boy" and "The Barking Dog Band."
When he returned to the Boston area, landing on Garfield Avenue in Medford, he began hosting a television program, The Rehearsal Space, which featured interviews with The Supersuckers, Audrey Ryan Band, former Medford residents Pat O'Hara and his group "The Deal" and Chris Poland of Megadeath.
Where Slop will go in the music industry is anyone's guess, Pierre Ratzki hoping the band will continue to be part of the Boston Music scene, "...especially during the summers. If we could get a record deal, sign me up, but right now its just about jamming and having a good time."
AUDREY RYAN PASSIN' THRU
http://allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&token=&sql=10:gifwxq8sldhe
| Review | by Joe Viglione |
Audrey Ryan's debut CD, Passing Thru, is a good indicator of the many talents possessed by this creative and interesting singer/songwriter from the Boston area. This album, recorded at Neighborhoods singer David Minehan's studio, Wooly Mammoth, between March and June 2004, is chock-full of strong material performed well. The problem is that the vibrant live show, as well as the energy found on their raw demos, did not translate well on this production by the singer and her engineer, Dave Wesner. Al Marra's vibraphone is a real treat but those wonderful sounds don't emerge as pronounced as on the earlier demo tapes.Check out the solo in "Red War" to hear a bit of the potential. "Nothing Left" could be so much more if the instrumentation had a better mix — all the elements are there, the composition being especially strong. Pete Kelley is one of the better drummers around and he helps build a groove along with bassist Casey Abrams — the latter fellow with his own music in release in addition to his work here. Ryan has a compelling voice and is a soulful guitarist; just listen to "See Can You" for a modern-day "Girl from Ipanema." The music here has fantastic possibilities — and maybe all that's needed is a remix of the original tapes, for everything on Passing Thru feels restrained — like a film edited so thoroughly that the colors give the appearance of being more black and white. The science fiction overtones on "Alien Nation" — one of the disc's many great moments — and "Watch" add a nice break and work to keep the interest level up. This ensemble is never afraid to take chances. Check out the Ryan/Abrams composition "Summer" for a taste of some of the risk at play. New artists need one great song which can launch off a disc and make immediate new friends, and Audrey Ryan has the gifts to come up with that smash, along with many more. You can hear it inside simple tunes like "Nothing Left," and though the musicians in the group changed almost two years after this debut, this artist is someone to keep an eye on. The pluses here outweigh the flaws, and overall it is a fine effort, especially for an album debut. | |
SATCH KERANS ELLIOT STREET 2004
http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:abfqxq8sld0e
KELLY RILEY
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| Review | by Joe Viglione |
"Live and You Learn" is an overpowering title track on an overpowering album by Boston-area singer Kelly Riley. The song subsides into "One Kiss for the Road," a real heartbreaker, and the wide scope of this artist spans across the disc, with "When All Else Fails" working like the best of Dan Fogelberg, only from a woman's point of view. The blend of jazz on the fourth track's "See You Again" goes deeper into the introspection; one can learn as much about her passion from the nuances of her voice as they can from the lyrics. There are some amazing women songwriters out there -- fellow Bostonians Les Sampou and Deb Pasternak, New York's Deena Miller, L.A.'s Cynthia Catania -- all repaving the path Didi Stewart and Aimee Mann pioneered. Much depth is embraced by "See You Again," but an equally important point about this recording is that the moods change like the channels on a television without disrupting the flow of the music, a real balancing act. Riley pulls it off, the muffled Lynda Stephens sax the perfect complement to the cascading piano lines of "See You Again." Alongside the singer/songwriter is former Joe Perry drummer Joe Petruzelli, former Willie Alexander bassist Brandon Pritchard, and Jeannie Deva guitarist Joe Mac. "Love Bug" continues shifting scenes, a Rickie Lee Jones-type vamp with a New Orleans feel, background vocals slinking through the mix. "Nothin' Left to Do," yet another song bidding adios to a lost love, has sharp lyrics and equals the title track for intensity. Deb Pasternak works these themes, and like Pasternak, Les Sampou, and the remarkable You Know Me album by Jackie DeShannon, Live and You Learn is perfectly produced imagery deserving as much exposure as possible. It's a beautiful work. | |
HOME Deb Pasternak
http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:hxfexqqaldfe
| Review | by Joe Viglione |
Home is the third album from Deb Pasternak in six years, following 2000s Eleven which came three years after her 1997 debut, More. On track four she aggressively tells us "I want more," and it is said in such a catchy way and with such surety it's obvious the goal's already been achieved. At times Pasternak follows vocal tones set by Sheryl Crow, but the musical explorations are unique and have a special clarity, with Chris Rival's guitar work glued to and playing against Tom West's ever-present keys. "It's All Over" takes things a step further, the band now branching out and enveloping the singer; Rival more penetrating with guitar lines that tear "Room In Heaven" wide open. The shift is from pop/blues to hard pop, verging at times on metal. Just when the listener is getting the lullaby, Pasternak hits you with a lyrical and musical splash like "The Road"; chugging guitar emphasizing some simmering anger: "I've got lifetimes of hate/I'll show you how I cope" — the sentiment Alice Cooper gave the world on his Brutal Planet CD. It's the ground Marianne Faithfull and Nico pioneered, though Deb Pasternak keeps the proceedings from falling too deep into the underground. On Home, the group has found an edge that Rolling Stones' fans wish Mick and Company would embrace again. Where Jagger/Richards have refined and homogenized their studio recordings in the 90s and the new millennium, Deb Pasternak makes it clean enough to be presentable, but raw enough to keep your attention. The lyrics are as strong as they were on the second album, Eleven, though this time the band takes more risks and moves the music to other regions and extremes. "No Need To Venture Outside" is cabaret/jazz/cocktail/lounge music coming right after the acidic "Room In Heaven," while the singer's vocal shows maturity and an identity all its own. Richard Gates' bass has taken the place of the guitar and finds itself next to West's piano work: a real about-face that gives the listener a breather. Home is an even more adventurous and successful combination of styles than the fine effort that came before, and it begs repeated listenings; words and music both eloquent and simple; a tough balancing act that they pull off with immediate charm. | |
ELEVEN DEB PASTERNAK
http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:fzfrxql0ld0e
| Review | by Joe Viglione |
The magic of Deb Pasternak's music on the not coincidentally titled package Eleven is that you can hear all sorts of influences and fragments of other female vocalists, but you can't quite put your finger on who she is emulating, while the songs are unique, expressive, and breathtaking. To underestimate Pasternak and think she is a folky would be mistake number one; this adventure has bursts of rock and blues, as on "Jack," with Tom West's essential B-3 organ supplementing producer Chris Rival's tremendous guitar. There are subdued Black Sabbath riffs on this song about a suicide leap, something that plagued college campuses in the Boston area circa 2000. Mistake number two would be not to listen to the lyrics. This woman has a way with words that is extraordinary, and Rival's sterling production brings those words out nicely. Moving from "Jack"'s suicide to giving her heart at "The Bullfights" while "those beasts ran below" is a wonderful contradiction. "Flood," a song that appears on the Wildfire compilation as well, is the material Pasternak is most often affiliated with: light folk-rock with compelling lyrics. With its subject being her ex-lover's new love, "Flood" expresses the liberating pathos of a soul being introspective and renewed. "Eclipse" ends the album with just West on piano and Pasternak considering a relationship's demise. It is a touching conclusion to an album that begins with the predatory sounds of "One Regret," a song that sneaks up from behind to grab — and empower — the listener with its thoughts that "guilt's just a waste of time." The music sounds like 'Til Tuesday meets that "All I Want to Do Is Have Some Fun" song, successfully merging '80s and '90s pop in a mix that is very contemporary. "Willomena" — illustrating the price of arrogance — will really play with your head. "Reading the Signs" is the stuff Laura Day preaches in her intuition books; the band smartly gets behind Pasternak, never getting in the way of the hooks and her strong voice. "Keep On" is a nice break and works as a bridge between moods, but "Bitter" is beautiful in its vocal, lyrics, and performance. Rival adds spooky guitars to the seductive vocal, and Pasternak masters a formula early-'70s Boston singer Jack Daniel Ahearn was building: music that is totally "happy/sad." Pasternak brings the joy and the pain together like a cake mix, and feeds it to you. The Andras Jones title "Message From the Moon" is sexual and full of expectation. It, along with "Bitter," are high points on a wonderfully excellent recording that enlightens and entertains. Very impressive. | |
39)Chris Pureka's DRYLAND as reviewed for Inside Out Magazine, Hudson Valley, NY
March Issue
Artist: Chris Pureka
Title: Dryland
Label: Sad Rabbit Music
Year: 2006
Catalog # 329112
Dryland is an impressive follow up to Chris Pureka's first full-length disc, Driving North. Pureka's distinctive voice takes the listener to the places
explored by Elton John and Bernie Taupin back in the days of their Tumbleweed Connection album. It's pop music for the old west, a perfect soundtrack for a
sequel to Brokeback Mountain, perhaps Brokeback Mountain from the female perspective. This Dryland speaks with authority, a youthful voice chock full of
wisdom articulating the moods that swing from disappointment to want, expressed effectively in songs like "Come Back Home" and the title track. "The last
time I saw it I was heading north to the mountain-lands and here I am" she sings in the song "Dryland", perhaps referencing the earlier work while
continuing the theme of missing, waiting and wanting. Pureka has that same drive Janis Ian displayed post "Society's Child" and before her "At Seventeen" phase
with the songs building upon each other, unstated connections that form a cohesive whole, like chapters of the same book. Dryland is a finely textured
fabric, the soaring "Momentary Thief" continuing the requests, the singer putting her private meditations out for public inspection. Co-producer/engineer Marc
Alan Miller helps create a sparse environment for the variety of instruments, and that allows them to slip in and out of the melodic passages without intruding
on the words. The combination of the upright bass from Andy Rice mixed with Sebastian Renfield's ambient electric guitar and violins mark the first song, These
Pages, with an eloquence that reflects the singer's intent. These aren't simple Top 40 poems put to music, they read like pages from a diary with the
songwriter changing the melodies and chords to fit her unique story-telling form. Yes, each title has the ability to work separately from this setting as album
tracks or even a potential Triple A radio single, think Tracy Chapman being low-key and telling her stories in a different framework. It is complex music,
but the complexities don't take away from Chris Pureka's ability to entertain while getting so many issues off her mind.
A different review of Chris Pureka by Joe Vig on Allmusic.com
http://allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:3vfoxqudldse
MUSIC STORES IN THE NEW MILLENNIUM
IN YOUR EAR and RANDOLPH MUSIC have survived the upheaval created by the internet and expanded with Tower Records closing.
Here is our BLOG for Randolph Music
http://recordexpo.blogspot.com/
TYPE 4 in Metrowest Daily News
http://www.metrowestdailynews.com/arts/x357263176
Type 4 revives rock ’n’ roll career
Joe Viglione jvbiographies@yahoo.com
Thu Oct 18, 2007, 02:26 PM EDT Malden -
Malden - William Ierardi, a.k.a. D.J. Daylate, is a Malden resident who works in Medford. By day he helps run operations at Medford Self-Storage (the old Planet Self Storage) on the Fellsway; at night he is busy with the band Type 4, creating a unique modern sound, once popular in the region — and that Ierardi hopes will be popular again.
Type 4 was founded in Boston in 1990 by two singer/songwriters, Brian Cantwell and Tom Williams. Type 4 started out as a rap group that only used samples and drum machines, but has evolved over the years into a band that mixes sampling with live instruments, rap with rock ’n’ roll.
With the two lead vocalists backed (at different times in various arrangements) by guitarist Mike Haas, bassist Ray Bly, drummer Mike O’Leary, percussionist Eric Goodridge, DJ KooKoo & DJ DayLate, and keyboardist/programmer/producer Matt Reyes, T4 is capable of delivering many different sounds and styles, as demonstrated on “Use Once And Destroy,” a promotional six-song EP of some of the band’s most recent songs.”
The Malden Observer recently caught up with Reyes and Ierardi and asked them some questions about life and music.
MO: How can the public find Type 4’s recorded output?
Reyes: We’ve had CDs in the stores in and around Boston, actually I guess all over the country, but it was all self-distributed, either mailed or dropped off in person to stores. Tower (remember Tower?), Newbury Comics, CD Spins, Strawberries, we had “Trailmix” in all of them. But I suppose they’re long sold-out now.
In fact I do a search every once in a while online for references to “Trailmix” and I regularly find people selling copies through different used CD Web sites for upwards of $40.
MO: Is there a discography and stores where the music can be purchased or Web sites to download?
Reyes: At the present time, our new stuff is still only available as downloads from our Web site http://www.TYPE4.biz , though we’ve mailed out lots of “almost finished” demo discs, and once the new stuff is done to our satisfaction, we’ll have CDs back in stores as well as for download through iTunes.
MO: When is the new music Type 4 is creating going to be released?
Reyes: Currently, we’re beating the tortoise at that whole “slow and steady” thing. Real life has exerted its demands on our time as of late and on top of that we’re a bunch of perfectionists.
But to tell the truth, the current crop of songs had existed for so long in their “almost finished” state that we’re all used to it, and everyone seems to like them as is.
So yeah, we’re just going to get some dough together and press some CDs for release by the end of this year. Get this gorilla off our backs and move on to new songs.
MO: Are there any live shows booked for the immediate future?
Reyes: Nothing in the immediate future, though once we have the CDs for sale, we’ll play some shows to get attention, and promote them though airplay on Boston radio. Same as we did 10 years ago with “Trailmix.”
MO: Do you play local venues like Malden’s Honey Fitz or the Chevalier Theater in Medford?
Reyes: We haven’t played My Honey Fitz, though we’ve played some dives around here, in Revere, Medford and just about everywhere in Boston. Even Mama Kin and Axis, extinct dinosaurs like us. Well, we’re not quite extinct!
MO: About 17 years after Brian and Tom founded the group, what are the expectations and direction?
Reyes: Wow, yeah, it has been that long, huh? Weird because I’ve been at this music since before I hit puberty, and met Tom and Brian years later, so it all still seems so recent. But I guess we’re grizzled veterans by now.
As far as the future goes, all we’ve ever wanted to do was be successful enough with the music to keep us from having to do anything else. We’re not looking to get rich or be in a video with a swimming pool filled with gold teeth or whatever, we do this because we love it, and I’d like to think we’ve been at it long enough to get good.
So we just want, as always, to get our music to those who might enjoy it, and hopefully get even more exposure than we got with “Trailmix.” All those years ago!
MO: Have the players changed much over the years?
Reyes: It was all pretty much addition there for a while, where Tom and Brian met me, I knew KooKoo, Brian knew Haas, Haas knew Goodridge, they knew Ray, etc.
At our peak of seven or eight guys on stage, we were a rarity in that we were all pretty good in our own right, perhaps good enough to join some band somewhere, but we were all actually friends and had for the most part known each other as friends even before the music.
There were a couple of shuffles here and there, when Eric left and we got our buddy and fellow SMP Mike O’Leary to play drums, then we replaced original live bass player Mike Rizzo with Ray, KooKoo faded away, then after the tour and our long hiatus, we’ve re-formed as a simpler hip-hop act with DJ DayLate and another DJ, who is currently remaining nameless.
Of course some of the shakeups were involuntary and irreversible. We lost both Brian and Eric for good along the way, and we miss them very much as friends and bandmates.
MO: Why was there a hiatus?
Reyes: We came back from the tour in 1998, on top of the world, having played all over the country, sold (and gave away) tons of CDs, played with some Skunk bands and were all set up to start being booked by them. But first a little time off! And we all fell into different addictions, not all of them drugs, but all of them time-consuming and isolating.
And a little time turned into a longer time, and after a while it was just back to Tom, Brian and myself in a small home studio finishing off the “For Sale” CD. Then Brian died. And that longer time became maybe forever.
Until Tom cleaned up, Bill came along and gave us the motivation to get going again, and we cranked out a bunch of new stuff, and that’s “As Is.”
I can tell you the time away seems so short to us, but yeah to the real world, and especially to our fans, it was a damned long time.
MO: What are your plans for world domination?
Reyes: I honestly think I could conquer the world, if I just somehow got the time back to devote all of it to the music and nothing else.
Ten years ago I would work on music for days straight, going without sleep, going nocturnal. Now I’ve got to fit it in around work and all that “real life” I was talking about earlier. But hey, we’re here, we didn’t ALL die, and the music we’re making is better than ever, more finished than ever before, and I for one am proud of it.
MO: William Ierardi, known as, D.J. Daylate, when did you start spinning?
D.J. Daylate: I started in 2002. I had just started dabbling in production after watching our producer, Matt, do his thing.
A friend of mine frantically called me around that time saying “Bill come quick, the landlord just threw out my next door roommates dj setup,” or something like that, and Tom and I quickly jumped in his mother’s beat up car to get over there, After snatching them out of the garbage — records, needles and all — I was very happy to say I all but devoted my life in front of the things until I could afford my own. I currently use Numark cdx CD turntables as my main setup.
MO: Do you have a “secret sauce” that makes your sound different?
D.J. Daylate: I did not like rap music very much — besides Type 4 while I was growing up; I’m more into rock and reggae, only later on listing to rap and jazz blues.
MO: How do all the components of T4 work together — is it controlled chaos like Weather Report or a polished blend like Aerosmith meets RUN DMC?
D.J. Daylate: Right now Matt does all the production; I only throw ideas at him once and a while, I do all my recording at home and bring it to him. Tom records vocals at Matt’s studio/bedroom (Matt sleeps on his living room couch and has no bedroom!)
MO: We got Matt Reyes thoughts on world domination, do you think T4 will conquer the world?
D.J. Daylate: It is more than possible, although its more of a way to express ourselves musically, we aren’t looking to take over the world, we do our small part to be heard, but rely mostly on word to mouth, which has definitely passed along way.
Tom got a letter from a kid in Australia looking for the CD! So, if it happens it happens, the way the music industry is going these days, its almost more sane to be underground hip hop, all that said, we of course would sign on the dotted line if there was a worthwhile offer.
Type 4 in Malden Observer
http://www.wickedlocal.com/malden/fun/x357263176
Kevin Gilligan's FOR / The Orphans
http://www.wickedlocal.com/malden/news/x852315456
Joe Harrington photoMalden - One click onto http://myspace.com/funeralofromance, the MySpace page for the Malden power metal/rock band Funeral of Romance, and you’ll hear ominous sounds pour out of your computer speakers.
Recording for their own Unknown Records imprint, the Malden quartet consists of Kevin Gilligan, a.k.a. “Nickels Alloy” on bass/vocals, Dave Dawson a.k.a. “Slambango” on guitar/vocals, “Baynze” a.k.a. Jamie Forbes playing the drums, and Warren Sheehan providing backing vocals.
And there are many other individuals working behind the scenes with this regional group.
“Here’s To You” on their Myspace page plays like Sabbath, with heavy effects on the vocals over slow, plodding, mercenary riffs. Their site proclaims proudly, “With no boundaries and no limits, The Funeral_of_Romance forges their way onto the Boston music scene with vengeance. F.O.R. is a heart pounding, no frills, in your face rock/metal band hailing from the borrows of southern New England.”
We caught up with Kevin Gilligan to chat about the songwriting and band mission:
Observer: How long have you lived in Malden?
KG: I’ve lived in Malden my whole life. I was born and bred here and will always call Malden my home no matter where I reside. I actually have the city of Malden’s seal tattooed on my leg; that was done by tattoo artist and F.O.R. drummer Jamie Forbes, a Malden native who now lives in Tewsbury. Guitarist/singer Dave Dawson is originally from San Jose California, and currently resides in Arlington. Dave and I met from a Craigslist ad a few years back and we have been building a library of songs since early 2007.
Observer: You were one of the original founders of Boston Soundcheck Magazine (1995-2004). Were you playing live in a band then?
KG: Yes. throughout the ‘90s and up until the year 2000, I played in a band called The Orfans as well as other musical endeavours.
Observer: Why did you wait so long to put a new group together?
KG: I believe it’s a matter of chemistry and finding the right people and I finally found that. I might add, Dave and myself have the right chemistry and a very secret formula that is working well and we are very pleased with the results.
Observer: ‘Rain,’ ‘Follow,’ and ‘Save Me’ are dark, heavy, melodic songs with overtones of Judas Priest, Megadeth, and Motorhead. Were those bands you grew up listening to?
KG: Those bands are just a small handful of bands we all grew up listening to and has influenced our music without a doubt. But bands like the Scorpions, Black Sabbath, Kiss and Deep Purple are also a big part of our sound.
Observer: Malden is getting some recognition with No. 9 Ale House & Grill and Honey Fitz Pub bringing live entertainment to the city. Do you think Malden is creating its own scene, or is part of the huge Boston rock n’ roll movement moving into the suburbs?
KG: Well, with the closing of some great clubs in Boston over the years – from The Channel, The Rat, Mama Kin and others – Malden has become an ever-growing city with some places that offer live music for the patrons and I think that’s great. It is also good for local bands and musicians to gain some live exposure. I do believe it is creating its own vibe and is also a part of the Boston rock movement.
Observer: When will your CD be ready?
KG: As I speak with you today, we are working on the final mixes along with the mastering part of the process as well as the artwork for new CD entitled (sic) “Funeral of Romance” and it is expected to be released in February of 2008 if all goes well.
Observer: Will you be performing in the area upon its release?
KG: There will be a limited number of New England area appearances in the spring of 2008 with a tour to follow spanning from coast to coast and possibly some European dates as well.
Observer: What’s the mission of F.O.R.?
KG: Our mission is to create great heavy metal rock music that appeals to the heavy metal audience around the world. We will not disappoint our fans and the true metal-heads around the globe. We aim to truly rock out without regret.
#9 Ale House
On tap at the ale house
By Joe Viglione Fri Oct 26, 2007, 05:04 PM EDT
Malden - In February of 2007, former Observer reporter Dan Baer covered the grand opening of The No. 9 Ale House Grill with an emphasis on the menu and the renovations since owner Nick Luciani purchased the old Shamrock Inn at 118 Ferry St.
The former guitarist who toured the country with his Boston Brats is perfectly comfortable as a restaurant owner instead of a touring musician, and he quickly upgraded the televisions, renovated the menu with head chef Jonathan Knight and cook Paul Brant, as well as changing the entertainment.
DJ Johnny G, who worked The Palace, Avalon and Axis, does his mash-ups, perhaps playing some old Journey with current Eminem as the fare for Friday nights, while on Thursdays there’s the Open Jam hosted by Subliminal Criminal guitarist Jamie Bondar.
“I make sure everyone gets to play,” Luciani told the Observer. “We do it the old school way...you put your name on a chalkboard and first come, first served.”
The manager and owner displays genuine enthusiasm about his restaurant pub.
http://www.wickedlocal.com/malden/archive/x1633052773
8)THE HONEY FITZ LOUNGE, MALDEN
Fitz of laughter
Joe Viglione/malden@cnc.com
Fri Sep 07, 2007, 03:27 PM EDT
Malden -
Malden - With new food in the works, live music most nights and a refreshed list on-tap beers, the Honey Fitz Irish Pub in Malden is making changes. This weekend, they’ll introduce one of their most exciting entertainment changes yet – when comedian Johnny Joyce takes over the Sunday night performance slot in what owners hope will become a regular night of laughs.
The Honey Fitz Irish Pub is a restaurant located on 142 Pleasant St., across from Malden Access Television (MATV) station and a stone’s throw from Malden City Hall. The Pub is open 11 a.m. to 2 a.m., Monday through Friday, noon to 2 a.m. on Saturdays, and noon to midnight on Sundays – with the kitchen running 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. every Monday through Saturday.
READ MORE HERE:
http://www.wickedlocal.com/malden/homepage/x942963470
9)Lauren Bateman
Rockin’ with Lauren Bateman
By Joe Viglione/malden@cnc.com
Fri Jan 04, 2008, 01:19 PM EST
Malden -
Courtesy photo not used in the Observer story.
Malden - Malden resident Lauren Bateman is a 24-year-old singer and songwriter who grew up in Medford with her mom and her sister. These days, she’s busy running from boxing training to open mic nights at local clubs.
Readers can tune in to the songs she has available on http://myspace.com/laurenbatemanmusic.
The Malden Observer caught up with Lauren in between those moments in her busy schedule.
MO: How did you get started in the entertainment business?
LB: I was always into music, playing piano when I was younger. My sister bought me a guitar when I was in high school as a confirmation present and I loved it, playing all the time (and) teaching myself how to play from one of the “how to play guitar” books she had bought.
Read the full article here:
http://www.wickedlocal.com/malden/news/x1295927402
Alastair Moock!
http://www.wickedlocal.com/malden/archive/x254743850
Malden - One look at the “friends” list on Myspace.com/alastairmoock gives deep insight into the tastes and influences of regional artist Alastair Moock. It’s also a good indication of the music to be found in his impressive library of original work.
Woody Guthrie, Dave Van Ronk, Tom Waits, Taj Mahal, Townes Van Zandt and Blind Willie McTell are just some of the names Moock displays on his friends list, and the song “Yin Yang Blues” reflects that appreciation in the same way that other contemporary folk/blues artists – Ted Drozdowski, Kerry Kearney and Mark Newman, to name a few – show a devotion to this sound and style. “Yin Yang Blues” is a song from Moock’s current album, “Fortune Street.” The song “Unwanted Guest” from 2005’s “Let It Go” album is reminiscent of Arlo Guthrie at his best.
Four full-length songs from the artist are available to hear on MySpace, while shorter clips can be heard on the artist’s main page - www.Moock.com.
The title track of the new album is a smooth and elegant pop essay in contrast to the stripped down blues of some of the other tracks, but within the pop the soul still shimmers in the same way Delbert McClinton is able to invisibly multi-task his musical chores.
Moock also has a side project, “Pastures Of Plenty,” which he started in 1999. Its Web site calls it “a way to bridge some of the gaps he saw in the Boston music scene — between the folk and roots rock crowds, between contemporary and traditional musicians, and between younger and older players.”
The Moock.com Web site is cleanly written with tons of information compactly presented for easy access. The list of players Alastair Moock has entertained crowds along with is impressive, from John Stewart and Bill Morrissey to Peter Mulvey, Ellis Paul, Patty Larkin and so many others.
On Monday, Dec. 17, Alastair Moock spoke on camera with Malden Access Television’s executive director, Ron Cox, for the 121st edition of the “Live On Tape” show. Cox was very impressed with the Medford resident’s skill and easy going nature – and that Moock played with one of the executive director’s favorites, “Ramblin Jack Elliott.”
The Observer spoke with Alastair after his program.
Q: Have you done much local television?
A: Not a lot. I’ve done a couple of programs in the area and in some other states. “Live on Tape” was great.
Q: How long have you lived in Medford?
A: Let’s see. Four years. We were in Somerville for several years before that.
Q: Your biography on www.Moock.com says that you came to the Boston area via New York.This question is two-fold: What part of New York were you raised in?
A: Westchester, just north of the city.
Q: What prompted you to move to Boston?
A: I sort of stumbled down here after college. I had no idea what to do with myself. It turned out that Boston was about the perfect place for a young singer/songwriter to end up. There are tons of really high-quality open mics in the area and I played them regularly for a few years.
Q: How did you decide you were going to record?
A: I started writing songs at the end of high school and, of course, I always wanted to record. I made my first self-released album in 1999.
Q: Who released the first albums?
A: Me.
Q: What was the demo that got the deal with the international Corazong label?
A: CoraZong picked up my fourth album, “Let it Go,” which I had actually already released in the States. They re-packaged it and we added a few bonus tracks and re-released it here, and for the first time in Europe.
Q: You’ve opened for many, many popular artists: Boston’s legendary Jonathan Edwards, the great Taj Mahal, Arlo Guthrie, Marshall Crenshaw, Dick Dale…did agents bring you in touch with these legends or did they already know of your music?
A: Most of those openers came through the venues themselves. I still represent myself in the States, so I don’t have any high-powered people kicking down doors for me. You pay your dues at the clubs and coffeehouses, people get to know and like you, and eventually those kind of openers come down the pike. When I was starting out, it was the greatest thrill to open for big names, and I am really honored to have gotten to play for some of my heroes. Arlo and Taj were big ones for me.
But, at this point, I’m much more interested in doing my own shows. It’s all about making real connections with people now. There’s only so much you can do with a four- or five-song opener.
Q: Your gig resume is staggering. Norway, Nashville, Glasgow, Oregon and Cambridge, Mass. What are the audiences like when performing all around the world?
A: You know, people are people. There are good shows and less good shows wherever you go. My songs are very lyric-driven and I do a lot of talking on stage, so I have to admit that there are some places in Europe where I find that language can be a bit of a barrier. But, generally, those shows have gone really well and I’m always surprised at how well people respond.
In January, I’m headed back to Scotland to play a few dates and I’m really looking forward to that. There seems to be a special connection there. I suppose it’s partly the shared language and partly the shared musical traditions, but I just feel very much at home playing over there.
Q: Your upcoming European tour looks extensive. Is this the biggest amount of European dates that you’ve played in succession?
A: I was just over for a month in October. That was the longest , and it was long. I’ve got twin one-year-old girls at home, not to mention an amazing wife, so those long trips seem a lot harder to me these days.
Q: With the Internet, do you see parallels between American and European audiences? Are Europeans more apt to buy the tangible CD over downloading?
A: I’m not sure. I’d guess it’s about the same. In general, folk-roots audiences tend to be a little older and more tradition-bound than, say, pop audiences, so they’re probably less apt to do downloads. But the media keeps changing, so who knows where we’re headed.
Q: Did you come to the Medford/Malden area right away from New York? What made this region so appealing?
A: I came to Boston after school and ended up in the Davis Sqare area of Somerville. My wife and I moved to Iowa for a couple of years for her to get an MFA, and by the time we got back, we were priced out of that area. All the action’s on the north side of the river in Boston, and Cambridge and Somerville have gotten too expensive to buy or even rent in. Medford and Malden are next on the trail. They’re great towns. I love where we are.
But, watch out, first the artists move in, then the yuppies!
-- Joe Viglione can be reached at recordreview2001@yahoo.com.
BOX:
See Alastair Moock live
Alastair will be performing at Sally O’Brien’s in Somerville on Jan. 4, and Johnny D’s in Davis Square on Jan. 10. He then tours Great Britain throughout January, and returns to the Mee & Thee Coffeehouse in Marblehead in February.
Visit http://alastairmoock.com/tour.html for more details.
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