Anyone notice how Batman based his image on my photo?
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AUDIOSCAM 3
https://itunes.apple.com/au/album/3-ep/id876298993
Band website
Line up:
Brian Pitcher:vocals,drums,guitar,ukulele
Brad Wallace:Bass,vocals,keyboards,guitar
Ross Wilson: Guitar
plus
Russ Wedding:Additional guitars on "Hello"
"Bridgetown Girls"(B. Pitcher)
"Hello"(B. Pitcher)
"Thank You"(B. Wallace)
"Awayo"(B. Pitcher)
Audioscam are from Cairns , Australia. Their first recording was a ballsy take on the Swedish pop group,ABBA called ABBA ATTACK in 2008. That was followed up with the WHEN THE MONEY'S GONE EP. AUDIOSCAM 3 is a new 4 song disc that opens with "Bridgetown Girls", Pitcher's tribute to the ladies in the Southwest region of Western Australia, about 168 miles from Perth. To this Yank, it appears that "BG" would be the Australia equivalent of "country girls" since Bridgetown is known for its pastoral, rural settings.
The song opens with a catchy ukulele riff and soon the song hits its stride with a calypso/ska groove. "Hello",another Pitcher composition - featuring additional guitars by Russ Wedding - segues nicely from the "Bridgetown GIrls" to "Thank You." Pitcher's and Wallace's vocals blend well together. Although this is an upbeat, pop rock song, I can envision "Hello" being a big country hit complete with pedal steel!
"Thank You, "written by Brad Wallace, continues the show. Once again the melody is catchy in a power pop vein that would not be out of place in the 80s, without sounding specifically retro. "Awayo", the closing number has an island/seafaring feel. Despite the continued upbeat feel, this is a song about a female who breaks hearts, including that of the singer. (Nancy Neon)
https://itunes.apple.com/au/artist/audioscam/id286648917
on CD Baby
http://www.cdbaby.com/Artist/Audioscam
Audioscam
BIOGRAPHY
The Original Audioscam
Australia's Audioscam release a new CD "WHEN THE MONEY'S GONE".
Their first CD, "ABBATTACK", a respected hard rock re-invention of the songs of Abba, gained a lot of attention around the globe. This time "WHEN THE MONEY"S GONE" is an all original show piece and was recorded in Brian Pitchers’ garage ( not as big as Daves’ garage) and features four airwaves friendly Pop/Rock tracks.
As before, Brian plays drums, handles the bulk of the vocals and even manages to play a little guitar.
Once again, Brad Wallace plays bass. He also stretches his tonsils on one song and adds keyboards to the final track.
With original guitarist Roger Gold going into retirement to live happily ever after on the masses of royalties accumulated from Abbattack and Ross Wedding unavailable, the real guitar work fell to new kid on the block, Ross Wilson.
From the “Land of the Long White Cloud", Ross Wilson injects just the right amount of energy into each song through pounding guitar rhythms, and melodically crafted solos. Audioscam are Back!
Australia's Audioscam release a new CD "WHEN THE MONEY'S GONE".
Their first CD, "ABBATTACK", a respected hard rock re-invention of the songs of Abba, gained a lot of attention around the globe. This time "WHEN THE MONEY"S GONE" is an all original show piece and was recorded in Brian Pitchers’ garage ( not as big as Daves’ garage) and features four airwaves friendly Pop/Rock tracks.
As before, Brian plays drums, handles the bulk of the vocals and even manages to play a little guitar.
Once again, Brad Wallace plays bass. He also stretches his tonsils on one song and adds keyboards to the final track.
With original guitarist Roger Gold going into retirement to live happily ever after on the masses of royalties accumulated from Abbattack and Ross Wedding unavailable, the real guitar work fell to new kid on the block, Ross Wilson.
From the “Land of the Long White Cloud", Ross Wilson injects just the right amount of energy into each song through pounding guitar rhythms, and melodically crafted solos. Audioscam are Back!
Artist: Michael J. Roy
Title: Eclectricity
MICHEAL J. ROY
Eclectricity14 tracks
Michael J. Roy is the long time guitar star and handsome fashionista of Boston and NYC bands Fox Pass and Tom Dickie & the Desires. The players here are Stephen Gilligan on bass and Lenny Shea, Jr. on drums of Stompers fame. Line up wise this is essentially Fox Pass sans Jon Macey. Roy is and has always been a sensitive, painterly guitar player who added color and emotion to the songs of the Desires and Fox Pass, as he does here on Electricity. His warm, soulful voice can cause even this reprobate’s heart to melt. It was always Roy who was chosen to sing the smoother, more melodic songs of Fox Pass. If it were the ’60s, I could envision Roy in a blue eyed soul outfit like The Rascals. “Stop the Rain” kicks my ass. As does the Byrdsian jangle of “In A Well.” There’s not a dud here. Roy’s voice is heart-wrenching. He doesn’t pluck the heartstrings – he shreds them! Congrats to a fine artist and human being. (Nancy Neon)
published in August 2015 "The Noise"
http://thenoise-boston.com/2015/08/cd-reviews-34/
review by Nancy Neon
Mastroberti published this book of poetry in 2012. In 2015,he issued an accompanying CD with 12 selections from the book, The book itself has over 40 poems. Mastroberti even included the first poem he wrote which was in response to a second grade assignment when the class was given the title- "if i was a color, I would be..." Mastroberti wrote of simple elegance seemingly beyond the ability of even someone many years older: "If I were a color, I would be/Blue as the sky above/Blue as the sea below/Blue as the days go by/Blue till the sweet hello...' I love this! It is so perfect in its graceful simplicity. This certainly did bode well for his writing future,
In 2000, Mastrob erti lived his dream of reciting his poetry to musical accompaniment when the late Jack Stock wrote music to his poem "Plantain". Stock recited and recorded it, Mastroberti asked Stock to include it on his CD, but Stock told him that it was his poem and he should perform it! Stock set him up with an engineer and produced the track. About a year later, Mastroberti met up with some musicians in New Brunswick, NJ and together they completed his first CD in 2005, THIS IS JEFFLAND. As an attachment to this collection, Mastroberti has included the previously unreleased tracks that he recorded live and in small studios in PA between 2005-2010 approximately.,
Mastroberti describes his poetry as "environmentally or politically inspired poems and poems that are spiritual in nature." Some of his poems have a whimsical quality and can be comedic and very appealing to and appropriate for a young audience like these lines in "Plantain": "I wil be as free as a wild field mouse:As I stuff my bills in the kangaroo's pouch." " I Haven't Written Anything Lately" contrasts the life of art vs. the life of action ie living life as opposed to writing about it. Mastroberti writes about saving up his life experiences to use as artistic inspiration:"It's all stored up, waiting for the next wave/Waiting to explode into a million pieces of gold"-a line so perfect that Mastroberti uses it again in "The Struggle" on page 15. The former poem has a twist at the end which transforms the poem into something more spiritual and intense.
In "Time", Mastroberti asks the questions that we all yearn to have answered- "Time-what do you have in store for me?/Time-what do you plan to do with me?/Time-where will I go? What will I do?" In "Onion Waits", Mastroberti employs some selfdeprecating humor-"I'm on a date with a hot chick. What a fantasy, There's a better chance you'll find me naked in a tree,"
in "Dan Electro", Mastroberti mixes musical imagery with sexual imagery with an entertaining result: "I want to wrap my pull down resistor around your mixer/taste your Old English malt liquor/my extra virgin, high frequency switchin' , solid 48 ounce baby."
"Rip The Flesh" shows the more violent, visceral side of Mastroberti. The poem also speaks about his artistic renaissance;"Rip the flesh off my body/And see the spirit within / Creative,Expressive,Pure, and Loving/Dying to live again." "No Prophet, No Crime" asks the question if they will ever allow the next Bob Dylan to emerge(but then again who needs a new Dylan when we have the original real deal Dylan?!) Mastroberti brings up a lot of crucial issues like separation of church and state as well government by the people , for the people and asks the ominous question of what would happen if Jesus came back today.
"Cell Phone World" is a poem most people can relate to and it alliows them to laugh at their own foibles-"In a cell phone world, i wear ear buds, wherever I go/ In a cell phone world, i do anything, but go with the flow/In a cell phone world, i make a butt call once a week/In a cell phone world, I've texted so long, I don't know how to speak." "Why" is one of Mastroberti's better comedic poems. "I Recall" is a heavy melancholic piece. Mastroberti really runs a wide gamut between comedic and dark depression. "That 911 Day" is especially painful for me because like the line in the Laura Nyro song, NYC is like a religion to me. I take that attack so personally and though it happened 14 years ago, I still cannot process or accept the magnitude of the tragic loss in the city i adore as if it were a best friend and lover.
Mastroberti debut poetry volume is an impressive accomplishment, delivering a compelling collection of over forty poems and running the gamut of important ideas, both spiritual and political as well touching on a vast range of emotions from humor to passion to violence and depression. Bravo Mastroberti.
Editor's note: Jeffland 12(CD)has 12 selections from this book set to musical accompaniment. Look for my review here in the near future,
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THE REAL KIDS LIVE
THE REAL KIDS @
Midway Cafe, JP, MA 10/10/15
Review by Nancy Neon , reprinted from the NOISE sans factual errors that weren't in my original manuscript, thank you very much lol
The Real Kids shows are always an event if only because they do not play the Boston area that often. They have a current full length Shake...Outta Control with another one currently in the works, rumored to be a two vinyl album set. So hopefully some of you fans suffering Real Kids deprivation will finally get to hear their stellar versions of "Baby Blue" and "Dont Talk To Strangers".
This night ripped right open with my current fave, the blasting "She Don't Take It". John Felice's scaratchy, metallic, chunky power chords on his faithful Telecaster drive the song slong with Judd Williams mating csll drums. Williams and Dickie Oakes on bass, lock into a groove, laying down a solid bedrock foundation for each song. Then there's a couple of classics from the Red Star album-"Do The Boob" and "My Baby's Book" before they charge into the current album's titletrack "Shake...Outta Control". This is a killer dance gloir anthem like only Felice could write and deliver. There are a few new ones-"Wrong About You" and "Somewhere West Of Nowhere" once again proving that Felicr is an incomparable lyricist with the courage to bare his heart for rock 'n' roll. We fans can simply marvel as Felice pours out his soul on a river of sound. Billy Cole, Felice's musical comrade since the Andy Paley produced 2nd album circa 1978, plays a 12 string Rickenbacker on Beau Brummels'' "Don't Talk To Strangers" and the Fab Four's "You Can't Do That". That ringing Rickenbacker is the embodiment of beauty. Yet the best part is slways when Felice and Cole rock back-to-back with this look of bliss on their faces and they start burning like Vesuvius or Krakatoa! It is hilarious when Felice says it's the band's job to introduce the fans to obscure bands(meaning The Beatles, I assume... He could have meant the Beau Brummels, but that'd be accurate not humorous!) The encore is a stunning. version of Badfinger's "Baby Blue" and the perennial crowd pleaser, "Reggae Reggae" which never sounds stale and rules on sheer balliness ! Pick up their latest recording from Ace Of Hearts records...the t-shirt makes a nice holiday gift too-hint hint. See The Real Kids with the Bosstones and The Queers, Sunday, December 27, 2015 at House Of Blues in Boston, MA. to experience rock 'n' roll rare REAL DEAL. God bless the Real Kids! Long live John Felice! Posted -12/14/15
Bobby Hebb performing "Sunny" on Where The Action Is
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FECFnSAX4KA&feature=youtu.be
Bobby Hebb singing "Bread" on Where The Action Is
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_B-171uBBg
From Bobby Hebb's website
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ARTIST: Mitch Hampton
CD: Hard Listening
| UPC: | 896931001755 |
| Artist: | Mitch Hampton |
| Format: | CD |
| Release Year: | 2014 |
| Record Label: | Navona Records |
| Genre: | Rock & Pop |
Track Listing
1. The Royal Blue Trickle Suite For Piano
2. Petite Dirge
3. Hard Listening (Series For Solo Concert Piano): For Victor Young
4. Hard Listening (Series For Solo Concert Piano): Score For a Film With an International All Star Cast
5. Hard Listening (Series For Solo Concert Piano): Crossover Hit
6. Hard Listening (Series For Solo Concert Piano): Feminist Singer Songwriter Without Words
7. Goodbye Cornelius (Don Cornelius)
8. Large Dirge In Memory of My Father
9. [CD-ROM Track]
My interview with Mitch Hampton
MITCH HAMPTON:
No Mindweeds On His Musical Menu
by Nancy Neon
Mitch Hampton is a modern day beau brummel with a full
blown ’70s fetish. At the Cambridge restaurant Cuchi Cuchi, he led me on
the musical odyssey that has brought him to the release of Hard Listening,
his debut solo album on Navona Records.
Hampton received his Bachelor’s
and Master’s degrees from the New England Conservatory of Music.
Moreover he has commissioned work for clarinetist Richard Stoltzman,
flutist Mike Feingold, and Ciumpi Quartet, among others. Hampton’s works
have been performed at Boston’s Symphony Hall, Weil Recital Hall, and
on NPR. It is a treat discussing music with one of my favorite people at
one of my favorite restaurants.
Mitch Hampton: I fantasized about being a musician even before I took my first lesson.
Nancy Neon: Why does being a musician hold such power for you?
Mitch: I was frustrated at having no access to
instruments. My dad had a lot of records from the ’50s and ’60s, a
couple from the late-’40s – theater records like the first Guys & Dolls soundtrack. He also had records like Dylan Thomas, Jesus Christ Superstar, The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper, Bach’s Branderburg Concertos, and blues recordings by Bessie Smith and Ma Rainey.
Nancy Neon: Did you start on piano?
Mitch: The first instrument I tried was the
trumpet. It was the ’70s and albums were very synthesizer oriented and
there were album covers with banks of keyboards. I started going to
local concerts and I was fascinated by how the instruments look and
worked. I saw a local band with a musician who had five keyboards run
through a computer. I went to classical concerts and I was interested in
the role of keyboard in classical music like the harpsichord and the
clavichord. Keith Jarrett played on Saturday Night Live
and I started buying his records. A lot of albums in the ’70s were
double album sets with powerful artwork and photographs. There was a lot
of emphasis on the instruments like a guy flying through the air with
his trumpet. I tried to draw that. I had Freddie Hubbard’s album Keep Your Soul Together
where Hubbard is holding his trumpet while lying on a couch that is a
pair of lips. I listened to that album over and over. I even wanted a
couch like that! When I was 12 or 13, I saw one of the first productions
of Chicago with Gwen Verdon and Chita Rivera. I think they were in their late-30s with Bob Fosse as choreographer and Jerry Orbach of Law & Order-fame
was in it. I did a drawing of Verdon and Rivera in leotards. They were
older; they were not doing ingenue parts. I discovered The Beatles White Albumand was fascinated by it. I was impressed by the soundtrack to Hair, jazz, theater, contemporary rock music. Another important influence was seeing the Jackson Five at Madison Square Garden.
Nancy Neon: What impressed you with them?
Mitch: Their rhythm, soul, and energy!
Nancy Neon: Who else has inspired you?
Mitch: I started getting into the classical
pianist, Vladimir Horowitz, at that point, and I could listen to piano
all day. It didn’t matter who was playing. It could be Erik Satie, Glenn
Gould’s Goldberg variations, Debussy, or avant-garde composers like
John Cage, Charles Ives, or Aaron Copeland. Duke Ellington’s Such Sweet Thunder
blew my mind! Then there was Johnny Hodges, best known for his solo
work with Duke Ellington’s Big Band. Luckily my dad saved those records. I liked Randy Newsman’s Nine Songs and Little Criminals.
I liked his lyrics and the humor in them. I liked the New Orleans
shuffle. Box sets were big in the ’70s and I had lots of them. A whole
stage play like Hamlet could be in a box set. I had a first production of Death of a Salesman and H. G. Wells’ War of the Worlds. I stared to subscribe to music magazines like Contemporary Keyboard and Downbeat.
Nancy Neon: What other parts of the music business had an effect on you?
Mitch: The visual culture was important to me – the
design and the advertising, The visual culture was more important at
that time. Artists posed with their instruments. Individuals artists
posed with their bands, I thought it was glamorous – the idea of being
on the road with a band.
Noise: So did you follow up on your feelings?
Mitch: I started taking piano lessons from an
Italian woman. She was old and very strict. She was the high school’s
choral conductor and an expert on opera. She taught me about opera and
when she realized that I loved jazz, we started a cultural exchange.
Each week I agreed to listen to an opera if she allowed me to bring her a
jazz album to listen to. I turned her on to Oskar Peterson, Ella
Fitzgerald, and Bessie Smith. She turned me on to Tosca, Caruso and
Verdi. I loved the way that they composed. I fell in love with “Monday
Morning Blues” – the first piece I learned. I practiced everyday. I
tried to recreate what I heard in my head. I went to see Herbie Hancock
and I played the first piece I learned for him. My teacher wanted me to
play classical. I liked the feeling of the blues, however I was a
dutiful student. I followed her rules. Then I listened to Art Tatum and
never heard the piano played that well. At the New England Conservatory I
took a piano class from Stanley Cowell who had met Art Tatum and had
taken lessons from him. They were both from Toledo, Ohio and lived in
the same neighborhood. Moreover I feel you must be a complete artist on
the piano. You have to be
able to recreate the sound of a full orchestra on your own. I have
relative pitch while my childhood piano teacher had perfect pitch, so I
had to work on training my ear.
Noise: What about music in films?
Mitch: I feel that movies are a kinetic art form like music. When I saw Jaws
and heard John Williams’ score, I felt he took a lot from Aaron
Copeland, the dean of American composers. I was very affected by 2001: A Space Odyssey and The Beatles movie Let It Be. It was exciting to see them playing outdoors.
Noise: Which film do you think used music to its fullest effect?
Mitch: Psycho. In fact Psycho‘s musical director, Bernard Herman, said “Hitchcock only finishes a movie 60 percent, I have to finish it for him.”
Noise: What type of movie would you like to score?
Mitch: A police film with great chase scenes. Like William Fiedkin’s French Connection
with music by Don Ellis. I saw an amazing show at Cambridge’s Art
Repertory Theater where Canadian pianist, playwright, and composer,
Hershey Felder appeared as Monsieur Chopin. I saw him do George Gershwin Alone
and he knocked me out! There aren’t many shows about Gershwin so that
was especially impressive. I liked it a little better than the Chopin
show. I felt what Felder was doing was gimmicky and commercial, but it
was a way to make music more accessible to larger audiences. Speaking of
Chopin, he is a big influence on my music, the figures he wrote on
piano, his brilliant sense of melody and phrasing. Chopin has such an
influence on jazz musicians – Bill Evans for instance.
Nancy Neon: When I first (met) you, you played one of my
favorite pieces of music – “Iere Gymnopedie” by Erik Satie. What about
Satie appeals to you?
Mitch: Satie’s pieces are perfectly made. He is both free and controlled. He was able to get out of his own way.
Nancy Neon: The Jazz Suites by Claude Boiling and Jean Pierre Rampal is one of my favorite recordings. If you were going to make a recording like Jazz Suites, who would be your Rampal?
Mitch: Mike Feingold! He is a genius, certainly as
good or better than Rampal. I would work with him in seconds. Right now I
am writing for trombone and piano – a double concerto. I’m also writing
a piece for a high school piano player. In fact, I’m always writing.
Link:
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Nancy on Music Business Monthly
http://musicbusinessmonthly.blogspot.com/2008_08_01_archive.html
Nancy Neon on ABBATTACK
Australian band Audioscam re-work the magic of Abba
ABBATTACK is a great concept-the excellent pop songcraft of Sweden's Benny and Bjorn hammered out by supercharged Australian musicians. Ever since the 60's, Australian musicians have created and delivered their own ballsy amalgam of British Invasion and rootsy American rock 'n' roll-the best of both worlds so to speak. ABBATTACK lays down 10 winning tracks.
"Money Money Money" is positively operatic with explosive drums. "Knowing Me ,Knowing You" highlights a fine lead vocal and impressive multilayered harmonies on the chorus. "Waterloo" has an unusual arrangement with the percussion reworked,perhaps with dance clubs in mind. Read more here:
For a long list of ABBA fan sites click here http://www.abba-world.net/links/category/fancontacts.htm
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Magnum Force by METAL PISTOL
This band pulls no punches. Metal Pistol breaks minds and
busts balls right out of the chute with "DOA." This is a heavy metal outfit with seering guitar from Steven Stanley and hypnotic, robotic, ice princess vocal delivery and lyrics by Sunny Lee. "Minefield" is melodic with smooth singing. This one is more subtle, more nuanced. The guitar playing is more painterly and cinematic.
"Toxic Soul" slows things even more. Sunny's lead vocals mesh beautifully with the back up vocals.. This cut would work as a movie anthem. It evokes a photograph in your mind's eye of a film that is a hybrid of a spy theme and a slasher flick.
"Destruction In Action" has a romantic, sensual quality. Soon the poetic dreamscape turns into a nightmare vision, The musical dynamics reflect the transformation, "Buried Alive" portrays the protagonist as alone and lonely, She experiences the proverbial dark night of the soul.Sunny's lyrics describe the sensation of being tortured by claustrophobia.
"First Time" could be a lost hit from Heart if Heart's presentation were less pop and more bloodthirsty ! In fact, Metal Pistol surprises the listener by blasting off into the stratosphere with a cosmic, psychedelic musical interlude,
"Killing My Love" is intense vocally and intense musically, keeping the drama strong and the dynamics high right up to closing songs. "Josephine" is catchy and upbeat musically,ending the recording on a high note amongst songs that are often midtempo. Sunny's lyrics describe a woman who holds her heart in her hand. Thus : you can be my salvation/save me from damnation. You can find more Metsl Pistol info on Facebook, Reverbnationn, and you tube. --review by Nancy Neon 12/13/15
https://www.reverbnation.com/metalpistol
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This band pulls no punches. Metal Pistol breaks minds and
busts balls right out of the chute with "DOA." This is a heavy metal outfit with seering guitar from Steven Stanley and hypnotic, robotic, ice princess vocal delivery and lyrics by Sunny Lee. "Minefield" is melodic with smooth singing. This one is more subtle, more nuanced. The guitar playing is more painterly and cinematic.
"Toxic Soul" slows things even more. Sunny's lead vocals mesh beautifully with the back up vocals.. This cut would work as a movie anthem. It evokes a photograph in your mind's eye of a film that is a hybrid of a spy theme and a slasher flick.
"Destruction In Action" has a romantic, sensual quality. Soon the poetic dreamscape turns into a nightmare vision, The musical dynamics reflect the transformation, "Buried Alive" portrays the protagonist as alone and lonely, She experiences the proverbial dark night of the soul.Sunny's lyrics describe the sensation of being tortured by claustrophobia.
"First Time" could be a lost hit from Heart if Heart's presentation were less pop and more bloodthirsty ! In fact, Metal Pistol surprises the listener by blasting off into the stratosphere with a cosmic, psychedelic musical interlude,
"Killing My Love" is intense vocally and intense musically, keeping the drama strong and the dynamics high right up to closing songs. "Josephine" is catchy and upbeat musically,ending the recording on a high note amongst songs that are often midtempo. Sunny's lyrics describe a woman who holds her heart in her hand. Thus : you can be my salvation/save me from damnation. You can find more Metsl Pistol info on Facebook, Reverbnationn, and you tube. --review by Nancy Neon 12/13/15
https://www.reverbnation.com/metalpistol
________________________________________________________________
FOX PASS
Published in The Noise
| The Noise - Nancy Foster | No Faux Pas Here!
The CD opens with the droning, psychedelic guitar laden "Child's Play". This is an invitation to a journey of love marked by lush, multilayered harmonies. It evokes the romanticism of The Zombies' "Time Of The Season". On "Hit Or Miss", Jon Macey laments something that haunts him as he channels Dylan perfectly on the line "You would agree that freedom could be stripped right away from me!" "The Wonder of Tomorrow" continues the Beatlesque, Revolver reminiscent, free-floating sensation of "Child's Play". "Saving Grace", sung by Mike Roy, burns with palpable heat-a "Sexual Healing" for the millennium. "Love For Love" is power pop that never goes soft due to the rock solid rhythm section of Steve Gilligan (bass, vocals) and John Jules (drums)."Dream Inside Your Heart" speaks poetically about the power of the unseen-"shadows in the dark/diamonds in the water.." "Sometime Saturday Girl" is Americana rock 'n' roll personified-a 12 string Rickenbacker and a 12 string Dan Electro blasting through Vox AC 30 speakers. There's not a musical misstep among these roots rock gems, which are given just the right sheen by Fox Pass producer, Barry Marshall. (Nancy Foster)
|
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Nancy Neon on FFanzeen magazine
Issue #6, 1980
The following article about Boston rockers Tom Dickie and the Desires was originally published in FFanzeen magazine, issue #6, in 1980. It was written by Nancy Foster (aka Nancy Neon).
Text by Nancy Foster
Opening comments by Robert Barry Francos, 2010
Interview © 1980 by FFanzeen
Images from the Internet
The following article about Boston rockers Tom Dickie and the Desires was originally published in FFanzeen magazine, issue #6, in 1980. It was written by Nancy Foster (aka Nancy Neon).
Tom Dickie and the Desires released two albums in their short history:Competition (1981) and Eleventh Hour (1982), both on Mercury (though Jon Macey has hinted that there is enough recorded material to release another). After their separation, Tom Dickie moved to California and is not in music with any major presence, except for the occasional recording. Jon Macey has had much better luck with the seminal Fox Pass (still existing) and Macey’s Parade.
I saw Macey perform a couple of years ago in Boston with Fox Pass bandmate Steve Gilligan, and have recently reviewed Fox Pass’ latest release, Intemporel (2009). – RBF, 2010
I was lucky enough to receive Dickie’s demo tape a few months ago. Tom and his combo have recently “pacted” with Phonogram-Mercury and are managed by Tommy Mottola. But never mind that, rock’n’roll is the main issue here.
When I first heard the balladic “Maybe Next Time,” I was impressed with Dickie’s ability to sing at once smoothly and melodically, and still be aggressive and intense – like a romantic Elvis Costello. In fact, the group’s ability to rock-out without sacrificing melody sets them apart from much of the competition.
All songs are co-written by Tom Dickie and Jon Macey (bass). The emotionalism of the lyrics is enhanced by Dickie’s knowledge of phrasing. The music is full of subtleties and creates a wistful tone in “Maybe Next Time.” That one, along with “Twisted Years,” “Change Your Mind,” “Count on You,” “So Sad,” and “I’m the One,” are my personal favorites on the demo tape.
“5x5,” though, instrumentally paints an ominous tableau. Tom Dickie and the Desires often open shows with this ballsy wave to the Stones. However, with a songwriting team as articulate as Dickie / Macey, and a singer as superb as Dickie, to have no lyrics / vocals seem like a waste of microfilm!
“Twisted Years” has that raw, basic Stones bar band feel with psychoanalytic lyrics. The musical dynamics as the verse builds to the chorus are exhilarating. Michael Roy’s guitar work is colorful and tastefully executed. The harmonies are fine and embellish the song as well.
Though “Add Up the Ad Girls” is sarcastic – a piss-take on vacuous fashion models – Dickie’s voice still sounds too polished and sophisticated to convincingly play the male whose mind is boggled by the media whirlpool of pretty, precise images. Hearing the tape alone, one would think it inappropriate for a man of street nobility like Dickie. Yet, live it is a rave-up. Similarly, though, “On the Other Side” seems heavy-handed and a bit plodding on the tape. Live, it kicks with that signature Tom and the Desires’ emphatic punch. Vocally, “On the Other Side” is a virtuoso performance.
“Change Your Mind” is a hit for sure, highlighting sensuous singing, sensitive lyrics, and an obsessive melody. “Burning Up” features the most artistic and probing lyrics. It is reminiscent of a young McCartney in one of those rare moments when he was aggressive and rocked.
“Count On You” and “So Sad” sound especially fabulous back-to-back, like a double A-side! Both are romantic songs with unhappy endings. Still, the melodies and riffs are catchy. These two, along with “Change Your Mind,” would be my picks for singles.
On “Count On You,” Dickie’s vocal pacing and phrasing are perfect. Phrasing is even used with expertise in the graceful musical breaks. Dickie’s voice is wracked with emotion at the end of the song.
“So Sad” is more intense and analytical than “Count On You.” The bridge is beautiful. Once again, Roy’s lead guitar work is elegant and poetic. “Don’t Wait Forever” has cabaret overtones and is philosophic.
During a visit to NYC, Dickie invited me to one of the group’s rehearsals. The Dickie / Macey team was making impressive progress. The new songs are even better than the ones I enjoyed on the demo.
The newer tunes include the authoritative, commanding, even majestic “You’ve Lost,” the smooth, sensuous “She’s a Desire,” and a frocking, bouncy “Downtown Talk.”
“Waiting Waiting” is a disconcerting, explosive rocker on which Macey sings lead currently:
All the women I ever loved
Are waiting in the road
See their faces out there
They will haunt you like a ghost
Macey’s demeanor convinces you that he is truly tormented by specters from this past. The piece de resistance live was “This Song’s About You,” which Dickie belted out with immense passion. It may have been just a rehearsal, but he was giving 500%. Of the new songs, my picks for a (thematic) single would be “You’re Lying to Yourself” and “All Those Lies.” Both have the “melodic and punch” trademark.
Tom Dickie and the Desires should be playing out again soon. They are currently breaking in a new drummer and a keyboard player, both of who are enthusiastic and do justice to the supreme songwriting of Dickie and Macey. See them and have your faith in music restored!
http://ffanzeen.blogspot.com/2010/05/tom-dickie-and-desires-1980.htmlOpening comments by Robert Barry Francos, 2010
Interview © 1980 by FFanzeen
Images from the Internet
The following article about Boston rockers Tom Dickie and the Desires was originally published in FFanzeen magazine, issue #6, in 1980. It was written by Nancy Foster (aka Nancy Neon).
Tom Dickie and the Desires released two albums in their short history:Competition (1981) and Eleventh Hour (1982), both on Mercury (though Jon Macey has hinted that there is enough recorded material to release another). After their separation, Tom Dickie moved to California and is not in music with any major presence, except for the occasional recording. Jon Macey has had much better luck with the seminal Fox Pass (still existing) and Macey’s Parade.
I saw Macey perform a couple of years ago in Boston with Fox Pass bandmate Steve Gilligan, and have recently reviewed Fox Pass’ latest release, Intemporel (2009). – RBF, 2010
I was lucky enough to receive Dickie’s demo tape a few months ago. Tom and his combo have recently “pacted” with Phonogram-Mercury and are managed by Tommy Mottola. But never mind that, rock’n’roll is the main issue here.
When I first heard the balladic “Maybe Next Time,” I was impressed with Dickie’s ability to sing at once smoothly and melodically, and still be aggressive and intense – like a romantic Elvis Costello. In fact, the group’s ability to rock-out without sacrificing melody sets them apart from much of the competition.
All songs are co-written by Tom Dickie and Jon Macey (bass). The emotionalism of the lyrics is enhanced by Dickie’s knowledge of phrasing. The music is full of subtleties and creates a wistful tone in “Maybe Next Time.” That one, along with “Twisted Years,” “Change Your Mind,” “Count on You,” “So Sad,” and “I’m the One,” are my personal favorites on the demo tape.
“5x5,” though, instrumentally paints an ominous tableau. Tom Dickie and the Desires often open shows with this ballsy wave to the Stones. However, with a songwriting team as articulate as Dickie / Macey, and a singer as superb as Dickie, to have no lyrics / vocals seem like a waste of microfilm!
“Twisted Years” has that raw, basic Stones bar band feel with psychoanalytic lyrics. The musical dynamics as the verse builds to the chorus are exhilarating. Michael Roy’s guitar work is colorful and tastefully executed. The harmonies are fine and embellish the song as well.
Though “Add Up the Ad Girls” is sarcastic – a piss-take on vacuous fashion models – Dickie’s voice still sounds too polished and sophisticated to convincingly play the male whose mind is boggled by the media whirlpool of pretty, precise images. Hearing the tape alone, one would think it inappropriate for a man of street nobility like Dickie. Yet, live it is a rave-up. Similarly, though, “On the Other Side” seems heavy-handed and a bit plodding on the tape. Live, it kicks with that signature Tom and the Desires’ emphatic punch. Vocally, “On the Other Side” is a virtuoso performance.
“Change Your Mind” is a hit for sure, highlighting sensuous singing, sensitive lyrics, and an obsessive melody. “Burning Up” features the most artistic and probing lyrics. It is reminiscent of a young McCartney in one of those rare moments when he was aggressive and rocked.
“Count On You” and “So Sad” sound especially fabulous back-to-back, like a double A-side! Both are romantic songs with unhappy endings. Still, the melodies and riffs are catchy. These two, along with “Change Your Mind,” would be my picks for singles.
On “Count On You,” Dickie’s vocal pacing and phrasing are perfect. Phrasing is even used with expertise in the graceful musical breaks. Dickie’s voice is wracked with emotion at the end of the song.
“So Sad” is more intense and analytical than “Count On You.” The bridge is beautiful. Once again, Roy’s lead guitar work is elegant and poetic. “Don’t Wait Forever” has cabaret overtones and is philosophic.
During a visit to NYC, Dickie invited me to one of the group’s rehearsals. The Dickie / Macey team was making impressive progress. The new songs are even better than the ones I enjoyed on the demo.
The newer tunes include the authoritative, commanding, even majestic “You’ve Lost,” the smooth, sensuous “She’s a Desire,” and a frocking, bouncy “Downtown Talk.”
“Waiting Waiting” is a disconcerting, explosive rocker on which Macey sings lead currently:
All the women I ever loved
Are waiting in the road
See their faces out there
They will haunt you like a ghost
Macey’s demeanor convinces you that he is truly tormented by specters from this past. The piece de resistance live was “This Song’s About You,” which Dickie belted out with immense passion. It may have been just a rehearsal, but he was giving 500%. Of the new songs, my picks for a (thematic) single would be “You’re Lying to Yourself” and “All Those Lies.” Both have the “melodic and punch” trademark.
Tom Dickie and the Desires should be playing out again soon. They are currently breaking in a new drummer and a keyboard player, both of who are enthusiastic and do justice to the supreme songwriting of Dickie and Macey. See them and have your faith in music restored!
_________________________________________
Nancy Neon interviews Jon Macey
INTEMPOREL BY FOX PASS-TIMELESS IN ANY LANGUAGE
http://www.foxpassmusic.com/press.html
by Nancy Neon
INTEMPOREL, the second full length recording from Fox Pass is the sound of seasoned musicians who are at the top of their game. There is a strong sense of time being of the essence when it comes to matters of romance and creativity as well as spiritual matters. Songs run the gamut from the quintessential power pop of "Hurry Cherie" and "Front Page Girl" to deceptively primal rockers like "It's Rock" and "Amtrak". These lighter hearted songs are balanced by Jon Macey/Michael Roy epics like "Cool Dreamer", "Sacred Mountain Is Falling", and "A Long Goodbye". The first two possess a universality while the third song could not be more personal, exposing raw,naked emotion. On this song and the recording as a whole,Fox Pass takes a creative gamble that most artists would never risk. Pardon the mixed metaphor, but Fox Pass hasn't merely hit a homerun , creatively INTEMPOREL is their grand slam. Jon Macey took time to discuss his process of writing and recording with Nancy Neon and Gemmzine:
Nancy Neon: What made you decide to bring back "Hurry Cherie"?
Jon Macey: I always liked "Hurry Cherie". I wrote it at a point, as you know, when I was so enamoured of finding that elusive power pop sound.
Nancy: It comes off great live. It's a good CD opener. The sound of the drums is explosive.
Macey: Mike and I sang all the two part harmonies live in the studio. It's not me singing,then him singing. It's the two of us singing together. It's the Lennon/McCartney thing. Sometimes we're on the same microphone.
Nancy: You get a chemistry that way that you don't from overdubbing. When did you write "Fly Away(From Me)"?
Macey: I started the song about 8 years ago. It was just an acoustic song. I never thought it would be a Fox Pass song. I brought it to Mike and we added a bridge and made it into a Macey/Roy song. It was originally much slower and very folky. It's probably my favorite song on the record.
Nancy: It's so poetic,so poignant...what is the first line?
Macey: (Laughs)Everyone is going to ask that,aren't they? "The fabric of existence opens for an instant." The second verse is the reality of the situation-how it happened and the fear that it would end i.e. "so afraid that you would fly away from me". And the last verse is a projection of the future-"If I should disappoint you/If I should encumber you." It describes what happens when a beautiful love is ending.
Nancy: It's a very poetic way of describing unconditional love where you would rather walk out into the darkness alone than to have your loved one disappointed or encumbered.
Macey: It goes back to the first verse where it's completely idealized love. I'm tremendously proud of those lyrics and that song.
Nancy:This is quite a change of tone,but "Front Page Girl" is a Fox Pass classic. What made you decide to bring that one back? And when did you add the cool spy theme?
Macey: I found "Front Page Girl" from middle period Fox Pass, but I didn't like the way we did it. In the middle of the that early version, the spy theme was there,but it wasn't as out front. That was us doing The Sidewinders meets the early Who.(Nancy Neon note:The Sidewinders are a legendary, early 70's Boston band featuring future stars Andy Paley and Billy Squier.)
Neon Nancy: "Front Page Girl" is a great addition because a lot of your songs are so serious. This is light hearted,giving us some much needed comedic relief.
Macey: But I have to go back thirty years to find songs like that!
Nancy Neon:"Cool Dreamer" has come back again. What did you not do before that made you want to revisit it?
Macey:That was a Macey's Parade song from 1993 which we recorded and never put it out. It's the only song on this album that is cowritten by Tom Hostage. ACTUALITY IN PROCESS , my first solo abum is not produced as well as I wish it was. It was my first attempt at engineering and producing a record on my own. Obvisiously I've gotten much better at it. "Cool Dreamer" has become a popular live song for Fox Pass. I think the version on ACTUALITY is good,but it's very different.
Nancy:"She Dreams Of Me" is a new song for me.
Macey: Mike originally came up with that. As you probably noticed,no verse repeats itself. That was a stylistic experiment. That has a big Beatles influence. It has the acoustic guitars,but it rocks.
Nancy: This CD is an embarrassment of riches. "The Spark" is another new one.
Macey: The chorus is based on one of my oldest melodies. It has a message that a lot of my newer songs have about life and death.
Nancy: The ephemeral quality of life,love,and inspiration.
Macey: The idea that you'd better do it. And the idea that we are all part of one huge force.
Nancy: Although some of the newer songs can be seen as romantic on a man/woman level,some of the newer songs have a feeling of universality.
Macey: Over and over,we are talking about mystical forces. "Cool Dreamer" is clearly about that-a hymn to the great mind.
Nancy:"It's Rock" and "Amtrak" have to be two of the best crowd pleasers live.
Macey: "It's Rock" is an extremely sarcastic song. It's essentially live in the studio.We banged it out;you can't make it too polished.
Nancy: We're back to serious subject matter with "Hey Rainbow". I'm usually good at deciphering your songs,but I can't get a grip on this one intellectually.
Macey:This song is about about someone pretending to be okay,but they are falling into a deadly trap. I'm talking about heroin addiction. I say "hey rainbow" because the person is pretending to be happy. I'm being brutally sarcastic.
Nancy:This is a bitter message to swallow,disguised in a deceptively sweet package. On to "Amtrak", I can especially relate to that line "Living in Boston/And loving New York."
Macey: "Amtrak" was one of the first song that I wrote . It goes back to the beginning of Fox Pass.
Nancy: "High On You" is immediately appealing,one of my very favorites.It's so sexy, but why do I get an endorphin rush from it?
Macey:It's because it's the perfect release because of the dynamics from the verse to the chorus-the bass is pedaling on the E chord. It doesn't change chords like guitars do until the chorus. That builds a tension that is released in the chorus.
Neon Nancy:"Song 91"?
Macey: It was written directly from Psalm 91 and I was not feeling too good at the time. It leads right into "Sacred Mountain Is Falling" which are the purported last words of Confuscius. The bridge is right out of the writings of Buddah-"It's time to cross the river/And reach the other shore." I took the Bible, Buddah,and Confuscius and rolled them all into one.
Nancy Gemmzine:"Ticking Of The Clock" was on one of your BEDROOM TAPES(Note: This was Macey's wave to Dylan's BASEMENT TAPES.)...
Macey: It was Mike's idea to bring it back. I employ the same lyrical technique here as in "Sacred Mountain". I say something,then contradict it.
Nancy: "Younger Than We Knew"...you said this came from a conversation that Mike and you had about how your relative youth contributed to your inexperience about the music business compared to people like David Bryne, Ric O'Casek, Chris Stein,etc...
Macey: These people were actually a bit older and knew their way around the music business much better than us. We took the song title and made it into a generational anthem about the 70's.
Nancy: "We Will Be Free" started out as "I Will Be Free" ,describing your struggle with inner demons...
Macey: "I Will Be Free" was much more brutal. We toned it down and it became a much better song.
Nancy:"One More Song"-this is Michael asking his Muse for inspiration...
Macey: It's a return to the Velvet Underground as far as the guitar sounds with all the echoing guitars and feedback.
Nancy: The last song on INTEMPOREL is "A Long Goodbye". I have heard hundreds of your songs over the years and I've never heard you sounding so raw, exposed ,and vulnerable. It's frankly hard to listen to,particularly when you breakdown emotionally in the final verse. What does this verse mean-"The lure of youth/Teases and increases/The missile of truth/Is gonna blow me to pieces"?
Macey: It's about the failure of a relationship.
Nancy: So is the youthful quality of the woman which is the genesis of the relationship also its downfall?
Macey: Yes, it's the seed of destruction. There's the idea that her innocence was going to make me happy or bring back my innocence and youth. It has the raw quality that you mention because this is the one and only time that I sang that vocal. And I never expect to sing it again!
http://www.foxpassmusic.com/press.html
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
You can see Fox Pass perform for the prestigious, INTERNATIONAL POP OVERTHROW at Church, 69 Kilmarnock St,in Boston on Friday, November 20. For more information, check http://foxpassmusic.com
Nancy Neon - GemmZine (Nov 3, 2
__________________________________________________________
FOX PASS
Actuality Records
Fox Pass
13 songs
The CD opens with the droning, psychedelic guitar laden “Child’s Play.” This is an invitation to a journey of love marked by lush, multilayered harmonies. It evokes the romanticism of The Zombies’ “Time Of The Season.” On “Hit Or Miss,” Jon Macey laments something that haunts him as he channels Dylan perfectly on the line “You would agree that freedom could be stripped right away from me!” “The Wonder of Tomorrow” continues the Beatlesque, Revolver reminiscent, free-floating sensation of “Child’s Play.” ”Saving Grace,” sung by Mike Roy, burns with palpable heat-a “Sexual Healing” for the millennium. “Love For Love” is power pop that never goes soft due to the rock-solid rhythm section of Steve Gilligan (bass, vocals) and John Jules (drums). “Dream Inside Your Heart” speaks poetically about the power of the unseen-”shadows in the dark/diamonds in the water.” “Sometime Saturday Girl” is Americana rock ’n’ roll personified---a 12-string Rickenbacker and a 12-string Danelectro blasting through Vox AC 30 speakers. There’s not a musical misstep among these roots rock gems which are given just the right sheen by Fox Pass kindred spirit, producer, Barry Marshall.(Nancy Foster)
Nancy Foster - The Noise (Feb 1, 2006)
_______________________________________
FOX PASS
The Middle East, Cambridge MA
7/7/07
Fox Pass sounds rejuvenated with their new drummer, Tom Landers, who hits as hard as John Jules but has a more nuanced style. The band opens in high gear with the long time fave “Wanda.” It’s not hard to see that their original inspiration was The Modern Lovers. “Child’s Play” and “Love For Love” have a more Brit-pop feel. “One More Song,” a brand new number written and sung by lead guitarist Mike Roy, is about imploring one’s muse for inspiration. The lyrics pique my interest. “Amtrak” rocks like fuck, and proves these guys don’t belong on the nostalgia circuit. “Front Page Girl” is revamped with a sexy sounding spy theme intro. Fox Pass has shimmering vocal arrangements and they play off each other with camaraderie like you don’t often see today. “Downtown Talk” calls up Macey’s and Roy’s NYC days with Tom Dickie & the Desires. The closer, “Hit or Miss” metaphorically covers the subject of addiction.
Nancy Neon - The Noise (Sep 8, 2007)
FOX PASS
Actuality Records
Fox Pass
13 songs
The CD opens with the droning, psychedelic guitar laden “Child’s Play.” This is an invitation to a journey of love marked by lush, multilayered harmonies. It evokes the romanticism of The Zombies’ “Time Of The Season.” On “Hit Or Miss,” Jon Macey laments something that haunts him as he channels Dylan perfectly on the line “You would agree that freedom could be stripped right away from me!” “The Wonder of Tomorrow” continues the Beatlesque, Revolver reminiscent, free-floating sensation of “Child’s Play.” ”Saving Grace,” sung by Mike Roy, burns with palpable heat-a “Sexual Healing” for the millennium. “Love For Love” is power pop that never goes soft due to the rock-solid rhythm section of Steve Gilligan (bass, vocals) and John Jules (drums). “Dream Inside Your Heart” speaks poetically about the power of the unseen-”shadows in the dark/diamonds in the water.” “Sometime Saturday Girl” is Americana rock ’n’ roll personified---a 12-string Rickenbacker and a 12-string Danelectro blasting through Vox AC 30 speakers. There’s not a musical misstep among these roots rock gems which are given just the right sheen by Fox Pass kindred spirit, producer, Barry Marshall.(Nancy Foster)
Nancy Foster - The Noise (Feb 1, 2006)
_______________________________________
FOX PASS
The Middle East, Cambridge MA
7/7/07
Fox Pass sounds rejuvenated with their new drummer, Tom Landers, who hits as hard as John Jules but has a more nuanced style. The band opens in high gear with the long time fave “Wanda.” It’s not hard to see that their original inspiration was The Modern Lovers. “Child’s Play” and “Love For Love” have a more Brit-pop feel. “One More Song,” a brand new number written and sung by lead guitarist Mike Roy, is about imploring one’s muse for inspiration. The lyrics pique my interest. “Amtrak” rocks like fuck, and proves these guys don’t belong on the nostalgia circuit. “Front Page Girl” is revamped with a sexy sounding spy theme intro. Fox Pass has shimmering vocal arrangements and they play off each other with camaraderie like you don’t often see today. “Downtown Talk” calls up Macey’s and Roy’s NYC days with Tom Dickie & the Desires. The closer, “Hit or Miss” metaphorically covers the subject of addiction.
Nancy Neon - The Noise (Sep 8, 2007)
009)
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