Christopher Dallman
Most all of the good singer/songwriters this listener is fond of have a bit of neurosis as part of the mix. Christopher Dallman makes no effort to hide that his act includes “vocals, guitar and neurosis.” Good for him.
“Mistake” from Race The Light (2004 Treasure Records) shows some of that. It is an interesting song, musically. The lyrics are ok, but not earthshaking. “This Is Calm,” from the same collection, strikes the listener as a nice ballad with some Cat Stevens feel or a bit of James Taylor sound (look that up in the archives, you young ones). Now, Dallman hasn’t reached the heights of those classic artists, but….
Apparently, Dallman was a rather shy guy in his hometown of Milwaukee, though he stepped out of that character enough to be a school-play star. He currently has gigs in the Los Angeles/Hollywood area, which he now calls home. One of his tunes, “Over My Head,” actually shows that he isn’t in over his head. The singer does admit, however, that some of life’s mysteries are, indeed, over his head.
According to his biographical information, “Christopher has toured theaters, clubs, and colleges NATIONWIDE as well as OVERSEAS, sharing the stage with such notable artists as Amos Lee, Jonathan Rice, Ellis Paul, Gregory Douglass, Ollabelle, Julia Darling, Rachael Sage, and Casey Stratton.” TimeOut Chicago believes Dallman had “a soulful debut!” It will be interesting to see where he goes from here.
Christopher Dallman on MySpace
Tags: independent music, indie, indie music, Christopher Dallman, music
Celeste!
Well, if you believe the first words on this band’s www.myspace.com Web site, Celeste! is no more. No more? One indication that these boys are no longer plying their musical trade – www.celeste.net is available. In the manner of most electronic-age junkies, we tried to find out more about them on the Web and came back rather disappointed.
All kidding aside, now. Of course, the group’s October 2007 blog states that the boys played their last show as Celeste! some time ago. Two members started looking for other band members immediately, for a project called The Youth. Other members are also working on separate musical projects.
As with many young fellows, these guys started a band after high graduation (2004). The tunes they put together, such as “The Suicide Song” were fairly good rock/pop compositions, though it would be hard to find something to truly separate them from other “guy” bands of the past five or six years. Oh, the influences are strong enough. This group lists The Used, Fall Out Boy, Copeland and Acceptance as part of the structure that holds them up. “Breakups and Breakdowns” is an OK rock song/ballad. For some reason, the vocals stand out with Celeste! But there will be some disappointed Atlanta-area fans. For the most part Celeste! could be one of those groups appreciated long after they made their ill-fated start. We shall see.
Tags: indie, Celeste!, independent music, music, indie music
Aimee Mann
Just four months ago, this Web site was pleased to examine the musical efforts of Aimee Mann, who is really not a newcomer in the true sense of the word. She does, after all, have a number of solo CDs, including a 2006 CD The Forgotten Arm (SuperEgo Records). In the past two years, Mann has attracted some listeners with a religious/philosophical tendency by offering “Calling On Mary.” She is not truly a Christian or religious artist, because she offers music more akin to acoustic rock or folk/pop.
Whatever the category that reviewers and marketing folks try to put her in, she did take a major step recently when she appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. In addition to an extensive tour this year, she is introducing a new CD @#%&*! Smilers As she notes in her biographical information, taking up piano as a song-writing instrument was a solid move, one that probably gave some additional momentum to a career that includes five solo recordings.
“I’ve always been drawn to dark, eccentric personalities,” says the Los Angeles singer songwriter. Smilers, her 7th solo CD, presents thirteen new songs about the “inner life of people living far from the bright lights of success or fame,” according her Web site. She plays Bonnaroo this month in Tennessee, where many fans and many of the unitiated will enjoy her.
Tags: indie music, indie, music, Aimee Mann, independent music
PJ Grinch
We may not consider Phoenix, Arizona to be desert anymore. But in the past five years or so, PJ Grinch hasn’t been resting in the desert anyway. The group’s been working.
PJ Grinch does justice to the rock and alternative scene. New listeners will enjoy “Shine” from Balance 2007 PJG Ventures. Most people will particularly enjoy the snap of the snare drum and the relaxed pace of the tune. This is a good rock ballad.
Billing themselves as “A Touring Rock Band Out Of Phoenix, AZ” PJ Grinch takes a “That’s Different” award with “Urgent” from Balance. The guitar work by Ron Reukauf is very good – yes, very good. Pete Denzel (vocals, guitar), Todd Kruger (drums) and Scott Keinzle (bass) complete the lineup of what is a successful, ten-year music venture. (Personal note: I urge you to check out “Always.”
According to their Web information, “The origins of PJ GRINCH began over 10 years ago, with friends traveling in the same musical circles. Now centered in Phoenix, Arizona, they are known on the west coast music scene as a force to be reckoned with.”
Earlier CD efforts included Bones (2003) and Back To You (2004). The title song from the 2004 album helps showcase Denzel’s vocals and the flawless play of Reukauf. Catch this band in Chandler, Phoenix and Tempe in May.
Tags: independent music, indie music, music, PJ Grinch, indie
Ashbury
Information on this group, based in Las Vegas, is rather limited in 2008, though the band attracted considerable attention in the past three or four years with their solid, put pop-sounding music. At the moment, those who want to sample Ashbury will find just one tune, “A Fire’s Ablaze” (Complacency 2006) on the group’s MySpace page.
This song relies on crisp drums and guitar, as do most of the Ashbury efforts. It’s a matter of opinion whether the vocals, similar to many of the 2000-2008 young man groups, are a plus or make Ashbury sound too much like many of those recent bands.
Apparently, Ashbury will be part of the Lance Armstrong Team Tennis fundraising effort in Las Vegas in May.
In the past year, Ashbury has been working on new tunes, using Wisconsin as a base. A new music video has been produced, with the working title of “This Isn’t Love, This Is Hollywood.” According to a Web blog from the band members, the new album will be called “The Things That Haunt You.” Will they really have a “bunch of shows” in Las Vegas and will they really work on a show that boasts Ben Affleck as host. Don’t know. Stay tuned.
Tags: independent music, indie, music, Ashbury, indie music