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"In
Italy we do it twice," was Cecilia's under-whelmed response
to my polite kiss on the cheek. I was happy to oblige with a follow
up on the other, as I congratulated her on a powerful performance
fronting No More Dolls at the Knitting Factory in New York
City.
The
Knit gig was the last night of a week-long East Coast tour by
the band from Milan. "Tomorrow we say hello to Italy,"
is how Cecilia sadly introduced the last number in their set of
driving pop/rock songs from the EP "A Cat in the Mouth of
a Mouse."
The
EP's name reflects the band's philosophy towards the music business.
Just as they assert a mouse should not be afraid of a cat, the
band was not afraid to buck the commercial Euro-pop trend that
the mainstream industry wanted them to follow. Instead, after
forming as a cover band in late 2000, they've emerged with a number
of original, edgy, lush rockers that influences such as Alanis
Morrisette would be proud of.
As
well as following their own music format, the band - founders
Cecilia on lead vocals, and Max on guitar, with Fernando on bass
and Niky on drums - also took some bold steps in promoting it.
Rather than playing local gigs, they took their sound to the UK
(which they refer to as their second home) and hooked up with
local bands to share bills. They also met Matthew Fagg
and brought him in to produce the EP.
Late
in 2003, they extended their reach, coming to the USA for the
first time to play such diverse venues as the challenging Orange
Bear in NYC, to TT's the Bears' Place in Boston. Despite
the stress of playing in new surroundings, they enjoyed the experience
so much that they decided on a quick return visit, when it was
my pleasure to see them. It seems they can't get enough of the
local scene, and will be back this summer, with gigs at clubs
such as CBGBs already lined up.
The
band's intrepid approach to touring has also paid off in their
own country. GQ Italy magazine recently featured them across
several pages - no doubt drawn to the classically sexy style of
Cecilia, who looks great with her clothes on. The magazine is
also posting the band's tour diary on their Web site, telling
the story of how an independent band is making its name internationally.
Check out www.nomoredolls.com
for links to this, and for their upcoming tour schedule.
~~~~~
Just
touring the USA wasn't enough for Kiwi singer/songwriter Julia
Darling, who now lives in Brooklyn. The route from home to
her current residence took her by way of Australia, where a deal
with BMG Publishing brought her to NYC and then to Los
Angeles to release "Figure 8" on Wind-up Records.
Alas, that album went nowhere, and Darling found herself back
in NYC, once again as an indie artist. Down, maybe, but far from
out. "Getting dropped from a major label was the best thing
that ever happened to me," she says, since she is now able
to write music that she really wants to.
 With
money from her day job waiting tables at The Cutting Room,
and donations from fans, she set about recording her self-titled
indie Musically, the CD - produced by Ken Rich and Andrew
Sherman - drew on the styles of Lennon, Dylan and Cohen, with
11 smart (and sometimes dark) pop/rock songs.
It
was that album and her performances that brought her to the attention
of Jennifer Gilson and Steve Rosenthal, co-owners
of the famed NYC venue The Living Room. They'd already
founded their own label - Stanton Street Records - to produce
a series of compilations and they brought on Darling as their
first signing. Soon, Stanton Street re-issued a remastered and
resequenced version of the CD and is now distributing it nationally
through IDN/Alliance Entertainment. "Julia Darling
was the first artist signed to Stanton Street because we all truly
believe in her; she's very talented and has a bright future ahead
of her," says Peter Wark, president of Stanton Street.
Recently
nominated by Billboard magazine as an "artist to watch,"
Darling continues to play around NYC, mixing solo acoustic performances
with full band shows. For the latter, she brings in keyboardist
Sherman and bassist Rich, plus brother John Darling on
guitar and Dan Reiser (the best in the business, he also
plays with Rachel Loshak) on drums, for a full-on set that
is full of hit single candidates. Darling will soon be touring
outside of NYC - so be sure to get on her mailing list at www.juliadarling.com.
~~~~~
Spending
two days at the Hair Show in NYC's Javits Center, singing about
curls for trendy SOHO salon Devachan, might not seem like
fun for most musicians (apart, perhaps, for Jenn Marks). But for
Mahogany, it meant a welcome respite from her day job dealing
with the salon's customers, and a chance to play a venue that's
out of the mainstream of the usual clubs - the Sidewalk, Café
111 and Meow Mix - that she normally graces.
 Fortunately,
she got to play a lot of her own music, a fusion of folk, rock,
rap and reggae that she's been performing since she was a teenager.
Born in Queens, to Spanish and Argentinian parents, she fell in
love with rap at an early age, and then blended it with other
sounds while living in Miami for a dozen years. It was there that
she also took up acting, landing parts in several indie films
and advertising campaigns. But - as she relates on her song "Stumbling
Around" - the scene there eventually became too limiting
to her musical development. With "Roadkill" - a live
EP recorded at Miami's Churchill's Pub - finished, it was time
to make a move.
Arriving
back in NYC a year ago, Mahogany hit the local music scene with
performances and songs that have her variously in the roles of
a proud and loving aunt, an inspired granddaughter, and a feisty
hot lesbian. Equally, many of her songs are hybrids - switching
from haunting love ballads to street-smart rap (and sometimes
rap in Spanish at that!) - which results in a style that is as
unique as it is engaging.
Now
being guided by manager Jess White - who kept Ani DiFranco
on the right road for several years - she's filling out her sound
with the addition of Sonia Roberts on drums. A bassist
is also likely to be added before too long as she begins to record
her debut full length CD. Check out the mp3s (and an older video)
on her Web site - www.mahoganylive.com
- and go see her live for a preview of what's certain to be one
of best indie releases of 2004.
Pete
Harris is a technology, publishing and marketing entrepreneur,
who founded Harris Radio as a response to the music being
played on corporate-controlled mainstream radio. Check out Scene
and Heard artists on www.harrisradio.com.
Photo of Julia Darling courtesy of www.mebeeb.com.
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