The first thing I will absolutely not do is show you an adorable animal video clip to win your favor... Now that I have your attention, I want to wish you a wicked sick holiday. And I hope that you haven't had to reschedule your winter trip like me due to a "Once in a quarter-century, life threatening storm" hitting the midwest Christmas Eve. What the hell.
And I know you've been meaning to, but while you're busy buying things, please take this moment to play the new album "One Way" absolutely FREE. CMJ says "I hope this album becomes a breakaway hit." So go ahead, take a minute, do it now and Pay What You Want For It at http://dannyrossmusic.com/records.php
It's been a wild ride of a year releasing "One Way" four years in the making, playing the St. Mark's Church with an orchestra, and getting written up in The New Yorker. We've already got new catchy rock n roll songs, a music video and big touring plans ready for next year. So thanks for helping us kick serious ass good friends, have the warmest happy holidays and catch you in 2010.
In case the black-and-white album cover isn't enough of a clue, one listen to the immaculately arranged opener, "Sleepy Dream," makes it immediately clear that New York songwriter Danny Ross is a classicist to the core. But what makes his debut album One Way more than just retro pastiche is that he's several kinds of classicists at once. Sure, there's plenty of gorgeous, tears-in-your-martini-glass ballads (a touch too many, honestly), but Ross also throws in some early Randy Newman barroom stompers ("Forgive Me Love") and a Broadway-ready, army-of-horns dance number ("And The Trumpets Sing...") that can only accurately be described as snappy. I hope this album becomes a breakaway hit, because the home made YouTube dance videos for these songs have the potential to be amazing. In fact, if Ross ever gets tired of a life of constant touring and middling album sales, he'd probably kill on the Great White Way.
"Always On My Way," isn't just a lovely country-ballad, but it also feels like a Rosetta Stone that decodes the album's success. It feels like a tip of the hat to Ryan Adams, the great pop’s great classicist of our times—when he's bringing his A game, anyway. Like Adams, Ross realizes that there's no point in recreating the past note-for-note when it's more fun to smash pieces of the past together in a collage. This probably explains why so much of the album seems to have a Led Zeppelin/art-rock jones. It's there in the slow build of "Waiting On The Wheel," and the violin-soaked crescendos of "Go," and it explodes on the album's best song "This Ancient Bridge," which even has a name that sounds Zep-ish, not to mention an incendiary drum run, some Jeff Buckley-esque moans and enough guitar shredding to make you double-check that you're still listening to the same album. Luckily, even a dedicated student of music like Ross knows that fidelity to the past doesn't mean you can't have fun with your influences.
Track Listing For One Way: 01. Sleepy Dream 02. Country Wind 03. Oh, Christine 04. Forgive Me Love 05. Woman 06. Stay Here With Me 07. This Ancient Bridge 08. Always On My Way 09. And The Trumpets Sing... 10. This Is Just A Test 11. Waiting On The Wheel 12. Go 13. One Way
NOTES "A New Beginning" is one of 2 songs I've written by starting with the lyrics first. At the time, I was introduced to Elvis Costello's "My Aim Is True" and found myself singing with rhythmical, percussive and hard-edged words with lots of consonants that cut deep. (I've since become a monstrous fan of Elvis' work) I love that style which combines the wordiness with old school rock n roll. So we got a fun horn part together, I banged on the keys in a high register, and had a Motown-ish guitar line happening. The vocal effect even sounds like something out of "My Aim Is True." Lyrically, the story is a cartoonish account of a man trying to win back his woman. This is a fun one.
FACTS Music and Lyrics, Horn Arrangements by Danny Ross
Written in London, Spring 2005 (Age 20)
Inspired by: Elvis Costello, The Clash, 50s Rock
Produced by Rob Guariglia and Danny Ross
Recorded Spring 2008 at Galuminum Foil Productions;
Engineered by Jeff Berner
Except Piano Recorded at Metrosonic Studios
Engineered by Harley Fine
Instrumentation:
Danny Ross – Vocal, Piano
Carl Basler – Guitars
Fred Kennedy - Drums
Matt Wigton - Bass
Paul Nedzela - Bari Sax
Mike Maher - Trumpet
Evan Smith - Tenor Sax
LYRICS
Mama wake up the neighbors
Go on and wake up your dog
Daddy’s back from vacation
I know that you’ve unlocked the doors
Yes, I’ve been unkind
Oh, but I’ve seen the light
For a new beginning
A square of tissue paper followed me through the bedroom
Beneath a warm club soda I’ve been waiting to throw in my face
I put the radio on, cause they were playing our song
And all the voodoo dolls in the closet were singing along
I’ve been losing my keys
Now I’m back in this old town
How come when some girl rejects me
I’m down in this backseat
Retracing the way to your house
NOTES I've heard Bruce Springsteen say that he was aiming to write the biggest rock song of all time when he wrote "Born to Run." That certainly wasn't my ambition with "One Way," but I knew when I discovered that piano riff that it would be a Big song. Big chords, big arrangements, important lyrics. It may be my best set of lyrics - capturing the attitude of the whole album (which is why it also became the album title). I love the vastness of it. I actually listened to Born To Run quite a bit when I came to mixing it, borrowed a couple of ideas. Kudos to Evan Smith for killing that sax solo. "One Way" is also the closer at our live gigs, and it fits as a great conclusion to the journey.
FACTS Music and Lyrics, String/ Horn Arrangements by Danny Ross
Written in Long Island 2001 (age 17)/ Ithaca, Fall 2005 (Age 21)
Inspired by: Bruce Springsteen, The Beatles
Produced by Rob Guariglia and Danny Ross
Recorded Spring 2008 at Galuminum Foil Productions;
Engineered by Jeff Berner
Except Piano Recorded at Bunker Studios
Engineered by Aaron Nevezie, John Davis
Instrumentation:
Danny Ross – Vocal, Piano
Carl Basler – Electric and Acoustic Guitars
Fred Kennedy - Drums
Matt Wigton - Bass
Dave Melton - Organ
Leo Adamov - Violin
Rachel Golub - Violin
Corrina Albright -Viola
Jody Redhage - Cello
Paul Nedzela - Bari Sax
Mike Maher - Trumpet
Evan Smith - Tenor Sax
NOTES I think"Go" is the hidden gem on the record. It's certainly the most creative use of strings - I found myself listening and studying "Eleanor Rigby" "God Only Knows" and Sufjan Stevens "Jacksonville" among others. I love the Radiohead "No Surprises" guitar sound and Matt Wigton's creative bass line in the last minute of the song. I also love how it transitions into the last song "One Way." Musically, I believe this is my most mature work. Lyrically, I was trying to evoke that overwhelming feeling when facing the enormity and beauty of nature, and the struggle to surrender to the big picture and live each day with such clarity. In fact, a few years later when my grandfather past away I found this song to be helpful, and think of him now when singing it live. Funny how meanings of a song can change as we get older...
FACTS Music and Lyrics, String/ Horn Arrangements by Danny Ross
Written in Ithaca, Fall 2005 (Age 21)
Inspired by: Radiohead, Nick Drake
Produced by Rob Guariglia and Danny Ross
Recorded Spring 2008 at Galuminum Foil Productions;
Engineered by Jeff Berner
Except Piano Recorded at Bunker Studios
Engineered by Aaron Nevezie, John Davis
Instrumentation:
Danny Ross – Vocal, Piano
Carl Basler – Electric and Acoustic Guitars
Fred Kennedy - Drums
Matt Wigton - Bass
Dave Melton - Rhodes
Leo Adamov - Violin
Rachel Golub - Violin
Corrina Albright -Viola
Jody Redhage - Cello
Paul Nedzela - Bari Sax
Mike Maher - Trumpet
Evan Smith - Tenor Sax
And a dreary autumn day to you too. You may have seen me recently with my eccentric family on television puking after a wild balloon ride in Colorado. You may have also seen a rehearsal film of my last performance of "Thriller" before my untimely death. But you haven't seen this...
Pay What You Want! --Yes, Radiohead did this too... -- It's very important to me that my friends, fans and even awkward acquaintances own the debut LP Danny Ross Presents One Way as 4 years of sweat and soul went into it. So I'm letting you head to the following site, play the whole album for free and Name Your Own Price (Free shirts, EPs, Mix Tapes and Love Notes are also involved): http://dannyrossmusic.com/records.php
So you have 2 viable options 1) Name Your Own Price for the physical album and other free stuff or 2) Download One Way from Steve Jobs directly. It's a better deal than a Denny's Grand Slam Breakfast (if that's even possible). Thanks and fill in the gcal -- we're playing next Sat Nov 14 @ Rockwood Music Hall. Catch you on the flip!
- Danny?
"What Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter Danny Ross strives for is truly awe-inspiring...One Way is a compelling, confident and creative masterwork from one of New York City's most promising young talents." -- Greg Robson, Absolute Punk
NOTES I was hoping to articulate some of the unintended consequences of growing up in this song. A lot of my songs are about individual relationships or insights into a personal philosophy, but this one concerns a relationship with people in the outside world and certain expectations. It's one of the truest lyrics I've written. Also check out the guitar solo, it sounds that way thanks to our killer ax-man Carl and our drummer Fred, who is constantly forcing us to think outside the box even when it's not his instrument.
FACTS Music and Lyrics, String Arrangements by Danny Ross
Written in NYC 2005 (Age 21)
Inspired by: Muse, Coldplay
Produced by Rob Guariglia and Danny Ross
Recorded Spring 2008 at Galuminum Foil Productions;
Engineered by Jeff Berner
Instrumentation:
Danny Ross – Vocal, Piano
Carl Basler – Electric and Acoustic Guitars
Fred Kennedy - Drums
Matt Wigton - Bass
Dave Melton - Rhodes
Leo Adamov - Violin
Rachel Golub - Violin
Corrina Albright -Viola
Jody Redhage - Cello
NOTES The idea here was to create something that rocked as hard as a Rolling Stones song, with big guitar chords, but on piano. I think "Gimme Shelter" was a big influence at the time, and certainly you can hear "Sympathy for the Devil" in the intro. But this is the oldest song idea of mine to make it on the record, and the intention was to make it a big fat jam - Freebird style. Not surprisingly it's become our hardest rocking song live. And lyrically, this song is the most different on the record -- it's not about introspection and growth -- it's about wanting a girl, pure and simple.
FACTS Music and Lyrics, Horn Arrangements by Danny Ross
Written in Long Island, NY 2002 (Age 17)
Inspired by: Rolling Stones
Produced by Rob Guariglia and Danny Ross
Recorded Spring 2008 at Galuminum Foil Productions;
Engineered by Jeff Berner
Instrumentation:
Danny Ross – Vocal, Piano
Carl Basler – Electric Guitars
Fred Kennedy - Drums, Percussion
Matt Wigton - Bass
Mike Maher - Trumpet
Evan Smith- Tenor Sax
Paul Nedzela - Bari Sax
Dave Melton - Organ
Hey there patron, this is your fledgling musician friend Danny Ross. Thanks for hitting up my blog - I hope it entertains you such that your work day goes much much faster. Enjoy these stories and, hey, you have a good one....
