Twirl Review
TWIRL RADIO FEATURED ARTIST MARCH 2007: WINZENRIED (aka HOLLYWOOD DRUNKS)
Winzenried--the band, and the singer/songwriter (Eric Winzenried)--is the Featured Artist of the Month for March, 2007, as announced on Twirl Saturday, March 3. What does that mean? Well, it means we're going to be featuring a whole lot of their great music on the show this month. It also means that I got to do an on-air interview with Eric himself on Saturday, March 17th. (Click here to listen to interview.) Congratulations to Eric, guitarist/co-producer Lloyd Stuart Casson, keyboardist Paul Sandberg, bassist Carl West, and drummer Sebastian Sheehan.
This L.A.-based quintet released their debut, Hooray, back in 2003. There was something instantly familiar and comforting about this potent stew of rap, metal, alternative, and straight-ahead rock. What was it? Twirl Radio doesn't really play a lot of rap or metal music (less than 0.001 ppm, as verified by an outside auditing service). So what did I find so appealing? In short, everything! Specifically, the singing, songwriting, guitar work, keyboard work, and wry humor.
Eric Winzenried has a strong voice, much like you'd hear from some of the better-known metal singers. But--he uses his powers for good, not evil. He doesn't wail and flail, but uses his voice very nimbly. He's a very able rapper. And his sense of songcraft is incomparable. There's a lot of attitude in these songs, but there's a lot of heart, too. The sound is equal parts Ugly Kid Joe and Freedy Johnston. No, really!
On Hooray, the track Ohio is probably the most representative example of the Winzenried sound. Each verse starts with a rap, then Lloyd's crunchy power chords kick in. As the band dives over the edge into the chorus, Eric sings "here I am, once again with...you". Listen to the way he powers through the word "with". This one word showcases the guy's hard rock roots coming through! Looking Backwards is an uplifting rocker. Smarter One and Soul Is Mine, both keyboard-driven, are also positive, the former is an exercise in humility, the latter, a reminder of our worth as individuals. But the ones that really crack me up are Can't Stay At My Apartment and Punchline. Anyone who's an adult has been the victim of freeloaders and bad relationships. Eric fights back with his music, while making us laugh. THAT is what I find comforting and familiar. These songs remind me of getting together with my best buddy over drinks, or at the game, and commiserating about the rough parts of my life. That's what many of these Winzenried songs are about. And you do feel better at day's end.
Swell continues the theme. The songs remain positive and funny. Carried over from the first album are the references to the unappreciative, low-tipping customers from his days as a pizza delivery guy. And the secret weapon of the band, as on the first album, is massively talented guitarist Lloyd Stuart Casson. He plays everything from funk to alternative to hard rock, and is the single most important element of the Winzenried sound. Without him, this would be a different band. Songs like That Age and Getting Young acknowledge that we're growing up, getting older (and better), and that others are now depending upon us (such as his newborn). Wake You addresses being the oldest guy at the party. Sort of a modern take on Jethro Tull's Too Old to Rock 'N Roll, Too Young to Die. And there's a delightful cover of the Sesame Street theme song. It never occurred to me to cover a song like this, but the Winzenried treatment reminds me of what a great song this is. It's fun hearing it performed by a bunch of adults! There's definitely some personal and musical growth on this album, and Eric's vocals get more sophisticated, reflecting his life changes.
So grab your copies of the two Winzenried albums, and put them on after a long day. On those days where you start to ask yourself, "am I crazy, or..."--Eric's your bud--he understands, because he's been there too. And I'm proud to have him and his band as the Artist of the Month for March.
Mike Lidskin
Winzenried--the band, and the singer/songwriter (Eric Winzenried)--is the Featured Artist of the Month for March, 2007, as announced on Twirl Saturday, March 3. What does that mean? Well, it means we're going to be featuring a whole lot of their great music on the show this month. It also means that I got to do an on-air interview with Eric himself on Saturday, March 17th. (Click here to listen to interview.) Congratulations to Eric, guitarist/co-producer Lloyd Stuart Casson, keyboardist Paul Sandberg, bassist Carl West, and drummer Sebastian Sheehan.
This L.A.-based quintet released their debut, Hooray, back in 2003. There was something instantly familiar and comforting about this potent stew of rap, metal, alternative, and straight-ahead rock. What was it? Twirl Radio doesn't really play a lot of rap or metal music (less than 0.001 ppm, as verified by an outside auditing service). So what did I find so appealing? In short, everything! Specifically, the singing, songwriting, guitar work, keyboard work, and wry humor.
Eric Winzenried has a strong voice, much like you'd hear from some of the better-known metal singers. But--he uses his powers for good, not evil. He doesn't wail and flail, but uses his voice very nimbly. He's a very able rapper. And his sense of songcraft is incomparable. There's a lot of attitude in these songs, but there's a lot of heart, too. The sound is equal parts Ugly Kid Joe and Freedy Johnston. No, really!
On Hooray, the track Ohio is probably the most representative example of the Winzenried sound. Each verse starts with a rap, then Lloyd's crunchy power chords kick in. As the band dives over the edge into the chorus, Eric sings "here I am, once again with...you". Listen to the way he powers through the word "with". This one word showcases the guy's hard rock roots coming through! Looking Backwards is an uplifting rocker. Smarter One and Soul Is Mine, both keyboard-driven, are also positive, the former is an exercise in humility, the latter, a reminder of our worth as individuals. But the ones that really crack me up are Can't Stay At My Apartment and Punchline. Anyone who's an adult has been the victim of freeloaders and bad relationships. Eric fights back with his music, while making us laugh. THAT is what I find comforting and familiar. These songs remind me of getting together with my best buddy over drinks, or at the game, and commiserating about the rough parts of my life. That's what many of these Winzenried songs are about. And you do feel better at day's end.
Swell continues the theme. The songs remain positive and funny. Carried over from the first album are the references to the unappreciative, low-tipping customers from his days as a pizza delivery guy. And the secret weapon of the band, as on the first album, is massively talented guitarist Lloyd Stuart Casson. He plays everything from funk to alternative to hard rock, and is the single most important element of the Winzenried sound. Without him, this would be a different band. Songs like That Age and Getting Young acknowledge that we're growing up, getting older (and better), and that others are now depending upon us (such as his newborn). Wake You addresses being the oldest guy at the party. Sort of a modern take on Jethro Tull's Too Old to Rock 'N Roll, Too Young to Die. And there's a delightful cover of the Sesame Street theme song. It never occurred to me to cover a song like this, but the Winzenried treatment reminds me of what a great song this is. It's fun hearing it performed by a bunch of adults! There's definitely some personal and musical growth on this album, and Eric's vocals get more sophisticated, reflecting his life changes.
So grab your copies of the two Winzenried albums, and put them on after a long day. On those days where you start to ask yourself, "am I crazy, or..."--Eric's your bud--he understands, because he's been there too. And I'm proud to have him and his band as the Artist of the Month for March.
Mike Lidskin
Review 2
Review of Hooray
New Review by Mike Schmidt, Palm Beach Daily News, 12/15/04
Check out Mike's Letter to the Editor in February's Vanity Fair
When a talented guy moves from Ohio to L.A., it's a huge loss of innocence no matter
how much success, partying, or heart-stompings he experienced back home---
because none of it compares to the Indian--giving nut kickers he encounters in L.A.
But it's a warm, stimulating hell, so he stays. There's no pressure to go to church,
wake up early, or stop smoking weed, and there are lots of very talented escapees
from podunk towns--just like him--dying to do something creative.
So it for Eric Winzenried who left Kenton, OH for L.A. after a few years in
Chicago fronting "Not Praxis". His debut solo c.d. "Hooray" is a
scrumptious 1/2 oz. bag of freshly picked funked-up power pop, a celebration of
everything mentioned above, especially the nut-kickings. Being a talented comic
actor ("Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back, the "Austin Powers" movies), Winzenried
can poke fun at pain where other pop stars can't with their overweening egos.
Unlike the doe eyed herd of EMO bands for whom heartbreak is a new, shocking
event, Winzenried has been through enough relationships and Ohio upbringing
to know how commonplace our rejections and disappointments can be. There's
not a whine to be heard on "Hooray, just plenty of knowing, ironic shrugs and
self-inflicted kicks....the stuff your best friend needs to stop crying over that girl
and start bar-hopping again.
Backed by a "crack" band and righteous guitarist/ producer Lloyd Stuart Casson,
"Hooray"is all the more enjoyable because of its originality. Winzenried draws on
many pop influences, but worships at none of their altars. He likes his funk, hip-hop,
arena rock, and songs that make young girls cry just like anyone else, but his pen
and voice are utterly his own. Trying to compare Winzenried to other songwriters
is pointless, and more beer won't help. After 6 or 7, you'll perhaps think of "Hooray"
as Ben Folds attitude with Rick James' backbeat, Maroon 5 tag-teaming Lil' Kim, or
Beck if he stopped speaking drivel and had the Beastie Boys ghost-write his lyrics.
But none of these comparisons cut it. Hop on this one before you forget what original
whine-free pop sounds like.
---Mike Schmidt, Palm Beach Daily News, 12/15/04
New Review by Mike Schmidt, Palm Beach Daily News, 12/15/04
Check out Mike's Letter to the Editor in February's Vanity Fair
When a talented guy moves from Ohio to L.A., it's a huge loss of innocence no matter
how much success, partying, or heart-stompings he experienced back home---
because none of it compares to the Indian--giving nut kickers he encounters in L.A.
But it's a warm, stimulating hell, so he stays. There's no pressure to go to church,
wake up early, or stop smoking weed, and there are lots of very talented escapees
from podunk towns--just like him--dying to do something creative.
So it for Eric Winzenried who left Kenton, OH for L.A. after a few years in
Chicago fronting "Not Praxis". His debut solo c.d. "Hooray" is a
scrumptious 1/2 oz. bag of freshly picked funked-up power pop, a celebration of
everything mentioned above, especially the nut-kickings. Being a talented comic
actor ("Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back, the "Austin Powers" movies), Winzenried
can poke fun at pain where other pop stars can't with their overweening egos.
Unlike the doe eyed herd of EMO bands for whom heartbreak is a new, shocking
event, Winzenried has been through enough relationships and Ohio upbringing
to know how commonplace our rejections and disappointments can be. There's
not a whine to be heard on "Hooray, just plenty of knowing, ironic shrugs and
self-inflicted kicks....the stuff your best friend needs to stop crying over that girl
and start bar-hopping again.
Backed by a "crack" band and righteous guitarist/ producer Lloyd Stuart Casson,
"Hooray"is all the more enjoyable because of its originality. Winzenried draws on
many pop influences, but worships at none of their altars. He likes his funk, hip-hop,
arena rock, and songs that make young girls cry just like anyone else, but his pen
and voice are utterly his own. Trying to compare Winzenried to other songwriters
is pointless, and more beer won't help. After 6 or 7, you'll perhaps think of "Hooray"
as Ben Folds attitude with Rick James' backbeat, Maroon 5 tag-teaming Lil' Kim, or
Beck if he stopped speaking drivel and had the Beastie Boys ghost-write his lyrics.
But none of these comparisons cut it. Hop on this one before you forget what original
whine-free pop sounds like.
---Mike Schmidt, Palm Beach Daily News, 12/15/04
Zeitgeist Review
** Pleasantville Music Festival 2009 **
7/11/09 - Pleasantville, NY
On Saturday July 11, 2009 the PEAK (WXPK Radio 107.1 FM) presents the 5th Annual Pleasantville Music Festival. This signal event of summer in Westchester brings together over 5,000 people to enjoy a day of music, food and fun. The station’s on-air personalities will keep things lively on the main stage and broadcast from Parkway Field.
Allison will be performing on the "Village Stage" at 5pm - purchase of admission allows you to stay and check out excellent music from many different bands all day long!
Click here for directions, etc.
Click here to see a promotional video for the music festival....Allison LIVE in the studio!