BIOGRAPHY
Jungle Music Productions January 2010
Web Site for Shane O'Brien
www.obriensedgemusic.com
Media Contact: Philly Cudemo 310.987.8045
Email: sssjungle2@gmail.com
“Can you imagine telling a stranger that you’re thinking of something that you can’t even tell yourself out loud,
only in utter silence in your own head for your minds eyes only?” _ Shane O’Brien
Update 6/8/2010
20th L A Music Awards Showcase Event is June 23rd, 2010 at The Whisky a Go Go featuring Shane O’Brien.
The is Gig keeps on getting better and better by the day as the Shane O’Brien _ L. A. Music Awards Showcase Event of June 23 at the Whisky a Go Go approaches.
Danny Timms, highly regarded Stage and Studio musician, a hired gun, is orchestrating the back up band _ O’Briens Edge _ for the Whisky a Go Go Show. In addition Video General is sending their top dog _ Edward Lapple _ a six time Emmy award winner to direct the back ground video imagery for the show. More info to follow in days to come…
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An Autobiography in Short Story Form _ by Shane O’Brien
"The who, what and when" section:
Shane O’Brien has been Writing/Recording, Producing/Performing in the Southland as well as countless cities and townships throughout the USA and Canada. Experiencing a variety of life, usually only free spirits tend to sail through, and the past 26+ years, for the most parts, have been nothing but original for me. I carefully chose the word “original” with a particular thought. I will call attention to that detail later on. My songs do relate to experiences and various situations that I had to inevitably live through. Mounting to a host of common (and uncommon) to the everyday person from anywhere in our developed worlds. I believe that in my particular way, my being a performing musician who chose to play the music that I write for most of my adult life is the root of the themes of lyrics and melodies created to support these words. No doubt each song from the outset is personal to me because they are me. I had gone through that story personally. Can you imagine telling a stranger that you’re thinking of something that you can’t even tell yourself out loud, only in utter silence in your own head for your minds eyes only?
What follows are three samples of the personalities of songs I have written and performed:
At Times, I have felt a room full of listeners to one of my songs just watch and kind of gaze with particular attention, as I go through the piece. At times I wonder if it is noticeable that its killing me to play that song describing a deep hurt, even the tears in my eyes are hidden but I know they know. Oh! Then there are the “up” songs. I catch myself at gigs all the time, when I can’t help but crack up as I sing them, which I bet is pretty noticeable to the audiences as well. Obviously I like to play a lot of songs from that topical stand point, and I do. In the end, I write songs about us regular men and women, and our lives.
The 1st Recorded and Produced Album/CD:
Late November of 1999 became a tipping point for me as a Musician/Recording Artist/Producer.
My first album came out then, titled “From CYC to CD”.1999 Written by Shane O’Brien, but performed under the name The Shame, Shame, Shame Blues Band. CYC to CD came to be, as a result of an invitation extended to me to be recorded and engineered at The Carmel Youth Center. Which is a Clint Eastwood funded facility established for the youth of Carmel, California to break into the world as a 1st time recording artist, engineers and/or producer. Those kids up there, got it goin’ on man…
Most always my gigs are attended and filled with receptive fans, followers who become loyal fans and friends and eventually family. The more that I expressed the core my lyrics the more I emotionally played the guitar to deliver the intended message. The more unashamed I became to the delivery of this music I write the more fans, followers and friends I accumulated. The more letters and strange visitors I encountered and the more relatable I realized that my music is. The more memorabilia filled the Studio walls of my studio which is called “The Jungle”. Named by two fans who found my place from the credits on a cd I created. This is the life of mine as a story teller.
From the very first song O’Brien wrote, “That’s The Way”, at the tender age of sixteen and still performs live today (mostly by audience requests) Shane O’Brien writes songs that relate to individual life experiences. Those good, bad and yes, even the worst of the ugly times that O’Brien has lived. The kind of things most everyday folks don’t really care to share in fear of what others may think, but deep inside need to get out of their system, as it is said. Not something conjured up as everyday unrealistic dreams of things that should be, but inevitably never are. The real stuff that we all know and live though ourselves…
(As noted in this Blues Rockers Magazine review)
Tom Branson respected Editor of WWW.BLUESROCKERS.WS (December 2005):
“Canadian-born Shane O'Brien is a San Pedro, California-based singer/songwriter/guitarist whose work is reminiscent of a time when musicians were regular working class people armed with only an instrument of choice and something of substance to say…”
Goes On To Say:
“O'Brien's approach to music is raw and honest; simple and straight-forward; genuine and emotional, which I would guess mirrors his approach to life in general. By day, he is a Union Ironworker (Local 433, Los Angeles) rubbing elbows with America at the very ground level. By night, he is somewhat of an urban troubadour traveling from place to place with guitar in hand and songs about life in his heart. This is American rock music performed by someone to whom a lot of Americans should identify.”
Shane O’Brien was recently nominated for
“Acoustic Album of the Year 2009” For the 19th Los Angeles Music Awards.
Voting Night was at the Whiskey a Go Go in Hollywood, CA.
Thank You Al Bowman, CEO L.A. Music Awards for making the nomination notification call to me in person, along with some very complimentary words that I will cherish for years to come.
Artist Influences:
Life and Music by: Shane O’Brien
From the Humblest of beginnings in Venice and Inglewood California!
In 1983, a gig consisted of 75% covers / 25% originally written songs by Shane. For example, 75% cover’s meant, that night’s itinerary pretty much consisted of Blues/Rock music written by icons such as Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Johnny Winter and ZZ Top, ZZ Hill Bobby Blue bland, Ed Burns, Bo Bo Jenkins and Shane’s all time blues favorite – John Lee Hooker. All the legends, God Fathers, Kings, or Soul Men, Originator’s of the Blues and the Iceman himself. You know what I mean here, innovator blues artist such as Muddy Waters, Buddy Guy, B. B., Albert and Freddie King and Hound Dog Taylor. Delta Blues men contributed as well, such as Robert Johnson, Sonny Boy Williamson, Howlin’ Wolf, Lightnin’ Hopkins and coarse Son House.
That 75% cover song list also included works from the more mainstream Blues/Rock bands as well. Shane loved to play and sing that classic biker anthem by Steppenwolf, “Born To Be Wild”, “You can’t always get what you want” by the Stones or Santana during the early his years of “Black Magic Woman”. Add in rock classics by Led Zeppelin “Rock and Roll”, the heaviest in the Cream classic album – “Disraeli Gears” not to forget Ted Nugent’s influence from song “White Buffalo” and the albums “Tooth, Fang, Claw” & Ted Nugent Live performance at Cobo Hall in Detroit of “Stranglehold”.
This is a good example of many of the influences that Shane O’Brien chose to learn from. Even three decades later O’Brien’s lyrical delivery, musical writing style and choice of instrumentation in his recordings and song performance can be directly attributed to those early song smiths and personal heroes to Shane.
Today, some 26+ years after this Canadian Born musician arrived in Inglewood, California, things have changed. If you add up the sum total of the all nighters after gigs, the struggling to get enough pay per gig to intentionally create changes from gig to gig. Changes that started to abruptly evolve from mid 1999. That is when that 75/25 ratio flip flopped around seemingly overnight. By the New Years Eve 1999/2000 gig, the nights music was all written by O’Brien, occasionally adding an SSS rendition of a favorite author. Even the choice of language as Band Leader was changed. From a blindly going forward orchestration on the band stand to unseen body language and hidden signs to the talented sidemen musicians that O’Brien’s Edge commanded. from coast to coast. This period in time, post the heaviest of the starving, the alone lonely days and weeks without a dime to call my own.
Shane O’Brien is currently sitting on a year that has garnered two Original Music CD releases in 2009 and an 8 track DVD of Live Performances.
The 2009 CD/DVD releases are as follows:
DVD – Tribute to our American Vets
1 Track Time 7:27
Studio audio sound track recording set to Visual Slide Show of "What’s Up With That?"
Written and Produced by:
©2007℗2009 Shane O’Brien
Jungle Music Productions
Available at:
Our Official site:
► WWW.OBRIENSEDGEMUSIC.COM
Features: Visual imagery added to a Shane
O’Brien dedication to American Men and
Women serving, (past and present) in our
armed services. $3.00 from each DVD sold
will be a donation to the Homeless Veterans
Initiative of the LA/Long Beach communities.
CD – The Genuine One
Artist: Shane O’Brien and
O’Brien’s Edge
Written and Produced by:
©2007℗2009 Shane O’Brien
Jungle Music Productions
12 Tracks Time 67:54
Available at:
►CDBABY.COM/SHANEOBRIEN
And Our Official site:
► WWW.OBRIENSEDGEMUSIC.COM
Featured Tracks:
-Family and Friends
-New York City, What a Lady!
-Don’t Let Me Down
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DVD – 8 Live One’s From
- Southern California
Written and Produced by:
©2007℗2009 Shane O’Brien
Jungle Music Productions
8 Tracks Time 49:20
Available at:
Our Official site:
► WWW.OBRIENSEDGEMUSIC.COM
Features: A combination on “Live”
performance by Shane O’Brien. Video
recording on Studio Sound stages, Club
Shows and Television Interviews
throughout Southern California from
2005 thru 2009.
Also Included are both 2009 renditions of
“What’s Up With That?”
Studio Cut - Slide Show Track
”Live” Solo Acoustic Guitar-Vocal Performance by O’Brien
CD – “Acoustic, Raw and Real”
Artist: Shane O’Brien and
O’Brien’s Edge
Written and Produced by:
©2007℗2009 Shane O’Brien
Jungle Music Productions
10 Tracks Time 49:20
Available at:
►CDBABY.COM/SHANEOBRIEN2
And Our Official site:
►WWW.OBRIENSEDGEMUSIC.COM
Featured Tracks:
-Love That Woman
-Who’s Lovin Who? -
-Close To You
In regards to everything musical, lyrical, graphical and referred to in name by name in the catalog listed herein this Bio:
Produced entirely by: Shane O’Brien C/O Jungle Music Productions (310 832-2430 E-Mail: sssjungle@sbcglobal.net
Information Contacts via Personal Manager: Philly Cudemo (310) 987-8045 E-Mail: sssjungle2@gmail.net
All rights reserved. Unauthorized reproduction is a violation of applicable laws.
The Media Have Responded To Shane O’Brien and His Music:
Tom Branson: respected Editor of WWW.BLUESROCKERS.WS (December 2005):
“Canadian-born Shane O'Brien is a San Pedro, California-based singer/songwriter/guitarist whose work is reminiscent of a time when musicians were regular working class people armed with only an instrument of choice and something of substance to say…” “O'Brien's approach to music is raw and honest; simple and straight-forward; genuine and emotional, which I would guess mirrors his approach to life in general. By day, he is a Union Ironworker (Local 433, Los Angeles) rubbing elbows with America at the very ground level. By night, he is somewhat of an urban troubadour traveling from place to place with guitar in hand and songs about life in his heart. This is American rock music performed by someone to whom a lot of Americans should identify.”
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Jim Santella in SouthlandBlues.com (November 2005):
“O’Brien’s dedication to melody makes for a beautiful ballad and a lovely folk song. With his faster, hard rock selections, the scene shifts, and his voice burns with intensity.”
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~Dark, Bill Messick reviews@newartistradio.net
This is some very sweet blues rock music, some of the best I have ever heard! Makes me want to go out and find a Irish pub and down a 1/2 dozen beers! This is right down party stuff....
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- Dave Howell: Music Editor, www.SouthBoundBeat.com MAGAZINE
Shane O’Brien is nuts. And like Seinfeld might say, there is nothing wrong with it. In this case, it produces a startlingly original CD. O’Brien parts sings and parts raps over his electric guitar playing, rambling in a subdued voice about subjects that concern him. “My Love Letter” is a great example of the strange explorations this CD takes, as someone starts the track by saying he is from San Pedro California and is into Jesus Christ, while O’Brien asks him about his having a Wife Insurance policy. There are a lot of long, well crafted rock jams here with O’Brien and his friends. All have an interesting, organic sound. O’Brien says on a message board that he has twenty-two CD's that he will soon make available on a website. This might put him in the territory of Jandek, another prolific artist whose reputation has grown because of his unique vision. This lo-fi CD could be the beginning of a cult following for O’Brien, a singer/songwriter unlike any other. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Erinn Soule: www.SouleDOutMusic.com
Biker Born, Music Bred is the best way to describe this Iron Worker from San Pedro, California! Shane O'Brien is known for his West Coast Blues with an East Coast attitude. Shane has what most musicians don't, the ability to be diverse, to write his own life into his own music and magically draw his audience in. He is a true audience pleasure and sounds GREAT on his acoustic sets, for those times you may need a softer sound for your event...now if you are looking to boogie down to a little classic blues...he is your man!
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Terelle Jerricks: www.RandomLengthsNews.com
Shane O’Brien’s raspy soul inflected voice over tracks that even the uninitiated to blues and rock “n” roll would appreciate. His home, inside and out, looks like a scrapbook of experiences that could really be converted into a gallery of Americana art…
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Shane's Favored Local Musicians in Southern California
Amongst local favorites are the very musicians who (at various times) individually are the Band Mates to Shane for sessions and gigs. Some as members of the “Shame, Shame, Shame Blues Band" (as he was formerly know as pre 1999), or as partners in “Shane O’Brien and O’Brien’s Edge”. Listed in chronological order they are Ralph “The Big Beat” Martinez, Tony Sena, Marlon “Doc” Owens, Nicky "Shoes" Pizzale, Don “Donnie Dark” Haney, “The Silent Sideman”_ Danny Timms, Jimmy “Master” Solo, Eddie “Hush” Estudillo, Stu Heydon “The Troll”, Mike Watt, Michael Leasure, Andy Wallo, Danny Brandt and the writing style of Hoopa Johnny C. Ricker.
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2009 CD releases can be purchased at:
The Genuine One ©2007℗2009 Shane O’Brien: www.cdbaby.com/shaneobrienandobriensedge
Acoustic, Raw and Real ©2009℗2009 Shane O’Brien: www.cdbaby.com/shaneobrien2 re-
DVD's and CD's can also be acquired at our official home on the web:
www.obriensedge.com
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