Bill Budd
And So Here...
© 2003 buddendorf (643157218821)
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Dreamy indie-pop with new wave and folk influences. Layered and dramatic like The Blue Nile, Annie Lennox and Rickie Lee Jones.
tracks
- 1 And So Here...
- 2 Tim
- 3 Empty Day
- 4 Trying Here
- 5 Your Shadow
- 6 More
- 7 Un-me
- 8 Again
- 9 Everything
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notes
Bill’s voice has been described as “unblemished and full of wide-eyed awe and innocence.” His songs have been described as “quiet grooves, haunted musings, and joyous, danceable pop, wrapped in orchestral arrangements.” New wave, electronica, and folk influences filter through his songs creating a sharp yet dreamy indie-pop sound. Bill studied music at the Performing Arts High School and the University of the Arts in Philadelphia. He released his critically acclaimed solo debut And So Here… in 2003. He’s currently recording songs for his next release Architect. He is a founding member of Cold Son. They released their debut Crumble and Fall in 2001 and are currently working on their sophomore album Frost, slated for a Fall 2007 release. Bill is also a founding member of The Booklets and has just started working on their debut release. He is a member of ASCAP and OUTMUSIC and has tracks featured on various compilation CD’s including Marry Me (produced by Figjam entertainment) and Bear Tracks 2 (produced by Woobie Bear Music). He has performed extensively throughout the Northeastern US including off-Broadway. When Bill isn't touring or recording he's directing or designing sound for live theatre.
reviews
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We love "And So Here..."!
author: cloud nine and cloud sevenInternet Music Radio, "Gone Fishing for Blue Skies", loves the world of Bill Budd. Personal favorite, "Again".
unwavering vocals and tight compositions...
author: Winnie McRoryHe appeared almost nebbishy under his newsboy cap, on a largely empty stage at the Chelsea show hall The Cutting Room. Backed by a group of guys who, with their piercings and long hair, would blend in well at Daytona Bike Week, Bill Budd at first seemed out of place. But he surprised by laying down a very solid set. Singing and playing keyboards, Budd came off with strong, unwavering vocals and tight compositions. The title track, “And So Here…” has an early 80s feel to it, a combination of New Wave, electronica, and folk influences. Budd wins you over with sweet songs like, “Tim,” singing, “Tim can meet me in the mostly safe wreckage of our house.” In fact, sweet, wide-eyed innocence seems an entirely apropos description for Budd, who sings largely of lost love, bruised egos, and hope of resurrection amidst the ashes. Both “Tim” and “Your Shadow” employ Budd’s love of fictional narratives. “Tim” looks at a new relationship between a young, self-confident man and an older man with insecurities. “Your Shadow” is a fictional story about one man’s attempt to rebuild a city after a natural disaster. “Haven’t crossed the bridge in days, but I can see the buildings growing,” he starts. “I still feel you blame yourself… you know what could happen now, we could build our bridges stronger… Not even earthquakes could swallow your pride/ so I’ll stay across the bridge, watch the day, watch your shadow.” The combination of his deep, throaty singing voice and the extensive percussion and keyboards heard in the tracks make Budd come across as though Joan Armatrading and David Gray meshed into one slightly less gritty stage act. In fact, it is almost a relief after all the heartache and lost love when you reach track seven, “The Un-Me.” He sings, “I follow you through broke-down station stops/ghost train stations calling your name.” Recapturing his power, he wails out, “I’ll drink a toast to myself babe/ cause I’m gonna be alright/ I’ll drink to myself babe because I’m giving up this fight. I’m saying this was the last time you’ll ever see the un-me. That was the last time I’ll ever be the un-me.” Budd has said the song is about his coming out a second time in his 20s, after realizing he was not as self-confident with his sexual identity as he originally believed. Budd continues to perform with the band Cold Son, which he formed in 1995, and, according to his web site, coldson.com, his music is played on radio shows from Australia to Austin. This Philly boy has made a name for himself as a member of OutMusic, but it is his strong, theatrical singing voice that is sure to prove his best asset.
truly unique-- and often exhilirating...
author: Jed RyanBill Budd's picture doesn't even appear on the cryptic cover of his debut CD, "And So Here...", nor does his face appear on the artwork on the CD's insert. Why? Maybe the singer-songwriter wanted to be judged only by the merits of his music, bringing his voice and lyrics rather than his youthful looks to the forefront. Not many artists would have the nerve to do this unless they had the talent and confidence to back it up. But immediately with "And So Here...", the CD's title track, the listener is seduced by Bill Budd's distinctive brand of pop music, a thoughtful, mutli-dimensional synergy of 80's-style new wave, folk, and electronica. It's low on pretense, high on emotion. And although Bill Budd's voice is bathed with sophisticated and high-tech-- yet light-as-air-- electronic effects throughout the CD, the real calling card here is Budd's voice and lyrics. Very rarely do we get to hear a voice as unblemished and as full of wide-eyed awe and innocence as Mr. Budd's. His lyrics, in addition, lead the listener to believe that the people, places, and situations that he sings about are based-- at least in part-- on real experiences (Although Budd himself has declared that fictitious themes play an important role in "And So Here...".) The juxtaposition of Budd's youthful voice with the sophistication and maturity of his lyrics and subject matters of which he sings results in a truly unique-- and often exhilirating-- effect. ...the best is truly yet to come from this young star.
"With most of these songs, you can either let go and dance or sit and wander int
author: Indie-Music.comI’ll bet Bill Budd spends a lot of time people-watching. His songs have the feel of classic literature, and that’s how a lot of writers find their stories. If you’re ever shopping at the mall or hanging out at a coffee shop and see this guy staring at you and taking notes, don’t call security. Budd’s just working on his next album. Those observations, plus his own experiences, explain the vivid nature of his lyrics. I have no idea where this amazing music comes from. Take the dramatic vibe of Annie Lennox, the pop sensibilities of The Communards, mix in the confessional songwriting skills of David Gray and a voice that sounds a little like fellow indie artist Skott Freedman, and you have a sound that reaches sophistication without being lofty or unapproachable. In fact, with most of these songs, you can either let go and dance or sit and wander into the psychology of it all. Whether Budd presents quiet grooves (“Empty Day”), haunted and dazed musings (“Your Shadow”), or joyous, danceable pop (“Trying Here”), he gets into the heads of many different characters and wraps the music in orchestral arrangements. He can also lift you so high with the music, you may not realize how pensive the lyrics are. “Tim,” with all its crashing chords and carefree keyboards, betrays a man’s fear of taking a chance, as well as his love for another that motivates him to try anyway. Sometimes, the message of a whole song can be summed up in just a few of the lyrics. “You think that I can change our future, even though you feel alone when I’m with you,” he sings almost resigned fashion in “Empty Day.” You know the feeling. You know the characters. Better yet, this music knows you. Whether you feel like dancing or analyzing, these songs will find you. I highly recommend this one.
The songs are catchy, the vocals soulful.
author: Joel ChartkoffThe tunes are catchy and memorable, and Budd has a rich voice and a persuasive way with a lyric.
Budd writes 1980s inspired pop songs.
author: Bay WindowsBudd writes 1980s inspired pop songs. He names Cyndi Lauper (he covers "Money Changes everything" live), Eurythmics, Ricki Lee Jones, Sandy Denny, Emmylou Harris and Natalie Merchant as influences-particularly Jones, who uses her squeaky voice as an asset in her jazzy pop songs. Budd admires her honest approach to what she does. He uses his strong theatre voice with pop and electronic backdrops, similar to David Gray's style but Budd's voice is stronger, and has more soul and is less gritty than Gray's. But Budd has a mandate to sound fresh.