"How to play the songs of matt curreri:
autre songwriting, folk plutôt lo-fi, bricolé dans la cuisine , rien qu'avec des potes et quelques canettes de biere. On s'inviterait bien chez Curreri, le petit frère ( parce qu'il y a aussi le grand frère Paul, autre talent ) histoire de passer un bon moment. (25/01/2005)"
Translated by worldlingo.com:
"How to play the songs of matt curreri:
other songwriting, folk rather lo-fi, arranged in the kitchen, only with pals and some quills of beer. One would invite oneself well at Curreri, the little brother (because there is also the big Paul brother, another talent) history to spend a good moment. (25/01/2005)"
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"New York transplant Matt Curreri seemingly fell out of the sky and landed in the [San Diego] public eye earlier this year. His debut album, How to Play the Songs of Matt Curreri, garnered the singer-songwriter more media coverage (comparisons to The Beatles and Bright Eyes were common) in a few short months than some veterans will ever receive.
But behind every good man, or at least this one, is a kick-ass multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter named Joanie Mendenhall."
---San Diego CityBeat
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:::::Keith Morris wrote in Charlottesville's C-Ville Weekly:::::
Matt Curreri is an insidiously clever artist. Although the persona he presents in his songs is typically that of a naif - a complete goober, actually - Curreri, the artist, is far from that. And while he leaves the listener reveling in melodies as succinct and captivating as songs from The Beatles, with lyrics as quirky, giddy and wide-open as Daniel Johnston's manic early recordings, his songs are busy digging their way into your consciousness. Indeed, it's been many months since I started listening to this disc, and not a day has gone by without at least one of these earworms crawling gloriously through my skull.
On first listen, Songs of Matt Curreri sounds like some amateur project recorded in a basement somewhere (which it was) with lyrics made up on the spot. But continued exposure reveals that Curreri knows exactly what he's doing, namely, examining the post-college blues. Or, as he says, "Oh The 20s are hard." The music's rough edges and antiprofessionalism, then, are the perfect backdrop for the subject matter, as we watch our shell-shocked hero wander tragi-comically through the adult world.
In fact, the honest roughness of the recordings makes the disc's many moments of transcendence all the more breathtaking. Joanie Mendenhall's vocal verse at the end of "Sweet Matthew" is such a moment: Reminiscent of Broadway in its theatricality, she interrupts Curreri's woe-is-me soliloquy with an oh-so-sassy declaration of female independence. Exploding into the song like a Roman candle, she sings, "Five bucks says I can make you mine/ But I'm not trying to waste my time/ So go home and paint your pictures/ I've got so much stuff/ On my mind."
An absolutely adorable disc.
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::::::Adam Gnade, Editor of the too cool San Diego Fahrenheit was our first fan, he said::::::
"It's all we've been listening to...the best record I've heard in a long time, no shit."
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:::::Or maybe you'll believe Troy Johnson, Editor of San Diego CityBeat, Host/Producer FoxRox:::::
"His voice is off-kilter, imperfect and totally endearing. Absolutely one of the musicians to watch closely in the next year."
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:::::Or maybe you'll trust the Tribune:::::
"Conor Oberst comparisons are inevitable, but HOW TO PLAY is no Bright Eyes rip-off. Jangly tunes like 'Why He's So Blue' have a bright, late-Beatles vibe, while others...have a pared-down country-blues feel, a la Will Oldham...Curreri's raw talent is undeniable. Keep an eye on this guy."--San Diego Union Tribune
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:::::Would you, could you trust an Online 'zine?:::::
"Clean, stripped down songs that carry seasons of emotions...The pop flair of the band is best compared to The Beach Boys and The Beatles"--SD Music Matters
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Official label press release
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CITY SALVAGE RECORDS PROUD TO RELEASE MATT CURRERI'S LABEL DEBUT
How To Play The Songs of Matt Curreri is the new record by California-based rocker Matt Curreri, and offers a steady stew of folk, rock, electronica, punk and poetry. "The music is absolutely and inspiringly pure," says songwriter and label-mate Paul Curreri, Matt's older brother. "It's a lonely and disgustingly-honest production about craving. To me, this work is brilliant."
"I want to be a singer/but I don't want to leave my home," sings Curreri in the album's opening track, Priorities. "But I don't really have a home/so I might as well go roam/All I want is to know my own priorities." The steadily rolling, country-infused number hands off to a somber piano and electric guitar ballad, Sweet Matthew, presenting Joanie on piano and backing vocals. In I Need To Control Just One Damn Thing, Curreri accompanies himself on acoustic guitar, singing the mantra-like lyric title repeatedly, bringing his vocals from a warm croon to a tight, high scream, sometime in a single phrase.
Throughout the record Curreri boasts a magnificent emotional range with his voice. "Great singing is more than just singing well by the books," he explains. "Fortunately, I'm rarely faking through my lyrics, and that helps me when it comes to singing my songs."
Originally from Richmond, VA, Curreri moved to San Diego, CA after spells in Cambridge, MA and New York City's Chinatown, where he moved with college buddies and fellow musicians. "We played a weekly music show on the Lower East Side," says Matt. "When our friend Joanie Mendenhall got to town, she started opening for us." Before long, Joanie, a keyboard player, and Matt began performing together, with Matt playing electric guitar and handling lead vocals while keeping time with a bass drum. "I like performing with Joanie," says Matt. "She helps make the songs louder and more fun."
"This record is an exciting release," says artist and City Salvage Records founder Andy Friedman. "Matt is an artist who is taking chances." Paul agrees. "He's sitting on top of a fantastic collection of work. Not just in the songs, but in the production and the performance."
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