A soulful home brew of all the great rock themes. Just cool! What more do you want? - Circus
Get Love Life, distant cousins 2nd smash album NOW! New from NYC groovers, Love Life satisfies with 3-D songwriting, gratifies with flawless production, and gladifies with their lean, live signature sound.
Produced, recorded and mixed by Harvey Jay Goldberg.
Love Life is the title of the second DIY release from New York City's resident roots rock radicals Distant Cousins. The band - vocalist/guitarist Catherine Dail, guitarist Phil Sireci, bassist Rawn Randall, drummer/percussionist Roy Fantel, harmonica player Joe "Mama" Holland and keyboard/trombonist Fred Gilde - recorded the new album for their own Lucky Magnet Records at various area studios along with the help of veteran producer Harvey Jay Goldberg. The resulting eight song, 30+ minute LP is packed full of guitar hooks and vocal sinkers, establishing Distant Cousins as one of the areas top rock performers. From the lilting, blues infused country twang of "Sierra," through the funky bass and percussion of "Prayer To Venus," to the rootsy rockin' honky tonk of the Stonesy "Rather Be Jail," the band easily shift gears to perform perfectly pure rock 'n' roll. Distant Cousins have been a regularly drawing act at several downtown area venues including Wetlands, The China Club and the Mercury Lounge. The band recently showcased the CMJ Music Convention with a record release party at the Bitter End.
Reprinted from East Coast Rocker
CD title: Love Life
label: Lucky Magnet Records
songs: Man Alive, Sierra, Prayer to Venus, What You Said, Love Life, Elvis Did Karate, Rather Be In Jail, Overdose personnel: Cathenne Dail, Phil Sireci, Rawn Randall, Roy Fantel, Joe "Mama" Holland, Fred Gilde
I wish all those bands, both major label stars and the band down the street, who have unnecessarily filled their CD's with 15+ songs just because the format allows it, would listen to this fine offering from New York City favorites, Distant Cousins. Short and sweet, this eight song disc says what it has to say, then gets out of the way. After hearing this their second full length offering, I wish I had been in the area to hear their first disc, released a couple of years back, to see how they got to where they are. Rootsy, bluesy rock (reminiscent of The Pretenders and sometimes even J. Geils) is the main focus here, although the band wisely keeps things interesting, with dips into honky-tonk on the wild and infectious, "Rather Be In Jail," and even a little rhumba tinge on the title track. Catherine Dail's cool and smart alto is the centerpiece, bringing an unmistakable Chrissy Hynde vibe to the mix. If anything, her vocal delivery is almost too cool and reserved, for a few more emotional peaks couldn't have hurt. However, her voice is unmistakably solid, and most bands would kill to have a vocalist with half her talent. The band's playing is no-nonsense and solid throughout, with a tasteful hammonica from Holland, and even trombone, from Gilde, added to the basic rock line-up to create some interesting ear candy, which also adds to the bluesy feel of the disc. Roy Fantel's driving, Kenny Aranof type drumming keeps an edge throughout, laying a solid groundwork for the tasteful dual guitar attack of Sireci and Dail. Interestingly, I found that the song they carried over from their last album, "EIvis Did Karate," to be one of the least infectious on the disc, but being as it has won them recognition in several "unsigned band" and songwriting contests, it was probably a wise move to include it. I much preferred the funky "Overdose," which reminded me a lot of Stevie Ray Vaughn's "Tightrope." If the band keeps producing material as strong as this, it won't be long before they will no longer be able to join the aforementioned "unsigned band" contests.
Reprinted from The Nebula Music Magazine - Feb, 1996
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