ERIC FONTANA: Hats And Shoes

Eric Fontana

Hats And Shoes

© 2003 Eric Fontana (634479049620)

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A 10 song trip through, and about, the glorious mutt that is pop culture/art, post-modern life, and the emotional confusion yet attainable clarity that comes with it; lyrically/musically trying to connect everyday chaos with everyday calm.

notes

NEW CD "Saving Secret Grace" out NOW at cdbaby.com/ericfontana3 .
also, say HI at www.myspace.com/ericfontana-
Having gained invaluable experience as a touring/studio musician, Eric's first performance as a solo
singer-songwriter was opening for Kristen Hirsh of The Throwing Muses. Since then , he has performed with such notables as Ben Folds, Anna Nalick, Tanya Donelly, They Might Be Giants, Erin Mckeown, Josh Ritter, Mellissa Ferrick, John Wesley Harding, Howie Day, Jen Chapin and Soul Coughing lead singer Doughty.
Nominated for Best Male Vocal category in the 2001, 2005, 2006 and 2007
Providence Phoenix Music Poll, Eric has also performed on the Local Stage at the Newport Folk Festival and the Northampton Music Festival, in addition to live radio broadcasts on WBRU, WRIU, WXIN(R.I.), WICN(Worcester,Ma.),
WSMU(Dartmouth,Ma.), WERS and radioboston.com(Boston,Ma.).
A graduate of Berklee College of Music, Eric recorded HATS AND SHOES, his second CD and follow up to SOUND STATION SEVEN, over the course of 2002 with a small but varied group of musicians, including drummer Joe Sirios(Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Frank Black,The Street Dogs), cellist Margie Wienk(Stringbuilder, Iditarod, Fern Knight) and pedal steel player Chris Cook(Thee Hydrogen Terrors, The Deterrents). HATS AND SHOES is a ten song trip through, and about, the glorious mutt that is pop culture/art, post-modern life and the emotional confusion yet attainable clarity that comes with it.
Nashville's Catamount Records has included
"Don't", off HATS AND SHOES, on their HUAC2 (HOT UNSIGNED ARTISTS OF AMERICANA 2) compilation CD, featured at the 2003 SXSW and Folk Alliance conferences. They have also recently included "Hill of Fire", a previously unreleased track, on their HUAC3 CD, featured at the 2004 AMA conference in Nashville, TN.
Showing influences such as Beck, Bruce Springsteen, Lucinda Williams, Tom Waits, The Beatles, Billy Joel, Aimee Mann, Neil Finn, Jeff Buckley, Paul Westerberg/The Replacements and Elvis Costello, Eric wrote, sang and co-produced all ten tracks, as well as playing all guitar, bass and keyboard parts.
Eric's music combines the elements of rock, folk, country/americana, rhythm and blues, and Brit-pop to explore the subject of the personal politics of human life. Equally important is his hope of connecting to as many people possible with a message of faith and the outsider's stance of his heroes; lyrically and musically trying to link everyday chaos with everyday calm.
SOUND STATION SEVEN available at cdbaby.com/ericfontana, and Eric's third and latest CD, "SAVING SECRET GRACE" at cdbaby.com/ericfontana3.

PRESS:
"HATS and SHOES sounds zesty and fresh...the simple strum on 'Saturday Song' has a quality as sung by, say, Jeff Tweedy...'Wake Up' is folk music breaking free of its self-absorption and busting into the daylight. There are intriguing nuggets all across the record..."
"Fontana's sound contains echoes of work by Graham Parker, Marc Bolan and Graham Parsons, which puts him in good company...a bold sort of resolution in knowing that what he says and how he says it is worth hearing...full of resonant images, rich melodies and potent performances...
Fontana sings with an emphatic romanticism, a relatable intimacy that has made his shows a success. Rare is the singer-songwriter who can write and sing songs actually worth listening to. Eric Fontana is just that: rare."
-Bob Gulla, The Providence Phoenix
"...an energetic mixture of stripped down folk, blues, rock, Brit-pop and a tad of that insurgent country...Fontana exhibits a diversified writing skill that permeates...his vocal action emits like both a lion and a lamb, forging sweeping melodies with songs that touch upon those who leave and are left behind..."
-Anthony Loffredio, Providence Monthly
"Eric's songs are about those mundane things and events in one's life that one would hardly consider writing songs about, and yet Eric manages to make these songs compelling...it just works. Cool stuff!"
-Joel Simches, The Noise Boston
"...high energy, addictive music...Fontana could do his entire show with just his voice...sings with such inflection that his vocal ability competes with the lyrics...Fontana writes about ordinary topics,such as love, life and growing up, but his word choice makes the messages run even deeper...an energy that makes the ordinary seem suddenly more colorful...lyrics have a subtle melancholy feel that is typical of country, but his sound is more upbeat, with it's roots unmistakably rock and roll."
-Alysa Phillips, The Northampton Gazette
"...soulful...discreet...americana tinted...lively/nutty...in our opinion, the most beautiful
moments of an amazingly varied(pop) record of a special multi-talented fellow..."
-Benny Metton, Ctrl Altcountry E-Zine, Belgium
speak dutch? for full review, go to:
http://users.pandora.be/ctrlaltcountry/Pagina1ArchiefFebruari2004.htm#EricFontana

ALSO, go to www.sonicbids.com/ericfontana for eric's e.p.k.


WORK/GIG/CREDITS RESUME:
STUDIO RECORDING CREDITS â€"Guitar:
Barbra Streisand
Ron Wood (The Rolling Stones, Rod Stewart)
Maurice White (Earth Wind and Fire)
Ellis Hall and Bruce Conte (Tower of Power)
Scotti Page, Saxaphone (Pink Floyd, Toto)
Dropkick Murphys (banjo tracks)
Tony Bongiovi, Producer/Engineer/Studio Manager/Owner â€"
The Power Station (The Ramones, Aerosmith, Jimi Hendrix,
The Talking Heads, Bon Jovi)
John Arias, Producer/Engineer (B.B.King, Barbra Streisand, Bob Seger)
Television and Jingle â€" East and West Coast

STUDIO RECORDING CREDITS â€" Keyboards:
The Amazing (Royal) Crowns
Joe Gittleman, Bass (Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Avoid One Thing)
The Swingin’ Neckbreakers

STUDIO RECORDING CREDITS â€" Bass:
Johnny Cunningham, Fiddle (The Celtic Fiddle Festival, Hall and Oates,
The Raindogs, Silly Wizard)
Joe Sirios, Drums (Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Frank Black, The Street Dogs)

STUDIO RECORDING CREDITS â€" Assistant Engineer:
No Doubt
Barbra Streisand
Michael Carnevale, Producer/Engineer (Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck,
The Rolling Stones, Tom Petty, Kiss)

LIVE/TOURING CREDITS â€" Guitar:
Clarence Clemons, Saxaphone (Bruce Springsteen and The E-Street
Band)
Nils Lofgren, Guitar (Bruce Springsteen and The E-Street Band,
Neil Young)
Steve Cropper, Guitar/Producer (Booker T and The M.G.’s, Sam and
Dave, Otis Redding, The Blues Brothers)



THEATER CREDITS
Year of the Baby (banjo, mandolin) by Quincy Long, music by Maury
Loeb. Perishable Theater Providence, R.I.
Thunder Knocking on the Door (guitar) by Keith Glover, music by
Keb’ Mo’ and Anderson Edwards.
Trinity Repertory Providence, R.I.
Nickel and Dimed (guitarist and composer) by Joan Holden, music
by Eric Fontana. Trinity Repertory Providence,
R.I.; Heritage Theater Co., Bend, Oregon

WORK EXPERIENCE
Jerry Bennett Entertainment/The Sultans of Swing Orchestra (guitar, vocals)- 8 to 15 piece
private function, corporate + general business.
Norwegian Cruise Lines (guitar, vocals), The Norway- four piece band.
Steve Smith and the Nakeds (guitar, vocals) â€" ten piece touring
r + b/blues band.
Mother Jefferson (bass, vocals) â€" four piece original rock band.
General Business (guitar, bass, vocals) â€" East and West Coast
Assistant Engineer/Producer/House Musician â€" A+R Studios L.A. CA;
B+J Studios L.A. CA; The Power Station N.Y. N.Y;
Sound Station Seven Providence, R.I.; Dream Edit
Newport, R.I.

EDUCATION
Berklee College of Music, Boston MA. â€" Graduate 1990
Bachelors of Music Degree
Principal Instrument, guitar
Course of study, Professional Music

reviews

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  • author: Bernie Norman

    Best CD since the Tom Cat's release in 1982!!

  • You manage to keep it interesting all the way through. I honestly have to say t
    author: Andy C.

    Pleasantly, I found the same store telling lyrics filled with experience and feeling I loved in the first CD. The added bonus was all the instrumental you've added. The variety of string instruments accompany the songs perfectly. Just enough to spice up each song along with the variety of vocal techniques you change from song to song. You manage to keep it interesting all the way through. I honestly have to say that this is one of my favorite CDs....and I consider myself quite an eclectic audiophile. I've been listening to it over and over.....Great job!

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