Reni Lane and Beautiful Small Machines at Webster Hall

Posted on March 27, 2010 by CenterOrch

Reni Lane is ready.  Ready to rock out, not make out.  I was first introduced to Reni back in November at my friend Arjan’s SuperFraiche pop music showcase at Santo’s Party House, and again in Los Angeles in January with her new band.  Friday night marked Arjan’s fourth SuperFraiche installment at the Studio at Webster Hall, and the CD release party of Reni’s album, Ready.

After seeing Reni Lane perform Friday night, I’m impressed with how far she’s come.  She’s stronger, she’s matured, and she’s meshed well with her new band. The young Linda Perry protoge (Linda’s in the audience, btw) played every song off her new pop-rock album including her first single, “Place For Us,” and a beautiful stripped-down version of the song that first caught my ear, “Runaway Train.”  She opened her set and closed with an encore with “Even You.”  But my favorite is the honest and vulnerable “Never Be Another You.”  Good stuff!

Also featured was the electro-pop duo of Bree Sharp and DonDiLego, Beautiful Small Machines.   With one beat, I’m an automatic fan.  Bree has the face of Britney Spears, the voice of Sheryl Crow and an overall look that resembles my good friend, Christine!  Poppy, catchy, retro-future, and then there’s the tambourine.  I love a tambourine.  Go to iTunes and download their EPs, Simple Joys and The Robots in Love.  Favorites included their opener, “Simple Joys,” which was originally recorded with Duran Duran frontman, Simon LeBon.  “Robots in Love” is also a delicious hook of a song.  What’s with all the robot songs lately?  Marina & The Diamonds anyone?

Thank you, Arjan, for another great pop music showcase!  Keep ‘em coming!  I have perfect attendance!

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Va Va Va V.V. Brown! A Star is Born at Spaceland, LA

Posted on February 10, 2010 by CenterOrch

For my first report off the island of Manhattan, I find myself at Spaceland in LA’s Silver Lake neighborhood.  I’m here for Grammy Week and my friend Arjan’s third SuperFraiche installment of super fresh pop music talent!  Tonight is headliner is the stunning V.V. Brown and featuring Reni Lane, Love Grenades and Scott Simons.

Pianist/singer-songwriter Scott Simons, who performed at the premiere SuperFraiche in New York last year, got things started with a number of new songs that really resonated with me, including “Landmine,” and “Close Second.”  He was followed by LA-based rockers Love Grenades, a favorite of Sam Sparro’s apparently.  Frontwoman Liz Wright was half rocker chick Kelly Osbourne, half flirty pop chick Katy Perry.  A lot of fun.

Reni Lane. Photo: Billy Diesel courtesy of ArjanWrites.com

But Reni Lane was in my ears and in my mind.  I met Reni at a SuperFraiche event in New York in November and she swept me away with her infectious songs and spirit.  This time, I was lucky to get to chat with her before the show.  She told me it’s her debut in LA and her first gig with a new band.  Her first album drops in March, and she will “quietly” tour before going on a bigger tour in the Spring and Summer.  So this is her tour band… Nice guys and rockier/grittier than her studio band.  I’m looking forward to her new CD which will feature her burgeoning hits, “Place for Us” and “Runaway Train.”  “Never Be Another You” is also one of my favorites.

Finally, V.V. Brown takes the stage.  And with all due respect to the artists who performed before her, V.V. took this event to a whole new level.  This British import blew me away.  Defying category, she’s bee-bop, hip-hop, R&B and beach party all wrapped in one, and had me at “Leave!”  Before I saw her U.S. debut at Spaceland, I had only seen videos of her on YouTube.  She’s softer and prettier in person as her videos seem to frame her as edgier, Grace Jones-ier.

I got to meet her before the show and she’s a baby doll.  Very nice, so excited to be living in LA (two weeks now!), and ready to conquer the states.  She told me she’ll be on a 31-date tour this summer.  I already plan to see her on President’s Day in Brooklyn and two days later at Hiro Ballroom in New York (stalking V.V. Brown, please!).  Surrounded with all kinds of percussion instruments, gongs and a megaphone, she appears on stage wearing a Mardi Gras krewe mask and opens with “Leave!” then brought down the house with her new new single “Game Over” and sent everyone into the Spaceland stratosphere with her closer, and biggest hit to date, “Shark in the Water” (already No. 1 in UK and France!!).  Could this be the U.S. 2010 song of the summer?

It’s January and V.V. Brown may already be one of my favorite new artists of 2010.  Her debut CD, Traveling Like the Light, just dropped and is available on iTunes now.  Watch out for her, and watch out for sharks in the water!  Thanks again, Arjan, for another great night of super fresh pop music!

Silly ArjanWrites in Red, with me at Spaceland, LA

Filed under: Reni Lane, V.V. Brown | Leave a Comment »

ArjanWrites SuperFraiche Pop Showcase: Dangerous Muse, Reni Lane and Sam Taylor

Posted on November 13, 2009 by CenterOrch

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I could not be more proud of my good friend, Arjan, scribe of the popular music blog ArjanWrites.com.  Tonight was the second installment of SuperFraiche, his showcase of the next-new-now pop music artists who have caught his ear.  Downtown and downstairs at Santos Party House, Arjan brought us Dangerous Muse (Mike Furey above), Reni Lane, Brad Walsh, Menya, and DJ Josh Madden, all from the New York area, and up-and-coming crooner Sam Taylor from London.

Before we go behind the music, a word about Arjan. I met Arjan a few years ago in Atlanta and our mutual love of music made us fast friends, and he has since introduced me to a universe of brilliant artists I would have never known otherwise, and has inspired me to write this blog.  The 2010 Out 100 honoree is on the cusp of taking his Super Fraiche concept to the next level, and he continues to gain the respect of and accolades from the industry and the artists that inspire him.  For me, he’s been an inspiration to pursue my passion, and for that I thank him.

So, on with the show…

Dangerous Muse

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Let me tell it Sophia style… Picture it, New York, the ACE 50th Street subway station sometime in early 2007, two friends are waiting for the next downtown train on a multi-level platform (C upstairs, E downstairs).  One friend jumps the gun and mistakes an uptown train as the E rolling into the station on the lower platform.  He triggers a flood of New Yorkers to descend to the lower platform only to be disappointed.  One of the disappointed was a young man, a recent Fordham graduate, named Tom Napack.  A few nice words are exchanged, and he gives me a CD single of “The Rejection.” And that’s how I was introduced to Dangerous Muse.

Now it’s 2009 and the sexy, smoldering hot electro-duo of Napack and singer Mike Furey have released a couple more singles independently including “Give Me Danger” and “Everyday is Halloween.”  While their full-length debut CD is in the can, the boys are jumping a few final hurdles to get it released.  First, I love guys who aren’t afraid of little eye liner, but I love them more when they’re really talented musicians.  Enter Dangerous Muse.  These are showmen, augmenting their strong material with dramatic sneers and laser drums (love it, Tom).  They close their set with their next single, “I Want It All.”  And I certainly do!

I love this picture of me in my plaid John Varvatos shirt juxtiposed to Tom’s glam look.

Love my plaid John Varvatos juxiposed to Tom Napack's rock 'n roll threads.

Reni Lane

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Next up is an artist Arjan has been really high on lately, Reni Lane.  Physically, she sort of reminds me of a young Chrissie Hynde with her red hair, but the Linda Perry protege is her own amazing woman and she has earned a BIG fan in me.

I LOVE THIS GIRL.

Honestly, I didn’t know her music that well prior to this show, but her songs “Place for Us” and “Runaway Train” stole the night.  From the stage she commands the room with her soft yet powerful voice, but then she takes it to the crowd, rolling around on the dancefloor, dancing with her fans (including me!!!) and climbing up on speaker boxes — she was wildly all over the place and I found her to be a breath of fresh air.  Having toured with the Arctic Monkeys in 2009, she’s now preparing to release her next LP titled “Reni” early next year.  I cannot wait.

Sam Taylor

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And then there’s Sam, ladies and gentlemen.  Sam Taylor.  In the words of the great Shirley Bassey, “where do I begin?”  I was fortunate to meet him the night before his New York debut at SuperFraiche, and I have to admit, I was immediately the smitten kitten.  The 22-year-old U.K. crooner is first and foremost a super nice guy.  He’s strikingly handsome and mad-talented — he’s got the whole package.  It’s exciting to see a young artist like Sam at the beginning of what I hope will be a long, successful career in the music biz.

Inspired by the likes of George Michael, Sam’s rich velvetty voice is perfectly suited for the standards.  He could very well follow in the footsteps of the Harry Connick Jr.s and Michael Bubles of the world.   My favorite song he performed was the soaring ballad “Run Away.”  Sam is one to watch!  And Sam, it was a pleasure meeting you and your crew.

Come back to New York soon!  I’ll be there, CenterOrch.

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Filed under: Dangerous Muse, Reni Lane, Sam Taylor | 1 Comment »

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