Dana Austin

Genre: Singer/Songwriter
Falls Church, Virginia USA Contact

Careful listeners will appreciate the innovation and energy of translucent musical asymmetry and clandestine free verse invigorating generally conventional forms. More than anything, of course, folks should just sit back and enjoy this very approachable music.

Print Version

Artist Information

Biography

Dana Austin's musical catalog comprises high-energy rock, show tunes, secular hymns, jazz, folksy ballads, country, comedy, children's music, and blues, as well as some stuff he's not sure how to categorize. Though it keeps him energized, writing in many different musical styles can have its drawbacks. One producer asked, having listened to Dana's first seven-song demo some years back, "So...what kind of music does he do?"

Fair question!

Whether nonchalant or dark, slapstick or introspective, his music does have a unifying theme: relationships between people. Lovers, parents and children (a not-unusual result of the former), fellow travelers, friends (ditto). Relationships with all their warts. Categorizing much of his work as "fractured love songs," he examines the quirks and flaws inherent in human emotional connection, whether glaring or deeply internalized, while paying close attention to the sampling rate of the story line. Sometimes compressing decades into essential, three-minute synopses, sometimes expanding defining moments into expositions of weakness, strength, or dénouement, his even narrative and lyrical enunciation distinguish his work.

Having published poetry in refereed journals, and having earned an undergraduate degree in writing, Dana has solid credentials as a lyricist. He began performing professionally during his college years, principally because he looks silly in paper hats and brightly colored smocks. After graduating, he continued to earn his living (and feed his family) by playing clubs, bars, and resorts in northeastern and central Pennsylvania for thousands and thousands of on-stage hours.

The careful listener will appreciate the innovation and energy of translucent musical asymmetry and clandestine free verse invigorating generally conventional forms. More than anything, of course, folks should just sit back and enjoy this very approachable music.

Instrumentation

Dana Austin Guitars/Keyboards/Voice

Discography

The master for "Gasoline Rainbows" is FINALLY in progress. The .WAV files are done and I've moved the final MP3s, in (draft) CD-play order into my EPK. Please let me know what you think, and my apologies to all the folks I owe CDs!!

I think the CD will be done in July, 2012.

The other songs in my EPK, along with some as-yet-unrecorded music, will be in my second CD. It will be called "Dragon Eggs" and should be released in late 2013.

--April 2012

Links

Audio

  • Can't Catch You Catchin' Me - Studio, Show Tune / Novelty, Final Mix
    Listen  
  • Little Man Blues - Live, Blues, Final
    Listen  
  • Lena's Song -- Studio, Ballad, Final
    Listen  
  • Geronimo! - Studio, Rock, Final
    Listen  
  • One Part Harmony - Studio, Ballad, Final
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  • The Laundry Song - Live, Comedy, Final
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  • The Woman Who Cries - Studio, Ballad, Final
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  • Blue Cycle -- Studio, Blues, Final
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  • Shine On Harvest Moon -- Live, Cover Jack Norworth / Nora Bayes circa 1907, Final
    Listen  
  • Last Call -- Studio, Country/Novelty, Final Mix and Last Song on CD (Lyrics Below)
    Listen  
  • Waminabamina (Live in Fairfax Co Va October 2009 SEE VIDEO!
    Listen  
  • (212) 555-8436 (Live, Fairfax County, VA, 2009)
    Listen  
  • Just One Look (Live, Ballad, 2008-07, lyrics below)
    Listen  
  • Tom Cat (Live, Rockabilly, 2008-07, lyrics below -- see Press!)
    Listen  
  • Three Kinds Of Love (Q&D Studio, Demo version)
    Listen  
  • My Lopsided Lover (Live, Mid-tempo acoustic rock, 2008-07, lyrics below)
    Listen  
  • Goin' Downtown (Live, sample)
    Listen  

Lyrics

Video

Waminabamina (Live, Fairfax County, October 2009)

Photo Gallery

Press

  • VERY Nice Reivew by FooManChoo Reviews June 28, 2009

    Hey musicians: check out the networking offered by Live Audio Mag!

  • Midnight Special Blues Radio picks up TWO of my songs!

    Was great to get some play! Still on the playlist! http://www.ms-blues.com/playlist_n.php

  • The Woman Who Cries makes KanalJazz Rotation August, 2009

    Find it on their playlist!

  • "One Part Harmony" gets Very Honorable Mention

    January 2009

  • "One Part Harmony" in BandRadioLive Rotation

    December 31, 2008

  • SharkeyPoolooza! [+ Show ]

    "[his] songs evoke the full range of emotions: laughter, tears, snickering, shock and awe." T...

  • "Tom Cat" in top 10 of contest!

    Contemporary and Traditional Country Song Contest, top 10 finish, October 2008

  • "Little Man Blues" garners honorable mention

    October 2008.

  • "Tom Cat" a Top Runnerup

    August 2008

  • "Three Kinds of Love" and "I Can't Forget" get Honorable Mention [+ Show ]

    North Carolina Songwriters' Co-op, Honorable Mention, 2007 NCSC Song Contest ("Three Kinds of Love" ...

Setlist

My sets, which comprise songs selected from my original catalog, generally also include my cover version of one or two songs, especially songs in the public domain. I believe that covering a song or two gives the audience a useful point of reference.

Basic Requirements

Calendar

There are no upcoming dates at this time.