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Feelgood in MUSIC CONNECTION Magazine
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The Players: Zach Rudulph, bass; Steve Graeber, saxophone, sounds; Stefan Poole, vocals; Hubie Wang,...The Players: Zach Rudulph, bass; Steve Graeber, saxophone, sounds; Stefan Poole, vocals; Hubie Wang, guitar; Roberto Cerletti, drums; Dave Mendoza, piano, keys.
Material: FeelG=good is a funky fresh blend of Maroon 5 and Jamiroquai. Their stylish repertoire of slap bass grooves, soothing saxophone licks, jazz guitar riffs, upbeat drum patterns, elegant piano and vocal melodies all help to encompass the band's sophisticated sound. Songs like "People on the Ground" and "How Do I Say" hype the crowd into a dance frenzy as lead vocalist Stefan Poole's Prince-like persona takes center stage. Feelgood has the potential to grow from bar band to Top 40 radio players.
Musicianship: These guys are solid musicians all around. Bassist Zach Rudulph and drummer Roberto Cerletti shine as they effortlessly mix genres and groove through jams. Steve Graeber provides sexy saxophone leads while Dave Mendoza gracefully fills on the keys. Guitarist Kenny Echizen rocks jazz chords and bounces to the beat that is so heavily influenced by bandmate Poole's eye-catching stage presence and Adam Levin of Maroone 5's vocal ability.
Performance: This tight unit were more than comfortable on stage and each player had the ability to fill for the other members in the band. At one point, the band jammed and took turns soloing for several minutes while Poole headed off stage to grab fish-fillets to toss into the audience - in observance of Good Friday. Though some of the focus on the band could have been lost when the frontman left the stage, Feelgood's jamming and soloing ability more than made up for it.
Summary: Feelgood is a band with potential. They have six musicians who have obviously been playing together for several years and have developed a fresh sound. Though they are influenced by bands like Maroon 5, Jamiroquai and Prince, FeelGood may be the type of group that influences bands of tomorrow.
- Adam Pompili / Music Connection July 2009
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Loren Israel on Feelgood
"solid instrumentation, fantastic vocals... ready for radio"
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Feelgood - Top 10 indie/unsigned live performances of 2010
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No. 6 - Feelgood - The Mint (2/19) - Led by the powerful vocals and guitarwork of Stefan Di Maria, F...No. 6 - Feelgood - The Mint (2/19) - Led by the powerful vocals and guitarwork of Stefan Di Maria, Feelgood is aptly named. This band could easily compete with the likes of Earth Wind and Fire, forcing the audience to get on their feet and dance. Although Stefan is currently seen providing incredible guitar support on Glee, I hope that he will continue with the band. They deserve your attention.
Continue reading on Examiner.com Top 10 indie/unsigned live performances of 2010 - Los Angeles Los Feliz | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/los-feliz-in-los-angeles/top-10-indie-unsigned-live-performances-of-2010#ixzz1iZ4p6vSY
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Feeling Good at the Mint
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FEELING GOOD AT THE MINT - February 19, 2010
The Mint has had a long history of launching musical...FEELING GOOD AT THE MINT - February 19, 2010
The Mint has had a long history of launching musical careers. After the performance of Feelgood during their EP Release Show, I believe we can add one more act to that history. Set up by stellar opening performances by American Idol finalist Brandon Rogers and the incredible Stereofox, Feelgood’s front man Stefan Di Maria led his band onstage and took the Mint’s capacity crowd to a new place. Decked out in truly classy button-down shirts and ties, Feelgood proved that their name matches the effect their music has on their listeners, i.e., they “feel good” after hearing these tunes.
The band’s self-titled EP, released on the ArtiSANS Label and mastered by Capitol Mastering, contains three songs in both full band and “stripped” versions, and is just as incredible as the live show. Feelgood is composed of Di Maria on guitar and vocals, Kenny Echizen on rhythm guitar, David Mendoza on piano and keys, Roberto Cerletti on drums and Zach Rudolph on bass. The sound is reminiscent of a cross between Justin Timberlake and Kool & the Gang, a true “jam band” mix of high energy music and good vibes, served up with a sense of style.
Shawn Raymond Hill led off the set with a couple of spoken word pieces, which sequed well into the instrumental intro, as first keys, drum, bass and guitar gave way to the smooth, silky rich vocals of Di Maria. The band laid down a mellow relaxing grove and totally seduced the standing room only crowd, which pressed into the stage from all sides. Di Maria is a natural front man, employing excellent interaction skills with his audience as he works the room. The band exhibited great chemistry, and enveloped the room in a true “wall of sound.” Whether playing original tunes or a cover like “Thanku4lettingmeBmyself,” Feelgood proved themselves over and over as a force to be reckoned with, a band with a bright future, both in LA and beyond.
Musically, Feelgood blends jazz, R&B and dance grooves into a show that was stimulating and fun from start to end. Each member of the band gave a stand-out performance and the sum of the parts was truly astronomical. Especially noteworthy were the guitar rifts of both Di Maria and Echizen, as well as the baseline groove of Cerletti and Rudolph. Not to be outdone, Mendoza showed his prowess on the keys. All in all, Feelgood is a very entertaining band that not only gave the audience more than their money’s worth, but truly left them begging for more.
-Bob Leggett, LA Music Critic
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Feelgood at the Whisky-A-Go-Go
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Most pop music today caters to Tweeners, whose $10 latte-sipping parents have no problem refinancing...Most pop music today caters to Tweeners, whose $10 latte-sipping parents have no problem refinancing their mortgage to keep their over-medicated children occupied for longer that it takes to send a Twitter message. It has become a fast-food franchise that wants you to Super Size the original product with concert and movie tickets, school supplies, lip balm, video games, and condoms. Well, there are no High School Musical condoms… yet.
All the over saturation in the music scene makes it that much more refreshing when you come across a group such as Feelgood, as I did at the Whiskey-A-Go-Go last Friday. They’re a pop group that has some serious groove and feels more like an 80’s Michael Jackson throwback than a slyly sexified Jonas Brothers show. The lead singer, clad in an all-white suit and red tie, shied away from robotic dance steps and freely moved around the stage like a lark. They had blaring saxes, crisp vocals, and a sense of showmanship that felt authentic and personal.
They opened up with a song that sounded like a fuller, bouncier version of Peter Gabriel’s “Sledgehammer” and really set the mood. Their next couple songs were all out grooves and the crowd responded by getting out of middle school dance mode, and got down in the middle of the Whiskey. In the middle of the set they did two pretty solid covers, “Closer”, by Ne-Yo, I suppose they need to stay a little modern, and “Ready or Not” by The Delfonics (no, not the Fugees).
There were a couple subpar songs in the second half of the set that I felt were a little choppy and the audience seemed to lose its energy. The background singers didn’t seem to add much to the already clustered stage and I wanted to see more showcasing of the musical talent that was the backbone of the group. However, they ended with two strong songs and their sendoff had a lot of hype and yielded a healthy response from the audience.
With pop music in the state it is, I think now is the perfect time for a turn-back-the-clock movement that gets people away from the pre-packaged eye candy, and back into music that makes you want to dance. People are thirsty for it and Feelgood may be that tall drink of water.
- Jackson Jones
www.allaccessmagazine.com/vol7/issue06/feelgood.html
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Feelgood: Plugged In, High On Funk
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April 21st, 2009 -
Feelgood grabbed the attention of Burns Review last week at the Whiskey A Go Go...April 21st, 2009 -
Feelgood grabbed the attention of Burns Review last week at the Whiskey A Go Go. Led by Stefan Poole, that voice–elastic, jazzy–is the fire of the band with influences like Jamiroquai, Prince and Michael Jackson “because they represent everything I seek to be, which is a great musician and songwriter, while still being a great entertainer.” Closely surrounded by warm keyboards and drums, immaculate strings, snappy backup vocals, and even sweet saxophone melodies, they tie their irrepressible groove-based soul music, with hints of jazz/pop crossover, nice and tight with a shiny red satin bow. It’s a perfect example of dance music that retains high musicianship and great songwriting. The band is currently touring SoCal, and I was lucky to cross paths with Stefan for a few interview questions regarding his background and the future of Feelgood.
http://burnsreview.com/?paged=34
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Feelgood
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Sunday, 19 April 2009-
New single from Feelgood --- Los Angeles, CA – The funked-out flavors of Fe...Sunday, 19 April 2009-
New single from Feelgood --- Los Angeles, CA – The funked-out flavors of Feelgood’s jazz/pop prove just how perfect a name this is for a group. There’s nothing smarmy here, nary but genuine vibes. “How Do I Say” is the bright new single from the band’s album “An Extension of Play.” The band’s synergy is transcendent. Zach Rudulph’s bass and Roberto Cerletti’s drums ground their music in fresh, free-flowing grooves while Steve Graeber’s sax, Dave Mendoza’s piano and keys and Kenny Echizen’s guitar grow a lush garden of atmosphere and richness. Finally, there’s Stefan Poole’s personality capping off the wealth of musical appeal with the clarity and smooth sincerity of his vocal chops.
Feelgood formed in the Summer of 2007, making its first on-stage appearance at the House of Blues Sunset Strip in December of that year. Early in 2008, the band was tapped to be part of the Original Sessions National Band Search 08-09. Three thousand bands vied for the opportunity – Feelgood was one of only 5 LA artists chosen for the project. From there, Feelgood held down a residency at the Main lounge in Santa Monica from February to May 2008. The band’s debut EP, “An Extension of Play,” was released late that summer via every major digital venue. Their unreleased tune “Reflection” was selected as the team song by the Saguaro Track Team for the 2008 Masters National Track Meet in San Jose. A major breakthrough for the group was Stefan, Dave and Roberto’s casting as band members in episode 3 of Fox TV’s “Dollhouse.”
The spark for “How Do I Say” came during Feelgood’s tenure as the resident band at the Main, where the band performed weekly. The members became, naturally, people watchers, and they became inspired by noticing the habits and intentions of many of the club-goers. “People often search the night life and club scene for something that’s missing in their lives,” says Stefan. “In this case, someone attractive, but also interesting … something I’ve been guilty of searching for.”
“How Do I Say” sorts through the process of hitting the nightspots, spotting “some bombshell” and being put in the dilemma of HOW to approach that person in a fresh way, without resorting to cliché. The song is a slice of life that touches on a reality familiar to many listeners, hence its popular appeal (and selection as the new single to represent the EP). The tune is a “melting pot of a little bit of everything from the album,” says Stefan. “It’s somewhat delicate and sensitive like ‘Baggage’ or ‘Footprints,’ but still drives and grooves like ‘People’ or ‘Wang Chuk.’”
www.indieezine.com
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Feelgood Review!
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The boys from FeelGood should be VERY pleased with themselves, and, hopefully, if all goes to plan, ...The boys from FeelGood should be VERY pleased with themselves, and, hopefully, if all goes to plan, getting excited about a new album release? (actually, that's just me!). Introduced to me by a friend of the site, the group is AMAZING! A team of 5 guys, sounding pop/dance/r'n'b - Think a slightly more R'n'B-based Jamiroquai - With fantastic vocals and awesome beats, they are most certainly ones to watch. This fantastic EP is available on iTunes here - WELL Worth it - With the group's official site here, ENJOY! - And I'd love to know what you think - Hopefully this is the first time of many that I'll write about the group on the site :)
With a vocal combining so many awesome elements, and a bright synthy beat, with a slinky bass grove just behind it, one that immediately made me think of the Everlasting Michael Jackson...Goin Nowhere kicks this album off in great style. It's a great track, with some great vocal rhythms I love. Then comes what I feel is the crowing glory of this EP, the absolutely mindblowingly amazing and fantastic and brilliant and exceptional Baggage. With one of those brilliant "walking" beats I've stated my love before on the site, another smoky but GORGEOUS vocal, excellent little drop ins and out's of the beat, what is almost two absolutely fabulous bridges, gorgeous piano at the start and a chorus that's INSANELY irresistible. The vocal made me think of Mojada (Who's vocals I rave ALWAYS about) - I'm really loving this - One of the strongest tracks this year - Deserves to be HUGE. Stefan and the Guys should be very proud of this - and if you're reading - I'm loving your work! Almost like a hybrid, of sorts, of the last two tracks, Touch Humanity is up next. Another one of those vocals I'm loving, with an interesting beat behind it - More of those synths, but I'm interested in the effects layered over it...Nice, but not my favourite. Some clever lyrics in here though.
Goin Nowhere (Stripped) is the next track. These stripped tracks take the emphasis off the R'n'B beat, and make it more of a funky, soulful rock/pop affair - and all of the tracks stand up FANTASTICALLY here. Loving the vocal, still (I've kind of pinned it down to elements of The Backstreet Boys, Michael Bublé, Jamiroquai, Mojada and Michael Jackson - but there's still something I can't quite nail). Fantastic though, and the stripped treatment - inclusive of trumpet and drumming - works wonders on the track!. If you're anything like me, you'll be exceptionally pleased to know that Baggage (Stripped) works just as amazingly stripped back as it does in it's original form. More emphasis on that fantastic vocal, it's rhythm and flow, with some fantastic drum work and funky trumpets in the background. Interesting effect by the guitar in the second verse too. Final track Touch Humanity (Stripped) also works great live. It's actually, I think, Improved by the stripping treatment. It's a lighter sound and vibe - which makes the track a lot more fun, and sticks the AMAZING vocal straight to the front of the mix. Quite liking the cymbal crashes too. Love it, Highly recommended, and would LOVE to know what you think!.
http://fabtasticmusic.blogspot.com/2010/05/feelgood-feelgood-review.html
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