VIKESH KAPOOR

Artist Information

Biography

Vikesh Kapoor is currently working on his debut LP with Adam Selzer (M. Ward, The Decemberists, Langhorne Slim), due out in early spring 2013.

Kapoor's last release, “Newspress Scare,” a 7-inch vinyl with digital download, was released in February 2010 by Good People. Kapoor performed a sold-out record release show in Cambridge, MA before heading out on a 3-week Midwestern and Northeastern tour. The record received attention from the Boston Globe, the Boston Phoenix, the Portland Phoenix, and mainstay blogs like "I Guess I'm Floating."

He has supported The Felice Brothers, AA Bondy, Tim Fite, Basia Bulat, Willy Mason, Willis Earl Beal, and Spirit Family Reunion.

ACCOLADES
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-In April 2010, Kapoor was asked to sing an original composition at Howard Zinn's memorial service at Boston University, alongside Noam Chomsky and other prestigious speakers and civil rights activists.

-In June 2010, Kapoor won the Best Music Award in the Folk category presented by the Boston Phoenix, the city's largest arts & entertainment publication. He was the only artist nominated without a full-length album, with senior music editor Michael Brodeur championing Kapoor's "Newspress Scare" as one of the best releases in Boston of the year.

-In December 2010, Kapoor was nominated for two Boston Music Awards in the Folk and Singer-Songwriter categories.

Instrumentation

Vikesh Kapoor

Discography

Newspress Scare 7" record w/ digital download (Good People) February 2010

On the Tail of a White Donkey CD-EP (Self-released) July 2008 SOLD OUT

Official Website

http://www.vikeshkapoor.com

Links

• Facebook
• Twitter
• MySpace
• 3 exclusive videos

Audio

• Oh, Siv
  Listen  
• Down by the River
  Listen  
• Newspress Scare
  Listen  
• If I Had a Song
  Listen  

Lyrics

• Oh, Siv
• Down By The River
• Newspress Scare
• If I Had a Song

Video

Photo Gallery

Press

• 7" Review [+ Show ]
  

  "Through a fictional story about a town whose news press has broken, Kapoor muses on media's societa..."Through a fictional story about a town whose news press has broken, Kapoor muses on media's societal influence and the frightening power of propaganda. With a laid-back yet precise delivery, Kapoor navigates effortlessly through lyrical nuggets such as "The mayor slumps up on his soapbox and looks to his scuffed black boots/ He knows his megaphone is plugged with slogans he never understood." On the less lofty, yet equally gorgeous "Oh, Siv," Kapoor visits well-traveled girl-leaves-boy territory without sounding trite or disingenuous. Rounding off this impressive little 7" is a wonderful cover of the popular standard "Mack The Knife." Kapoor's future as a songwriter is bright, and Newspress Scare is merely a glimpse into his potential."
  
  
  Read here:
  http://www.thankscaptainobvious.net/2010/01/vikesh-kapoor.html

• Weekly Dig Feature [+ Show ]
  

  [....] "Raised by immigrant parents who left a poor part of India, Kapoor is a firm believer in the ...[....] "Raised by immigrant parents who left a poor part of India, Kapoor is a firm believer in the American dream. At the suggestion that his songs transport to old-time Appalachia, Kapoor takes out his guitar and says, "Open your ears a little bit and understand." Folk music has always been about making old songs new." [....] - Neil Mirochnick
  
  Full write- up at: http://www.weeklydig.com/%5Bcatpath%5D/200909/vikesh-kapoor

• Boston Globe [+ Show ]
  

  "At first glance Kapoor - skinny dude in flannel shirt with a harmonica, guitar, and fedora, looks l..."At first glance Kapoor - skinny dude in flannel shirt with a harmonica, guitar, and fedora, looks like the second coming of iconic troubadour Woody Guthrie.
  And when he opens his mouth, you think he just might be. The local singer-songwriter sounds familiar with singing spare folk songs that are deeply personal." - James Reed
  
  Read blurb:
  http://calendar.boston.com/cambridge-ma/events/show/86162631-vikesh-kapoor
  

• Boston Phoenix Feature [+ Show ]
  

  "His verses attach themselves seamlessly" -Michael Brodeur Full write-up: http://thephoenix.com/..."His verses attach themselves seamlessly" -Michael Brodeur
  
  Full write-up:
  http://thephoenix.com/Boston/Music/76060-Folk-yeah/
  
  

• Bostonist Show Review [+ Show ]
  

  "Kapoor was the unifying grace of the evening, playing middle ground to the ages represented in the ..."Kapoor was the unifying grace of the evening, playing middle ground to the ages represented in the previous acts. He took the old and spoke it as new."
  
  "His songs moved from delicate finger pickings to jangly ballads and his voice sounded like a lost art." -Nick Curran
  
  
  Full show review: http://bostonist.com/2009/02/13/otherside-of-bear-folk.php?gallery0Pic=5#gallery

• Portland Phoenix
  

  "Wise beyond his young years and even younger career" Jan 30, 2009

• Boston Globe Review [+ Show ]
  

  A name like Vikesh Kapoor is likely to spark a particular sonic association: the music of an exotic ...A name like Vikesh Kapoor is likely to spark a particular sonic association: the music of an exotic culture, far removed from American roots. If nothing else, traditional folk maestro Kapoor, who hails from rural Pennsylvania, offers a righteous lesson that things aren't always as they seem.
  
  Lucky for listeners, he also offers a pure and poignant strain of folk. Inspired by the likes of Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger, Kapoor is keeping it real and old-school in a landscape of ever-mutating folk, as evidenced on his richly narrative debut EP "On the Tail of a White Donkey."
  
  Read full-write up at:
  http://www.boston.com/thingstodo/gotoit/2009/01/getting_folky.html
  

• Billboard Feature [+ Show ]
  

  "....Kapoor is no gimmick; he is a true folk aficionado whose music references traditionalists like ..."....Kapoor is no gimmick; he is a true folk aficionado whose music references traditionalists like Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger. His fiery performances have inspired a frenzy of hooting and hollering at house shows, communal foot stomping at P.A.’s Lounge and even captured the attention of Josh Ritter, for whom he played in a moonlit alley outside Club Passim."
  
  Read full write up:
  http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/collegemusic/boston-bu/college-town-profile/bands.jsp
  

• Interview and EP Review [+ Show ]
  

  "Down by the River," the second track off Vikesh Kapoor's debut EP On the Tail of a White Donkey, Ka..."Down by the River," the second track off Vikesh Kapoor's debut EP On the Tail of a White Donkey, Kapoor borrows the refrain "Fare thee well, my honey, fare thee well" from the traditional "Dink's Song," first recorded by John and Alan Lomax and best known by recordings from Pete Seeger and Bob Dylan. Both of these artists are obviously huge influences for Kapoor, who plays traditionalist story-song folk, with acoustic guitar and harmonica, occasionally backed by soft banjo or fiddle. "Willy Robbins," personalizes and politicizes a newspaper story about a poor day laborer, "the hardest workin' fellow in town," much as Dylan did in early songs like "The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll," and shows Kapoor to be a wonderfully talented songwriter. "One Woman Man," with its beautiful fiddle lines, adds hope that Kapoor's music will become a much richer project. I expect many good things from him in the coming year.
  
  Read the interview in full at:
  www.splicetoday.com/music/interview-vikesh-kapoor

• EP Review, Song of the Day [+ Show ]
  

  "....in order to create a piece of intellectual, poetic tradition one must come to terms with both...
  "....in order to create a piece of intellectual, poetic tradition one must come to terms with both who they are and what they have learned along the long, hard path. Kapoor’s feet are on their way to becoming tough and leathery and we’re lucky enough to catch him so soon."
  
  "Just as important as the individual tales, the whole EP is a coherent, imaginative collection of songs that describe a shared need for honest human connection."
  
  "Truly, Vikesh Kapoor’s poetry is the most obvious talent"
  
  "Kapoor hits what I consider to be a masterpiece, “Willy Robbins.” A traditional folk tale (no chorus, just the adamant painting of a harrowing picture). He sings lines like “then like many working men, he’d shower, watch TV.” and their gravity is unreal. It is truly brilliant."
  
  -Akhil Bhatt
  
  Read the full review at:
  
  http://indiemuse.com/2008/09/08/song-of-the-day-9808/

Setlist

25-45 minute as opener or headliner, respectively.

Basic Requirements

Calendar