Daniel Robinson

Artist Information

Biography

Daniel Robinson is a Philadelphia-based singer-songwriter. He is also the lead singer and bassist for the indie rock band Milton and the Devils Party. He claims to make rock music for thinking people or, sometimes, think music for rocking people.

Although much is made of the fact that he is also an English professor and literary scholar, Robinson is really just a writer creating music out of what he knows best. He actually believes in the relevance of art to real life, so it’s natural for him to draw inspiration from art and literature of all kinds, including such songwriters as Ray Davies, Morrissey, Lloyd Cole, Jackson Browne, and Nick Cave.

And, yes, Robinson may have some kooky ideas about the marriage of literature and rock-n-roll (see band’s name)—but the rest of his band finds this eccentricity amusing as long as it doesn’t interfere with the rocking!

With Milton and the Devils Party, Robinson has made three albums, two with with a gifted Philadelphia producer, Brian McTear; the most recent album is yet to be released.

For further information on Milton and the Devils Party, see the band's website:
www.miltondevilsparty.com

Instrumentation

Daniel Robinson: lead vocals and bass guitar
Mark Graybill: lead guitar
Bob Falgie: drums

Discography

with Milton and the Devils Party

What Is All This Sweet Work Worth? (FDR, 2006)

How Wicked We've Become (Transit of Venus, 2007)

Official Website

http://www.miltondevilsparty.com

Audio

• Brain
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• I Miss My Friends
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• Sweat So Sweet
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• Freshmen Reading Poetry
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• The Wayside
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• Muse of Mundanity
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• I've Had Your Wife
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• My Head Is Bowed
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• Have to Have Everything
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• Too Old to Die
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Lyrics

• Muse of Mundanity
• Have to Have Everything
• I've Had Your Wife
• Too Old to Die
• My Head Is Bowed
• I've Had Your Wife
• Freshmen Reading Poetry

Video

Photo Gallery

Press

• Deep undercurrents of longing and yearning [+ Show ]
  

  There are deep undercurrents of longing and yearning in the lyrics, cleverly disguised by the bright...There are deep undercurrents of longing and yearning in the lyrics, cleverly disguised by the bright, uptempo music.
  
  (Full review of How Wicked We've Become: http://www.pastemagazine.com/blogs/whitman/)

• Intelligent but NOT exclusionary! [+ Show ]
  

  Sure the music is intelligent but it’s far from exclusionary. If you’re like me you just might hear ...Sure the music is intelligent but it’s far from exclusionary. If you’re like me you just might hear a little bit of XTC wedged in between some of the more rockin’ tunes. Good stuff.

• More sarcastic punk than high-falutin' poetics [+ Show ]
  

  As you'd suspect, their lyrics have an edge, but the spirit of songs like "End of the Affair," "Perf...As you'd suspect, their lyrics have an edge, but the spirit of songs like "End of the Affair," "Perfect Breasts" and "Ugly American" is more sarcastic punk than high-falutin' poetics. And the band's propulsive, power pop music offers the sweet-and-sour whiff of an Elvis Costello or R.E.M. anthem.

• Bee-stung sincerity [+ Show ]
  

  The Philly quartet's debut What Is All This Sweet Work Worth? finds singer/songwriter/bassist Daniel...The Philly quartet's debut What Is All This Sweet Work Worth? finds singer/songwriter/bassist Daniel Robinson charmingly channeling the bee-stung sincerity of Elvis Costello and Matthew Sweet.

• CD deserves a broad audience [+ Show ]
  

  What Is All This Sweet Work Worth?, the first album from Philadelphia's Milton and the Devils Party,...What Is All This Sweet Work Worth?, the first album from Philadelphia's Milton and the Devils Party, combines lyrical complexity with powerful pop hooks. But this is no snotty adolescent parade of undergraduate pseudo-intellectualism. Sharp and catchy, this CD deserves a broad audience.

• A Breath of fresh power pop air! [+ Show ]
  

  Philadelphia's own Milton and the Devils Party are a breath of fresh power-pop air. Keeping alive a ...Philadelphia's own Milton and the Devils Party are a breath of fresh power-pop air. Keeping alive a beautiful tradition of romantic angst matched with seamless pop sensibilities, this quartet is keeping the spirit of the Kinks, Go-Betweens, Graham Parker and Don Dixon alive alive with this one-two punch of a record.

• Who ever thought you could shake your ass to literary-inflected rock? [+ Show ]
  

  In the end this album proves equally rewarding for rockers and eggheads alike. Hey, who ever thought...In the end this album proves equally rewarding for rockers and eggheads alike. Hey, who ever thought you could shake your ass to literary-inflected rock. Oh, and kudos to these boys for keeping the sound raw and therefore authentic to the era that the band draws the bulk of its influences from.

• Demands more attention than the average pop album [+ Show ]
  

  Both promising and erudite, What Is All This Sweet Work Worth? demands more attention than the avera...Both promising and erudite, What Is All This Sweet Work Worth? demands more attention than the average pop album to be fully appreciated.

• Impressive Debut [+ Show ]
  

  Songs like "Theodicy Club" and "To Jane" are the hallmarks of the record, middling between rock and ...Songs like "Theodicy Club" and "To Jane" are the hallmarks of the record, middling between rock and pop, helped along by the edgy guitar playing of Mark Graybill. What is All This Sweet Work Worth? is an impressive debut and would fit right at a frat party or the Literature Society Bimonthly Story Circle.

• Tremendous effort for a debut full-length
  

  All together this CD is a tremendous effort for a debut full-length.

Setlist

Basic Requirements

Calendar