La Strada
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La Strada

New York, New York, United States | INDIE

New York, New York, United States | INDIE
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"8 NYC Bands You Need to Hear - La Strada"

FORMED: January 2007

FAVORITE NYC VENUE: Sound Fix

BEST THING ABOUT BEING IN A BAND IN NYC: “The inspiration of being around so much good music and the bustle and feel of Brooklyn and Manhattan. Venues and audiences are great too.”

AND THE WORST: “No forests or wild animals.”

There’s a constant battle going on in indie-rock circles, between proponents of a bare-bones approach, who argue that rock and roll is most appealing in its most stripped-down format, and those who will be limited only by the number of musician friends they can scrape up. You’ve all seen bands of late, with eight or ten people cramped together on a small, crowded stage — such a large group that you instinctively think maybe you’d like to be a part of it too. This is precisely the kind of vibe given off by La Strada — only you’re probably not nearly talented enough to be part of it. Led by singer and accordionist James Craft, the band, which features seven members, makes an awful lot of noise. Accordion, cello, violin, viola, bass, guitars, drums… it’s a lot to take in. They will instantly win over fans of Beirut’s first record, with their similarly indie-influenced take on Balkan folk music, and while it almost seems cheap at this point, those of you who really, really wish there was a new Neutral Milk Hotel record will probably find something here as well. They’re working on a new EP at the moment, on which we assume they will prove once again that tons of people playing relatively quiet instruments can make just as much noise as a few people playing through Marshall half-stacks. - The L Magazine, Mike Conklin


"La Strada: Your New Favorite Indie Band"


Sitting at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony, I noticed that every time someone made a joke about the flailing music industry, the entire ballroom paused to take a swig from their drinks. The gut reaction of music lovers has been to blame the collapse of music industry on corporate greed: the inflation of prices on goods that are cheap to produce, while artists gain minimal profit. The sudden introduction of free online file sharing and downloading pulled the carpet out from beneath Big Business' feet, leaving record companies scrambling. Traditional album sales have fallen 40% since 2000, and they only continue to decline. Well, not so much decline as plummet. No one really knows how to make money off music any more... but that doesn't mean that the music itself has suffered. On the contrary, mix tape culture is still going strong and bands all over are still invested in creating, inventing and playing for audiences rabid for something new. And that's what matters. Case in point: my favorite NYC indie band, La Strada.

Anyone who loves music knows the joy of discovering a new band. Someone mentions them to you in passing, maybe you catch their name on a flyer, and before you know it, you're hauling yourself across the city on a freezing cold night to pay too much for a bad beer, hoping that this band is worth loosing two toes to Old Man Winter.

Wandering into Sound Fix on just such a night, the first thing I noticed about this band I'd heard about was the accordion. It wasn't really what I was expecting. Same with the cello -- really, the entire string section. Lord save me from these "lots of instruments" bands! You know what I mean: there's a bevy of quirky instruments like a hurdygurdy or a harmonium, and everyone switches around playing them. Without a strong drummer leading the way, these bands fall apart like flan in a cupboard.

About half way into their first song, I realized... Not only does this band have it together, they've got something to say, and they're... good. Named after the film, La Strada combines gypsy influences with what sounds French drinking songs. They make you want to swing red wine bottles around, pretend to speak French, and make out with someone. Which, if I'm being honest, I always want to do, so really, it was love at first sight.

The band came together like most people hook up in New York: Craigslist. Paris-born lyricist James Craft posted an ad looking for people to make "music with fire," "It said 'accordion, driving rhythms, gypsy inspired, lots of vocal harmonies.' People had to be able to play, they also had to be able to sing." Devon Press, the man behind the melody, responded and brought along guitarist and long-time friend Ted Lattis. Classically trainer viola player Corrina Albright, was drawn by the promise of something new and challenging, "In the conservatory, I was always more drawn to what the jazz people were doing -- improvising. It's not that I don't love classical music -- I do -- it's just that I'm never satisfied." Cello player Maria Jeffers was solicited on the subway by Craft: "I was on the train in midtown and saw someone with a cello on their back, and I'm like "Do you play cello?" and asked her if she's like to play with a band."

When I asked about all the instruments, Lattis replied, "We can do everything we want to do, any fantasy of sound, we're not hindered by the very classic rhythm section set up with a frontman. We're all constantly trying to expand our repertoire - especially Devon. His apartment looks like the back room of a Sam Ash." As long as their "fantasy of sound" keeps people singing along like they're at a soccer match, I'm all for it.

With bands like the Decemberists, Beirut, Gogol Bordello and others, popular rock music has evolved past the standard set up of guitars, bass, possibly a little piano thrown in for kicks. Says Baer, who also comes from a classical background, "It seems like people are really hungry for stuff that sounds different these days. I started playing in bands in San Francisco ten years ago, and I was always in bands that had a similarly eclectic and unusual instrumentation. But at that time, it was an uphill battle to be playing in a band that wasn't a standard rock band. I don't feel like that's true at all anymore."

Overall the band has seven members: Craft on the accordion and lead vocals, Lattis and Press trading up lead, rhythm and bass guitar, Daniel Baer on violin, Corrina Albright on viola, and Maria Jeffers on cello (she also occasionally plays with Sufjan Stevens). I would tell them that if this whole music thing doesn't pan out, they have enough people for a great intramural dodgeball team, but seeing La Strada live, it's obvious music is what gets their blood pumping. The cacophony and crescendo of "Starling," (the band's favorite number at the moment) makes your heart pump and your throat ache to join in -- even if you can't harmonize for shit.

Drawing on Jungian archetypes, folk tales and Franco-Baltic harmonies, La Strada offers up the best of the New York indie scene: interesting music made by talented people who have a point of view and a love for what they do. With a new drummer in Brady Miller, and plans for recording an EP, La Strada exudes the optimism and joy that all young bands need to keep slogging. Craft gushes, "It's transcending the folk influences, it's getting bigger. And that's exciting." Indeed.

If CD's aren't selling like they used to, let's focus on this: if the music is good and exciting, people will always buy it. Businesses have to learn to evolve like the rest of us, and if more publishing and recording power stays in the hands of bands, whether they're recording their first EP in Brooklyn, or if they're Trent Reznor or Radiohead, who recorded and released their most recent record, In Rainbows, without a record company. As Tom Yorke said, "I like the people at our record company, but the time is at hand when you have to ask why anyone needs one. And, yes, it probably would give us some perverse pleasure to say 'Fuck you' to this decaying business model."

If you'd like to check out La Strada and live in the New York area, come on out to Brooklyn and catch them April 5 at the Luna Lounge or you can see them April 25 at Union Hall, both fabulous venues. See you there! - Huffington Post, E.A. Hanks


"Interviews: La Strada"

Artist: La Strada
La Strada, despite what the name may lead you to believe, are quintessentially New York.

La Strada, despite what the name may lead you to believe, are quintessentially New York. Half of the band members were found through staple city search engine Craigslist, and the rest through serendipitous chance, including a run in on the subway. And just like the island of Manhattan itself, it is the collection of worldly influences which make La Strada so idiosyncratic. I meet with them on a sunny late summer’s day in Union Square, having been impressed by their recent performance at a local Barack Obama fundraiser.

I wanted to know about the origin of their Italian name, being such a fan of the Fellini film. "I am influenced by Nina Rota, who scores Fellini films," Devon, who arranges the string section, tells me. "We enjoy and compare ourselves to a Fellini-esque end of a film, especially Starling which we often end with. It can be an amazingly loud and raucous point!" says Ted. James adds that the translation (‘the road’) conjures up broad and metaphorical imagery which is also a reference to all European cinema, not just Fellini.

La Strada evolved from four people, and after each addition they found they could always be bigger and better, until now, at seven strong. They are compiled of James Craft (lead vocals and accordion), Ted Lattis (guitar and vocals), Corrina Albright (viola and vocals), Devon Press (guitar and vocals), Daniel Baer (violin and vocals), Brady Miller (drums and vocals) and Maria Jeffers (cello and vocals). As a group of seven, La Strada are a modern blend of Balkan infused indie, and have been writing songs together for almost a year. To get to know their influences better, I asked what band or singer they would most liked to have played with, past or present. It seemed to leave them dumbstruck with choice, except for a resounding agreement with The Beatles. After a few minutes of painstaking pondering, Devon picks France Gall, Daniel chooses Astor Piazzolla, Corrina admits wanting to sing back up for Paul Simon, James would like to work with PJ Harvey, Brady would play percussion for Tom Waits, and finally Ted debates between My Bloody Valentine and Bob Dylan. The vast choices give you an idea of La Strada’s infusion of musical influences. "We have trouble pinpointing exact influences, as there is a breadth of them," Ted tells me. "There is sixties pop, contemporary baroque acts like Arcade Fire, both American and European folk. And then there is also minimalism, world music, and classical, ranging from all periods," adds James.

The majority of the band are from Brooklyn, which has recently become a breeding ground for popular indie or rock acts, beginning with Yeah Yeah Yeahs and continuing right up to Vampire Weekend. "There was a revived late 1970’s early 1980’s sound, but that has given way to subtle song writing and it is not genre specific, either. There is a more natural sound in recording with the added technology, making it cleaner," Ted and Devon tell me. They mention Frances, another Brooklyn based indie band who La Strada liken themselves to. La Strada seem part of the new, Eastern European influenced American sect, whose power-folk sound has spread from Brooklyn to a bigger stage, following the footsteps of success found in Beirut or A Hawk and a Hacksaw. But they are still refreshingly new, with unrehearsed answers, an unspoiled intellect, and an immediate friendliness. So where next? "It would be good to still have it be this fun," says Corrina. "We’ve been together over a year now and enjoyed every second of it." Ted sums up the aspirations of La Strada, "it would be great to live off what you love, and find out how great our sound can be." If La Strada’s sound is already so refined after just a year, it will be exciting to see what they achieve after another year. We expect it will be something big…

Their EP ‘La Strada’ will be on iTunes from Jan 27th, and you can catch them at the Baruch Performing Arts Centre on September 26, at the CMJ music marathon between October 21-25, the L Magazine showcase, and opening for O Death at the Music Hall of Williamsburg on October 30.
- This Is Fake DIY


"La Strada, Hoots And Hellmouth, And O’Death/Music Hall Of Willamsburg/ October 30th"

The good folks over at Zig Zag Live recently rolled out another smoking show as La Strada, Hoots and Hellmouth and headliners O’Death set up shop in Brooklyn at The Music Hall of Williamsburg. The vibe at the beginning of the night defiantly made you take notice that it was the night before Halloween as a whole cast of characters began to file in. First up was indie folkers La Strada, who bring every instrument imaginable with them on stage. The seven-piece’s soaring harmonies were perfectly echoed throughout the entire music hall. The band seamlessly meshes accordions, violins and cellos with rocking guitars and skillfully played drums. - CMJ Relay - CMJ Staff Blog


"Music Review: La Strada EP"

The opus "Starling" showcases what a full seven-piece outfit can do with strings, percussion, and a couple of accordions in telling the story of a little bird in a big world: "Welcome to your new world / you're looking through the eyes / of a child again / the waves are crashing to the ground." Unfortunately, La Strada's eponymous debut EP is six tracks long, albeit fuller and more complete than most hour-long sets dream to be. - Blogcritics


"Look Twice at La Strada"

I hadn't planned on writing about La Strada. After all, they're from Brooklyn, and one of the things of which I'm most proud when it comes to i(heart)music is the extent to which I focus on Canadian music. Clearly, there's a bit of incompatibility between those two facts.

Then again, it's my site, I can write about whatever I want, and if La Strada's debut EP is blowing me away, then (by golly) I'll write about it. Besides, up until I read this, I actually thought the band was from the Maritimes. After all, the EP was sent to me by an East Coast publicist because the band was swinging through Ottawa on a tour with Hey Rosetta!, so the pieces just seemed to fit together. By the time I found out otherwise, I was hooked. In any case, good music deserves to be written about...and La Strada definitely fall in the category of "good music".

The obvious touchstone is Neutral Milk Hotel; frontman James Craft is a vocal dead ringer for Jeff Mangum, as "Mama" demonstrates, and there's something slightly unhinged in the band's pop sensibilities (but not so much that listening is ever a chore. That said, there are very clearly echoes of The Decemberists, Arcade Fire, and a dozen other baroque pop-minded acts in their debut EP, so you could pretty much take your pick of influences and you'd probably be right. Regardless of who you wind up with, though, it's doubtful that you'll pick a band that's that much better than these guys. This is astoundingly good for a first album, and it's most definitely worth picking up.
- I (Heart) Music


"CMJ NYC Preview: La Strada"

Combining beautiful harmonies with old world sounds of the accordion, La Strada creates a new sect of charming romanticism rock with swelling orchestral arrangements. The beauty of La Strada is the band's ability to remain lyrically genuine and trapeze the line between old world sounds and rock melodies.

The distinct sound of La Strada has not gone unnoticed. La Strada has been on the Indie radar for a little while, accumulating critic's acclaim, and will be featured on a Where the Wild Things Are behind the scenes trailer and an episode of Jason Schwartzman's new show, Bored to Death on HBO.

La Strada's Brady Miller, James Craft and Devon Press provide us with a little insight on what it's like to play with a large band and the inspiration they thrive on to create La Strada's sound.

1. What's currently playing on your iPod? When you're touring, what's on your car radio?

Brady: I've been listening to a lot of RadioLab, and we'll probably be cranking those during our next tour!

James: Foals, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, and PJ Harvey.

Devon: Girls, Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti, Harry Belafonte, and Smith Westerns.

2. What music did you listen to when you were a kid?

Brady: Lots of Paul Simon, Peter Gabriel, and all sorts of jazz.

James: Bach, Led Zeppelin, and The Beatles.

Devon: A lot of Beatles and Van Halen.

La Strada, photo courtesy of La Strada

3. What is your favorite song to play live?

Brady: "My New Home."

James: "My New Home."

Devon: "Wash on By."

4. Was there ever a definitive moment where you realized that music is what you wanted to do?

Brady: I started playing drums in junior high and realized halfway through high school that I'd probably pursue some sort of professional music career (my other passion was film).

James: Yeah. I was playing it since I was five, but not until recently did I have the, "AHA!" moment. It was like, "It's time. Let's get down to business."

Devon: No... I think I've always known it.

5. A lot of people synthesize your music as "old world" music. What old world (be it an imaginary or real old world) do you think or hope they're referring to?

Brady: We're not too into the labels--our music comes from a variety of influences and is always changing. There is definitely a feel of old world European style in our LP, but as the music continues to evolve, you can find all sorts of old-world, new-world, other-world influenced in there.

James: "Old World" was grabbed from a blurb because it sounded good. Yeah, with the accordion and some folk structures many of the songs can sound European and grassy-rustic-hilly. But I see the band as more experimental-- that is, an outfit that never settles into a sound but is always look for something new. That's how I feel about it, at least.

Devon: Dinosaurs.

6. How did you settle on the band name La Strada? Any references to the Fellini film? Does your name influence your music or did your music generate ideas for the band name?

James: I thought the sound and rhythm of the name was awesome. I also like that it means "The Road." Yeah sure some songs might have a Nina Rota/Fellini sound, but it all boils down to the sound and the word's direct meaning.

Devon: Yes... It's a pretty direct reference to the Fellini film... But in all fairness... We came up with the name first. The music most definitely came before the name.

7. When you listen back to your music, who do you envision as your audience and where are they listening to your song? What are they taking away from it?

James: I don't really imagine people. I only listen to the music and listen to its strengths and weaknesses. I hope they take away the passion.

Devon: Young teenage girls driving around in Honda civics.

8. With so many members, your band is practically an orchestra in its own right. Do you find it difficult to coordinate so many people? How much input or say does each member have in the direction of the band or music?

Brady: We are pretty like-minded and easy-going people, which is a great start. It is often difficult to coordinate schedules, especially when we are planning longer out-of-town ventures, but we generally make it work.

James: Scheduling can be rough. But creatively we have core members that are easier to coordinate. We tour as six so it's a little more manageable. The core members have much more input because of their commitment and passion for the music.

Devon: It can be tough but we all try to be easy-going and try our best to accommodate everyone's feelings/ideas.

9. What is it like to tour with so many musicians? Or to play (literally) small stages even?

Brady: For some reason, we all get along so well that touring with a lot of musicians is a great experience. And while it's really nice to have a lot of space on stage, sometimes smaller stages can bring an intimate quality to the musical experience, as long as no one's eyes are getting poked out by violin bows or flying drum sticks.

James: It works out. We tour as six. It's fun. We don't usually play small stages but when we do it's a blast.

Devon: I love playing on small stages. One of the best shows I have ever been to was when I was in high school. This local band played on a ridiculously small stage and they were all falling into each other on purpose and just so relaxed. It's like letting yourself fall into someone else's arms. With so many people there's a great sense of a collective emotion that can be very exhilarating.

10. What are you working on now? Albums, large shows, tours?

Devon: Our first full length album....Very excited! We also have a ton of CMJ Shows, and will be featured in Episode 4 of Bored to Death and VBS's promotional and behind the scenes videos for Where The Wild Things Are. - Stylecaster.com


"CMJ 2009: 20 Bands To Not Miss!"

One impressive standout of the watered down Williamsburg music scene has been La Strada, a quintet that brings a distinct international vibe to the area’s indie rock-dominated center. Vocalist James Craft is French-born and Romanian-bred and, consequently, each track off their recently released self-titled EP is imbued with the culture and music from those regions. Balkan instrumentation, including ample use of accordion, bolsters the band’s folky sound. - Metromix.com


"La Strada brings its Grand Style"

La Strada brings its grand style - Nova Scotia News - TheChronicleHerald.ca 12/31/09

Brooklyn ensemble La Strada joins
Newfoundland’s Hey Rosetta! and Jon
Mckiel at Halifax’s Paragon Theatre on
Friday and Saturday nights.

La Strada brings its grand style

now hear this STEPHEN COOKE

Thu. Dec 10

WITH A SWIRL OF strings, a blast of brass and a
beat that leaps from martial stride to Keith Moon
madness, Brooklyn ensemble La Strada announces
itself in grand style on its self-titled debut EP.
Incorporating sounds from both side of the Atlantic,
the band’s France-born singer and accordionist
James Craft has an open mind about making music,
and keeps his eyes and ears open for inspiration,
wherever it may be.
"My favourite photograph right now is an image of an
airplane wing over the ocean, with clouds beneath it.
Someone took it out of an airplane window, and I
have it up in my living room right now," says the
leader of La Strada, which joins Newfoundland’s Hey
Rosetta! and Jon Mckiel at Halifax’s Paragon Theatre
on Friday and Saturday nights.
"That’s kind of where my creative centre is, you
know? Somewhere over the ocean, looking down at a bunch of clouds, so I’m very
excited about heading up there."
Calling from a cab en route to Manhattan’s Metropolitan Museum to scan a few canvases
before hitting the road, Craft says La Strada came together as a group of "world-minded
musicians" eager to travel to new places, and find new influences.
"We started writing tunes together, and realized there was all this space in the music," he
explains.
"A lot of us had an affinity for strings, so we went for it. We started building a trio around
the songs, and the horns were an extravagance for the record. We’ve only played live
with them three or four times, but it seemed like a really nice way to fill out some of the
songs, and add those brass tones.
"They’re not on all of the songs, but for the more robust songs they sounded just right."
Named after Federico Fellini’s heart-wrenching 1954 film about a travelling entertainer, La
Strada is a good match for Hey Rosetta!, with whom they previously shared the stage at
New York’s Mercury Lounge. Both acts have an expansive dynamic in their compositions
and approach their subjects with a clear poetic vision.
"The thing about the band that I really enjoy and I really find unique is having this really
wide breadth of sound," he says. "On a personal level, as a songwriter, I like to write in lot
of different ways that are really personal. I don’t feel completely close to one particular "I love folk songs, but we’re also trying to reach past that and find new sounds. At the live
show you’ll hear a lot of the new songs from an LP that’s coming out in March. We just
finished it, and I’m really excited about it."
Also in the works, at least in the conceptual stage, is a collection of French songs that
remains near and dear to Craft’s heart. A nod to his early heritage, he says he hopes the
new record coming in the spring will attract enough attention to make a Gallic effort
feasible.
"Yeah, I mean, that’s even on a different planet," he says.
"I speak French, and we’ve written French songs . . . I mean, we consider ourselves in the
area of indie rock with forays into folk music and other kinds of tunes, but the French stuff
is in another language and written from a different place musically.
"When we have the time and the money to make an EP or an LP in French, that’ll be a
whole different direction. We’re always trying new things, so we’re moving more into pop
right now, and trying simpler forms of songs, but we have all kinds of different ideas and
different inspirations to keep things really fresh for us."
Saturday’s Paragon show with Hey Rosetta!, Jon Mckiel and La Strada is already sold
out, however tickets are still available for Friday night’s performance.
In case Friday at the Paragon is sold out by the time you read this, there are some other
stellar shows to take in, including a one-off reunion of Al Tuck & No Action at Tribeca,
with original members Tracy Stevens and Brock Caldwell, plus some able assistance from
Charles Austin.
Tuck and his pals will be revisiting the tunes they recorded on the P.E.I. songsmith’s early
murderecords releases Arhoolie and Brave Last Days, which still sound great today, if I
don’t mind saying myself.
It’s an early show, at 8 p.m. and not to be missed if you’re a fan of Tuck’s wistful,
rambling melodies.
Also on Friday, starting at 9 p.m. (doors open at 8 p.m.), it’s the Holiday Blues Party with
two of the best combos you’re going to hear: Garrett Mason (and band) and Joe Murphy
and the Water Street Blues Band at the North Street Church. The two acts will tag team
so the music keeps going all night, and it’s a licensed event, so you have to be 19 or
older to attend.

Advance tickets are $15 at Taz Records, or it’s $20 at the door.
- The Chronicle Herald.ca


"The European-American Folk-Rock Clash of La Strada"

The dark wooden floor of Public Assembly in Williamsburg, Brooklyn creaked as a patron quietly requested another drink from the bartender, whose gaze had been fixed upon the stage filled with six musicians. The bartender turned, quickly procured a can of an unknown beer, placed it on top of the bar then folded his arms as the patron returned to the mass of onlookers watching the curly haired singer of La Strada croon into the mic, pushing and pulling apart the pleated bellows of an accordion.

The backing string section converted the cavernous room into a Midwestern prairie, adorning it with an imagined verdant veneer of an old American era when people gathered to listen to stories of heartbreak and loss. Then, when it was over, the smiling audience quietly shuffled away and the band returned the instruments to their silent casings.

This quintet (and sometimes septet) of pan-American musicians was the fitting bookend for the Northside Festival – a celebration of music and art held at manifold venues throughout Greenpoint and Williamsburg back in June to showcase the culturally diverse influences seen and heard in these neighborhoods.

La Strada, which means “the road” in Italian, is an appropriate name for a band whose members had come together from different regions of America to this plot of land on the north end of Brooklyn. By way of friends and Craigslist, the band joined piecemeal throughout the two years of its existence from California, Vermont, Kentucky, and New York to make an infused amalgamation of music influenced by Americana folk and European ‘60s pop.

Lead singer and the man behind the accordion, James Craft explained the evolution of La Strada’s sound, saying, “I spent a lot of time in Europe so I had that coming at me. It was an amazing and satisfying direction to take for me.” Being in close proximity to some of Europe’s more traditional music influenced Craft to learn and play his instrument. Joined by bassist, Devon Press, guitarist, Ted Lattis, violinist, Daniel Baer, and drummer, Brady Miller, the band has issued a catalogue of music that is both clear and profound.

When asked how the band had adopted its name, Craft says, “We spent a lot of good time working on the name. We watched a lot of Fellini’s films together and it seemed that the names had these nice open-ended sounds. Then we watched La Strada. It was a really good movie so why not go for this? For me, the name was so symbolic but it was so clear and simple.”

La Strada has been on the move throughout the States and receiving approbation from audiences that tend to be fickle about bands they’ve never heard of. But music that flows with honesty, passion, and technical skill can fortify the unseen aura of a group of musicians as well versed in their own language as these guys are.

This past Februrary, the band released its debut E.P. – a collection of six songs meticulously crafted by all members of the band and what it delivered was a supple beginning of the road less traveled by most people – the exhibition of one’s own declaration of willful expression.

La Strada’s self titled debut E.P.

The band’s style is en vogue at the moment, with bands like Gogol Bordello, Devotchka, and Beirut; however La Strada’s distinct sound is represented by their self-titled E.P. - a blend of cinematic imagery, folk melody, and crisp songwriting that is meant to include the listener on the band’s emotional history.

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Songs like, “Flying”, “Starling”, and “Mama” indicate a unit of musicians that regard story telling and composition as equal components for rich songwriting. “Orphan”, for example, exhibits sensitivity to both American and European influences. Miller’s thunderous drums are strong and prevalent and Craft sings reassuring words to enhance the bold theme that the song portrays.

One of the albums best moments is illustrated in “Mama” – a heart rending song that begins with one long note on the accordion, which is soon accompanied by Lattis’ mournful guitar, and backing vocals. A nostalgic melody is played on a toy piano to let the listener in on a message sung by Craft to his mother who passed away when he was a young boy. The song ends with a lasting note on the accordion to bring it back to the beginning, like a closed book, and is met with the opening notes of “Starling” – perhaps the strongest song on the E.P.

“Starling”, in contrast to “Mama” is a greeting to a newly realized experience – the cinematic closure of this compilation of music. It is both elegant and complex in its composition but does not saunter off into intangible territory. Although the lyrics on La Strada’s E.P. aren’t fancy in a contrived kind of way, they are poignant and deliver a response to the strife and hope of the human condition.

From the Northside Festival to some of the band’s favorite clubs in Chicago, La Strada performs for its audiences a new kind of folk music that is both existential as it is engaging. The group currently has plans to release its first full length album in the next five to six months. - TheWhiskeyDregs.com


Discography

Our full length (13 song) "New Home" will be officially released by Ernest Jenning Record Company April, 2010. We currently have a self-titled EP out on the same label. "Loved You All Along" was recently featured on HBO's "Bored To Death", and "Flying" has been featured in promo videos and an industry trailer for "Where the Wild Things Are". "Mama" will also be featured in the upcoming film "Cafe" starring Jennifer Love Hewitt. A Daytrotter Session will feature La Strada early February 2010, and we've been featured on Breakthru Radio, KEXP, and radio stations throughout North America.

Photos

Bio

Formed in early 2007, La Strada has quickly made a name for itself with raucous, foot-stomping shows. The quintet—James Craft, Devon Press, Ted Lattis, Brady Miller, and Daniel Baer—sports a grand yet playful sound, and the live lineup follows suit, expanding to include additional strings and horns. Recorded at Miner Street Studios in Philadelphia and The Buddy Project in Queens, the band’s debut LP, New Home, features 13 tracks of raw emotion channeled into well-crafted pop songs. It’s no surprise that Craft, the band’s primary songwriter and multi-instrumental front man, has lived all over the world, including France, Romania and, since 2005, New York City. With influences ranging from ancient music to modern indie rock, the band has garnered comparisons to Neutral Milk Hotel, Beirut, and Arcade Fire. New Home explores the band's love of many genres, and its lyrics reflect Craft's life in Brooklyn and the path that led him to play in one of the most unique-sounding outfits making music today. As anyone who has seen the band's shows can attest, La Strada is starting to write the book on lighting up stages with a spectrum of international colors. The group has already toured much of North America with the likes of the Bowerbirds and Canada's Hey Rosetta! and Cuff the Duke. With the release of New Home, La Strada is ready to personify its name and take to the road.