Marc Douglas Berardo

"Marc Douglas Berardo's newest CD WHALEBONE, will surely turn new fans on to his music. Berardo's songs are musical narratives with the feel of acoustic Springsteen and Tom Waits, with Buffet-eque subjects. You will want to own this one." - Motif Magazine

“Whalebone is a highly polished personal collection in the tradition of many clever songwriters of the past that forged songs like short stories. These songs are on the delicate trapeze of poignancy with suave rhythms, cool as an icy summer drink back-up vocals, lots of presence and personality."-John Apice-No Depression Magazine. - No Depression Magazine

"Berardo drops a gem with DOWNHAULER!
He is back from his travels with a cargo hold full of treasure. Like Hemingway,he draws his characters with pithy phrases." - The Working Musician, NY

"These are real-life stories and, in the hands of a good writer, all that more believable. It's not surprising that folks are paying attention to Berardo. He's been a winner and finalist in a lot of songwriting contests. He deserves it."-Rambles-A Cultural Arts Magazine - Rambles-A Cultural Arts Magazine

"Your new CD is killer. I don't often spontaneously reach out to an artist after the first hearing but Downhauler blew me away. What a great collection of songs!." - John Platt -WFUV FM, NY

"Downhauler's sound has an affinity with the Californian folk-rock of the 1970's. The CD targets a mature audience.Narrative simplicity in the best sense of the word." - Johnny's Garden-Rein van den Berg

I love this. Every once in awhile, a great CD falls into my lap and I love it. This is why I review CDs. To discover someone I’ve never heard of and in the normal course of life, probably never would. Marc Douglas Berardo is one such writer. His new CD, Harbor is lovely and well worth the listen. Let me say right from the beginning, this man can write. I wasn’t sure with the first cut, Blue Wave, but he had me from the second cut on. Shake Out The Dust, the 2nd track on the CD, is a beautifully written story of the impact cancer has on a family. It’s told in simple straightforward images – written like a conversation and so effective. I was there.

Take It Along is simple, that’s how good Berardo is. He writes simply with careful images and great tunes. I want to sing his songs. His voice is similar to John Prine and others like him, and maybe that’s where the success lies. It is so difficult to write simply and well. Berardo does both. It also helps that he can certainly play his guitar. He tells stories about his life – Where The Road Turns to Shell and Sand and the beautiful title track, Harbor. Life in a port town dependant on the fishing industry and his love of the sea. These are real life stories and in the hands of a good writer all that more believable.

It’s not surprising that folks are paying attention to Berardo. He’s been a winner and finalist in a lot of songwriting contests. He deserves it. Most of the CD is acoustic but there are a few rootsy songs as well. The similarity between Berardo and Prine comes through on these. The writing impressed me. He’s good. There is a song called Abuse which starts with….go down Moses, go down Abraham/save the child from the wretched men….I love it.
- Jane Emaon

I love this. Every once in awhile, a great CD falls into my lap and I love it. This is why I review CDs. To discover someone I’ve never heard of and in the normal course of life, probably never would. Marc Douglas Berardo is one such writer. His new CD, Harbor is lovely and well worth the listen. Let me say right from the beginning, this man can write. I wasn’t sure with the first cut, Blue Wave, but he had me from the second cut on. Shake Out The Dust, the 2nd track on the CD, is a beautifully written story of the impact cancer has on a family. It’s told in simple straightforward images – written like a conversation and so effective. I was there.

Take It Along is simple, that’s how good Berardo is. He writes simply with careful images and great tunes. I want to sing his songs. His voice is similar to John Prine and others like him, and maybe that’s where the success lies. It is so difficult to write simply and well. Berardo does both. It also helps that he can certainly play his guitar. He tells stories about his life – Where The Road Turns to Shell and Sand and the beautiful title track, Harbor. Life in a port town dependant on the fishing industry and his love of the sea. These are real life stories and in the hands of a good writer all that more believable.

It’s not surprising that folks are paying attention to Berardo. He’s been a winner and finalist in a lot of songwriting contests. He deserves it. Most of the CD is acoustic but there are a few rootsy songs as well. The similarity between Berardo and Prine comes through on these. The writing impressed me. He’s good. There is a song called Abuse which starts with….go down Moses, go down Abraham/save the child from the wretched men….I love it.
- Jane Emaon

"Berardo is first and foremost is a storyteller...The title song of Berardo’s Harbor CD is a stellar example of the type of storytelling
which is a part of all of his work. Berardo weaves the personal with the universal to help listeners of all sorts relate to his tales."
-Kathryn Vercillo -Northeast In Tune Magazine

- Northeast In Tune Magazine

"Marc Douglas Berardo's songs are like a day at the beach, filled with sensual images, of beautiful sights, warm breezes,
salty ocean spray. Dig under the surface and you'll find cool dark sand waiting to be brought to the surface and swept out to sea.
He reminds me of Don Henley or JohnSmith."-Lee Larcheveque- host of The Acoustic Cafe 91.1 FM WMUA UMass- Amherst, MA
- The Acoustic Cafe 91.1 FM WMUA

"Marc's music is like a warm breeze in March when hopes are high for a thaw...his knack for hooking a phrase and defining melodies keeps your auditory canal perked."-Steven J. Athanas-Toledo City Paper -Best Of 2003-Ohio - Toledo City Paper

"Marc Douglas Berardo writes thoughtful ballads that explore the rough spots of everyday life. He has an eye for unusual and interesting song topics. “The Rum Diary” imagines Hunter S. Thompson's wasted artiste “shadowboxing the muse” in a richly described island landscape. The laid-back musical setting drifts off like a raft towards the horizon. On As You Make Your Way, Berardo shows that determination can pay off. "-Danielle Dreilinger -Northeast Performer Magazine. - Oct 2004

There are few things more delightful than discovering a talented
singer/songwriter. I stumbled onto Marc Douglas Berardo's disc Harbor
and ended up doing him a disservice... I was so enamored it lived in my truck for well over a month before I cataloged it and took it into the Folk Show library at WPSU here in Central Pennsylvania.

You can almost smell the salt air and feel the cracked, weathered wood of a ramshackle pier beneath your deck shoes when Marc sings these songs, rich with the hardships, triumphs and tragedies of the locals in the harbor town he now calls home. Hurricanes, Portugese fisherman,
fried fish houses, Kennedys and kings abound. Driven by Marc's smooth voice and fluid, melodic guitar work, the songs crackle with life and emotion. I find myself most often, though, returning to the gentle hope and optimism of one of my favorite cuts, "Take it Along;"

…take it along/give a little bit away/do something real and feel
something every day…"

Plain and simple, this disc moves me. Highly recommended - one of my most-listened to discs of 2006 and, so far, of 2007.

-Jim Colbert, The Folk Show, WPSU-FM, Pennsylvania
- Jim Colbert-WPSU-FM-Pennsylvania

"His lonesome, clear voice easily carries an aching beauty through introspective songs such as "Untethered" and "The Rum Diary."
"The Story (Life After Hemingway)" is a lyrical stand-out, a kind of anti-"Starry Starry Night" for serious students of the heart."
- Steve Klingaman- Minor 7th Magazine.

- Steve Klingaman

"This man's music taste like a walk on a golden autum day...the typical sound of Iowa, Wyoming, North Carolina, Florida...it is simply, great American music." David Wonschewski -Bryter Layer Magazine Berlin, Germany. - Germany

"Another indie gem. I feel like I’ve made a special discovery. Imagine Bruce Springsteen stories as Glen Frey of The Eagles would tell them. Jackson Browne would kill to cover some of these songs. This is beautiful work. A gorgeous CD. A perfect soundtrack for the upcoming summer months." Jennifer Layton-Indie-Music.com. - Jennifer Layton

"His lonesome, clear voice easily carries an aching beauty through introspective songs such as "Untethered" and "The Rum Diary."
"The Story (Life After Hemingway)" is a lyrical stand-out, a kind of anti-"Starry Starry Night" for serious students of the heart."
- Steve Klingaman- Minor 7th Magazine.

- Steve Klingaman