Bluish

Touting themselves as a ‘rock band with a flute,’ Bluish hails from NYV and recently self-produced a six-song EP entitled “Milestones and Deliverables.” Unusual to some maybe, but a flute made Jethro Tull sound pretty damn good. Mixed with slamming guitar sequences from Steve Giordano and Joe Bilotti and innovative drums from Todd Horowitz, Bluish pulls this off quite well. While the vocals are male-dominated (Anthony Bilotti) a splash of female voice provided by Danielle Bilotti makes for a sweet sounding CD. Upbeat, rocking out tunes make for good head-bopping music, while the flute adds a playful melody.

Bluish proclaims that “Sooner Than Later” is the most radio-friendly track on their album, but “Conquer and Heal” is equally worthy. It’s upbeat, catchy and the flute travels throughout and even has an awesome solo. Another track that sticks in your head is “Comfortable Rage.” Ironically it doesn’t hold a hostile tone, but rather a fun one.

The aptly named “Milestones and Deliverables,” this CD is a milestone for Bluish and boy do they deliver. Be sure to check it out on Amazon.com. - Good Times Magazine

People ask me why I love the Long Island Music Festival. There are a number of reasons, but here's one of the main ones - every year, I go out to a few first-round shows, and find at least one band that I've never heard of in my life that totally delights me. Half the time, they don't even win their first-round competition, but I don't care. I have a new band that will probably give me several years' worth of pleasure.

Bluish was my band for this year. A 5-piece that consists of three siblings from Staten Island plus two lads from Long Island, this group is wacky, wild and fun.

Their overall sound consists of punk-like male vocals and strong female backup vocals, fronting some driving guitars, and frequently following a flute for the song's main line. The musicianship isn't totally tight, but somehow, the whole package works.

Milestones and Deliverables features six strong and distinctive songs. The opening song "Conquer and Heal" is fast-paced, and starts the disc off on a strong note. "Comfortable Rage" is one of those songs with quirky timing (sounds sort of like 1-2-3-4, 1-2-3). "Sooner Than Later" is a little less manic than some of the other numbers, and as best I can tell, is kind of a favorite of Bluish fans. "Soft Place To Fall", on the other hand, is one of the louder numbers, with drums and guitar colliding everywhere, as the flute slides by overhead. "Second Time Anything" is sort of staccato, and again features an atypical timing. "Then I Guess", one of the strongest songs, closes out the CD. It's a hard rocking number with a catchy chorus.

Bluish plays about one show a month on the Island. I'd definitely recommend you see them for yourself, and pick up a copy of the CD while you're there. - Aural Fix

One of the more interesting bands I've come across this summer is Bluish. Comprised of three siblings from Staten Island and two other band members from Long Island, this group has been entertaining crowds all around the area. Their sound is unique-the vocals are kind of punkish, with a strong female backup vocalist, but although there are guitars in the band, the musical lead line frequently comes from a flute.

Their CD, Milestones and Deliverables, is both innovative and enjoyable. You can catch them on Thursday, September 5, at The Village Pub in Port Jefferson, or check out their website at www.bluishband.com. - The Inside Connection

Maybe it's the flute.
Maybe it's the female backup vocals.
Maybe it's the enthusiasm and energy.
Whatever "it" is, Bluish has it in abundant supply.
Staten Island siblings Anthony, Joe and Danielle Bilotti have joined with Long Islanders Steve Giordano and Jay Engel to create a unique sound that is punk, commercial, honest and uplifting all at the same time. And, for reasons we really can't explain, it all works. It works really well.
Don't have their self-produced six-song EP, "Milestones and Deliverables"? Get a copy. Chances are, you'll pop it into your CD player and leave it there.
The music is infectious, but in a good way, not like an intestinal bug or anything. You'll sing along. You'll rock out. You'll wonder why this band hasn't already made it big.
One other thing you will notice: The music is anything but contrived. The songs are delivered in an honest, enthusiastic way that you just don't see often.
We recently caught up with the group to ask a few questions. And we feel lucky that we did, because, in a few years, us media types are going to have to go through a record company exec, a couple of publicists and bodyguards to get anywhere near these guys.
How did Anthony come up with the name Bluish? Any hidden or special meaning?
Music is a release for so many people. Some count on music to get them through things more than anything. So, if blue is the color associated with feeling loss or hurt and, at the very least, you have good, solid, positive music that you can count on to get you through it, then the very worst you can be is bluish. We just want to make people feel good.

What do you look for in a song? What inspires a song?
We write all our own material. The music is a five-person effort in every song to get you up and bouncing. We want everyone to be able to sing along but get rocked while they do. Our inspiration comes from everything around us – from people and places we know to topics that are important to us like knowing what we want, never settling, youth and of course, fun.

Talk about the bands or music that influence your music.
Mainly we all share a common core of bands in the alternative/indie-rock genre. Our tastes can vary greatly though. Bluish is a smooth blend of a thousand musical idiosyncrasies and tastes of each band member. You actually have to be your own biggest fan though. If you aren’t, how can you expect anyone else to be? You have to demand the best of yourself and just work on something until you don’t see how it could be any better.

How would you describe the band and your music?
Musically, Bluish is super-catchy, in your face rock with a flute and male/female harmony vocals. As a band, Bluish is the best job you can have – a growing business that never forgets to have fun. We’re five tightly knit best friends (three of whom happen to be two brothers and a sister) committed to the same goals.

What’s coming next?
Bluish always has so much going on that the best thing to do is visit the website at www.bluishband.com for news, info and details. We also live for our fans and encourage everyone who wants tom to contact us personally and we will fill you in. In the meantime, keep an eye out for our upcoming release due out early 2004. - Staten Island Source

WHAT! A ROCK STAR HERE AT FARRELL? That’s impossible! But how impossible can it be? Can Monsignor Farrell really have its very own rock star? Well, if everything goes right for Italian teacher Mr. Bilotti, then yes, we just might!

As many of my fellow rockers know, Mr. Bilotti has been in his own band called Bluish since 2000, and not too long ago they recorded their first full length album. Well, Bluish went to work, and the album, entitled “The Likelihood of Storms” was released on Thursday, October 13th. But don’t you want to know more about Bluish? What kind of music do they play and where can you hear them?

Well, in the words of Mr. Bilotti, the music they play is “straight-up rock.” I forced him to describe more and he said that they were influenced by different bands such as Dinosaur Jr. and The Smashing Pumpkins, but for the most part they have a unique sound. But based on what I’ve heard, words can’t describe their music.

To hear Bluish for yourself, you can go online and check out their website at www.bluishband.com, or you can simply try to get your hands on a copy of their new CD. You can also log on to www.merchlackey.com/bluish for t-shirts and the CD, or www.amazon.com for only the CD.

Well I couldn’t wait to check out Mr. Bilotti in action so I picked up a copy for myself. After listening, I would place their music in the Indie rock category. The guitar has some cool progressions and the flute gets stuck in your head. I think it’s a great buy and definitely worth it. Plus it’s better than some of the stuff out there like Simple Plan.

So as you Farrell students lead your busy lives, try to pick up a copy of Bluish’s latest “The Likelihoof of Storms” and hear for yourself. Who knows, maybe we’ll even see Mr. Bilotti on MTV! That would be…”hardcore.” - The Lion

Bluish is a rock band with a sound truly all its own. Since 2000, they've been rocking NYC and the surrounding areas with heavy beats, great male/female harmonies...and a flute.

After their 2001 EP "Milestones and Deliverables", and lots of shows and college radio airplay, their full-length debut album "The Likelihood of Storms" was released last October.

Can a band rock with a flute? Yes. I am pleasantly surprised to say that not only have they done it, but they've done it well. In "Pick Up And Go” the flute is right out front and in your face, but in "Better You Found Out Now' it's more subtly intertwined in the song. In any of their songs the flute's melody dances around and gets in your head making the flute a big part of the band's unique sound.

But don't let the flute make you think this is a mellow band! There's a heavy groove going on with some great bouncy bass lines, and tons of overall energy. An often dissonant dynamic exists between the male and female harmonies giving a haunting quality to the music. I can easily imagine Bluish putting on a fantastic live show.

You can see Bluish at their upcoming show on March 9th, at The Knitting Factory, 74 Leonard Street, New York, NY. Admission is $10.00, and it's an all-ages show. - Northeast In-Tune Magazine