Chance

Material:
Presenting a formidable mix of the best that the FM dial has to offer, Chance & the Choir take listeners on a ride through modern rock, retro, indie and the occasional piano ballad. While their all-over-the-map approach makes pigeonholing difficult, Chance’s creative abilities make the menagerie work. Whether it’s an up-tempo scorcher, or “a pretty song for the ladies,” one can expect a clever guitar hook, or pristine vocal harmony, to keep folks tuned in.

Musicianship:
The quintet is not big on technical showmanship, but they do display their talent as a lean, cohesive unit. Utilizing a backbeat on almost every track, Flanders pounds a powerful beat in synch with Ciceri’s groovy bass lines. And while the White/Ciceri duo is proficient on guitars, it is their vocal contributions that really spark every song they’re featured on. At the head is Chance –– an exceptional keyboardist with a snotty-less Billie Joe Armstrong voice that rounds out the sound.

Performance:
The band’s introduction via a P.A. countdown promised big things. Though they weren’t the implied spectacle, the five-piece came through with an airtight set. Jumping from keyboardist to mic-in-hand frontman, Chance relished in rallying the crowd. And with the contemplative “Percy’s Song,” the sly “My Oh My” and the smoking “Say What You Will,” the task was effortless. In fact, it was this dynamic range that captured ears across the board.

Summary:
Odds are spectators will be reminded of their favorite bands while listening to Chance & the Choir. With nods to QOTSA, Radiohead and Coldplay, the quintet isn’t afraid to wear their influences proudly. All this could be disastrous, but in Chance’s hands the end product comes across as fresh, energized and even original. His exemplary songwriting allows for a union between the heavier and lighter side of rock. And with the skillful Choir behind him, look for big things in this act’s future.
- Music Connection Magazine

There is a common misconception among listeners and many artists alike that independently produced albums have to be inferior in both production quality and content. An artist by the name of Chance is here to set the record straight. His 2 self-produced EPs are filled with wonderfully produced and well-written tunes. Songs like “My Oh My” are an absolute delight, with its fuzz-filled sound and catchy chorus, while the sadness of “Percy’s Song”, about a friend battling cancer shows the wonderful range that Chance is capable of. With both Heartfelt and playful lyrics his songs on these 2 discs are a testament to his ability as a bit of a musical chameleon. Oh, and did I mention the wonderful production quality? I would have to recommend disc 1 over disc 2, but it is definitely given a nudge by the very cool cover of Radiohead’s “Creep,” still one of my favorites. He manages to bring a little something different to the table with his version. And if you’re looking for other, more unique covers, be sure to check out his website for his fantastically campy version of “The Milkshake Song” by Kelis. You will also see that he leaves it up to his fans, called Friends of Chance, to vote on what his next cover will be. I recently cast my vote for either “Would” by Alice In Chains or “Wishing Well” by Terence Trent D’arby. It just seems like his voice would make for interesting versions of either one of them (Come on Chance, pick mine, please, please, please).

In my humble opinion Chance represents a force for the music industry to reckon with, if he can just get the exposure he needs and deserves. At times it gets depressing when I listen to all of these indie bands and artists that so few people have ever heard of. It is either depressing because of how dreadful it is, or, as is the case with Chance, it is really good and yet I know how difficult it must be for the artist to put everything they’ve got into their music only to be overlooked time and time again. The music industry is simply not an easy nut to crack, in some respects it seems like a lottery rather than an objective talent evaluation. Well, I for one hope that Chance’s lottery number comes up and he gets to show the masses what he has to offer. So the very least I can do is to tell you that you should go to his website and listen to the samples there. You can download the tracks you like for 99 cents each. It’s a great site that gives a lot of information about some of his singles, including the genesis of, lyrics for, and sound equipment used to make them. And if songs like “Forgive + Forget” or “Woke Up To Everything,” among others, don’t grab your attention, well maybe you should finally face the facts that you might be dead inside and numb to the pleasures of the musical world. Just a theory.

www.mynameischance.com

or

www.somesmartmusiclabelthatshouldsignthisguy.com - CDReviews.com

I'm not sure if you recall the band called Portable. They put out a few albums over the years and I actually caught a couple of them. They were good, straight-ahead rock music that was great to listen to. Chance was the lead singer of that band and in the last couple of years he has taken it upon himself to put out some solo material all by himself with the power of grassroots marketing. He had a track chart on Garageband.com last year and another ended up #1 on the radio chart in Qatar (only one radio station so pretty impressive). Now his next batch of music, simply entitled Eleven Through 15, is out and better and catchier than ever. He starts out rocking hard with the awesome "Man On A Mission". He doesn't rock hard for all 5 tracks, "Here" is a great power-ballad (if such a term is still relevant). It's a great song. "Push" is a little more laid back until the chorus. Chance shows off his falsetto on this one. Then Chance throws on 4 live tracks for your listening enjoyment. Definitely an artist worth keeping an eye on. (Taking a "Chance" was just too cliche) - Music Emissions (Canada)

I've been a rabid fan of the artist known as Chance for almost two years now. I remember at first listen, I really wasn't sure what I thought of him. Now, while I'm sitting here listening to his latest release entitled "Eleven Through Fifteen", I know exactly what it is that made him a bit of a grower for me. It's the simple fact that the man is 100% unclassifiable. He sounds like nobody else. It's impossible to even explain to someone else what kind of musical genre he is ... he simply plays Chance music. Oftentimes an artist will be described as "original", but the truth is that nobody is completely original. They can always be compared to someone. But I struggle to compare Chance to anyone else. All I know is that the first time I heard his music, I didn't know what I thought about it, but I knew I had to hear it again. And again. And again. I guess when you hear something that is completely detached from anything else you've ever heard, then the ear and mind need to be trained to accept it. Now I've just resigned myself to the fact that Chance has the potential to be a true musical phenomenon, if given the right exposure.

This CD is a compilation of his last 5 singles plus a few little extras. You see, Chance doesn't release a song until he feels it's worthy of release. So when a new song is posted on his site, you can be assured that Chance has devoted a lot of time and energy in crafting that song. He doesn't believe in filler. Just listen to "Man On A Mission", the opening track. The chorus is so ridiculously catchy, that you may as well abandon all other associations for the day, because you will annoy your peers as you repeat the phrase, "repeat...repeat...repeat..." all day long. His songs really are that catchy. Other highlights are "Independent" (which has this repetetive driving beat that isn't dance music but it kinda is...well...just listen to it, you'll hear what I mean.) My favourite song is "That Means Everyone", which was previously a fans-only release. It begins in a relatively humble way, piano and mild bass and drums, joined by Chance's voice singing in a hushed almost-whisper. It manages to somehow build in progression without really going into a giant power chorded frenzy. And his completely uncomfortable version of Kelis' "Milkshake Song" has to be heard to believed. (It should be noted that this song was done as a challenge presented by Chance to his fans to select the worst song they can think of and watch as he tries to somehow do it justice.)

Chance is an artist that takes his work very seriously. He also strives to develop a relationship with all of his fans, prefering to call them the "Friends of Chance", as opposed to his fanclub. He is as much a fan of his fans as they are of him, which is a very endearing quality. Buy his music, become a friend of Chance and get better acquainted with a true musical phenomenon! - It's not the Bands I Hate, it's their Fans E-zine