Chesterwhite
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Chesterwhite

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This band has not uploaded any videos

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"The Buzz"

"...songs that send the listener into a delightfil state of awe...Grade: A..." - The Aquarian


"Interview with Chesterwhite"

"...a musical tour-de-force specializing in bringing incredible rock'n roll to the people..." - LongIslandMusicScene.com


"5 Star Review"

Most of the albums I have had the pleasure of reviewing thus far have consisted of eclectic indie rock, lo-fi folk, and the like.  While I thoroughly enjoy these genres of music, I have been waiting for a mind-blowing rock album to land on my doorstep.  Unfortunately, while searching for my Zeppelin in shining armor, I have had to wade through a sea of sloppy guitar, incessant power chords, over-wrought vocals, and broken-record lyrics.  However, my time finally came.   The day I opened my mailbox to find Chesterwhite & His Orchestra’s self-titled debut album, my appetite for a thick, juicy rock-burger was finally satisfied.  With marvelous songs from beginning to end, lead singer Chesterwhite (Donny Dykowsky) and his companions crafted a fantastically unique and invigorating album, and then furnished it with razor-sharp lyrics, surging and crashing instrumentation, and vocals that take me back to some of the better rockers I have heard.   What makes a good rock band?  The qualifications are endless, subjective, and individualized, but almost all of the bands that enjoy any longevity and acceptance share one common characteristic…  They are cool.  I suppose “coolness” is in the eye of the beholder, but Chesterwhite & His Orchestra – Dykowsky (Vocals/Guitar), Freddy Pastore (Bass), Dave Dunn (Guitar), Seth Moutal (Drums) – are undeniably cool in my mind.  They sing about deadbeats and derelicts, vagabonds and outcasts, hoodlums, delinquents, and mendicants.  However, they don’t sing as passersby or onlookers.  Neither do they appear to be the suburban youth band that sings about the rough-and-tumble life, but covers their own inexperience by singing in affectedly woebegone tones.  In songs like “Galley Slave” and “Low,” Chesterwhite calls out to listeners as if he hails from a grimy ally or a dilapidated apartment.  This edge secured the “cool” impression in my mind, especially because I myself am nothing more than a suburban tool.  The fact that he seems so authentic in his delivery bolsters the perception that he truly could be singing from experience.    Chesterwhite’s genuine confidence is augmented by convincing lyrical accounts.  In “Low,” one of my favorite songs, Chesterwhite celebrates his anthem for the street urchins: “Spent my time in the war / Lost my passion to suit gentlemen / I search the cracks of pavement / For cigarettes, cause / I am that organ grinder / I’m that filthy hand in your face / But it’s a living for some of us too/low for a place.”  “Idiots” laments the mundane, the rat-race… the “establishment”… essentially everything that Chesterwhite does not want to be: “I do my business on the second floor / You are a soldier/but you don’t have a war / You’re busy killing time / but it’s only on your side / There’s no end in sight.”  The paradoxical “Love Song” reveals the flipside to the typical sugary, idyllic commentary on love (I assume with tongue planted firmly in cheek): “She stabbed me with a kitchen knife / I was sleeping she was up all night / She don’t even want me alive / But she loves me and that’s alright.”   Now to the most important part of all… what do they sound like?  Often the mark of a good band, Chesterwhite & His Orchestra’s sound is hard to peg, and it varies from song to song.  For those who MUST have a comparison, imagine the offspring of Three Dog Night’s evil twin, David Bowie’s missing masculine half, Queen, and Led Zeppelin (doesn’t every good rock band boast its Zeppelin roots?).  “Galley Slave” starts the album off with a foot-tappin’, head noddin’, swing-like guitar and drum driven intro, later followed by insertions of jazzy drums and cascading bass.  Jekyll and Hyde vocals are part madman, part genius: Chesterwhite seems to lose his mind with absolute calm and unflappability.  In “Low,” Chesterwhite & His Orchestra sounds like Three Dog Night… almost… perhaps if they had been raised by wolves.  The sound is very similar, complete with the rhythmic, descending guitar in the foreground, wavering distorted background guitar, and many other tricks that Three Dog Night employed, but Chesterwhite just isn’t quite sweet enough.  When I was trying to find whom they were similar to, I kept coming back to Bowie.  Then it dawned on me.  Chesterwhite’s “Moonage Daydream” is a Bowie cover, and an excellent one at that.  I would say it is my favorite song on the album, but the others are so good, that I would prefer to pick one that Chesterwhite wrote.  Accordingly, “Moonage Daydream” joins “Low” as tops in my mind.  It is an intoxicating song with some of the best vocals on the album.   As a whole, Chesterwhite & His Orchestra’s self-titled album is one of the best rock albums I have heard in a long time.  Every song is fantastic, addictive, and authentically personal.  If you love unadulterated, stick-it-to-the-man rock and roll (which I know you do), you must own this CD.  Go get it.  Right now.  Go. - CdReviews.com


"Chesterwhite & His Orchestra"

Chesterwhite and crew explode out of the starting block right off with the "Galley Slave". Lead singer and songwriter Donny Dykowsky comes by his passion honestly having gone through painful cancer treatments in the late 90’s. For a minute I thought I was hearing that long lost Jeff Buckley release. But, there is an intensity here that Jeff only hinted at. The band simmers and roars and Donny literally wails over them almost like a shaman exhorting them to give him more and in fact there is a song called appropriately enough “More”. I love the rawness and sweetness of these songs. Dave Dunn has that roots rocking edge to his guitar that makes you want him to play more solos. Seth and Sir Freddy lay down a solid sledge hammer bottom that is both sensitive and solid to these intensely personal slices of life. This is definitely a band that must be seen live. Now on to the songs. First of all, they are all winners . I didn’t hear a weak one in the bunch. I can’t wait for their next release. "Galley Slave" had me bouncing in chair. It’s a bootie shaking, party boogie though "Galley Slave" brings up pictures of grunting, sweaty men rowing a boat while being whipped by a mean looking Viking guy. “It’s a metaphor Keith. Not real.” Oh ok. Sometimes I get carried away with my imagination. "Low" shows another side of Donny and band. It has that power pop feel like Jellyfish or this band I used to like, The Falling Wallenda’s.  "Moonage Daydream" definitely has that glam thing going on. Someone’s parents must have had some T-Rex or Ziggy Stardust on while Donny was in the crib. I love the guitar bridge. Such an unusual guitar solo. Simply smashing.  This song stayed with me a while. The Count nails the ending in class rock guitar god tradition. Radio stations take note. This is a hit.  "12 O’Clock" has such a killer riff. I want to play with these guys. My guitar fingers were itching. I love guitar solos and this one has a killer one. So simple and traditional but it works. The fuzzy chorus effect on the vocals pushed them over the top.  "Well Love Song" is not the most original title for a song but this song has drive and panache. (Sheesh, did I just say panache?). I can hear this track in a film. Maybe a slasher teen movie eh? Some music license potential here for sure. Boy, Donny can sure can hold out those high notes. Impressive! "Yes. Give me More" .  A little French cabaret thing going on. It has a sweet melody and killer chord progression. I wanted it to go longer and to kick into something big and monsterous. It just teased me into wanting more.  I can see Chrissie Hynde singing "Idiots" snarling the words. Another chair bouncer/air guitar song here.  The band really pushes Donny to go all the way to edge on this one. More nice guitar work. I am really impressed with how much this band cooks. It must be fun singing with these guys. "Father Frank’s Crusade" is another one of those songs that begs to be on the radio. Love the wandering bass and guitar line. Lovely backing vocals. Sweet and strong. Oh yes give me those 80’s new wave tom tom riffs.  Love this drummer. "Kill this town" is another song for the Pretenders catalog.  Rootsy and rockin’ playing Donny’s voice off monster guitar riffs. Just when I think I have these guys figured out then they go and throw "On the weekend" at me.  A stop time rockabilly style thing. I can hear Donny snear in true Elvis fashion. Really I can. What a fun guitar solo, so, cliche but it’s like the best taffy that you should’nt really eat and do anyway. Short but sweet. "Sunburn" is a vocal tour-de-force. Donny out Buckely’s Jeff Buckley for sure, bringing his own screaming angst to this track reaching notes I can only dream of hitting. I can feel his emotions soar as I close my eyes and float to the sound of his voice like an angel in dispair. "No other love" should make all the girls swoon. Almost a 1950’s or Righteous Brothers tune for a new age.  Get on your knees Donny and make the ladies scream and ache for you. A very fitting end to a very passionate release for this band. Oh, and the guitar solo is short and a beauty.  - Vanguard


"Blown Away"

It's not often that we are completely blown away by a rock album. Usually, we listen to it a few times, make some mental notes and move on. That's not happening now. Chesterwhite & His Orchestra deliver a breathtaking sound and beat in this new album of their's. The iPod has been tuned to this album and nothing else. There's not enough good to say about it. - KillTheBird.com


"Chesterwhite & His Orchestra Review"

Chester White and his Orchestra is a band of misfits. Every few years one of these bands of musical misfits (examples include Reel Big Fish, Aqua, Faith No More, New Radicals, and so on) breaks through into the mainstream and shakes things up for a year or two, I predict that this band will be the next ones to do that. Some call them one hit wonders; I call them bands that have something different to say. Regardless of what you dub them, Chester White and his Orchestra are refreshingly different yet accessible enough to suck you into their own brand of funk, rock, and big band swing. Their debut release is mostly a swing album full of big band style musings minus the horns. There are moments of funky alternative as well as some rockier moments but it all fits together really well. The band has a wonderful ability to make you feel like you are apart of this album and that’s rare in any genre. This is a band to watch for sure. - 1340mag.com


Discography

Chesterwhite & His Orchestra

for press, pics, music, and other necessaries please visit our official website www.chesterwhite.com and our unofficial site at www.myspace.com/chesterwhite

Photos

Feeling a bit camera shy

Bio

Chesterwhite was an idea which became a revolving door of musicians. It started out as a progressive rock band and eventually found it's roots in songs. We toured all over the place and I have some fucked up and funny stories which I will no bore you with now. My name is Donny and I make music. I am a singer and a songwriter and my day job is not much different. The name Chesterwhite comes from my old high school ceramics teacher Mr. Darigo, who would smoke 2 packs of unfiltered Camels and insult you all day. A Chester White is name he called us a as a backhanded compliment. I found it reminiscent of band names of early influences like Jethro Tull and Pink Floyd. The current album, "Chesterwhite and His Orchestra" is a killer rock record. It features Seth Moutal on drums, Freddy Pastore on Bass, Dave Dunn on guitar, and myself on all vocals, guitars, and piano. This line-up has played such venues as The Van's Warped Tour '05, The Hammerstein Ballroom, and a bunch of crappy dives across parts of this country.