Chris Alvy Band

In this week’s local music news, Chloe Dolandis brings new meaning to her song “New Suit,” Nick Eberhardt launches a concert series in his living room and Chris Alvy fires back at music-business types who think listening to the radio would make him a better songwriter.

THE GIRL CAN WAIL
Bring Back the Fever, the new album by Chloe Dolandis, features a song titled "Girl Can Wail." Having seen the soulful pop singer perform at Chrystal Hartigan's monthly singer-songwriter night at the Broward Center, I can attest that Dolandis can indeed wail. Once an on-air personality for Nickelodeon's Friday Night Slimetime, Dolandis sings with remarkable power.


Her album's energetic title track offers a fine example of her expressive voice. "Gotta let you in, feel the heat ‘cause it's strong enough," Dolandis sings. "Take the chill from my bones and heat me up/So come over tonight like you did last night/Let the music take control." While the song is a bit flirtatious, Dolandis, who has been performing since age 5, says it's really about reviving a style of music that is not very prominent.

With her sweet, soulful and often sassy tunes, Dolandis could lead such a revival. Her album, which features local musicians Fernando Perdomo and Derek Cintron, includes songs such as "In My Dreams," about being lost inside a beautiful dream in which lovers never leave; "Bittersweet," which concerns feeling devastated and alone after a breakup; and "New Suit," on which Dolandis roars, "Put on your new suit/We're going out tonight/Put on your new suit/Three-piece and a black tie. … Wear your best, get dressed/Come with me tonight." (Watch Dolandis perform "New Suit" here.)

Dolandis is sure to perform that last song when she releases Bring Back the Fever Thursday night at a party that also will serve as a fundraiser and silent auction for Dress for Success, which provides suits for job interviews to disadvantaged women. Guests are encouraged to bring "new or slightly used, black, work-appropriate purses and shoes" to the event, which will take place from 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday at ZED451 in Mizner Park, 201 Plaza Real, in Boca Raton. Call 561-393-3451 or visit Zed451.com.


NICK EBERHARDT'S LIVING ROOM CONCERT SERIES
"I write a few songs from time to time and I started thinking, 'Why do I have to make a whole record before I let people buy it or take a free copy?' " West Palm Beach singer-songwriter Nick Eberhardt writes on his new Web site, Noisebynick.com. "So I started this site. I record in my house, or at other studios. [And] when something new is finished, I'll make it downloadable on here, and voila, it's all yours."

These downloads include "Redefine the Nature," which Eberhardt appropriately says is "kind of a Tex Mex tune," and the Golden Now EP, featuring three songs from his forthcoming album, Can You Feel It. His Web site also includes the Living Room Concert Series, for which Eberhardt films himself performing while seated on a stool next to his couch. In the videos for "Golden Now" and "Can You Feel It," Eberhardt plays acoustic guitar and kick drum, his voice sounding not unlike Ryan Adams in his more-plaintive moments.

As he notes on his site, Eberhardt will celebrate the release of Can You Feel It 8 p.m. Friday at Propaganda, 6 S. J St., in Lake Worth. Visit Propagandalw.com.


AN INSIDE JOB
On his new single, "Inside Job," Chris Alvy revisits an unpleasant experience in the music business. "I have been exposed/Someone broke the silence, broke the code/I wrote a six-chord song/Now, the label's asking questions, asking what is wrong," sings Alvy, whose real name is Jesus Alvarez. "I told the bitch it looks like an inside job/Deep within the ranks where no lines get crossed/I told the bitch it came from the inside/From deep in the heart, man/She said my problem was inside/Now, don't wanna write no more." (Watch the song's video here.)

While inside job typically refers to a crime committed by a trusted source, in Alvy's song, it means digging deeper as a songwriter, and the crime is the absence of that. "The song is inspired by a true event that happened to me while writing songs for artists in the Spanish market," Alvy explains. "Basically, some collaborator I write with complained to certain people about my arrangements being a bit too complicated for the market."

The song appears in on the Chris Alvy Band's new EP for Forward Motion Records, Anything Goes, which can be heard at Reverbnation.com/chrisalvy. Alvy will perform 9 p.m. Saturday at the Poor House, 110 S.W. Third Ave., in Fort Lauderdale. Call 522-5145 or visit Poorhousebar.com.

- Sun Sentinel

Those familiar with the annual power pop extravaganza known as the "International Pop Overthrow" know full well that aside from South by Southwest, this is the gig to land for any band seeking to gain a national profile. After all, in rock 'n' roll, you're known for the company you keep. And with literally dozens -- if not hundreds -- of artists taking part, the crowd that congregates at IPO is fairly prestigious. Given that fact, Dreaming in Stereo and the Chris Alvy Band, two of the acts that make up Fernando Perdomo's Forward Motion Records roster, have reason to be proud. Both outfits are in Los Angeles for the 2011 IPO that begins today and wraps on Wednesday.


"Playing Los Angeles is always a blast because people there actually go out to see bands on a regular basis, and that gives them a certain savvy," Perdomo told us. "So it's very gratifying that we get a great response out there. We'll be doing 'I'm Not Gonna Move to L.A.' [a song from the last Dreaming in Stereo album]. Last time, we had a big sing-along in L.A., which is ironic and very poignant. L.A. is where people go to reach their dreams, but very often, they have their dreams crushed there."

Part of the perk, Perdomo says, is reconnecting with friends and compatriots who have migrated to Los Angeles over the past few years -- or, as he puts it, "the many artists carrying the South Florida banner out there."

This is the third IPO appearance for Dreaming in Stereo. The band will play this evening at Bar Lubitsch, while the Chris Alvy Band performs the following evening at Molly Malone's. Both bands will participate in a special South Florida showcase on Wednesday at the King King club in Hollywood along with another Forward Motion artist, Omine, as well as former homeboys Alih Jey, Robbie Gennet, and Chris Price.

Check out the entire International Pop Overthrow schedule here. - Broward and Palm Beach New Times

It's rare that a local band will extend a shoutout to other local bands... at least when it comes to covering their songs. Yet that's the idea behind the Chris Alvy Band's latest initiative, one that finds him and his band posting a series of five cover tunes from some of their favorite South Florida artists over the next couple of months. It's a novel idea and a nice bit of affirmation for the ever-burgeoning local scene and the talented musicians who reside here. "This is done out of respect for the artist and song," Alvy noted in a posting on Facebook. "There are some great bands here that we love, and it's just our way of saying WE DIG YOUR MUSIC."

We were so taken with Alvy's acknowledgment, and today he put up a cover of Dreaming in Stereo's "Lazy," so we opted to get to the heart of the matter and ask him about what prompted his generosity.

So what inspired this project, Chris?

What inspired me was the fact that for the first time in a while since I've been on this scene, there are actually some really cool and talented writers and bands here in South Florida that I actually really like, and they're creating some really cool original sounds. OK, maybe not that many, but enough so that some of them are sticking out, at least in my mind.

How are you planning to release these covers, and how long do you plan to pursue this project?

As of now, our plan is to cover and promote a local artist every month. We just did Kim Drake's "Modest Man," which is her first single off her new record.

Todd Taulbee, my drummer, and I love her sound (bassist Darrell Killingsworth completes the trio), and we thought we should do her first. So she's our first victim. She loved the way we covered it, and it's a great way for her to share the songs with her friends and for us to promote her music through our fans and followers. Basically, it's just another way for us to all help each other out and introduce our band and our music to the other's fans. And of course, it also allows us to pay tribute to songs that we as a band truly love and admire.

As far as release dates, I don't know yet. We may do a compilation through our label, Forward Motion Records, and possibly release it as a charity album. Or maybe it could be used as a promotion tool for all the bands involved. I don't know yet, but once we have enough tunes, I'm sure we'll release it as something.

What other artists do you specifically have in mind for this?

I eventually want to cover Dreaming in Stereo [and they did], Jim Camacho, Jacob Jeffries, Radioboxer, Space Between Worlds, and Deadly Blank just for starters. There are plenty of acts here that we as a band really like, so we'll go little by little. There are also some singer/songwriter types we may cover as well. We're compiling a list of songs to try and record even as we speak.

What message are you trying to send by putting this focus on the local scene?

Ideally, we'd like to get some of the more notable bands in this area to unite and help each other out and do it for the overall goal of furthering South Florida's music scene. This is our small way of trying to narrow that gap. My main objective is to show that we as a band also enjoy and want to support the local scene. I've noticed through the years that it always seems there's a competition between the various bands. They don't like to promote or support their competition. So we're taking the opposite angle. We say we want to support bands and artists that we like, and we want to expose them to our own fans also. There's no ego crap here -- there's no room for that. If I like something, I will tell everyone about it, and if I have the ability, I will cover their songs as a way of expressing our love for what they do. It's as simple as that; this is our way of hopefully covering some of our favorite music in a cool way where even the original artist can enjoy it. Ultimately, it's simply a tribute to our favorite bands in our hood.

By the way, it ought to be noted that the Alvy Band is pretty damned good too. Its new EP, Anything Goes, provides all the proof needed. So let's just hope one of his fellow South Florida musicians returns the gesture.
- Broward and Palm Beach New Times

Recently I had the opportunity to interview Chris Alvy, who released one of the best power pop EPs I’ve heard so far this year (see my review of “Anything Goes” here). Read on to learn more about Alvy’s musical influences and huge record collection, his times with big name artists (from Sister Hazel to Warrant), and what is next for his band, a group of guys he is proud to call brothers.

Bill: First I have to say once again how much I loved your EP [Anything Goes]. It’s been a long time since I’ve been so immediately captivated by a record. I characterized your sound as “Cheap Trick or Boston performing songs written for ABBA” – did I happen to hit any of your influences with that description?
Chris: Well, CHEAP TRICK yes. ABBA, though I like them, I've never been a big fan......my daughter is - she plays MAMMA MIA SOUNDTRACK non-stop in our house. CHRIS ALVY BAND actually opened up for BOSTON and I do like their work, so yes you were pretty close. My main influences have always been melodic pop rock, obviously THE BEATLES, BEACH BOYS etc......rock music with lots of melody and harmonies.

Bill: I understand you were born in Cuba and raised in Spain as well as the US. How have these transitions impacted your music and songwriting?
Chris: I do have some Latin influences that I am sure come from my background, but I usually incorporate them in the Spanish material I write for Latin artists. I have been working with SONY ATV MUSIC here in MIAMI for about a year and a half and they pitch my Spanish tunes to their artist and others. They also administer my publishing company aptly named POP TRASH PUBLISHING [LOL]. My American stuff has never shown traces of Latin music, and I don't foresee me incorporating any in the near future. I am a rock and roll guy even though my roots are Latin.

Bill: One of my favorite cuts off the EP is “The Fall” – could you tell us some more about what inspired this song?
Chris: THE FALL is a song about realizing that it's really not about your failures or dreams that may have not come true - whichever those may be. But it's really about the experiences and lessons you learn along the way trying to pursue those goals/dreams. It was inspired by our own personal experiences as a band. My guys and I have been together many years performing and have been through some great, amazing times, but also very heavy times. Three guys have always been the core of this unit and it's Todd Taulbee, Darrell Killingsworth, and myself. We are literally almost like brothers and that is something I am very proud of. The song is like the chorus says "think about the fall, the meaning of it all, who answers to the call, when your back's against the wall....don't refuse to see, it's all within, it's never been at all about the fall”. The song in simple terms is about realizing and digesting the important things in life and don't dwell on the things that might or might've been.....It’s about the journey....one of my favorite songs that I've written and very fun to perform. Another way of putting it would be like the famous saying "it's not how hard you fall, it's about how quick you get up" or something along those lines [LOL]…it’s really all about enjoying your journey and experiences and learning from them.

Bill: What type of bands might we find in your music collection?
Chris: ALL GOOD STUFF [LOL]. Well here's a quick little list that comes to mind: JELLYFISH, JASON FALKNER, THE BEACH BOYS, THE BEATLES, HENDRIX, DAVID BOWIE, E.L.O., THE ROLLING STONES, JETHRO TULL, GILBERT O'SULLIVAN, RANDY NEWMAN, HARRY NILSSON, THE WHO, ELTON JOHN, BILLY JOEL, CREAM, THE BYRDS, BOB DYLAN, FOCUS, YES, EMERSON, LAKE AND PALMER, CHICAGO, BLOOD, SWEAT & TEARS, JIM CROCE, JAMES TAYLOR, CROSBY, STILLS, NASH & YOUNG....the list is never ending.

Bill: Are you a digital music kind of guy or old school with a library of LPs?
Chris: I am old school BIG TIME...not to say I don't have CDs, but I am proud to say I own over 5,000 VINYL RECORDS…last time I counted it was that, I know I have more now. Yes, old school till the end - not into the new stuff too much - rarely do I find something that catches my eye. When I do, I get very excited.

Bill: Among many others, you’ve collaborated and performed with Alto Reed, who founded Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band. Tell us more about those experiences.
Chris: I met Alto Reed performing at a south beach event a few years back. He was also performing solo doing a jazz thing he does. He saw me sing and play and came up to me and asked me to sit in with him on his last set and I did. I sang some Seger tunes and we did some cool blues and the place went nuts. So he gave me his info and we've been doing shows here and there ever since. I just came off a gig I did with him in the BAHAMASa few months ago. We spent 4 days performing at the NORWEGGIAN CRUISE LINE ship and it was awesome. I was very happy to have been involved in that gig - we had a blast and let me tell you, he's a heck of a sax player and a great show. He truly is a character and I thank him for the various opportunities he's given me to perform with him. So yeah, Alto and I are cool [LOL].

Bill: You’ve also shared the stage with acts as diverse as Sister Hazel to Warrant. I’d love to hear more about that and whether there is someone else out there that you’d love to jam with.
Chris: We have gotten over the years many opening slots, among them those you mentioned also some other notable acts such as AMERICA, GRAND FUNK, BOSTON, HUMBLE PIE, LIVING COLOUR, FOGHAT...and maybe others I forgot. I'd love to jam with the guys from JELLYFISH, just off the top of my head...always been a big fan. One quick note, one of my Spanish songs that I placed with an international artist CHAYANNE (this guy sells tons of records and is one of the top 3 guys along with RICKY MARTIN, MARK ANTHONY etc…I found out that ROGER MANNING PLAYED ON MY TUNE! I totally was overwhelmed...so I have to say, it has been one of my proudest moments as a professional musician to have ROGER MANNING play on one of my songs. So, yes, JELLYFISH and CHRIS ALVY BAND would be a rockin' event [LOL].

Bill: How did you get hooked up with Fernando Perdomo's Forward Motion Records?
Chris: Well I knew Fernando was opening up or at the time already had his label up and running, so I gave him some rough mixes of the stuff the band was working on. Funny thing is that I never heard back from him till like a couple of months later. He had placed my demo CD on his guitar case and had forgotten about it till he found it one day. He called me and immediately said, "Let's release this". I actually thought he had heard it and hated it, so I did not want to follow up on it. Anyway, we were very excited to be a part of such a cool, happening label here in Miami. I firmly believe that Fernando has slowly but surely put Miami back on the map and has done what has been lacking here for many years...create a whole new scene. As you know, it's a slow, process but I have already seen huge results and the label has been around for less than a year. All the artist that are signed are great quality and great productions so myself and my band are very proud to represent the label in anything we do. I think great times are just ahead for FORWARD MOTION RECORDS.

Bill: If you could describe your band’s sound with just one word, what would it be?
Chris: COOL. It is the word that has kept coming back to us from friends and fans - your music is SOOOO cool, very CALIFORNIA, very high energy. I think we're just a true ROCK & ROLL BAND, but heck that's like 4 words isn't it? So I guess just COOL.


Bill: What is next for Chris Alvy and the band? I hope a full-length release is in the works.
Chris: Well, we are currently promoting through live shows and internet "ANYTHING GOES" our 6 song EP. We have already done two videos "INSIDE JOB" and "YOUR SMILE SHINES A LIGHT" and we are planning on doing videos for all 6 songs. We also started compiling and shooting footage for a DVD titled CHRIS ALVY BAND "ANYTHING GOES" THE DVD which we will hopefully release by the end of summer or the fall. And yes, we will be releasing another batch of songs (6 songs) as a continuation of ANYTHING GOES. We may just press all 12 into one package to sell along with DVD. We're still thinking about how we will market the whole thing. So definitely, new EP, new DVD, and videos for everything we put out is our plan. I also want to expand a bit and start hitting towns all over Florida - that will be coming soon. Lots of crap goes into running a band [LOL], but we have great fun and we are a band of brothers. We enjoy playing and hanging together - that is a priceless commodity in a band - I am a lucky guy.

Bill: On behalf of BMF, thanks again for your time and best of luck with the new release!
Chris: The CHRIS ALVY BAND thanks you for giving us this time to speak a little about what we truly breathe and live every day. Long live true rock & roll... - BMF - Bill's Music Forum

The Chris Alvy Band blindsides you with a "no apologies, slap in the face" modern classic rock track. Honesty and attitude in every lyric, with each gut punch guitar riff paying homage to it's heroic inspiration - confirming rock and rock is not dead. In fact kids, it is alive and feeling f'ing fantastic!
- Songward

While not everyone believes in the Devil, it’s a concept many people use to describe the interior voice that tempts them to do things they want to do but know they shouldn’t. That’s the impish demon explored in the following songs written by South Florida musicians.

Anyone who has ever acted spontaneously without considering the consequences may relate to“The Devil’s Playground” by Miami singer-songwriter Chris Alvy. In his song about resisting temptation, Alvy pleads, “Don’t go down to the devil’s playground/Don’t go down to the devil’s playground, please/… I wanna go down to the devil’s playground.” “We all have ventured into ‘the devil’s playground’ at some point in our lives, especially when we are young,” Alvy explains. “That playground is where all the things that tempt you are. So the person is telling himself not to go into it, but at the same time, he wants to.” To hear “The Devil’s Playground,” visitReverbnation.com/chrisalvy. Alvy, who will release an album on Forward Motion Records this spring, will perform March 29 at Van Dyke Café in Miami Beach.

The Lee Boys, a blues-based gospel group of three brothers and their nephews, all born and raised in Miami, express a similar resist-temptation message in their version of the gospel tune“Don’t Let the Devil Ride.” As the lyrics go, “Don’t let the devil ride/Oh, don’t let the devil ride/’Cause if you let him ride/He’ll want to try to drive/Don’t let him ride.” Visit YouTube to see a video of the band performing the song at Café 9 in New Haven, Conn.


As singer-songwriter Michael Fleming, a.k.a. The Mad Skeleton, puts it in his song “The Devil’s Orchestration”: “I am the devil’s orchestration/This is an ancient melody/I am the basement echo trickster/I am the synchronicity/I cast spells with my guitars/I grant wishes with my strings/I pop the chords that slave my mind combusting everything.” Fleming wanted to write a song without a guitar, so he picked up a banjo he’d just acquired and this song poured out. “I wanted to see how far I could walk through the darkness,” he explains. “I was reading a ton of the ‘cursed’ French poets at the time and really exploring a lot of things. The Mad Skeleton is a bit twisted in the head, not sure how it ever happened, but it certainly did, and the devil is in there along with everything else.” To hear “The Devil’s Orchestration,” visit Reverbnation.com/themadskeleton.

In “Get the Devil Off My Back,” West Palm Beach folksinger Ben Childs explores the struggle that ensues once the devil moves in and ideals “fade till your roots come out and your programming drags you slowly to the grave.” As he Childs sings in the song’s final verse, “All I want right now’s to rediscover what I care about and drag my ethics back/All I want right now’s to rediscover where my soul is at and get the devil off my back/Won’t you help me get the devil off my back?” To hear “Get the Devil Off My Back,” visit Reverbnation.com/benchilds.

Devils are persistent. So just when someone thinks they’ve sent the creature with the pitchfork packing, the phone rings. That’s the premise of Iko-Iko’s bluesy “When the Devil Calls Collect.”“I was reading Revelation drinking strychnine from a jar,” Graham Drout sings. “Big old python ’round my shoulder longer than a Cadillac car/And just when I started thinking this might be my only chance/That phone started ringing and it woke me from my trance/I done some devil dealing way back in my younger days/And you couldn’t tell by looking but I swear I’ve changed my ways.” Drout says the song is about phone calls that dredge up bad things from the past. “I was actually being threatened on the phone by Colombian drug dealers for a bad thing that someone else did, and she had left my number as a contact,” Drout recalls. “My solution was to unplug the phone.” To hear “When the Devil Calls Collect,” visit Myspace.com/grahamwooddroutsikoiko. Iko-Iko will perform Feb. 18 at Bamboo Room in Lake Worth and Feb. 26 at Schnebly Redland’s Winery in Homestead.

Contact Colleen Dougher at cdougher@citylinkmagazine.com.

This story was originally published Feb. 4, 2011.

- Sun Sentinel

Florida Christmas cards depict scenes such as Santa surfing or kicking back on the beach with a beer, while Sunshine State snow globes contain a hat, a carrot and other remnants of melted snowmen. So during this holiday season, while our friends in the North scrape ice from windshields and dig cars out of driveways, we offer five songs from local bands about sunshine.

“Great Sun,” a tune from Boca Raton rock band 5th Gear, concerns the power of the ancient Egyptian sun god Ra. Singer-guitarist Jason Snider says he’s a huge fan of the Doors and ’90s stoner-rock bands such as Kyuss. “That’s what kind of sound I wanted,” he says. “So I was thinking of trippy spiritual themes like sun worship. Then, I envisioned driving through the desert through the doors of perception and into the great sun, to the house of the rising sun god, Ra, and praying for the things I wanted.” The resulting lyrics sound like exactly that: “Great sun, give me fortune/Great sun, give me power, control/Great sun, show me the passion/Great sun, give me someone to love!” To hear “Great Sun,” visit Reverbnation.com/5thgear#!. The band will perform midnight Friday, Dec. 31 in the Nectar Lounge at Coconut Creek Casino.

“Sunshine” by indie-folk duo the Dewars begins: “The dot, dot, dot/The dot, dot, dot/The dot, dot, dot is all we’ve got” and reminds us that “The sunshine is yours and mine, but the stars, they are not ours.” The song goes on to elicit a stop-and-smell-the-flowers, anti-materialism message: “Let the sun shine down on you and me, let our minds drift afar/We’ll lay on the ground, and when the sun goes down/We can stare up at all the stars, but we don’t got the time/He works 9 to 5, she works 5 to 9, just to make enough to get enough stuff, that they don’t have time for.” Anthony Dewar says the song was inspired by people who have a “frustrated and never-satisfied ideal of happiness” and are too busy to look up at the stars or the sun. “ ‘Sunshine’ is about gratefulness, happiness and the realization that the infinite wonder of the universe is vast and perplexing but unreachable — the dot, dot, dot — while the sunshine, our world and surroundings are our life source and can be absorbed and loved firsthand.” To hear “Sunshine,” visitMyspace.com/thedewarbrothers. The Dewars will perform Friday, Dec. 31 at Respectable Street in West Palm Beach.


“I’m sitting here waiting for the sun, bring me a sunny day,” Miami’s Chris Alvy sings in “Waiting for the Sun.” The singer-songwriter explains, “The lyrics are a bit abstract, but in the opening lines he’s talking about a relationship gone wrong. … He basically has given up and is again just waiting for the sun — something good — to happen to him. It’s a bit depressing at times, but it’s a feeling we all go through, when things just don’t go the way you want.” To hear “Waiting for the Sun,” visit Reverbnation.com/chrisalvy. Alvy will release an EP on Forward Motion Records in early 2011.

Miami reggae-soul singer Diana King sings about chilling in the sun in “Summer Breezin’,” a song that’s relevant year-round in South Florida: “So I call Michelle up on the cell/Bring your Nike bikini and nothing else/We’re goin’ to the beach, take the top off the Jeep/And bring Chantel, as well/And the boys upstairs wanna come/But they remind me of Dumber and Dumb … Mmm, I’m just chilling in the sun with my chocolate bun/Ooh, I got a lover, but I might find another/If I drink enough of tequila.” King’s 20-track album Warrior Girl is slated for a March release.

Anyone who has lost a father may relate to “Stay Sunny Day,” which Gabriel Garcia-Menocal, the singer-guitarist for electronica act Union Cell, wrote toward the end of his late father’s chemotherapy in 2007. “I didn’t know what to tell him, so I guess the song is a purge for me, a catharsis,” he says. “But there’s a lot of tongue-in-cheek in it, too.” The song explores Garcia-Menocal’s loss and lack of faith. “I was raised Catholic, so I think all of that is absolute bullshit,” he says. “But it’s a very contrasting thing when you see somebody dying and they automatically embrace their faith. I’m watching him embrace his faith and I’m so not there.” Before “Stay Sunny Day,” Garcia-Menocal had someone else sing his songs because he hated his own voice. “When Rimsky [Pons, of local rock act Humbert] was producing it, he said, ‘I don’t give a shit if you hate your voice. You’re supposed to sing this and nobody is going to sing it more honest than you.’” Pons was right, and “Stay Sunny Day,” from Union Cell’s December 2009 EP of the same name, is a moving song. “There’s no such thing as an eternally sunny day,” Garcia-Menocal says. “You hope it stays sunny forever, but it usually doesn’t. It’s more like a plea than anything.” To hear “Stay Sunny Day,” visit Myspace.com/unioncell.

Contact Colleen Dougher at cdougher@citylinkmagazine.com.

This story was originally published Dec. 23, 2010.

- Sun Sentinal

This week, I'm taking time to give a shoutout to some local artists I've gotten to know here in these environs. Rich Ulloa, once the proprietor of Yesterday & Today Records and the budding record label of the same name, exposed me to the local scene and the bands that made it so vibrant. Y&T Records fostered many of those talents -- bands like the Mavericks, For Squirrels, Mary Karlzen, and Amanda Green -- and it continues to pursue selected projects that garner Rich's enthusiasm.


Through Rich, I first met then-local hero Raul Malo of the Mavericks. He has gone on to international success with the band and, in the past decade or so, without. But I specifically remember sitting in a restaurant in Coconut Grove and listening to Raul talk about his dreams of making it in the world of country music and hearing how he was inspired by heroes like Hank Williams, Johnny Cash, and Roy Orbison -- all of whom had made an obvious impression on him early on. It wasn't long after that that Raul agreed to speak at a music business class I was teaching in the evening at a local high school. He graciously brought his guitar and performed several songs acoustically for my students, who numbered no more than ten people during that particular session. I'm convinced it was the smallest audience he ever performed for, both before or since. More on my interactions with Malo here.


In the past couple of years, I've come to admire the efforts of Fernando Perdomo, another local musician who I'm convinced will one day inherit that same "I knew him when" designation with which I've credited Mr. Malo. In addition to writing about him, I've also come to share some special connections with him. He's an unabashed fan of classic rock, and I'm impressed not only by his extensive musical knowledge -- a savvy insight that eludes many musicians of his age -- but also his humility. He's also one of the most ambitious artists I've ever met. If he were involved only with his excellent band, Dreaming in Stereo, that would be impressive enough; the band's two albums are adroit compendiums of accessible melodies and progressive intuition, the sort of thing that successfully entices even on first hearing. However, Fernando hasn't stalled his intentions there. His Forward Motion record label has gathered an impressive roster of like-minded musicians and has expanded exponentially in the past year, even to the point of securing veteran singer/songwriter Andy Pratt and a spotlight gig at the industry-intensive South by Southwest conference a couple of weeks back.



I've known singer/songwriter Jim Camacho since the mid-'90s, when I hosted the Goods -- the band he co-helmed with his brother John -- at Hard Rock Café in Bayside. The Goods were the best band to ever emerge from South Florida's musical environs, given their knack for irresistible hooks, memorable refrains, and adroit execution. They secured a national recording contract, although it unfortunately failed to get them the recognition they deserved. Jim continues to make superb solo albums, the latest of which is Beachfront Defeat. Never one to be reticent about sharing the label's newest news, Perdomo recently told me that he and Jim have joined forces and will shortly commence work on a new project for Forward Motion. In the meantime, an EP boasting outtakes from Beachfront Defeat, the Is It Me EP, marks their initial collaborative label effort. Ever the multitasker, Jim is also working with Rich Ulloa to stage his children's musical, the charming and delightful The Cavie Islanders & the Troll -- one of several theatrical efforts Jim's produced in recent years -- and word is that the musical score will be rereleased on Y&T Records later this year.

I recall rendezvousing with Chris Alvy at a relative's house in West Miami, where I met his band, and heard some of his early musical projects. Chris has an unabashed energy that's reflected in his music. He has a new album, Anything Goes, that is making its bow on Forward Motion. It's still the propulsive rock 'n' roll that I remember from Chris' earlier efforts. It's good to have him back, and his trio (rounded out by bassist Darrell Killingsworth and drummer Todd Toulbee) is destined to have a decided presence here locally in the months to come.
- BROWARD & PALM BEACH NEW TIMES

Born in Cuba and raised in Spain and the US, Chris Alvy is making a mark on the Miami music scene. The Chris Alvy Band captures the vintage 70’s rock sound and combines it with an alternative edge with brilliant results. This remarkable band sounds like they are Cheap Trick or Boston performing songs written for ABBA. I’ve not heard melodies so delectable and instantly gratifying since Jellyfish. The band’s six song EP, “Anything Goes”, features exquisitely catchy songwriting, surprising musical twists, and spectacular harmonies.

“Inside Job” greets us with raining drums, a gentle riff, and Alvy’s warm voice…all of which quickly builds up to a driving chorus laced with rich backing vocals that you’ll be humming for the rest of the day. “Something New” was the next song to grab my attention – not quite as all consuming, but a solid straight up rocker with crunch and haunting leadwork. “The Fall” is one of the coolest examples of how this band effortlessly blends musical styles to cook up something you’ve never quite tasted before. We’ve got staccato 60s guitar, a 70s-style pop buildup, and the soaring vocal tone of the 80s. The EP ends on a strong note with “This Is Your Life” – the verses are a bit chaotic, but man that chorus is a work of genius.

Try to get through this EP without grinning – it just isn’t possible. Easily one of the best powerpop EPs we’ll hear this year. Congratulations, Chris Alvy and company.

- BILLS MUSIC FORUM

This is one outstanding song and video, both superbly edited. The vocals remind me of the Smithereens and the solid bass and guitar lines bring back the effervescent energy of the rock that came from the 70's punk and new wave era. The production is clean, and gives attitude to the song. The singer adds an anxious energy to the song, the voice is piercing and gives the listener an edgy feeling. The CD release is forthcoming and I look forward to it very much. As I was auditioning and playing back the video for “THE INSIDE JOB”, my very-hard-to-impress housekeeper commented as to how much she enjoyed the music and the band and asked how many years they’ve been together, as they do sound as they’ve played for years and have the connection between band mates that make for great rock and roll. SUPERB from Forward Motion Records across the waters in the USA….

- NEW REVIEWS-UK

The new EP from the phenomenal Chris Alvy Band is nonstop rock and a really incessant rhythm that kept my foot tapping while listening to this a few times. The recording is well done, the cymbals have a nice presence and the guitars have wonderful punch that kept my ears busy. “The Fall” has good call-and-response choruses and an urgency to it that works nicely, with a blistering guitar lead that could have been a bit louder in the mix. I could feel the bass thru the song, well blended in with the rest of the instrumentation. ”Anything Goes” brings back memories of The Sweet, from another century, the vocals work well, the drums come out furious and the guitars, while a bit subdued for my particular taste, have good tone. “Inside Job” is something that could easily be released as a single, its reminds me a bit of 70's rock, with a bit of early Who and Kinks in the mix.

The cd shows a wide range with “Your Smile Shines A Light”, done with acoustic guitars and hand percussion, with vocals and harmonies that Queen would be proud. “This is Your Life” has a wonderfully hectic feel to it, the electric guitars have great tone and I could feel the stereo image of the drum kit. The mix is worthy of George Martin, its that good. Surges and splashes of sonic colour abound and makes for VERY entertaining music, down to the last ending crescendo. Its definitely really great music to download to your digital music gizmo’s that no longer use spinning plastic for music. These are very incredible musicians worthy of following.

- NEW REVIEWS-UK

Chris Alvy Band "Anything Goes" EP
Miami based Chris Alvy brings us some excellent guitar riffs and vocal harmonies on the title track from 'Anything Goes.' Songs are instantly memorable, for example "The Fall" sounds like a combo of Cheap Trick and Split Enz. The 70's styled guitar crunchiness and chord combinations make tracks like "Something New" really standout. Stylistically, tracks like the Extreme-ish "This Is Yur Life" and the acoustic "Your Smile" are a bit less consistent, but no less compelling. I dare you not to sing along on the latter track with it's strumming chorus of "Yabba Dabba Doo." Easily one of the most impressive debut EPs this year. Where is that full length LP? I can't wait for this one.
- POWERPOPAHOLIC