Christine Vaskas

At 19 years of age, Christine Vaskas celebrated her first year on Long Island's original music scene by being the 2003 "Queen of the Scene" by Aural Fix readers. This, her debut CD, gives a taste of why.
The sound here is basic pop, with just a touch of a sassy rock edge to it. While most of the songs are about love and relationships, the songs themselves are mostly more substantive than those of the Britney's and Christina's of the world.
I can't say that every song on the CD bowled me over, but then again, Ms. Vaskas is still quite a young artist. The important thing is that her best numbers are quite good indeed - this is a young woman with a world of potential.
The title song, "Dare" is clearly the best on the CD. Fast-paced and sharp, this song amply displays both the power of Vaskas' voice and her ability to craft a catchy pop song. This is one of those songs that is guaranteed to catch on, if the radio would just give it a chance.
Other winning songs include the slow, sad "Crying Over You", an upbeat rock song called "The way You Touch My Heart," and another hard rocker called "Time Isn't Everything."
I look for big things from Christine Vaskas over the course of the next 2 years.
- Rich Hues
- Aural Fix

From Bent Pussycat Records arrived Christine Vaskas’ debut single, Dare, which includes a non-album cover version of Ticket To Ride. Christine is one of the promising younger artists from the company’s stable, and has written her own material for the first album. The cover version on this limited edition CD features instruments that mainly follow the original example and her vocal performances tend to give the song some country-flavour and being a woman, she gender-changed the lyrics.

See actual Review: http://members.home.nl/tomtom/BU%20Reviews%20UVWXYZ.html - Beatles Fan Monthly

Christine Vaskas, the young "kitten" of Bent Pussycat records performed next. "DARE" is her first cd release.
During her performance she opened with the title track of her cd, "Dare." She performed "Ambiguous" one of the first songs she ever wrote, which she co-wrote with Tom Cavangh ( who is her guitar teacher and who accompanied her on guitar on most of her set).
One of my favorite songs from her is a sad and powerful song called "Broken" on which she plays guitar on. Most of her other songs have a distinctive pop flavor.
-Aural Fix - Aural Fix

Long Island has a rich pop-music history, from the legendary, progressive WLIR-FM radio station, to the club “My Father's Place,” to Billy Joel, Deborah Gibson and Good Times magazine. But that’s far from the end of the list. Add 24-year old Christine Vaskas.

She's just released her second album Stepping Outside Myself, featuring 11 of her own songs, co-written and co-produced by Tom Cavanagh. With an absolutely stunning voice and wide-ranging versatility, Vaskas is on her way to taking her rightful place alongside Long Island’s best performing artists.

Her song, "Love Story" was written and recorded long before the record-setting Taylor Swift track. At once both sensitive and rocking, Vaskas performance is terrifically nuanced throughout the disc.

Her earlier album, Dare was equally as startling, but her latest effort is totally on the money. "When I'm Falling," "Never Let You Go," and the title track are standouts. Christine has put together a band and will tour in the spring and summer. She's in route to Nashville for confabs and more recording. TheImproper.com caught up with Vaskas to get some insights into her music.

TheImproper: Long Island has a great, rich musical history; where did your first influences come from?

Vaskas: Of course I grew up listening to artists from Long Island like Billy Joel, Debbie Gibson and Mariah Carey. I was so fortunate to have a rich musical environment. I was also really influenced by musical theatre as a child. That’s what really got me in to wanting to perform. I would do a few shows a year at local theatres and couldn’t get enough of it.

IM: What was the first record you ever bought?

Vaskas: I believe it was No Doubt’s Tragic Kingdom. That was also the first concert I ever attended. I remember being in awe.

IM: What was your genesis like, getting into music, beginning to write and perform it, and your first recordings? What was that first session like?

Vaskas: Well I began taking guitar lessons when I was 16 and I would bring in songs I was writing. My producer, and guitar teacher at the time, Tom, would help me shape and fine tune them. Over time we had enough songs for the first CD, Dare. So, once we decided to record. I can’t tell you how excited I was, it was an amazing learning experience. I think the very first time I was in the recording booth was to record guitar for my very first song. I actually have a picture from that session. It’s nice to look at it and remember how eager and happy I was.

IM: I know there's a Tom Cavanagh involved, and not the actor, right? Tell us about him?

Vaskas: No but I asked the actor actually called 'Tom' about the name similarity. It’s a pretty funny story. You’ll have to ask him about it! The Tom Cavanagh I work with is a very talented musician and also my co-writer, my lead guitarist and my producer. He has a story all his own. He owns his own independent record company and studio on Long Island (Bent Pussycat Records), performs and tours with many different artists (he just came off a tour with Lita Ford) and has his own solo career as well. He is truly dedicated to his craft and has taught me so much about music and life in general.

IM: Tell us about those first recordings for your CD Dare. It must have been like a dream come true?

Vaskas: It really was. I never thought I would get the chance to write and record my own music. It was a great learning experience for me. Luckily, I had the freedom to explore different sounds and styles. That first CD really helped me discover where I wanted to go. It holds a special place in my heart because those are some of the very first songs I wrote.

IM: The second CD (Stepping Outside Myself) was a bit of a different direction ... right? Tell us more about it.

Vaskas: Well I think that Tom and I went in to it with a certain style in mind. I was also older on the second CD and a more experienced songwriter. I took my time with it as well because I wanted to make sure each song was strong enough to stand on its own. I was also going through some changes in my life so lyrically I had a lot more say. I’m just really proud of it and hope that people enjoy it!

IM: Your song, "Love Story", which is terrific, was actually written before the record-breaking Taylor Swift hit. I guess it's a case of great minds thinking alike, right?

Vaskas: Thank you! “Love story” was actually one of the first songs written after “Dare.” I think that many people can relate to this song because it’s not so farfetched. It’s one of my favorites. I really like Taylor’s version too! I would love to work with her one day.

IM: For me and some of the people here, the second CD is a very nice thematic trip ... much more realized and cohesive.

Vaskas: Yes it is. Once the songs started coming together I noticed a definite theme about self-discovery and growth. It was everything I was experiencing. The music has a certain sound as well. We really wanted to mor - TheImproper.com

Long Island, New York sure has bred some interesting musical personalities over the years, BILLY JOEL, DEBORAH GIBSON, MARIAH CAREY, EDDIE MONEY, BLUE OYSTER CULT, PAT BENATAR; THE GOOD RATS; BRIAN SETZER; and, the late-HARRY CHAPIN, all hail from there. Hey we grew up in Glen Cove Island, we know what a great place the little island off New York City is. The area has taken more than it's fair share of abuse too ... but, so has New Jersey, where even THE BOSS and SOUTHSIDE JOHNNY are from! There's a new singer/songwriter who is at the brink of putting the musical world on notice of her talents and writing abilities, CHRISTINE VASKAS. She's put out her second CD this past summer STEPPING OUTSIDE MYSELF, and from the moment it was available, had the critic's ears ringing off the hook. Her debut CD DARE, immediately raised interest levels too ... in fact, the home-grown response was so positive, that she and her producer TOM CAVANAGH released an acoustic version of it to much fanfare.She also participated in an MTV-online sponsored competition called 'Addicted To Noise', where onliners could vote for their favorite new-artist submitted song. Her contribution ("Love Story") came in the Top 20 in the first go-around, and #5 in the final voting.She's just inked with one of our favorite PR-people around DAVID SALIDOR, and he immediately turned us onto it. He's worked with a lot of successful singer/songwriters, including Gibson herself and considers her work outstanding. "I think the caliber of her songwriting is exceptional ... very viable for what's going on right now, as we're thankfully getting back to a singer/songwriter direction." On her second CD, there's a song titled "Love Story" that isn't the TAYLOR SWIFT-one, but rather one that she wrote way earlier ... and, equally as enjoyable as Swift's. Check her out, you will not be disappointed. She's just become a Times Square Gossip favorite.
- The Insider

Who: Christine Vaskas
is a singer/songwriter
from Long Island who
has been a recording artist for the past several years. Her well-reviewed debut full-length pop-rock recording, Dare, was released in 2003, followed by an acoustic follow-up, The Acoustic Mixes (2004), which contained softer versions of many of the songs from Dare. Vaskas recently released Stepping Outside Myself, her newest album, which features a more mature sound, major league production, and a country edge to some of the material.
Her History: At the age of seven, Vaskas, who has a classically beautiful singing voice, began to take vocal lessons and eventually appeared in numerous community theater productions. As she got a little older, she began to branch out and started to perform at dinner events, street fairs, malls, and benefits. At 16, she began working at Tom Cavanagh's Bent Pussycat Recording Studio, where she learned the ins and outs of recording and production. Shortly thereafter, she appeared on the Bent Pussycat Records Christmas Compilation Vol. 2, Vol. 3, and The Best Of Collection.
Vaskas has been working with Cavanagh (best known recently as a member of the area tribute band Almost Queen in Brian May's guitar spot) ever since."I write all my songs with Tom and I am an artist under his label, Bent Pussycat Records," said Vaskas. "My new CD was also produced by Tom and myself. We have been working together for a while now, so when we wrote the songs for this CD we knew the sound we were going for." That sound is that of a confident pop/rock vocalist, though this time there's much acoustic guitar and some softer songs added to the proceedings, giving the disc an almost country music feel.
"I love country music and I've always loved singing country songs," said Vaskas. "There was a small hint of it on my last CD, but this time around I really wanted to develop that further. The songs on this CD could either be pop or country depending on how they are produced."
At this point in her career, Vaskas has performed at many of the top venues in the area as well as at Madison Square Garden, where she has performed the "National Anthem" several times. Blessed with seemingly perfect pitch and one of the warmest vocal tones you'll ever hear, Vaskas has done virtually every type of performing, including shows at coffee houses, theaters, open mics, and clubs, and has done voiceover work as well.
Vaskas will perform at The Bitter End in New York City on Friday, July 11 for her official CD release party; see her websites for complete ticket and show information.
Her Music: The new album, Stepping Outside Myself, represents Vaskas' strongest work to date, highlighting her stunning voice with simple pop and country arrangements. Cavanagh shares songwriting and production credits, as the album was recorded once again at Bent Pussycat Studios.
The songs: "Thinking Too Much" (a good choice as a possible single), "When I'm Falling," "Detached," "Love Story," "Opportunity Knocks," "Never Let You Go," "Stepping Outside Myself," "A Little Love," "Pretty," "Searching For Tomorrow," and the set closer, the rocking "Stand Up!"
To Learn More About This Artist: Log on to her websites at christinevaskas.com and myspace.com/christinevaskas. The new CD is available at select stores as well as the bentpussycat.com website, as well as through CDBaby.com, iTunes, and other websites. The album will be available the July 11 CD release party at The Bitter End.

- GoodTimes Magazine