Coffee House Gypsies

"Just when you think you know where this talented band is going they take you in a new direction and leave you wanting more" - Dan Norris, DJ for Wa1a in Melbourne, FL

"CHG has been performing all around the area’s vibrant independent music and art scene for 11 years. They’re big on the jam-band scene"


FULL ARTICLE:

The talented Coffee House Gypsies celebrated their long awaited national
CD release fiesta for The Artist on July 3rd at their hometown’s Tobacco
Road. The second floor of the venue was packed on the Thursday night
before Independence Day, but the crowd of thirty-somethings didn’t seem
to mind. CHG have played their acoustic folk/rock almost once a month
for the last year, along with the beautiful melodies of Pretty on Paper. The
openers set the mood for the jam band with their seductive tones and
original lyrics, like We all get wet when it starts to rain. “We poured our
hearts and souls into every song on The Artist. Its release, sales on
iTunes and positive reviews have been very exciting and surreal,” said
Carmen Tauler, singer of Pretty on Paper and vocal cameos with CHG. “I
only hope that our songs connect with people and touch them with as
much emotion and passion as we did giving birth to the album.”
CHG all started with a guitar, beer bottles and harmonies in June of 1997,
at a party in Miami. Ever since, Albert Damian and Alexandra Norris have
joined many friends onstage as an acoustic coffeehouse act. They’ve
been backed by Fred Napolitano’s jazzy sax since 2000. The CD’s steady
drumming of Dorian Reyes was supplied by John Segovia at the venue.
The wise-cracking Eric Valdes handling the electric guitar looked and
sounded like Metallica’s Kirk Hammett. The group has been performing
all around the area’s vibrant independent music and art scene for 11 years.
They’re big on the jam-band scene, sharing stages with Crashing Tide,
Flight 420 and Brimstone 127. CHG headlines private parties, small clubs,
coffeehouses, and South Florida hotspots, from the Titanic Brewery and
the Wallflower Gallery to the legendary nightclub, Tobacco Road. “This is
the right place to be to celebrate our new material,” said frontman Albert
Damian. “The Road was once owned by Al Capone. You just wonder how
many big names were on this stage before you.”
“In the house tonight we have one of South Florida’s most original groups,
the Coffee House Gypsies,” said Event Host Omar “Oski” Gonzalez as he
welcomed the artistic ensemble to the stage. Spectators shouted out,
declaring their love for Albert. “These guys stand as the hardest working
cats on the local scene and their newest cut is nothing short of spectacular,”
Oski expressed after their set.
The Artist’s first selection, rightfully labeled “Intro,” entails several speakers
citing poetry over sexy female moans and a saxophone relaying the blues.
Phrases like “This one’s for the artists” and the “underground dreamers”
prepares folks for a powerful collection of music. The dreamy “Inside My
Head” and its optimistic messages about hope soon follow. Norris’s low
voice is reminiscent of Stevie Nicks. The sweet ballad “Bittersweet” has a
bit of a country jingle as the singer is losing her mind after a rough breakup.
Perhaps the new CD’s most noteworthy track is the upbeat “Tigerlily.”
The fast-paced number begins as a sad tune about one guy’s woman
“buried with her unborn child.” But “Tigerlily” has a fun twist. As learned
from the last verse, the crazed gent actually killed her because the kid
she was carrying didn’t belong to him. Just as catchy, “After the Tone” is
about an ex-lover who refuses to go away. Almost anybody can relate to
living with an evil ex-lover who haunts our lives, and invades our privacy.
The track’s chorus sports the quick-pace of R.E.M.’s “It’s the End of the
World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine).” A gentleman reads poetic verses
with a Halloween vibe in “Tribals,” and Damian’s lyrics are complimented
by Tauler’s chorus in the slow-paced “The Word.” She then sings the
upbeat reggae-style “The One.” The selection’s highlight is the sped up
conclusion, topped with jazzy horns.
CHG successfully harmonizes a man with a soothing female tone to capture
the emotional trauma of 1964’s folk song, “The Sound of Silence.” The
cover was recorded as an earnest tribute to their primary influences, Simon
& Garfunkel, along with the Beatles, the Eagles and Fleetwood Mac. “Let’s
Stay” is a slow ballad, reminding listeners of the band Chicago in the
1980s. Albert’s voice is low and dominating, while Tauler is comforting in
the background. The songstress gasps for attention from either a former
lover or a distraught family member in the humble “Ombrage.” The poignant
“Not Even Love” focuses on an unfruitful relationship that not even love can
save. Finally, “Outro” contains the same jazzy sax as the introduction,
adding a little acoustic strumming. CHG state “This album, this dedication,
poem… storylines and characters was born to, from and about you, the
artist.” Be careful not to miss the charming
hidden track, a gorgeous take of “Not Even
Love.”
“We had an amazing turnout and the room
had such a great energy and vibe to it,” said
Alex. Every musician was ecstatic to be
onstage playing to the enormous crowd. CHG
had a blast. And as Damian claims, “It’s every
artist’s dream to have fans that know the
lyrics and sing along to their original stuff.”
“The Coffee House Gypsies rekindle embers
left glowing by Fleetwood Mac, Mamas and
Papas, and New York City’s The Shirts, with
their melodic harmonies and interlocked
rhythm textures. It is nu-folk rock for today’s
generation,” said Cosmo Ohms, Audio
Engineer of Tobacco Road. ”The Coffee House
Gypsies obviously enjoy the music they are
making and are able to communicate this
excitement to their audience.” These days,
the crew is simply looking to tour throughout
the Sunshine State on a regular basis. Playing
live is what they do, and that’s what Coffee
House Gypsies love. As Napolitano
explained, “What you’ve seen and heard is
just the tip of the iceberg.” - Todd McFliker of RAG Magazine

"The Coffee House Gypsies rekindle embers left glowing by Fleetwood Mac, Mamas and Papas, and New York City’s The Shirts, with their melodic harmonies and interlocked rhythm textures. It is nu-folk rock for today’s generation” - Cosmo Ohms, Audio Engineer of Tobacco Road, Miami.

"One of South Florida’s most original groups, the Coffee House Gypsies... These guys stand as the hardest working cats on the local scene and their newest cut is nothing short of spectacular” - Oski Gonzalez of The Oski Foundation in FL.

"The group has been around for 11 years and has come a long way since 1997. The Coffee House Gypsies (CHG) just released their long-awaited album, The Artist last May and plays a blend of music" - Nicole Letaw of Edge Magazine

"CHG's sound is reminiscent of The Eagles, Fleetwood Mac and The Mamas and the Papas. A quintessential jam band, they sometimes rock out with electric guitars and synthesizers or play mellow acoustic rhythms. Sometimes they even recite spoken word poetry between songs" - Rayme Samuels of The Miami Herald & Miami.com

"The music of the Coffee House Gypsies from the Southern tip of Florida is as magical as their name implies. The songs morph from track to track to offer something for fans of any genre or any decade. The band can sound like Retro 80's, 70's Classic Rock, or 60's Singer/Songwriter while maintaining their own individuality in each song"


FULL ARTICLE:

Artist: Band: Coffee House Gypsies
Album: The Artist
Label: Tenement Hall Production
Website: http://www.myspace.com/coffeehousegypsies
Genre: Adult Alternative
CD Review:

The music of the Coffee House Gypsies from the Southern tip of Florida is as magical as their name implies. The songs morph from track to track to offer something for fans of any genre or any decade. The band can sound like Retro 80's, 70's Classic Rock, or 60's Singer/Songwriter while maintaining their own individuality in each song.

The production and engineering team at Dorian's Mode Studios in Miami has incorporated a variety of instruments to showcase these songs and the talents of this fantastic band.

Standout Tracks:

The CD is introduced by spoken word from the band over saxophone and the strum of an acoustic guitar, and is one of the finest introductions to an album that I've heard. Coffee House Gypsies credit their muse and from there, show they have paid close attention to all the artists who have walked this path before them.

Imagine Stevie Nicks singing The Allman Brothers' 'Sweet Melissa' and you get the idea of 'Bittersweet', the song's third track.

Coffee House Gypsies have captured a beautiful cover of 'Sound of Silence', played acoustically with moving harmonies and worth the price of the CD alone.

But wait, there's more: The raspy 'Let's Stay' is a smooth ballad built over a marching drum beat.

'Not Even Love' sounds like it would be right at home on Carole King's "Tapestry" album, with a beautiful voice wrapped in acoustic guitar and synthesized strings.

Verdict: This album, titled "The Artist", pays tribute to music as an art and these artists have nailed down their craft to span generations of sounds. I strongly suggest this CD to any fan of James Taylor, Fleetwood Mac, or the Eagles. Download tracks at http://www.myspace.com/coffeehousegypsies. - Jarrod Brogdon of Muse's Muse

The Coffee House Gypsies have a sound that is
refreshingly new, yet hauntingly familiar!
A. J. Roxx, music critic/radio personality - A. J. Roxx

"We are very picky when it comes to what we'd describe as noteworthy new music, but CHG has got a sound that is difficult to ignore. Their engaging melodies and skillful harmonies fuse a little something from each decade leaving something for every music fan. Nostalgia and novelty collide with CHG..."
- Jester Records Review of CHG in 2001

"CHG is like Fleetwood Mac meets Jethro Tull, or Dave Matthews meets the Indigo Girls..."
- John Rush of JohnRush.com