Music
The best kept secret in music
Press
"Dan Haas is back with a new CD which has been pre-released to great local buzz. Every Dan Haas fan knows that he deserves to break in on the national level. This album of songs reinforces that proposition. All he needs is his big break with someone in the know. The song writing here is almost all relationship songs, tunes of broken hearts and longing for someone nice. What stands out on GOODbye MOON is the high level of musical arrangements. This recording is truly a banquet of musical delight, a multi-colored rainbow of textures and light. There are strings and horns, clarinet and... was that a glockenspiel? Dan sings like a cross between Elvis Costello and John Mayer (not bad company to be in). It would be nice to see Dan get some of the recognition of Mayer (Best New Artist Grammy 2002). All of the tunes are really good here. The first five just killed me. Really a fine experience with the headphones on. I've got to hand it to Dan Haas and company. GOODbye MOON is another testament as to why Annapolis is such a great musician's town."
- Chesapeake Music Guide
Dan Haas: GOODbye MOON: Ortseam Music No matter what trends or styles are dominating the music industry at any given time, there is always room for good old-fashioned pop music. With it's characteristically infectious melodies and sing-along choruses, a good pop song has the uncanny ability to make people smile. That's the reason I was smiling the whole time I was listening to Dan Haas' new album, GOODbye MOON. Haas, a regular performer in the Annapolis music scene and a member of the popular regional band - Bens Bones, has proven himself to be an excellent pop singer/songwriter with this impressive solo CD. Focusing on topics like love and relationships, the twelve songs on GOODbye MOON take Haas' great lyrics and wrap them in a blanket of superb instrumentation and musical arrangements. The result is one truly memorable album - the kind of effort that could launch a national career for Haas. Throughout GOODbye MOON, Haas dazzles with his wordplay and ability to describe, in great detail, a specific time, place or situation. This descriptive talent is evident on the lovely track, "Counting the Hours." Haas is talking about a key decision in a relationship when he sings, "Late at night when the wine can be measured in drops / Stars above and the moon just appears to be stopped / In the dark / And you're holding your glass to the sky / Waiting for light to arrive / To decide." This is just one example, but countless other great lyrical moments pop up all over GOODbye MOON. The lyrics are not the only reason Haas' album is notable, the music, instrumentation and production are top-notch also. Haas recruited talented musicians from all over the region and the nation to bring his vision to life. Whether you look at the vocal contributions of Josh Rouse and David Mead, both critically-acclaimed, national pop artists, or the outstanding production work of Joe Pisapia, GOODbye MOON is a classic effort from start to finish. Maryland is very fortunate to have an artist like Dan Haas in the region, and we shouldn't take him for granted. He is the kind of artist and GOODbye MOON is the kind of album that could make a splash across the nation. And that's a good thing, because everybody needs to smile!
-Greg Yost
- Baltimore Music Monthly
For his solo record GOOD bye MOON, member of popular Maryland band Ben’s Bones’ Dan Haas enlisted "Joe, Marc’s Brother" man and recent Guster touring member Joe Pisapia as producer along with a few friends, including David Mead and Josh Rouse, to help out on vocal and guitar duties. The resulting record is a dreamy, compelling, lush collection of smart lyrics and great music. Every aspect of each well-layered song is perfectly placed and necessary. Guitars, synth bleeps and strings swirl and rush over a solid, chunky rhythm section while Haas’ vocals provide a perfect through-line. Falling right in the middle of the best contemporary independent pop, GOOD bye MOON is emotional, wistful and gutsy. Alternately luxurious and gruff, the tunes absolutely glitter with intelligence and talent.
-Clay Steakley - Performing Songwriter
An acoustic pop smorgasboard - delectable melodies, sensitive arrangements, expressive vocals - all served up with plenty of smarts and soul.
-Bill DeMain - Performing Songwriter
This new Dan Haas Haas CD "11 Songs" was recorded, mixed and mastered in the space of one weekend in the spring of 2001. The overall feeling reflects the time of year it was recorded, a CD full of hopeful melodies and introspective musings. This is a welcome opportunity for an ultra personal encounter with a very fine young songwriter. All the songs are written by Dan, who is a great student of popular music and a joy to watch perform with his band of stellar local talent. But even with band stripped away, here we are left with the soul of a dedicated and soulful artist, and a freshly penned song cycle. This is a good CD to listen to from beginning to end, maybe kinda like he wrote it, and just how it was recorded. Take a load off and listen.
-Michael Buckley
103.1 FM
WRNR ANNAPOLIS, BALTIMORE & DC. - Chesapeake Music Guide
"...Check out Dan Haas and Bens Bones at Armadillos at 10pm. If have somehow managed to live in Annapolis for longer than a month and have not seen these guys in action, then you're missing one of Annapolis' great treasures. With a sound that has alternately been described as amazing, fantastic, earth-shaking and just darn good, Bens Bones truly has got the potential to be the biggest thing that has come out of Annapolis in a long time." - Jessica Pachler (Friday March 5th 2004)
What a fun CD! With intelligent yet whimsical lyrics, and an eclectic sound to match, Haas has definitely established his own style. He's got a low-tempo Guster vibe, the funk of Beck and the spunk of Ben Folds matched with the smooth acoustic stylings of John Mayer (and some tasty jazz happening sporatically throughout the rest of this masterpiece!). Yes, and a little Rufus Wainwright tossed in for good measure. This is the kind of artist you hear and wonder, "Why isn't he huge?" I don't know. But what I can tell you is that lyrics like, "So don't go thinking/That I am half crazy/To fly and hour/Across this whole country/To spend a whole weekend, a moment, a lifetime with you," you'll be intrigued, too. "Strawberries and Lemons" has a definably brilliant sound, and Haas flexes his vocals as he emotionally wails throughout the song, displaying his breathtaking talent as a vocalist. This album truly stands out, and Haas has created a picturesque portrayal of life's emotions for the ears.
Favorite Tracks: Wednesday AM, I Should Go
Rating: 4 stars
- DiscoveringArtists.com
Whether he's playing solo or hitting the stage with one of his bands, Bens Bones (originals) or Invisible Band (covers), Dan Haas is the performing man around town. Haas delivers high-energy pop/folk/rock shows most nights of the week. Don't miss him with Bens Bones on the first three Mondays of each month at 49 West. www.danhaas.com
- Best Local Performer
Discography
"11 Songs" - solo.
Released in January 2001
"GOODbye MOON" - solo.
Released in July 2003
*Produced by Joe Pisapia. Currently, Joe is a member of Guster and has his own band, Joe, Marc’s Brother. Musicians on GOODbye MOON include Joe Pisapia, Marc Pisapia, David Mead, Jim Hoke, Chris Carmichael and Josh Rouse. The CD was mastered at Yes Master in Nashville, TN by the very talented Jim DeMain.
"Wishful Thinking" - with Bens Bones.
Release date 4/26/04
*Produced locally here in Maryland by the band and Frank Marchand, who is best known for his work with the All Mighty Senators, the Toadies and Jimmi’s Chicken Shack. Musicians on Wishful Thinking include Josh Chapman, Jamie Watkins, Tevis Marshall, Bryan Ewald, Shaunna Bolton, Elisa Infante, Chris Rose, Warren Boes and Tim Phillips. The CD was mastered at AirShow mastering in Springfield, VA.
NOTES:
*Bens Bones SOLD OUT the nationally recognized 350+ seat venue, the Rams Head On Stage, to beyond standing-room-only capacity on January 22, 2004.
* GOODbye MOON named #1 CD for 2003 in the January issue of Baltimore Music Monthly by reviewer Greg Yost.
* “World Rushing In” was the Most Played Song on XM’s Unsigned Channel for both the months of November & December 2003.
Photos
Feeling a bit camera shy
Bio
DAN HAAS : BIO:
For over ten years, Dan Haas has been writing, singing and performing his own style of acoustic / pop / folk / rock music. Working both solo and with two bands, Bens Bones & The Invisible Band (formerly the 'Dan Haas Band' ), he has entertained many all across the mid-Atlantic region. From the smallest of bars to some of the country's biggest festivals, Dan has been lucky to enjoy many a stage spotlight and along the way, gain some critical acclaim. Throughout the years, Dan has had the privilege to record with such artists as Joe Pisapia of Guster, Jim Creeggan from the Barenaked Ladies, David Mead and Josh Rouse.
MUSICAL INSPIRATIONS:
Dan's musical inspirations stemmed initially from his father's collection of Simon & Garfunkel albums. Those first impressions are evident in nearly all of Dan's acoustic guitar based pop creations. Of course inspiration came from such genres as the soft melodic rock of the 70's, the syrupy pop of the 80's and even a few months of interest in country music. What kid didn't want to be a newspaper-delivering cowboy when they were young? It wasn't until Neil Finn and company released the band’s debut self-titled CD Crowded House that Dan found his true musical taste. In 1989, Dan witnessed his first Crowded House concert. The band’s showmanship, their comedy and their music meshed seamlessly into one of the best shows he'd ever, and has ever seen. After that concert Dan knew the direction he wished to take with his own musical performances. Since then, artists as diverse as Elvis Costello, The Beatles, James Taylor, Jellyfish and Toad the Wet Sprocket have all made appearances in Dan's desert island collection.
THE DEBUT CD:
His debut all-acoustic CD '11 Songs' was released just prior to the turn of the millennium. Michael Buckley, from 103.1 WRNR in Annapolis describes Dan as, "...a great student of popular music and a joy to watch perform with his band of stellar talent." Since then '11 Songs' has gone on to sell over a thousand copies with virtually no tour support.
IN SUPPORT OF:
Dan has opened in support of acts like Joe Pisapia (Joe, Marc's Brother), The Dudes, Chris Trapper (Push Stars), Richard Julian, Bill Mallonee (Vigilantes of Love), Bill Deasy, The Church, Swan Dive, Dan Hicks & his Hot Licks, Orleans, Dick Dale, Jerry Jeff Walker and The Brothers Creeggan (with Jim Creeggan of the Barenaked Ladies).
PERFORMANCES:
Over the years, Dan's been on some fine stages. Here are just some of the venues where he has performed over the years: the Metro Cafe in DC, the 8x10, the Funk Box, MOJO, Kiss Cafe, Austin Grille & Coburns in Baltimore, the Rams Head On Stage in Annapolis, the Dewey Beach Music Festival, the Fells Point Festival, the University of MD's Art Attack, the Celebrate Fairfax Festival, BowieFest, Nick's Fat City in Pittsburgh, the Eastport A' Rockin Festival, the Mid-Atlantic Wine Festival, Heroes, Middleton Tavern, Eastport Clipper, O'Briens, Armadillos, 49 West & Sean Donlon in Annapolis, Jammin Java in Vienna, VA, Whitlow's On Wilson & IOTA in Northern Virginia, the North Star Bar, Triumph Brewery & Manayunk Music Exchange in Philadelphia, the Chesapeake Bay Beach Club, the Bowery Poetry Club & Tavern on the Green in NYC, the Rams Head in Savage Mill, Clyde's of Chevy Chase, Rock Bottom Brewery in Bethesda & Arlington, the Depot in York, PA and the Sutler Inn in Nashville... to name just a few.
GOODbye MOON:
Following the release of '11 Songs', Dan almost relocated to Nashville to pursue his musical dream. Like anything in life, plans changed... but dreams so rarely do. Dan's attraction to Nashville little-known pop scene never waned, even though his roots & mailbox remained firmly planted in the historic bay side city of Annapolis. So in December of 2002, he took a three-month trip to the music city to start recording his follow-up effort with the help of stellar producer Joe Pisapia. (Joe, for those of you who don't know, fronted his own band, 'Joe, Marc's Brother' and is currently a touring member of 'Guster'.) In July of 2003, Dan proudly released 'GOODbye MOON' to the world. Performing Songwriter's Bill DeMain calls GOODbye MOON "An acoustic pop smorgasbord - delectable melodies, sensitive arrangements, expressive vocals - all served up with plenty of smarts and soul."
ON-AIR:
Dan's songs can be heard on such world-class stations as XM Satellite (MOST PLAYED SONG on RADIO UNSIGNED for November & December 2003), 88.5 WXPN, 89.7 WTMD, 89.9 KCRW, 91.9 WNTI, 99.1 WHFS, 101.1 DC101 & 103.1 WRNR. Dan also has taped several television interview / performance segments in 2004: most notable were for Spotlight ON Performing Songwriter, the Comcast UCP of MD Telethon (w/ Bens Bones) and Late Night with Erik Haase (w/ The Invisible Band) on the WB affiliate in Washington DC.
BENS BONES:
Sometime along the way, Dan started to work with bassist Josh Chapman and drummer Jamie Watkins on an all-original project
Links
