Dave Hall

UNSIGNED ARTISTS AND REGIONAL NEWS BY LARRY FLICK

PLACES TO GO: Dave Hall has been gradually building a solid following on the DIY circuit, making inroads where few other out-gay artists are: in mainstream rock circles. In fact, as he promotes "Places," the second effort for his homemade Giuseppe Joe label, he is playing larger and more mixed crowds than ever before.

"My music appeals to people who are enlightened and people who can find something universal in what I'm doing and saying," says the New York-rooted artist.

"Places," with its blend of rugged roots rock and pop/folk, often succeeds in exploring the highs and lows of relationships without sexual boundaries. At the same time, however, Hall can't resist the temptation to press a few political buttons, as he does on "Biff 'N Tony's Wedding," which has begun to draw the interest of college radio programmers on the East Coast.

Hall will spend the next couple of months on the road promoting the disc, and he's considering releasing "Biff 'N Tony's Wedding" as a single.

For more information, call Joe Romano at 718-260-9308
- Billboard

A folk-pop artist with considerable lyrical clout, Dave Hall has become a downtown mainstay. His introspective lyrics are woven through well-crafted compositions, relating poignant tales of love, loss and small-town life.

Hall's sophomore album, "Places" (Giuseppe Joe!, 1999), is an impressive showcase for his earthy voice, which roves between the folk grit of Bob Dylan and Hall's own soulful smoothness. — Andrew Taber - New York Times

Dave Hall is one of the best unsigned folk-poppers out there. His 1997 debut, PLAYIN' THE MAN, was a strong reminder that a quality singer-songwriter can gain a national audience with or without a major push from record labels. For his sophomore release, Hall continues to give us personal spins on his life’s journey, but this time, rocking with more gusto. Recommended tracks: “Come To Brooklyn" “Seven,” “Biff ’N Tony’s Wedding.” By David Avery - CMJ

If VH1 was folk oriented, Brooklynite Dave Hall would be a shoo-in for the Storytellers series.
On his sophomore CD "Places," released in January, the singer-songwriter presents a patchwork of musical tales, sewn together with insightful and engaging lyrics.
As the title suggests, the album is about the places he's been, left, dreamed of and returned to. Jerusalem, Saugerties, Brooklyn and the fictitious Dullsville are all on the map, as well as some others that exist on a purely emotional level.
"Places" is the follow-up to Hall's 1997 debut "Playin' the Man," which first stamped him as an out-gay artist. This time around, "Biff 'N Tony's Wedding" is the album's political standout. "Leaving," one of the best tracks, is a more universal look at a rocky relationship. But the pick of the bunch is "You Gotta Go" a seven-minute-plus masterpiece that recounts the singer's on-the-road travels.
Hall easily shifts from folk to folk-pop to folk-rock, sounding Dylanesque at times. With his outstanding vocal delivery and musical composition, this guy is going places. By Joy Catania
- PreAmp