Music
The best kept secret in music
Press
Ferrara offers up a highly polished disc of hook-filled pop songs that are just aggressive enough to raise your hackles a bit, and yet not harsh enough to upset your parents. The polishing here is more a reference to well crafted, because despite the excellent production, my guess is that Ferrara has a good idea of how the songs should sound before going into the studio. Sure, her press touts that she recorded "Christmas Time (Is Near) at the tender age of 5, and had a band in the studio by the time she was 18. But perhaps more telling are credentials such as her coordinating of the New Jersey Songwriters in the Round, and being a member of ASCAP, the National Academy of Popular Music, and a voting member of the Recording Academy. Sure, there are slackers out there who just sign up for anything for the benefit of their resumes, but given the quality of the songs on this disc, it's fair to say that Ferrara is no glory hound, but rather a gifted singer/songwriter. In fact, as you listen, there's a sense that you're getting overloaded from the denseness of the material. Not to say the songs are heavy, but they are put together so well, mistakes don't happen, there are no glitches, and each song is like a punch to the head, in a good way of course.
- NY Rock Street Beat
This release is an editor's pick on Smother.Net
Review - Some could easily trap themselves with an album title that seemingly egotistical but Deb Ferrara means nothing by it. In fact you’ll be reading clichés on all of the reviews of her album about how she indeed is “Anything But Ordinary” but now that we have that obvious zinger behind us we can focus on the light soft rock sounds that emanate from her latest album. One could tell that she was anything but ordinary noting that her first single “Christmas Time (Is Near)” was penned at the young age of five. But her recent accomplishments are just as impressive; other than her obviously great pop-rock music, she also is the president of More Good Music, a family owned ASCAP publishing company formed in ’68, as well as the coordinator of “New Jersey Songwriters in the Round”—a monthly songwriter showcase sponsored by BMI and ASCAP—in addition to being a voting member of the Recording Academy. But her music-related projects certainly pale in comparison to her tremendous songwriting ability, which has found her “Go Away” album winning two Billboard songwriting awards among other accolades. Perfection and notoriety go hand in hand in the recording industry and Deb Ferrara is anything but an ordinary exception.
- smother.net
"MuzikMan" Hannaleck-http://www.muzikreviews.com
Deb Ferrara is inspiration to any women that aspires to record indie rock music. Ferrara handles a lion’s share of the instruments and its Anything But Ordinary. Her voice reminded me of several pop-rockers from the 80’s including Belinda Carlise (Go-Go’s) and Susanna Hoffs (The Bangles). Her jangly guitar and sweet vocals lure you in and keep you hypnotized throughout the run of the album. Tracks like “I Don’t Like It” and “Stupidly Beautiful” should take aim at college radio. I think they would be on a regular rotation in any college radio station. Although her sound leans more towards pop than any other style, there is certain amount of alternative rock that blends in nicely giving her music a chance to have some crossover success. Deb Ferrara is a multi-talented musical whiz kid that deserves a listen by the people that make relative unknown talent into stars; she has that kind of quality and essence about her. Long live indie rock! You go girl! - http://www.muzikreviews.com
Producer: Dan Marfisi
Top Cuts: “Stupidly Beautiful,” “I Don’t Like It”
Summary: Ferrara sets the listener’s expectations high with her selfconfident album title, and her crisp, slightly edgy, instantly infectious songs definitely deliver on that promise. Much like Sheryl Crow, Ferrara perfectly balances her tougher electric rock edges with a sweeter acoustic-driven, sometimes countrified side, but her lead vocals — often enhanced by sugary harmonic textures — is clear and emotional where it needs to be.
––Jonathan Widran
- Music Connection Magazine
The following link will bring you to the ASCAP Audio Portrait on Deb Ferrara featured on the ASCAP website:
http://www.ascap.com/audioportraits/Ferrara.html
Portrait added to ASCAP site on 9/17/04 - Behind The Beat
Discography
Anything But Ordinary
Christmas Time (is Near) - CD single
Songbook
Songbook Vol 2
Songbook Vol 3
Songbook Vol 4
Go Away (EP)
Songs For The Cause
Songs For the Cause 2004
Songs For the Cause 2005
www.cdbaby.com/debferrara
Photos
Feeling a bit camera shy
Bio
Deb Ferrara has spent virtually her entire life developing an intimate relationship with every aspect of the songwriting process, and those efforts have paid off nicely for her and the countless people she has worked with.
Ferraras first single, Christmas Time is Near (released at age 5) earned her the sort of media attention people several years her elder could only dream of. Rather than let the early brush with fame slow her down, she spent the remainder of her childhood developing her own style and honing her skills, which at that point already ranged from songwriting to production. By the age of eighteen, Ferrara found herself in the studio with her own band, recording and co-producing a batch of original material that would later become the self-released record, Go Away, which caught the ear of Chrysalis Records and garnered two Billboard songwriting awards.
Over time, Ferrara discovered that in order for her to express herself, she didnt necessarily need to be the one standing directly in the spotlight. As a result, the list of fellow artists who have licensed her songs and collaborate with her continues to grow, and includes the likes of fellow New Jersey resident and hit songwriter/producer Rob Fusari (Destiny's Child, Jessica Simpson, Will Smith). Ferrara has also licensed music for a variety of film, television, and advertising projects. All this hard work has earned her ASCAP Pop Songwriting Awards for the past three years, as well as the chance to perform at the 2004 Songwriters Hall of Fame Showcase at The Cutting Room in New York City and a GoGirls showcase spot at SXSW in Austin in 2005.
Ferrara's most recent CD release is "Anything But Ordinary" -- a collection of twelve infectious rock songs produced by Dan Marfisi and mixed by Grammy winner Carter Humphrey (Rod Stewart). Three songs from the album have been licensed to other artists, and MTV licensed one track for 3 episodes of MADE. To listen to an Audio Portrait of the songwriting process from the songs on this CD, visit the ASCAP website. Deb's latest track, a writing/production collaboration with Askold Buk, is being used for the teasers for the upcoming Paramount film, Fashionistas.
Aside from songwriting, Deb is involved in a number of other projects. She is the host and coordinator of the successful monthly songwriter showcase, New Jersey Songwriters in the Round, which is sponsored by ASCAP and Go Girls Music. She is a NJ co-host for Chick Singer Night - the nation's longest running songfest for female artists and founder/organizer of Songs for the Cause, a charity concert event for breast cancer. Proceeds (over $27,000.00) go to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. Ferrara is also a member of ASCAP, Women in Music, the National Academy of Popular Music, and is a voting member of the Recording Academy. She is the president of More Good Music, which has been a family-owned ASCAP publishing company since 1968.
Links
