Music
Press
"British rock, with an American tang, naturally. We loved it." - Mojo Magazine (U.K.)
"STEVE BUSCEMI braved Arctic temperatures to hear the Ed Fingerling Group rock the house at a packed Mercury Lounge Saturday night." - - New York Daily News Rush & Molloy Daily Dish & Gossip page, Tuesday January 12, 2004
"Influenced by legendary artists such as the Beatles, the Ramones, Led Zeppelin, and the Clash, Fingerling proves that a rock album can still leave a dent in the music world today. If you enjoy music that won't make you depressed, but do exactly the opposite, definitely look into this album." - -In-Your-Ear magazine (Tuscon, Arizona)
"Fingerling understands and embraces the journeyman approach to art, in which the artist spends a great deal of time mastering the intricacies and nuances of the form in which he's interested, and then employs that knowledge in the furtherance of that form. It's a model that served as the basis for some of the greatest works of art in the history of civilization. The attention that Fingerling has paid to the history of rock shows in every measure of the album. An impressive brand of melodic classic rock, I enjoyed the hell out of it." - -Splendid magazine (Illinois)
"Hailing from NYC, the marvelously-monikered Mr. Fingerling writes nicely-honed, hook-ridden melodic songs in the classic rock vein. Expect great things." - -BBC What's On London (England)
"From NYC, here doing solo acoustic shows in support of his recent eponymous EP. It features fresh, tuneful songs of social and political substance, sung with sincerity, style, and swagger. Fans of John Lennon, Joe Strummer, Marvin Gaye, and Jim Morrison will not be disappointed. " - -Best of Camden entertainment weekly (London, England)
"Singer-songwriter Ed Fingerling, former Ultrafine and Oral Groove bassist, will be doing his solo guitar thing. Which is a straight-up rock thing, done quite well, in fact." - -Time Out New York
"Fans of solo Beatles, Paul Weller, and Lenny Kravitz will truly dig Ed Fingerling." - -Fufkin.com
"Fans of solo Beatles, Paul Weller, and Lenny Kravitz will truly dig Ed Fingerling." - -Fufkin.com
"To inspire people to be better humans, kinder and more peaceful, is the motivation behind the majority of the songs. To say that those are worthwhile goals would be a major understatement: I firmly believe that art can change a person's perspective. Built on Hendrix-style riffs, a Zeppelin-esque crunch, and put together with a certain modern-rock clarity, his songs resemble early Lenny Kravitz. There are moments here that really shine." - -Erasing Clouds magazine (Detroit, Michigan)
Discography
with ORAL GROOVE:
• "June" - 1994
• "You'll Get Yours Yet" - 1995
• "Collisionville" - 1997
with ULTRAFINE:
• "Ultrafine" 1999
solo:
• "Ed Fingerling Group" - 2003
• Forthcoming 2006 full-length CD to be released under a band name this summer.
TV/Film Placements:
• "Men Lie" by Lexington Pictures
• "The Deli" by Lexington Pictures (starring Frank Vincent of The Sopranos). Ed had 3 of his songs used in this movie.
- "The Pig Farm" by Stranger Than Pictures (a Sundance Film Festival Finalst and winner of 6 film festival awards). Ed has 2 songs in this movie, one of which, “Going Somewhere,” was the theme song of the movie, plays over the opening credits, and appears 3 times in the movie.
• In 2001 Ed was commissioned to set three William Shakespeare sonnets to music for the production of The Merry Wives of Windsor by Moose Hall Theater Company in the City of New York’s “Shakespeare in the Park” Festival at Inwood Park.
Photos
Feeling a bit camera shy
Bio
Ed Fingerling has rock and roll in his blood. Born and raised in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, and Middle Village, Queens, he developed his musical sensibilities and passions in the same landscape that cultivated bands like the Ramones and Run DMC. In the past 8 years, he has released 5 albums, four of them as a key member and songwriter of celebrated New York bands Oral Groove and Ultrafine. He’s played New York City venues Bowery Ballroom and Irving Plaza (three times), and regularly performs at Mercury Lounge. He’s toured England four times.
Ed has grown into a deft songwriter and musician, with a confident, edgy style and gift for melody. His is a distinct sound that fuses his classic and punk rock roots with modern rock, creating a heart-racing caliber of intensity.
"If I weren't born a songwriter, maybe I'd be a high school teacher," says Ed. "It comes naturally to encourage people to question the status quo, to try and to change things, to be someone great. To go for it, really."
With a powerful and diverse array of influences, Ed combines the lyrical philosophies of the Beatles and
the Clash, the riffs of Led Zeppelin and Nirvana, the fiery passion of Paul Weller, the poetry of Shane MacGowan and Pablo Neruda, and the musical joie de vivre of the Ramones and Rolling Stones, forging a remarkable sound, colliding past and present. His songs soar with aggressive guitar riffs, pounding rhythms, and meaningful, introspective lyrics of love, loss, truth, possibility and hope.
“”I’m paraphrasing,” says Ed, “but Picasso said ‘you copy and copy, then you break through and create an original.’ Maybe one day I’ll create an original, too.”
His electrifying music embodies his entire philosophy of life: everything is possible. With songs like “For My People” that speak of unity and equality, or “Rise” which calls on the listener to live up to his or her potential, Ed seeks to translate his relentless energy, musical aptitude and vision into music that inspires and touches every soul.
“Ed Fingerling is one of the most inspiring songwriters I have ever worked with,” says producer Rich Pagano (Patti Smith Group, Ian Hunter). “He captures the essence of his influences without sounding contrived.”
"Ed Fingerling is, in the best sense of the word, a throwback to a time when music was a passion, not a product," says vocal instructor Greg Drew (Lenny Kravitz, Avril Lavigne). "He cares deeply about the world and rock & roll, and those concerns shine through in his music."
Ed Fingerling is not a passing trend—he is the real thing. With boundless creative energy, unforgettable melodies, and meaningful lyrics, Ed Fingerling is someone you won’t soon forget. In a music scene littered with fragmented attempts of watered-down rock and roll, Ed brings back the reckless fire and primal, raw energy that made rock the igniting force that changed generations and cultures. Put the album in your stereo, turn it up, and discover for yourself
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