Frankenstein Dog
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Frankenstein Dog

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"Rosendale Street Festival"

July 19, 2009

I checked out the street festival yesterday and despite the hot temperature, it was a very cool music scene for a festival of that sort. I have to admit, I hung around the Mountain Stage more so than the others because of the bands that were on deck. I have to add that the sound that Ballantine provided was superior to the other stages though the Canal Side Stage was a close second. My favorite of the day was definitely Billy Manas and Frankenstein Dog...his positive aura and genuine love for what he was doing shined through. Big Shoe, a six piece cover band with some originals, also was a hit for the day for the same reason...I love high energy dance bands that are performing because they love it!

My intention was to see The Trapps today at the festival but sadly, I won't be able to make it. Luckily I'll be able to grab their show at Tin Pan Alley in August or possibly sooner.

Overall, my day at the festival was a successful one. The hula hoop girls at the Mountain Stage were an awesome addition to the atmosphere and I've promised myself to pick up one and relearn my childhood past time. With any luck, I'll acquire a smaller waistline...you go girls!!

On the downside, I would have preferred more community booths and less beer booths. Suggestion: keep the beer in one area and away from the kid stuff...it's not necessary to have a beer booth on every corner...just a thought... Ciao for now!

Posted by Suanne Elisabeth - Gutsy Woman Productions


"Rosendale Musician offers "gift from God" in new album"

Rosendale Musician offers "gift from God" in new album

John W. Barry • Poughkeepsie Journal January 1, 2010


The Jackson Browne concert I attended in November at the Broadway Theater at Ulster Performing Arts Center in Kingston was an incredible evening of storytelling and simplicity, with nothing but a lonely keyboard and about 15 guitars set up on stage.
But equally impressive that night was the run-in I had with Rosendale musician Billy Manas, who is always a ball of fire when he speaks about his latest musical project, whatever it might be.
I first saw Manas play music many years ago with his band Frankenstein Dog in the bars and clubs around New Paltz. Then I saw him perform in a very good production of a Sam Shepherd play, "The Tooth of Crime," in Stone Ridge not long ago. Of course, Manas played guitar.
But I have since gotten to know him pretty well and was well prepared for his response when I asked him, in-between sets at that Jackson Browne show, "What is your latest project?"
Manas at the time was shepherding the production of the new Frankenstein Dog record, which is called "Burst" and is set for release Friday.
I left the Jackson Browne show about 10:45 p.m. I woke up the next morning to this e-mail from Manas, which he had sent at 12:01 a.m. Nov. 7.
"… Along came April 25th. I wrote three songs that I considered sick. As a songwriter, I was aware of the fact this material was some of the most mature and inspired material I ever wrote ... but instead of feeling overwhelmed with the fear of not being able to continue in this miraculous way, I was positively sure the material was going to come quickly and I hadn't even seen the best of it at that point. … Thirteen songs written and tracked in the period of 30 days — April 25th through May 25th. (I tossed one.) I am not a fanciful person, but I am convinced this was a gift from God — dude, every song is miraculous."
You have to know Manas personally to know a quote like this doesn't come with conceit or ego. He is a very passionate guy who operates on several levels and all of this finds its way into his music. He is right, the music on "Burst" is very good and it has a lot of depth and a rock edge, but also a songwriter's sensibility.

One standout is "Here For Mine," which features a meditative rhythm track and aching guitar solos.

Some of the songs stand out for their titles alone. "You Are the Most Beautiful Girl I Have Ever Seen (Oh and I'm Leaving You)" and "Burst (Sonic illustration of My Brain)" both testify to the love of the literary word Manas developed on his way to graduating from the State University of New York at New Paltz with an English degree in 1993.
There are two more things you should know about this guy and this band. The name "Frankenstein Dog" was a compilation of the literary character, Frankenstein's monster, and the notion of the underdog. "Frankenstein, he was an underdog," Manas told me in 2007.
"The whole premise of the book was that he was given the ability to love and he was too ugly."
The new record, "Burst," was mastered by Don Grossinger, whose past projects have involved the Rolling Stones, Brian Wilson and Bruce Springsteen.
Check out Frankenstein Dog at www.myspace.com/frankensteindog





- Poughkeepsie Journal


"Opening spot makes this Frankenstein Dog happy"

Friday, September 05, 2008

By John W. Barry • September 4, 2008

The stories that come out of The Chance, as well as some of the tales I hear from local musicians, can sometimes be simply priceless.


Billy Manas of the band Frankenstein Dog told me last week his band got the opening slot for Sunday's concert by The Cult at The Chance through sheer coincidence.
Manas was at The Chance not too long ago picking up tickets to an upcoming show when he overheard a phone conversation taking place in the box office.

"I heard the booking agent on the phone talking to someone about finding someone to open the show," Manas recalled. "I said, 'I'm Billy from Frankenstein Dog.' And she asked me to send some stuff to her."

On The Cult, Manas, a car salesman by day, said, "I know that they're a big, big band."

No gig too small
But, he added, an opening act slot like this at a hallowed hall of music like The Chance can have a lot of positive ramifications.

"These days, it's really tough getting people out to see you, no matter what your songs sound like," he said. "This gives us the opportunity to play in front of a lot more people than we normally do."

Manas shared an advance copy of the latest Frankenstein Dog CD, "Don't Put Me in Your Movie." Its songs should find a happy home at The Chance. The fans at Chance shows, I've typically found, are fairly open-minded people and know a good band when they hear one.

This CD has got a heavy, heavy edge to it, but never collapses under its own weight. Rather, it shares the bounty with the listener, parading clever lyrics and breezy hooks that stoke interest and invite sing-alongs.

Fans of Kurt Cobain should get their hands on this CD when it comes out Oct. 1 just to hear Manas sing. And if you like Jane's Addiction, then you might like these guys.

And how about that name? Manas was an English major at the State University of New York at New Paltz and particularly partial to Frankenstein, a classic underdog.

Manas wrote all the lyrics and music on the new CD. The record was produced, mixed, mastered and recorded by Garrett Uhlenbrock, who has worked with both Marky Ramone and Dee Dee Ramone, and whose band, La Vista Hotheads of New Paltz, once served as the opener on a Ramones tour.

And that legendary band, it can't be overlooked, is one of the many famous groups to have played The Chance.

But back with Frankenstein Dog, Manas is sensing good things on the horizon.

"We're actually ascending," he said. "The more we work at it, we definitely have an end goal in mind. We're looking for a label and we're looking to do this as our full-time thing. I am obsessive about it. I go to work because I have to. ... From that point in fifth grade, when I decided that was what I was going to do, even though it's taken a lot longer than I thought - from the climate of the music scene, being 38 years old does not shut the door."

The Cult, with opener Frankenstein Dog, performs Sunday night at The Chance in Poughkeepsie. Doors open at 7:30 p.m. Admission is $30. For information, visit www.thechancetheater.com or www.myspace.com/frankenstein dog.com; or call 845-471-1966.

John W. Barry is the music writer for the Poughkeepsie Journal. His column appears every Friday.

- Poughkeepsie Journal


"Soul and lyrics are alive in Frankenstein Dog"


Thursday, July 5, 2007
John W. Barry

In the quirky, competitive and creative orbit where musicians come up with band names, I’ve come across one that’s pretty darn good - Frankenstein Dog.

I first heard this band years ago in New Paltz. I hadn’t seen or heard from them in so long that I had completely forgotten about them. Then, last year, I attended a staging in Stone Ridge of Sam Shepherd’s play, "The Tooth of Crime."

This production featured two guitarists, one of whom was from Frankenstein Dog. His name is Billy Manas. He didn’t act, but he did play his guitar - and he fit in perfectly.

A few months later, I ran into Manas on Main Street in New Paltz and got word that Frankenstein Dog was back together and playing out. I’ve learned a lot more since then, like the fact that Frankenstein Dog will be playing tonight at 60 Main, which is at 60 Main St. in New Paltz.

This event will be staged by the New Paltz Cultural Collective. Admission is $2 for members; $5 for non-members.

A mix of sounds

Check out this quartet - Manas on vocals and guitar; Fabrizio DiCamillo on lead guitar; Marc Takacs on bass; and Hector Bacceras on drums - if you think you’d like a bluesy band that is a cross between Nirvana and the Rolling Stones.

"Frankenstein Dog is lyric-based, very soulful," Manas said. "A lot of emotion and a lot of pain."

Manas and I spoke by phone this week and as important as learning more about the band, I got the story behind the name.

Manas graduated in 1993 from the State University of New York at New Paltz.

"I was an English major," he said. "I was always partial to Frankenstein."

His band’s name, he said, was a compilation of the literary character and the notion of the underdog.

"Frankenstein, he was an underdog," said Manas, a Long Island native who lives in Poughkeepsie. "The whole premise of the book was that he was given the ability to love and he was too ugly ... most of he songs are based on that theme, the passion, unrequited love song theme."

Frankenstein Dog stopped playing after first forming, I learned last week, because of a big change in Manas’ life.

"When I was about 30, my daughter was born," he said. "I was interested in making a living and being a father."

Manas took a job selling cars in Kingston and continues in that career today.

"A lot of people would say that they’re a salesman, but I don’t think so," he said. "It’s something you’ve got to do, just to make money. There is the passion of playing music, but you have to be a sellout to sell cars. It’s something I have to do. It’s a rough business to be in ... But the money’s good."

Manas took his job selling cars seven years ago. Recently, a mutual friend put Manas and one of his old Frankenstein Dog band mates - DiCamillo, the lead guitarist - back in touch.

"We started playing for the first time in 10 years," he said of reuniting with DiCamillo. "We went from song to song to song. It was like we never stopped playing."

The music starts at 9 p.m. For information, call 845-255-1901 or visit www.60main.org.

John W. Barry is the music writer for the Poughkeepsie Journal. Write him c/o Poughkeepsie Journal, P.O. Box 1231, Poughkeepsie, NY 12602, call 845-437-4822, or e-mail jobarry@poughkeepsiejournal.com.


- POUGHKEEPSIE JOURNAL


Discography

Don't Put Me in Your Movie
Burst

Photos

Bio

I guess I was about ten minutes late for the meeting I had scheduled with Billy Manas from Frankenstein Dog, so when I walked into Bacchus in New Paltz, I noticed the conversation was in full swing. Manas was explaining to the bar-back how Frankenstein Dog began--or more accurately, why it began.
At 23 yrs old, Manas just finished school at SUNY New Paltz, and just lost what he described as "the girl of his dreams". Obsessed with the possibility of having to see her date other guys, he made a spur of the moment decision to join his college roommate on a trip to Arizona in a VW van.
An incredible transition took place for Manas on that trip.
This was a person who grew up on Long Island and absolutely despised all things conventional. According to Manas, being a non-conformist growing up on Long Island left him with as many good memories as his last toothache..
"I dealt with ridicule, threats, and way too much notoriety for the way I dressed and the music I listened to. I assumed that was the way the entire world was. When I came to New Paltz and realized that there was so much more tolerance for individuality, I never went back to Long Island again."
His musical tastes began with punk rock and progressed to the NY hardcore scene. By the time he was a senior in high school, he had his first four track recorder and belonged to a tight knit group of avant-garde songwriters who had these primitive recording set-ups, as well.
"We'd get together practically every night after school and do nothing but drink coffee and listen to each others newest creations--it was as if everyone was trying to "out-weird" each other."
"Most of the time, whenever I was in a situation where some sort of mainstream music was being played, I'd either make fun of it mercilessly or just leave the room. I spent two years living with a college roommate who owned six or seven Dylan records that he would play incessantly. I couldn't stand it.
But in that van, emotionally devastated and heartbroken, it was like I was hearing this music for the first time. I was literally entranced by every word of every song When we got to Tempe, I bought an acoustic guitar and approached learning Dylan the way I learned Hemingway in Grad school. Total immersion. After I had about fifty songs down, I began playing all the coffeehouses in the area."
It sounded like an incredibly eventful year that Manas described as half rite of passage and half Fellini movie. But, as he put it, every escapade reminded him of how much he missed "that girl."
"I remember, after I had been there for about a year, I was on my way to the rental office with my rent payment and noticed a taxi sitting there. I ran back upstairs, grabbed my acoustic guitar, a handful of clothes and some books and jumped in the back of the cab."
He was back in New Paltz within a few days.
"My plan was to win back my girl. Sitting at the airport bar I formulated this plan to write the greatest songs in the world, start the greatest band in the world and while I was busy playing at one of the New Paltz bars some night, "she" would walk in, I'd sing her the most incredible song in the world, and we'd live happily ever after."
And the name of the band?
"Oh that's obvious. While I was on the plane back to NY, I was reading Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. The idea that this monster was created with the ability to fall passionately in love but was cruelly made too ugly to receive any reciprocation--I could feel that. So the band name is half based on that and half based on the fact that the plan I had to win back my girl was total underdog."
Whether or not the original plan was successful is immaterial, according to Manas. It began what turned out to be his life's work.