Music
The best kept secret in music
Press
Harvey Moon's music is an enticing amalgam of stripped down English folk and prog rock with echoes of Ian Mathews' world, via his Southern Comfort band efforts, coupled with the vocal assurance and dexterity of Cat Stevens, but propulsively driven by a big rhythm section sound ala Marc Bolan and T Rex. Don't get the wrong idea though. These are merely feeble attempts on my part to acquire a handle on what I'm hearing. With the aforementioned said, let it be stated that Harvey Moon is his own man entirely, a gifted singer/songwriter with none of the pretensions or histrionics that plague so many persons who reference the music of the late 60's and early 70's. Due to that lack of egoism, Harvey Moon is post modern in the best sense, both lyrically and musically. The entire package is tied up and delivered with a deft production that underscores the quality of the songwriting and it's shifts from major to minor modulations and catchy melodic peregrinations. His songs of love and emotional angst are anchored to a sensibility that refuses to take the plunge into self pity, but instead offer fully fleshed out people handling and coping with situations in ways that the listener can feel simpatico with. He draws you in rather than pushing you away.
Brown Eyed Girl EP - The title cut of the EP has an extremely attractive surfy sounding guitar melded to a catchy melody with a strong vocal. This song has a masterful balance of passion and cool detachment. Rather cheeky of Harvey Moon to use the same title as the Van Morrison classic but this song can stand on it's own and up to the comparison. Knocking On Your Door is a terrific mix of tension and release. Another very strong melody and aggressive guitar playing, by I presume, Mr. Moon. This song also has more hooks than one can count. Won't Mind The Rain has anthemic heft to it's melody due in no small part by the softly building entry of an acoustic guitar and hi hat that keeps adding bottom until the top undulates and crests this song into your cerebral cortex. This is the one where I could hear the Peter Gabriel influence both musically and lyrically. Harvey Moon phrases beautifully throughout this ep and isn't afraid to juxtapose sweet and sour sentiments without going over the top. A controlled and focused artist that I hope to watch grow stronger and stronger in the future. - John Hammel
Discography
Still Bard - 2003 - EP
Brown Eyed Girl - 2004 - EP
All music including current development for our forthcoming CD is available free on www.harveymoon.com or can be downloaded from I-tunes.
Brown Eyed Girl is a hit with all and definitely worth a play.
Man on the edge features in 2006 movie release "The Life Coach" currently winning best comedy awards on the independent film festival circuit.
Photos
Feeling a bit camera shy
Bio
HMP has an eclectic approach to songwriting which delivers to the listener a full range of emotion and sound a la XTC/Peter Gabriel/REM. We're a pop/rock outfit, rock in the sense that we're not shy to flick the distortion pedal and deliver the tension and release that we all need; and pop in the sense that we deliver catchy, anthemic, sing-along choruses that appeal to a full spectrum of listeners from tweenies and teens through musos and mature music lovers. All demands are met!
The Harvey Moon Project (HMP) was put together in November 2003 when founder Harvey Brice made the switch from playing solo acoustic sets to join the New Jersey band scene.
British front man, Harvey Brice was a solo singer-songwriter for ten years with professional vocal training from amongst others Don Lawrence (Bono, Mick Jagger) and songwriting coaching with Darren Wilsey (prolific TV/Film licensing song-writer and three-year straight John Lennon songwriting award winner). His songs are romantic, melodramatic and anthemic like a cross between R.E.M., Peter Gabriel and Nirvana his lyrics mark his personality swings from the cryptic romantic, to direct social commentator, to relentless soul searcher.
The band combines the presence of Harvey Moon with the endless wisdom of Jeffrey Brayne on lead guitar, the consummate professionalism and stage energy of Mark Rufino on bass, the good looks and drive of Robert Cantalupo on drums and the youthful exuberance of Binky Bianca on backing vocals and percussion.
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