Music
The best kept secret in music
Press
To quote from Hawkins Rise's online biography, "Hawkins Rise will seduce you and draw you into a feeling that you won't recognize, but somehow know you've missed all the same." OK, I don't know what the hell that means. But I will say that this quartet is not your typical Rhode Island indie band.
Plugging away at the musical grind for over seven years, Joey Magnanti (guitar/vocals), Danny Simpson (guitar/keys), Joe Grasso (drums), and Chris "Tofer" Simpson (bass) seemed to have learned the golden rule of writing songs with hooks upon hooks, and making an impact with simple yet effective "three-minute-fifty" pop gems.
The band's efforts have culminated on their latest CD project, the appropriately titled What we're like & who we've turned out to be... The disc is chock full o' radio-friendly fodder which is already getting quite a bit of airplay on HJY, BRU, AAF, and all the usual local band programming suspects. Differing from many of their contemporaries in more ways than one, Hawkins Rise are apparently not shy about their musical inspiration. The influence of Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood are amply evident on the tracks "Thru 2 You" and "Cure For Me." The former containing the lyrics "I want a rock band - like Buddy Holly or Elvis Presley - I want a rock 'n roll band" all along punctuated with "Stonesey" guitar licks, this song would have made a nice addition to the already lengthy "Exile On Main Street." Another example, "My Redemption," has a distinctively-tinged Santana guitar tone, however with the body of the song being uniquely all Hawkins Rise. In fact, the best thing about this band is that there is a seemingly deliberate effort for continuity running throughout the album. No matter which end of the rock n roll spectrum the boys find themselves on any given track, the final output is unmistakably Hawkins Rise. This will bode well for them while climbing that oh-so-elusive next rung on the career ladder.
The two closing numbers on What we're like & who we've turned out to be... deserve a special nod of appreciation in this review. Employing some recording techniques not heard enough in this sterile digital age, Hawkins rise utilize doubled tracked vocals, beautifully arranged piano lines, and a lovely string section on "Cross Your Mind." The latter track, "Drag On Your Scene," has a na-na-na fadeout over a musical buildup, which has hardly ever failed throughout the pantheon of well-crafted hit singles (I mean c'mon, "Hey Jude?" What else is there to say….)
Even a cursory glance at their live appearance schedule, which has Hawkins Rise criss-crossing throughout New England, proves there is little excuse for not catching these gentlemen in concert. The new record alone earns this band a place above many others in their genre. Accordingly, if they continue on this path with the same mindset, the future for Hawkins Rise is limitless. We now know who they are, and I personally can't wait to see who they turn out to be.
- Don DiMuccio - Motif Magazine (September 2006)
Discography
FULL LENGTH LP - What We're Like, and Who We've Turned Out to Be
Photos
Feeling a bit camera shy
Bio
Hawkins Rise began late winter of 1999, in Southern Rhode Island. A feeling was in the of the air for this talented RI foursome that would soon find themselves on a musical journey that would test their friendships, talents, and musical ambitions.
Dan Simpson contacted his long time acquaintance and fellow musician Joe Magnanti. Magnanti was previously involved in several local music projects, many of which Simpson found himself watching and witnessing.
The two, who were friends in high school, came in and out of contact with one another until one frigid winter night. It was on this night that Hawkins Rise would be born.
Simpson and Magnanti both happened to be online. It was Simpson who insisted that Magnanti and he meet to discuss the possibility of starting a musical group.
Without hesitation, the two met at a local diner exhausting a bottomless pot of coffee and smoking their last cigarettes. Their musical ideas ran like a waterfall embracing a mountain. It was an intoxicating moment that lead to the birth of Hawkins Rise.
A musical recipe was designed that same night. It was Simpson's and Magnanti's vision and objective to recruit musicians that would compose original music, layered with gorgeous vocal harmonies, wrapped with a blanket of back bone percussion and seasoned with solid bass lines.
Magnanti contacted a drummer that he had worked with in the past. Joe Grasso's solid and creative drumming style continuously gives Hawkins Rise its solid backbone.
Later, Simpson was able to recruit a talented and aspiring bass player named Chris Simpson. The two, who oddly enough were close cousins in their youth, had not seen each other in many years. At a family wedding Dan & Chris caught up on all their happenings and Chris disclosed he had taken up bass guitar. Chris was excited to join Hawkins Rise and stands strong providing accurate and solid bass lines.
Hawkins Rise was now formed in its entirety and began working diligently to create their original sound. The music of Hawkins Rise has been compared to artists of the past and is also flavored with the pop/rock feel of respected millennium artists and performers.
Since the beginning of the band; Hawkins Rise has secured regular Rhode Island and Massachusetts appearances. The fan base continuously grows and Hawkins Rise looks forward to expanding their musical reach to other parts of New England and beyond.
Its been a wondrous journey for the fellas in Hawkins Rise both challenging and rewarding. Friendships have been tested, music has been redefined, and Hawkins Rise still stands strong delivering melodies and sounds that will fill your soul with tears, laughter, and other things that you have forgotten existed. You will find yourself singing along to choruses and humming musical refrains. Hawkins Rise will seduce you and draw you into a feeling that you wont recognize, but somehow know you've missed all the same.
Links
