Jack Conte

Jack Conte writes and says that he’s just getting his start in the professional music world. Well, world, watch the hell out! This kid is unbelievably promising. His songwriting ability is otherworldly; he marries electronica with pop-rock, alternative, and indie rock. As far as singer/songwriters go, Conte has a clever intelligence about his lyrics as well as his vocal delivery. Smooth hooks are overlaid with jangly piano and are steered in the right direction with laptop beats. Big snaps Jack, keep up the good work, and more importantly keep us informed of your happenings! - Smother Magazine

Jack Conte brings pop, art-rock, and classical music influences to bear on this acoustic-electronica EP. Smoothly cerebral with a moody, concentrated energy, these four songs give your brain a wee workout along with your ears. Classy, tasteful stuff. - CdReviews.com

Jack Conte only gave us four songs clocking in at barely over 15 minutes on his EP, Nightmares and Daydreams. Fifteen minutes is not very much time from which to glean the full scope of a musician's talent. Yet somehow Conte has poured himself into these 15 minutes, focusing talent and energy into a deliciously honest handful of acoustic electro-pop songs that will force you to listen and understand. These four songs easily manage to prove Conte's songwriting prowess, lifting your spirits and leaving you hungry for more.
We start with Starlight and Yeah Yeah Yeah, songs that take the sounds of the Postal Service and weaves them with the introspective styles of Radiohead or The Mars Volta. The result is upbeat yet simultaneously brooding and melancholy. Conte has a beautiful voice that travels high and low, complimenting the the acoustic guitar and accordion infused electronica. The track Tick Tock is another excellent song that is very reminiscent of Incubus sans all hard rock elements. Unfrozen rounds out the collection quite nicely. A subdued Conte plays piano, guitar, and accordion here on a haunting track that slowly soars into something altogether hopeful.
Nightmares and Daydreams doesn't give much to listen to and review, but what is there is great. Conte is an extremely talented songwriter, and I would not doubt that he will be hitting it big someday. The only downside here is that there are not enough songs with which to prove that he can create a fleshed out sound. His music is refreshing and enjoyable, and I will definitely be grabbing a CD if he ever releases a full-length album. In the meantime, any pop fans should definitely be checking Jack Conte out.

- Music-Reviewer.com

When Jack Conte's EP Sleep in Color was released on iTunes, he posted a blog on his MySpace page, complete with a picture of himself sitting in a frozen yogurt shop with a wide grin on his face, displaying his dedication to connecting with his fans.


Conte gained some recognition when his creative music video "Yeah Yeah Yeah" was featured on YouTube, which has yielded more than 450,000 hits to date. The recent release of his EP Sleep In Color, released Sept. 25, is a welcome addition to his collection of work. The 15-minute, five-song EP, featuring three previously unreleased songs, is a sometimes haunting, sometimes optimistic and sometimes passionate compilation.


Most notable about Conte is that he records his music without help from anyone else. His use of an accordion, xylophone, keyboard, his acoustic guitar, as well as other instruments, is distinctively intriguing.


The first track on the EP, "Hollywood Endings," is Conte's desperate hope for "shores of hope/Where love flows and the ocean floats," but in the end it's a bitter realization that "pretty Hollywood Endings" may just be stories and dreams.


The second track on the EP, "Like a Match," begins with evocative lyrics: "I took my head for its midnight walk/No, no, I hadn't been outside in days/I kept the leash by my side, but it wasn't quite tight, and I lost it."


The song begins with a lazy progression both lyrically and musically, but it quickly builds up into a fast-paced song, and by the end Conte is literally screaming.


Next is "The Greatest Hoax," which begins with Conte's most haunting lyrics yet: "Lately I'm having dreams of blood." But don't let that scare you - the song is Conte's acknowledgment that every day is brand new rather than part of a continuous progression of days. Conte's screaming at the end of the song, yet again, is a bit disturbing, but reinforces the song's tone.


"Now That's Sacred" is a stark change from the remainder of the EP. The song is a cry to a partner Conte misses, but at the same time he denies that it's affecting him. Lyrics like, "When you're gone, I'm fine, my heart won't unfold cuz I'm fine," take on a more sincere tone when added to, "When we surrender to worms, I hope you'll know I missed you well." Although the song becomes intense and overwhelming near the end, it still maintains a refreshing solemn tone throughout.


Last on the EP is "Carousel Waltz," which really does provoke the image of a carousel thanks to Conte's use of the accordion and the keyboard. The song is about the frustration of an all-consuming job. "You can go anywhere while you sleep in your bed/But when you wake up shake it all from your head..." and "are you sick of living life two days a week?"


It's clear that Conte is taking on a more frightening approach to his music. The three most haunting songs, "Like a Match," "The Greatest Hoax" and "Carousel Waltz" are all new songs, whereas "Hollywood Endings" and "Now That's Sacred" have been featured on his MySpace page well before the release of Sleep in Color.


One element that doesn't work in Conte's favor is the lack of choruses in many of his songs. "Like a Match," "Now That's Sacred" and "Carousel Waltz" all don't have choruses, and while the absence of choruses doesn't detract from the intensity of the songs, it does prevent the songs from being catchy. Although fans might have a hard time latching onto his songs, his revolutionary methods and their byproducts are truly worth paying attention to.

- The Maneater

Jack Conte is no average YouTuber. His personal channel, "jackcontemusic," hosts several of his original songs as well as revamped versions of Radiohead and Bright Eyes tracks.

Conte sets himself far apart from other artists posting music videos because he has essentially created a new medium that combines the aural and visual elements of production: a VideoSong. The root of the VideoSong's concept is that nothing is hidden from its audience. In other words, if you can hear it, you will see it.

Based in San Francisco, Conte composes, records, and mixes songs of orchestral eminence all by himself. In browsing Conte's repertoire, difficulty ensues when trying to keep track of how many instruments this prodigy incorporates into his sound. A counting attempt will more than likely require two hands and a few toes.

A recent addition to Conte's VideoSongs, "Flavors," eerily begins with a crooner on the right and a pianist on the left. A haunting mood sets the work in motion, sharply contrasting Conte's cheerful choice of tie dye shirt.

Immediately utilizing the benefits of editing, the screen splits into three uneven shots as Conte's face and movements slowly distort. A xylophone and bass synth round out the full, almost cacophonous, hum. Suddenly, a cymbal crashes and Conte's voice splits into a clashing harmony, his head splitting right along with it.

Bells hurtle toward the audience as the sound crescendos with some heavy guitar distortion. The screen splits again, color flooding in as Conte sits at what looks like a tiny piano he stole from Schroeder. Ultimately, the energy funnels into a collective scream and abruptly ends.

Conte's MySpace(http://www.myspace.com/jackconte) offers a $1 download of "Flavors," with 100% of proceeds going to Artists for Charity, a non-profit organization for the aid of HIV positive children in Ethiopia.

YouTube channel "jackcontemusic" currently exhibits 23 of Conte's creations. Keep an eye on this talent. His latest EP, Sleep in Color, hits iTunes early next week.

- The Pride Newspaper