John Dyer
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John Dyer

Band Folk Singer/Songwriter

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"Rustic Folk-Art Eccentric"

“Sort of a rustic folk-art eccentric, with a playful vocal style. Not nutty in a lost, Syd Barrett kind of way; more of a warm, intuitive approach to stream-of consciousness lyrics." - Tad Dreis, Musician


"Modern-day Songsmith"

"Well constructed compositions, infectious melodies with intelligent lyrical content...an engaging delivery, and outstanding musicianship. John Dyer is a modern day songsmith of the finest caliber." - Rick Ramirez, Temple Ball Productions


"Between the likes of Dylan & Byrne"

"I've lived in this town of musicians (Chapel Hill, NC) for six years and John's music is the first that I feel comfortable sandwiching in mixed tapes between the likes of Dylan and David Byrne. He's not there yet, but he will be." - Matthijs Schoots, author


"Closer To That Of A Poet Than A Pop Star"

“John Dyer’s CD came across my desk and immediately caught my attention thanks for the beautiful graphic design of the front cover. As I began to play tracks from this record, I was as impressed with the music, as I was with the artwork. Dyer writes in a style closer to that of a poet than a pop star, yet his songs are memorable and quite melodic throughout. At times, the lyrics were far too deep for my usual pop sensibilities, but it inspired me to think and give meaning to the words as I listened for a second and third time. Check out John Dyer’s Gostayplay and be ready for a moving experience. - Joseph A. Italiano/ Skope Magazine 2007 - Joseph A. Italiano, Skope Magazine


"Beautiful, Catchy, Whimsical"

“Employing a splendid feast of sight & sound - Alice in Wonderland is a treat on a few different levels. The music & lyrics carry the narrative. These sweet sounds come courtesy of Fort Worth native turned New Yorker John Dyer and his band ... beautiful, catchy stuff it is ... Traces of the Doors, George Harrison, and most of all, late '60s-era Kinks surface throughout. Apropos to the tale, much of Dyer's music invokes a whimsical, childlike quality. - Matthew Smith, Fort Worth Weekly


"On the Verge of Sincere Indie Success"

“Upbeat folk artists are hard to come by, and John Dyer is the head of that unfound clan. Bluesy riffs that have a power pop jab, Dyer is more than just the traditional folk hippie feel, to transquote John Travolta ‘he’s like wax museum with a pulse’. Gostayplay, his third release is firm impression of what has become a critically acclaimed independent career. Having found most of his success in New York City and Dallas/ Fort Worth, Dyer is a writer on the cusp of sincere indie success. Besides writing for numerous theatre performances (“Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland”), winning the ASCAPlus award three years in a row, his styles of melody and funk-folk bring an energy to the genre. "Shybreeze", and "Accord" exemplify his upbeat styles, while "Ocean of You", and lead track "Airtime" have a soft bubbly searing sound that involves harmonicas and brass alike. Keep an eye out for this guy, and still you’ll not run into his clan, but truly, this seems to be one of those artists that could care less about stardom and more about making dignified rhythms. - Brian Rutherford. Music Emissions 2007 - Brian Rutherford, Music Emissions


"Compelling Vocal Style & Insightful Lyrics"

“John Dyer is a multi-talented artist who crafts colorful songs about life, memories and moments. Dyer has an unusual yet compelling vocal style and insightful lyrics. His storytelling has an animated, down home flavor. Dyer's Gostayplay is diverse & dramatic... a creative mix of sleepy textures & tones. It takes many interesting turns... a striking combination of horns and rhythms floating into breezy vocals and whistling... the spirit of train movement. - Laura Turner Lynch for Kweevak.com - Laura Turner


"As Catchy As It Is Dynamic"

"A passionate array of music that scores emotions and tugs at heartstrings, “Gostayplay” showcases John Dyer’s passion for writing music. His songwriting is hot and has a certain flair to it that breathes life into each note that he strums. He plays guitar, sings, and plays the harmonica and adds a few whistles for good measure on the album. Great music that is as catchy as it is dynamic.” - J-Sin, Smother Magazine


"If You Dig The 'Old School' Of Singer-Songwriters"

“If you dig the ‘old-school’ of singer-songwriters who nimbly traversed genres but never lost their true identity and artistic vision - think Steve Goodman, Loudon Wainwright III, Leonard Cohen, Tim Buckley, and her holiness Joni Mitchell, then Gostayplay is your cup of meat. Dyer’s wordplay, cinematic arrangements, and sinewy melodies are the stuff of a grand statement, yet the multi-instrumentalist (along with the help of some truly talented sidemen) pulls it off almost effortlessly. The goofy horn intro to “Shybreeze” evokes the mid-sixties quirkiness of the Kinks and Stones when no instrument or off-the-wall idea was considered out of bounds. A paean to Nick Drake (“Nick”) cobbles together lines from the late great bard in a manner that would fit neatly on Bryter Layter. Could the Beatles have used the rambling shuffle “Center To Hold” in Yellow Submarine to chase away the Blue Meanies? Probably! Just when you think pop music has become formula - along comes Gostayplay. -Tom Semioli, Amplifier Magazine 2008
- Tom Semioli, Amplifier Magazine


"John Is The Real Deal...Thoroughly Impressed."

“Really cool. The first cut ‘Airtime’ grabs you and lets you know that John is the real deal. His vocal is engaging, and the production offers just enough ear candy here and there to allow the listener to discover new things down the road. Nice. The third cut, “Nick”, has a very airy, yet haunting tone to it- and “Nick” is mentioned in past tense, so I dug through the liner notes for more information. What I found was a perfectly worded paragraph explaining who Nick is, and was- both to the world and to John himself. Flat out some of the most touching words I’ve ever read on the inside of a CD. Dyer managed to present the song “Nick” with many levels of appreciation, at first listen it’s simply a good song about a guy named Nick; yet you get the feeling the rivers run cold and deep.In my opinion, John Dyer has the potential to influence people the same way Nick Drake has influenced him. I hope this potential is heard by the industry and John is given the resources and support to give us more of what he has to say. I was thoroughly impressed by him, his songs, and his album.- Chris Mara, Bitchin' Music Reviews 2007 - Chris Mara, Bitchin' Music Reviews


Discography

• John Dyer - "Gostayplay” 2004

• John Dyer - “Up in Auntie’s Attic (A Gentle Haunting)” 2004

• John Dyer - "Phantom Fire" 2003

• APB Records Compilation - "Triangle Tracks" 2001

• John Dyer - "One Among" -2000

• John Dyer - "Mighty Vivid Cricket +" -2000

• Drama Tiki - "Live Selections" -1997

• Drama Tiki - "Pluses and Uncuts" -1997

• Drama Tiki - "Sweet and Sour Change" -1997

• Drama Tiki - "Settle" -1995

• Drama Tiki - "Peeking" -1992

• John Dyer - "Dreams, Riffs and Instruments" -1992

Photos

Bio

International Songwriting Competition 2005 Honorable Mention - Best Song - Performance: "Hot Owl" - John Dyer

Independent Music Awards 2006 FINALIST (top 5) BEST ALBUM (Folk/Singer-Songwriter: "Gostayplay" - John Dyer

John Dyer is a progressive vocalist, guitarist, and lyricist whose ventures include solo and ensemble performances as well as composing and performing for experimental theater & dance productions. A visual artist and self - taught musician, Dyer is a prolific writer and seasoned performer. Over the past sixteen years, as an independent artist, he has crafted a substantial catalogue of songs, performed nearly six hundred shows, recorded twelve albums, and presented sixteen theatrical commissions. Founder of the popular Texas-based band Drama Tiki (1992-1998), Dyer, a native southerner, spent three years contributing to and being nurtured by the music scene in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, before moving to Brooklyn in 2002. In New York he has performed at the Knitting Factory, Tonic, Living Room, St. Ann's Warehouse, and Galapagos Art Space.

Dyer is a contemporary Singer-Songwriter. He is a classic writer in that his songs are built on the foundation of movement & melody, yet his approach and delivery are unique. His formative years spent drawing, painting and creating in a theatrical context have led to a strong visual sensibility that is evident in all of his writing. His lyrics are poetic and the images are rich. Primary influences include the likes of Paul Simon, David Byrne, Tom Waits, Lou Reed, Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, Lennon/ McCartney, John Coltrane, and Nick Drake. Dyer’s eclectic sound infuses elements of Folk, Rock, Experimental, Jazz, Blues & Pop.

Solo recordings include One Among (2000), Phantom Fire (2003) and Gostayplay (2004) - named a Best Album Finalist (Folk/ Singer-Songwriter category) at the 2006 Independent Music Awards and sited as a "Top Ten Indie Release" on Todd Mack's "Off the Beat-n-Track" radio show. Dyer’s song Hot Owl (from the CD Gostayplay) received Honorable Mentions in both the International Songwriting Competition - for Best Song/Performance - (2005), and The 11th Annual Unisong International Song Contest - for AAA/Americana - (2006-2007).

He is the recipient of two Meet The Composer Grants through the Home For Contemporary Theatre & Art for Lake Simons’ What's Inside the Egg? (2003) and the Simons/ Dyer adaptation of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (2006), He has received Dallas/Fort Worth Critic's Forum Awards for Outstanding Achievement in Design for the Original Music of Alice…(2003) and for Outstanding New Play ‘03 –‘04 for Up in Auntie’s Attic (A Gentle Haunting) written & directed by Johnny Simons. Dyer was commissioned by Hip Pocket Theatre to write the title song for Lake Simon’s adaptation of Mr. Peabody & The Mermaid (2005) and has had the pleasure of clowning in Matthew Acheson’s Dream Life of A Garden Gnome (2005). He served as musical director for several productions by North Carolina’s Paper Hand Puppet Intervention; Haw River Puppet Show (1999), The Unexpected Journey (1999), Tea Time (2000), A Very Old Unfinished Story (2000), & Uprising (2001) and has provided live accompaniment for dance in Choreo Collective’s Recollection (2001) and Thread Dance Theatre’s Gather (2004). Dyer recently collaborated with Luminescent Orchestrii’s Rima Fand on music for How I Fixed My Engine with Rose Water (2006) which was presented by Hip Pocket Theatre in Fort Worth Texas and followed by a run in New York as part of Theatre For The New City’s Voice 4 Puppet Festival - curated by Jane Catherine Shaw & Sarah Provost. An excerpt of White Elephant (2007), Dyer’s latest collaboration with puppeteer/ performing artist Lake Simons, was presented at St. Ann’s Warehouse as part of LABAPALOOZA (2007), curated by Dan Hurlin & David Neumann.

Dyer is the recipient of four ASCAPlus Awards (2004 - 2008). The ASCAPlus Awards Program provides financial support & recognition to active writers in the early to mid stages of their careers and to writers whose main activity is outside of broadcast media. Awards are determined by a panel of distinguished music experts and are based on the activity generated by ASCAP members’ catalogues with emphasis on recent performances.

Dyer is currently juggling a number of recording projects which are at various stages of development, including Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, four-track and ensemble recordings from North Carolina: Mighty Vivid Cricket and Quiet By the Blade, and a handful of new song cycles. In November of 2007 Alice was performed with students of Texas Woman's University with Dyer providing live accompaniment on guitar, percussion, and voice/ narration. This production of Alice will be presented at the Edinburgh Arts Festival in Scotland in August 2008. Dyer and Simons recently presented their White Elephant as artists-in-residence at Dixon Place in New York City and will further develop the wo