Music
Press
"His songs are great. Diamond makes totally fresh sounding rock that’s rooted and real." - The Improper
"1. The man can sing, 2. Play, 3. Knows how to construct sharp hooks…an incredible love for the pop style that blends rock in at every turn…After two complete listens you'll start to believe you've heard all these on the radio already." - MusicDish.com
"…welcome collection of solid pop songs…his voice resonates a bit like Tom Petty but the music is more pop, more hook-filled, without that classic rock sound. You can hear influences in his songs—like Petty or George Harrison—but they don't overshadow his songwriting…" - NYRock.com
"…amazing set of great songs…so well done it is hard to believe they are original.…" - Musictv.com
“Diamond's raw guitar work contrasts well with his relaxed vocals that wrap an elegant melody around thoughtful lyrics.”
- theNYmusicscene.com
Professional and fun to work with...always puts on a great show. - Student Events Director, Columbia University Computer Science Department
Discography
Funny Cry Happy Gift - (debut full length cd)
Photos
Bio
Pete Diamond has forged a unique musical identity at the crossroads of singer-songwriter, rocker and pop craftsman. Whether he’s fronting his eponymous electric band or performing alone on an acoustic guitar, he blends the power of modern rock, strains of American roots music and the sensibilities of classic rock into sharp, memorable gems.
The talented guitarist, singer and songwriter has a gift for writing unique songs that sound familiar the first time you hear them. With musical touchstones like Neil Young, Lucinda Williams, Tom Waits, The Pretenders, and Gillian Welch, Diamond knows that the combination of a great song, solid musicianship and a powerful heart can create magic.
"His songs are great. Diamond makes totally fresh sounding rock that’s rooted and real."
— Luke Ebbin, Record Producer (Bon Jovi, Splender)
Based in NYC, Diamond and his three-piece band have played at some of New York's best venues including The Mercury Lounge, Arlene’s Grocery, The Living Room and BB King’s (solo). Recently he was invited to have his music featured on The Living Room's on-line radio station. His debut CD "Funny Cry Happy Gift", produced with help from Pete Min (Longwave, Duncan Sheik) and Peter Keppler (David Bowie, Eels) has garnered glowing praise.
"1. The man can sing, 2. Play, 3. Knows how to construct sharp hooks…an incredible love for the pop style that blends rock in at every turn…After two complete listens you'll start to believe you've heard all these on the radio already."
— Ben Ohmart, MusicDish.com
Born in New York City and raised in Ridgewood, New Jersey Diamond honed his guitar skills in Red Betty, a Brooklyn-based band he co-founded in the mid 90’s. When Diamond decided to leave Red Betty he was replaced by John Ashton of the Psychedelic Furs. “It was crazy to hear John Ashton playing the exact guitar parts I created in those Red Betty songs,” says Diamond. ”It was a total rush to see a musician I really respected playing stuff that I wrote.”
Diamond’s earliest musical inspirations were the various blues and bluegrass shows he found on local college radio stations. Grabbing his sister’s acoustic guitar, the first melody he picked out was “Dueling Banjos” from the movie “Deliverance”. A strain of country roots has remained in his guitar playing ever since.
Soon after, he began absorbing his older brother’s record collection (Jon Diamond, guitarist and collaborator in the Dana Fuchs Band). Favorites at the time included Hendrix, Jeff Beck, Steely Dan and Frank Zappa—Zappa’s “Apostrophe” was the first record Diamond ever purchased as a kid. “That’ll always be a special record for me,” says Diamond, “blues, humor, violence, sex, absurdism and pee-pee—my six favorite things really.”
Recently, Q104.3FM, NYC’s classic rock station, featured “BB Eyes”, the first cut from Diamond’s debut CD, on their “Out of the Box” new music show. “Show Me”, a solo acoustic track on Funny Cry Happy Gift, was featured in the animated series Pink Palace, which aired on the Oxygen cable network. Other credits include music featured in the award winning independent film, “Slow Jam King”.
As he and his band continue to play live shows in NYC Diamond is also hard at work in his home studio recording a whole new crop of great songs for release on his own Red Delicious records.
Contact:
646-369-5393
mail@petediamond.com
Links
