Stephanie White and the NJ Philth Harmonic

Rocks like: Santana, Gin Blossoms

out of
4/5 Stars

There are a lot of groups out there today that call themselves fusion bands but don't exactly live up to the genre title. Stephanie White & the New Jersey Philth Harmonic are an exception.

Their album, Knee Deep InSanity, combines many elements of jazz, blues and rock. Unlike other so-called fusion artists with a preference for a single musical style, The Philth Harmonic manages to merge all of these elements into a graceful and edgy symphony for the ears.

Stephanie White stands out as a great vocal talent who doesn't rely on electronics to project her voice or message.

Apparently, she just missed the cut on American Idol season five. Why she didn't make it is anyone's guess, as her smoky voice delivers the lyrics with a strong and sexy resonance.

White has quite a range, and listening to her croon harmonies is a treat.

The other band mates deserve recognition as well. The remaining group is Eric Lindberg on electric guitar and mandolin, Robbie LaFalce on drums, acoustic guitar, percussion and vox, and Aleks Ozolins on keyboards, French horn and programming.

Chris Staranka chips in on acoustic and electric bass and Matt "Shooby" Schoenebaum plays alto and tenor sax and flute.

One notable aspect is the band members' ability to work with each other's talents and mesh together.

Aside from solos, don't expect to hear any one musical element grabbing the spotlight.

Philth Harmonic's jazzy tunes are relaxing at points, yet can be so in-your-face that listeners might have to submit to their raw power.

Electronics are employed at many points throughout - including disk scratching that accentuates the beat - but are rarely loud enough to be painful or overwhelm the pleasant instrumentals.

One standout track is "Bogged Down," a faster paced jazz song with some fun funk that will make plenty of music lovers bob their heads, and not just in agreement with the song's message.

The track deals with the stresses of everyday life through ironically soothing melodies. Great use of saxophone and flute really ups the jazz ante, all while White delivers the lyrics with sultry panache amongst the electronics and enthusiastic drum beat.

The final track, a surprising bonus track conclusion called "Did I Change You?" actually utilizes some disco influence.

What helps is that the electronic disco isn't overused in an effort to raise the dead.

It serves the sole purpose of providing the song with more musical depth while adding an element of fun.

The only disappointment is that potential listeners might pass on the album because of the fusion term strapped to it.

Many fusion bands have failed in the past because of an overemphasis on one particular genre overtone, but Philth Harmonic tones down the jazz to better mesh with the overall music experience.

Long story short, Knee Deep InSanity plays out like a good book. That is, it features an attention-grabbing introduction, a middle section that keeps you wanting more, and a satisfying conclusion.

Hopefully enthusiasts of any musical genre will give Stephanie White & The New Jersey Philth Harmonic a chance. - Anton Skerl - Pittsburgh University

STEPHANIE WHITE AND THE NEW JERSEY PHILTH HARMONIC -

Knee Deep InSanity (www.myspace.com/PhilthHarmonic)

Opening on a nice’n’groovy note with the funky, syncopated slow-drag jazzy number “Girls Have Expenses,” this six piece group blends tasty elements of such diverse music genres as funk, soul, rock, jazz, blues and folk into a highly cool, rich and delicious synthesis. Stephanie White’s amazingly strong and sultry voice totally hits the insanely sexy’n’smoky spot. The hoppin’ arrangements likewise score a bull’s eye, with the mellow saxophones, sprightly keyboards, jaunty acoustic guitars, and sturdy drums keeping things lively, exciting and above all exquisitely harmonic throughout. Highlights include the touching “Teardrops,” the fiercely crunchy’n’punchy “You’re Not Alone,” the graceful ballad “Sustain,” and the wonderfully rousing closing tune “Did I Change You?”. An excellent and most impressive album. - www.jerseybeat.com

Stephanie White and the New Jersey Philth Harmonic - Knee Deep Insanity

(myspace.com/philthharmonic)

So, if the name of the band is Stephanie White and the Jersey Philth Harmonic, does this mean there may be a New York or Arizona Philth Harmonic out there? Ok, I'm getting a little giddy here. Actually, besides a kind of crappy name for a band, this is an excellent album! The band is "Knee Deep" into rock n' soul music. The press kit describes the band as "A sort of Joss Stone Meets Dave Matthews Band, mash up of organic palatable pop." Well, they got the Dave Matthews comparison right. This is a one of those special bands that can play so tight and on the money, that they actually give the impression that they’re really laid back,and loose. But as far as the Joss Stone vibe, well, they’re not too far off there either. Stephanie White sounds more like Amy Winehouse or Corrine Bailey Rae than Joss. (When it comes to neo-soul, Joss Stone deserves a genre of her own.) I have very few grips about the album. Here and there ("You're Not Alone," and "Tough Enough"), the mix is a little lacking, but otherwise we'll all benefit from a fine, fine album. The opening cut, "Girls Have Expenses" will have you at "Hello." It has everything you'd want in a hit single. A good story line (with tongue in cheek irony) backed by a solid, fluid band. From there the music stays funky and fresh, with very few low points. I think by the time they make their sophomore album, and keep refining their live shows, the Philth Harmonic will be a band to be reckoned with! - www.jerseybeat.com

Stephanie White and the New Jersey Philth Harmonic. Where and when: 9 p.m. Saturday at the Ringside Pub, 379 Bloomfield Ave., Caldwell; 8:30 p.m. April 25 (acoustic set, opening for Vienna Teng) at Outpost in the Burbs at Unitarian Universalist Congregation, 67 Church St., Montclair. How much: $5 in Caldwell; call (973) 226-6781 or visit ringsidepub.com. $17 in advance, $20 day of show in Montclair; call (973) 744-6560 or visit outpostintheburbs.org.

Making it to the final 42 of "American Idol" in 2006, singer-songwriter Stephanie White got a few moments of national television exposure and, more important, the inspiration to start her own band.

White, 23, of Caldwell, and drummer-songwriter Robbie LaFalce Jr., 24, of Verona, put together the soul-rock group Stephanie White and the New Jersey Philth Harmonic and began playing in New Jersey clubs.

They released their debut album, "Knee Deep InSanity," last year; upcoming gigs include the Ringside Pub in Caldwell, Saturday, and the Outpost in the Burbs in Montclair, April 25. For the latter, they will present a stripped-down acoustic set, with LaFalce on guitar.

LaFalce played in the ska band the Miasmics before starting the Philth Harmonic, whose name plays on New Jersey’s reputation as a grimy state and the band’s large size. Current members include Aleks Ozolins ..boards and French horn, Matt "Shooby" Schoenebaum on saxophone and flute, Chris Staranka on bass and Eric Lindberg on guitar.

White had been writing lyrics before "American Idol" but didn’t have the courage to perform them.

"I couldn’t even imagine getting in front of an audience and singing my own material," she says. "I had been in singing competitions locally for a few years, but other than that, I didn’t really know how to perform in front of an audience because I didn’t have a band and I didn’t have my own music.

"Everyone was pushing me to do this ’American Idol’ thing, because they thought it was the only way. I did it, and I was like, ’You know what, this isn’t the only way. Now I’m going to get my own band, and write my own music.’"

The experience, she says, "really forced me to go, ’I have to do this now. Because I’ll be miserable if I don’t ever perform again.’"

LaFalce, whose drumming White admired, and who had been encouraging her to write songs with him, was free since the Miasmics were going on hiatus. Two years later, they are still on hiatus.

"That means if we ever decide to play again, people can’t get mad at us," says LaFalce.

"Knee Deep InSanity" is a stylistically eclectic album, rooted in rock and R&B, but with frequent jazz and funk twists. One track, "Did I Change You?," even flirts with disco.

White and LaFalce say the band has started to develop its own more distinctive soul-rock sound, and that their next, still-unrecorded album will reflect that.

"Knee Deep InSanity" was "just a display of what we can do," says LaFalce. "You can hear the influences and the different stylings on pretty much every track."

"It was our first effort at feeling each other out, and seeing what we’re capable of," says White.

White says her "American Idol" screen time was so brief that no one ever recognizes her, but adds that sometimes, if she tells people she was on the show, they will claim to remember.

"Robbie and I played this gig last summer, and this woman came up to me after one of our sets. She was asking me to sign an autograph, and she had bought a CD and everything, and she was like ’I know who you are.’ And I was like, ’Really? I was only on TV for, like, 15 seconds.’ And she was like, ’I know who you are. You’re Kelly Clarkson.’"
Jay Lustig may be reached at jlustig@starledger.com or at (973) 392-5850
http://www.nj.com/entertainment/music/index.ssf/2008/03/idol_inspiration.html - by Jay Lustig /Star-Ledger Staff