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Poetic Tragedy
Hysteria
Independent
Poetic Tragedy continues to pave the way for indie rock bands breaking out of their shells to come to terms with stardom in the New York “neo-classic rock” scene. The band's recently released EP is a mix that reinterprets classic rock for a new generation.
The band, formed last year, is composed of Ryan Schmidt on bass, Nick Arettines on guitars and background vocals, Ken Walz on drums and background vocals, and Matt Lopez on guitars and lead vocals. While the quartet is a new, the members have been playing music individually and in other bands for several years.
Poetic Tragedy kicks off their new release with “Letters,” a classic rock-styled piece that looks at a person stuck in a mid-life crisis with a resolution: “Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things unseen." This is a philosophy that describes the next track, “Hey Tomorrow,” a song about when there is a problem a person should look to find the solution. "Jekyll And Hyde" is another rock piece that Lopez defines as the mediocrity that every person who is honest with his or herself can relate to in their lives. “Today” is high-energy rock; “One More Saturday Night” is a silly love song; and “She Cries, ” which closes out the disc, is a rock ballad about a cry out for help in a rebellious generation.
For more information, log on to PoeticTragedyBand.com.
– Brian Barry
- Good Times Magazine
Here is a band that seems to have promise. As I interviewed Matt Lopez from Poetic Tragedy, I began to realize that this was a band that was in the music industry solely for the pure artistry of the music itself. Matt had begun to tell me of past encounters with record labels, Wind-Up, BMG and RCA. "My lawyer had submitted my songs and press kit to these labels, and their response was, hey kid you got talent but write us something more up to date." Matt's response to this was that he had felt that he had no reason to change who he was and what he loved to do, which was in his words " I am an artist I will stay true to myself no matter what the cost." And I would have to agree that Matt is not only an artist, but an "avante garde artist." The song "Letters" has an introduction that is reminicent of the 60's band Cream, which goes into an arpegiated layerd 12-string guitar playing open chords and both bar chords for the verse, that gives me goose bumps when the smooth Paul McCartney style vocals comes in. The Chorus is equally as chilling and with a stylish hook at the point where he sings "No one else understands". The solo is reminiscent of the Lennon/McCartney song "Nowhere Man", and then in the last chorus where all the instruments drop out except the vocals and guitar and harmonics, is mezmerizing. The song "One More Saturday Night" is just a well rounded in your face, blast from the past. But done in a unique way that only is vintage to Poetic Tragedy. The song "Jekyl and Hyde", really get's you moving. Quaint hand claps during the chorus add a nice touch. And the lyrics require attention. Other suggested tracks to listen to are "Hey Tomorrow", "Today", and "Lamplight in the Night", which all have a more well rounded mix of what the band has to offer. - Grave Concerns Webzine
Discography
The Poetic Tragedy EP "Hysteria" has been released in February of 2007. It has since recieved internet radio airplay on numerous stations.
Poetic Tragedy will be releasing their much anticipated debut album "Twilight On The Dawn Of Madness!" in or around September 2007.
Photos
Feeling a bit camera shy
Bio
Poetic Tragedy Bio
In a music world dominated by auto-tuned vocals, programmed drum beats, and over-choreographed, lip-synced “live” performances, bands such as POETIC TRAGEDY are a rarity. As part of the “neo-classic rock” scene currently dominating New York, these indie-rockers arose in response to the often-posed question, “What ever happened to bands like The Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin?”
POETIC TRAGEDY creates raw, melodic, memorable songs by combining the intellectual curiosity of the Beatles, the infinite energy of The Doors, the simplistic guitar riffs of The Strokes, and the quirkiness of Franz Ferdinand to create a distinctly unique and instantly memorable sound that reinterprets classic rock for a new generation.
Composed of Ryan Schmidt on bass, Nick Arettines on guitars and background vocals, Ken Walz on drums and background vocals, and Matt Lopez on guitars and lead vocals, this quartet finds inspiration not only in the music of their forefathers, but also in the way in which legends such as Bob Dylan and Jimi Hendrix questioned the establishment and looked at the world through a cynical eye.
This old-school approach to the music is catching on quickly, as POETIC TRAGEDY has already played for crowds numbering in the thousands. With prestigious gigs such as Webster Hall and the main stage at New York City’s “The Knitting Factory” already under their belts, word is getting out rapidly. When asked about the immediate success of the group, lead singer, Matt Lopez explains, “It’s all about having fun and meeting the needs of our fans, while staying true to ourselves and letting people know we’re just beginning to shake things up.”
Where the future of POETIC TRAGEDY is concerned, look for the release of their latest full-length recording, “Twilight On The Dawn Of Madness” in September 2007, and for more information on the latest news, music, pictures, and merchandise, be sure to check out www.poetictragedyband.com and www.myspace.com/poetictragedyband.
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