Radiator King

Boston singer/songwriter Adam Silvestri, aka Radiator King (not to be confused with Radiator Hospital), makes the kind of folk with punk grit that Chuck Ragan does in his solo career or The Gaslight Anthem does on their more recent material. He’s putting out his second album, Document Untold, on February 24, and we’ve got the premiere of its new single, “Hardwired.” Listen below.
Radiator King will be in NYC tonight (2/5) at Sidewalk Cafe for a full-band show, and later this month he’ll join his fellow Bostonians Pile on their tour, which hits NYC on February 25 at Palisades with Canada rock duo Solids and Pile’s EIS labelmates Leapling. Tickets for that show are on sale now.
After their run with Radiator King, Pile basically plan to stay on the road for the foreseeable future. We previously mentioned a TBA Brooklyn show for April 28, which we now know happens at Baby’s All Right with Yazan, Vulture Shit and Captain Wizard. Tickets for that one are on sale. Pile also play a Fordham show with Elvis Depressedly on Friday (2/6). All of their dates are listed below.

Radiator King — 2015 Tour Dates
Feb 5 NYC – Sidewalk Cafe
Feb 25 NYC – Palisades *
Feb 26 New Brunswick, NJ – Warehouse *
Feb 27 Philadelphia, PA – Golden Tea House *
Mar 1 Washington, DC – Dugout (matinee) *
Mar 1 Baltimore, MD – Ottobar (evening) *
Mar 2 Richmond, VA – Strange Matter *
Mar 3 Charlotte, NC – Milestone *
Mar 4 Asheville, NC – Tiger Mountain Thirst Parlor *
Mar 5 Louisville, KY – New Vintage *
Mar 6 Nashville, TN – TBA *
Mar 7 Birmingham, AL – TBA *
Mar 8 Atlanta, GA – Mammal Gallery *
Mar 9 Athens, GA – World Famous *
Mar 10 Savannah, GA – The Bomb Shelter *
Mar 11 Decatur, AL – Dusty Grooves Records ^
Mar 12 Dallas, TX – Henderson Avenue Country Club ^
Mar 13 Fort Worth, TX – Shipping and Receiving ^
Mar 14 Dallas, TX – Bob’s Records (daytime promo) ^
Mar 14 Oklahoma City, OK – Your Mom’s House ^
Mar 17 Sante Fe, NM – Cowgirl BBQ ^
Mar 18 Tempe, AZ – Yucca Tap Room ^
Mar 19 Flagstaff, AZ – Hops on Birch ^
Mar 20 San Diego, CA – TBA ^
Mar 21 Los Angeles, CA – TBA ^
Mar 24 Sacramento, CA – The Press Club ^
Mar 25 Oakland, CA – Stork Club ^
Mar 26 San Francisco, CA – TBA ^
Mar 27 Salem, OR – KMUZ live on air performance from 6-7pm ^
Mar 27 Salem, OR – Brown’s Town Lounge ^
Mar 28 Portland, OR – Mock Crest Tavern ^
Mar 30 Boise, ID – Liquid ^
Mar 31 Salt Lake City, UT – Piper Down ^
April 1 Denver, CO – The Toad Tavern ^
April 2 Lincoln, NE – The Zoo Bar ^
April 3 Chicago, IL – Elbo Room ^
April 4 Kalamazoo, MI – TBA ^
April 5 Ferndale, MI – Party Mansion ^
April 7 Philadelphia, PA – TBA ^
April 8 Philadelphia, PA – Murph’s Bar ^
April 9 Atlantic City, NJ – TBA ^
April 10 Washington, DC – WVAU on air performance ^
April 10 Washington, DC – Above the Bayou ^
April 11 Meriden, CT – Hilla Villa ^
* = w/ Pile (performing w/ full band)
^ = solo / acoustic headlining dates - Brooklyn Vegan

Document Untold, the second album from Radiator King, aka Adam Silvestri, is a perfect record for those punks into poetic, gritty alt-country. It's music sung from the perspective of the beaten down and tired, who "dream of a life light-years from here," as Silvestri sings on "When The Rockets Leave Me." Document Untold's influences are somewhat obvious -- Gaslight Anthem, Nebraska-era Bruce Springsteen, Waits -- but the songs are tuneful and effective, clearly written by a guy with some talent in his bones and who has worked hard to create something worthwhile.

The music here is also well arranged, sometimes particularly evoking the stoned solitude and pain of the ballads on Sticky Fingers or Exile on Main St., like the Mick Taylor-like guitar licks on "Suicide Boats." Silvestri has a knack for strong lyrics here as well, with a Boss-like knack for little details and Catholic angst: "Struck down by the moonlight on Broadway tonight/Lost in the chaos of the air/It was quarter to three and all I could see/Was the cross that you laid out for me." However the songs do blend together at times in a mish-mash of street poetry and mid-tempo shuffles, so "Salesman" sticks out with it's dirty guitar and nice, seedy saxophone backing. Overall though, these are quietly lacerating, brutal songs so they're not for the depressive (or maybe they are! Christ knows I like to wallow).

Radiator King has nowhere to go but up as far as I can tell; the album can get a little same-y but the songs all have a devastating punch right up to the closer "It All Grows Old," as Silvestri muses over slide guitar "You took me in when I was coming down/Couldn't find the rhythms that always carried me/But maybe it was time to sing to a different tune." As long as they're good ones, I'm sold. Punk can always use a dark and stormy troubadour. - Punknews.org

Boston native Adam Silvestri first heard the name Radiator King seven years ago when his then band’s van broke down while on tour.

“I used the limited knowledge I had of car mechanics, which I learned from an uncle of mine, and replaced some parts, including a radiator,” he says. “My buddies in the band … saw me standing there with that old radiator in my hand. I guess that’s the image they chose to hold on to. From there on out, for the entirety of [the] tour, they called me Radiator King.”

The name stuck. Silvestri, now based in Brooklyn, still performs under the moniker.

Mixing blues and punk, Silvestri creates a fusion that Nick Twohig described as the sound likely produced if “Tom Waits was locked in a room for a month with nothing but a copy of [Bruce] Springsteen’s ‘Nebraska,’” in Boston music blog Allston Pudding.

“In order to write a great song, a writer must be intimately in touch with what it is about great songs that makes them so,” Silvestri says.

“When I look at songs that move me most, I have recognized that honesty and emotion are the driving force. … It takes guts to be honest and lay it all out there for the world to do with it what they wish. People can use it against you; they can really hurt you if they want to. But, I think it makes you stronger. It lets you know what kind of fabric you're woven from.”

The punk player with a soul of steel plays shows across the country, in basements, galleries, bars and everything in between — including an upcoming show at Baines Books and Coffee this Sunday — sharing songs from his second album, “Document Untold,” which he released earlier this year.

“Document Untold,” which centers on songs of the working class, serves as a compilation of Silvestri’s own experiences, as well as stories he has heard from family and thoughts about this group of society that so often goes unmentioned in modern music.

“There are a lot of stories about down-and-out people,” he says of the record. “Folks who, for one reason or another, find themselves in unfortunate scenarios that are beyond their control. And of course there's the occasional story about a girl.”

You’re a Boston boy. How did you get into Delta blues?

“I was introduced to Delta blues from a good friend of mine back around the age of 13. He played me Son House’s ‘Death Letter Blues’ in a basement somewhere, and I probably listened to it non-stop for a week straight. Something about it struck me hard.”

In what way?

“The way he smacked around his guitar and the somber howl of his voice; the two parts seemed to weave together, creating one unified sound that was completely his own. The power of the sound was undeniable and made even more remarkable because it's just one man and his guitar. You hear it and you believe it right away. You know that this man had experienced the pain and hurt he was singing, and he was tearing it straight from his heart for you to hear.”

Whom do you gravitate toward musically?

“I’m always drawn to musicians who create music that is genre-less. I always go back to the pioneers. Bands like the Minutemen or the Clash who weren’t afraid to tread unsafe waters. They took chances and released albums that weren’t necessarily guaranteed to be well received by fans. That’s a commendable and rare trait in the world of music.”

Why choose to perform under Radiator King?

“I think it’s because when you get in front of people and you play this music you make, at the best of moments, you become someone different and greater than [who] you are in everyday life. I think even as a listener you can attest to this. In these instances, you aren’t Johnny who works in a grocery store. You are a larger than life beast with smoke bellowing out of your nostrils. Your name becomes a title. Just like how a band has a title.”

Punk and Delta blues are not two sounds people would expect together. How do you combine them into a seamless song?

“For me, I started listening to punk rock and then got into Delta blues. I guess the rawness was the common element that tied them together. Stripped-down, raw power isn't just turning your amp on full blast and playing fast and loud. It can be, but it doesn't have to be. One guy in a rocking chair tapping his foot on a porch somewhere, playing his acoustic guitar, can be just as powerful, if not more so. Old country blues taught me that.”

What drew you to stories of the middle class?

“I grew up amongst working class people. My father, grandparents, friends, aunts and uncles — these were the people I knew best, and they are the ones that shaped who I am. I feel thankful to have been brought up and surrounded by such folks who maintain qualities of strength, loyalty, hard work and devotion. It's a blessing to have been so influenced by them in my life, and I hope I have adopted some of what they stand for. These types of people are heroes in their everyday lives and they get little recognition. I want to recognize them because too often we recognize ones that are undeserving. I guess this is the one place where I have a voice that some people might listen [to], and it's my chance to pay homage to them.”

What do you feel makes their stories worth sharing?

“Their character. The way they sacrifice for those close to them. The strength they exhibit in the face of injustice. These are timeless characteristics that as a songwriter you are always on the lookout for. No matter the time or place, folks can relate to a subject who is heroic and stands for something humane.

“Bob Dylan teaches us this, and even before him, you see it in traditional folk songs like John Henry or Pretty Boy Floyd. But, you want it to be real — a story about someone with that strength of character, who maybe isn't perfect or who hasn't had it easy. A story about someone who is understated and underappreciated, but who never wavers in his or her morals regardless of who's going to hear about it.”

You put a lot of emphasis on soulfulness and honesty. How has trying to attain these two things influenced you and your decisions throughout your life?

“In my life, reaching for a more honest place has diminished fear. And to be able to make decisions that aren't dictated by fear is a liberating thing. Any musician will tell you, it's not all fame and fans and bright lights and stardom, it's actually none of that. It's hours each day writing and practicing, followed by some really awesome shows, and some shows where it's just me, the bartender and the sound guy. On those nights, you have to purposefully keep yourself from wondering if your parents' worry is valid and you have to make the decision to play your heart out to an empty room the way you would to a sold-out venue.

“That soulfulness and honesty I'm trying to attain with my music, it can be bolstered by the people and environment, but it comes from me, from the song, and from the performance, even if no one hears it. I don't think I would be doing what I am doing — going on tour and playing music like this, making this my priority — if I didn't really believe in it.” - The Burg

(TRANSLATED FROM DUTCH TO ENGLISH)

Conclusion:
High quality recordings, original texts and wonderful conversion in music. The influences of other artists, Bob Dylan and Tom Waits are clearly audible. The raw authentic voice is something we really love. However, we must admit that the music is to listen to the best in heavy rain, sober gray weather. Whiskey again. Not suitable for Monday morning.

It is as a writer of review naturally cool if people around you are going to ask for your opinion. ? I just bought this CD. What do you think about that?? whether ? Do you know this band? Which is really good? We see this time a new album with a separate band: Radiator King - Document Untold.


The problem with questions about music is usually taste. Because that is debatable. And do not forget LOUDNESS! Many people find music all sound delicious quickly because they are so used to loudness. Yet I recently received from my father, a very good tip inside. One tip I would like to share with you.

Adam Silvestri
In 2011, the American band King Radiator forms. Led by Adam Silvestri. Adam writes the music, lyrics and plays guitar. Untold document is the second album which releases Radiator King. With their first album, they tour the States in 2013 and 2014. With a total of six routes, traveling from the East to the West Coast. They play in bars, bar or even art exhibitions. They like to keep a connection with the audience. They do well by keeping the small gigs. All I think Adam would say no to a sold-out Madison Square.

The texts Adam writes are special. He gets his inspiration from the common man. The hard-working people that often is overlooked. This group will never give up and always keep fighting. As Adam says:? Those who talk about history, determine how it looked. Too often those forgotten at the bottom of the ladder. While their stories and their lives are most inspiring.?

A unique sound?
radiator King
Yes ... there is still dynamic. However hard been mixed way.

It's hard to describe, but the sound is unique. Somewhere near the branch Punk and Blues. Where you drive to with folk on the back seat. We clearly hear Bob Dylan influences, but also Tom Waits. Music with a high content of whiskey. By immediately would also explain the raw voice of Adam Silvestri. Because his voice puts down a typical atmosphere image. A hoarse voice with an emotional edge.

Music
The number Hardwired, sounds pretty light. Especially when you compare it with other numbers. With acoustic guitar that sounds sincere, vocal Adam Silvestri is put down beautifully.

The text is profound: Walking alone trough the city I knew. The best that i see in me is through your eyes. And the electric guitar will give the song a different turn. It is lifted directly to a higher level.

Salesman, we find further on the album. It starts wonderfully with an electric guitar. Quite clearly once Adam's voice. Here is very clear that raw sound played with that emotional edge. Lyrics with meaning. ? Preachers sing of love. Or on the highest mountain tops. But i find my truth in the jesters saddest song. A small saxophone solo and the conversion of the number does not seem to stop. - Alpha-Audio

Pile stopped by O’Brien’s this past Tuesday, along with Fax Holiday, Radiator King, and Yazan. Apparently, this was a bit of a family affair, with every act of the night sharing at least one of their members for a portion of each other’s set. Whether it was their familiarity, or a subtle shared musical thread, this bill flowed nicely and the crowd was in healthy numbers for a Tuesday night.

First up was the New York based solo artist Yazan. While his current releases, Undress My Mind (2013) and the Robert Johnson inspired Your Crooked Part (2012) would lead you to expect a night of acoustic numbers, Yazan took the stage wielding a Gibson Flying V, suspenders and an uncanny resemblance to Frank Zappa. While watching him play, I found myself noting the almost Dylan-esque scaffolding on which Yazan seems to structure his songs. His soulful, stream of consciousness vernacular provides a mixture that feels both nostalgic and new. After performing a few songs in their original (albeit electric) arrangements, Kris Kuss (drummer for Pile) joined Yazan on stage. With the caveat of only ever having rehearsed together earlier that day, they proceeded to launch into a set of frenzied, delta-blues fueled numbers. While his recorded material definitely contains a level of a bluesy soulfulness, the addition of a percussive element allowed the songs to come to life in a blast of unrestrained, unrepentant slide guitar. It was a genuine pleasure watching Yazan and Kris feel out the changes as they went, a testament to both of their intuitive musicianship.

Now, if Tom Waits was locked in a room for a month with nothing but a copy of Springsteen’s Nebraska, I imagine he might come up with something that sounds like the next act of the night, Radiator King. Adam Silvestri, the sole member of the Boston-based project, writes songs that are the sonic equivalent to an old whiskey bar at the end of a dirt road. While his Waits-ian vocal affectation at times seemed to border on derivative, the songs themselves maintained an air of authenticity that had me willfully suspending any doubts. After a few numbers, Silvestri put down the acoustic and opted for a hollowbody electric, while Ian Macleod of Fax Holiday got behind a drum kit that utilized an oversized, vintage suitcase as a kick drum (to great effect, I might add). I found myself immediately preferring the more fully realized aesthetic. Silvestri’s songs flourished with the addition of a gritty guitar and the tasteful drumming provided by Macleod. In this context, the rust covered vocals seemed to have found a more suitable home.

Next up was the Allston-based Fax Holiday. Now, before seeing them live, I’d given a listen to Fax Holiday’s back catalog. And while I was prepared for the distinctly effective brand of violin and acoustic laced indie/folk as was presented on their bandcamp page, I was equally as pleased with the version of the band on display that night. Joined on guitar by Radiator King’s Adam Silvestri, Fax Holiday unleashed blues infused, dirge-like breakdowns and followed them with moments of absolute delicacy, as the dying sustain of guitars pulsed, moving the air between the amps and the crowd. Fax Holiday’s songs seem to pull you in with their own gravity. Eric Schermerhorn’s deliberate and yet effortless vocals complimented the restrained intensity that seemed to permeate the band’s music, always hinting at the promise of lift off. Towards the end of their set, they delivered on that promise, and let loose a string of more raucous, energized songs. I’m very interested to follow this band as their sound continues to evolve.

Finally, to cap off the night, was Pile. As soon as the members of the Boston-based quartet made their way to the stage, the crowd seemed to have doubled in size. Originally formed in 2007, as the solo project of frontman Rick Maguire, Pile has spent years amassing a passionate fan-base through consistent touring and their brooding, chaotic, and yet disarmingly catchy brand of rock. This was evident on Tuesday night, as you could feel the energy in the room spike as the music began.

Pile seems to write the kind of songs that suggest they want you to recognize patterns, only to then smash those patterns to pieces, in the best possible way. They play with an emotional intensity that almost makes you overlook the absolute skill and musicianship they possess as both live performers and songwriters. Discordant interludes and elements of blues rock riffing presented with the manic energy of a post-punk basement show.

While not always being able to decipher lyrical content seems to be somewhat of a theme of the acoustics at O’Brien’s, it did not seem to be an issue while watching a band like Pile. Rick Maguire’s vocal, equal parts contemplative crooning and frenzied “this-is-the-end-of-days” howl, sits perfectly atop the ebb and flow of the band’s musical duality. Bursts of immediate, cathartic chaos trading themselves in for moments of almost calm and collected simplicity.

According to their website, Pile is currently heading out on a three week tour, during which they hope to record a new album in Omaha, Nebraska. If you live in the area of any of the listed dates I would highly suggest checking them out. - Allston Pudding

(TRANSLATED FROM DUTCH TO ENGLISH)
Radiator King: That sounds like a good slogan for an installer, but we're really talking about music. The American musician Adam Silvestri namely hides behind the pseudonym. And under that name he released earlier this year Document Untold.

This album contains nine tracks where our colleagues from Punk News (we check all) the following overwritten:

Document Untold's influences are somewhat obvious - Gaslight Anthem, Nebraska-era Bruce Springsteen, Waits - but the songs are tuneful and effective, Clearly written by a guy with some talent in his bones and Who has worked hard to create something worthwhile.
Yeah, that looks good on your resume. (HAHA, pun CV! -> Radiator King You know him.?)

Today at Gobsmag the most folkie song on the album: Hardwired. But certainly do not miss tracks like Under Iron and Salesman. Then you know what we mean by Tom Waits, The Boss and Gaslight Anthem. - GobsMag

Radiator King is the stage name of Brooklyn based singer songwriter Adam Silvestri, who released this past February his sophomore album "Document Untold," a collection of songs whose intent is to re-tell history from the perspective of those who normally aren't asked tell history: the people at the bottom of the social ladder. This is a worthy effort in a period where raising income inequality seems to condemn the poor to permanent irrelevance and powerlessness. Several visual, literary, folk and rock artists have done this in the past, and while the Brooklyn musical output has been largely apolitical in the last few decades, comments like this one by NRA' CEO Wayne LaPierre make us believe that maybe times are mature for a renewed focus on the weak and tragically under-represented layers of our society. - The Deli

http://www.daytrotter.com/radiator-king/futureappletree-april-16-2015.html - Daytrotter