Silas Durocher and Everybody Knows
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Silas Durocher and Everybody Knows

Asheville, North Carolina, United States

Asheville, North Carolina, United States
Band Rock Classical

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"Silas Durocher: If Igor Stravinsky met Anthony Kiedis"

In his bio, Silas Durocher says that he aims to combine “classical music with funk and rock n’ roll” to create “music for the head, the heart, and the hips.” It’s a noble pursuit, and on his new debut album, Thesis Statement, he’s largely successful.

The young songwriter weaves together astoundingly complex compositions that call to mind everyone from Igor Stravinsky to Frank Zappa and the Red Hot Chili Peppers. It’s a mix heady enough to keep the most seasoned music geek guessing, and yet the disk also maintains a Jack Johnson mellowness appropriate for lazy Sunday afternoons around the house.

Durocher, an Asheville transplant, recently celebrated the release of the disk with a show at BoBo Gallery as part of the venue’s new Lexington Avenue Living Room series. Organized by Durocher and fellow local songwriters Oso Rey and Pierce Edens, the shows typically consist of solo sets by each songwriter as well as collaborations and a revolving cast of guests.

Durocher started his set alone, opening with “Every Damn Time” from the new album. But in this manifestation, the song was barely recognizable. Gone were the intricate layers of cello and clarinet so key to his sound, the drive of drums and bass so prominent on his record. Durocher made a valiant effort to fill in the blanks with his jaw-droppingly precise guitar licks, but there was definitely something lacking in the track’s transformation from a big band arrangement to an acoustic solo song. To do justice to the dynamic songs on Thesis Statement, Durocher was in need of some help.

Thankfully, he soon got it in the form of Franklin Keel, who joined Durocher on cello. Durocher introduced Keel, a member of the Asheville Symphony Orchestra, as good enough to “count as two accompaniments.” And rightly so. Durocher said he had just met Keel, but you’d never know it from the obvious chemistry between these two talented musicians. For the next several songs, including the stand out Durocher originals “I Always Watch” and “Devil on my Shoulder,” Keel somehow managed to sound like he was playing three instruments at once; in addition to the deep resonance of his bowed cello, he summoned the rhythm of a stand up bass and the screechy wailing of a fiddle.

The new duo soon became a trio as Rey hopped on the drum set. The music then took a funkier turn, Rey’s solid backbeats adding additional life to a couple of hip-hop influenced tracks that allowed Durocher to let out his inner Anthony Kiedis. The group ended the set with a new song that Durocher introduced as “totally unrehearsed.” The raw energy was there though, and the crowd returned Durocher’s closing refrain of “everything’s OK when the music plays” with a loud show of approval. - Mountain Xpress


"CD Review: Silas Durocher and Everybody Knows"

It’s generally considered bad form to say things like this in music reviews, but I’m going to do it anyway - Silas Durocher is a musical genius. Alright…maybe not a genius, but as close as I’ve heard in quite some time. As a player of several instruments and a veteran of many bands myself, I’ve always been jealous of the type of musician Durocher is – smart, exceptionally talented and overflowing with a seemingly endless supply of great ideas. Plus, he’s got a great voice. Obviously steeped in music theory, Durocher’s ability to make this intricate composition accessible to even the most musically-challenged of ears is impressive; it sounds so effortless. In Thesis Statement, he takes guitar, cello, clarinet, bass and drums and transforms them into a wild, ear-opening symphonic party. It’s both anxiety-producing and relaxing at the same time, as you have absolutely no idea where he’s going, but then when he gets there it seems like the most natural progression in the world. He picks and chooses from seemingly disparate styles and genres, using the clarinet of all things to tie them together. Tango, funk, swing, jazz, rock opera, honky tonk…it’s all there. If Durocher had been born in Liverpool in the 1940s, Paul McCartney could very well be a retired factory worker right now. - Bold Magazine


"Creating a fusion of sound with debut release 'Thesis Statement'"

Silas Durocher picked up the guitar a few years ago and played in folk bands, rock bands and jam bands, but after studying classical composition at New College of Florida in Sarasota, his songs got a sophisticated twist.

"I got really into theory and composition," Durocher, 23, said.

His first album, "Thesis Statement," uses his talent along with that of his band, Everybody Knows, to fuse rock, jazz, reggae, blues, bluegrass and soul with classical styles and instruments.

"The album is kind of a natural progression," he said. "I feel like this is in many ways my first statement to the world about my opinions of music and my opinions on the creative process," he said. "More literally, the project began as my undergraduate thesis."

Durocher's major in composition is evidenced by tracks like "The Kind of Funk," which comprises of three movements.

Because of grants awarded from his school, he was able to pull together a group of musicians that includes Bharat Chandra on clarinet, Sasha von Dassow on cello, Garrett Dawson on drums and percussion and John Miller on upright bass for a school performance.

For the performance, the band hired Grammy-nominated engineer Bud Snyder to do their sound, knowing he could handle the unusual mix of rock and classical. After the concert, Snyder, who has worked with the Allman Brothers, Gov't Mule and Jeff Buckley, invited the band to his new studio to record.

Snyder "has a particularly strong sense of, I guess, groove, for lack of a better word, coming very much from a rock and roll background," Durocher said.

Since then, Silas Durocher and Everybody Knows has played more gigs, mostly in Florida, where everyone but Durocher lives. Durocher, who grew up in Middletown, moved to Asheville, N.C., with his girlfriend after college.

Among family, friends and musicians who worked on the project, the Beatles are listed under Durocher's album thank-yous.

"I'm a huge Beatles fan," he said. "The more I listen to them, the more I get out of them."

He explicitly said he would never compare himself to the Beatles, but there is a comparison to be made: both groups had their roots in rock and pop and brought a heavy composition side to their work.

"Now I'm able to appreciate the complexity," Durocher said, "especially their stuff with George Martin."

Almost the entire "Thesis Statement" CD was written out completely by Durocher, who scored all five instruments, with only brief sections of improvisation. The only exception are the backup vocals by Heather Normandale, a close friend of Durocher's, which involved several emails and mailing a hard drive across the country.

That being said, the album "is still very much a collaborative effort," Durocher said. "Everyone brings their own style and opinions. The score is a basic outline in some cases."

The band has been together for about two years.

"I feel like there is a lot more to explore," Durocher said. "As a composer, I feel like there's a lot more to say with these instruments."

Durocher composed two pieces for the Florida Wind Quintet in 2006, and, more recently, Leif Bjaland, artistic director and conductor of the Sarasota Orchestra, commissioned him to compose a piece for the orchestra. The piece, already completed, will premiere in February. - The Frederick News Post


""Thesis Statement" Reviewed by RadioIndy"

“Thesis Statement” is the intelligent and intricate new release from Silas Durocher & Everybody Knows, a cutting-edge group of talented musical performers. Durocher is a gifted composer, in addition to an exceptional guitarist and vocalist. Durocher and his cast blend classical, pop, jazz, and rock to create a sound all their own. The material is varied in instrumentation as well as musical genre, making for a stimulating and interesting listening experience. The group’s talents in many styles are on full display, from the bouncy Dixieland jazz feel of “I Always Watch,” to the funky and soulful “Home,” and the more classical approach of “Casi Tango.” The arrangements are clever and intelligent, showcasing the extremely unique writing style of Durocher. The group interacts in a highly artistic way, bringing each composition to life with their superb performances. Fans of classical music with a contemporary spin will want to check “Thesis Statement” out. - RadioIndy


"New College Grad Makes 'Statement'"

A master of the melodic hybrid, Silas Durocher is known to fuse Jewish Klezmer with classic rock, gospel with African rhythms and folk with funk.

The 23-year-old New College alum ('07) has a knack for diversified beats, evidenced by his debut album, "Thesis Statement," with his band, Everybody Knows. It is the culmination of his senior project, and all his childhood years listening to Jimi Hendrix, Bob Dylan and the Beatles in his parents' basement.

"Now I'm working with these professional musicians, and it's absolutely amazing playing with them," Durocher said. "They're all pretty much masters, so they can tackle anything I put in front of them."

Durocher, an Austin, Texas-born guitarist, songwriter and vocalist, joins Bharat Chandra on clarinet (a principal musician for the Sarasota Orchestra), Sasha von Dassow on cello (of the Florida Orchestra and Musicians Out of the Box String Quartet), Garrett Dawson on percussion (of Kettle of Fish, Ideal and the Cultural Revolution) and John Miller on upright bass (another principal musician for the Sarasota Orchestra).

Grammy-nominated engineer and co-producer Bud Snyder (the Allman Brothers, Jeff Buckley, Gov't Mule) recorded the CD at Spirit Ranch.

"It's such an uphill battle to break through in the industry and to get these little breaks and little moments of glory," said Durocher, who funded the record with grant money. "I feel incredibly lucky."

A student of theory and composition, Durocher became a Sarasota household name during his college years, scoring gigs with Stone Soup and Shakedown. He created two pieces for the Florida Wind Quintet in 2006, both of which were published and sold internationally through TrevCo Music.

He now lives in Asheville, N.C., where he plays alongside internationally touring artists Laura Reed and Deep Pocket (a soul-funk act), David Earl and the Plowshares (a gospel-rock group) and singer-songwriter Oso Rey.

"It's time for me to go 110 percent," Durocher said. "I've just got to go all out while I can."

"Thesis Statement" will be available at CD stores, on iTunes and at cdbaby.com and digstation.com on Saturday. - Sarasota Herald-Tribune


"Silas Durocher and Everybody Knows"

We've heard of thesis statements, but it's rare that we actually hear, you know, a Thesis Statement. That's the title of the debut disc by New College alum Silas Durocher and his band Everybody Knows. Durocher's signature stew of classical, folk, funk and rock has the community throwing its proverbial panties on stage -- in an educated, urbane kind of way, of course. His sophisticated arrangements, tight jams and quirky pop sensibility -- often recalling Andrew Bird, Beirut and DeVotchKa -- court quite the fan base: Sarasota Orchestra maestro Leif Bjaland commissioned the singer-songwriter to compose a piece for premiere early next year. - Creative Loafing (Tampa, Sarasota)


"Partners in Chime"

Thinking tuxedoes with tails, velvet-roped aisles and predictable set lists—the status quo’s idea of a quiet evening at the orchestra? Well, forget everything you know. There is a classical concert world out there beyond the stodgy gala, where listeners can file into no-frills theaters in corduroy jackets and Converse All-Stars and tune their ears to sounds a la The Beatles-meet-Beethoven. This is what happens when New College of Florida meets the Sarasota Orchestra, when boundaries are shoved and preconceived notions about the listening experience are tossed. The college campus becomes the melodic playground. Onlookers rise from their seats in intimate venues. They shake to the notes. They whirl with the refrains. They laugh and learn with childlike openness. The setting is more akin to a Siesta Key drum circle than a sit-down, stay-silent ceremony.

Just because classical tunes are on the roster doesn’t mean the audience can’t rock out. Ask Maestro Leif Bjaland, the Orchestra’s artistic director, or Dr. Stephen Miles, the college’s associate professor of music. For seven years, the two pioneers have unleashed a cross-generational, cross-cultural dialogue of sound. Their mission: To attract young music fans to the Orchestra, draw older folks to the college and introduce Sarasotans to an avant-garde realm they might have otherwise missed.

Their cutting-edge programs, from the “Crossroads Project� to “New Music New College,� have brought professors, orchestra musicians and students together in concert. Students have gleaned advice from the pros. Pros have gathered tips from amateurs. And audiences have lived vicariously through the synergy. “I think any collaboration between indigenous arts organizations like ours is good for the cultural community in Sarasota,� Bjaland says. “I think we’re stronger together than we are apart. It stimulates the community and invites people to think about the arts in a much larger way.�

Big-picture thinking is what sparked the whole merger. As the state’s independent public honors college, New College is an institution that shucks the traditional grading system in favor of personalized evaluations. It is an academic haven where students receive their diplomas in sundresses instead of uniform caps and gowns and narrow-mindedness is checked at the door. The Sarasota Orchestra, too, prides itself on its progressiveness, being a leader in community outreach efforts and youth orchestra opportunities. It seemed only natural that these organizations would one day harmonize for the betterment of the city’s cultural atmosphere.

“Combining different disciplines, whether they be ballet and orchestra or orchestra and the visual arts—plus students at New College playing in a rock band—there’s something invigorating about that,� Bjaland says. “There are new metaphors that can be drawn and new excitement that can be created.� The college/orchestra alliance was created after Miles spearheaded New Music New College, a contemporary classical music series, ten years ago. September 2007 was proof positive that his brainchild has evolved into a must-see, when New College alum Silas Durocher performed on campus at the Sudakoff Conference Center to 400 spectators.

Bjaland was among them. During a 70-minute set, Bjaland eyed Durocher as he strummed the electric guitar, belted out a Paul McCartney-esque baritone and was accompanied by orchestra musicians Bharat Chandra (clarinet), John Miller (bass), Sasha von Dassow (cello) and Garrett Dawson (drums). Durocher’s melding of styles from Bartok to Weimar jazz to Jewish Klesmer to African and Middle Eastern awed Bjaland. At the show’s end, a slew of students actually broke out in a conga line, encircling the audience as the players cranked out an instrumental number. Bjaland was floored by the response and knew it deserved more than a fleeting glance. “This spontaneous writhing mass of humanity made me dream of some future mosh pit of Beethoven, Berlioz and Stravinsky,� Bjaland wrote a week later in a blog review. “The challenge for 21st century classical music is to match the exhilarating mix of great new material and superb execution in this performance.�

That’s what the college/orchestra movement is all about. No stone-faced ushers. No stuffy box seats. No binoculars. It’s a get-up-and-dance, shout-if-you-yearn-to, flutter-around-as-you-please sort of interactive extravaganza. If music is supposed to incite feeling and emotion, organizers say, why not express it right then and there? “A very important distinction to be drawn here is between the music and the rituals of traditional concert life,� Miles says. “The rituals of concert life are a little more formal than some people are used to, especially college students.�

The Durocher show tapped into that and Bjaland and Miles couldn’t refute it. It was a wild magic that could not have been harnessed in some regimented concert space, where sandals instead of polished black shoes were tapping feverishly on the carpet. It was the vehicle that spurred them to reconvene and plan future collaborations at Sudakoff (now whimsically referred to as “Club Sudakoff�) and the Mildred Sainer Pavilion. “The realization that we had such a young student talent like Silas in our midst drilled the whole project forward, so Steve and I started talking about what other interesting projects we might do,� Bjaland says. “We said, ‘Why can’t we do something with Silas, something based on one of these hybrid musical forms he experiments with? We really have something here.�

After all, Bjaland says, the United States will be flooded with different minority groups by the year 2050, and that influx is bound to produce more musical hodgepodges. Being on the cusp of a major shift is a point of real excitement for Bjaland and Miles. “Why not put together mutually exclusive musical pursuits like funk and rock and add in a string quartet?� Bjaland says. “Music is morphing all the time, so how can you create a musical event that’s based on that view of the world?�

In Bjaland’s mind, Durocher’s worldview was so innovative that it deserved more public exposure. Bjaland invited the 22-year-old to commission a work for the professional Orchestra to perform. This would be the foundation for the “Crossroads Project,� which has since been billed as a “surround sound� experience. It is certainly a privilege for a recent graduate and fledgling composer, and one that Bjaland and Miles hope will inspire other aspiring musicians. “This kind of a project is a way of deepening people’s relationship to different kinds of music and honoring the talent that’s already out there,� Miles says. “It’s a way of having this dialogue of musicians who work within the symphonic domain and students who work in a popular domain.�

Miles has gone one step further with the concept, enlisting three New College rock bands to partake in the “Crossroads� show, and having orchestra musicians “riff off of them.� One of these “riffers� would be Sarasota Orchestra tubist Jay Hunsberger. The bands on the ticket are: The Done For (a fusion group), Tyger Beat (a punk duo) and Skeleton Warrior (a “noise music� collective), all of which have studied experimental music with Miles. “We realized we could create an even stronger bond between New College and the Sarasota Orchestra and create a mini-festival, celebrating this idea of multi-culturalism,� Bjaland says.

And for the overall 2008–2009 season, multi-culturalism will emerge on the stage in a bevy of forms. Beginning September 6, New Music New College will launch the first of its five-part concert series in Sudakoff with pianist Kathleen Supové and composer/performer Corey Dargel’s production, “Removable Parts.� Cabaret-style seating will greet the musicians as they engage in a revue of original love songs about “voluntary amputation.� It will also be Supové’s third stand on the New College stage.

On January 30, Tampa cellist Scott Kluksdahl and pianist Noreen Cassidy-Polera will present a recital they call “Radical Tradition,� which will contrast Ludwig Van Beethoven’s symphonies with those of contemporary composers Richard Wernick and Lowell Liebermann. On November 8, New College students will appear in a work entitled “Playspace,� an evening of experimental compositions that function as games and challenge conventional notions of performance and social interaction. It is an outgrowth of Miles’ Experimental Music Theory and Practice course. February 27 is the aforementioned “Crossroads,� in which the New College student bands and Orchestra musicians will converge in the college’s Caples Fine Arts Complex.

“Our students have gained tremendously from working with Orchestra musicians over the years,� Miles says. “Silas’ music represents this dialogical spirit. It’s a perfect example of how much of an impact mentoring from Orchestra musicians can have on students and ‘Crossroads’ celebrates that.� The “Crossroads� theme will continue on February 28, when Bjaland and Maestro Dirk Meyer will lead the orchestra in the concert “Crossroads: New Music Live,� at Holley Hall. It will showcase Durocher’s world premier composition, which he considers a reflection of the artistic and intellectual freedom he experienced as a New College music major. “Silas is part of a new generation of composers that draw on Bartok, The Beatles, ethnic music, rock and Ravel in equal measure,� Bjaland says. “His music is kaleidoscopic and tremendously exciting.�

The season will conclude on April 25, 2009, when internationally renowned composer Pamela Z will delight crowds in a display of original vocal works. She is best known for her solo style, which combines operatic bel canto and experimental vocal techniques with found percussion, spoken word, electronic processing and sample concrete sounds. “Unconventional notions of music have been put to the test in the laboratory of performance,� Miles says. “Together, we’ve challenged the boundaries that separate music and speech, music and theater and performer and audience, and we’ve found new ways to experience music.�

There’s always room for not rocking the boat, and for those who prefer a more traditional outing when it comes to stage, Sarasota is rife with alternatives. There’s nothing wrong with slipping on a pair of white gloves and a cummerbund and reveling in an untouched version of Rachmaninoff’s “Piano Concert No. 3.� But Bjaland and Miles agree there is much to be said for adding a little oomph to the age-old template and they are jazzed to be forerunners of the trend. When was the last time you did the conga at the orchestra? Brace yourself.

Talking Point “The challenge for 21st century classical music is to match the exhilarating mix of great new materials and superb execution in [Durocher's] performance.� —Leif Bjaland of New Music New College - SRQ Magazine


"A look at what Asheville's composers are up to"

Silas Durocher’s latest classical composition, “In the Midst of a Beautiful Space,� written for flute, oboe and bassoon, was performed in Asheville Oct. 28. The 22-year-old lead guitar player in the Asheville-based band Laura Reed and Deep Pockets, Durocher got his degree in music composition from the New College in Sarasota, Fla. Some of the musicians who played the piece he wrote for his senior thesis will be in the studio with him in June to record his latest project, an as-yet untitled synthesis of pop and classical music.

* Listening to: The Beatles, and the late Argentinean classical composer Astor Piazzolla.
* Day job: Guest services at The Health Adventure in Asheville.
* Hear live: Laura Reed and Deep Pockets play at Stella Blue on March 28.
- Asheville Citizen-Times


Discography

Thesis Statement (2008)

Photos

Bio

www.silasdurocher.com

Born in 1985 in Austin, Texas, Silas Durocher is a composer, guitarist, songwriter, and singer who “understands that there are many mansions in the house of music and naturally partakes of all of them.” Bridging many styles, Silas focuses primarily on combining classical music with funk and rock n’ roll to create “music for the head, the heart, and the hips.” With this central idea, Silas’ music appears in many forms, including works for orchestra, chamber ensembles, rock bands, and solo performances.

Silas Durocher and Everybody Knows is a chamber rock ensemble that synthesizes the accessibility of funk and rock n’ roll with the intellectual stimulation of classical music. In the fall of 2008, the group released their debut album, Thesis Statement. Featuring an energetic mix of rock musicians and classical instrumentalists, the all-star group has been highly praised for it’s original and exciting live performances which have been drawing large audiences of all ages and listening backgrounds. The compositions for this ensemble create a truly unique style that blends Silas’ many interests into a “distinctive musical voice.”

Leif Bjaland, artistic director and conductor of the Sarasota Orchestra, commissioned Silas to compose a new work to expand on these ideas with a much larger ensemble. The composition received its world premiere in February, 2009 to an enthusiastic audience. After the success of this concert, Silas was commissioned to compose a piece for the Sarasota Orchestra to perform with Silas Durocher and Everybody Knows. The composition will receive its premiere in February, 2011.

Silas has played with many bands over the years, most notably Soulgrass Rebellion (reggae-rock-boogie), which has toured both coasts and the Caribbean and has shared the stage with internationally touring acts, and Stone Soup (folk-funk), which performed throughout southern Florida for two years and recorded a CD entitled Dancin’ Shoes.

Enrolling at New College of Florida in 2003, Silas began studying theory and composition. In 2006, he composed two pieces for the Florida Wind Quintet, both of which were published and sold internationally (purchase at TrevCo Music). Silas’ Brass Quintet in Three Movements was performed in the spring of 2007 by the Florida Brass Quintet, and his composition Why Not? was performed by the Keowee Wind Trio later that year. In 2010, Musicians Out of the Box String Quartet commissioned Silas to compose a piece for string quartet and speaker based on three poems by e.e. cummings. The work, at Play, was recorded and released on their CD of music for children, Music Tales Vol 2 .

Silas currently lives in Asheville, North Carolina, where he is immersed in the exciting music scene, playing with nationally and internationally touring artists such as Soulgrass Rebellion, soul-funk band Laura Reed and Deep Pocket, and gospel-rock outfit David Earl and the Plowshares..