Suicidal Poets
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Suicidal Poets

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"Exclusive Interview With Suicidal Poets"

The Suicidal Poets boast influences ranging from Aretha Franklin to Pink Floyd to meanderings of a classical nature. In New York, their reputation has been built upon electric live gigs and a clutch of memorable and touching songs yet over here they're yet to break it big. However, all that might be about to change as The Music Press.co.uk catches up with guitarist Carmelo Risquet. . . In what's been billed ambitiously as their most revealing interview yet, The Suicidal Poets talk about love, life and music.

The Suicidal Poets are an ambitious band from America's second capital. Their music epitomises today's youth, bringing together raw emotion, drive and musical flair. Carmelo flamboyantly describes the origin of the name as "artists' dedication of their lives to the arts only to be recognized for their work after they die".
In today's pop-dominated Britain, a band with talent is a rare thing. However, as well as rare, The Suicidal Poets are real. They write and produce their own songs and they might yet take the UK by storm. But their influences are not as alternative or wayward as their music so often suggests. The band confess to liking that man whose songs are on all the adverts, Moby and pop soulstress, Dido. Expanding on this, the band are a little more forthcoming and the answers a little more favourable: they list Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd and U2 among others. As well as a common hatred of the recent trend of manufactured bands, the band are keen to tell us more.
I asked Carmelo why the world needs The Suicidal Poets. "I feel what others lack we can offer like true musicianship and originality. We try very hard not to sound like anyone else and therefore have developed our own place in the music world. . . I love so many different artists and different types of music that just listening to everything has maybe influenced an original style of my own." Whilst Carmelo and the gang don't go for experimental or even commercial pop music in the same way as other recent bands, they are keen to emphasise the heart and soul that goes into their records. Carmelo expands, "our music comes from the soul and every single word and chord has deep felt meaning, something that can never be reproduced". . . The Suicidal Poets even claim to be fans of traditional Irish music. The band explain, "as we started to write our own material we sort of strayed into a more rock/pop sound but I think the Irish influence is still evident which without a doubt"...

Read the entire interview @:
http://www.themusicpress.co.uk/

- The Music Press.co.uk


"Performers From The Bands Bring Down The House At Camp Combe"

Michelle Risquet (vocals), Carmelo, Eliot Rivera (on Sax) with the performers from the bands bring down the house during the finale "jam" session at the Multi-Cultural Day at Camp Combe

August 4th Multi-Cultural Extravaganza celebration held at Camp Combe Putnam Valley YMCA.

The crowd brought blankets and chairs and camped out and played on the great lawn at Camp Combe. Although there were a variety of ethnic foods, the sausage and peppers were the first to go. The entertainment was non-stop until after 8 pm. Each entertainer thanked the Gods for keeping the rain up in the sky, where it merely threatened but did not come down.

When Rivera introduced the "Suicidal Poets" band, no one knew what to expect. Rivera explained that the band's name came about during one particular performance, when the lead guitar player cut his thumb which started bleeding, but he continued playing. When the guitarist finished, there was blood all over the place. The promoter said to the audience, "They were the kind of band that would rather commit suicide than disappoint you!" The name stuck....

The perennial favorite was the "youngster" Pete Seeger, who packed the crowd in with his storytelling, folk music and banjo strumming.

Rivera next introduced a group that brought back memories of the Beatles, Beach Boys, Bette Midler, the 50's and more oldies; they were the "Flashbacks," a group that has been together since 1977. Steve Piscopo is the band leader and plays drums and vocals, Bill McCann is on keyboard, guitar and vocals, Anthony LaBella plays keyboards and vocals, Ray Imperato is on rhythm guitar and lead vocals, and Carl Fosse plays bass. Their music is so smooth, the crowd could have listened to them all night.

As dusk began to fall it was time for the finale, a jam session made up of performers from the days events. Under the direction of Dave Amram, the band consisted of Ivan Santiago on percussion drums, Jose Ortiz on bongo drums, Carmelo Risquet on guitar, Michelle Risquet on lead vocals, Ignacio Rodriguez on drums, Elliot Rivera on alto saxophone, Hugh Grant on guitar, Robert LaBoudiere on tambourine and Adam Amram on guitar. For their first song they played 'Happy Birthday' to Carmelo Risquet, with the audience singing along.

Putnam Valley Journal

- Putnam Valley Journal


"United Global Artists Press Review"

Suicidal Poets display a plethora of style & diversity whilst carving out there own unique niche in the music world. The enthralling vocal charisma of Michelle Risquet propel the dynamics of Suicidal Poets along with fellow songwriter Carmelo Risquet...
From the opening sequence of "Just Tell Me Something" with it's imaginative & unique vox quality, it's obvious that Michelle Risquet has an alluring vocal range & timber that is highlighted in her tenor pitch that is a magnetic element in the bands sound. As the atmospherics of "Lay In Grace" settle in, the dramatic balladry & piano exude a somber shadow like effect ; Whereas "Life Is A Mystery" & its acoustic proto-pop folk mirror the Gaelic folk tinged alternative exploration of "Suicidal Poets". In songs like "Digital Moods(Electric Dreams)" the listener is witness to an ambient cascade, whereas "Echoes In A Curved Mirror" offer a textural world beat flavor of free form avant garde soundscapes. These works are reflected in the world fusion flute splashes of "I'm The Only One" to the ambient experimentation of "Ground Zero(Wasted tears)." Other cuts such as "Ashes" further explore this territory with its alt-avant orchestrations & production dynamics.
Suicidal Poets have this extraordinary capacity to variate & segue into other enabling musical modes as is the case in "Love Is Lonely" with it's pop/r&b post modernism to "Cries Of War" which segues into a guitar edge oriented pseudo metalism. In "Silver Horses" we are treated to a blues tinged fusion with time signature changes. Turning another page as Suicidal Poets is so adept at doing can conjure up cuts such as "Silhouette" with its coffee house alt-folk, or other tunes like "You Got The Feeling(Trance Demo Project)" & it's hypno-dronic techno-pulse. One may then approach another chapter to find the band in free form with synth bass & horn punches via "Visions From 3 Pictures" or the alt-fusion of "The Smoke Room". When Suicidal Poets choose to become more intimate in their audio muse, we are delighted to listen to "Sea Of Love" with its string flourishes or the alternative avant pop rock of "No Less Than You". Taking us a step further with "Falling" , Suicidal Poets highlight a contemporary acoustic reflective chiming pop flair. Or in "Part Of Me" we hear the warm unpretentious humanity of the gifted vocal dance of Michelle Risquet & again come full circle in a musical meridian that radiates outward to the listeners senses & makes us aware of the unique creativity & artistic complexity that sublimely manifests itself in the musical magic of Suicidal Poets.

Full Review @
http://www.u-g-a.com/SP/main.htm Spotlight http://www.u-g-a.com/ARTISTS/artists.htm

--United Global Artists - United Global Artist


"Indie Music.com Suicidal Poets CD Review"

Artist: Suicidal Poets
CD: Suicidal Poets (Icy Fingers Productions)
By: Les Reynolds Indie-Music.com

The Suicidal Poets seem appropriately named -- at least for the most part. This New York City-based quartet is anchored by Irish-born lead singer Michelle Risquet and Carmelo (-- the two met in NYC), who together write most of the songs... It is Michelle's gentle, seductive and ghostly vocals that give the band its identity, its signature sound -- an eclectic alternative/pop rock type of sound. At first, the overall atmosphere is, well, haunting -- right from the Gothic title design on the CD cover through the title track.
Consider the lyrics: "Scenes from my nightmare, pictures from a coma...where suicidal poets twist...and wrestle with swollen words...I want to pour ink all over you and leave my mark. I want to hear you call me from beyond and lay your icy fingers on my form." (the "icy fingers" part is repeated numerous times)
The CD is only four tunes long, each lasting about four minutes and change. The other tunes are "Just Tell Me Something," which breaks suddenly from the "lifestyles of the strange and eerie" to a more 80's/pop-sounding (dare we say Cyndi Lauper?) song, followed by what is probably the prettiest melody in "Life is a Mystery" and ending with "I'm the only One," turning back to the spooky, dark mood with Michelle's best vocal efforts on the CD.

--Les Reynolds Indie Music.com
- Indie Music.com


Discography

Released the CD single 'Save Darfur' on 10/10/07.

Released full CD 'Suicidal Poets 1/10/06.

Full catalog streaming on www.soundclick.com/suicidalpoets

Airplay on numerous internet radio stations.

Photos

Bio

Suicidal Poets launched onto the Music landscape in 1999. Right from the beginning, a mix of well received live shows & extensive internet exposure has been like Opening a Window to the World!
Since then it has been an upward spiral of success.

Hitting the #1 spot overall on soundclick.com's Hottest Unsigned Band and maintaining that spot for over 2 1/2 years was just the beginning. In the summer of 2000 we were featured four times on the mp3tv NOW channel as the best band of the Top Ten best websites in the world(those websites reached 135,000,000 viewers). Since then, we have been featured on numerous Internet radio stations and are currently getting airplay worldwide. To date Suicidal Poets have ranked #1 in the rock, pop and alternative charts in approximately twelve different countries including USA, UK, Canada, Germany, and Ireland. The band has also been featured as the #1 hottest undiscovered rock band on the MTVundiscovered site.
Along with releasing a full, 12-song CD, our music has been included on several compilation CDs. Our eclectic style of music ranges from rock, through pop-rock, to gothic folk...and beyond!
Led by lead singer Michelle and bassist Carmelo Risquet,who write the band's music, we have even caught the attention of major producers like Lewis A. Martinee, who produced artists such as Vanessa Williams, Enrique Iglesias and The Pet Shop Boys, to name a few. In addition to these offers, our music is being considered for several movie soundtracks.
Michelle & Carmelo have also been interviewed live on The Joe Franklin radioshow.

Why this name?
It's a combination of reasons. It started with the song 'Suicidal Poets'.
Then one night, Carmelo was playing so furiously that he ripped the calluses off his fingers, and started bleeding all over the stage.
That made the name stick!

Do you play live?
Most certainly...we Love it! We have played in many clubs in NYC and the surrounding area. We've played at: The Knitting Factory, Arlene's Grocery, The Bitter End, Kenny's Castaways, Mean Fiddler, The Blue Room, Manny's Carwash, Images, Rosie's, Babe's Place, Orphan Annie's, Fibber Magee's, The Orange Bear, and Limerick House, to name a few.
Suicidal Poets have opened for, as well as backed, legends such as David Amram & Pete Seeger.
We love performing, especially those moments when the audience is visually captivated.

Band History:
It all started in a bar called Rosie's in NYC in 1998. Michelle was singing Irish tunes with another act when Carmelo introduced himself and expressed an interest in forming a band and writing music together. Michelle said "Yes", and Carmelo(bass) went about gathering musicians.
Soon 'Iggy' Joe Ingnacio Rodriguez(drums), Ish-Paul Perez(keyboards), Dale Streit(guitar), and Hugh Ford(lead guitar) were on board, and the original Suicidal Poets were formed.
In the beginning, rehearsals were held in Iggy's box of a room, "where you couldn't swing a cat", but a lot of good lyrics and music were born there.
Soon Carmelo and Michelle set out to build a proper rehearsal/studio space and start recording the band. Many of the great songs from these original sessions can still be heard at a live show today.
Most of these original musicians still contribute from time to time, although a new, tight core has formed around Michelle & Carmelo.

Suicidal Poets is:
Steve Aloyisus Campbell - acoustic & electric
guitars; joined in 2002
Alex Rojas - drums; 2004
Michelle's vocals and Carmelo's bass and synthesizers, of course, remain.

Happily, Iggy is sometimes available to add additional drums or percussion. As Carmelo is fond of saying,"Once a Suicidal Poet, always a Suicidal Poet!".
Former guitarist Dale Streit remains involved with projects with Carmelo , as well as Hugh Ford.

Suicidal Poets continues to perform in and around NYC and is busy in the studio recording new tracks for a CD with an expected early 2008 release.

Your influences?
All of our band members come from different musical backgrounds and have different tastes in music. Our main objectives are to stay away from everyone's style in order to stay original. The band consists of artists specifically selected for their particular talent and chemistry.
If you ask about individual musicians, Michelle loves Evanescence, Sinead O'Connor, The Cranberries, Janis Joplin, Aretha Franklin, Dido, Madonna, and Mary Black. Carmelo listens to Tool, Moby, Linkin Park, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Yes, Pink Floyd, ELP and lots of Jazz. Steve is into The Who, Radiohead, and The Pogues. Our drummer Alex loves Santana, Chicago and Grand Funk. Our sound and style is a product of the freedom of musical expression that is maintained in the band. Every past and present band member has contributed a little piece of their world to our music.

Anything else...?
Collectively we have the talent, determination and the art...that's what is all about!