Holmes
Gig Seeker Pro

Holmes

Band Rock Pop

Calendar

This band has not uploaded any videos
This band has not uploaded any videos

Music

Press


"Scream for usage and film and TV..."

"Holmes is a singer-songwriter who pens the kind of melodic, unpretentious songs that scream for usage in film and TV. There's a humor, wistfulness and universality that would compare well with some of the best of Ben Folds or Beck and translates best in intimate venues." - Los Angeles Times


"Aimee Mann like..."

"This sophomore effort incorporates guitar, keyboard, strings, and even whistling, at times conjuring Paul Simon, most notably on the highlight track, "Unsatisfied." Holmes also delivers some beautifully sad ballads with an Aimee Mann-like directness, yielding an intriguing dualism by juxtaposing the flip with the poignant." - Flavorpill


"A master working his craft"

Roy Shakked, better known as Holmes, knows a thing about writing music and reworking classics...

The Holmes name came from his previously band's name. Although long dis-banded, he kept the nickname and continued to release his own original music, first with Stop Go in 2007. Now a self-titled album, recorded earlier in 2009 and released last Tuesday, August 11th.

All of the songs on this album was written and arranged by Holmes (with the exception of one Bowie song, but we'll get to that later), and through each song you hear a master working his craft. I feel you can hear all of his collective influences on each song. From protest folk, with the anti-protest "Not A Political Song", to Beatlesque pop "Let Go", to classic pop song "So Many Of You".

The best original song on the album is the, what I would like to call, "party rock song" "Go Computer". The repetitive short guitar riffs, combined with the constant drums, gives the song an instant head-bopping rhythm.

Now, I don't normally pick a the cover song to represent the band/musician, but in this case, I think it's really what Holmes does best here. His creative version of "Let's Dance" by David Bowie, basically deconstruct the song to an anti-dance song. Although that doesn't sound too appealing, it's hard to ignore how amazing the song is heard this way, especially with the slow piano and cello.

Holmes is out now on Groove Gravy Records, he can be found all over the web, including facebook and youtube. Keep an eye on the youtube page because apparently he's just finished touring and will be spending his time producing videos for promotion. - Vox.com


"Something for the ear no matter what mood you're in"

"Say what you will about "pop" music; even the most adamant nay-sayers among us with astronomical standards of expectation cross paths with a guilty pleasure or two from time to time. The truth is, whether or not they're out to change the world, some folks just write solid tunes. Such is the case with Holmes (aka Roy Shakked). His recent release, Stop Go, is a collection of 12 songs that offer something for the ear no matter what mood you're in. The album has its fair share of toe-tapping sing-alongs, yet displays a depth on its slower ballad-esque moments that balances the feel nicely. There is undoubtedly a Beatles influence pervasive throughout — songs such as "Another Week" and "Nevermind" could even pass for revamped lost tracks from Magical Mystery Tour — as well as others from the rock n' roll era, but with a modern spin. Holmes has notable experience as a producer under different aliases (the Tao of Groove, Jazzelicious), and it shows. The album as a whole is well produced, yet the vocals retain more of a live feel, tastefully avoiding effect over-saturation. While rarely straying from the traditional pop/rock format, Holmes' unique touches polish the album enough to shine." - Amplifier Magazine


"A non-stop thrill ride"

"Stop Go is a corker. It's a non-stop thrill ride of power-pop riffage and Britpop soul. Once again busy guy extraordinaire and Holmes himself, Roy Shakked, plays most of the instruments himself and still somehow manages not to kill himself writing great pop. He does occasionally use his usual lineup of legendary and brilliant studio folk back him up when he can't play the trombone, guitar, and accordion at the same time. But for the most part this is the demented effort of one guy on a mission to make incredible pop music." - First Coast News


"Raw and real"

I’ve never had the best luck with receiving albums to review that I actually like, but this one made my commute on the subway a lot less intolerable.

With the release of singer/ songwriter Holmes new album, Stop Go, audiences are able to tell the maturity to his sound and realize he is not new to the music business. Holmes a.k.a Roy Shakked worked as a pianist in local bars while in the misted of studying at Berkley College of Music in Boston. Shortly after moving from Boston to New York to compose music at Music Pen for CD-ROM games, Holmes ended up in Los Angeles running his record label, Groovy Gravy records, and composing music for television. To name some of the few places one might hear Holmes’ music would be Sex and The City, Nip/Tuck, The Devil Wears Prada and The OC.

The sound is organic. It is raw and real without any tech-y addition. He has a solid sound that could almost be compared to The Beatles, but if they replaced Bob Dylan for Ringo Starr.

Stop Go begins with a steady beat turning into a 70’s “I don’t want to go to work” pop anthem with, “Five Days a Week.” The exaggerated sounds coming from, “Alone” also crosses over to anthem status with its compassion every area covered when it was created. Even with the slower ballads, such as “Prove me wrong again” and “Gray World”, the energy is high and the enthusiasm is Holmes’ voice truly expresses how much he loves his music.

My only real problem with the album would go to the song, or should I say snippet, “Oh Georgey,” because it lasted about 20 seconds. However, all in all the melodic sounds are brilliantly blended together in all the songs creating an ensemble playing off every cord, lyric and sound.

Even if folk music isn’t your thing, Stop Go will not necessarily turn your iTunes Library into a Fleetwood Mac compilation album, but it will broaden your view on this type of music.

It’s really rare to come across a cd a listener can just play without skipping over the bad songs. Stop Go is worth putting on that V.I.P. list - Hot Indie News


Discography

Stop Go (2007)
Basement Tapes (EP) (2008)
Holmes (2009)

Photos

Bio

* Holmes' Fall 2008 Europe Tour featured 21 shows spanning 7 countries.

* Packed Houses at various Los Angeles venues

* Multiple song features in TV shows (CSI Miami, Nip/Tuck, Knight Rider, The City, etc.) and film

* More available at: www.myspace.com/imholme and www.youtube.com/holmesclips

* Multiple KCRW and CMJ airplays

* Excellent reviews from well over 150 publications from The LA Times to Flavorpill and many in between...

Holmes’ music career path is a windy one. Born in Israel and raised in Boston he spent his teenage years being smuggled into local bars by the older boys and playing keys & singing in various bands. A mix-tape junky, he was hooked on the likes of The Beatles, Stevie Wonder, Prince, ELO, Queen, Bowie, The Neville Brothers, Hendrix and others - an addiction he’s fighting to this day.

Young Holmes went on to study at Berklee College of Music, supporting himself by playing in a handful of bands, doing studio sessions and working as a bar pianist.

After stints as video game composer in New York, and Producer for Los Angeles label Delta Music he started his own label – Groove Gravy Records. A series of aliases followed...

As The Tao of Groove he became a quick CMJ and KCRW favorite; As Jazzelicious, he remixed classic tracks by Sarah Vaughan, Jimmy McGriff, McCoy Tyner and Carmen McRae… Dozens of tracks under a variety of names including Zigo, Joint Chiefs of Staff, RioListic, and others followed, yet still, Roy insists he does not suffer from Multiple Personality Disorder. His eclectic musical style has caught the ears of music supervisors who have featured his music on television shows CSI Miami, Sex and The City, The OC, Independent Lens, Nip/Tuck, The Hills, Without a Trace and Knight Rider among others, as well as a Nissan Motors commercial and movies Poseidon, Day Zero, Cross Bronx and The Devil Wears Prada.

By 2007 Roy decided it was time to release his original songs, and with that, he dusted up an old band name turned nickname and Holmes was born. Enlisting a group of friends that would make any record producer's mouth water he recorded his music in his cozy studio, stacked with mountains of vintage recording gear and located at the bottom floor of his Silverlake house. Influenced by 70's American rock, Brit Pop and the classic singer-songwriter tradition, the new songs have received critical acclaim, numerous licenses and spins from many radio stations around the world. Following his first album Stop Go and an adventure-filled Europe tour spanning 7 countries Holmes went on to record his sophomore release - the self-titled "Holmes" in 2009, bringing a deeper lyrical content and a stronger acoustic element to the table.

Still residing in LA, and still answering to more than one name, Roy spends his time producing and mixing records, playing live shows and taking care of his aging dog Jazz.

More at:
http://www.sweetholmes.com
http://www.myspace.com/imholmes

Videos available at http://www.youtube.com/holmesclips