Tafoya's Lost Boyzz

Tafoya's Lost Boyzz
Life
Rave Song Records

Review by Nightwatcher for Rock N Roll Universe


Blowing in from the windy city of Chicago are Tafoya's Lost Boyzz, whose debut effort 'Life' conjures up memories of classic blues rockers such as Zeppelin, Santana and Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac with shades of modern hard rock ala Audioslave mixed in to boot.

Although sonically it could be better due to this being a pre mastered version, this DOES rock, and ex The Boyzz guitarist Mike Tafoya rips it up throughout, as this power trio romps through all 10 tracks with pure joy. One thing is certain - these boyzz obviously love what they're doing as their exuberance shines throughout the CD. Trends may come and trends may go, but Tafoya plays like it's the 70's again. In fact, close your eyes and you'd be hard pressed to believe it's not 1975, so authentic the style is. In that distant long ago age when Page, Nugent and Blackmore ruled the roost, the guitarist would've been a rock God.

In this day and age of pre-manufactured no talent divas and watered down wimpy so called rock, it's refreshing to hear a band who shoots from the hip and aren't ashamed to say loud and proud "We Rock!" If you have a craving for down to earth rockers, these Lost Boyzz will satisfy that hunger and then some. Filled with well realized songs and strong musicianship, this will be a fine addition to any classic hard rocker's collection. 8/10 http://www.tafoyaslostboyzz.com/ - Rock 'N Roll Universe rocknrolluniverse.com

Legendary rocker Michael Tafoya claims to be in the Muse. Perhaps he’s discovered a connection to the ancient Greeks and the young nymphs who presided over the eloquent arts of poetry and music. Muse were the daughters of Zues and Mnemosyne (which shouldn’t be too difficult to pronounce for Wisconsin readers from Manitowoo or Mukwonago). Taken literally it would mean he was in any one of the virginal daughters of the Greek Gods, but most contemporary folk prefer to think of the Muse as a sublime spirit, a source of genius, a moment of inspiration. Almost every artist, writer, poet, musician at one time or other, seeks the Muse. Think of it this way; Discovery Channel’s OCC boys occasionally seek the Muse for inspiration, but a lot of what they build is determined by corporate considerations. Still, OCC’s Paul Jr. has had some very inspired moments, but they appear to be based on availability of advertising dollars. Contrast that with Indian Larry who lived his whole life in the Muse. Larry’s every moment – awake or asleep embraced that vast biker ethos. He appeared shrouded in it. That awe inspired aura swirled about Indian Larry from the back alley to center stage. Even his death, while precariously poised upon a motorcycle, is testament to his devotion to a life throttled to the max. Who among us hasn’t contemplated our own mortality? How many decrepit old codgers laid out on their death beds don’t wish for that one last free ride, to blast into the glorious blaze of eternity? You’ve heard the saying, ‘I want to die laughing like my grandfather, not screaming like the passengers in his car.’ So as I describe Michael Tafoya’s relation to rock and roll, you’ll understand where this is headed.

Living in the Muse is fantastic for the artistic quest but tends to wreak havoc with any other element in one’s life – like relationships, jobs, rent. Also, the general populace may not recognize an artist’s talent no matter how steeped in the Muse. A few years ago at Sturgis, I happened upon the OCC booth as it was being erected and a crowd flocked eagerly seeking autographs. At that very moment, I spied Indian Larry slipping past unnoticed. Most likely the way Larry preferred. At the OCC booth was Vinny, an accomplished mechanic and the young pup, Cody, the apprentice. Both cool dudes. But seriously, who would you rather gave props to? Hell, I can go congratulate my own damn mechanic and not stand in line. Especially with one of the truly great builders of all time right there. Indian Larry was old school but he wasn’t old fashioned. Legendary rocker Michael Tafoya is more akin to Indian Larry or Billy Lane than the corporate shills who flout a few superficial skills. Tafoya is the real deal.

I first heard Tafoya when he was in the band ‘The Boyzz.’ Of course, on tour their road name was ‘The Boyzz from Illinoiz.’ If you lived in northern Illinois or Southern Wisconsin back in the mid seventies and were into motorcycles and music, it’s virtually impossible to have not heard of the Boyzz from Illinoiz. Their album cover (that’s right, black vinyl ‘Too Wild to Tame’ also released on 8-track) featured a quasi Marlon Brando type pose by one of the band members astride a bagger in what looked to be a deserted mining town, but actually was main street Dundee. The Boyzz played at places like the Edgewater in Twin Lakes, Hooker Lake in Salem, the Brat Stop and Rocket North. Tafoya’s next band was the B’zz featuring Tom Holland from Steppenwolf and also Steve Riley who played with LA Guns. They were the only unsigned act to ever play on American Bandstand. Tafoya went to work as Regional Sales Manager for Gibson guitars. He never strayed from music, kept working on his chops and continued to hone his virtuoso skills. As time passed, a lot of the 70’s bands started to resurrect themselves on the oldies circuit to cash in on their earlier fame. But this easy route didn’t sit well with Tafoya. He wanted to create a fresh sound, to breathe a new life into a new band, and like Indian Larry, Tafoya is old school but not old fashioned. He still pays tribute to his roots, but he does it as sincere homage, not to make a quick buck off of nostalgia – think of a guy who assembles bikes with store bought parts as opposed to the artist who fabricates his own. Tafoya creates his own. The band Tafoya’s Lost Boyzz consists of Chris McCoy on drums and Eric Osland on bass, and has just completed work on a ten song CD called ‘Life.’

Listen, Tafoya is not American Idol material, no way shape or form. It’s pure and from the heart. No phony gimmicks litter the aural landscape. Tafoya’s been down the road to perdition and back, a survivor. Listening to the title track, I laugh aloud, the same spontaneous joy I feel when riding the highway and all worldly cares fade away in the face of God’s own breath brushing against my cheeks. Track 8 ‘Sturgis’ is a Santana-like tribute to the open road, very emotional, evocative. The lyrical refra - Free Rider's Press

The return of popular area musicians, long absent from the local club scene, seems to be infectious.

Michael Tafoya, the bushy black-haired guitar player for such legendary Chicagoland groups as The Boyzz from Illinoizz and The B'zz (both signed to Epic Records at one time), is back out on the scene and re-establishing his good name with a new bluesy power trio dubbed The Lost Boyzz. The original music combo has just released a tasty 10-song CD titled "Life," which was engineered and co-produced by another former Boyzz member, Dave Angel.

by Tom Lounges
- The Northwest Indiana Times

The B’zz/ Get Up/ Epic Records, 1983

I first discovered the band The B’zz while scouring used record bins as a kid. The band’s sole album Get Up, and its cover featuring a killer bee with a spiked stinger, was enough to pique my interest. Their whimsical logo fit right in with the ’80s new wave scene but was embellished in heavy-rock-style metallic silver, which confused me a bit. Was this a new wave band gone metal, or, a hard rock band gone camp? I wasn’t exactly sure, and to this day, almost 20 years later, I’m still not. But generally, this is the stuff I’ve always found most intriguing: artists that break with the status quo.
The Chicago-based B’zz were born out of the ashes of The Boyzz, a loud and greasy, boogie biker band. The band released one album on Epic Records called Too Wild To Tame in 1978. Yearning to expand his musical horizons, guitarist Michael Tafoya took fellow members keyboardist Anatole Halinkovitch, (later rechristened Tony Hall) and bassist Dave Angel with him and set out to form a more musically well-rounded venture. They soon hooked up with singer Tom Holland and drummer Steve Riley who were both working as replacement members in a reformed version of psychedelic dirt-head legends Steppenwolf. In a recent chat with Tafoya, he enlightened me about the band’s auspicious beginnings. “We formed the B'zz with a plan to get signed again, so we just wrote more and more songs. Starting in 1981, the band spent around a half of a year in L.A. to shop around for a label.”
A privileged appearance on Dick Clark’s American Bandstand clinched it (the band being the only unsigned act to ever appear on the show), and a deal was struck with Epic Records once again. “It was no easy task getting signed, since The Boyzz had a soured relationship with Epic,” says Tafoya. Get Up was produced by Tom Werman (Ted Nugent, Mötley Crüe) and hit the stores in January 1983, at a time when the music scene was further splintering. “[Epic] could not get together on how to market the band. We weren't Haircut 100, or Iron Maiden. And [bands like] REO Speedwagon, Styx and Journey seemed so 'old' to us; we couldn't see being compared only to them. The Epic A&R guys kept trying to pin us down to a particular style or genre and I for one just didn't have an answer for those categorizing suits. Epic seemed confused because we rocked hard, but also made a radio-friendly record,” Tafoya says. And he’s right, Get Up is chock full of radio-ready pop gems, that are offset by a few tasty arena rockers like the excellent opener “Get up Get Angry.” Opening with a sparse, infectious guitar riff courtesy of Tafoya, Holland’s somber Morrison-esque croon enters subtly before a wash of textured synths color the mix. After the next verse, everything kicks into gear and the song gets its AC/DC groove on in high style. With a track like this as the band’s centerpiece (a video was also shot for it), it’s easy to see why The B’zz defied simple categorization. “We referred to our sound as a ’melting pot’ of American rock and English attitude—with a little pop, a little hard rock and a lot of flow. We wanted our songs to ring on the radio and have power, which I feel we accomplished,” adds Tafoya. “Too Much To Ask For,” “Take Your Time” and “Caught In the Middle” are pure power pop, somewhere between Cheap Trick and skinny-tie, pop hipsters The Plimsouls. The majestic ballad “Steal My Love” further confuses things, sounding more at home alongside power ballads by mainstream AOR bands like Foreigner or Journey. With its epic, choir-style chorus and warm guitar and keyboard flourishes, it should’ve been huge.
The album also features a few good ol’ American pool-hall bruisers in “When You Love,” and “I Love the Way,” bolstering the band’s appeal with the Eddie-and-the-Cruisers, bar-band crowd—yet another aspect of the period’s diverse musical landscape. Then there’s the obviously Motown-inspired “Not My Girl” towards the end of the album that slinks and shuffles melodiously through a tidal wave of fluid vocal bits.
Being out of synch with the trends and times eventually wore the band down and they all went their separate ways. “We were together for about three years, and with the pressure going on throughout that time, we just imploded,” says Tafoya. After the B’zz, Hall embarked on a solo career, and wound up composing the music for TV’s America's Most Wanted. Tom Holland would go on to form the band “Holland,” and pursue a harder-rocking direction—the band’s lone album Little Monsters is another lost classic. He’d also later surface with Tafoya again in Raw Dogs. And if Steve Riley’s name looks familiar, it’s because he’d later join Hollywood shlock-rockers W.A.S.P., then L.A. Guns, where he remains to this day. Dave Angel still doe’s occasional production work and Michael Tafoya still records and tours with the much heavier—and appropriately titled—Tafoya’s Lost Boyzz. Get Up was reissued on CD in 2004 by French label Bad Reputa - Zero Magazine Feb. 2006

Downtown Chicago Biker Bar Blues
By Kenn Hartmann

Tafoya's Lost Boyzz play the House of Blues on Dearborn Thursday night and from jump-street there's a problem parking my motorcycle. This is Marina Towers where Steve McQueen crashed a bad machine out a parking stall 19 stories into the Chicago River below. As I pull up to the House panic ensues; attendants are shaking their heads, 'no, no,
no.' I play the idiot, the devil's advocate, the badass biker in glorious regalia and this is Sweet Home and I'm not moving. But I'm polite and eloquent and test each attendant's level of expertise. They're just doing
their freaking job. Within a minute security arrives, a young black kid I swear is a high school senior, but everyone under thirty looks like high school to me. 'You can park anywhere but here - no motorcycles allowed,' he says meekly and directs me to a non-existent garage across the street. When I ask why no bikes, he says 'it scares the tourists.'

The downtown world's topsy-turvy where locals are shunned and conventioneers embraced. Although HOB's a cool venue with hot musical stage, it's also a pathetically corporate - selling an image but God forbid the real deal shows up. Listen, I've been to the corner of Napoleon and Tchoupitoulas in the Crescent City. I've watched sunset over the Mighty Mississippi in a swelter of dust, humid and gritty. I slammed double shots at Tipitina's uptown and in the French Quarter with a blonde bombshell that'd make a sailor's eyes water. I've been to the spiritual home of Professor Longhair, Dr John and Fats Domino. I ate beignets for breakfast, shrimp etouffee for lunch and for dinner crawfish jambalaya and turkey bone gumbo. I've seen Uptown Indians roam and Voodoo Queens make romance. I've seen Saints go marching home and Yella Pocahontas dance. I've had no fears in old Algiers, met angels on the levee and seen Bourbon Street waifs shed tears. Not everyone is hard-wired to believe. So when I pull up and say 'freakin' f'n A, rock and roll is here to stay' of course, I'm asked to leave.

A block away on Clark, a parking attendant cuts a half-price deal and has me drive down the sidewalk to park next to his shack. I remove all gear from my bike - remember, this is Chicago. When I get back to the alley behind the House of Blues, each security guard apologizes 'sorry man, but nice bike, what year is it?' All the way through the front door and even inside picking up my back-stage pass and free ticket, no one seriously checks my saddlebag for contraband. They're all humble and perhaps don't
really want to know what's in my rolled up leather jacket. It's nice to know that my brief encounter was noteworthy. I can only imagine the chatter on their walkie talkies.

Tafoya's Lost Boyzz opens for Eddie Money. Before the show, I hand out FRP's to anyone who looks like a biker, Harley t-shirts, chains. Turns out to be more difficult than expected. 'Hey, I already got that issue,' was a common response. That's one for you Preacher, downtown Chicago, House of F'n Blues and nine out of ten bikers already have the latest Free Riders Press. When the curtain opens Tafoya's Lost Boyzz dominate the stage and even Eddie Money wears a Lost Boyzz t-shirt. Tafoya plays urban, L-train screaming through the concrete glass canyonlands of Chicago heartland rock and roll. I mentioned Tipitina's in New Orleans because the House of Blues patterned their franchise upon it. I'll tell you true, Tafoya could go
to Vierre Carre and jam with the best blues-rock star jazz monsters. He'd blaze in Mardi-Gras style, while spy-boy Wild Magnolias stomps rump, Sweet Home Chicago Lost Boyzz kick ass. Meet me boys on the battlefront, 'jacomo feena' going all the way.

I check out the downstairs blues club and a band called the 'C-notes' does a decent rendition of Junior Wells. But I saw Junior Wells thirty years ago at the Checkerboard lounge. There's a picture of the old Checkerboard on the inside back cover of my original Chicago Biker Bars book. The place has been torn down and relocated to Hyde Park. So I cut out down Clark Street south through the canyonlands. There's a few clubs I could hit up north, in the neighborhood of the St. Valentine's Massacre. But I head
south. I pull next to a taxi stopped for a light at Adams or Jackson. There's a couple making out in the backseat. The foreign born cabbie catches me laughing. He rolls down his window and asks, 'have you ever been Sturgis?' I shut my bike off, throw down the kickstand, and pull from my thigh pocket a copy of Milwaukee Biker Bars and thrust it through the window. The astonished lip-locked couple now freaks; a big bad biker reaches to snatch their souls, maybe just rip their hearts out. I tell the cabbie, 'I wrote the book and that's my step-daughter Christina on the cover.' The driver says thanks. I jump back on my bike and before I fire it up I hear the passengers plead with the cabbie, 'can we look at it?' The light turns green and - Free Riders Press June 2007

New Lost Boyzz Tuesday

Chicago native Mike Tafoya, guitar player, singer and recording
artist with hit songs from the 1970s and 1980s, is a blues-rocker
based in Aroma Park these days.

Tuesday, his band, the trio Tafoya's Lost Boyzz, will release a new
CD called "LIFE" on Rave Song Records. Tafoya described the songs as including "a lot of original material including the uplifting title track, 'Life,' the heavily distorted, Audio Slave-inspired 'Hammerhead,' and 'Get Up, Get Down,' which is based on a guitar riff Mike wrote after hearing Zeppelin III for the first time back in 1970."

The CD includes a track called "Sturgis," which Tafoya wrote while at the Sturgis motorcycle rally in 2001. He was stunned by how much cash it now takes to attend a rally and wanted to re-connect with the
"American free-spirit mentality" that started it all.

The other two members of the band are drummer Chris McCoy and bassist Erik Osland. Mike reunited with his old friend and former Boyzz
bassist Dave Angel to co-produce "Life," which has a cover photo of a
rookery in northern Illinois. "The image is what the project started
from and where all life starts," Tafoya explained – "A dark place
where's there's nothing but 'Light in the future,' the promise of
something better or HOPE."

The CD is available through CDBaby.com. For more information on the new CD, call Mike directly at (815) 482-7164 or visit the Web site
www.tafoyaslostboyzz.com.

~ John Stewart

- The Daily Journal May 14th, 2007

Legendary rock guitarist Mike Tafoya roars into Myrtle Beach Bike Week with a new band, an explosive new sound and a new, limited edition CD exclusively for the fans at Bike Week.

Myrtle Beach Bike Week marks the debut of The Lost Boyzz beyond their home turf of Northern Illinois and the guys could not have picked a better place for their coming out party. Mike has always been in high demand among those who cherish the open road and he was even featured in Easy Rider as a member of The Boyzz in 1978. “It’s because I don’t cause any problems, I just play good rock and roll.” But those who have heard the music know it goes beyond that. Mike is an independent voice that has refused to become a mouthpiece for the established music industry. “Nobody owns my music,” says Mike, “I want to do the music I want and keep doing it until it’s right.” And when you hear Mike play you know he’s bleeding from the guts.

With the release of LIFE (2007 Rave Song Records) we finally hear the sound Mike has been chasing and creating for more than three decades. The quest started in the mid 70s with Epic recording artists The Boyzz from Illinoizz. The band was touring nationally with acts like Aerosmith, Rush and REO Speedwagon but Mike walked away when, as he puts it, “the circus started running the band. We became a parody, a tribute band to The Boyzz.” He later formed The B’zz and landed yet another contract with Epic Records, but that band imploded under corporate pressure to conform. “The label kept trying to pin us down to a particular style or genre and I for one just didn't have an answer for those categorizing suits.” Mike has been committed to making music on his own terms ever since, a choice that eventually left him broke and alone and living in the streets without a guitar to his name. “It was horrible,” says Mike. “Nobody would buy me a burger but they would buy me a beer. But I knew I had to do this. I needed credibility to put my project together and make it work.”

In 2002, the struggle started to pay off. Through open mic jams, Mike met drummer Chris McCoy and bassist Erik Osland and the band and the sound he had been searching for finally came together. There’s no denying the echoes of Led Zeppelin, Santana, The Doors, Audio Slave, Rush and even The Boyzz in their music. But The Lost Boyzz are completely original, bluesy and ballsy, and more than anything, an onslaught of sound! “We’re a three-piece band,” says Mike, “but we can make it sound like six.” Their debut CD, LIFE, includes a track called Sturgis, which Mike wrote after selling sandwiches at the Sturgis Rally in 2001. He was stunned by the amount of cash it now takes to attend a rally and wanted to re-connect with the “American free-spirit mentality” that started it all. A special, limited edition of LIFE will be available only at Myrtle Beach Bike Week. The Lost Boyzz will look back on Bike Week as the start of something big, and Mike says, “it would be a shame not to share it.”

Tafoya’s Lost Boyzz are playing four sets daily/nightly at HB Spokes May 14th through the 19th. For interviews or information, contact Mike directly at (815) 482-7164.
- Debbie Does PR-May 2007

Former Boyzz From Illinois and B’zz guitarist Mike Tafoya returns with the Lost Boyzz and his first recorded music in more than a decade. On Life Tafoya shows like a seasoned bluesman; his playing is even more asymmetric and organic these days on the dynamic Southern rock rush of “Boogie With Me” and the dirty Delta blues of “Spread Your Love Around.” Drummer Chris McCoy and bassist Erik Osland supply inspired ’70s style boogie for Tafoya’s guitar pyrotechnics, however Life occasionally fails to capture the essence of The Lost Boyzz’s dynamic live show. (www.tafoyaslostboyzz.com)
– David Gedge

8 Responses to 'Around Hear Page 3'

1. Scott said, on June 28th, 2007 at 2:08 pm
Yep, the Lost Boyzz album is simply incredible. Kick ass guitar on this album. And like the review states, the band is even better live.

2. Jane C said, on June 28th, 2007 at 5:24 pm
I was wondering if Tafoya from the Boyzz was ever going to put out another record - it’s good to hear he’s making music again!

3. Kenn Hartmann said, on June 28th, 2007 at 8:50 pm
Maybe I do agree with David Gedge’s review of Tafoya’s Lost Boyzz. At first I thought I didn’t. What does he mean the CD doesn’t capture the essence of the live show? Hmmm. Possibly it doesn’t because they’re two totally different entities. The CD is the condensed version of the totality of Tafoya’s artistic Life. Captured in time. The live show is the freewheeling let-it-rip rock and roll we love to love. Tafoya’s show at the House of Blues in Chicago blew me away. At first I thought the band was lip sincing. But it was real audio audacity. The CD is great.

4. Matt said, on June 29th, 2007 at 1:03 pm
Lost Boyzz Kick ass! I want to see more of these guys playing live! Hopefully a world tour is in the works! I love the album “Life”, it is awesome! Tafoya’s Lost Boyzz are the shit!

5. Tommy said, on June 29th, 2007 at 2:01 pm
Tafoya’s Lost Boyzz Rock N Fkin Roll! I saw them at House of Blues with Eddie Money and they were fantastic! Going to see them at Penny Road Pub as well. This band is my favorite at the very moment!

6. Jake said, on June 29th, 2007 at 2:13 pm
I saw that same House of Blues show and Tafoya’s Lost Boyzz really impressed me. Wow.

7. Richard said, on July 2nd, 2007 at 1:49 pm
I am gonna tell you right now, get used to the Lost Boyzz. They are gonna be around for a long time coming, the best is yet to come. Go out and see them for yourself, you will be blown away by this guitar wizard they have. Penny Road Pub , I can’t wait!

8. Jimmy said, on July 11th, 2007 at 10:05 am
Ok, this band right here is the best fkin band out in Chicago right now. Remember when bands actually wrote quality songs for the hearts and minds? Well if you are looking for that, this is the band for you.

- Illinois Entertainer, Aug. 2007

I was recently invited to check out Tafoya's Lost Boyzz in one of their local shows. This particular one was at Penny Rd. Pub in Barrington this past July 6th. I had listened briefly to some of Mike Tafoya's songs online as he's part of my MySpace network and thought he was a pretty good player, although the songs didn't really stick in my mind for very long at the time. In my efforts to be a responsible publisher, I research things out, I ask people their thoughts about XYZ band/artist, see what they've been doing and basically educate myself on the talent at hand. When it came to Mike Tafoya, opinions were all over the place. Musicians, fans of music, regular people, they all look and listen to different things when it comes to music and their perceptions were, in this specific case, very different. So I found myself somewhat confused but yet intrigued, and more interested in finding out for myself what the "fuzz" was all about.
Mike & his crew were very hospitable and friendly. We had a chance to chat for a while before he went on and I must say he's actually a pretty nice guy, considering his many years in the rock world going back to the 1970s when he found fame with the Boyzz from Illinois and then The B'ZZs, which could've very easily given him the Rock Star attitude that I'm glad he did not have. When the band started playing, I know I shouldn't have, but I was amazingly surprised at how good they were. Other than a couple equipment glitches, they performed, in my opinion, a great show. The band, made up by Tafoya on guitar/vocals, Chris McCoy on drums/vocals and Eric Osland on bass/background vocals, was tight and sounded as though they'd been together for years. The energy level, especially on vocals, was high and actually entertaining. After listening to just a few songs, I came to the realization that to fully appreciate the band and their new record, you have to see them live. Although it has good songs, the production of the record does not do them justice in my opinion & is the reason why it did not impress me when I listened. They won me over with their performance. They were just that good live. In addition to songs such as "Spread Your Love Around", "Life" and "Sturgis" off the new record, they also went back and played some 70s era Boyzz from IL songs to the delight of the crowd. Tafoya's guitar work was wonderful throughout. In fact, I found myself a few times thinking "...shit...I need to go home & practice". That's just the musician in me.
All in all, I'll have to say that I'm glad I went. They were all pretty nice guys that just downright rocked. If you're looking for pretty boys with fancy moves and typical sing-along-type songs, this may not be for you. On the other hand, if well-written and entertaining songs supported by good musicianship are more your style, then you definitely want to give these guys a try. You may find yourself, as I did, pleasantly surprised. For more info on the band and future dates, visit them online at www.myspace.com/tafoyaslostboyzz

Mario Salazar - Chicagosrock.com