Ten Cats Laughing
Los Lunas, New Mexico, United States
Music
Press
Ten Cats Laughing hail from Los Lunas, New Mexico, and they describe their music as a mix of acoustic-Americana- roots-folk-country-bluegrass-eclectic, in other words pretty much something for everyone. The duo is comprised of Guy Dicharry who plays acoustic and resonator guitar, mandolin, bass and blues harp and his wife Lisa who contributes guitar and banjo. The band's moniker comes from the translation of the name Dicharry. Guy's grandfather offered that the family name meant ten cats laughing in French and voila, a band name was created.
The selections on their debut CD range from the Cajun classic "Les Flammes D'Enfer" to the Appalachian standard "Cluck Old Hen." But I find the half dozen or so original selections to be the most interesting. The CD opens with Lisa's "Me & Ole Paint" about picking up and leaving as she sings "this dry spells just been getting me down and me and ole Paint are leavin' town." Sometimes we all wish we could "ride away on our horse machine." Its simple tune and unpretentious and uncluttered back-up are typical of most of what you'll find on the CD.
Guy's selections are a bit more politically charged. "Candidate" describes the relationship between the voter and the candidate who states "don't go thinkin' too hard about the things that I say, I want you feelin' happy when you're walkin' away, just think about me come election day." Unfortunately this is a sentiment that rings all too true.
The CD concludes with my favorite selection. "Two Janes" is by David Hidalgo from Los Lobos. The production is a tad more complex and the overdubbed harmony and unison vocals are very appealing.
Ten Cats Laughing have created a very personal CD chock full of surprises at every turn and they've done it on their own terms. - TD
Spring 2007, Vol. 51 #1 - Sing Out ! Review By Tom Druckenmiller
Congratulations, you have been selected as a nominee for the 2008 Independent Singer Songwriters Award Contest. Your name will be listed on www.issa-music.org as a nominee. Look for it by Monday October 13th, 2008.
(Note: our song "Natural Scientific" was nominated in the "Green" Category). - http://www.issa-music.org
New Mexico Music Awards
2009 Finalists
Americana
Cry
Ten Cats Laughing
John Wall, Elizabeth Dicharry, Guy Dicharry-Producers
Novelty/Humorous
Last Dollar
Ten Cats Laughing
John Wall, Elizabeth Dicharry, Guy Dicharry-Producers
Best Remake
High Sheriff of Calhoun Parish
Ten Cats Laughing
Tony Joe White-Writer
John Wall, Elizabeth Dicharry, Guy Dicharry-Producers
Best Song
Small Town's Real Small
Ten Cats Laughing
Guy and Lisa Dicharry-Writers
John Wall, Elizabeth Dicharry, Guy Dicharry-Producers
Best of the Year
John Wall, Elizabeth Dicharry, Guy Dicharry
Ten Cats Laughing-"For Two It Us"
www.newmexicomusicawards.com
- New Mexico Music Commission
Winners of 2009 NM Music Awards
posted May 19, 2009
This year's banquet took place at the Albuquerque Marriott Pyramid Hotel Sunday night, May 17th. There were more than 450 entries.
For information on the New Mexico Music Awards program please visit www.newmexicomusicawards.com.
.....
Winner Novelty/Humorous
Last Dollar
Ten Cats Laughing
John Wall, Elizabeth Dicharry, Guy Dicharry-Producers
Wall of Sound Studios-Albuquerque
- New Mexico Music Commission
Their self-titled CD is loaded with original and traditional Appalachian, cajun and bluegrass folk music. Each track is bright and warm as a polished copper penny, all textured with a menagerie of strings. The mastery of their instruments is informed as much by Stravinsky as the Reverend Robert Wilkins. - Albuquerque Alibi, Laura Marrich, V.15 No.38 | September 21 - 27, 2006
Finalist: Best Song: Novelty/Humorous:
Spank Me, Ed
Ten Cats Laughing
Ten Cats Laughing-Writers
John Wall & Ten Cats Laughing-Producers
John Wall-Engineer
Wall of Sound-Albuquerque - NMMA
May 5, 2007
This year’s NMMA Awards program finalists have been announced...
Best Producer: Ten Cats Laughing (self-titled)
Ten Cats Laughing & John Wall
Ten Cats Laughing
Wall of Sound
Los Lunas, NM - NewMexicoMusic.org
Discography
All CDs were recorded as a duo and are available on itunes, napster, rhapsody, CDBaby.
2006: Ten Cats Laughing Self Titled. SingOut says, "...Surprises at every turn and they've done it on their own terms." (Spring, 2007)
2008: "For Two It Us" -- Here is the gist of it: In a fusion of folk, southern roots, and blues, this eclectic acoustic duo play their hearts out for lost souls, foul weather, lust, and small animals. In 2009, this CD was nominated for 5 New Mexico Music Awards including best of the the year. The song, "Last Dollar" won for best novelty/humor song.
Radio Stations we have been played on:
KUNM(Albuquerque);WRKF(Baton Rouge); Outbound Radio-Country(Internet); myradio.com-Musicafe(Internet); In-d-Sounds Radio(Internet)
Photos
Bio
Ten Cats Laughing is duo Guy and Lisa Dicharry. Occasionally, we have a bass player, violinist and/or percussionist. Most of our music is original and played in a style which could be described as Americana-folk-country-bluegrass-eclectic. We are mostly upbeat, occasionally quieter, and we pull material from a lot of different places.
Lisa: Guy and I started playing music together on a porch many years ago on Banks Street in New Orleans. I have spent just about a lifetime listening to amazing people play music in their own way, in their own rhyme and time. At the moment I am inspired by Roscoe Holcomb, Alberta Hunter, Rosetta Tharpe, Ry Cooder, Maria Maldaur, Leonard Bernstein, Hazel Dickens, Timbuk 3, my farm animals, Tony Joe White and many other southern roots musicians too numerous to count.
Guy: I have played and sung music all my life and have not been arrested for doing so. I listened to all of the music of South Louisiana while growing up there, including the rhythm and blues of the region. My guitar playing has been influenced by every guitar player that I have tried to steal licks from. After years of guitar playing, I wanted to learn mandolin and began learning mandolin in 1999. It has 8 strings which distinguishes it as the instrument with the most strings that anyone plays in Ten Cats Laughing. My favorite songwriters include everyone who has written a song that I wish I'd written.
Some folks say our songwriting lyrics are filled with characters who lead twisted, comic, and unpredictable lives. We mix multiple styles of music, sometimes all in one song, and are known for keeping the audience guessing. And yes, we answer our phone messages: 505-269-3757
Links
