The Workers

The Artist: I recently checked out the latest CD from The Workers entitled "Theatre of the Distraught" featuring Dan Greenwald. Turns out Greenwald & company come to us from Bronxville, NY. CD was released in early 2010.

The Band: Greenwald plays guitar & sings. Other members include Glenn Owens, Jim Mussen, and Mike Leslie. The playing abilities of The Workers are pretty solid across the board. I would say they possess intermediate playing abilities & above average writing abilities. Timing seems to be spot on within the indie-alternative rock grooves. Greenwald’s voice is amazing, as he delivers many solid vocal performances that match the indie style of music perfectly. I would say his vocal performances & musical personality are the strong suit of this CD.

The Music: Upbeat, funny, interesting, thought provoking, zany, neurotic, & highly original. Musical textures reminiscent of Blind Melon, The White Stripes, President of the United States of America – anything indie & fun. If you like those kinds of artists you will no doubt get a kick out of this CD.

The Songs: Above average songs - even flirting with brilliant. Very simple yet effective, conservative, highly original, raw & powerful. It strikes the prefect balance between alternative & just a dash of punk. Greenwald is clearly being himself as a songwriter & this is what comes out of the other end. My favorite songs on the CD are “Aggression” & “Cats Eyes”.

The Vibe: Great vibe. Perfect for late night college parties, coffeehouses, or even magazine shops. The production delivers a lot of musical variety with the 4 piece line-up. You will also notice many interesting sound effects & even percussion layered within the music as well. Honorable mentions go out to Greenwald & company for not being afraid to let it all hang out musically. Greenwald is not trying to be some popish artist striving for mass appeal – he’s just being himself. Other positive aspects of the production include rock solid mix that hits home. The CD refuses to try too hard – that’s what makes it so amazing.

The Good: Very likeable, marketable record – amazing songs, fun to listen to.

The Bad: 3-4 more songs are needed to seal the deal for the 5th star.

The Ugly: It just feels like an EP to me – too short.

The Verdict: "Theatre of the Distraught" by Dan Greenwald & The Workers is a rock solid CD. The songwriting is clearly above average. The production gets it’s point across. Again the most amazing thing about this CD is Greenwald's vocal persona & performances. He’s got the vocal mojo & is an amazing composer. Fans of carefree Punk, Alternative-College Rock will love this CD no doubt.


Markus Druery
Indieshark Music Critic
- IndieShark.com

The Artist: I recently checked out the latest CD from The Workers entitled "Theatre of the Distraught" featuring Dan Greenwald. Turns out Greenwald & company come to us from Bronxville, NY. CD was released in early 2010.

The Band: Greenwald plays guitar & sings. Other members include Glenn Owens, Jim Mussen, and Mike Leslie. The playing abilities of The Workers are pretty solid across the board. I would say they possess intermediate playing abilities & above average writing abilities. Timing seems to be spot on within the indie-alternative rock grooves. Greenwald’s voice is amazing, as he delivers many solid vocal performances that match the indie style of music perfectly. I would say his vocal performances & musical personality are the strong suit of this CD.

The Music: Upbeat, funny, interesting, thought provoking, zany, neurotic, & highly original. Musical textures reminiscent of Blind Melon, The White Stripes, President of the United States of America – anything indie & fun. If you like those kinds of artists you will no doubt get a kick out of this CD.

The Songs: Above average songs - even flirting with brilliant. Very simple yet effective, conservative, highly original, raw & powerful. It strikes the prefect balance between alternative & just a dash of punk. Greenwald is clearly being himself as a songwriter & this is what comes out of the other end. My favorite songs on the CD are “Aggression” & “Cats Eyes”.

The Vibe: Great vibe. Perfect for late night college parties, coffeehouses, or even magazine shops. The production delivers a lot of musical variety with the 4 piece line-up. You will also notice many interesting sound effects & even percussion layered within the music as well. Honorable mentions go out to Greenwald & company for not being afraid to let it all hang out musically. Greenwald is not trying to be some popish artist striving for mass appeal – he’s just being himself. Other positive aspects of the production include rock solid mix that hits home. The CD refuses to try too hard – that’s what makes it so amazing.

The Good: Very likeable, marketable record – amazing songs, fun to listen to.

The Bad: 3-4 more songs are needed to seal the deal for the 5th star.

The Ugly: It just feels like an EP to me – too short.

The Verdict: "Theatre of the Distraught" by Dan Greenwald & The Workers is a rock solid CD. The songwriting is clearly above average. The production gets it’s point across. Again the most amazing thing about this CD is Greenwald's vocal persona & performances. He’s got the vocal mojo & is an amazing composer. Fans of carefree Punk, Alternative-College Rock will love this CD no doubt.


Markus Druery
Indieshark Music Critic
- IndieShark.com

Artist: The Workers
Album: "Theatre of the Distraught"
Label: Independent Artist
Website: www.cdbaby.com/cd/DanielGreenwald
Genre: Pop Rock, Americana, AAA
Sounds Like: Violent Femmes, Blind Mellon, The White Stripes
Technical Grade: 10/10
Production/Musicianship Grade: 9/10
Commercial Value: 10/10
Overall Talent Level: 10/10
Songwriting Skills: 10/10
Performance Skill: 10/10
Best Songs: "Cat's Eyes", "Aggression"
Weakness: None


CD REVIEW:

Four piece rock band The Workers hails from Bronxville New York. They released “Theatre of the Distraught” in March, 2010. This is a 4 song EP, and is the band's 3rd release thus far.

The EP contains 4 tracks total, and logs in at just over 18 minutes. The EP kicks things off with “Aggression”, an interesting intro piece that serves up a psychedelic rock groove, impressive musical soundscapes, & passionate vocal accents, courtesy of lead singer/guitarist Dan Greenwald. “Aggression” is in itself an amazing intro statement, & makes for a good musical first impression with its rich personality, and hooky melodies. Track 2 “Leave you with I Love You”” shifts gears a bit with a slow driving rhythm, and a barrage of psychedelic accents reminiscent of The Violet Femmes, The Flaming Lips, The White Stripes, and Blind Lemmon. As the CD slowly unfolds, you will notice all types of impressive musical textures layered everywhere. Besides the typical 4 piece rock standard, you will notice impressive piano, castanets, tambourines, & melodic guitar and keyboard layered everywhere. All in all, the EP has an amazing amount of depth and personality to it. But getting back to Greenwald – it’s obvious to me his is a brilliant musical mastermind, & clearly he's a marquee talent. His lyrics and vocal paraphrasing are extremely catchy, addictive, and highly infectious. In fact, I would say he is one of the most impressive singer/songwriters that’s come across my desk this year. His vocal style just refuses to try too hard, & possesses greater emotion with each passing moment, phrase, and melody. He has the vocal swagger of say a Jack White (The White Stripes) or Gordon Gano (The Violent Femmes), with just a splash of tragedy like Shannon Hoon (Blind Mellon). But, what makes Greenwald so convincing is the amazing amount of pure feeling you hear in his voice and writing. This is never more evident than on Track 3 “Cats Eyes”, probably the most brilliant statement on the whole EP. As it slithers across your ears, you will be mesmerized by its addictive groove, infectious personality, & priceless lyrical content. The chorus goes, “Sometimes I feel out of place. Act as I feel for the absence of knowing. Birds fly too high fall from grace. Search inside Cat’s Eyes, try to find where I’m going.” Now that's what I call brilliant songwriting! The final track “Single” dishes out a dark exit finale, with a Beatles' type rock vibe, rich sonic layering, & hypnotic vocal groove. The lyrics again, "All alone and I’m not lonely, can you say the same? Pick-up gonna bring you down, playing stupid games.” Nice touch!

From start to finish, "Theatre of the Distraught" is an amazing EP; and, an extremely psychedelic catalogue of music. Again, what makes it so amazing is the artistic brilliance & musical presence of Dan Greenwald. Make no bones about it - Greenwald is an amazing, somewhat undiscovered talent. In fact, I would say he's the next Shannon Hoon, or Jack White. I've often stated that music is not a dress rehearsal. Praise goes out to the artist that can deliver something truly magical beneath their veil of vanity. The Workers-with Dan Greenwald-does exactly that. Song for song, it’s one of the most amazing 18 minutes of music I’ve ever stumbled across. If you're looking for a trip-hop musical experience, with amazing psychedelic flair, & artistic brilliance that's one of a kind, I highly recommend you jump head first into “Theatre of the Distraught” by The Workers. What else can I say? It’s simply incredible!

Cyrus Rhodes

- http://www.indiemusicdigest.com

Artist: The Workers
Album: "Theatre of the Distraught"
Label: Independent Artist
Website: www.cdbaby.com/cd/DanielGreenwald
Genre: Pop Rock, Americana, AAA
Sounds Like: Violent Femmes, Blind Mellon, The White Stripes
Technical Grade: 10/10
Production/Musicianship Grade: 9/10
Commercial Value: 10/10
Overall Talent Level: 10/10
Songwriting Skills: 10/10
Performance Skill: 10/10
Best Songs: "Cat's Eyes", "Aggression"
Weakness: None


CD REVIEW:

Four piece rock band The Workers hails from Bronxville New York. They released “Theatre of the Distraught” in March, 2010. This is a 4 song EP, and is the band's 3rd release thus far.

The EP contains 4 tracks total, and logs in at just over 18 minutes. The EP kicks things off with “Aggression”, an interesting intro piece that serves up a psychedelic rock groove, impressive musical soundscapes, & passionate vocal accents, courtesy of lead singer/guitarist Dan Greenwald. “Aggression” is in itself an amazing intro statement, & makes for a good musical first impression with its rich personality, and hooky melodies. Track 2 “Leave you with I Love You”” shifts gears a bit with a slow driving rhythm, and a barrage of psychedelic accents reminiscent of The Violet Femmes, The Flaming Lips, The White Stripes, and Blind Lemmon. As the CD slowly unfolds, you will notice all types of impressive musical textures layered everywhere. Besides the typical 4 piece rock standard, you will notice impressive piano, castanets, tambourines, & melodic guitar and keyboard layered everywhere. All in all, the EP has an amazing amount of depth and personality to it. But getting back to Greenwald – it’s obvious to me his is a brilliant musical mastermind, & clearly he's a marquee talent. His lyrics and vocal paraphrasing are extremely catchy, addictive, and highly infectious. In fact, I would say he is one of the most impressive singer/songwriters that’s come across my desk this year. His vocal style just refuses to try too hard, & possesses greater emotion with each passing moment, phrase, and melody. He has the vocal swagger of say a Jack White (The White Stripes) or Gordon Gano (The Violent Femmes), with just a splash of tragedy like Shannon Hoon (Blind Mellon). But, what makes Greenwald so convincing is the amazing amount of pure feeling you hear in his voice and writing. This is never more evident than on Track 3 “Cats Eyes”, probably the most brilliant statement on the whole EP. As it slithers across your ears, you will be mesmerized by its addictive groove, infectious personality, & priceless lyrical content. The chorus goes, “Sometimes I feel out of place. Act as I feel for the absence of knowing. Birds fly too high fall from grace. Search inside Cat’s Eyes, try to find where I’m going.” Now that's what I call brilliant songwriting! The final track “Single” dishes out a dark exit finale, with a Beatles' type rock vibe, rich sonic layering, & hypnotic vocal groove. The lyrics again, "All alone and I’m not lonely, can you say the same? Pick-up gonna bring you down, playing stupid games.” Nice touch!

From start to finish, "Theatre of the Distraught" is an amazing EP; and, an extremely psychedelic catalogue of music. Again, what makes it so amazing is the artistic brilliance & musical presence of Dan Greenwald. Make no bones about it - Greenwald is an amazing, somewhat undiscovered talent. In fact, I would say he's the next Shannon Hoon, or Jack White. I've often stated that music is not a dress rehearsal. Praise goes out to the artist that can deliver something truly magical beneath their veil of vanity. The Workers-with Dan Greenwald-does exactly that. Song for song, it’s one of the most amazing 18 minutes of music I’ve ever stumbled across. If you're looking for a trip-hop musical experience, with amazing psychedelic flair, & artistic brilliance that's one of a kind, I highly recommend you jump head first into “Theatre of the Distraught” by The Workers. What else can I say? It’s simply incredible!

Cyrus Rhodes

- http://www.indiemusicdigest.com

You can’t keep a good man down, or so it would seem from this four track EP from The Workers, for said band features the talents of one Dan Greenwald. I have to admit that the nineties were something of a musical blur for me, but the name of Dan Greenwald did ring a few bells.

This EP, despite only having four songs, has something of an epic feel to it. Each song starts like it's going to go the distance, and that’s pretty much what happens. It’s all post-punk American style meets arthouse intensity, with the guitars high in the mix, and Mr Greenwald’s laconic vocals dryly intoning words of alienation and disassociation. In a way, it’s like listening to an earnest high school play written by an older, wiser and grumpier man who wishes it were yesterday.

This earnest approach, however, gives the songs their appeal. Every word is delivered like it was written by Shakespeare, and every note is played with controlled ferocity. I reckon “Leave You With I Love You” provides the best example of this. Now that I think of it, The Workers have taken the option of going large here. Good choice!


- http://www.bluesbunny.com

You can’t keep a good man down, or so it would seem from this four track EP from The Workers, for said band features the talents of one Dan Greenwald. I have to admit that the nineties were something of a musical blur for me, but the name of Dan Greenwald did ring a few bells.

This EP, despite only having four songs, has something of an epic feel to it. Each song starts like it's going to go the distance, and that’s pretty much what happens. It’s all post-punk American style meets arthouse intensity, with the guitars high in the mix, and Mr Greenwald’s laconic vocals dryly intoning words of alienation and disassociation. In a way, it’s like listening to an earnest high school play written by an older, wiser and grumpier man who wishes it were yesterday.

This earnest approach, however, gives the songs their appeal. Every word is delivered like it was written by Shakespeare, and every note is played with controlled ferocity. I reckon “Leave You With I Love You” provides the best example of this. Now that I think of it, The Workers have taken the option of going large here. Good choice!


- http://www.bluesbunny.com

CD REVIEW: The Workers - "Theatre Of The Distraught"
By: Jean-Baptiste Collinet - 11/05/2010
Artist: Daniel Greenwald
Album: "Theatre Of The Distraught"
Label: Blitzkrieg Music / Gingerbread Boy Music
Genre: Experimental
Technical Grade: 8/10
Production/Musicianship Grade: 9/10
Commercial Value: 10/10
Overall Talent Level: 10/10
Songwriting Skills: 10/10
Performance Skill: 8/10
Weakness: Too few songs, perhaps?
CD Review: "Theatre Of The Distraught" came to me as an alien in the musical world.

I love aliens.

Fortunately, Daniel Greenwald (The Workers' "mainman") sent me a letter with his piece of work, which helped me understand.

Please do send me letters with your CD's, not only is it pleasing but also informative (and it gives you bonus points!)

Is it a CD, or an EP? Four songs only is not something I call common!

As soon as I received the CD, I read the booklet included. It put a huge smile on my face. Lots of good vibes there, although it's about being distraught. I read the lyrics before listening to the music, and couldn't help but imagine how they fit to the music I was about to listen to. One aspect struck me: they were so easy to relate to that I found them to be universal and timeless. I thought deeply about the first song, not because I wanted it, but because it wanted me to! Oddly enough, I thought about James Hetfield (yes, Metallica again!) His straight-forward yet not shallow way of writing. So similar, and so great!

When I came to discover the music, I was astounded. I never heard such piece of art. The listen was brief but intense. The Workers have a story to tell about themselves as human beings, but also as musicians. Excellent musicians.

I wonder if there can be more congruency in a CD? The music fits the lyrics, the lyrics fit the music, and what I just mentioned perfectly reflect the cover artwork.

Strange object...terribly addictive.You have been warned!

- Musesmuses.com

CD REVIEW: The Workers - "Theatre Of The Distraught"
By: Jean-Baptiste Collinet - 11/05/2010
Artist: Daniel Greenwald
Album: "Theatre Of The Distraught"
Label: Blitzkrieg Music / Gingerbread Boy Music
Genre: Experimental
Technical Grade: 8/10
Production/Musicianship Grade: 9/10
Commercial Value: 10/10
Overall Talent Level: 10/10
Songwriting Skills: 10/10
Performance Skill: 8/10
Weakness: Too few songs, perhaps?
CD Review: "Theatre Of The Distraught" came to me as an alien in the musical world.

I love aliens.

Fortunately, Daniel Greenwald (The Workers' "mainman") sent me a letter with his piece of work, which helped me understand.

Please do send me letters with your CD's, not only is it pleasing but also informative (and it gives you bonus points!)

Is it a CD, or an EP? Four songs only is not something I call common!

As soon as I received the CD, I read the booklet included. It put a huge smile on my face. Lots of good vibes there, although it's about being distraught. I read the lyrics before listening to the music, and couldn't help but imagine how they fit to the music I was about to listen to. One aspect struck me: they were so easy to relate to that I found them to be universal and timeless. I thought deeply about the first song, not because I wanted it, but because it wanted me to! Oddly enough, I thought about James Hetfield (yes, Metallica again!) His straight-forward yet not shallow way of writing. So similar, and so great!

When I came to discover the music, I was astounded. I never heard such piece of art. The listen was brief but intense. The Workers have a story to tell about themselves as human beings, but also as musicians. Excellent musicians.

I wonder if there can be more congruency in a CD? The music fits the lyrics, the lyrics fit the music, and what I just mentioned perfectly reflect the cover artwork.

Strange object...terribly addictive.You have been warned!

- Musesmuses.com

Dan Greenwald is, “The Workers”. Music has always been a part of him for most of his life. He started out in his school band in the 4th grade playing the clarinet. Then eventually picked up the cello and played in the school orchestra. He grew up in a strict environment and never even attempted playing popular music until he was in College. He then gravitated to the guitar because he thought it might be difficult breaking into mainstream with a cello. His creative heart lived silent and dormant but was always present. He gave up his pursuits of being a fulltime musician in college and decided to become a psychologist instead. Like many musicians, we fall under criticisms when we chase a dream that some seem to consider impossible to obtain. We get labeled as irresponsible careless dreamers. Dan does not regret his choice, he had the fulltime gig and thought he could pursue the music on the side. The hands on the clock swiftly cascaded by and 20 years later he got an opportunity to go into semi-retirement. He saw his second chance and decided the musician in him could not stay silent any longer.

It is amazing what can happen when you put forth the efforts. His music career started to move forward with incredible speed. For his short term musical goals he is now working on building his fan base and setting up more live performances. He said he was a bit apprehensive about the whole idea of this social media craze, then quickly realized the aspect of reaching a broader audience was the exact thing he needed to jump start his musical endeavors. Today’s technology is a loyal friend to musicians and if you are not utilizing it to its fullest capacity you are only hurting yourself. It is certainly a small world we live in and with the internet it continuously becomes smaller and smaller. There are no boundaries, the sky is the limit.

For his long term goals he said, “First and foremost, I’d like my music to be an ongoing and interesting expression of my creativity”.

Well said, music survives because we keep it alive in our thoughts, hearts and in everything we do everyday. Dan seems to have a good grasp on that concept and is fearless to do whatever it takes to make it happen. We all wish for the monetary rewards that come from a successful career. But, sometimes passion exceeds money and the value of what you do has a deeper meaning than the almighty dollar.

Music comes from the love of the game. It is a tough journey ask anyone who is traveling it, but everyone will tell you, I would not be who I am if I did not do what I do. Dan is no different and hopes for the “classic milestones” every musician works towards; however, he is grateful for the opportunities he has experienced thus far.

I asked him if their was a story behind the band name, “The Workers”, and he replied, “Yes, there’s an interesting story behind the band name. In ’91, I was married and my ex-wife was the lead vocalist of my musical unit at that time. We had a chance to open up for a jazz vocalist at The Village Gate in Manhattan. The manager told us that he didn’t like our band name “Game Theory”, and directed us to come up with a new name. We had one week to do so. It was my ex-wife who dubbed us “The Workers” because I’m such a hard worker”.

We all know to be a musician you have to be a hard worker. If you thought it was all glitz and glam well let me educate you; this life is not a life to take lightly. I know I have said it before and it still never gets old, the only ones who are successful are the ones who never give up. Dan finally has his chance to sink his teeth into his dreams and he is not showing any signs of slowing down.

Dan lives in the NY area and it is a tough place to have your voice heard. Standing out in a crowd in a huge city is like finding a needle in a haystack. But that does not intimidate him. He celebrates the large achievements as much as he celebrates the smaller steps. He knows each stepping stone is one jump closer to the ultimate goal.

He shares some of his highlights of his music career with Skope, “Having my first CD release, ‘East Bronx Epiphany” stocked at Tower Records in Yonkers, NY for 2 years was a big thrill. We sold out multiple consignments there and had our poster displayed in the store. Another highpoint was recording at SkyeLab Studios in Times Square Manhattan owned by the legendary recording engineer Artie Skye. Winning the ASCAPlus Popular Division songwriting award 2 years running has also been a real boost for me. Most recently, my new music video “Janine” was featured in Episode 48 of The Indie Music Video Show (TIMVS), and was broadcast to a potential viewing audience of 4 million via public access cable across the USA and the internet. TIMVS liked the look of my video so much they used a still from it as the thumbnail photo to advertise the episode. The thumbnail has been prominently displayed on their “TIMVS on Blip TV” sub-page since early December”.

I’ - Skope Magazine Feature Interview