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PRESS/REVIEWS: |
[Download
Straight Dope Cherry's EPK] .pdf (180K) |
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[DOWNLOAD THIS ONE SHEET as a .PDF] The hills and valleys of Western New Jersey are bucolic, quiet, isolated, and refreshingly remote from trends. It's a forty-five minute straight shot on Interstate 80 to the hipster capital of America, but Manhattan Island might as well be on the moon for all the cultural influence it exerts over the Delaware Valley. Here, pretensions count for little, and connections count for less: what matters isn't who you know, but whether or not you can tear it up on your instrument, make a connection with the crowd, and your bandmates. Here, in roadhouses, small clubs, in basements, at private all-night parties, pretenders need not apply. Western New Jersey asks for real musicians entertainers who can go all night and well into the morning, pushing themselves and their listeners in to states of delirium, each higher and more ecstatic than the last. Straight Dope Cherry is a band that will always answer the bell. |
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They've got the skills. They've got the stamina, and they're building a reputation for elastic and often transcendent performances. Lead by front men Craig Sorensen (vocals, guitar) and Ronnie Grana (vocals, electric piano, organ, and harmonica) Straight Dope Cherry has been satisfying New York area audiences since 2002: and recently, they've been knocking them dead around the nation, too. Unafraid to stretch out, experiment, and explore the full dimensions of their sound, all five songwriters in Straight Dope Cherry draw their inspiration from classic acid rock, psych music, well-disciplined jam bands, and traditional sixties pop. The rhythm section of Al Perdomo (drums, vocals) and Rick Ackerman (bass, vocals) are expert stylists and true students of rock history they can pound away at riffs, stop on a dime, groove, and then turn and lock in with the lead guitars with unerring precision. Enter newest member, Justis Villamor, out of Gainesville, Florida. A natural guitar soloist, he brings a gigantic sound in the effortless and emotion filled solos he performs. For Bellbottom Baby, their second album, the group traveled to Nashville, locked themselves in the studio for eleven straight days, and emerged with a smoking set of surprisingly infectious blues-rock anthems, near-prog full band workouts, and catchy, radio-ready traditionalist pop. Sounding like a rock treasure trove unearthed from the mid-Seventies, the set spotlights both Straight Dope Cherry's technique and the group's vocal harmonies. Also, SDC is equipped with an attic full of vintage organs and electric pianos, and have integrated these instruments into the sound without upsetting its distinctive texture. The Hammond B-3 is scalding, the Rhodes is propulsive, and the appropriately titled, "Pfunky Chunk" features the freakiest-sounding clavinet this side of "Superstition". That's not to say that the six-strings have been forgotten. "Juniper", an earthshaking ballad, contains some of the project's most exciting and kinetic lead-work; "Valerie Wood", the ten-minute closer, echoes some of the Gibson growl of early Pearl Jam. Elsewhere, the interplay between the guitars and the electric organ evoke the Allmans, The Doobie Brothers, Steely Dan, Hot Tuna, and even, at times, Yes. Straight Dope Cherry draws from years of diligent radio listening, and seasons practicing in musty basements, bouncing ideas off of bandmates, pushing each other, honing their talents, striving to capture the sound that first compelled them to pick up instruments, and to always deliver their live audience a sincere and meaningful experience. Look for them at a club or festival near you this year.
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