COLIN STACK- vocals, piano, acoustic and electric bass, acoustic and electric 6 & 12 string guitars.
NOVELTY ACT: guitar and bass MARK COCHEO; saxophone RICK STONE; drums RICK LANDWEHR; electric and acoustic bass KENDALL EDDY; piano CARMEN STAAF; piano and accordion MICHAEL McLAUGHLIN
THE LEFTOVERS: Flute ERIN HUNT; Clarinets AMY ADVOCATE, ERIN SIMONS, KYRA TOMPSON, KATE WETTER, JESSICA SIBELMAN; Bass Clarinet MICHAEL MILLER; Bassoon MICHALEA COHEN; Soprano Saxophones HARRY CHERRIN, MICHAEL DUKE; Alto Saxophones DANIEL BENNETT, RICK STONE; Tenor Saxophones KELLY ROBERGE, JIM MULLEN; Baritone Saxophones ADAM ROBERTS, MARY JOY PATCHETT; Trumpet DEVIN SEASTONE; Trombones JONATHAN SOKOL, ADAM BARTCZAK; Glockenspiel and Vibraphone LAYCI GUYON; Violins STEPHANIE SKOR, SVETLANA TSONEVA; Viola MEGAN FERGUSSON; Cello LUCY RAILTON.
Influences
Kurt Weill, Tom Waits, Randy Newman, George Gershwin, Bernard Herrmann, Philip Glass, and Elvis Costello.
Sounds Like
Own the entire Colin Stack library today! "One Time Around the Block" represents a turning point in Colin Stack's writing as he debuts 14 original compositions for orchestra and chamber ensembles! Or check out "Commercial Suicide," where Stack crafts 19 pop art songs influenced by jazz and Broadway music. His 3rd album, "BANG! BAM! BOOM!", contains 14 vaudville-esque vinyettes performed with his chamber orchestra, The Leftovers.
Even singer/songwriter Colin Stack grapples for the exact words to describe his music. "I guess you could call it an eclectic mix of rock, bluegrass, rhythm and blues, jazz, folk and vaudeville… a kind of Elvis Costello-meets-Randy Newman-meets-Tom Waits-meets Paul Simon."
Hmm, let's try that again. "If you had to describe your music with only one word, what would that word be?"
"Honest."
It's a vague, but true, answer. Stack doesn't pander to the pop-conditioned ears of the general public, and it's clear from the first verse that his loyalties lie with the music itself. "Lots of people ask why I don't write in a more 'popular' style, and it's true, I would probably sell more albums if I appealed to the commercial audience. But this is the music that sounds good to me--honest music is blunt and vulnerable, you really have to put yourself out there. I decided not to be afraid to write and perform music that represents beauty in the way I would define it."
While he may not yet be booking Letterman, staying true to his instincts has served him well. Stack has been writing, singing, recording and performing since age 15. He has a Master's in composition from the New England Conservatory and has produced five albums in less than ten years, all on his own label, Stacktone Music. The most recent album, Futile Serenade, will be released this month. Accompanying him on the new CD are members from his performing group, Novelty Act, and his chamber group, The Leftovers.
Futile Serenade features Stack's signature lush orchestrations that provide the dramatic backdrop for his meandering melodies and jarringly descriptive lyrics. From track to track, Stack's smooth tenor vocals shift in moody fashion from sardonic cynicism to observant indifference to doleful sentimentalism.
"When I write, I picture this average person just humming their own tune in the kitchen or shower. When you are absently humming, the 'melody' isn't going to be neatly packaged like a pop song--it's going to go where it wants to, wherever the mind is wandering. So I try to follow that inner voice, that subconscious 'pulse,' and what comes out is completely unpredictable and sometimes goes unresolved--just like everyday life."
Therein lay the genius of Stack's music. The compositions are technically complex and outside the mainstream, yet, because they are inspired and driven by everyday experiences, listeners are still able to connect emotionally. Vibrant lyrics create sharp mental images, which Stack weaves together in surprising and poignant ways. He rarely "tells" you a story; rather, he "shows" you, as if to throw Polaroid after Polaroid onto the floor at your feet, leaving you, the listener, to arrange the mishmash of pictures into an aggregate whole.
"I'm very descriptive with my lyrics because I want the listener to 'recognize' that sidewalk or coffee cup or person. When I describe a woman 'frying a pan of eggs,' I want you to know exactly who that woman is--maybe your mother, your sister or your lover. It depends on you. Yes, my lyrics are drawn from my own experiences, from my own album of memories, but good songs don't get too personal or 'spell it out.' Really good songs are porous enough to allow people to make them their own and infuse them with their own feelings and life stories."
As for stories, tales of dating dysfunction and romantic misadventures occupy most of Stack's repertoire, although he admits attempting to make a move away from singular "love" themes. "On Futile Serenade, I wanted to diversify my subject matter a bit more. So I co-wrote a song about Lawrence Welk for fun. I also touched on the topic of 'virtual' relationships, like Internet dating and the phenomenon of sites like MySpace. I guess there's still a lot about love and cynicism, though. Writing can be a sort of therapy for me, a way to get out how I see things--so the persistent cynicism doesn't surprise me."
Cynicism aside, Futile Serenade is an eclectic and superiorly-crafted compilation, peppered with clever pop euphemisms, tongue-in-cheek commentary and sentimental sojourns. Conversational lyrics and theatrical instrumentation hold a hint of Broadway brilliance, but the album's raw emotional vein gives grit and grounding. Hardly a futile effort from Stack, who is taking some time before looking ahead.
"I'm not really sure what the next album will be like. My music changes as my life changes, of course, because I write and play what I know. Which is the same for all of us, whatever we do… it's paying attention to the world around you and your place in it, and then finding a way to share your experience of being in that space and in that moment with other people. It's unpredictable, and you just never know what's going to come next." -Karen Hofreiter (INsite Magazine)
You ROCK! Thanks for being a friend and for all your hard work. Hope to see you at the 2nd annual Utica Music and Arts Fest. Over 200 performers in over 15 venues for 3 DAYS! Including a kick-off party on the Adirondack Scenic Railroad, Utica Tattoo Fest, Utica Greens Fest, and the Greater Utica Arts and Entertainments Awards!
Visit our site for more info and performer submissions. Have a great day!
Bands::: Interested in performing at this years event?? Click the link! And while you’re there please take a moment to sign up for our mailers to stay informed.
Hey Colin! How is the new cd coming along? Can't wait to hear it! hope you're well. I would love to do another curry chicken hit at our place. give me a buzz. let me know what works for you! happy thanksgiving!
hey colin. your show was fun! i think we'll all plan on doing it again sometime. maybe in october? i don't play out a lot right now, my schedule is kind of crazy. I'm taking night classes at harvard to get some sciences....
Hmmm, Well, I posted some pics of the show....some I tried to give a film or antiquated look to it.....I have more but I'm too tired to mess with any more...
Thanks for the compliment! Is that your Rickenbacker guitar in the pic for Customer Service? Looks sweet. Have always loved Sing Cassandra Sing by the way.
Hey Colin! How does Wednesday night next week look for dinner...? We'll figure this out sooner or later..! Also wanted to invite you to the concert at the ymca theatre tommorow. chat soon!
I told Gretchen that you're down for dinner next weekend.... maybe the Colin Stack chicken thing that you made last time...? ps. so sorry I missed your set last night. I came over right after teaching in wellesley. I tried to get there! Thursdays are crazy for me.
Howdy Boston! I'll be playing this Friday night at the Lizard Lounge in Cambridge (lizardloungeclub. com) w/The Wiyos, Curtis Eller, and Josh Lederman. Come on down!
