Dan Costello, Rachel Devlin, Michael David Campbell, Brook Pridemore, and Eric Wolfson.
Influences
Woody Guthrie, Harry Nilsson, Nina Simone, Ruth Pelham, Herbie Hancock, Buck 65, Little Richard, Eric Wolfson, Jerome Kern, Phil Ochs, M. Lamar, Brooklyn, Johnny Cash, Creaky Boards, RUN D.M.C., Oscar Peterson, Lach, Loretta Lynn, Ahmad Jamal, Daniel Bernstein, Grateful Dead, Joie DBG, Outkast, Leonard Bernstein, Black Star, Pete Seeger, Milk Kan, Michael Chabon, Citizen Cope, Brook Pridemore, Pink Floyd, Jason Robert Brown, The Bobby McGees, John Poulos and My Brothers. Drugs. Depression. Showtunes. "Lift Every Voice and Sing." Rachel Devlin. Michael David Campbell. U. Utah Phillips, My Mom and My Dad.
Sounds Like
"Even when he’s singing about relationships gone awry, Dan Costello sounds like he’s having a hell of a good time. The piano-pounding showman has an affinity for pot, a natural predilection for pumpkins, and a knack for making happiness pie out of prison food. The best part about it all is that Costello knows how to make music, and it’s the kind that everyone can relate to." - Breakthru Radio (read the interview here)
"Dan Costello knows how to make an impression. Fusing folk and hip-hop, his unmistakable songs convey an unforgiving sense of the world, life, love, and getting arrested for hanging flyers on a lamppost. Straight-up!" - Dan Dipollito (Attention Driver)
"Randy Newman playing a whorehouse at gunpoint" - Eric Wolfson
"I've never heard anything like that from a white guy with a guitar" - Karl Wilson
"So Harry Nilsson and John Prine smoke a joint at Flava Flav's house..." - Lach
"Jovial, Good Beard." - Dave Cuomo
"When I was an 11 year old at JCC Summer Camp I learned all the words to Rump Shaker and was yelled at by my counselor for demeaning women. Then I kicked her girlie ass in Capture The Flag." - Me
"Few singer-songwriters have a stage presence as welcoming and engaging as Dan Costello. Dan Costello comes to entertain, and he succeeds. Costello writes and performs vividly-worded folk songs in the anti-folk tradition: smart, funny, quirky, powerhouse songwriting, distinctly New York. Armed with a booming, clear voice and a six-string, Costello sings his thoughtful, intelligent lyrics from the heart. His performance was full of energy and imagery, and even a bit of the theatrical – Very cool!" - Jezebel Music
Dan Costello is the songwriter behind The Brooklyn Tea Party, a loft venue and apartment in Bushwick. The new album "Costello" features Rachel Devlin, Michael David Campbell, Eric Wolfson and Brook Pridemore on vocals and a variety of instruments. The album is available digitally worldwide. CDs and Vinyl are only available in person.
The Facts:
Stepping out of the cultural cross streets of Brooklyn, Dan Costello's sound breaks all the musical molds. Writing from the influence of Folk, Rock, Jazz, Hip Hop and Broadway, Dan's songs cannot be restricted to any particular genre, as he fashions new sounds out of his eclectic influences.
Dan is an independent musician, having quit his corporate music job in January 2006. He works as a sound engineer, a recording engineer, a piano player, an open-mic host, an audio consultant, and occasionally as an album producer. He's a member of the Freelancers Union and various arts organizations. He has toured all over Europe, Canada and the United States. Dan is a member of Creaky Boards, Eric Wolfson and the War Cabinet, Felt Light Strikes, and Brook Pridemore and The Valley Cubs. Dan has produced albums for Soft Black, Annie Crane, Ben Godwin, and Peaks and Valleys and many more.
His three albums of original music, "Halloween Baby", "Come Home", and "Costello", are available at dancostellomusic.com
other quotes:
"A little bit country, a little bit, um.. other weird, cool stuff." - Boulder Weekly
"This folk-rapper-poet is [in] magically in-your-face in a pleasant way (but not too pleasant). Humorous social criticisms percolate tastily throughout his songs, a refreshing blast of lyrics in a songwriter climate of confessionals and narcissisms." --Gabriel Levitt, jezebelmusic.com
hey dan, I'm a little bit confused. is the tea party still happening tonight? rachel trachtenburg wanted to know when to show up? when would I be playing?
you and debe tied for most covered last night. suzy sellout played tape recorder, i played hard times and debe played m&m's. it was a good night. hope all is well.
i met lina last saturday and she told me you'll come back to goldkante.yehaw. that's the shit. i'm looking forward to it. liebe grüße! wir sehen uns. Mone
Dan. . . are you coming to Uk with Brook Pridemore later this year? Hope so as your solo set was so great and would go down so well over here. . . . passed Brooks details on to friend who should be able to help with the Bristol/Cardiff part of his tour. . . anyway hope you're still feeling liberated! lil x
Ha! I knew it. We even talked for a bit, and during the course of the next set I realized that he thought he was talking to YOU!! Crazy. Just knew there'd be a day when the energies would cross...
. . just re read your recent blog. . . awesome! x enjoy your wanderings through the trees and see things as a child for as long as you can. . the best way to appreciate life I think. . not tainted by what we're brainwashed to believe. . enjoy your freedom Dan x
