If you think no one can be both, you’ve never met Neil Nathan.
The NYC-based singer and songwriter says the first two singles he ever bought were Cheap Trick’s “I Want You to Want Me” and Neil Diamond’s “Desiree.” The first may have fed his fondness for big trashy rock hooks and catchy thrashed out choruses, the latter his respect for songwriting craft and skill.
Since then, he’s cut his teeth in a hard rock band and as the mirror ball masked lead in the Off-Broadway rock opera, Automatic Superstar. He's also landed two mostly acoustic songs from his debut EP Glide in the indie film 'Descent,’ starring Rosario Dawson. And one straight-up rocker, from the Motor City Recordings, produced by Detroit garage mainstay Bobby Harlow of The Go.
Now with Songsmiths, a six-song EP of mostly covers, Nathan pays tribute to both sides of his musical heritage, covering power pop classics like ELO’s “Do Ya” in stripped down songwriter style, and treating Ludwig von Beethoven’s “Fur Elise” to a garage-surfy, Big Lebowski reinterpretation. Nathan and long-time steel guitar collaborator Mike ‘Slo-Mo’ Brenner (Slo-Mo, Marah, Jason Molina) worked out lo-fi arrangements to songs including “All or Nothing” by the Small Faces and “Mia” by Chris Malcarney of the Philadelphia power pop band, The Donuts.
Even the song credited to Nathan and Brenner is, in some ways, a cover. In the movie Descent, filmmaker Talia Lugacy pointed out a scene where actresses Rosario Dawson and Nicole Vicius are singing a song a capella. From this fragment, Nathan and Brenner wrote “Old Man Time” a menacing, funk-tinged cover in a low vocal range reminiscent of Mark Lanegan.
Songsmiths was released on Nathan's imprint, Pirate Vinyl, and is available through iTunes. His cover of ELO's 'Do Ya' was featured on the Showtime series Californication, and on the Season 2 Soundtrack alongside Sheryl Crow, Nick Cave, and Warren Zevon. Nathan says the best thing about the whole experience was that Jeff Lynne had to approve the song and he loved it. The two versions could hardly be more different, ELO’s a huge power pop production and Nathan’s nakedly acoustic. “It just speaks to how well written a song it is that my little folky, finger-picking Dylan version is still powerful, though in a totally different way,” he says.
And on the heels of his Californication success, Neil has recently inked a licensing deal with North Star Media; home of such luminaries as The Go, Mudhoney, Gutter Twins, Rod Stewart, Bonnie Raitt, and the indominitable Cher.
True to form, Nathan already has another project in the wings, a full-length, garage-rocking album recorded last spring at Tempermill Studios with the Go’s Bobby Harlow. Harlow brought together many of the Motor City’s top rock-n-rollers, with Dean Fertita (The Dead Weather, Queens of The Stone Age), Kenny Tudrick (Kid Rock, Detroit Cobras), John Krautner (The Go), Joey Mazzola (Sponge, Detroit Cobras), Danny Methric (The Muggs, The Paybacks), Loretta Lucas (Sisters Lucas) and Ross Westerbur providing support.
LMM Entertainment would like to Congradulate "Neil Nathan" for becoming Artist of The Month" on HomeGrown Video. Neil's great randition of ELO's "Do Ya" really hit home with our viewing audience! Please take a look at his winning video and remember Neil is now entered into "The Best Of HomeGrown" in March, where he wil...l have an opportunity to have an entire episode dedicated to his music! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0FD4JCXKL4E
Just to let you know I will be playing your music Tuesday on my show on www.HGRNJ.org between 12 noon and 3 pm Eastern Time ( 5-8 pm England or 6-9 pm Central Europe Time). I hope you can tune in, if you miss the show you can Check out my Playlist's
Hope you like what you hear! Let me know what you think!
We are looking for live entertainment shows such as Bands, Open Mics, Music Showcases, Solo Performances, Comedy, Theater pieces. Small Scenes, etc. You name it......
The theater is an off-broadway venue located in the heart of Times Square. Friday and Saturday at 11 pm
Bar / lounge available. $3 beer, $4 mixed drinks.
Performers and audience members will receive a free gift certificate valid for 3 days hotel in Atlantic City
Economical conditions:
1- FREE Theater for 2 hours.
First $100 of the cover goes to us, after that 50-50
2- $100 payment when booking is done, getting the Theater for 4 hours. 50-50 cover
16+ to party. 21+ to drink
You will decide the price of the entrance.
If interested, do not hesitate to contact us for further information
It was my pleasure to add "California Run" to my radio playlist. It was also featured on my weekly podcast introducing new music. The direct link to the show is: http://indiemusicsampler.com/2009/08/07/ims-144/
Blessings, Paul the music lover Indie Music Sampler
hey i was watching californication and heard the 'do ya' song and i was hoooked i looked everywhere to see who performed it and yay i found ya. your version is the best
Hey Neil! Sounds like your becoming a Big Rock Star! Just don't forget about us lil folk! I will make sure I watch in the fall, and I hope your party is awesome! They normally are ;)!
thank you for getting in touch--i didn't know about jenny's review until i got your request! i'm really glad you like roommate & tea leaves. my internet is screwy today, will try to listen to these songs again when it's working properly. -kent
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