featuring: Rob Bonfiglio / Tim David Kelly / Bret Domrose / Pete Burke
Influences
Influenced by all songs great...
Beatles (together & solo), Bowie, Beach Boys/Brian Wilson, Carl Wilson, Dennis Wilson, The Who/Pete Townshend, Laura Nyro, Pretenders, Stevie Kalinich, Bob Dylan, Elvis, P.F. Sloan, Lenny Kravitz/Craig Ross, The Verve, Cheap Trick, The Kinks, E.L.O., Small Faces, regular sized Faces, Led Zeppelin, T. Rex, The Rolling Stones, The Stone Roses, AC/DC, Aerosmith (through 'Draw The Line'), Ryan Adams, Badfinger, Bee Gees, John Cale, Simon & Garfunkel, Brit rock, French pop, Beck (both of 'em), Curtis Mayfield/The Impressions, The Chi-Lites, The Delfonics, The Stylistics (all that great Philly soul), Stax/Volt records, Marvin Gaye, Steve Cropper, Bar-Kays, James Jamerson, Todd Rundgren, The Nazz, The Zombies, Elton John (& Bernie Taupin), The Idle Race, Roy Wood, Jeff Buckley, The La's, Cast, Fleetwood Mac/Lindsey Buckingham, The Move, The Creation, Stevie Wonder, Serge Gainsbourg, Staple Singers/Mavis Staples, Shuggie Otis, Blue Note records from the 50's, 60's & early 70's, Prestige records, Verve records, Riverside records, Impulse! records, MPS records, Ornette Coleman, RCA "Living Stereo" records, thrift store records, Ray Charles, Tom Petty/the Heartbreakers, Burt Bacharach, Dionne Warwick, Dusty Springfield, Lou Reed, Terry Reid, Duane Reade (when I'm in NYC!), Gram Parsons, The Eagles, America, Chicago, The Cars, Jason Falkner, Brendan Benson, Mike Viola, The Grays, The Posies, Nick Lowe, The Band, Josh Rouse, Fat Albert, Albert King, Kings Of Leon, Leon Russell, Russell Stover (yum!), New Radicals, Talk Talk, The Roots, Neil Young, World Party, The Shaggs, Rufus Wainwright, Supergrass, Coldplay, The Shins, Spiritualized, Sly & The Family Stone, REM, Oasis, Pavement, The Police, Aimee Mann, Isaac Hayes, Radiohead, Doves, Stereophonics, Hooked On Phonics, Manic Street Preachers, Isley Bros, Flaming Lips, Funkadelic, books by James Baldwin/Herman Hesse/Garcia-Marquez, The Sweet, Queen, Al Green, Ween, Keane, Springsteen, the Brooklyn scene, Martin Sheen & everyone in-between (if you know what I mean)...
Sounds Like
Cheap Trick meets The Beatles via Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers (sort of...)
from the film 'THE HOTTIE & THE NOTTIE" now available at:
CDBABY.com
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THE SKIES OF AMERICA -
"SHINE"
"...Now it's time for the music world to take notice of this remarkable band and their terrific debut record, which easily stands as one of the best releases of 2006..." - FMQB
"...the whole album is a non-stop orgy of pure pop bliss...yes, it's THAT good..." - Melodic.net
"...(The Skies Of America) deliver tightly structured, deliciously hooky, ultra-melodic pop songs that sound at once cozily familiar and refreshingly fresh...the only difficulties DJs would have would be deciding which of these effusively powerhouse mini-anthems not to play." - AMG (All Music Guide)
Rob Bonfiglio, founder & leader of Los Angeles based rock band THE SKIES OF AMERICA (formerly THE BETTER DAYS), was born in Philadelphia and weaned on lp's 45's & FM radio.....
As member of mid-nineties alterna/rock band "Wanderlust", Rob found himself recording for RCA Records and touring extensively, opening for such diverse bands as Collective Soul, The Violent Femmes, Peter Wolf & The Who.....
Flash forward to Spring of 2001: Rob relocates from Philadelphia to Los Angeles, giving up Wawas & cheesesteaks for Bristol Farms & chopped salads.....
Rob begins demoing songs at home; writing, performing & recording the songs that eventually became the blueprint for THE SKIES OF AMERICA's debut album "Shine".....
Catching the ear of legendary record producer Sylvia Massy Shivy (Tool, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Tom Petty, System Of A Down, Johnny Cash), Rob was invited to spend time in Weed California at Sylvia's RadioStar Studios to record what would become THE SKIES OF AMERICA's debut album "Shine" to be released OCTOBER 10th 2006 on the indie label NATIONAL RECORDER. The album's decidedly optimistic, upbeat vibe and infectious melodicism lends itself well in a time where pop/rock radio is in dire need of a little less corporate prefabrication & a little more honesty.....
Prior to the album's recording & adding to an already busy schedule of touring, THE SKIES OF AMERICA (with Rob, Ted Russell Kamp on bass, Jimmy Khoury on guitar & Pete Burke on drums) were hired to back Wilson Phillips in support of their May 2004 Columbia Records release "California"; a string of television appearances followed including The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Good Morning America, Live with Regis & Kelly, On Air with Ryan Seacrest, MSNBC with Deborah Norville, Howard Stern & ABC's The View..... Rob also recently went out to lend support (& guitar playing) for a brief radio promo tour backing new Columbia Records singer/songwriter Anna Nalick in support of her April 2005 release "Wreck Of The Day".....THE SKIES OF AMERICA's newest lineup includes former 'Kicking Harold' founder Tim David Kelly on bass, former 'Dogstar' frontman Bret Domrose on guitar & former '10 Speed' member Pete Burke on drums.....
THE SKIES OF AMERICA song "Fascination" appears in Myriad Pictures' film "EULOGY" starring Ray Romano, Hank Azaria & Kelly Preston. The film was released in Fall 2004 & is now available on DVD; the soundtrack featuring "Fascination" is available on Liquid 8 records.....
In addition, THE SKIES' compositions "Get Up, Get On" & "So High" appear in season 1 & 2 episodes of MTV's highly rated pseudo-reality series "LAGUNA BEACH"(also available on dvd).....
Carl Wilson Tribute — 10 Year Anniversary Benefit Concert & Fundraiser
Venue: The Roxy Theatre Location: 9009 Sunset Blvd., W. Hollywood, CA 90069 Phone: (310) 278-9457 Donation: $100 (tax deductible) Doors: 6 p.m. Showtime: 7 p.m.
Performers: Former Beach Boy Al Jardine, Former Beach Boy David Marks, Guitar Legend Dick Dale, Carnie & Wendy Wilson, The Honeys, Adam Marsland's Chaos Band, and Special Guests.
Tickets are available exclusively through the Roxy (cash and credit cards accepted at the door, credit cards only accepted for phone orders). The price of tickets includes light hors d'oeuvres. Seating is on a first come, first serve basis. Valet parking is available, and there is a $5 parking garage across the street in the 9000 Building. A live auction will be held during the show.
Proceeds from this event will benefit the City of Hope for early detection, prevention and treatment of cancer-related issues.
Dedicated to the Memory of Carl Dean Wilson December 21, 1946 – February 6, 1998
Mr.B, how you doing, come on get up get on, I can tell you one thing my friend mike and I are so deeply inspired by your music we have people in an uproar of inspiration, well brotha ill hit you up later have a great day!
Hey guys I just wanted to let you know that everytime I listen to your music im deeply inspired one of the best sounds I have heard in my life YET!!! Ha last year summer when we listened to shine my friend mike and I we cruised in the beautiful orange sun and green trees and grass it smelled great time to break in the summer, with some awesome music, deff buying your music, a HUGE FRICKEN FAN Bill Man
Hey, Rob! Thanks for the kudos, man! You have quite an impressive background! No wonder your new stuff is so SOLID! Talk about tunes that were made for radio (and I mean that in the BEST possible sense)! Must be all your "weaning" on 45's and FM radio...back when it was all about the SONG! Continued success...hope we'll manage to hook up some day. Be sure to to me know if you're gigging up here in Toronto. Peace. Pete
