Please Your Eyes. May 6, 2009

 

Dan Wythoff did a solo performance before being accompanied by his band later in the day

Dan and his band were the last to perform at ODD and took in a decent sized crowd

 

If you ever have the opportunity to see Dan perform solo or with his band I certainly recommended taking it, the combination of his beautiful voice and the bands excellent musical abilities, it is all very pleasing to the ears.

Dan Wythoff posed before a few photographs before taking the stage at Rowan University's Organ Donor Day

Almost Famous. May 6, 2009

The dreams of me becoming a rock star may be over, but my career as a music journalist is just beginning. Correction, my career as annoying groupie. 

 

Back in April I posted a video of singer/songwriter Dan Wythoff and assured readers an interview will soon follow. Well, true to the title of the blog, I have proved that Laura certainly does lie. Without further adieu I give you the exclusive interview with Dan Wythoff. It may not be an exclusive interview, but I feel more like an accomplished journalist when I am able to use those types of expressions.

 

Raw talent is a rarity in music today. Anyone can be a recording artist with some digital help, hell Paris Hilton did it. But what happened to talent, the ability to sing to acoustically and sound amazing. 

I had given up on the idea that I will ever find a song, let  alone a performer that will say the words I couldn’t say myself in a way that heals. What I am getting at is the talent of Dan Wythoff, a 19 year-old singer/songwriter from South Jersey. 

Finding a CD that you can listen to in its entirety is uncommon and pretty much impossible. However, that is not the case when listening to Wythoff’s album “Now, Departing,” released in the 2008 and available now on iTunes. 

 

With acoustic and indie influences like Death Cab for Cutie and Sufjen Stevens, Wythoff manages to vary the music in his CD from slow jams to tunes that are a little more upbeat. Either way, they are worth listening to. 

 

Although Wythoff plans to pursue a degree in English and secondary education he does admit that he would leave college if the opportunity ever arose to sign with a record label. Regardless of whether or not he remains unsigned, Dan certainly plans to continue with his music after college. 

 

LAURAILIES: What is your favorite song off your album “Now, Departing?”

DAN WYTHOFF: I’d have to say that the first track, “Reasons To Get By” is my favorite off of the album. It was the first song I wrote for the record and I put a great deal of time into it.  Musically, I tried to create a sort of new folk sound in the verses that would build into a powerful, memorable chorus with a new tempo. Lyrically, the song expresses the idea behind the writing of the whole album.  Its about stories, experiences we all have, perspective.   
 

 

I didn't think to take pictures during the initial interview, so Dan helped me out and took one with me another day

LAURALIES: What was the inspiration behind the song a change of heart?  

 

WYTHOFF: A Change Of Heart is one of the songs on the album in which I am the main character.  I had been going through a rough end to a long relationship.  As I went through changing feelings, the seasons were changing as well.  I tried to connect what I was going through to the changing weather.  It’s the most personal song on the record for me. 
 

 

LAURALIES: Do you have your songs on your iPod?

WYTHOFF: I do have my songs on my iPod.  When the album was first completed, I would listen to it to hear the end product of over a year’s work.   

 

LAURALIES: What is the most challenging part of performing solo?  

WYTHOFF: The most challenging part of performing solo is knowing that all the attention is focused on you; it becomes an intimate conversation between myself and those who are listening.  I’m very critical of myself and always want to perform the best I can.  Playing solo is a very “skin and bones” experience.  
 

 

LAURALIES: What are your top 5 favorite albums of all time?  

WYTHOFF: I don’t have a top 5 of all time because I listen to a wide variety of music.  I’m constantly cycling through different albums.  The 5 albums I’ve been listening to the most lately are, Kings Of Leon- Aha Shake Heartbreak, Modest Mouse- The Moon & Antarctica, This Town Needs Guns- Animals, Underoath- Lost In The Sound Of Separation, Broken Social Scene- You Forgot It In People 
 

 

LAURALIES: Where did you purchase the “famous” couch featured on your myspace page?  

WYTHOFF: That couch came from the Thrift Village store in Glassboro.  I had frequently gone to the store, always eyeing up the couch, planning to buy it when I got my new apartment.  Little did I know, Joe and Andrew had similar intentions.  I came over to their place one day to find that they had bought that beautiful couch you see in the photographs on myspace. 
 


 

It wouldn’t be fair to acknowledge Dan without acknowledging his band mates Joe, Andrew and Todd. They were kind enough to let me in on their practice, listen to some sweet tunes and ask more than a few questions. 

Take a listen. You’ll fall in love with their music. 

 

 

*In a future post I will link to their individual band pages so you can take a listen to the raw talent wandering the campus of Rowan University and post upcoming performance dates so you can see Dan perform live.

Quote of the Week. April 24, 2009

It goes against the American storytelling grain to have someone in a situation he can’t get out of, but I think this is very usual in life. There are people, particularly dumb people, who are in terrible trouble and never get out of it, because they’re not intelligent enough. It strikes me as gruesome and comical that in our culture we have an expectation that man can always solve his problems. This is so untrue that it makes me want to cry — or laugh. – KURT VONNEGUT

TIME to read. April 24, 2009

I recently read Paul Bettany’s Short List in TIME magazine. I loved his short list so much that I felt it was worth sharing. Rather than include his commentary on each topic on his list, I’ll let you draw your own conclusions on each subject.

Book = The Road by Cormac McCarthy

Entertainer = Tom Waits

With an exception to what I previously said I am going to include his commentary because I couldn’t have said it better myself.

“When I listen to Tom Waits, it’s as if I managed to get Bertoit Brecht, William Shakespeare and an old drunk vagrant to sit down and sing to me- a beautiful, heady mixture.”

Musician = John Lennon

Okay, I lied. I again agree with what he wrote and feltit worth sharing. Still I ask that you draw your own conclusions. Share your opinions and let me know what you think.

“The reasons are obvious. For a start, he wrote, “Mother, you had me, but I never had you,” which are, I think, among the rawest words ever put to paper. He also proposed that we all “give peace a chance” — a suggestion that we have wholeheartedly ignored. And look at us.”

At the end of his short list he included a movie, The Visitor and a place to see, Science Museum in London. However, I have not watched The Visitor nor have I visted the science Museum. It would be wrong of me to suggest something that I have no knowlege of. Read the book, entertain yourself and take a listen. You won’t be dissappointed. If you are though, let me know.

Quote of the Week. April 17, 2009

“Be not the slave of your own past. Plunge into the sublime seas, dive deep and swim far, so you shall come back with self-respect, with new power, with an advanced experience that shall explain and overlook the old.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

Quote of the Week. April 10, 2009

“This is a world where everybody’s gotta do something. Ya know, somebody laid down this rule that everybody’s gotta do something, they gotta be something. You know, a dentist, a glider pilot, a narc, a janitor, a preacher, all that…Sometimes I just got tired of thinking of all the things that I don’t wanna do. All the things that I don’t wanna be. Places I don’t wanna go, like India, like getting my teeth cleaned. Save the whale, all that, I don’t understand that…” – Charles Bukowski, Barfly 1987

Sneak Peek. April 3, 2009

*Interview coming soon!

Quote of the Week. April 3, 2009

“I think the most important thing about music is the sense of escape.” - Thom Yorke

High Fidelity. March 29, 2009

I once read this book High Fidelity by Nick Hornby. The main character Rob Fleming is a 30 year old guy living in London with his girlfriend when the bitch decides to one day up and leave him. So homeboy decides that he is going to compile a list of his top 5 most memorable breakups and contact each of these women to find out exactly what went wrong in the relationship.

I’ll ruin the book and let you know that he does end up back with Laura previously known as “the bitch who left him.” Making lists seem to be a hobby of Rob and his friends. He makes lists of the 5 most memorable breakups, top 5 favorite films and favorite albums. A few other lists are included but you’ll have to read the book yourself to find out what they are.

Throughout the book I attempted to draft my own list of memorable breakups, favorite films and albums.  Decision making is not my forte so naturally the attempt was actually a failed attempt.

I understand that this isn’t much of a book review, I just like the idea of reading a novel and have each struggle throughout the story relate back to a particular song or album. My opinion doesn’t count for much but I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who likes the idea of music incorporated into literary works.

Quote of the Week. March 27, 2009

“The only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones that never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn, like fabulous yellow roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars and in the middle you see the blue centerlight pop and everybody goes “Awww!” – Jack Kerouac