Now back to the business at hand WOOSTER SANG, a four-member rock band, with major label talent, is a force to be reckoned with. These guys are a hit! It's so nice to listen to truly talented musicians who have their act totally together. Wooster Sang's music is, as Craig put it "eloquently weaved" with lyrics penned by gifted songwriters and music that's no less than Grammy material.
Wooster Sang would make a great opening act because of the level of their expertise. But in all actuality, they are ready to be "the" headliner. These guys are musically inclined and success in inevitable. The lead vocalist/guitarist, Craig Zund is only phenomenal. On keyboards, Peter Farrell, I like to refer to him as the "Wizard of Oz", is all that. Racine Romaguera on bass, is truly on and poppin' in your face! And let us not forget Steve DeLuca on drums who is a master at his craft.
All I can say is if you're able to check them out now, while the tickets for their shows aren't an arm and a leg, I would highly recommend you go. Because I'm sure this time next year, you'll be standing in line like the rest of the world!
--Kimberly Carzell, May 1999
Independent Distribution Network
This is...WOOSTER SANG
By Kimberly Carzell
When I first received an e-mail from Racine, my curiosity was peaked by the group's name. "WOOSTER SANG"...hum, I wonder what they sound like. Well, before I even go there, let's talk about packaging. If you're going to make a first impression, might I suggest you get in touch with Wooster Sang. Just by the layout of the overall CD cover you can tell the guys have their act together. It's a major label product all the way. "Mad Props" to the art director!
Diva Entertainment, Inc.
950 Conley Road, Suite D-01
Atlanta, Georgia 30354
Independent Distribution Network
New York Rock
In an industry where record labels have been known to chew bands up and spit them out, rock bands, tired of being exploited, have begun to reveal their own business savvy. Starting their own record labels and merchandising companies, some artists are reaping the rewards of their own creativity. Wooster Sang is one such band. Gaining in popularity, the New York City group, together for two years, is on the cusp of success. So are they chasing after record labels? Hardly...
At their recent New York City gig on March 17th at the Lion's Den, band members -- Craig Zund (vocals/guitars), Peter Farrell (keys), Racine Romaguera (bass), Steve DeLuca (drums) -- lured the crowd in with a few cool covers from Marvin Gaye and others, and then bowled everyone over with their own top-notch original material. Craig's vocals were strong and tuneful, and his band mates lit up the dark room with wall to wall R&B-tinged pop rock. Put simply, Wooster Sang are a tight, professional band with some sharp talent. Between sets, I had a chat with the guys...
NYROCK: How did the name "Wooster Sang" come about?
STEVE: It was a very strange coincidence. Racine had discovered that there was a guy by the name of Count Wooster, from Romania, who found out that his wife was cheating on him. He didn't know who it was and nobody would fess up, so he invited all the nobility from the different principalities in Romania to a dinner and, basically, locked them in a room and slaughtered them all. As legend has it, the river that flowed nearby was flowing with blood because that's where he had dumped all the bodies.
NYROCK: And the coincidence...
STEVE: This guy had preceded Count Dracula who was also Romanian. I was reading a book on Dracula which talked about this guy at the same time that Racine had discovered him. "Sang" means blood in a lot of different languages so we just kind of juxtaposed the two...
NYROCK: Cheery... Thankfully, your music isn't quite so dark. In fact, it's upbeat and rather catchy. I see you guys play frequently in and around town. How much do you market yourselves in other aspects, such as airplay?
STEVE: We try to be aggressive on all fronts. We're available for airplay in over forty stations in New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
NYROCK: Do you do it all yourselves or did you hire a marketing company?
CRAIG: We're doing everything ourselves. We're taking a very grassroots -- but aggressive -- approach. We've completely produced our own CD. We're not looking for record company support because we don't want to be a product of theirs.
NYROCK: Do you try to perform at major music festivals like South By South West [annual industry event in Austin, Texas where unsigned bands compete and showcase before label execs]?
PETER: No. There are several hundred bands; it's not worth it; you get lost. Standing out is important in marketing yourself.
NYROCK: Have you played at colleges?
PETER: Yeah. New Brunswick, Rutgers, Elizabethtown...
NYROCK: Any gig stand out as a favorite?
CRAIG: New Paltz college...that toga party, remember?
NYROCK: How do you feel about the industry right now?
CRAIG: Very skeptical. Very stand-offish.
PETER: I go nuts over this [topic]. This is really important: There's a book called Confessions of a Record Producer by Moses Avalon. It's new. It's on our Web site. It's the single most important book that any unsigned band could read. I've read all types of stuff and most of it is so business focused you can't even get through it. It's really heavy stuff. This guy was in the business for 15 years and he gives you the skinny. You get to look at contracts from the perspective of the record company and from the perspective of the producer and the band. When you go through the numbers, if you want to make a living out of music, there is no way you're gonna make it. You don't break even until you're platinum, which is a million. Then you don't get paid for two or three years...
CRAIG: In any relationship, let me relate it to marriage, I'm single, but whatever. If I want to be married, I want to be loved in that marriage. I don't want to be forgotten about. It's very easy to be in a marriage where you're not loved. It's not compassionate. It's very distant. I think if we were to go into a major record label, we'd be that distant lover. It was great at first. It was great sex. We were all over each other. We were foaming at the mouth. We couldn't keep our hands off of each other. But another six months after that, it's like, who are you. I don't know you anymore. We want to be in love.
-- Alice Hammond, April 1999
New York Rock
The Muse's Muse
Good rock band. 'Make You Mine' begins everything off about as loud as you get without the police. I had to turn down the volume a couple times, else my computer speakers would blow.
'Altered Eyes' begins like someone's testing out a new Rubbermaid garbage can at Kmart. Then a strange 'ahhh way, ahhh way' chant begins below a mystic guitar that soon kicks the door down. And don't forget clever lyrics like 'curious of my perfection / I need to sneak a peak of my reflection / in the bathroom it hides / the vanity mirror gives bad reception / that's not my face, where's my complexion? / no recollection with these altered eyes'.
'One In a Million' is sad. I mean, it's not country music sad. You won't cry in your powdered milk. But you will look into yourself and 'every single day you live, every day you'll learn to give / every waking hour you will find something new is on your mind'.
And they can get very soulful when they want to. 'Main St. Days' is nearly a drum solo with fun vocals and the clang of guitar breaking on the beats.
'Overlake' is a beautiful way to end an album. Mainly because of vocals and smooth acoustic guitar work which complements the crooning nicely.
Hard to say what the hits are/will be. Unlike some bands I've heard, WS doesn't just make 1 song then spread it out for 12 tracks. Each is different in groove and range. Plus the songs are meaty enough in length to fully explore their compositional crevices. No 2 min. Beatles songs, these. Yet there's something at least as equally Liverpoolly fun about this troupe. A delightful romp which will have you whistling before you're through it once.
(By the way, amateur kiddies, the expert promo pack that came with this cd proves that there IS professional competition out there. WS's use of paper, quotes, layout, etc. is just Damn good. So use your best materials when pushing yourself. Because you're up against people like These!)
-- Ben Ohmart, April 1999
The Muse's Muse
raw 42 monthly music
wooster sang have an exceptionally good sound. these mp3's sound like they could have been lifted from a commercial release, especially compared to the majority of song that we get for review. the playing is of the highest quality, the vocals are very agreeable and suit the music well, with some of the harmonies sounding very nice indeed. a kind of alternative rock, this music would not be out of place on the radio scene.
wooster sang have layered many different guitar riffs over one another, sometimes three riffs will be battling for your attention with the drums, bass and vocals on top of that. but the music never seems to get overcrowded. the main leads and melodies are transparent yet omnipresent, giving wooster sang a slick, professional impression. emotional and intense in the quiet parts and tight and heavy when they rock, these guys are a band to watch.
as a side note: wooster sang have a very cool website. we suggest you visit.
MP3s reviewed: nothing & altered eyes
-- alex@ward42.com, April 1999
raw 42 monthly music
Barfly Monthly - Lancaster, PA Edition
Diversity is key in a Wooster Sang show. Explains percussionist Steve DeLuca, "Our philosophy in a nutshell is we try not to shut ourselves off from anything and we try to be as open to as many different influences as possible. We like to think of ourselves as pretty eclectic. We don't sound like any one thing. There might be some songs where you could say, that sounds like Alice in Chains or Led Zeppelin, but we're not a band where everything sounds like Led Zeppelin."
DeLuca says the band's influences come from virtually every style of music. "In the broadest sense, the band is really an amalgamation of American music, starting off with New Orleans jazz and blues, and rhythm & blues and becoming rock 'n' roll and sort of combining that with the western European tradition."
The group performs mostly original material, with a few cover songs thrown in. "When we do a cover, we do it our own way," he states. "We actually have been doing a very funky cover of 'The Mighty Quinn.' We do some Stones, we've done some Marvin Gaye. We enjoy doing a lot of the Motown stuff."
Taking their name from an obscure historical reference to a Romanian count, Wooster Sang also includes Craig Zund on lead vocals and guitar, with Peter Farrell on piano, organ, synthesizer, sax and vocals, Racine Romaguera on bass and vocals and Mike Pautz on guitar. The group is based in New York City and performs throughout the East Coast.
Not only is their music diverse, but so is a live show by the band, DeLuca says. "We do it in a way that's going to be invigorating to the audience. They're going to get something different each time they come to see us, because we don't do the tunes the same way twice."
Most of all, the band is comprised of musicians who truly love what they're doing. "When you listen to us, you can tell we're all intense, intense music lovers," DeLuca notes. "You'll hear an appreciation and diversity that's inherent in guys who want to absorb as much music as possible and won't close any doors, but want to leave themselves open to taking everything in and turning it back out into stuff that's us, that's our personality."
-- Catherine Scharnberger, April 1999
Barfly Monthly
Music Street Journal
In a mode that is both modern and nostalgic this is a very good rock album.
At times various influences show through, most notably Lenny Kravitz and The
Black Crowes, but in many ways, Wooster Sang has their own particular flavor.
If you like modern music with elements of the classic 70s sounds, this album
will certainly entertain you.
Make You Mine: After a hard edged, psychedelically tinged intro, the piece takes on a retro sort of feel a bit in the vein of Lenny Kravitz. The cut has a great vintage organ-based sound.
Nothing: A fast paced acoustic guitar dominated intro leads to a strong rock number that is both modern in texture and rooted in classic rock tradition. Again a bit in the mode of Kravitz, "Nothing" features more retro organ sounds and a pretty and sedate outro.
Altered Eyes: This is a potent alternative rock song.
Roof Top: Featuring a bluesy intro, complete with harmonica, this rocker is modern with both alternative and bluesy overtones.
Skeezin': A wonderfully quirky tone makes up the melody of this tune. This is a powerfully arranged composition that works considerably well. The instrumental section on this one is quite progish.
One In A Million: This pretty ballad is very Lenny Kravitzish in tone, style and structure.
Time Passes: A straightforward rock intro and verse segments are joined by a robust retro-based chorus. Some moments of this cut are quite funky.
Main St. Days: A considerably funky intro begins this tune, which is quite strong. Balancing both modern and classic rock elements, this one includes a mellow bridge to counter the harder edged tone of the rest of the piece.
Can`t Remember: A bit Black Crowesish, this is another potent song that combines the modern and retro sounds.
Kick The Can: Very intriguing, this quirky cut is quite jazzy and features an
acoustic guitar/spoken word segment. The strongest composition on this album,
it also includes a wonderful organ solo.
-- Gary Hill, March 1999
-- Scott McElreath, March 1999
I agree with Vernon Reid, guitarist and solo artist, formerly of Living Colour as he states that Wooster Sang has "Well-crafted pop rock songs and exciting musicianship." Voted number one in the top 10 unsigned artists on Billboard's on-line Talent Net web site, the groups has spread their talents up and down the East Coast and have even been invited to perform in the CMJ Music Marathon.
But who is Wooster Sang? Is it just Craig Zund, Peter Farrell, Racine Romaguera, and Steve DeLuca? Or is it a colony of music lovers worldwide?
IDN: Who is Wooster Sang?
Peter: Musicians obsessed really. All of us come from radically different walks of life, but we share one common thing: that is we have all been playing music damn near forever and it's all we plan on doing regardless of industry success or not. We're not doing this because we have a choice and that's what I mean by "obsessed". We're as happy playing a jazz standard as we are a cover from Stevie Wonder...of course our real passion lies in our own writing. I think we also share the belief that all music is good and therefore worthy of drawing from for inspiration, while I personally have lost some of my objectivity. I believe our first album is living proof of this.
IDN: I noticed that you used a lot of different instruments in your songs. Is this accredited to different genres of music?
Steve: Succinctly, yes. We are all into different genres of music and although it is not necessarily a conscious decision where we contrive to sound like Led Zeppelin or King Crimson for instance, the influences are indelible and find their way into the music. Conversely, it might sometimes be a little contrived. Often times I'll think that a tune not so much sounds like but reminds me aesthetically of a certain artist and I'll try to put myself in that head space. So the use of different instruments is really a result of all our convergent influences and a function of what we feel will add to the musical picture of a given song. As a drummer, I will change cymbals, snare drums, etc. depending upon the tune. It is a matter of letting the music dictate your tools rather than the other way around.
IDN: You have won an award from Billboard. How did you accomplish this and what has it done for your group?
Peter: Somehow, the audience on Billboard's on-line Talent Net site voted us #1. It came as a complete shock to all of us, but immediately new opportunities started coming up; new shows, label's calling, and requests for us to perform at festivals and radio play. As with all things in this business though, the buzz from any accomplishment is pretty short-lived and you have to constantly seek new ways to create a buzz.....it is singularly the most important element any band can work on. So basically the Billboard thing was a terrific springboard for the band.
IDN: What is the most important rule that an unsigned group should follow?
Racine: I think that the only thing any band out there should do is play music for the love of it. Don't play in the hopes of getting signed or buying a big house or having fancy clothes or any of the more material reasons. "Making it" could happen but it is a long shot (something like 5%). The best part of this game is just playing music and that will take you to the next level. If you truly love what you do then none of the obstacles you are confronted with will tear your band's house down.
IDN: What should we expect when we listen to Wooster Sang?
Craig: When you listen to Wooster Sang you hear a conglomeration of different styles of music that come together as one voice. In real terms, what eventually registers in your brain are true stories that are bound together by a collection of chords, melodies and a group of friends that call themselves Wooster Sang.
-- Jeffery Beal, March 1999
Music Street Journal
Indie Productions
This self-titled CD hits you over the head from the very first riff in "Make You Mine", a song about the joys of summer passion and winds its way through a number of rockers "Altered Eyes" and "Skeezin". As the album progresses, the group takes a turn down memory lane in "Main Street Days" and "Kick the Can" before delivering a rich Zeppelinesque ballad "Overlake" which the group has dedicated to a little hideaway in Maine.
Indie Productions
Independent Distribution Network.
MP3 Audio Download from IDN
If we talk love of music and put a name on it, that name would be Wooster Sang. The group passes on that love though out their new self-titled debut release "Wooster Sang". This group has had a long road to the successful plateau that they presently own. This New York based band has 20 years performance experience behind them. Their blues/jazz sound elevates to a new dimension as they add an element of groove based rock.
Independent Distribution Network