music reviews
A Brief History
D.C.-bred (by way of India) Tejas Singh was heavily influenced by the popular jam bands of his adolescence, and it shows on his EP “A Brief History.” The singer/songwriter’s vocals are Ben Harper and Ray LaMontagne-inspired in their shaky but strong delivery while his uptempo instrumentals combine racing rhythms with bluegrass, soul, and R&B. Singh’s tracks seem tailor-made for alternately frantic and free-flowing dance moves in college venues or outdoor festivals. While his influences are easy to spot, Singh asserts his individuality on his lyrics which are poignant and relevant. On “A Brief History” Singh frankly tackles race (“white man came on a wooden ship/black man could not believe his eyes/white man crammed his ships with everyone that he could fit/continuing his crimes/you cannot take me, I will not go”), while on “The Rescue,” he points a finger at society and government (“mother culture spoke into my ear/she said you’re young and rich and you have nothing to fear” and “are you conscious of a careless government/are you part of it”). On “Ghosts” Singh contemplates the plight of the artist (“artists are just ghosts/people like us disappear,” questions the economy of the country (“everyone is profiting from things this country stole”), and ultimately applies delightfully adolescent existentialism to the plight (“you will die/but you can’t take all your gold/so buy me a beer and let’s get stoned”). Singh’s appeal lies in his ability to deliver to both the zoned-out jam set and the contemplative critic.
www.tejassingh.com
Avi Wisnia Presents
The crux of Avi Wisnia’s sound is familiar melodies and samples of classic lyrics and melodies, and yet his sound is somehow seems completely refreshing. Combining bossa nova with soul and jazz and adding startlingly clever lyrical turns, Wisnia creates his award-winning (CMJ’s Zig Zag Live competition, for one) sound. On “Something New,” Wisnia paradoxically borrows something old, adding new twists to lyrics from the Beatles (“all the lonely people”), and Gloria Gaynor (“go on go, walk out the door”), and sampling the beat from “Girl from Ipanema,” all to a toe-tapping beat. The bossa nova sound plays heavily into the stunning “Sunday Afternoon,” which perfectly captures the vibe of the lazy weekend hours with its swaying melody and lyrics like “you take my hand and we stroll along / spread the blanket and reach with your eyes to the sky.” Wisnia is at his best though on the lyrically brilliant “Rabbit Hole.” “I hate the words you feed me / you hate how loud I chew / well it looks like I’m stuck in this rabbit hole with you,” Wisnia laments. It’s an ultimately romantic song though, with the final line: “Where do you think I’m going / I’ll give you one clue / I’m going to bring the rest of my things back to this rabbit hole with you.” If Wisnia’s sampling of lush, complex songs are any indication of what’s to come, listeners will be waiting eagerly for more.
www.aviwisnia.com
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Woke Up This Morning
On “Woke Up this Morning,” singer/songwriter/gifted pianist Dan Manjovi leads listeners through a seamless storyline about someone struggling with the highs and lows of fame. Manjovi, who also does musical theater, draws heavily on the medium to create a sort of modified version of a concept album with smart jazz, blues, and rock arrangements, and clever story-telling lyrics. Woke Up This Morning starts with the lone guitar strums of “Forgotten How to Dream,” a sort of alternately sad and strong track with lines like “I get my takeout from a self-serve tragedy.” On “Celebrity” our narrator sets a course for stardom in a spoken/sung vocal style, while on “I Fall Down” he quickly realizes maybe stardom’s not all it’s cracked up to be (“sometimes I think I’m just another ego-inflated wannabe”), and a wailing electric guitar mirrors his woe. “Give Em What You Got (Takin’ It Back) is the big, full-cast musical number with a chorus of backing vocals doing a modified call-and-response. “Is Anybody Watching” is about the harsh reality of fame and skewed priorities (“meanwhile the poor they fight the war / while all of us acquire more / it’s an ownership society”). The storyline ultimately closes with the appropriately named “Things’ll Get Better” in which the “phoenix rises.” Manjovi is both a compelling storyteller and a surprisingly clever composer.
www.danmanjovi.com
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Burning Bitter Years
At just 18 years of age, Ryan Schmidt has already recorded and released two EPs, toured the northeast, and earned the honor of being the Starbucks Music Makers Critic’s Choice. The self-taught guitarist displays both a pop sensibility and a risk-taking side that allows him to warp guitar riffs and play with lyrical turns of phrase. There are no frills on this EP; Schmidt instead decided wisely to stick to warm vocals over solid acoustic guitar-driven melodies. Lyrically, Schmidt plays with turns of phrase with all the aplomb of youth. On “Going Dark,” Schmidt gets literal (“I’m sometimes hard to read / like a book written in Chinese”), shows his history know-how on “Ten Days” (“four score and seven years ago / our founding fathers had a desire to know”), tackles optimism/pessimism on “Sleepwalking Days” (“he was a half-hearted, glass empty kind of guy”), and references the school system on “Life is News to Him” (“he knows that high school is fake / can’t carry the baggage all those girls take with them”). Schmidt is a refreshing dichotomy – talented beyond his years and mature enough to keep his lyrics as fun and free-wheeling as he should be at 18.
www.myspace.com/aboutschmidt
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Tejas Singh 
