Bruce Springsteen Flies The Social Flag
By Bryan Reesman / GRAMMY.com
FEBRUARY 14, 2012 -
Presidential election years always bring out strong voices, and this year, spurred by economic unrest and the worldwide Occupy Wall Street movements that began last fall, socially poignant songs are making their way back to the mainstream.
Bruce Springsteen And The E Street Band's energetic performance of "We Take Care Of Our Own," served as a grand opening to this year's 54th GRAMMY Awards telecast. Springsteen's new politically minded song also inspired the theme for an important segment of the GRAMMY telecast: the official remarks by Recording Academy President/CEO Neil Portnow.
"['We Take Care Of Our Own' is] a clarion call that also represents the core of what we do at The Recording Academy 365 days a year," said Portnow, referencing The Academy's important advocacy initiatives and work of the GRAMMY Foundation and MusiCares Foundation that help "take care" of the music community.
With a new video released Feb. 10, "We Take Care Of Our Own" is continuing to stimulate discussion in the online community. NPR's Ann Powers has described the song's "gloves-off" lyrics as a "strong election-year statement." Similar to his previous songs such as "Born In The U.S.A." and "The Rising," Springsteen's mix of optimism and underlying pointed social commentary will likely have an effect on listeners and fellow artists.
"When an artist like Bruce Springsteen does something on their own accord, it really starts to send a message to some of the elite, most well-respected songwriters and artists," says George "Rithm" Martinez, a U.S. cultural envoy, hip-hop artist and founder of the Global Blocks artists collective.
Another recording making waves is Chimes Of Freedom: The Songs Of Bob Dylan, a collection released in January featuring Dylan cover songs in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of Amnesty International. Artists contributing songs include GRAMMY winners Adele, Pete Seeger, Lucinda Williams, Raphael Saadiq, and Diana Krall, among others. The album is "dedicated to people worldwide who are unjustly imprisoned or threatened for the peaceful expression of their beliefs."
Scheduled for release this spring, Occupy This Album is another compilation making up the socially conscious soundtrack of 2012. The album culls tracks from a diverse range of artists, including Martinez, Ani DiFranco, Our Lady Peace, Jackson Browne, Willie Nelson, and Matt Pless. According to the album's press release, all proceeds will go "directly towards the needs of sustaining this growing movement."
"We have had hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of submissions," says Jason Samel, executive producer for Occupy This Album. "Once the idea got out there and people heard about this album, people from all over the country started writing protest music again and sometimes putting it up online. It's spreading like wildfire."
"I think with people like Springsteen and the people on this album coming out and releasing songs to the mainstream public, you'll see more people embrace the idea of protest songs and political and social songwriting," says Pless, the singer/songwriter who befriended Samel in Zuccotti Park in New York last fall and inspired the creation of Occupy This Album.
Unlike the music inspired by the social movements in the '60s, blogs and social networks such as Facebook and Twitter provide a direct and instantaneous forum for people, helping to fuel dialog and spark social change.
"I think there's a lot of political energy out there now that wasn't there even a year or two ago," says DiFranco, who has contributed her a capella cover of the popular protest song "Which Side Are You On?" to the compilation. "The youth culture, the political environment and the cultural environment are reflective, so I hope we'll see more and more progressive thought reflected in music."
Some artists may fear a backlash from music fans if they step forward with a political statement, as evidenced by Dixie Chicks' frontwoman Natalie Maines' after her remark about President George W. Bush in 2003. The controversy and reaction resulted in the Dixie Chicks' "Not Ready To Make Nice," which garnered Record Of The Year honors in 2006.
Our Lady Peace frontman Raine Maida wrote an op-ed piece last year in Canadian newspaper The Globe And Mailabout why he supports the Occupy movement. Maida subsequently received an initial wave of criticism, much of it suggesting he had no business making political statements as an artist.
"There's a Churchill quote that I try to paraphrase with this kind of stuff: 'Beware of people who are loved by everyone because it means they probably never took a stand on something,'" says Maida. "If you live by that motto and that creed, you've got to expect it. We did a video on our website before we gave the song ['Fight The Good Fight'] away to [Occupy This Album to] show our involvement and spread the word. I would say 70 percent of the feedback was positive, but the 30 percent that was negative was vile. I'm sure those fans are probably gone for good now because of the stand we took."
Pless recalls a meeting with an A&R executive a couple of years back and being told that his political songs would need to be discarded because people would not be interested in such topics. Pless disagrees, and thinks there are more socially conscious songs on the horizon.
"I do think people want to hear it," says Pless. "I think they want to hear it more now than they probably did then. I think you'll see more protest songs coming up in the next year or two, and I think it's a direct correlation with the Occupy movement bringing it to people's attention."
(Bryan Reesman is a New York-based freelance writer.)
Read more: http://www.grammy.com/news/bruce-springsteen-flies-the-social-flag
Occupy This Album: Music Legends Make Record to Support Occupy Wall Street
(Forbes
January/26,/2012
“Occupy This Album” may now be getting attention for its impressive lineup of celebrities and protest legends, but the idea for the album started with an unknown performer. Producer Jason Samel had been walking around Zucotti park in the early days of the protest when he was blown away by a singer-songwriter playing on some steps with a guitar and a harmonica. The singer was Matt Pless, a former punk rocker from Baltimore who took the bus up to Wall Street. A small crowd had gathered around him.
After the show, he asked for his business card. Pless gave him a piece of cardboard with his name written in magic marker. Samel had an idea.
“How is this guy so amazing and he only has a business card with his name written in magic marker on it” he wondered. ”I said wow, I’d love to do some type of album that kind of highlights folks like him.”
Chants, music, and the much-derided drum circles had been an integral part of the Occupy movement since its inception, but for the most part, the audience had been limited to those in the parks, most of them participating in the music themselves. As a bid to spread awareness and raise money for the movement, Samel decided to begin the project that would later become “Occupy This Album: A Compilation of Music By, For and Inspired by the Occupy Wall Street Movement.”
The idea resonated with the people he talked to, and he soon found Alex Emanuel and Maegan Hayward, two other producers who helped put the album together. Musicians gravitated toward the project, and they soon had a flood of submissions. They were able to put together a lineup spanning genre and generation, with smaller names like Pless, as well as legends like Crosby & Nash, Yoko Ono, Willie Nelson, Steve Earle, Joan Baez and more modern acts like Third Eye Blind, Thievery Corporation and Immortal Technique.
For Samel, having that breadth of performance was crucial to representing the diverse crowd that is Occupy Wall Street.
“I think it’s cross generational because the movement is cross generational,” he says. “There were grandmas in the granny brigade sitting there knitting sweaters and hats for everybody, and then you have 16- and 17-year old kids walking around and everything in between.”
D.J. Logic, a New York-based funk and jam D.J., made a track remixing the chants that echoed throughout the marches and camps during all the protests.
“I just wanted to make a soundtrack of the sounds and the voices from the protests, you know,” he says. “And I came up with this track that was the voice of the participation. I took some recordings and some footage from Zuccotti Park, and some other stuff I grabbed from youtube.”
Occupy has been running out of money ever since they stopped being a media fixture following their eviction from Zuccotti Park, but organizers are trying to keep the now international movement running after its initial peak in the fall. After a winter’s hibernation, there’s a spate of new protests planned for the spring, and Samel hopes the proceeds from Occupy this Album can have a hand in keeping the organization’s fundraising robust.
For Pless, just getting the opportunity to play on the same album as some of the names that later signed on is incredible.
“It’s a trip, it’s awesome,” he says. “That’s something I didn’t expect from the whole thing at all. The opportunity to do that at all.”
Read more: http://www.forbes.com/sites/davidthier/2012/01/26/occupy-this-album/
After the show, he asked for his business card. Pless gave him a piece of cardboard with his name written in magic marker. Samel had an idea.
“How is this guy so amazing and he only has a business card with his name written in magic marker on it” he wondered. ”I said wow, I’d love to do some type of album that kind of highlights folks like him.”
Chants, music, and the much-derided drum circles had been an integral part of the Occupy movement since its inception, but for the most part, the audience had been limited to those in the parks, most of them participating in the music themselves. As a bid to spread awareness and raise money for the movement, Samel decided to begin the project that would later become “Occupy This Album: A Compilation of Music By, For and Inspired by the Occupy Wall Street Movement.”
The idea resonated with the people he talked to, and he soon found Alex Emanuel and Maegan Hayward, two other producers who helped put the album together. Musicians gravitated toward the project, and they soon had a flood of submissions. They were able to put together a lineup spanning genre and generation, with smaller names like Pless, as well as legends like Crosby & Nash, Yoko Ono, Willie Nelson, Steve Earle, Joan Baez and more modern acts like Third Eye Blind, Thievery Corporation and Immortal Technique.
For Samel, having that breadth of performance was crucial to representing the diverse crowd that is Occupy Wall Street.
“I think it’s cross generational because the movement is cross generational,” he says. “There were grandmas in the granny brigade sitting there knitting sweaters and hats for everybody, and then you have 16- and 17-year old kids walking around and everything in between.”
D.J. Logic, a New York-based funk and jam D.J., made a track remixing the chants that echoed throughout the marches and camps during all the protests.
“I just wanted to make a soundtrack of the sounds and the voices from the protests, you know,” he says. “And I came up with this track that was the voice of the participation. I took some recordings and some footage from Zuccotti Park, and some other stuff I grabbed from youtube.”
Occupy has been running out of money ever since they stopped being a media fixture following their eviction from Zuccotti Park, but organizers are trying to keep the now international movement running after its initial peak in the fall. After a winter’s hibernation, there’s a spate of new protests planned for the spring, and Samel hopes the proceeds from Occupy this Album can have a hand in keeping the organization’s fundraising robust.
For Pless, just getting the opportunity to play on the same album as some of the names that later signed on is incredible.
“It’s a trip, it’s awesome,” he says. “That’s something I didn’t expect from the whole thing at all. The opportunity to do that at all.”
Read more: http://www.forbes.com/sites/davidthier/2012/01/26/occupy-this-album/
Occupy Wall Street Album to Feature Tom Morello, Crosby & Nash, Yoko Ono
Proceeds from 'Occupy This Album' will benefit movement
by: ROLLING STONE
JANUARY 23, 2012 4:55 PM ET
Occupy Wall Street now has an A-list soundtrack: the compilation Occupy This Album, which was announced today and will be released sometime this spring. The record will feature music from Debbie Harry, Jackson Browne, Yoko Ono, Third Eye Blind, Crosby and Nash and many more. Several of the contributors, including Joan Baez and Crosby and Nash, performed at the New York OWS site while it was still active.
Proceeds from Occupy This Album will benefit the Occupy movement, which has flourished from an initial staging in New York into an international grassroots effort. According to the press release, "all proceeds received from the sale of this work will go directly to the Occupy movement. . . The cause can now be found in 951 cities in 83 countries including Europe, North America, South America, Asia and Africa." . . . . . .
Read more: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/occupy-wall-street-album-to-feature-tom-morello-crosby-nash-yoko-ono-20120123#ixzz1o5xFCobP
Proceeds from Occupy This Album will benefit the Occupy movement, which has flourished from an initial staging in New York into an international grassroots effort. According to the press release, "all proceeds received from the sale of this work will go directly to the Occupy movement. . . The cause can now be found in 951 cities in 83 countries including Europe, North America, South America, Asia and Africa." . . . . . .
Read more: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/occupy-wall-street-album-to-feature-tom-morello-crosby-nash-yoko-ono-20120123#ixzz1o5xFCobP
10th Annual Great American Song Contest
Finalist – Contemporary Acoustic Folk
"In the Past Tense" by Matt Pless
http://www.GreatAmericanSong.com
Finalist – Contemporary Acoustic Folk
"In the Past Tense" by Matt Pless
http://www.GreatAmericanSong.com
________________________________________________________________________
In the Past Tense by Matt Pless
“Love the song…this really spoke to my heart”
-Carolyn Hart (widow of Bobby Hart Boyce and Hart)
________________________________________________________________________
Justice Through Music Press
Unity Music JTMP was at the Unity Music Festival this year, and encountered a local musician from the Baltimore scene that left us feeling we had encountered a young Bob Dylan before he was discovered. Matt Pless, who has released an independent CD titled "Alarm Clock Time Bomb", impressed us not only with his fantastic guitar playing, harmonica playing, and singing; but also with his gift of weaving lyrical poetry around his strong songwriting. His lyrics are stories themselves, painting pictures of such social issues as suburban living, propaganda on TV, and the Internet.
"White Picket Fences" is a track that makes one laugh at the suburban lifestyle, yet also philosophizes about it. His song, "When the Helmets Hit the Ground", about America's military missions in Iraq and Afghanistan, conjures up visions of the true toll of these events and makes one think about what it is really all about. It makes you question it all. All of the tracks on this CD are truly works of art, displaying strong songwriting and socially conscious thoughts.
________________________________________________________________________
An Evening with Matt Pless by Brian Holsey
Baltimore Band Examiner (Online)
"Matt who? No, never heard of him."
Well by all means allow me to introduce you. I had the privilege of attending a free show at Towson University last night, graciously hosted by their very own English Club. The featured performer was Matt Pless, a singer-songwriter I had never heard of before. But now, not even 24 hours later, I already have that elitist-swagger in my step that we all get when we feel like we've become acquainted with "the next big thing" before the rest of our friends. Now I know how the first guy to ever make a Facebook account or say "Check out this YouTube video!" must have felt.
When I got to the show – which was a relatively small event held in a classroom-turned-performance-space – my friend pointed out the night's headliner to me, sitting quietly by himself on a couch in the corner. An evidently soft-spoken and thoughtful individual, Matt Pless utilizes an entirely different voice as soon as he begins to sing. For the first time in a long while, I witnessed an aspiring musician who seemed to be more at ease while he was playing than when he wasn't. He didn't once attempt to hide his voice or his lyrics, putting them out for the audience's consideration as confidently as if he'd been playing a show for The Matt Pless Fan Club.
As for the music itself, I must admit that I didn't lose interest once in the entire 11-song set. Armed with an acoustic guitar, a harmonica, and a distinct-but-likable voice, Matt is easily likened to a certain singer-songwriter who became famous with that exact instrumentation many, many years ago. But instrumentation aside, his compositions offer lyrically-potent social commentary, on par with the works of... well... that same famous singer-songwriter. So subtle allusions aside, Matt shares many admirable qualities with the legendary Bob Dylan, and could probably become comparably popular if the generation he's trying to reach would only begin to take an interest in lyrical craftsmanship and meaningful messages. Sadly, it seems that right now one or two catchy hooks, paired with the most popular emo-haircut and some good luck are the only criteria for success in this broken music industry of ours.
Matt Pless has clearly not accepted this paradigm, however, and seems determined to lace all of his songs with a greater meaning and originality not commonly found in popular music these days. The anti-war anthem, "When The Helmets Hit the Ground," is a plea to bring U.S. troops home from Iraq, which Matt wrote for a woman he met who had a son overseas. Meanwhile, the ironic comment on the masks worn by "normal" families in the song "White Picket Fences" is sure to resonate with anyone who has ever felt that in some way or another they come from a broken home that still appears functional on the surface.
But don't get the impression that all Matt's music is serious by any means. He has his share of lighthearted love songs too, like the as-yet unrecorded story of the peasant boy and Amber-Leigh, or "She Plays With Dirty Needles and She's In My Arms Again." My favorite song of the night though, was probably "Talkin' Information Blues," a witty and comedic exploration of how the internet has changed social relations in recent years. If you have an internet-capable phone and a MySpace page, you can't help but directly relate to almost every line in the song, which is an impressive feat for any songwriter.
Although now that I'm listening to the CD I bought and looking back on my notes from the show, I'm thinking that "In The Past Tense" is also a good contender for my favorite Pless track. A touching and beautifully fingerpicked song, – stylistically reminiscent of Dylan's "Mr. Tambourine Man" – all I wrote about it in my notes last night was "Damn... That's a good one..."
So in case you haven't read between the lines and decoded the latent subtext of this article yet, I'll just come right out and say that Matt Pless has won my highest possible recommendation for music to check out. Both of his albums are available for purchase on iTunes and CDBaby.com, and some great songs are on his MySpace page that everyone can check out free of charge. Don't let me down, people. I know Towson has some local pride, we gave Michael Phelps a damn parade. But not all of us want to spend all of our time in a pool, so the least we can do is spend a few bucks to support some fantastic local music.
Another Fan: Matt is without a doubt the Bob Dylan of our generation. The variety of subjects and musical styles he can write/compose for is incredible for someone who is a true solo artist. No producers, no managers...everything you hear on his albums are from his musical genius/heart. Indeed, give credit to the talented musicians who played on his records as they did a stellar job as well. Thank you Mr. Holsey for this nice account of Matt! I only hope appreciation for music with something to say becomes more popular instead of the trend of the mainstream.
________________________________________________________________________
Seven Summer Sessions, NYC
Matt Pless reminded us of feelings about the enormous number of baby boomer children that are trying to be rock stars. His grim insights and wry wit are good medicine for the many many productive lives that might be better spent making careers in brain surgery or car washing than in music. Matt is one of the most traveled road warriors we've had the pleasure to interview. This guy is true grit! His music was also seasoned crafted and nostalgic - Mr. Pless here's to the harmonica and the road.
________________________________________________________________________
Ganesha Zine
(Buenos Aires, South America)
(Translated) Matt Pless does not offer sweet acoustic songs. Those who would need to confine his music might call it indie folk pop, but his music goes much beyond one genre. The simplicity of its themes is a virtue…not a disadvantage. With just his guitar to accompany him, he needs nothing else to shape his music…his harmonica does add deeper textures. The twelve songs of the record are absolutely infectious and engraining. Each one separately is a small gem by itself. The entire CD emanates joy. One could cite Lemonheads as influence.
________________________________________________________________________
Sandy Jacobson
Creator/Produce
BackStage: Los Angeles
LA’s REAL Music Interview TV Show
"Matt Pless is a young, folk-style singer/songwriter who draws his influences from Bob Dylan, John Prine, and the rhyming word structures of Hip-Hop to create his own definitive style within the acoustic genre. His song "Talkin' Information" is a great example of the blending of his three main influences. Contemporary messages, with classic acoustic/folk style...and a real pro!
I first listened to his music, for pre-production for him to be a guest on our show, but I have continued to listen to his music because I want to!"
________________________________________________________________________
Grab Bag
by Greg Yost
Music Monthly
Matt Pless is a man of many talents. As the lead singer of a MD-based punk band Pless was able to perform his songs in front of large audiences as an opening act for major acts like The Queers and Maroon 5 and at festivals and events like the annual Vans Warped Tour. Now that [band] is no long active, Pless has moved back to working as a solo artist and proves himself to be quite a songwriter and performer of acoustic pop music on his new album Requiems for Wishing Wells.
From the jangly pop of the opening track "Zero to the Third" to the tender and honest introspection of My Dark Room, this album has a little bit of everything. Another standout track on Requiems for Wishing Wells is the somber balladry of "Madeline", but my favorites are "the Gypsy Life, a tale of a musician's life on the road that features a beautiful violin accompaniment by Krissy Golden and the Ballad of D.I.Y., an interesting autobiographical trip through Pless's life experiences as a musician.
________________________________________________________________________
Bandslut Online
December 2005
Matt Pless's album "Requiems for Wishing Wells" is the album you're going to want from the fat guy in a red suit. Matt has a way of using his lyrics to tell the truth about how he feels about everything from modern punk rock in "The Ballad of D.I.Y." to doing things the way he wants to in "The Faded Fall Down". With various instruments from the harmonica to the tambourine and the violin, this album is far from anything that you hear on MTV. And that's the way Matt wants it. He's "grown up" since his days of Three Prong Outlet and has made, in my opinion, the most amazing album of the year. Even though the music is laid-back, make sure you listen to his lyrics, you can still hear the angst that we all love Matt for. Instead of just bitching about the scene, Matt is going to make a difference if people would just pick up this album and listen to what he has to say.
_______________________________________________________________________
Jezebel Music, Brooklyn, NY
Fans have seen his songwriting reach a new level in the past year. The once Violent-Femmes-meets-Dylan bratiness has been replaced by...well, he’s still wonderfully boisterous at times but there are some sensitive ballads in the mix as well. His lyrics are reaching new depths as well and we can’t wait to see what directions he’ll be headed in this year.
___________________________________________________________________________
CDBaby reviews
“Fantastic.”
“..Inspiring, amazing!”
“Entertaining AND it makes you think.”
“A true work of art. . .”
“Wonderful CD I loved every song.”
“Moving, creative, thought-provoking, and wonderful listening experience.”
“Breath taking…”
In the Past Tense by Matt Pless
“Love the song…this really spoke to my heart”
-Carolyn Hart (widow of Bobby Hart Boyce and Hart)
________________________________________________________________________
Justice Through Music Press
Unity Music JTMP was at the Unity Music Festival this year, and encountered a local musician from the Baltimore scene that left us feeling we had encountered a young Bob Dylan before he was discovered. Matt Pless, who has released an independent CD titled "Alarm Clock Time Bomb", impressed us not only with his fantastic guitar playing, harmonica playing, and singing; but also with his gift of weaving lyrical poetry around his strong songwriting. His lyrics are stories themselves, painting pictures of such social issues as suburban living, propaganda on TV, and the Internet.
"White Picket Fences" is a track that makes one laugh at the suburban lifestyle, yet also philosophizes about it. His song, "When the Helmets Hit the Ground", about America's military missions in Iraq and Afghanistan, conjures up visions of the true toll of these events and makes one think about what it is really all about. It makes you question it all. All of the tracks on this CD are truly works of art, displaying strong songwriting and socially conscious thoughts.
________________________________________________________________________
An Evening with Matt Pless by Brian Holsey
Baltimore Band Examiner (Online)
"Matt who? No, never heard of him."
Well by all means allow me to introduce you. I had the privilege of attending a free show at Towson University last night, graciously hosted by their very own English Club. The featured performer was Matt Pless, a singer-songwriter I had never heard of before. But now, not even 24 hours later, I already have that elitist-swagger in my step that we all get when we feel like we've become acquainted with "the next big thing" before the rest of our friends. Now I know how the first guy to ever make a Facebook account or say "Check out this YouTube video!" must have felt.
When I got to the show – which was a relatively small event held in a classroom-turned-performance-space – my friend pointed out the night's headliner to me, sitting quietly by himself on a couch in the corner. An evidently soft-spoken and thoughtful individual, Matt Pless utilizes an entirely different voice as soon as he begins to sing. For the first time in a long while, I witnessed an aspiring musician who seemed to be more at ease while he was playing than when he wasn't. He didn't once attempt to hide his voice or his lyrics, putting them out for the audience's consideration as confidently as if he'd been playing a show for The Matt Pless Fan Club.
As for the music itself, I must admit that I didn't lose interest once in the entire 11-song set. Armed with an acoustic guitar, a harmonica, and a distinct-but-likable voice, Matt is easily likened to a certain singer-songwriter who became famous with that exact instrumentation many, many years ago. But instrumentation aside, his compositions offer lyrically-potent social commentary, on par with the works of... well... that same famous singer-songwriter. So subtle allusions aside, Matt shares many admirable qualities with the legendary Bob Dylan, and could probably become comparably popular if the generation he's trying to reach would only begin to take an interest in lyrical craftsmanship and meaningful messages. Sadly, it seems that right now one or two catchy hooks, paired with the most popular emo-haircut and some good luck are the only criteria for success in this broken music industry of ours.
Matt Pless has clearly not accepted this paradigm, however, and seems determined to lace all of his songs with a greater meaning and originality not commonly found in popular music these days. The anti-war anthem, "When The Helmets Hit the Ground," is a plea to bring U.S. troops home from Iraq, which Matt wrote for a woman he met who had a son overseas. Meanwhile, the ironic comment on the masks worn by "normal" families in the song "White Picket Fences" is sure to resonate with anyone who has ever felt that in some way or another they come from a broken home that still appears functional on the surface.
But don't get the impression that all Matt's music is serious by any means. He has his share of lighthearted love songs too, like the as-yet unrecorded story of the peasant boy and Amber-Leigh, or "She Plays With Dirty Needles and She's In My Arms Again." My favorite song of the night though, was probably "Talkin' Information Blues," a witty and comedic exploration of how the internet has changed social relations in recent years. If you have an internet-capable phone and a MySpace page, you can't help but directly relate to almost every line in the song, which is an impressive feat for any songwriter.
Although now that I'm listening to the CD I bought and looking back on my notes from the show, I'm thinking that "In The Past Tense" is also a good contender for my favorite Pless track. A touching and beautifully fingerpicked song, – stylistically reminiscent of Dylan's "Mr. Tambourine Man" – all I wrote about it in my notes last night was "Damn... That's a good one..."
So in case you haven't read between the lines and decoded the latent subtext of this article yet, I'll just come right out and say that Matt Pless has won my highest possible recommendation for music to check out. Both of his albums are available for purchase on iTunes and CDBaby.com, and some great songs are on his MySpace page that everyone can check out free of charge. Don't let me down, people. I know Towson has some local pride, we gave Michael Phelps a damn parade. But not all of us want to spend all of our time in a pool, so the least we can do is spend a few bucks to support some fantastic local music.
Another Fan: Matt is without a doubt the Bob Dylan of our generation. The variety of subjects and musical styles he can write/compose for is incredible for someone who is a true solo artist. No producers, no managers...everything you hear on his albums are from his musical genius/heart. Indeed, give credit to the talented musicians who played on his records as they did a stellar job as well. Thank you Mr. Holsey for this nice account of Matt! I only hope appreciation for music with something to say becomes more popular instead of the trend of the mainstream.
________________________________________________________________________
Seven Summer Sessions, NYC
Matt Pless reminded us of feelings about the enormous number of baby boomer children that are trying to be rock stars. His grim insights and wry wit are good medicine for the many many productive lives that might be better spent making careers in brain surgery or car washing than in music. Matt is one of the most traveled road warriors we've had the pleasure to interview. This guy is true grit! His music was also seasoned crafted and nostalgic - Mr. Pless here's to the harmonica and the road.
________________________________________________________________________
Ganesha Zine
(Buenos Aires, South America)
(Translated) Matt Pless does not offer sweet acoustic songs. Those who would need to confine his music might call it indie folk pop, but his music goes much beyond one genre. The simplicity of its themes is a virtue…not a disadvantage. With just his guitar to accompany him, he needs nothing else to shape his music…his harmonica does add deeper textures. The twelve songs of the record are absolutely infectious and engraining. Each one separately is a small gem by itself. The entire CD emanates joy. One could cite Lemonheads as influence.
________________________________________________________________________
Sandy Jacobson
Creator/Produce
BackStage: Los Angeles
LA’s REAL Music Interview TV Show
"Matt Pless is a young, folk-style singer/songwriter who draws his influences from Bob Dylan, John Prine, and the rhyming word structures of Hip-Hop to create his own definitive style within the acoustic genre. His song "Talkin' Information" is a great example of the blending of his three main influences. Contemporary messages, with classic acoustic/folk style...and a real pro!
I first listened to his music, for pre-production for him to be a guest on our show, but I have continued to listen to his music because I want to!"
________________________________________________________________________
Grab Bag
by Greg Yost
Music Monthly
Matt Pless is a man of many talents. As the lead singer of a MD-based punk band Pless was able to perform his songs in front of large audiences as an opening act for major acts like The Queers and Maroon 5 and at festivals and events like the annual Vans Warped Tour. Now that [band] is no long active, Pless has moved back to working as a solo artist and proves himself to be quite a songwriter and performer of acoustic pop music on his new album Requiems for Wishing Wells.
From the jangly pop of the opening track "Zero to the Third" to the tender and honest introspection of My Dark Room, this album has a little bit of everything. Another standout track on Requiems for Wishing Wells is the somber balladry of "Madeline", but my favorites are "the Gypsy Life, a tale of a musician's life on the road that features a beautiful violin accompaniment by Krissy Golden and the Ballad of D.I.Y., an interesting autobiographical trip through Pless's life experiences as a musician.
________________________________________________________________________
Bandslut Online
December 2005
Matt Pless's album "Requiems for Wishing Wells" is the album you're going to want from the fat guy in a red suit. Matt has a way of using his lyrics to tell the truth about how he feels about everything from modern punk rock in "The Ballad of D.I.Y." to doing things the way he wants to in "The Faded Fall Down". With various instruments from the harmonica to the tambourine and the violin, this album is far from anything that you hear on MTV. And that's the way Matt wants it. He's "grown up" since his days of Three Prong Outlet and has made, in my opinion, the most amazing album of the year. Even though the music is laid-back, make sure you listen to his lyrics, you can still hear the angst that we all love Matt for. Instead of just bitching about the scene, Matt is going to make a difference if people would just pick up this album and listen to what he has to say.
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Jezebel Music, Brooklyn, NY
Fans have seen his songwriting reach a new level in the past year. The once Violent-Femmes-meets-Dylan bratiness has been replaced by...well, he’s still wonderfully boisterous at times but there are some sensitive ballads in the mix as well. His lyrics are reaching new depths as well and we can’t wait to see what directions he’ll be headed in this year.
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CDBaby reviews
“Fantastic.”
“..Inspiring, amazing!”
“Entertaining AND it makes you think.”
“A true work of art. . .”
“Wonderful CD I loved every song.”
“Moving, creative, thought-provoking, and wonderful listening experience.”
“Breath taking…”
