SOUNDTRACK: ANTHONY D’AMATO-Tiny Desk Concert #398 (October 20, 2014).
I’d never heard of Anthony D’Amato before this Tiny Desk Concert, and yet his music sounds vaguely familiar. D’Amato sings fast, upbeat acoustic folk rock with a full band behind him.
“Was a Time” starts out with just him and his guitar. But after the first verse the whole band kicks in and the song really takes off. There’s some harmonica between verses and a big Whoo! before the end of the song. The song is a fun romp, fun to sing along to until you realize the chorus: “there was a time that I loved you / I don’t love you any more.”
He introduces the second song “Good and Ready” and says “we’ll start whenever Derek is… good and ready.” This song sounds very different as it opens with a cool soulful bassline. After that opening the song proper begins with Amato’s acoustic guitar and the electric guitar playing a loud slide guitar riff. This song is a bit more positive, despite the repeated line of I don’t wanna wake up,” the chorus is “I don’t wanna wake up if it ain’t next to you.”
All three of these songs use the same verse style with the first words of every line being repeated over and over. In the first song, every libe starts, “There was a time….” In the second, each line begins “I don’t wanna wake up….” The final song, “Ludlow,” changes things a little bit although each verse stats with the opening “First the… then the….”
I felt a little for his backing vocalist Katy Pinke, because while everyone else is doing things, she’s just standing there occasionally sinking a word or two. Although for “Ludlow” he and Katy sing a quiet duet.
D’Amato writes catchy, rather pleasing songs. I wonder why I haven’t heard of him before.
[READ: July 2, 2016] Delilah Dirk and the King’s Shilling
Much like I wrote about the first book: I enjoyed this story quite a lot. Cliff’s drawing style which was peculiar but ultimately very satisfying. And more importantly, he tells a great story.
But this book was even more satisfying than the first. I have also changed my opinion of Cliff’s artistic style somewhat in that I think it is really fantastic. It is definitely unusual–realistic but not exactly–and he has such amazing control of expressions. Even moreso in this book in which Delilah goes into polite society and so much must be conveyed through expression.
Plus there’s a lot of action, too. (more…)
I Just Read About That... 