PROFILE
Fear of Fred
Release Their Third Full Length CD
by Mike Ferrari
"Who is Fred?" you ask, and why should we fear him?
"Fred might be the pit bull that bit my ass in the sixth grade," says
Cryptic for sure, but while I may never know for certain who "Fred" is, I do know Fear of Fred the band. The band is edgy guitar oriented punkish pop with the raspy vocals of Bill White. Having formed back in the fall of 1996, Fear of Fred came to be when Bill White (on vocals/guitar) found
Between the live shows and the band's demo and then self titled debut CD, Fear of Fred began to amass accolades from the local music papers and radio airplay from the local stations. The self-produced debut disc made it onto the Top 20 CMJ in 2000 and went into rotation on 165 college stations across the US, managing to crack the Top 30 list on over 25 stations! Their second disc entitled "Another Bad Day" was released in August of 2002, and was recorded with Jim Sabella (Public Enemy, Marcy Playground, Nine Days). "Another Bad Day" also made it onto the CMJ TOP 20 and debuted at #143 on the CMJ Top 200 chart. This time out the band enjoyed spins at local commercial stations WLIR, WBAB, & Q104 here in NY, and at over 175 U.S. College stations.
Fear Of Fred
With their loyal following of their self-proclaimed "Fred-Heads" fans and inroads in radio airplay the band parlayed their popularity into numerous appearances and successfully participated in many competitions, showcases and events sponsored by NY Commercial Radio Stations and other media. Their successes also presented them with choice concert slots, including opening for acts at the Tommy Hilfiger/Jones Beach Concert Theater (Bad Company, Styx, Billy Squier, Huey Lewis & the News), impressing Clear Channel reps. They even were introduced by Fred "the Elephant Boy" from the Howard Stern show for the Bad Company/Styx show (every band's dream!).
They've also appeared at other top NY venues as an opening act for many national and international acts such as The Alarm (Mike Peters introduced Fear of Fred as, "nice local chaps" - a high compliment from a Welshman for sure), the English Beat, General Public, Antigone Rising, Dramarama, and Nine Days.
During 2003 & 2004, MTV featured Fear of Fred songs in their reality shows "Sorority Life" and "Fraternity Life." In all, 14 Fear Of Fred songs were used during the two seasons of the popular shows.
The band has just released their third full length CD, Girls on Reality TV - choc full of their trademark power pop-punk. Two tracks that immediately stand out are the title track which depicts the story of a lovable loser-s fascination with the "Boob" tube, and "Punk Rock Pete" - which chronicles the real life of Kismet, Fire Island's favorite vodka soaked punk rocker celebrity. The band is hitting the live circuit in support of the new CD and working on a video for Girls on Reality TV which should be released later this summer.
As I mentioned before these guys rock out live, so catch them July 22nd, at Kenny's Castaways for a 9:00pm show.
You can check them out online at www.myspace.com/fearoffred2 or www.fearoffred.com
Jen Chapin - New CD
by Mike Ferrari
Two years ago the daughter of famed L.I. folk singer Harry Chapin released her critically acclaimed debut album, "Linger."
Jen Chapin
Now
Off the Island
Jill Stevenson
by Kathy Fleischmann
"Off the Island" is a column about musicians trying to do the same thing every artist on LI is trying to accomplish - getting gigs, selling CD's and looking for that "big break". This month's article is about
Jill Stevenson
AF: Tell the Aural Fix readers a little about Jill Stevenson.
Jill: I was born into a very musical and spiritual family and was always in touch with my feelings and music at a very young age. Through this, I learned how to express and create these emotions early on through music, art, poetry, etc... My family was always very supportive of my dreams. My father is/was a singer/songwriter/guitarist and taught me so much about song craft, vocal performance, and technique and so on. My mother is a professional accompanist and played music in church. Growing up in a southern Baptist community, gospel music was always present and was extremely influential in my growth as an artist.
AF: You're originally from Denver - what made you make the decision to move to NY?
Jill: The Denver music scene is and was definitely cool. A lot of very talented musicians are a part of it. But it isn't huge. There are only so many bars that one can play and only so many "local music-loving fans" to reach. I was making good money there, but after a couple years I realized (and always knew) that the Denver scene was a stepping stone. I left because I wanted to take it to the next level. I wanted to be challenged professionally, musically, emotionally. I also think on some level that I just had to get away. I was itching for the big city.
AF: How has your music career changed since the move - better or worse?
Jill: It has only changed for the better. I made the conscious decision to throw myself into this move and accept all the twists and turns and accepting the expected "stumbles" are necessary for my journey. Since moving to New York I have developed a strong fan base, written more songs, and played more performances and TV appearance. I have met so many talented artists that want the same things I do. Everyone is helping each other (almost everyone) and sort of working as a team. It really is a blessing.
AF: When I gigged with you, it was a solo acoustic thing - are you primarily an acoustic solo artist?
Jill: Though I do play solo acoustic often and especially on the road, most of the gigs are with my band.
AF: What about your band? Is that a side project or something you prefer when it comes to performing?
Jill: I love playing with them! Ryan Vaughn plays percussion and drums. He is about to graduate from William Patterson University with a degree in music and is so talented! I love his energy, drive and passion for what he does. He is very committed and I am so lucky to have that. Kyle Nix plays bass for me - and talk about a genius! I call him Kyle "Daddy" Nix because when we're on stage I feel safe with him there. Not only is he a sick bass player but he always falls right into pocket and has strong musicianship skills and professionalism. It is an honor to perform with him.
AF: Any upcoming projects you'd like to share with us?
Jill: The most current project, other than continuing to write new songs, is a collaboration with two unbelievable musicians; Michael Visceglia and Jerry Marotta. It includes songwriting, touring and recording... and we'll see what comes of it! All of this is being done via WACBIZ, a writers' artists cooperative. I am also in the process of organizing a European tour at the end of 2006 and in addition to all of this, I will be playing a small role in an Independent Japanese horror film that will be released in 2007.
AF: Moving to NY is a gutsy move but you seem to have adapted really well.
Jill: Uprooting is not an easy thing to do. It's definitely a struggle to do this in a very expensive city as an "unknown" musician. But, somehow, through all the crying, frustration and fear... I wake up happy. I love what I do and could never do anything else. This is where it's at for me!
