"A virtuoso in musicianship, Steve Mayone writes compelling singer/songwriter classics. But hes a jack of all trades too as he plays guitar, piano, bass, mandolin, and percussion while singing on his Unfortunate Son. A great follow-up to his breathtaking Bedroom Rockstar, this album is another notch on a belt of talented pop-rock ventures with slight Americana bends and juicy roots rock. Good stuff."
- Smother.net
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Steve in his first band
Walking downstairs into the underground basement of the Slaughtered Lamb in a back street somewhere in the bowels of Farringdon, into a large and blackened smoke-filled room, littered with scruffy armchairs and wicker sofas, I gleefully thought to myself Ooooh its a proper folk club! Lovely lovely.
In this intimate and warm setting, STEVE MAYONE treated us to a heartfelt, sometimes gritty, sometimes moving, set of downright dirty Americana tracks and touching ballads.
One of the true values of a musician is whether they can translate their recorded songs into the stripped-down acoustic arena. Needless to say, Steve Mayone can. Listen to his albums (Bedroom Rockstar comes highly recommended) and the likes of Brendan Benson, Tragically Hip and Ryan Adams spring to mind. However, hearing just the man and his guitar is a different story altogether (although disappointingly there was no banjo in this set as he really is a finger-pickin' good player).
The stand out tracks he performed included Deeper in the Well, a little slice of perfectly crafted bluegrass melancholy, reminiscent of Union Station perhaps. She Runs Deep was stunning, in fact the whole gig was. Warm and engaging, his music really hit a nerve, like hymns to the red-wine soaked state of mind I was in that evening. Oh yes, a nice bit of truly heartfelt Americana was enough to get my whimsical sense of poetry going. All he needed was lyrical references to forlorn bridesmaids and the Good Lord Jesus and I would have been weeping in the aisle.
Funnily enough, the room was packed full of trendy hair-cutted indie kids who were a bit po-faced to start with, and by the end they was some real toe-tapping going on along with the rest of em. The ignorant buggers were chatting rather too loudly to start with (which is annoyingly often the case at acoustic music nights), but a Mexican Wave of shushness soon sorted that out the Mary Poppins spoon-full-of-sugar method (i.e. make it fun).
So all in all, Steve Mayone, hes really rather good. If hes ever in your neighbourhood go check him out. At the very least, get yourself a copy of Bedroom Rockstar. You wont be disappointed.
- Sian Owen
'London, Clerkenwell, Slaughtered Lamb, 16 Mar 2005'
Borrowing from the title of his praise-worthy debut, this 'Bedroom Rockstar' has overcome his agoraphobia and taken his songs beyond the front stoop. The self-produced Unfortunate Son was recorded in no less than 7 locations with the assistance of notable engineers and players such as Michael Koppelman, Steve Sadler, David Rizzuti, Neilson Hubbard and Pete Weiss. Mayones credits are noteworthy as well, having worked with the likes of Kris Delmhorst, Jess Klein, Levon Helm, Jason Hatfield, Clare Burson and Jimmy Ryan. But its his talent as a singer and songwriter thats to be noted here. Simply put, Mayone ties up all of Americana, folk, classic and roots-rock, effortlessly flowing from one to the next and never at a loss for interest. The opening track 'Beautiful And Dangerous' comes from the Michael Penn school of pop rock. But equally intriguing is the dreamy and epic acoustic tune 'Iowa', which follows. 'You Cant Look Inside Of Me' sounds like it was written with a bit of J. J. Cale and Mark Knopfler in mind. No matter how he displays them, either simple or well-crafted, his songs have natural passion and organic life going for them.
- Miles of Music
"A virtuoso in musicianship, Steve Mayone writes compelling singer/songwriter classics. But hes a jack of all trades too as he plays guitar, piano, bass, mandolin, and percussion while singing on his Unfortunate Son. A great follow-up to his breathtaking Bedroom Rockstar, this album is another notch on a belt of talented pop-rock ventures with slight Americana bends and juicy roots rock. Good stuff."
- Smother.net
Steve Mayone drfte bei uns in Deutschland niemand kennen, dennoch blickt er auf eine langjhrige musikalische Laufbahn zurck und spielte in seiner Heimat U.S.A. in zahlreichen eigenen Bands, deren Namen ich mir hier schenken mchte. Als Sidekick lieh er immerhin so illustren Leuten wie Dave Mattacks (ex-FAIRPORT CONVENTION), Levon Helm, Kris Delmhorst, Jimmy Ryan (ex-BLOOD ORANGES) seine Stimme und seine Saitenknste.
Alles schn und gut, werden manche behaupten, Namedropping ist schliesslich nicht alles. Wenn ich allerdings darauf verweise, dass der gute Steve Mayone als Gitarrist und Snger im Dezember mit einem gewissen Todd Thibaud auf Tour geht und sein aktuelles Album "Bedroom Rockstar" ein verdammt ausgereiftes Potenzial erkennen lsst, werden einige Roots-Rock-Freaks mglicherweise doch hellhrig. Da kann sich Kollege Thibaud aber auf ganz gewitzte Bhnenuntersttzung freuen.
Steve Mayone legt also ein ziemlich ausgeschlafenes und reifes Werk vor. Sein weit gestreutes Interesse in unterschiedlichste Musikstile spiegelt sich in der kompetenten Aufbereitung seiner meist eigenen Kompositionen wider. Ein paar der Songs schrieb Steve gemeinsam mit seinem alten Studien-Kumpel Michael Koppelmann, der zwischenzeitlich auszog, um als Engineer im Prince-Imperium zu arbeiten. Als da wren Losing und The sweetest thing, die man durchaus als gemigten Power-Pop bezeichnen kann und irgendwo im weiten Umfeld von Strategen wie Freedy Johnston, Marshall Crenshaw oder Tommy Keene ansiedeln darf. Im dritten Titel (Other side) entlarvt sich Mayone dann vollends als BEATLES-Fan, wenn er wie selbstverstndlich einen Ohrwurm samt astreiner Backing-Vocals raushaut, der gut und gerne auf "Revolver" oder "Rubber Soul" seinen Platz gefunden htte.
Da Mayone ebenfalls Erfahrungen im Bluegrass-Umfeld sammelte, darf eine Banjo/Mandoline infizierte Nummer wie Going down natrlich nicht fehlen. Eine Spur folkiger wird's dann im introspektiven Deeper in the well, wenn Kollegin Clare Burson ihre Fiddle auspackt und den gospeligen Background-Chor umgarnt.
Und solange sich ein Knstler wie Steve Mayone noch selbst auf die Schppe nehmen kann, indem er im satirischen Titelsong Bedroom rockstar seinen Protagonisten der Lcherlichkeit preisgibt und mit einem berkandidelten Gitarrensolo anfeuert, muss man sich um das Seelenheil der Independent-Artisten keine Sorgen machen. Amsantes Lied. Gleich im folgenden Song zeigt Mayone allerdings wie ernsthaft er das Musikerdasein nimmt. Denn der supercoole fast siebenmintige Mid-Tempo-Groove Stranded zelebriert ein imposantes Spektakel aus allerlei Gitarrensalven. Da knnen wir uns doch im Dezember auf das eine oder andere heisse Solo freuen, nicht wahr, Stevie?
Seine Singer-Songwriter Fhigkeiten beweist er mit She runs deep, wo er atmosphrisch auf hnlichen Pfaden wandelt wie Gary Jules. Kyle Esposito verziert den federnden Besen-Groove mit einigen netten Fretless-Bass Fills. Ist doch auch mal wieder 'ne ganz nette Idee. Und ganz souvern schliesst sich Mayones Kreis mit seinem persnlichen (wie sollte es anders sein) Paul McCartney Gedchtnis-Song, den Steve wohl aus einer vergessenen WINGS-Schublade entlieh, um ihn vor dem Verstauben zu retten. Sehr gut.
Ein unterhaltsames Album eines reifen Knstlers, der weiss worum es geht. Traditionspflege. Rettet die Welt vor schlechter Musik. Mayone hat seinen Teil geleistet.
- Frank Ipach (home-of-rock.de)
Steve Mayone draait al zon goeie twintig jaar mee in het vak. En dat leverde ondermeer vijftien gewoon thuis ingeblikte albums op. Een gegeven dat meteen mee helpt verklaren, hoe het kan dat zijn officile solodebuut Bedroom Rockstar zo verrassend rijp overkomt. De multigetalenteerde Mayone stond in het verleden ondermeer ook in voor het snarenwerk gitaar, mandoline, bas bij bands als Hummer, Sticky en de Benders, en de kleine lettertjes op de platen van bekendere collegas als Kris Delmhorst, Jess Klein, Levon Helm, Jimmy Ryan (Blood Oranges) en Dave Mattacks (Fairport Convention) leren dat hij bovendien ook daar zijn sporen verdiende als begeleider. Op zijn eersteling voor eigen rekening treffen we een veelheid aan stijlen aan: prachtige Americana (zoals het met Clare Burson gebrachte duet Deeper In The Well of het van een sprankelende banjobijdrage voorziene Going Down), Beatle-eske pop (Other Side), ingetogen (rockende) akoestische singer-songwriter stuff (Not That Strong, Wanted Man - wederom met Clare Burson - en Losing), melodieuze power pop (The Sweetest Thing), gitaarrock (het titelnummer), een pianoballade (I Dont Deserve You), folk (She Runs Deep) - een echt muzikaal smrgasbord is het. Dat Bedroom Rockstar desondanks toch een hecht geheel vormt, is vooral te danken aan de flexibele stem van Mayone zelf. Die vormt als het ware het cement tussen de twaalf bouwstenen van deze buitengewoon intrigerende plaat. (Dertien zelfs, als we de gevoelsmatig weer volop aan de Fab Four herinnerende instrumentale bonus track volledigheidshalve ook nog even mee in rekening brengen.)
- AltCountry (Belgium)
Steve Mayone inizia a scrivere canzoni allet di tredici anni: un lungo apprendistato che porta il cantautore statunitense ad esordire questanno con il primo cd solista, Bedroom Rockstar, dopo aver preso parte alla scena musicale di Scarsdale (New York), dove muove i primi passi con la chitarra, di Minneapolis e di Boston, la citt dove forma una band, gli Hummer, prima di intraprendere la carriera solista che questo album vuole testimoniare. Dal 1978 ad oggi Steve ha suonato e prodotto dischi per altri, ma soprattutto ha registrato qualcosa come una ventina di cd demo, che in realt sono ognuno dei veri e propri album realizzati in casa nella pi assoluta indipendenza. Tutto ci ha fatto di lui un musicista completo: in questo suo ultimo lavoro alle doti vocali affianca chitarra, basso, banjo, batteria, piano, mandolino e percussioni (ai quali va aggiunta la personale produzione e il missaggio definitivo del disco), oltre ad alcuni compagni di viaggio che contribuiscono a creare un solido sound di base, prevalentemente incentrato sulle chitarre acustiche nella pi classica tradizione cantautorale. Canzoni che fluttuano tra il pop di beatlesiana memoria e la tradizione folk americana: tutto questo Bedroom Rockstar, un calderone contenente lamore (notevole The Sweetest Thing, che non una cover degli U2 ma unallegro pezzo che a tratti richiama Richard Ashcroft), la morte e il pessimismo. Proprio in queste canzoni negative Steve sembra dare il meglio di s: liniziale Losing, che contrappone un testo malinconico ad un ritmo decisamente pi allegro, Not that strong, dolce ballata che ci trasporta per qualche minuto in un altro mondo fatto di triste dolcezza, e la seguente Good day to die, una vera e propria perla. Mayone un artista intelligente, sa variare e riesce a non stancarci mai: alla nostalgia e allamore fanno eco sonorit ripescate dai favolosi anni sessanta, come nella spumeggiante Going Down, mentre in Wanted Man Steve sembra seguire lesempio dellormai blasonato Damien Rice affiancandosi una ragazza, Clare Burson, che d un prezioso contributo con la propria voce e il proprio violino. Richard Ashcroft, Josh Rouse, Nick Drake, ma anche Dylan e Cat Stevens: sono tanti gli artisti che potremmo associare al cantautore americano, ma la realt che Mayone non assomiglia a nessuno in particolare e con questo Bedroom Rockstar verr ricordato per quello che : un artista molto dotato con un grande talento compositivo. Bedroom rockstar il risultato di venti anni di canzoni scritte e suonate nella propria stanza da un musicista (almeno da noi) sconosciuto che meriterebbe di guadagnarsi uno spazio suo anche allesterno. Anche solo per il fatto che non rimasto a rimirare i poster dei suoi eroi, come succede a tanti, ma si costruito un suono e una personalit tutta sua, da rocker libero ed indipendente qual .
- mescalina.it (Italy)
Quella di Steve Mayone non si pu certo definire una carriera fulminea, tutt'altro. Steve infatti, da buon musicista underground, giunto a questo Bedroom Rockstar, suo primo album, dopo venticinque anni di home-tapes in scantinati e di produzioni secondarie che lo hanno visto partecipe in veste di semplice turnista. Bedroom Rockstar non vuole spazzar via le difficolt degli inizi e il ricordo di quella voglia di diventare musicista: "Sono una rock star da camera da letto, questo sono. Rockeggio nella mia camera fino alle otto di mattinaĶPenso di essere un perdente. Lo dicono anche i miei amici. Non ho una ragazza, ma questo va beneĶ", questi sono alcuni versi della title track, brano scabro scalfito solo dal suono di una chitarra elettrica. Steve, newyorkese d'origine, un cantante capace quanto basta e un poli-strumentista di prim'ordine anche se, per la sua "prima", ha voluto accanto a s Jonas Kahn (chitarra) e Mike Piehl (batteria), amici di vecchia data e compagni d'avventura in altre formazioni. L'estrazione di Bedroom Rockstar povera, ma all'album non manca nulla delle grandi produzioni: il suono del disco risulta infatti nitido e Steve si dimostra un arrangiatore in grado di amalgamare le influenze pop provenienti dal Regno Unito (Kinks, Bearles su tutti) con i suoni roots d'America. Supportato da una serie di brani commercialmente azzeccati, da facciata (The Sweetest Thing e Losing, pop chitarristici; Stranded, sinuoso rock dai connotati funky; e la conclusiva I Don't Deserte You, pianistica sulla scia di Lennon-McCartney), Mayone piazza alcuni colpi niente male: Deeper In The Well una gemma old-style con tanto di banjo; Good Day To Die, che il brano migliore, un pezzo operaio, un rock dai toni a stelle e strisce; Wanted Man e She Runs Deep, con l'ausilio di Clare Burson e Megan Johnson al canto, sono due tracce acustiche e trascinanti.
Bedroom Rockstar un prodotto maturo, creato per avere un seguito. Steve Mayone sa cosa vuol dire fare musica ed stanco di incidere solo per se stesso: con questo disco esce (paradossalmente) dalla sua stanza.
(Carlo Lancini)
- rootshighway.it (Italy)
Om iets van Bedroom Rockstar te begrijpen, moet u weten dat aan de solocarrire van Steve Mayone het nodige voorafging. Hij begon weliswaar in de kelder van zijn ouderlijk huis, maar hij maakte al snel een stap voorwaarts door te gaan werken als receptionist in de studio van The Artist Formely Known As Prince. Uiteindelijk settelde Mayone zich ergens in Boston, waar hij eerst in de band Hummer speelde en later traditionele bluegrass beoefende met Sticky and The Benders, namen die u waarschijnlijk net zoveel zeggen als ons. Ondertussen werkte Mayone als gitarist met veel lokale americana-artiesten, waaronder Jess Klein, Dave Mattacks van Fairport Convention en Jimmy Ryan van The Blood Oranges, waarvan we ooit het prachtige album Lost Diamond Angel bespraken. In Bedroom Rockstar, zijn allereerste soloplaat na vele jaren van bijklussen, zijn de rollen dan eindelijk omgedraaid en krijgt hij hulp van lokale helden uit Boston en omstreken, waaronder Clare Buron, Mike Piehl, Nolan McKelvey en Bow Thayer, wederom namen die ons niet zo gek veel zeggen. Bedroom Rockstar is een kleurrijke rootsrockplaat geworden, waarin basisgenres als folk, country, rock en pop nader tot elkaar komen. In de meeste nummers lopen de muziekstijlen door elkaar heen. Het drieluik waarmee de plaat opent, bestaande uit 'Losing', 'The Sweetest Thing' en 'Other Side', is een pure mix van pop en rock waarin veel geluiden en invloeden zijn verwerkt. Het wordt voor ons interessanter met de traditionelere songs 'Going Down' en 'Deeper in the Well', waarin bijna alleen een stemmig gepluk op banjo-snaren is te horen. Steve Mayone is een veelzijdig mens en van heel veel markten thuis. Zo zet hij in het bijna zeven minuten durende 'Stranded' de blues naar zijn hand. Twee van de fraaiste nummers worden voor het laatst bewaard. In 'Wanted Man', dat ondanks de Dylan-invloeden geen cover is, en countrysong 'She Runs Deep' hangt hij de introverte singer-songwriter uit die glansrijk wordt bijgestaan door vrouwengezang. 'I Don't Deserve You', dat overigens barst van het Ryan Adams-sentiment, wordt enkel vanachter een pianovleugel gespeeld en zou een mooie afsluiter van een intrigerende singer-songwriterplaat kunnen zijn, maar dan volgt er nog een instrumentale hidden track en is het echt mooi geweest voor de Bedroom Rockstar die Steve Mayone is. tekst: Maurice Dielemans
- KindaMuzik.net (Germany)
"On the strength of a self-produced CD. The "Bedroom Rockstar" is an amalgam of Dylanesque and probably Cat Stevens proportions with a twist of pop country banjos, bluesy guitar and drum lines together with passionate vocals that grabs your attention simultaneously. Each track is a bullet of well crafted sophisto folk-pop."
- Panartist
"Rugged and tough but imbued with a sense of belief, hope and one mean banjo. I was going to start this review by saying that musicians like Steve Mayone probably have Ryan Adams to thank for their emergence. But as I progressed through Bedroom Rockstar that quickly became a crock, Mayone has nobody to thank for being this good.
The title is surely an ironic nod to the fact that this is the work of an experienced musician who has worked with, amongst others, Kris Delmhorst, Levon Helm and Jimmy Ryan. He is no fresh-faced youth giving it a go upstairs at mum and dads, Mayone arrived at his debut album fully formed and it shows. But what he also injects into the album is energy and originality. If 'Other Side' for instance turned up on one of the better (i.e. later) Beatles albums it certainly wouldn't suffer by comparison with the company and, while 'Going Down' brings to mind Crosby, Stills and Nash, Mayone is very much his own man.
What he has achieved on Bedroom Rockstar is to 'bottle' the sense of freedom enjoyed by a singer/songwriter faced with a blank sheet of paper and his own imagination. Deeper In The Well for instance contains all the foundation blocks of Americana. It's rugged and tough but imbued with a sense of belief, hope and one mean banjo.
But Mayone refuses to be constrained by genre and the album has been given a healthy dose of good old rock 'n roll. 'Stranded' is strung up by its electric guitar strings but it has a depth that makes it instantly memorable whilst 'Good Day To Die' is a classic from the moment it leaves Mayone's lips and hands, powerful and sharp edged it drills its way into longevity. Call him what kind of musician you will but the stark truth is Mayone is a master songsmith. He crafts and moulds his stories eloquently and intelligently and there's not many that you can say that about."
- AmericanaUK, Michael Mee
7 out of 10
"The unstoppable rock monster is hard to escape. He's waiting inside almost every record. Sometimes, just sometimes, the artist is able to tame the monster and turn him into something a little more sonically acceptable. Steve Mayone has tamed the monster and the result is something which sounds a little like Bedroom Rockstar. Mayone moves smoothly through each tune, displaying a subdued and differently expressed musical power.
On your usual record, the first track usually comes on like a tow truck driving through a nitroglycerin plant. Mayone's approach in the initial track sounds a bit more like a submarine in a pond. The whole record follows this vibe: the emotion and turmoil is there, but veiled in a low-key delivery that only opens up every so often. Do we want Mayone to go nuts and rock out like no tomorrow? No. Mayone has crafted the sound and always sounds perfectly comfortable right where he is. There's no wailing, no booming, and no shouting.
Rockstar's twelve tracks run generally to acoustic rock, lots of fret-squeak and brushes on the drums rather than harmonic squeal and 3 foot bass-drum. Mayone's vocals are also perfectly suited to the general sound; there's a bit of a rasp to the vocals which adds further character. There are a few standout tracks on Bedroom Rockstar and the non-standouts remain inoffensive. The high points seem to be when Mayone really cuts loose(r) and puts a little more gusto into things. Tracks like The Sweetest Thing really showcase Mayone's songwriting and performance chops, whereas A Good Day to Die is the dramatic climax of the album, straying to a minor key in a record of natural third songs.
A nice addition are the vocals of Clare Burson in Wanted Man. Burson's almost Sarah-esque voice meshes well with Mayone's, making the usual taboo male/female vocals thing actually work. While two thirds of the tunes on this record really serve as bridge to the high spots, the payoff is worth it. For a sojourn into some relaxed yet good stuff, go no further than the Bedroom." (Umver)
- NorthEast Performer, C.D. DiGuardia
"The enchantingly ungroomed Mayone serves up a DIY masterpiece. The title track is the most refreshing dose of loser rock you'll never hear."
- Steve Almond
"Mixing a strong Beatles imprint with healthy doses of American roots and classic rock, gifted multi-instrumentalist Steve Mayone still manages to leave his own distinctive signature on this, his first solo project. The songs fall into the hooky, groovy, crank-the-dial-and-wail-along-with-it category.
Anyone with half a heart will especially appreciate the sorrowful old-time yearning of 'Deeper In The Well', a traditional sounding ballad Mayone only half-jokingly says he 'channelled' featuring a beautiful, weeping, virtuosic violin solo by Clare Burson."
- Crooked Root Records, Steve Farrington
"At first listen, this was one of those "great for what it is, but not my thing" jobs. Exceedingly tasteful/ sensitive, low-key, acoustic-based, clich-friendly, sunny, breezy, sometimes bittersweet, guilty-pleasure fluffernutters, without a hostile note or discouragin' word to be found. It should be noted, though (maybe), that my frequent dismissal of such product comes from (a) the sheer glut of it out there, and (b) my intense denial of the aging process itself and the maturity expected along with it.
I too often rebel against anything which doesn't somehow refer to my whole "gloriously misspent youth" thing, and basically resent anyone my actual age who seems the least bit comfortable or sane. But I'm learning. The truth is, this thing sounds great from tip to tail. This guy writes real songs, and employs real musicians and production values (imagine that?), and it's PLEASANT, for Christ's sake, and it feels GOOD not writhing around on the floor pretending to relate to some tortured, drug-dizzy Ar-Teest or puke-encrusted punk for a change.
This only helps re-beef the notion that I wouldn't, in fact, be twenty-something again for all the rim-jobs in Thailand. So as a way to hang onto the attitude, I simply enjoy the challenge of dishin' up rave reviews that no sensible musician would ever brag about. Try it, it's fun!"
- The Noise, Joe Coughlin
While not really living up to the standard image of "rockstar", as the title of this record suggests, Steve Mayone does bring a wide variety style and talent to this record. "Some day I'll be famous if I ever leave this room," he sings in subdued tones on the title track, over what sounds like a direct to 4-track recording. The irony of it all is not lost, as this Boston-based singer/songwriter has recorded plenty at home - it's rumored he's made 15 albums in the past few decades, but this is his first official CD release.
When not busy with those endeavors, this multi-instrumentalist has been spotted onstage and in the studio with the likes of Kris Delmhorst, Jess Klein, Levon Helm and Jimmy Ryan. That accounts for his rootsy edge, but the tunes on Bedroom Rockstar also venture into Beatle-esque pop, like "Other Side", or glam-tinged rock, like the Bowie-esque "Not That Strong". "Stranded" is rich with hot-buttered Isaac Hayes soul, laid-back and even, with some searing guitar work. Throw in a couple of folk/grass numbers driven with banjo and mandolin and we're tastefully all over the place on this self-produced/recorded/mixed disc.
Guests, among others, include guitarist Jonas Kahn (Sticky), banjoist Bow Thayer, bassist Nolan McKelvey (The Benders, Kris Delmhorst) and drummer Mike Piehl (Peter Mulvey, Todd Thibaud). Michael Mee of AmericanaUK.com says, "Mayone is a master songsmith. He crafts and moulds his stories eloquently and intelligently and there's not many that you can say that about.
(self-released)
- Miles of Music
"Fronted by Steve Mayone and Jonas Kahn of the band Hummer, this ad hoc group touched on influences from the Band and Grateful Dead to Bob Marley (a great version of "Lively Up Yourself"). An exquisite ensemble with jam-ready grooves."
- Steve Morse, Boston Globe
"Really digging your CD... your voice and songs are awesome!"
- Pete Weiss, Producer/Musician
Zijn wij niet allemaal een beetje een rock ster in onze eigen slaapkamer? Al dan niet de snaren van de luchtgitaar geselend? Dromend van de dag dat we beroemd zijn? Daarvoor moet je echter die slaapkamer uit, en er zijn er maar weinigen die dat aandurven. Steve Mayone deed het al een jaar of twintig geleden, maar weet het slaapkamergevoel nog beeldend te beschrijven in het titelnummer van zijn eerste officile cd Bedroom Rockstar (Umver). Ook de rest van de twaalf nummers kunnen het daglicht best verdragen. Gitaargestuurde rock- en popnummers worden afgewisseld met meer rootsy songs, zoals de bluegrass van Going Down en de pure americana van Deeper In The Well, met een eenzame banjo en schrijnende viool. The Sweetest Thing is een aanstekelijk liefdeslied (liedje zou een te bescheiden benaming zijn), Other Side is Beatleske pop en op het bijna zeven minuten durende funky Stranded wordt stevig gecrazyhorst. Tekstueel ontstijgt Mayone ook het schuifdeurniveau, en weet hij ernst en ironie prettig met elkaar af te wisselen. Zinnen als I see my life pass before my eyes / So much knowledge, but still not wise / A man is a man for what hes got inside / So dig a little deeper in the well (Deeper In The Well) getuigen desondanks van enige wijsheid. Regels als Today is a good day to die / Theres not a cloud in the sky / Im feeling high / And I can leave this song behind (Good Day To Die) bezorgen mij een glimlach. Evenals de openingsregel van slotnummer Dont Deserve You: My life is like the last scene with Mrs Robinson, met een vette knipoog naar de film the Graduate. Fijne plaat hoor. Ik ga weer snel mijn slaapkamer opzoeken, met Bedroom Rockstar op de koptelefoon deze keer.
- Peer Bataille, AltCountry.nl
"I'm not sure where to place this album genre wise, but it has a few tracks that are absolutely gorgeous. Think The Beatles with a few solo Paul McCartney songs. "I Don't Deserve You" is a melodious track with sweet lyrics overlaying a compelling piano background. In "Not So Strong", Mayone sings, "This room has been so empty and cold/Thought I could do it alone/Guess I'm not so strong." Songs like the over-folked "Going Down" and "Deeper in the Well" bring down this album's star rating, although there are some acoustic rock tracks that stand out proudly. To be honest, I wish the aforementioned songs were similar to the rest. I'd like to hear more from Mayone when he refines and defines his sound."
Favorite Tracks: Not So Strong, Losing
Rating: 3 stars
- discoveringartists.com
with Kris Delmhorst
"A woman named Kris Delmhorst took the stage first, accompanied by lead guitarist/mandolinist Steve Mayone... The instruments were understated, leaving plenty of space for Kris' folk/bluesy singing on her original, yet traditional songs... The two must have been playing together for some time, as they were right on, and they complemented each other well."
- Thomas D. Harvard, Music Reviews
with David Johnston
"... David Johnston and his band (bassist Steve Mayone and drummer Mike Piehl)... [are] a natural fit in this tiny, brick-walled, bare-beamed pub room... The band's live sound is strong and assured but doesn't overpower the room, even when the beat picks up."
Robin Vaughan, Boston Herald
with Hummer
"Melodies that pick you up and sweep you into a kaleidoscope made up of breezy, captivating vocals, magnetic choruses and hooks, grooving pop/rock guitar, and alluring yet punctuating rhythms... beautiful arrangements, great production and recording, songs that sing, rock, bend and sway."
Debbie Catalano, Boston Soundcheck
"The hooks are strong and the song construction is quite good... I'm intrigued..."
Rich Lupescu, Modern Music Monthly
"... a huge wall of sound filled with rhythm and heightened by enticing lyrics that grab the listener up into celestial bliss."
Douglas Sloan, Metronome Magazine
"... simple, melodic songs played with a pseudo-psychedelic style and spiced with a thin layer of harsher guitar work."
J. Belanger, Musicians Trade Journal
"They don't sound too much like any particular other group, but they have borrowed some very familiar production and arranging techniques, and used them creatively to enhance their own work. I don't want to give anything away and spoil it for the listener, but the result is amazingly effective."
David Robinson, Northeast Performer
with Sticky
"... the guitar tandem of Steve Mayone and Jonas Kahn (both formerly of Hummer) are flawless. With [Mike] Press supplying the attitude, [Jeremy] Curtis the heavy bass, and a couple of first-rate guitar players in Mayone and Kahn, Sticky have all the parts in place and could be making beautiful music for a time to come."
Twisted Rico, Booking Agent and Promoter
"Sticky is a supergroup of sorts, featuring ex-members of chicken fried rockers Elbow and that crowd-pleasing zeitgeist of alternative rock jams, Hummer."
Alter Native
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