Buddy

"He combines the kind of wistful regret that is Emmylou Harris' stock in trade with a natural melodicism recalling Elliot Smith, the Smiths, and Radiohead's more tuneful moments, and the combination is tremendously beguiling. His lyrics are subtle, rich, and charming; he invites the listener into his head, rather than forcing one to wonder why they should care about the mundane details of some self-absorbed wannabe's life, which is so often the case with artists who are stylistically similar. Buddy's melancholy and beautiful vocals, sung in his high register, are strangely affecting and they work in concert with his lyrics in presenting an unforced vulnerability that many only dream of achieving. And neither does his guitar work fail to impress- where so often singers of this ilk seem to strum aimlessly between vocal lines, because, well 'cause they're not singing and they have to do something, Buddy's deft and purposeful fretwork actually communicates on it's own and consistently moves the songs forward and at times even, dare I say it? I do- it even rocks a bit!" -- Citizine Magazine February, 2005 "From the first title Braddock to the last second of Regular Time you feel transported in a universe which describes melancholy with perfection. a talented songwriter with a sense of strong melancholy but one who is a fighter. Buddy's EP surprises and reminds you of a sensible, sweet and melancholy universe. I am talking about those influences you can find with the likes of Belle and Sebastian, The Temporary Thing, The Lucksmiths or Nick Drake for his honest writing". -- Foutraque Magazine (France) January, 2005 Buddy: Bio Buddy sees himself as a pretty happy guy. That light-hearted quality shines through in his live show and in his wonderfully dark cover of the popular Kelis song "Milkshake" found on his new EP entitled, Buddy. Rest assured, there is much more to Buddy underneath the silky covers. Hailing from Portland, Oregon, Buddy began feeding his love for music at an early age. At 10 he was begging his mom and dad for a guitar and by 16, had formed his first REM inspired band. Buddy left Portland to attend college at Providence College in Rhode Island where he majored in English and struggled with a strong case of stage fright. After college he moved to Austin, Texas where his passion for music returned to the forefront of his life. Buddy joined up with a local band called Piltdown's and they gained a good following and supported bands like Spoon while fielding some local record label offers. In 2002, Buddy relocated again, finally landing in Los Angeles, CA where he continued to hone his songwriting style. Not to be dissuaded by prior mishaps, Buddy hit the local stages again, performing his first show as "Buddy" at the Hotel Café, in July of 2004. It wasn't until Buddy hooked up with friend and author Greg Behrendt (He's Just Not That Into You) that things began to truly turn in Buddy's direction. While performing at one of Behrendt's infamous "Bring the Rock" open mic nights, producer Robbie Rist (the Andersons) took an interest in Buddy's unique voice, beautiful lyrics and clever songwriting style. The two joined forces to produce and record Buddy's 1st EP, which was simply titled "Buddy" it hit the streets November 30th, 2004. Shortly after finishing the EP, local DJ Trisha Halloran of the station KCRW in Santa Monica began playing a track called "Salt Point" on air. Random deal offers from the UK began to come in, but none of them seemed quite right, so Buddy kept on pushing his material and playing live shows. At that time a radio station in Denver caught wind of Buddy's "Milkshake" cover, the word was out, and the "word" was Buddy. Most recently that "word" was featured on a segment of the NPR show All Things Considered. Lyrics will always be Buddy's most important focus. Powerful stuff for a guy who describes himself as pretty much "always happy", but to that he adds, "if something is really bugging me, I'll carry it around for long while. Then eventually, I'll sit down and in about 15 minutes, I'll have put it in a song" and the rest, is well safely tucked away beneath the sheets. ******** Buddy's music has been compared to... Elliot Smith, Nick Drake, Bright Eyes, and even Belle & Sebastion, his unique high set vocal style and smart lyrics puts him in good company. When asked about his musical influences Buddy responds, "It has to be The Replacements; I think if you speed my music up, you'll see what I mean". A diehard Replacements fan, Buddy would also tell you that their record Tim is highest on the list of influences. He's seen about every show they played in Boston and Providence during his northeast stint in college and his other influences include: Elvis Costello, and early REM. **********