OLIVIERO
Hotel Cafe
Hollywood, CA
Contact: olivieromusic@gmail.com Web: olivieromusic.com The Players: Mike Oliviero, lead vocals, guitar; Donovan Bullen, bass, vocals, synthesizers; Dave Widaman, drums, vocals; Cara Batem, keyboard, vocals, guitar, accordion. Material: Oliviero creates a musical experience at the intersection of dreams and reality. The Silverlake indie-folk quartet, similar to the Mowgli’s or Mumford & Sons, somehow succeeds in blurring the lines of modern and vintage instrumentation and vocals. They incorporate ambient rock drums and guitar,
5 Star Bar
HEATHER ALLEN
well-balanced quality that the band conveys. Keyboardist Batem impresses with her ability to not only harmonize while playing her main instrument, but by transitioning to guitar and, later on, the accordion.
classical keyboards and contemporary bass tied together by frontman Mike Oliviero’s polished, ethereal vocals. However, their recorded material is a bit subdued in comparison to their live performance, but is still well-recorded for an independent release. Musicianship: There is an old-soul-meetsnew-age hipster feel to the band’s sound and stage presence. Mike Oliviero has an interesting vibrato that brings out a bluesy, mysterious vocal while also giving an air of sophistication to the music. The instrumentation and harmonies from his bandmates aid in bringing light to the
Performance: Each member conveyed a humble and honest stage persona, and they gave off a fun, family vibe. Mike Oliviero used the show to introduce a handful of new songs from their latest EP as well as older tracks channeling the likes of Grouplove (“Human Beings”), Of Monsters and Men (“That Kind Of Time”), the Fray (“Good Morning Rain”) and Fun. (“Weightless in the Waves”). The frontman brought his vibrato to life by performing with two microphones while his fast-paced guitar skills made you think he was playing a metal song. The entire band was engaging, no matter the pace of the song, and even had the audience play a role in the last two songs of the night, for which plastic tubes were handed out to imitate howling winds. This Hotel Cafe performance made for an entertaining yet relaxing Saturday night. Summary: Part of the soulful, indie-folk trend, Oliviero is a band that should have an easy time being booked for live performances. Based on their recordings the band have a fighting chance of being included in indie film projects. Oliviero’s feel-good, campfire-esque musicality and professional demeanor make it clear that they are ready to build their reputation from the ground up. This is a band with the ability to inspire us to just sit and savor every sound that the world has to offer. – Heather Allen
Los Angeles, CA
Contact: DonkeyIslandPen@gmail.com Web: DonkeyIslandPenitentiary.com The Players: “Big Dave” Perea, vocals, harmonica; Vincent Perea, drums, backup vocals; Alejandro “Peacock” Speranza, guitar, backup vocals; Miguel Vasquez, bass.
Musicianship: All the players are very good, each playing his part flawlessly and then coming together as a unit to make all the songs a perfect 10. Big Dave’s vocals were raspy and harsh at times, but in key, which added great mood and a new dimension to each song. The harmonica added depth and intensity to every number, as in “Prison Break.” Bassist Vasquez jelled well with drummer Perea to form a
DONKEY ISLAND PENITENTIARY
super-tight rhythm section, which they showed off on “Prisoners of Earth” and “Run Away.” Speranza’s guitar stayed in the background, but added little tinges of melodies, wah and sounds that gave each song a unique flair and personality, as in “Look into My Eyes” and “Going Down.” Performance: A bit weak in terms of presentation; nothing flashy going on here. Everyone on stage was so into their parts that nobody interacted with the audience much (aside from the singer to only announce the next song). It did look like they were cramped in a tight spot, which made it difficult not to
PIERCE BROCHETTI
Material: Donkey Island Penitentiary (DIP) uses a diversity of beats as a foundation for their songs. Whether it’s bossa nova/mambo that captivates the audience or hard rock/ metal beats that slap them into submission, DIP loosens up the crowd and readies them to dance. The music as a whole is unique. When bass and guitar are added to the beats, they change the style of the song. The songs become hypnotic, sci-fi and weird, but then the melodies and subtleties bring it all back to very cool. “Man in the Shadows” is a good example of a song with a cultish feel but with vocals that are melodic and raspy à la Motörhead’s Lemmy Kilmister. All the songs have creative nuances, catchy melodies and well thought out lyrics.
hit a bandmate or a mic stand with the guitar headstock. Summary: Though Donkey Island Penitentiary could improve their stage presentation, the music was superb––hard driving yet welcoming. People were dancing in their seats, holding up their drinks as if to say, “Great grooves!” Even the ballads were extremely heartfelt and one could tell the lyrics came from the soul. There was a lot of Sex Pistols meets Ozzy or LA Guns or R.E.M. or Van Halen, as there was a little bit of something for everyone. With their punk-punk/ rock format, DIP is a welcome addition to the city’s music scene. – Pierce Brochetti September 2016
musicconnection.com
53