New York, NY — 12th Annual Independent Music Awards Roots/Country EP WINNER and raves for Don DiLego‘s new Western & Atlantic EP!
Western & Atlantic EP keeping mighty fine company on David Lifton’s diffuser.fm Best List of 2012….
Click here to read an interview in American Songwriter Magazine.
C
“While Western And Atlantic sounds like an urban intersection, it’s also a description of Don DiLego’s musical sensibilities, where twang meets traditional pop structures….“The Holiday” has a lovely melody reminiscent of gospel-soul, but features a weeping steel guitar and harmonica, while the ghostly piano, distorted guitars, and Beach Boys harmonies of “Lonely Couples” would have fit beautifully on Wilco’s Summerteeth.” Dave Lifton, Popdose
Top Ten Things in Music for week of August 10, 2012: “5. Don DiLego “Western & Atlantic EP” He hails from the Northeast but DiLego writes fully convincing country-folk ballads informed by a pedal steel guitar’s wan quaver.” Jim Farber, New York Daily News
“Catchy as hell, this is country ‘cool’ that wouldn’t sound amiss alongside today’s indie country folk brigade.” Del Day, Americana UK
“Most flannel-flyin’ indie roots rockers wouldn’t last 30 seconds on “American Idol.” Berkshires native Don Dilego, however, possesses a golden throat rare enough to wow the glitz-mavens, at least for a few rounds. That soaring, confident voice, loaded with beguilingly oblique lyrics, goes a long way toward placing Dilego’s Western & Atlantic EP above the fray. The weeping pedal steel, Gram Parsons baroque hillbilly touches, and Harvest-era Neil Young chord changes all drawl “alt-country,” yes, but Dilego’s ’80s roots show in the anthemic, U2-esque “Chicago,” and the lightning-in-a-bottle Replacements cover “Here Comes a Regular.” Dilego’s nervy choice to record this half hour of music live-without-a-net makes every note crackle with immediacy.” Robert Burke Warren, Chronogram
“From the EP’s opener, the slide guitar driven Midnight Train to the final track, the intimate Carry On he touches base with Jeff Tweedy and Howe Gelb. Television Sun starts like an outtake of Neil Young’s Harvest Moon before evolving into a road movie theme song that could have been written by Steve Earle.” Hans Werksman, Here Comes The Flood
“DiLego brings an alt-country sensibility to an urban landscape: “The street lights are breathing hard, and the crowd shakes far beneath my feet,” he sings in a soaring chorus that recalls Dion as much as Jackson Browne. That fusion of country lilt and old-fashioned rock muscle, along with lyrics that don’t settle for the usual tropes, make “Western and Atlantic” a keeper.” Peter Chianca, Gatehouse News
“Dilego’s smooth mid-tempo pop should appeal to a wide cross-section of listeners. His songs have obvious commercial appeal…but they are a far cry from the crap pop that always seems to top the charts nowadays. After hearing this…we’ll be waiting eagerly to hear the next album. Cool catchy tracks include “Midnight Train,” “Chicago,” a cover of The Replacements’ “Here Comes A Regular,” and “Carry On.” Good solid stuff.” babysue
“…unfolds more of its beauty with each subsequent listen. If you’re down for thoughtful lyrics and disarmingly poignant melodies that resist emotive pandering, then Western & Atlantic needs to be in your corner.” Stephen Carradini, Independent Clauses
“…the best americana with which we heard this year….extraordinary….on Jayhawks / Jeff Tweedy level” **** (4 stars out of 5) **** Eric van Domburg Scipio, HEAVEN MAGAZINE, The Netherlands
“Those of you who’ve been starved for alt-country albums since the last Avett Brothers LP, you can now breathe easier. New Yorker Don DiLego’s Western & Atlantic EP, out today on Velvet Elk Records, features the same brand of rustic, accessible ballad that would sound right blaring from a pickup truck on a darkening highway….DiLego is cut from the same cloth as performers like Wilco and the Avett Brothers —his songs take country ballads one step beyond their obvious conclusion, yielding a genre-bending hybrid of indie rock and country.” Elizabeth Rowe, NY Indie Music Examiner.com
Photo: Kaia Marie Balcos
“Jaw-droppingly good…seven near-perfect alternative country tracks will appeal to anyone who likes Ryan Adams, and ensures that DiLego will remain on my musical radar from here on out. Highly recommended.” Jeffrey Sisk (The Daily News, PA)
“Don DiLego‘s new Western & Atlantic EP, to me, sounds like a more upbeat version of Brett Detar‘s Bird In The Tangle and that is exactly the reason that I love it. Not upbeat in terms of tempo but in mood. The track “Television Sun” really highlights the record for me and is perfect to, making it a Flight Favorite.” Cardinal Playlists
Click here to read feature article by Nancy Dunham in OurStage.com
Don DiLego’s “Chicago” included on Mayer’s Twangville playlist!
Stream or purchase album and free download of Track 3, “Television Sun”:
QuigleyMedia 