The Venetia Fair
Boston, Massachusetts, United States | INDIE
Music
Press
You know that “Ahh” sound you make after taking a gulp of an ice cold Coke on a hot day? If my ears could make that sound, they would have after hearing The Venetia Fair’s new release aptly titled The Circus. This strange, erratic attack on the senses is a wonderful escape from the drab, lifeless grind that seems to have gripped the music scene lately. New artists coming out, offering up countless helpings of the same thing over and over has dragged me into a rut, but The Venetia Fair has yanked me out by the ears and captured my full attention. A literal circus of sounds, The Venetia Fair offer up a refreshingly new and exciting sound that might come across a little chaotic at first, but by the end of track one, I promise you will be hooked on the auditory stimulation these boys have to offer.
Their sound is electric and fierce – a cross between Panic! At The Disco and The Used. At times, vocalist Benny Santoro even seems to carry a hint of Gerard Way (My Chemical Romance) in his melodies. Their song composition is experimental and fun. They seem to enjoy what they do and it shows in their work. The lyrics are catchy and edgy, and the guitar work is brazen yet beautiful and captivating at the same time. A mixture of complex rhythms and simple melodies that make for what would best be described as a musical spectacle.
The album opens on a track called “A Man Like Me” and, personally, I was instantly hooked. The start-stop rhythms and insane guitar riffs give it a sound like no other. This song offered up a feel similar to My Chemical Romance which I loved, and the vibratos in Benny’s vocals reminded me a lot of Gerard Way. The energy in this song is remarkable, and I promise if you give this song ninety seconds, you will be on board.
Track four “Because You’re Lonely (The Circus)” gives Joe Occhiuti a chance to show off his talent; his piano work throughout this album really defines their sound and his contribution should not go unnoticed. That also goes for guitarist (and Napoleon Dynamite look-a-like) Mr. Chark whose guitar chops far exceed his fashion consciousness. This entire band complements each other so well, you will lose yourself in their music.
Every song on this record is worth a spin; and to truly appreciate The Venetia Fair, you must listen to the entire album straight through. I will say this, track eight, “Gullinkambis Return,” sounds like it was written for a Tim Burton film and is just fantastic.
In summary, the feeling you get when listening to The Venetia Fair is what makes their sound so inviting. You feel happy and carefree. The energy is insane and it remains strong through the entire album. I challenge each and every one of you to give this record a fair chance because I am sure that it’s only a matter of time before the entire world is aware of this five piece out of Boston, MA. This is a don’t miss record.
Our rating: 5 out of 5 - The New Review
Before you read this review, there is one thing you must know: The Venetia Fair are not for the faint of heart.
If you look them up online, you’ll find videos of them smashing things with sledgehammers or lighting themselves on fire. If you go to their shows, you’ll see vocalist Benny Santoro rip out his hair or get water spit on you by keyboardist Joe Occhiuti (right after he flips you off). And if you listen to their new EP, The Pits, you’ll get lost in a whirlwind of raucous, heart-racing cabaret-style rock.
Though they’re constantly compared to the likes of Panic! At the Disco and Foxy Shazam, The Venetia Fair are an act unlike any other. They achieve something that so few bands, especially at a local level, can accomplish, and that is translating a completely insane live show into an equally energetic album. 2009's The Circus was a beautifully crafted record that introduced listeners to TVF’s undeniably intriguing songwriting, biting lyrics and full-throttle performances.
The Pits hits the ground running with opener “I’m Still Amazed.” A lot rests on Santoro’s vocals and lyrics here, as the band has the potential to overpower him, but with his dynamic voice and catchy melodies, he becomes a driving force on this track. The second verse of the song is a stand-out moment, when Santoro’s high-speed rhyming builds up to his exclamation, “It’s like you’re some kind of goddamn sociopath!”
Track number two, “A Lady and A Tramp,” begins with a jazzy intro that recalls “Because You’re Lonely (The Circus)” from the band’s last record. The chorus is a swinging sing-a-long, complemented by a bridge filled with screams, finger snaps and horns. The pounding “Some Sort of Siren” marches along with powerful guitars courtesy of Mr. Chark and a pulsing beat from drummer Chris Constantino.
“Killing Time (To Keep the Dream Alive)” is frantic and dramatic, featuring impressive performances from the entire band. The track is a bit of a roller coaster, constantly building up and slowing down before its screeching end.
The Pits ends with a cover of “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch,” which was originally released digitally back at Christmastime. Though you might not be in the mood for holiday music now, you should still take a listen…because I guarantee that you’ve never heard a Christmas song quite like this.
Bottom line: If you live in New England, make a point to see this band (or catch them on one of their Warped Tour dates). The Venetia Fair are one of the most brilliant and eccentric bands around, and their latest creation is one of the best records of 2011.
Rating: 5/5 – A
Track Listing:
1. I’m Still Amazed
2. A Lady and A Tramp
3. Some Sort of Siren
4. Killing Time (To Keep the Dream Alive)
5. You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch (Cover) - One Last Request
Discography
The Venetia Fair - "The Circus" - 2009
full album is streaming, on itunes, and downloadable or free at: www.purevolume.com/thevenetiafair
single: The Ringleader
The Venetia Fair - "The Pits" EP - 2011
full album available on itunes
single: A Lady and a Tramp
Photos
Bio
Our names are Benny, Mr. Chark, Mike, Joe Brown, and Chris. My name, specifically, is Benny and I feel like I'm babysitting four 12-year-olds all the time. Actually, I feel like I'm a 12-year-old babysitting four other 12-year-olds and doing a really bad job (even for a 12-year-old). Mr. Chark is like that weird 12-year-old who has a calculator watch, carries a compass (but still gets lost all the time), and loves the sound of his own voice, especially when he's not using words. Mike's more like a hyperactive 14-year-old who got held back and has to hang out with the younger kids but doesn't mind because he gets to be better than them at everything and the older kids are boring,anyway. Joe Brown is the obnoxious 12-year-old who steals "chromies" off of tires in the parking lot and learns obscene words to scream so he can explain that "it actually means female dog!" to his angry teachers. And then there's Chris, the excitable 12-year-old who can't wait to get a sip of his dad's beer or a peek down a girl's shirt. Hanging out with us is probably more aggravating than anything else but I think we're all best friends. If we actually were 12 years old, we'd be in a secret club and have an awesome fort.
We get compared to a lot of different bands that don't sound anything like each other so it's hard to believe anyone. We try to make music that is theatric, chaotic, catchy, and sometimes a little silly but not too silly because it's also serious business. We have a lot of fun writing the music we write and performing the way we perform.
Not a single one of us had any substantial training in our instruments or music in general so being in a band was really hard for us sometimes but we worked really hard to make up for it. It takes a lot of work to pretend to be good at something. Then Mike joined up with us and he knows how to play stuff but we still talk to him like we're idiots (we're idiots) so we're still working pretty hard (not smart). We try to play together every single day and some of that playing involves music.
We tour a lot (but never enough) and consider the van our primary home. It doesn't have an address that you can mail stuff to (we've tried Van, USA. No dice.) so if you want to mail us something just wait until we get to where you are and then just hand it to us. When we play shows, all of our shit gets broken because we pretend we have infinite money to replace things and then we perform accordingly. We also pretend we're invincible. I think Mr. Chark might actually BE invincible. After our first tour, Chark and Chris had to build all new equipment so they just made everything bigger because we like stuff big.
We crash our van all the time. Our van gets towed all the time. We don't take care of ourselves, each other, or really anything. The only thing we care about is that after you see us play, you tell your friend(s) that you have no idea what you just watched.
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