Casey Desmond

What the Press is Saying About Casey Desmond …


"Vibrant, vivacious, funky and on-fire...A cross between Lady Gaga and Robyn, as well as '80s pop icons like Cyndi Lauper." - Young Hollywood 

"'Bad Habit' is a danceable, electro-pop track that cranks with some seriously '80s Pat Benatar realness." - MTV Buzzworthy 

"[Deja Vu's] a catchy addition to anyone's dance-pop collection." -  HYPERLINK "http://starpulse.com/" \t "_blank" Starpulse.com 

"The pop track gets a very fitting, energetic video that finds Casey showing off her vocal prowess and fun quirky style all in one clip." - StupidDOPE.com

“Casey Desmond is rendered on the cover of her new album the way she presents herself in performance: a neon vision of an electro-pop siren.” - The Boston Globe

"Looks like time travel does exist…Desmond seduces you to reminisce on the 80's with her dance-y electro pop album, 'Deja Vu'" - Truth or Sarah 

"A snarling, '80's inspired pop-rock jam that reminds us of Sky Ferreira before she went all 'small pop.'" - Idolator

"A proper electropop anthem..An appealingly big sound for the fiery siren." - Idolator

“It is all people like about the dance genre encapsulated on one album: soaring vocals, infectious beats and lyrics that will undoubtedly get stuck in your head.” – Infectious Magazine

"I absolutely cannot stress enough how talented she is."  -  HYPERLINK "http://notcontentyet.com/" \t "_blank" NotContentYet.com 

"Casey, girl, you have crafted one of those rare albums where it should be a cardinal sin to skip even a sole track." -  HYPERLINK "http://notcontentyet.com/" \t "_blank" NotContentYet.com

“If you’re not yet familiar with OurStage artist and recent MTV Buzzworthy sensation Casey Desmond, you’ve really got to change that... Filled with silhouettes, electro-pop, and plenty of energy, you don’t want to miss this” – OurStage.com

“No crazy light shows, explosions, or corny music video storyline. Just Desmond and her irresistibly seductive voice and hairstyles that are more fluorescent than the Vegas strip.” - DigBoston.com

- multiple

This Saturday, December 22nd at Brighton Music Hall, home of Boston's best local electronic dance pop bands and young talent, will host an all ages WFNX Boston Accents showcase pieced together by Music Director Michael Marotta.

The recently re-launched and re-branded WFNX is now a streaming internet radio curated by former KROQ DJ Kurt St. Thomas. Appearing will be upcoming talent Stereo Telescope, Boom Boom Crash and Dear Zim all sharing the stage with local electronic artist Casey Desmond (Sound Museum Records, featured on NBC’s The Voice).

Casey was kind enough to chat with Forces of Geek's Clay N. Ferno via email about her television appearance, her amazing fashion sense and what she’s learned from her recent experience producing videos and creating her next wave of new wave. Her new record Déjà Vu has touchstones in 80s synth pop and has a familiar tone, but we promise you this is nothing you have heard before. Casey also provides some great advice and inspiration for young ladies looking to produce their own music and persue music as a career.

It’s been a while since you’ve released a record. What can the fans expect?

I wanted to make a record that would make people dance. ;) I incorporated my favorite vintage synth sounds and drum machines of 80s dance pop with my current EDM production tools and this record is a hybrid of the two.

The video for the title track Deja Vu video is spectacular. What did you learn most from the “Glamazon” shoot?


Probably the biggest lesson for this project was time management. We rented a green screen studio out of state and were under the gun to get all the shots done in a few hours, which was really difficult to pull off because the make up, hair and costumes changes took so much time to get together for each scene. I don't think the director was used to or expecting such a project when it came to the time it took for the cast to get ready and he was pretty stressed out for most of the shoot. In the end it came out great, but we probably should have rented the studio for several hours more than we did. I LOVE my choreographer Niki Thelismond

The production is amazing. Are you still working on the music from your own studio?

Thank You! Yes, I do the bulk of my writing and production in my own studio. I also work a lot with my bandmate Taylor Barefoot in his studio. He's a fantastic engineer.

Care to tell us about some of the collaborators you have worked with on this record?

Several of the songs on the album were co-written with Boston native via Nashville hit songwriter Robert Ellis Orrall. I put him on the spot a couple years ago when he was on a panel at an ASCAP convention, I took the audience mic and asked him to write with me in front of a thousand ASCAP members, and he reluctantly agreed to take my cd to listen to. He surprised the hell out of me when he called me back an hour later saying he wanted to talk with me. He's one of the sweetest people I've ever met, so fun and easy to work with. He invited me to Nashville to write with him, and he's been up to my studio several times to write together as well.

How was coming back to Boston after being on The Voice last year? Did you immediately start working on these new songs with a different energy?

I pretty much had more than half of my album already recorded before I was on the Voice, and continued to write in my spare time when I was on the show. I wrote the title track Déjà Vu on the plane home from LA coming back from the show. I was happy to be home, and free to focus on finishing the album.


How are you achieving such a full sound with just two band members? Last we saw you live was at the launch for WFNX radio relaunch.

"Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain" - The Wizard of Oz. But seriously, Taylor and I use a ton of gear on stage to layer our live sound and are accompanied by multi track backing tracks that we control from the stage. Abelton rules.

Your personal fashion and style are quite literally the talk of the town at events like that one. When it comes to your costumes and street style, are you trying to capture the electric energy of your neon pop songs? Does one influence the other?

They're both pretty much an extension of who I am as a person. I love color and art and the energy of creativity and it spills over into my music and my clothes, hair, make up, and my home.

Tell us about your friend Tofu Squirrel. She’s at the top of her game in the art world and you are at the top of your game with this new record. Is Liz helping with some album art or merchandise? Please say yes!

Tofu Squirrel has helped me with several designs for T-shirts, Stickers, Posters, and my website. She's one of my favorite artists and people.

Art by Tofu Squirrel

If you are launching internet radio, a TV star and are just one tap away in the iTunes store, can I ask why you are packaging you music on vinyl as well? For nostalgia sake, audioph - forces of geek

The Scene
ARTIST TO WATCH: Casey Desmond

Published on Saturday, December 08 2012
Written by Sarah Osman


Casey Desmond’s album cover for Déjà Vu pretty much summarizes her music: vibrant, vivacious, funky, and on-fire. The electro-pop princess, fresh from her stint on the first season of “The Voice”, has given us an entire album filled with '80s pop fused with electro-dance songs. Her music is just so danceable and fun I found myself wanting to bust a move as I listened to it, and, quite frankly, I’m stunned Desmond isn’t being blasted at every club in the country at the moment!


Déjà Vu features tracks that are perfect for Top 40 radio. Her music reminds me of a cross between Lady Gaga and Robyn, as well as '80s pop icons like Cyndi Lauper. I particularly enjoyed listening to Desmond’s voice, which is strong yet pleasant, and flows nicely with her bouncy music. I thought that her voice really came to life on the tracks “Rendezvous”, my favorite from the album, as well as on the title track, "Déjà Vu".

Desmond co-wrote several of the songs along with Robert Ellis Orrall, and this is her third collaboration with bandmate Taylor Barefoot. The Boston native also designs all of her own costumes and merchandise for her music videos and performances (I would love to see her on “Project Runway”!). I personally am going to keep an eye on Desmond, as I think that we may be looking at the next great pop singer. I think that this is just the beginning for her.
- Young Hollywood

Casey Desmond is back! I was lucky to be introduced to this New England musical gem when she opened for The B-52's a couple summers ago on Cape Cod. I went bonkers right then and there, buying all 3 of her discs available at the venue store and lining up to have her sign them. Her hits Imposter, Loose Ends, Chilly Allston, Rendezvous and Talking to God have solidified her spot in my heart for beautiful, artistic, priceless pop art. See for yourself - check out her new song Déjà Vu below! This one's sure to satisfy existing fans and win over some new ones too! Way to go, Casey! - Not Content Yet

Casey Desmond, a 2005, 2008, and 2009 John Lennon Songwriting Contest (Pop, Electronic, and Pop categories, respectively), has had quite a bit of exciting news to share recently. In addition to a slew of songwriting titles she has earned over the past several years, numbering more than twenty placements in various contests, Desmond’s music has been used in a variety of television programs, and she has shared the stage and/or collaborated with many big names in the music industry: Amy Winehouse, Duffy, David Cook, Johny Lange, Ed Kowaszyk (from The Live), The Motels, Luka Rossi, and Kate Voegel. To top it all off, Desmond was recently hired as a composer for Oprah’s HARPO productions and Studio 51 film library.

Desmond’s long list of accomplishments has garnered her attention from top producers, such as Anthony J. Resta (Elton John, Collective Soul, Shawn Mullins, Duran Duran), and songwriters, such as Robert Ellis Orral (Taylor Swift, Lindsay Lohan, Love and Theft). And her high quality music doesn’t end in the recording booth – Desmond puts careful thought into her live shows. She has an education in illustration and fashion design, which helps inform the 80’s electropop style of her stage shows; David Bowie, Cyndi Lauper, and Blondie are some of her inspirations there.

Desmond will release a new EP this fall called “Heart Shaped Faces.” On July 28, 2010, she held a private preview party at The Canal Room in New York City where those in attendance got to hear some of her new songs for the first time. According to Desmond, the event was “geared toward giving fans, press, labels, and publishing companies a taste of what’s to come. - John Lennon Songwriting contest

Casey has already recorded 3 albums,she has great company guesting on the new album with Tony Levin (Peter Gabriel) on bass and Mike LeVesque (David Bowie) on drums among the musicians.
It would be wrong just to file this cd as another Avril Lavigne clone coz she's not,Casey's music has roots in the singer/songwriter genre where names like Joni Mitchell and PJ Harvey comes in mind.
She has the same attitude as Anouk,the will to rock like Patti Smith and the ability of writing fine pop melodies like Alanis Morissette.
You could say this is a rootsy modern rock/pop album and it's hard to believe she's only 19 coz Casey sounds like a mature and experienced woman that has a lot to tell in her lyrics.
A good album that could've had a little bigger drumsound but this one will do. - Melodic.net / Kaj Roth

If you’re looking for good honest music, good quality, and a young sound, look no further than Casey Desmond. WR loves this gal, she’s on the shooting track. From the cd, Casey Desmond, Did We Make It is hit material right off the bat. Peppy, hip, rock-pop-girl sound. Taste It, another one for the charts. Two Girls, expresses those feelings of eruptive jealousy and confusion in early relationships with a lovin’ dance beat. Alternative sounds and vocals appear on Shivering in the intro but lead once again into that hit sound that seems to be Desmond’s trademark. The Child is ballad-like and lets us know that Desmond may have some Celtic bardess tendencies as well. Sorry Ain’t Enough carries a heavier rock rhythm, increasing the intensity of the cd. I Was Right goes into a comfortable acoustic sound, rounding out this album of great music, making it a number one pick for listening pleasure.
- claire breudigam

Desmond's just released sophomore disc, No Disguise (Sound Museum) is very much a pop record, and there's no shame in that. And though the disc is polished and mainstream by Boston standards, with its dark shades and sophisticated arrangements it would still stand out as one of the more adventurous things on the radio.
One thing Desmond can do that many current teen popsters apparantly can't is sing on a record.
- Boston Phoenix- Brett Milano

"I think Casey has a clear vision as an artist which she communicates through her unique style of lyric writing, distinct and confident vocal style, and powerful guitar playing. In the production of this song, I like that the song starts as a pared down singer-songwriter performance, but develops into a rock production.

She also looks cute and cool, which doesn't hurt, when you're a musician. She's perfect for Daisy rock guitars, which range from classic acoustic guitars to the most rockin' sparkle electric guitars." - Lisa Loeb - Broadjam

http://wildysworld.blogspot.com/2009/07/review-casey-desmond-chilly-alston.html

Casey Desmond - Chilly Alston


Casey Desmond is a singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist destined to be a household name. More than twenty-five songwriting awards and nominations fill her resume, and she's written and recorded with folks such as Tony Levin, William Ackerman (Windham Hill) and producer Anthony J Resta (Duran Duran, Collective Soul, Shawn Mullins). Desmond's latest EP, Chilly Alston is only four songs deep but runs the gamut of popular music.

Desmond opens with Chilly Alston, an upbeat bit of light dance pop that seems a likely commercial radio favorite but is probably the least memorable song offered here. Preacher Man is an intriguing and powerful song about an unexpected attraction to a man of the cloth. The narrator her decides she must have him, and he stands his ground saying, essentially, "only with a ring". Desmond descends into a fury of desire and lust in a gorgeous and sultry vocal performance that's perfectly balanced by the bluesy arrangement. The song is presented in a mix of electric and electronic instrumentation, but I would love to hear how it converts to a traditional Motown/R&B arrangement. Heavy Heavy Heart is a nuanced and mature song about poor self image/self worth. Desmond delivers a knockout vocal performance here flush with the reticent emotions the lyrics imply. Chilly Alston closes out with Any Wonder, a slow rock tune with baroque undertones. Desmond sounds like a cross between Tori Amos and Fiona Apple here and performs some absolutely chilling harmonies in the process.

With a voice like this, it's hard to understand how Casey Desmond isn't a household name already. Add in songwriting acumen beyond her years and you have a recipe for mass success, should the fates allow it. Either way, Chilly Allston is a stunning introduction to an artist I suspect we'll be hearing a lot from in the future. Make sure to spend some time with Casey Desmond, you'll be happy you did.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Casey Desmond at http://www.caseydesmond.com/ or www.myspace.com/caseydesmond. You can purchase a download of Chilly Alston from iTunes.

http://skopemag.com/2009/07/13/music-up-close-with-janie-july-2009/comment-page-1

Now, over here is this the indie/pop songstress Casey Desmond, who hails from both coasts here in the US. Though she’s accomplished on guitar and keys, it’s her voice that is pushing her into female rock history. It’s a big instrument that has edginess and power like Joan Jett but is softer, allowing her to deliver nuances that audiences are lapping up. Backed by a top-notch band, her original songs have been all over TV and film, including Bad Girls Club, America’s Psychic Challenge, and three MTV shows: Human Giant, Road Rules—the Real World, and My Super Sweet 16. Casey has three CDs and two EPs out. Look for her new video, “Tilt Me Back” on Utube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-GmE1wNV6f8 And, look for her signature on soundtracks for Oprah Winfrey’s Harpo Productions.

- Wildy's world and Skope magazine

Casey Desmond
Self-titled (self-release)
This singer-songwriter-musician creates dynamic pop rock with the emotion and force of the best Pat Benatar hits (e.g. “Rise”), and folk ballads so sophisticated, it’s hard to believe she’s not at the top of the charts. Though a few tracks seem overly produced, with radio appeal obviously in mind, the scope of this young lady’s talents should take her beyond the small Boston scene to national recognition in no time.
--Selina S. - Sentimetalist Magazine April 07

Is your record collection heavy on Avril Lavigne and Tori Amos? If so, get ready for a new favorite.
Boston-based Casey Desmond may be barely into her 20s but her solid songwriting and powerful four-octave range belie her tender years.
She sang a duet with Tiny Tim at 10 and wrote her first song at 12. But don’t write her off as an overgrown wunderkind. Topics on No disguise range from overcoming bad relationships (Heat’s to Blame”) to kicking addiction (“Feel Any Better”) to a gorgeous anthem praising the heroics of environmental activist Julia Butterfly Hill, who lived in a Redwood for 738 days to prevent its’ destruction. Desmond’s rock chops, social awareness and
amazingly versatile voice keep you listening.
- Performing Songwriter Magazine

JANUARY 2009 PERFORMER MAGAZINE
CASEY DESMOND WORKING BEYOND THE SCENE
Story by C.D. Di Guardia
Casey Desmond is, at the moment, totally embedded in a large part of the Boston music scene. It, literally, seeps through the walls of the room. An impossible cacophony, the sound of about a hundred bands rehearsing permeates the small room in which she is seated. She wheels her chair over to the computer and brings up a track on which she has been working today. It sounds immediately like nothing currently blasting through the walls of the Sound Museum. Taken at face value, Casey Desmond does not have much in common with many - possibly any - of her local music peers. She is a "local musician" who does not create "local music." When she talks, she sounds like a Boston girl, but she hits the stage with the poise of a globetrotting cosmopolitan. Desmond knows her way around the back streets of Allston but is able to command stages bigger than most Allston apartments and complete with video walls and ensemble set-ups including backing vocalists. Surely, this must make Desmond feel like the proverbial fish out of water or, at least, the big fish in the small pond. I n truth, she feels neither of these - she is more like the big, smart fish that has learned how to use the river to get from the pond to the sea. Some artists struggle with the idea - which pond will get them closest to the sea? Desmond is a different animal altogether; one who lives in the streams, comfortable to go either way. How does Casey Desmond manage this duality? Her life seems a balance of yin and yang - glamour mixed with natural beauty and honesty and genuine performance mixed with theatrics and imagination. Desmond doesn't need to try; she simply is this conglomeration of talent, essence and personality. Go to her MySpace page, and you will be greeted by the white-hot image of a star ready for supernova. Desmond, in all her well-lit and professionally shot glory, has the poise of a celebrity behind a velvet rope, far away from the unwashed masses of the general populace. Go to her MySpace page and send a message, however, and you'll usually get a warm, personable response. She might ask you about your day or the name of your turtle, and it's clear that this is not an act; she'll follow up to make sure that the next day was better and the turtle is enjoying his new basking rock. It is clear that Desmond was not created by some cookie-cutter record company, and there is no layer of cellophane. She has superstar power, but it's not the kind that will incinerate nearby objects - it simply makes them glow a little brighter. It is this magnetic personality and essence that draws people to Desmond. She has over 20,000 fans on her MySpace page - a place where people directly interact with Casey herself. "It's me. I don't have 'people' to monitor it," she explains, throwing the air quotes around "people" and making a face that says she doesn't really want "people" to act as a buffer between her and fans. Desmond's energy draws not only admirers but also fellow artists who want to work with her. While her list of known accomplices includes words like "Grammy Winning Artist" and "of King Crimson," her first artistic collaboration came when she was 11-years-old and found herself singing and playing with a larger-than-life celebrity performer: the late, great Tiny Tim. "I was just this little thing," remembers Desmond, her smile growing wider and wider as she recounts the tale. "When I met him, I drew him a picture and he put it in his ukulele case, and we sang 'Tiptoe Through the Tulips' together. He told me to stick with the music." Manager (and mother) Kathy Desmond recalls the scene almost exactly: "His actual words were 'Miss Casey, you have to promise me you will stick with this:" Well over ten years later, people want to work with Desmond in
almost every medium. Whether she is starring in a stop-motion animation created by one of her friends or shooting a theatrical video, it seems her art and her presence is magnetic. "What's happening is that there are these filmmakers and videographers that are volunteering their talent towards Casey," explains Kathy, who sees mutual benefit for both Casey and whoever is working with her. Everyone on the team also sees the benefit of havi ng a musical video. "I think a band needs a video these days to promote themselves, especially with the internet," says Kathy. Casey won't argue, but, for her, it's more about the chance to make something, and, besides, as she exclaims, "It's so much fun anyway." Casey Desmond is definitely "out there" in terms of being in the public eye, and Kathy gives the music video a lot of credit: "It's another way for people to see what you're like. What you look like. What you sound like." These videos are also another virtual artifact, another piece of something that represents Desmond's work in the great miasma of media available today. Don't think that the vi - Performer Magazine

Casey Desmond comes right at you with No Disguise, her second studio recording. Her words are not a mish mash of mixed messages like some of the nonsensical musings you hear, it is the exact opposite, and every track packs a punch because of her honesty. Desmond is one of new breed of multi tasking indie musicians and in addition to that has her parents involved with studio production and managing her career. If an artist is fortunate and has the talent and right situation, like Casey Desmond, then why not find your own way or better yet let it find you. Casey is being recognized for the exceptional talent she is doing things the indie way and she has management that can be trusted implicitly. What more could you possibly ask? I understand there a few well-known producers that want to work on the next album with the Desmond team, so that could be the next step in pushing her career to new heights. Casey is already hard at work writing and recording the next album so I am anxious to hear how it turns out.
Casey has a Jewel meets Pat Benatar vocal style, its powerful, sexy, breathy, and very clear and understandable. She can get into the lower register then suddenly turn around and belt out a Mariah Carey like falsetto that will blow you away (check out “Julia Butterfly”). Casey not only has incredible range and appeal with her vocalizations, she is a very prolific writer and talented musician-playing guitar, bass, piano, Moog, and has a hand in the programming and production end of things. The icing on the cake is that she has all the looks to complete the package. She recently made the cover of Improper Bostonian magazine, which is ironically quite an honor for an up and coming musician in the Boston area.
There are 12 tracks on this CD and every one has tremendous value while maintaining their own identity and purpose. That in and of itself is a huge demnomiator that makes this album a complete success from top to bottom. The music and Casey’s voice has a great crossover appeal that could pull in the 8 to 60 age group. She is that good and so is the music. This CD rocks with polish and style and its Casey’s voice that gives it that all-in-one appeal that you just cannot define completely. I think mentioning the fact that Casey won the MuzikReviews.com Video and Pick of the week contest is notable as her competition was 64 other artists and many of them were very good. Artist like Casey Desmond stand tall and so far above the rest, and that becomes obvious when you hear just one song.
While every track could easily be a single I would go with my personal favorite, the curtain closer “Situation Girl.” The melodic pop-rock tune demonstrates her innate ability as singer-singwriter-musician with an amazing future ahead that could bring her the acclaim she so richly deserves.
The title of this album says it all, Casey Desmond has No Disguise and if you had all your cards to lay on the table and had no reason not to, what is there to hide? As a music fan and critical listener I appreciated this music and all the great melodies and words that came pouring out my speakers non-stop. This is a great album.
© MuzikReviews.com - Keith Hannaleck

Casey Desmond is growing-fast. The 21-year-olds
Second CD, NO Disguise, takes an unabashedly commercial turn that sounds more like Evanescense or Tori Amos than fellow local rockers. Its sophisticated sound is a surprise when one conswiders that she produced the record with her parents, Bill and Kathy Desmond, who lead the theatrical, trash-art band Bentmen, and guitarist Taylor Barefoot from her own group.
But cutting through the polish is Desmonds’ clarion voice, a natural instrument that provies she’s the real deal. Unlike amny young pop singers (hello Avril Lavigne), Desmond soars in tune both on record and onstage.
“I’m not going to have [producers] cut up my voice an thousand times and auto tune it to hell” says Desmond, who counts Nick Cave, Ani DiFranco, Jewel, and Alanis Morissette among her influences. “If I don’t have a voice, then I’m jjust gong to be a [visual] artist or write music on the piano.”
In fact, she deferred art school to give music a full-time shot---not surprising considering that she grew up around her parents’ Sound Museum studios, meeting musicians and going to gigs. It whetted her appetite for variety. Desmond plays both keyboards and guitar, and is thinking about cellos and organ for her next disc.
Her youth sometimes comes across in her relationship songs, but the vunerability is honest, even if her delivery pays a nod to her days in high school musical theatre.
“Probably because I had punky, short, multicolored hair, I never got lead roles” she recalls. “ I was kinda, OK, I’ll do my own thing.”

- Paul Robicheau