Craig Greenberg
Brooklyn, New York, United States | Established. Jan 01, 2015 | SELF
Music
Press
Here is a really energetic, piano-based, singer/songwriter's EP that is definitely worth checking out. It's tough to do what Craig Greenberg does and not be compared to Ben Folds (my backhanded way of comparing him to Ben Folds). However, his voice is not only spot-on good, but it's definitely quirky and fun to listen to. Greenberg is a good songwriter, and this EP deserves a spin if you enjoy pop music. - WLUR 91.5 FM (Lexington, VA)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For more information, contact: Seeing Green Music at (917) 459-8760.
Email: press@craiggreenbergmusic.com
Singer-Songwriter Craig Greenberg to release 2nd CD on August 21st, 2010, with a release party and concert at Sullivan Hall in NYC.
New York native 2nd CD offering brings a mature, focused and energetic piano pop sound.
New York, NY (Aug 5, 2010) The much anticipated 2nd CD of NYC based singer-songwriter Craig Greenberg is to be independently released on Saturday, August 21st, with a release party and concert at Sullivan Hall in downtown NYC.
The new EP, entitled “Spinning in Time”, contains five of Craig’s most catchy and well crafted songs to date, and features his soulful, endearing vocals along with displays of the exceptional musicality on both piano and guitar he has come to be known for.
The record was produced, recorded and mixed by indie pop guru, Roger Greenawalt (Ben Kweller, The Pierces, Julian Velard) at Shabby Road Studio, in Brooklyn, NY and mastered by Nathan James at Vault Mastering in NY, NY.
The CD is a follow up to Craig’s 2007 debut EP “The World and Back”. “This record definitely has a more pop sound than my first EP”, says Craig. “The songs are about love relationships, both real and imagined, and, also deal with trying to overcome personal life obstacles. The title of the CD is a play on the circular imagery that, upon completion of recording, I noticed ran throughout much of the record.”
“Good song, man!” said legendary songwriter Jackson Browne upon hearing a live performance of Craig’s song “Carousel” (song on the current release)
Craig will perform songs off the “Spinning in Time” EP, along with some of his older material, with a full band at the release show.
CD RELEASE SHOW INFO:
Saturday Aug 21st, 2010
@ Sullivan Hall
214 Sullivan St (between Bleecker and W 3rd st)
NY, NY 10012
8pm (opening band Frank www.frankband.com at 7:15pm)
For more information, show schedule, or to hear music by Craig Greenberg, visit him on myspace (www.myspace.com/craiggreenberg)
or on facebook (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Craig-Greenberg/7071066195)
or at his website (www.craiggreenbergmusic.com).
Direct Press Inquiries to: press@craiggreenbergmusic.com
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- Mi2n
On Saturday August 21, 2010 at Sullivan Hall, Long Island native Craig Greenberg will be taking the stage to celebrate the release of his second EP, “Spinning In Time.” A long-awaited follow-up to his first EP, “The World and Back” (2007), Greenberg is thrilled to finally start touring and promoting this new album beginning this fall, as well as get into the stream of college shows and music festivals. Born in Queens and raised on Long Island, Craig moved back to NYC immediately after graduating college in Atlanta. Interestingly, he didn’t begin performing until several years later, while he was living abroad down in Chile and Spain. It was those two countries that Greenberg credits with getting his “start” as a working pub musician, and later as a singer/songwriter. Returning to NY when he felt he had gained the writing and performing chops to keep up with the amazing level of talent in the city, Craig has worked diligently to put out an EP that showcases the perseverance, creativity, and the long, winding road that always brings an artist back to the energy of New York City.
What made you select these songs for the album and how are they tied into the title “Spinning In Time?”
Well, I first met Roger Greenawalt (Producer) through our common affinity for the Beatles- he hosts a Beatles ukulele tribute in Brooklyn every year where I’ve performed. When he approached me about recording a song together, I decided to bring in a tune that would work well for our mutual sensibilities entitled “Our Own Way.” The recording came out amazing, and from there we decided to do a full EP together. “Our Own Way” gave us a strong, bold starting pointing to leap off from, and from there I brought in other songs from my catalog that I thought would fit well with it on the record.
What do these songs represent to you and the place you are in your career right now?
These songs are a great personal and professional accomplishment for me. They are a high water mark in my writing to date, in the sense that they all have some pretty catchy hooks paired with lyrics that are interesting and not of the everyday fare. It is my hope that people will initially be drawn in by the tune, but then after sitting with it for a while realize there’s much more to the lyrics than just boy meets girl, boy loses girl. I’d like them to connect on a deeper level.
Who are some of your greatest influences up to this point?
Well, in my house I heard a lot of classical music and Broadway tunes from my dad, and from my older brother I first got into Billy Joel. Those two sounds laid the foundation of my musical interests. In high school, when I first started really getting into music, I was listening to a lot of classic and progressive rock, mainly bands like Queen, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Yes, Genesis, and of course The Beatles. I was also into a bunch of the grunge and alternative bands of the early 90's, like Pearl Jam, Nirvana, Radiohead, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers. The band that undoubtedly had the biggest impact on my college years was Phish. I spent many hours learning a lot of their early compositions on guitar. Behind them, the next influence of that era was probably Dave Mathews. Since those years, the artist that’s had the biggest influence on me is definitely Ben Folds.
How do you feel they have helped to shape your music both in sound and lyrics?
Well, I started learning piano by sitting with Billy Joel piano books for hours on end. From him, more than any other artist, I absorbed linear classical structure in pop music. I definitely learned things like odd time signatures and modulations from the progressive rock bands I was into, which I use sometimes in my music. The Phish influence was enormous to me as a musician in bringing experimentation and improvisation to my writing and performing style. Lyrically, my biggest influences would have to be Paul Simon, the Beatles, Randy Newman, Billy Joel, and the Old 97's.
How has living in this city impacted your music and career? Is there another artist’s career path that you respect and work towards?
During my time living abroad I moved around a lot, and the guitar was my main instrument to play and write on simply because of it’s portability. When I returned to NYC and became a bit more settled, I started playing and writing largely on piano. The piano to me is much more of a composer’s instrument, and I have felt more connected to my NY roots (i.e. Broadway, Gershwin, Billy Joel, the Brill Building writers) since switching to it as my main instrument. I started working on more elaborately structured music since the transition, and that has grown to become my dominant sound.
As far as my career, being in NY has been a positive and a negative – positive in the sense that I’ve met many great people, both artists and industry folks that I’ve learned a lot from. Being here really forced me to work hard and focus my sound, because there are - NYC Art Scene (Christina Morelli)
New Yorker Craig Greenberg is this time around’s troubadour piano man, combining the pop sensibilities of Billy Joel with the lyrical smarts of Randy Newman. His new Spinning In Time is living proof, offering up five tracks’ worth of haven’t-I-heard-that-before moments that manage to feel both fresh and familiar.
Production on Spinning In Time is cool – take the album opener “I’m Losing You”, for instance: with Michael Bellusci on drums and (co-producer) Roger Greenawalt on bass laying down a foundation, Greenberg takes it from there. His lead vocals and keys are placed solidly up front with a wall of sound reminiscent of Queen’s “You’re My Best Friend” in the background – falsetto vox, Brian Mayish guitar, and all. (In fact, that’s the lineup for the album, except for the closer “Turning Track”, where bassist Jimmy Riot and drummer Marc Slutsky sit in with the many-handed Greenberg.) By keeping the rhythm section live, Greenberg avoids the metronome feel that some do-it-yourselfers end up locked into.
As multi-talented as he is instrumentally (he even places sweet droplets of glockenspiel here and there), Greenberg is first and foremost a keyboardist, blessed with the ability to back up catchy intros and hooks with beautiful breaks when called for. Check out “Our Own Way”, featuring a cool hand-clap-driven rhythm that’ll remind you of Todd Rundgren’s “I Saw The Light”: when our hero’s thoughts turn to dreams, the piano comes forward to do the talking in a manner most lovely. In fact, it’s easy to imagine any of the tracks on Spinning In Time performed by Greenberg in a solo piano-and-vocals setting, but the arrangements offered here are just plain good fun as is. That’s the deal with the whole album, actually: even at his edgiest, Greenberg makes you want to tap your foot, if not join in on the chorus. Not everyone can do that. - Jambands.com
"Craig Greenberg’s debut EP is exactly what a proper debut should be: unselfconscious, energetic and fun. Four of the five tracks here are driven by jaunty, lively keys, quick-witted lyrics, and experimental arrangements" - Rebel Spirit Music
Discography
Still working on that hot first release.
Photos
Bio
Craig has been called this generations troubadour piano man (Jambands.com), combining the pop sensibilities and greatly skilled musicianship of Billy Joel and Ben Folds, with the lyrical smarts of Randy Newman. His voice brims with soul and personality, coming from his strong native New Yorker identity, and also from his experience getting his start while living abroad, performing in the bars and on the streets of Chile and Spain from 2002 to 2004. Since his return to NY, Craig has been a mainstay on the downtown and Brooklyn music scene, and as well has toured around the US and abroad.
Craigs songs, in content and feel, run the gamut from light-hearted and tongue and cheek, to quite dark and edgy. Its his range as a songwriter that sets him apart.
In November of 2007, Craig co-produced and released his debut EP, entitled The World and Back, and in August of 2010 released the follow up, entitled Spinning In Time. His first full length record is slated for release Spring of 2015.
COOL STUFF ABOUT CRAIG
-Craig has had the privilege of performing with industry greats such as Chris Barron (Spin Doctors), Mike Gordon (Phish), and has accompanied Jackson Browne on several occasions, most recently in June 2013 as part of Steel Bridge Songfest 9-a festival in Sturgeon Bay, WI, hosted by veteran songwriter Pat mAcdonald (Timbuk 3).
At the same festival in prior years, Craig also performed with Jane Wiedlin (of the Go-Gos) and Victor DeLorenzo (Violent Femmes).
-In June 2013, Craig won runner up in an online competition and was invited attend Roots Rock Revivala 5 day music workshop hosted by Butch Trucks and Oteil Burbridge of the Allman Brothers Band in the Catskill Mountains.
-In April 2013, Craig was ranked #9 out of almost 2000 on the ReverbNation NYC Rock chart.
-In February 2013, Craig was named as High Times Magazines Unsigned Band of the Month.
-In Nov 2012, Craig toured Israel accompanying songwriter Jerry Joseph.
-Craigs latest CD, Spinning In Time has received airplay on almost 100 radio stations around the country, and as well was recently accepted to Pandora. His song from the record, Our Own Way, was featured in the 2012 film Doggie B.
-In January of 2011, Craig ranked #8 out of hundreds on a Best Of NYC Emerging Artists for 2010? poll in the Songwriter category for Deli magazine.
-In April of 2010, Craig organized (and performed at) the Concert For Chile a benefit for the earthquake victims, held at Brooklyn Bowl. The show was headlined by Chris Barron (of the Spin Doctors), and raised money for AmeriCares fund for Chile relief. The event received press in Chile, and elsewhere internationally, and a live webcast of the concert drew 1,800 viewers worldwide.
-In March of 2010, Craig made his debut during SXSW in Austin, performing showcases for both the Red Gorilla and Music Gorilla festivals.
-Craig was awarded runner up for Relix Magazines Jam Off Songwriting Competition two times, for songs The Thought Of You (Oct 2009), and Our Own Way (Sept 2011). He won featured ads in their magazine and in their newsletter sent to over 100,000 subscribers.
-In 2009, Craig was nominated for a Hoboken Music Award for Best Surrounding Area Singer/Songwriter.
-Craig gets regular air play on NYC area radio, as well has performed and been interviewed on several local TV and internet webcast shows, including the Directors Chair, hosted by Q104.3 DJ, Jonathan Clarke.
-As well as touring solo, Craig has opened for NYC and Portland, OR based songwriter Jerry Joseph (Jackmormons, Stockholm Syndrome) at shows in the northwest and northeast, and in Costa Rica over New Years 05 and 06.
-In June of 2006, Craig was selected as 1 of a group of 25 songwriters, chosen nationally to take part in a songwriter workshop and collaboration in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin.
-In September of 06, Craigs politically charged song No Evasion got selected as one of the top Songs of the Times on Neil Youngs website (www.neilyoung.com), reaching as high as 87 out of 500 on a popularity ranking, alongside songs from artists such as Ben Harper, Kris Kristofferson, Crosby & Nash, and Bright Eyes.
-Craig has performed and/or worked with several members (previous and current) of George Clinton and P-Funk, and Eric Burdon and the Animals, including Eric McFadden (EMT, Stockholm Syndrome), Kim Manning, Bernie Worrell, Shaunna Hall (Electrofunkadelica, 4 Non-Blondes), and Paula ORourke (Tiny), He has also performed (or shared the stage) with songwriter and Ben Harper sideman, Tom Freund, Adam Levy (Norah Jones), Doug Derryberry (Bruce Honsby), and Amy Correia.
-In addition to touring nationally, he has also played dates in Costa Rica, Spain, Ecuador, and the US Virgin Islands.
Band Members
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