Ignacio

The most recent occasion has been similarly rewarding. A New York musician, Ignacio Uriarte, began following my tweets and we struck up a dialogue centred around music (me saying how much I liked bands from NYC; him saying how much good music was coming out of the UK).

The five tracks he emailed me are what I would describe as anthemic alternative guitar pop. I found myself humming the strident, uplifting harmonies of 'Thugs And Thieves (You Can Have It All)' for days after the mail arrived; the urgent Brit Pop-meets-Eighties New Wave 'What It Takes', with its Beatles-y middle eight, is similarly instantly catchy, but the effect doesn't wear after a while as it does with some songs in the genre.

My personal favourite was 'Miles Away', sounding like it could have sat comfortably on The Virgins' debut album from last year; starting with some very Cars-esque spindly guitar, the subject matter – separation, mostly metaphorical – is hardly optimistic but the effect is to create a glossy, quality pop.

I only hope someone signs this talented songwriter and takes his songs to a wider audience. Meantime, navigate your browser to the links below and enjoy the songs for yourself. - MJA Smith

New York's own Ignacio will be performing a couple of upcoming shows in the NYC area, Webster Hall on July 28 and Crash Mansion on August 10. His new EP has just been released and is available on iTunes and Amazon, as well as at his shows.

Ignacio's sound is a very polished alternative rock with dashes of punk similar to Elvis Costello. "What It Takes" has a great energetic beat with even more energetic vocals. The simplicity of "Jane" and "Miles Away" keeps the focus on the lyrics more so than the music. For song samples and more, please visit www.ignacionyc.com. - JP's Music Blog

Singer/songwriter, Ignacio Uriarte, is a multi-talented musician hailing from Westchester, New York and has just released his debut self-titled EP. Behind his musical talents on the bass, guitar & piano, his new 5-track EP features songs about love, loss and despiration. Throughout this album, Ignacio supplies a sound thats inspired by bands such as the Beatles, the Libertines, & Oasis. Expect big things, stream Ignacio's EP in its entirety below and grab a free download of his latest single 'Squeeze'. Enjoy! - New Music Xperience

In support of his newly released EP, Ignacio brings his powerful live show back to Webster Hall - this time playing the Marlin Room - as part of lower east legend "Lach Presents..." showcase on Wed July 28th - 9:30PM. Ignacio is quickly rising through the NYC ranks as one of the best live shows to see. The line up is only a 3-piece, but the sound that emanates is vastly larger than bands twice the size. Check out Ignacio live (and his EP) and see for yourself why he is being hailed as one of "NYC's Artists to Watch in 2010" - trust me - you'll be hooked! - The Deli

In between Tribeca Film Festival screenings, I decided to ingest some entertainment of the aural variety, and stopped by the "Emergenza Battle of the Bands at bar The Bitter End on the lower east side. This was the quarterfinals of the competition, with the semifinals occurring at Crash Mansion on May 13th, and the finals taking place at Webster Hall on an undisclosed date. The prize, cash and a musical tour of Germany, Tonight, 9 bands competed for 4 openings into the semifinal round.

The room was oddly arranged with a bunch of wooden tables flanking the stage, and very little standing room. There was also a two-drink minimum per set, which was a recipe for disaster. The majority of the bands were terrible, but that was to be expected. I hate to shit all over an upstart and, but the award for most unintentionally funny performance definitely went to "The Rip Surfers." This band was suffering a major identity crisis – the 50-year old bassist looked like Jacques Cousteau, donning a beret and a hideous turquoise shirt, which the keyboardist was dressed like a typical emo girl, and the lead singer donned a cowboy hat. Oh yeah, and their brand of Nickelback-esque shod-rock almost made me storm out in disgust.

Fortunately, I decided to stay and finish my Guinness, and see the next band, New York-natives Dellacane [feat. Ignacio...] – a three-piece that, nestled amongst a bunch of mind-numbing emo and metal acts, produced infectious, melodic Britpop. They attracted a large devoted followed to the bar, with fans requesting songs and singing along to the lyrics. Heck, they were the only band that incited dancing amongst the tightly-packed inebriated horde of indie music lover. They were the only band to switch tempos, playing songs both slow and bracingly fast; they were also the only band to elicit dancing, and the dark environs of The Bitter End erupted in applause following each and every ditty.

Unsurprisingly, the band was awarded 1st place in a landslide victory

If you happen to be in the NY area, be sure to check out the next round of Battle of the Bands at Crash Mansion on May 13th, and keep supporting your local music scene!

You can read more about and check out some of their catchy tunes at their Myspace.

http://www.myspace.com/imuriarte

- Marlow Stern
- Amplifier Magazine

"Ignacio's is currently working on the best new rock album I have heard in over 5 years!"

From a sneak peek listen from A&R who asked to remain anonymous due the label expressing interest... - Muisc Industry

Article right before going Solo...

DELLACANE, a Bronxville-based rock band, made it into the final round of the Emergenza Music Festival, which bills itself as "the largest international contest for unsigned bands." The group was one of 28 acts in the final competition, held July 6 and 7 at Webster Hall in New York City. The winner will fly to Germany and play at the Taubertal Festival next month alongside more established bands like Mando Diao and Shout Out Louds.

"Hopefully, we'll be able to win and go to Germany or tour in the U.S. coast to coast," said Vincent Giangola, 25, the drummer, before the finals. "Hopefully, we'll get signed, get a record deal, play lots of shows and make lots of money. That's the plan."

Dellacane (the name was created by the guitarist, Frank Dal Pra, 21, and is a hybrid of "psychedelic hurricane") got through three other rounds this spring to make it to the finals, winning the battle of the bands at the Hook in Brooklyn, the Bitter End in Greenwich Village and Crash Mansion in the East Village. To sharpen their sound, they practiced every day at Mr. Giangola's home in Mount Vernon.

"We joke that it is really the 'battle of the crowds,' " said Ignacio Uriarte, 21, Dellacane's lead singer and bassist. "At the end of the set they count hands to vote, so usually you have to get all your friends to come. A lot of the burden falls on the band to sell tickets, promote it and get people there."

Walter Combi, the North American artistic director for Emergenza, concurs. "We do encourage every band to be shameless about promoting their own band," he said.

Dellacane wasn't the only Westchester band to make it to the finals. A Few Too Many, from Yorktown Heights and fronted by the Calamera sisters — Jessica, 17, and Samantha, 15 — performed on the first night of the competition, garnering praise from Mr. Combi as having "more talent than the whole Berklee School of Music put together."

To compete, bands must have original songs, be unsigned, have at least three members and pay a $70 entry fee. Many are discovered by Emergenza through MySpace.com, where bands maintain Web pages and post songs. Bands also contact Emergenza directly through its Web site.

Dellacane took the stage and played six songs in 20 minutes, including the crowd favorites "Chinatown" and "When the Room Spins."

At the end of the evening, Dellacane came in second. Fire Flies, a New York City band, took top honors. Instead of Germany, Dellacane will travel the United States as part of the "Best of Emergenza" tour.

A Few Too Many didn't make it, but they don't seem too disappointed.

"It wasn't that heartbreaking," said Peter Calamera, the girls' father. "They have seven major record labels bidding for them."

By IRENA CHOI STERN - NY TIMES Article

Ignacio is one of our favorite new NYC arists. The video above is from his last project, Dellacane. He recently signed to Genius Entertainment (NYC Indie Label) and is in the midst of pumping out new music. He has a unique sound that can quickly be compared to the likes of The Arctic Monkeys or The Libertines with a taste of The Beatles. Check out his official site here, be sure to check out his three brand new songs, “That’s Mine”, “Jane”, and “Her”. Expect an <in depth> article and video interview very soon.

Booking Contact: Greg Yates (greg@geniusent.com) - Thebandaidz.com