Lisa Brigantino

"Lisa Brigantino is what you'd call a complete musician—a superb multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter, and not least, rocker. Brigantino brings to her songwriting that real sense of melody that so many putative writers lack, whether it's on a softie, like the folksy "Those Days" and the lovely "Light of Your Face," or in more out-there fare like "I Gotta Find Me Somethin'," where Dixieland meets the Andrews Sisters." - Jon Sobel, Blog Critics
Jon Sobel, Blog Critics - Blog Critics

“Throughout the thirteen tracks [of I'll Waltz Before I Go], Lisa seamlessly blends genres from Folk to Americana, Country, Rock, and Old-Time, even incorporating some Gypsy-Jazz for good measure. The album kicks off with the world music flavored “Watching The Ducks,” which offers a serene metaphor for falling in love brought to life by Lisa’s emotive vocals, guitar, and percussion.” - – The Daily Country

“Lisa Brigantino is an American singer-songwriter, with her latest track I’ll Waltz Before I Go being a wonderful folk tune in the traditional style. It’s quite a simple track but that is certainly not an issue here, and we implore you to listen until the chorus – the vocal melodies and chord progressions used are simply beautiful in a haunting and addictive manner. We can’t stop listening to it and we reckon our readers won’t be able to either!” - York Calling

Where the gravel meets the road, Lisa Brigantino is laying it down with her bluesy rock in Go And Find It, the first track off of her latest release, Wonder Wheel, a classic rock feel, with a modern edge.

Following on with Used To Be A House is more in tune with the Indigo Girls or maybe Michelle Shocked, holding its folk roots close and still adding her own twist to the old standard formula. Sarah, the next track, has the evocative vocal harmonies that hauntingly slip into your mind.

The roots of Lisa Brigantino may be folk, but she was born to rock as well, and with A Little Sympathy, she follows in the footsteps of the pure pop rockers before her.

Brigantino chases the blues, rock and the folk sounds but I Gotta Find Me Somethin’, combines the kazoo and ukulele creating a tin pan alley sound with its fun, off-beat melody.

This Town has a rock n’ roll edge with pop sensibilities that hail back to the classic years of rock and roll, but has a modern twist, bringing it bang up-to-date.

Brigantino offers a diverse variety of styles and mixes them up in a wonder package called Wonder Wheel, full of diversity and which never sits in one place for very long. - Vernan Tart, Culture Bomb - Culture Bomb

Sometime within the past month, I received a really interesting package in my makeshift Brooklyn mailbox. Considering that I am used to getting bills, random cards from my parents and a weekly subscription to TV Guide even though I don’t have a TV (thanks Nana!), this package was certainly out of the ordinary. On the front of it was a hand-written (!) note from Brooklyn singer-songwriter Lisa Brigantino mentioning Dunja’s name. I sat there puzzled for a minute, then suddenly it all clicked – I had given my physical address a long time ago to her for this opportunity but had clearly forgotten about it.

Before I even popped the CD into my computer, Lisa Brigantino had spiked my interest. In our world, in these days, her decision to mail me the physical album was truly unique.

I am pretty sure it’s a consequence of my career, generation and the city I call home, but I think about the internet a lot. I often find myself in conversations about how the internet has changed our lives for better and worse with different end decisions almost every time. It’s a topic I bring up in every interview I do for Lip and something I think or talk about every day. The numerous requests I get to check out websites, Facebook pages, press-only YouTube videos and various other EPKs solidifies that the days of mailing demos are long gone.

Going against the grain like that made me like her right away.

Then I took a few solid listens to Wonder Wheel and only liked her more. It should’ve been more obvious that anyone that dedicated to promoting her album so personally had reason to be proud of her creation. After the third run-through, I visited her website and was seeing the incredible list of credentials on her bio (one of the original members of Lez Zeppelin, the world’s first all-female Led Zeppelin tribute band, a solid list of theater, film and TV scores and clear evidence of songwriting talent). Based on the album cover and the website, I had a certain idea of what to expect on her album, picturing someone between Ingrid Michaelson and Alison Krauss. Wonder Wheel surely has shades of those influences, but it’s also something really remarkable in its own right.

From the very first song “Go and Find It”, you can hear Lisa’s amazing multi-instrumental talent. The song is rooted in a catchy acoustic guitar melody layered on top of fast-paced scaling guitars and drum beats. “Go and Find It” sounds like something I’ve heard on the radio or at the bar. It’s a great first track to entice the listener into Lisa Brigantino’s pop world.

The album is much more than just pop, though.

“A Little Sympathy” mixes the big band sound of 80s Bruce Springsteen with the danceable nerdiness of 90s indie rock adding a distinct female voice. The song takes the album in a completely different direction than what I had come to expect in the best way possible.

My favorite track on the album, though, is “I Gotta Find Me Somethin”. The harmonization and use of the mandolin and kazoo give this song a feel of ‘40s or ‘50s music that you might hear one of those all-girl groups playing at a carnival. Or some other mid-century thing featuring a circus tent and those big old lightbulbs. I know that is an odd reference to make, but it seriously the song could be fit right in with Big Fish. I’ve been listening to it non-stop for the past three days.

Lisa’s songwriting talent is most apparent on “Departure” and “The Wandering”. It might be because I am at a point in my own life when thinking about growing up and my role as an adult is my second most pondered topic, besides maybe the internet. Her honest lyrics, mellow guitarwork and powerful vocals create the kind of catchy universality that might make John Mayer jealous.

Wearing yet a different hat, Lisa demonstrates her rocker side on “This Town” and “Motel Room in the Dangerous Part of Town”. These songs are perhaps her weakest, but the hard rock feel adds a different catchiness to these songs.

Title track “Wonder Wheel” is a perfect marriage of all of Lisa’s talents: songwriting, fully rounded out beat, strong vocals, a universal pop sensibility and commercial appeal. “Wonder Wheel” has a true positivity that separates it from the rest of the album from the first note of the song.

All in all, Lisa Brigantino mailing Wonder Wheel to me is one of the most interesting things that’s happened to me over the past three months. It would’ve been awesome if the album sucked, too, I guess, but the fact that I liked it as much as I did made the whole thing that much cooler. Wonder Wheel is available now.

Be sure to visit Lisa’s facebook page for more information and updates! - Lip Magazine

The latest release by Lisa Brigantino, Wonder Wheel, is a collection of fine-crafted, eclectic rock songs, mixed with elements of folk, country, and pop. "Go and Find It" is a blues rock song with a blazing guitar solo about breaking up, where the singer urges her former love to find what they are looking for. The touching, "Used to Be a House," is a folk rock tune with great lyrical depth, and "Sarah" is a country ballad with gorgeous full vocal harmonies. On the pop rocker, "A Little Sympathy," the beginning guitar riff has a taste of Generation X's "Dancing With Myself," and the melody will have you humming along. "The Light of Your Face" is a love ballad with an exquisite melody, and "Those Days" takes an enchanting and intimate look back on fond memories. There is something very precious about the blues tune, "I Gotta Find Me Somethin,'" with its old-time quality and vocal harmonies, complete with kazoo chorus breakdown. Lisa rocks hard on "This Town," which mourns the loss of this town's unique character to the corporate cookie cutter sameness. She powerfully belts out, "This town used to rumble, this town used to scream. This town's gonna crumble, this town's losing me." The folk ballads, "Departure" and "The Wandering," are deeply philosophical and introspective. "Motel Room in the Dangerous Part of Town" has an infectious melody and a humorous look at the life of a touring musician, staying in a shady hotel in Tennessee. The piano-laced, title track, "Wonder Wheel" is beautifully arranged, and the piano waltz, "I'll See You in My Dreams," has a memorable melody that harkens back to Tin Pan Alley days. Phenomenal musicianship and top-notch songwriting! - Loosey Lucy E-Zine

"(Wonder Wheel) is a strong 13-tune collection that shows off Brigantino's wide range of interest. Rock, blues, folk, ragtime, Tex-Mex, and country impulses collide, but it's all held together by Brigantino's expressive vocals, her expert playing, and the support of husband and co-producer Tomi Millioto, who adds massive electric guitar chops and drum programming that make the harder tracks kick serious behind. There isn't a weak track here..." - AllMusic Guide

As a founding member and bassist of an all-girl Zeppelin tribute band, wittingly named Lez Zeppelin, Lisa Brigantino got to headline festivals, tour the world, and gain recognition as a multi-instrumentalist. Now, with a solo album called “Wonder Wheel,” Brigantino is distancing herself a little from the Led Zeppelin experience, embracing a more contemporary sound of slickly-produced rock and acoustic charm. Brigantino still loves Led Zeppelin but that music phenomenon is not part of her everyday existence anymore. Going solo, Brigantino proves that she is more than just an entertainer. She is a woman of substance, too. - Goldmine Magazine

Harmonious, melodic, smooth, bluesy, funky, rootsy all these describe the music of Lisa Brigantino. She conveys a lot through her words, and more importantly, her vocal styling itself. If I was a folk-rockin woman from New York City with one hell of a lot to say, my name would be Lisa Brigantino." - Pull Press

Lisa Brigantino is a mastermind in her own right. Up on stage she is a musical goddess—rightly so, with all facets of performance and production running heavy through her bloodline. - Sen Baltimore Magazine

Lisa Brigantino is note for note for note perfection. She is thunder. She’s the dangerous criminal in the shadows of impending doom...Get used
to her because she'll always be in the back of your mind. She's that tick-tock of the clock that keeps you up at three in the morning. - Aspen Daily News

'A Brooklyn Night' is a splendid album. With the help of some stinging guitar work by her husband, Tomi Millioto, Brigantino puts together a varied selection of tasty musical entrees. She sings with a lot of soul and grit, showing the spirit of a true New Yorker. She plays one mean acoustic guitar and sings like a woman that is full of life and plenty of it to share with her audience. All the emotions are harnessed and delivered right on time in every song. This is all very well done." - The Global Muse Music Magazine

This is a gem, a beautiful collection of poetic, melodic tracks. The arrangements, by Lisa and her husband Tomi Millioto, are mostly sparse and organic, allowing the beauty of Lisa's voice and lyrics to shine through. It's one of those CDs that you'll want to listen to over and over again. I heard echoes of Joni Mitchell, Sheryl Crow, Alison Kraus, Mama Cass Elliott with a sprinkle of Janis Joplin thrown in for flavour! Lisa has a beautiful way of bending her notes when she sings. Some people say that the human voice is the most beautiful instrument of all but also the most difficult to master. Listen to Lisa and you'll see what I mean… - Bassgirls.com

Rootsy folk musing with the refreshing warmth of a well recorded acoustic guitar, a soulful singer, and crystalline vocal harmonies that sound like angels tapping in on a radio signal. - Listen.com

Lisa Brigantino...is simply one of the best hard rock bassists I have ever seen: solid and accurate,
with an energy that seems limitless. - Progarchives.com

"2010 Artist To Watch Out For...
Lisa's musicality on "Wonder Wheel" is unique; a music journey worth taking with this artist."
- The Examiner - The Examiner

"Wonder Wheel is a well rounded album, featuring everything from blazing electric guitar licks on Go and Find It, to rockin’ blues on This Town, to sweet finger-picked acoustic folk on Those Days, and sparkling piano pop on the title track. Lisa’s voice moves fluidly from style to style, earthy on the blues and rocker songs, liquid sweet
on the acoustic and pop tunes...Is there anything she can't do?" - Lyrical Venus Radio, KRUU-FM

"Lisa is one of the most versatile songwriters we've heard. She is a true artist who has mastered countless styles of writing, singing and performing. This New Yorker moves effortlessly from a sensitive acoustic ballad to an in-your-face bluesy romp without skipping a beat." - Women Of Substance Radio

Wonder Wheel is a brilliant example of passion, love and determination. You can feel the emotion in Lisa's voice, and you can soon tell that she loves what she's doing and is brilliant at doing it... I love how this album progresses, it isn't samey, boring, or a task to listen to; it is pretty much beautiful. It seems like a whirlpool of sparkle, paired with pitch perfect vocals and a drive to make a difference. - New Reviews, UK

""Lisa's music is very well crafted and beautifully performed
(I would expect nothing less)." - Jack Douglas, Grammy Award-Winning Producer/Engineer (John Lennon, The Who, Aerosmith, Cheap Trick)

"...Earlier this month, she released her second CD. It’s called Wonder Wheel. Some people are saying that this will be a big break-out record in the second half of the year. Start with a song called This Town." From 'Five Songs That You Gotta Hear Today - ExploreMusic.com

It's hard to place Lisa Brigantino in a genre. Maybe it's her rock background, or her phenomenal talent to play an array of instruments ranging from guitar to accordion, or her full, but something about this mixture is too unique to stuff in one genre...It's this rarity that makes Wonder Wheel such a superb album. There's a little bit of everything, but it's done in such a well-put together way that it's fascinating. There's a definite twang and heart to everything, but there's an edge and an attitude, too. Brigantino has been put on all kinds of “artist to watch” lists. You should do more than watch. You should listen and then re-listen and re-listen again. Wonder Wheel will touch you, entertain you, and refresh you.
- Muzikreviews.com