Robbie Hazen and the Riot

Robbie Hazen
The closest that Robbie Hazen can come to a gimmick is posing as a harmonica-blowing folkie who happens to be writing energetic pop music. That helped Steve Forbert stand out back at CBGB's, but Hazen is competing with lots of other handsome young men who can't muster half his sincerity and enthusiasm. There's a reason you don't see him on those multiple bills that look more like a faux-folkie support group. (Thursday, August 26, High Note Lounge) - Black & White Birmingham

Hollywood singer-guitarist Robbie Hazen says "Dreary Eyes" was inspired by his freshman year in college. "I went away to the University of Notre Dame in the fall of 2004 and wrote this tune during an academic break in the fall semester," the South Florida-born musician says. "Freshman year was a big transition year for me, and with the new environment, I gained access to the minds and stories of hundreds of new friends from around the country." Hazen describes the song, which depicts the ugly crossroads of too many drinks and a video recorder, as a story that unravels poignantly. Here's an excerpt: "The video played for all to see/How messed up some people can be/When incoherence and initiative collide/Innocence dies." . . . To hear "Dreary Eyes," visit Myspace.com/robbiehazen.

Written by Colleen Dougher
August 18, 2009
http://southflorida.metromix.com/music/article/the-eyes-have-it/1405117/content - Metromix South Florida

"Singer-songwriter Robbie Hazen, who hails from Pembroke Pines, boasts an EP of cheery pop-acoustic adult contemporary singles . . ."

-Erica K Landau - New Times Broward-Palm Beach

Playing music is a lifetime affair for local musician Robbie Hazen. Having started out playing with friends in middle school to being flown to Texas to perform as a contestant at Famecast, music has been a constant presence in his life. According to his MySpace profile, anytime you see him out on the street you can count on there being at least one musical instrument on him, typically in the form of a harmonica in his back pocket. Without a doubt, this is the kind of dedication it requires to succeed in the music business, and with any luck, after graduating this year from Notre Dame, Robbie Hazen will have his chance.

Growing up in southern Florida, Robbie first began playing cover songs with a group friends laughingly referred to as the “Abi-Normals.” Though this outfit was short-lived, it instilled in him a love for music that would not assuage itself over time. Shortly after the band called it a day, the cover songs gave way to praise and worship as Robbie began playing in a church band at the beginning of high-school. It was this experience that really gave him his first opportunity to perform on a regular basis in front of a large crowd. “I performed on stage with that group almost every weekend for over three years.” According to Robbie, “It was a large church, which meant I played in front of thousands of people each weekend.” But this would not be the last time he would get the chance to dazzle a large audience. As a finalist for season one of Famecast, Robbie was flown to Austin, Texas to perform to an audience of several hundred people, as well as a panel of judges. After beating out much of the competition and placing 3rd, he came back to Indiana to finish his college career at Notre Dame.
Church would continue to play a role in Robbie’s life when it came to music. It was one of the sound engineers from the church he played at that would give him the opportunity to record his first CD. At the engineer’s home studio, Robbie would lay down tracks for what would become his self-titled demo. Grammy-award winning producer/engineer Freddy Pinero, Jr. caught wind of this first musical attempt and saw promise in the young singer/songwriter. Freddy decided to record more tracks with him; at the engineer’s home studio, Robbie would lay down the tracks for what would make up his debut EP Remedy. Composed of all original material, Remedy is a direct summation of all his musical influences. These influences, however, are more than just your garden variety top 40 emulations. Outside of just musical influences, of which there are several (he listed the “post-grunge pop/rock of the mid-to-late nineties, most notably ‘Third Eye Blind, Eve 6, and the Goo Goo Dolls’” among them), Robbie also lists a variety of non-musical input that contributes to his song writing as well. According to him:
“My family, friends, and girlfriend are very much a part of my song creation. I am also inspired by random people I come in contact with, fair-weather friends, and stories I read or hear about (I love taking apart all kinds of human interaction and putting myself into hypothetical situations to see what I can write about). Most of my songs are about relationships and people.”

This is the hallmark of any folk-singer worth their salt, the ability to turn the common day occurrence into a moving song that we as an audience can each relate to. And make no mistake, trusted readers, this is exactly what Robbie Hazen is: a folk-singer. How else would you describe a solo performer accompanied only by a softly strummed guitar? This is a genre we have seen disappear from much of our main stream radio, but has recently begun to make a strong return. From the Billy Bragg-esque Against Me! to the more subtle Joni Mitchell style of Yael Naim, the last year has seen a return to a more honest approach to music making. With any luck, and a lot of hard work, we can expect Robbie Hazen to join their ranks very shortly.

Like any performer that has grown up in the technologically savvy 21st century, you can find Robbie Hazen online. Just point your browser to http://www.myspace.com/robbiehazen and you can hear for yourself just what you’ve been missing out on. You can also find a list of his upcoming performances, among which are three appearances at Cheers Lounge this month, April 2nd, 9th, and 23rd.

- Mario Bourzac
- Michiana Entertainer

Robbie Hazen's not waiting for success. He's creating it.

The singer-songwriter is intent on taking his acoustic alternative rock songs into the mainstream on his own terms, by blending the savvy of Donald Trump with a four- to five-octave range. He's going mogul, using his self-taught skills on guitar and harmonica and a freshly inked bachelor's degree in finance from the University of Notre Dame.

After graduating in May, Hazen's back in his hometown of Hollywood and plugging away at the entertainment empire he began building in college.

Come to Life is Hazen's first effort on his Serval record label and Amazin' Music Publishing Co. The five-track disc, dropped in late October, features mostly uptempo tunes with lyrics that paint a colorful landscape of human emotions.

"The music's a mix between a college party and driving to the beach with the top down," Hazen said. "It's in your face, but has an airy, buoyant feel."

The new album follows the debut EP Remedy that Hazen churned out in 2005 at Notre Dame, when he began seriously pursing a solo career. Music's been a constant craving that Hazen describes as part salvation, part relaxation.

Taking control feels good. "I decided not to wait for someone to find and sign me," Hazen said. "I'm doing it my way."

More info at myspace.com/robbiehazen or robbiehazen.com

Article written by Beth Feinstein-Bartl


Find this article on Motromix South Florida at: http://southflorida.metromix.com/music/article/robbie-hazen/769714/content - Sun-Sentinel

". . . we caught [the performance of] Robbie Hazen, who my girlfriend enjoyed a bit too much for my liking (stay away from us with your boyish good looks, Hazen)"

-John Linn - New Times Miami

When I first ran into Robbie Hazen I was photographing a homeless wedding at Young Circle in Hollywood, Fla. Hazen just happened to be setting up to play a small gig with a drummer, Brandon McClaskey. As the band, now known as Robbie Hazen and the Riot, set up, I enjoyed the sounds of The Postal Service coming through the speakers as we waited for the wedding to take place.

The guys had no connection to the wedding but after being asked by the father of the bride to play, they replaced the sounds of the traffic with a soft melody that truly fit the moment. I immediately gained respect for this musician who could have easily blown off the whole thing. I slipped him a card and a week later I had a complimentary CD in the mail with a smiley face drawn on the disc itself.

The album I received is his second album, Come to Life. The five-track EP is packed full of upbeat love songs with subjects ranging from relationships to family. I would call him a cross between a positive Alanis Morrisette and, sonically, Silversun Pickups.

Hazen doesn’t just happen to be a vocalist and guitarist — he also does percussion and even hits a few notes on the harmonica. He’s worked with engineer/producer Duane Lundy on this album, while on his first album Hazen worked with engineer/producer Freddy Pinero, Jr., a two-time Grammy winner.

Hazen’s optimism and affection for the word “love” in his lyrics can be a little sickly sweet, but at the same time gives me hope. He is very much the prototype romantic guitarist all the girls swoon over.

Robbie Hazen has played hundreds of gigs, including South by Southwest in Austin, Texas, and the Florida Music Festival and Conference in Orlando. He primarily tours the southeast U.S. but you can typically find him locally in Ft. Lauderdale or West Palm, including his date tonight at Area 7 Music and Ale in Ft. Lauderdale. He’ll also make the road trip to Orlando every now and then.

-Stephanie Colaianni (writer/photographer for www.maggish.com) - PBPulse.com

For most musicians, it takes a whole album or two to grab potential fans by the ears and take them on a musical adventure.

For Robbie Hazen, it merely requires a five-track E.P. that is short, sweet and to the point.

With the release of Remedy, Robbie delivers an introduction to his song-writing capabilities with an album that is perfect for a summer drive to the beach.

There is no complex guitar breakdown and no mind-blowing drum solo. The album does not resist the stereotypes surrounding the pop genre in order to hide itself under false pretense.

Instead, Remedy provides listeners with melodies fueled by power chords on an acoustic guitar.

The lyrics play with words and maintain a consistent rhyme scheme that is sure to leave lines lingering in your head.

On one track, Robbie even dares to diversify by adding a lighthearted rap - a feature often associated with the music of Jason Mraz.

The album could be praised for its award-winning production team or for progressing the success of a boy and his guitar. Still, the most truly impressive feature of Remedy is its simplicity.

The release is a testament to the ever-present demand for acoustic guitar ballads in mainstream music and satisfies the guilty pleasure of sugar-coated pop rock.

Some of Robbie's influences include Third Eye Blind and Switchfoot. The musician pays a subtle homage to these influences in songs like "Specify the Contradiction" and "Advertunity," which showcase some of the same vocal and melodic qualities of the aforementioned bands.

The power-pop artist takes a lyrical plunge half way through the CD with "Dreary Eyes," which addresses the subject of date-rape. The song adds just the right amount of depth to the album to display Robbie's ability as a serious musician.

Robbie Hazen's journey to local celebrity started like that of most musicians. After conjuring an impressive following in the southern part of the Sunshine State, the Hollywood, Fla., native headed north to Notre Dame to pursue his academic career.

However, the crowd he left behind was only to be replaced by a fan base that formed in Indiana, making Robbie not only a sensation but also an institution at local college hotspots.

The support that Robbie has gained from crowds all over the U.S. has helped him spread his music and has shown what can happen when hard work finally starts to pay off.

Robbie Hazen's E.P. Remedy is available for purchase through iTunes and cdbaby.com.

- Central Florida Future

With his boy next door looks and solid vocals Robbie Hazen makes for feel good storytelling music . . . there is no doubt Robbie Hazen and The Riot fans will span across more than just college room dorms.

Lyrically and musically a pleasurable listen.


Article copied from:
http://www.talentmiami.com/music-scene/39-music-artists/55-20-artist-to-watch-on-myspace.html - TalentMiami.com

With his boy next door looks and solid vocals Robbie Hazen makes for feel good storytelling music . . . there is no doubt Robbie Hazen and The Riot fans will span across more than just college room dorms.

Lyrically and musically a pleasurable listen.


Article copied from:
http://www.talentmiami.com/music-scene/39-music-artists/55-20-artist-to-watch-on-myspace.html - TalentMiami.com