Stephanie White and the Philth Harmonic

Talented ensemble band grooves to the voice of its own White light.

By Christian Ghigliotty

Some people wear their emotions on their sleeve.

Stephanie White wears hers on her foot.

On a sun kissed afternoon in Brooklyn, Stephanie and drummer Robbie LaFalce saunter up the sidewalk playfully exchanging words. From afar the two look like an odd coupling. Stephanie seems guarded, with her arms wrapped against her stomach almost as if she is hugging herself. With tawny, free falling locks, dusky brown eyes and a freckled complexion one might expect Stephanie to be a model or actress instead of a top twenty-one female vocalist selection on American Idol. Robbie with his hands in his pockets is much more relaxed. A stubble beard threads a wide eyed, boyish face underneath a low sitting cap. He looks like your brother’s geeky best friend from high school, and not the former drummer of the ska band the Miasmics.

When the clomps of Stephanie’s heels cease against the sidewalk it becomes apparent. Just above the arch of her left foot floats a treble clef staff, the veins under her creamy skin pointing up to the tattoo as if in awe. As she swings her ankle out to further display her branding, her black high heel looks the shape of an ‘F’ note.

Despite preconceived notions of the pair, within moments of Robbie strumming his guitar strings to Stephanie’s smoky croon on the steps of a brownstone it’s clear the two feed off each, displaying a musical verve that excites.

New York has a Philharmonic Orchestra. Say hello to New Jersey’s Philth Harmonic.

“So Alex (Ozolins) has played French horn in several orchestras, and he came to the conclusion that New Jersey doesn’t have a Philharmonic, and decided that we needed one, and since we like to enhance stereotypes, you know the dirty Jerz, we came up with Philth Harmonic.”

The unlikely duo are the founding members of Stephanie White and the New Jersey Philth Harmonic, a fusion group from Essex, New Jersey. Along with members Aleks “Mos” Ozolins, Eric “Yaz L” Lindberg, Nick LaFalce, and basist Chris Staranka, the group finds creative ways to combine rock, jazz and reggae with head nodding pop tunes.

The band’s debut album Knee Deep InSanity is a ten track melange (three of which, interestingly enough, were recorded acoustically in an old forge) of French horn, saxophone, drums, bass, guitars, keyboards, with White’s mellifluous voice flirting voraciously with them all. Thematically the album paints with broad stokes, touching on ideas of unrequited love and loss. While Stephanie doesn’t try to hide the fact that she was one of the top forty-two selected on American Idol: Season Five, it isn’t something that she advertises freely. Taking her Hollywood experience and co-writing with Robbie on would become the second track on the album, aptly titled Tough Enough. “When I came home everyone was apologetic about my return (from American Idol) and questioning what I would do next. I told them I would make my own music and play for whoever would listen...I can handle the pressures of the industry, I'm tough enough.”

While listening to the album the level of musicianship is clearly at a high level, each band member bringing individual flair to the table when called upon (listen for the awesome tenor and alto sax components in Bogged Down and Tough Enough) and no one style or instrument hogs the spotlight, which often times can be difficult for fusion artists. Back on the steps of the brownstone, Robbie’s background vocals hum underneath as Stephanie’s voice rises to a crescendo. Inside the brownstone as the two perform their song Teardrops, the third song from their debut album, the haunting lyrics of the fairy-tale sans happy ending come to the forefront as Stephanie spins her tale

“Then one dark day it came/ my prince masked by his shame/ 'cause he knew he couldn't stay/ but he rescued me anyway.”

The band dropped Knee Deep InSanity in 2007 and have been touring mostly since its debut. The band is now hard at work on its sophomore follow up, and will be charting the album’s progress on a video blog which can be found on its YouTube channel. The new single, King of Wishful Thinking can be heard on the band’s homepage.
- www.gorgeousnewyork.com

Philth's fusion succeeds
By: ANTON SKERL
Staff Writer
Issue date: 10/17/07 Section: A & E – The Pitt News (University of Pittsburgh, PA)
Knee Deep InSanity
Stephanie White & the New Jersey Philth Harmonic
Rocks like: Santana, Gin Blossoms
There are a lot of groups out there today that call themselves fusion bands but don't exactly live up to the genre title. Stephanie White & the New Jersey Philth Harmonic are an exception. Their album, Knee Deep InSanity, combines many elements of jazz, blues and rock. Unlike other so-called fusion artists with a preference for a single musical style, The Philth Harmonic manages to merge all of these elements into a graceful and edgy symphony for the ears.

Stephanie White stands out as a great vocal talent who doesn't rely on electronics to project her voice or message. Apparently, she just missed the cut on American Idol season five. Why she didn't make it is anyone's guess, as her smoky voice delivers the lyrics with a strong and sexy resonance. White has quite a range, and listening to her croon harmonies is a treat.

The other band mates deserve recognition as well. The remaining group is Eric Lindberg on electric guitar and mandolin, Robbie LaFalce on drums, acoustic guitar, percussion and vox, and Aleks Ozolins on keyboards, French horn and programming.
Chris Staranka chips in on acoustic and electric bass and Matt "Shooby" Schoenebaum plays alto and tenor sax and flute. One notable aspect is the band members' ability to work with each other's talents and mesh together. Aside from solos, don't expect to hear any one musical element grabbing the spotlight. Philth Harmonic's jazzy tunes are relaxing at points, yet can be so in-your-face that listeners might have to submit to their raw power.

Electronics are employed at many points throughout - including disk scratching that accentuates the beat - but are rarely loud enough to be painful or overwhelm the pleasant instrumentals. One standout track is "Bogged Down," a faster paced jazz song with some fun funk that will make plenty of music lovers bob their heads, and not just in agreement with the song's message. The track deals with the stresses of everyday life through ironically soothing melodies. Great use of saxophone and flute really ups the jazz ante, all while White delivers the lyrics with sultry panache amongst
the electronics and enthusiastic drum beat.

The final track, a surprising bonus track conclusion called "Did I Change You?" actually utilizes some disco influence. What helps is that the electronic disco isn't overused in an effort to raise the dead. It serves the sole purpose of providing the song with more musical depth while adding an element of fun. The only disappointment is that potential listeners might pass on the album because of the fusion term strapped to it. Many fusion bands have failed in the past because of an overemphasis on one particular genre overtone, but Philth Harmonic tones down the jazz to better mesh with the overall music experience. Long story short, Knee Deep InSanity plays out like a good book. That is, it features an attention-grabbing introduction, a middle section that keeps you wanting more, and a satisfying conclusion.

Hopefully enthusiasts of any musical genre will give Stephanie White & The New Jersey Philth Harmonic a chance. - The Pitt News