Nevermind The Posers

On April 8^th, I had the pleasure of seeing Rocco DeLuca and the Burden live at the studio in Webster Hall and Bowery Ballroom.  I happened to win some tickets on the rockin’ radio station 101.9 RXP the day before.  At Webster Hall, Rocco DeLuca and drummer Ryan Carman played an intimate four song set for a small crowd.  DeLuca rocked a Dobro and Carman hit a Cajon.   I love their sound; you don’t usually hear a Dobro and bottle neck slide in indie music.  It is hard to place someone like Rocco DeLuca in a genre just for the fact that he could be placed under so many.  Just know that this band seriously stirs up you musical tastebuds; the fusion of rock, folk, and blues is surely enough to grab your attention.    After the performance, there was a question and answer session with Leslie Fram from RXP and the fans.  My favorite song performed live was a tie between “Save Yourself” and “I Trust You To Kill Me”.  Rocco DeLuca puts so much feeling and soul into his music that it is impossible not to enjoy the sound.  I love how his falsetto voice works so well with the delta style blues.

Over at Bowery Ballroom, HoneyHoney was the opener for Rocco Deluca and the Burden.  Both bands are on Ironworks Music, owned by Kiefer Sutherland.  Good taste Sutherland, and kudos on booking these two together.  Suzanne Santo and Ben Jaffe put on a stellar performance.  They talked with the crowd between songs and their set was fun, truly a dynamic duo (backed up with a bassist and drummer).  Suzanne sang while alternating between a banjo and a violin, giving their music that country aspect, while Ben played guitars and handled the backup vocals.  Their songs tell stories with some amazing backbeats and rhythms.  Suzanne’s voice echoes the jazzy flair of Billy Holiday with some brilliant grace notes.  When combined with the band, the music has roots in folk, indie rock, and bluegrass.  My two favorite songs live were “Little Toy Guy” and “Give Yourself To Me”.   If you get the opportunity to see these bands live, don’t pass it up.  I think we will be hearing a lot more about these two bands.  Check out Rocco DeLuca and the Burden’s new album Mercy and HoneyHoney’s album First Rodeo.  To check out RXP’s photo’s, go to http://www.1019rxp.com/gallery/Rocco.aspx

– Tina Teresi