Tony Koretz is a man with a mission: to bring rock 'n' roll back to the table.
December 6, 2004 (Press Release) --
By Holly Day
Tony Koretz (http://www.koretzmusic.com) is a man with a mission: to bring rock 'n' roll back to the table. Since first picking up the guitar at the age of 16, the New Zealand musician, singer, songwriter, and audio engineer has written and released music that just plain smokes with rock'n'roll fervor and passion, the latest collection of which can be heard on his 2004 release, Kicking Cans (Rocksure Soundz). Written, sung, and almost completely played by Koretz himself, with a little help from his brothers Nathan, Marcel, and Simon.
Listening to Koretz's work, you can almost see where his musical roots spring from. There's definitely a 70's guitar rock sound and feel to these songs, with classic prog rock influences like Yes, Styx, and Queen mixed into the musical notation. There's also a warm garage rock/bar band feel to the music, too, that makes the songs instantly accessible and intimate. There's such a strong, live sound to the album that one wonders how Koretz can work well when confined in a studio.
"I love recording, but sometimes I like to get out and play live too," he says. "I go through phases. I might do a series of shows for a time, and then I re-trench in the studio and don't go out and play for a while. I find gigging exhausting, and it's a bit of a love/hate thing for me." He adds, "If I had a road crew to set up and tear down the gear for me, and a regular committed band, I would probably tour and play more."
Kicking Cans definitely has a classic, guitar-heavy rock sound to it, with great hooks and melancholy keyboard riffs. Lyrically, Koretz's subject matter includes everything from the problem of world hunger and political oppression to that old standard called "love."
In fact, one of the best songs on the album, is a love song: the opening track, "If Your Love Was A River." In this, Koretz sings, "If your love was a river/I'd dive right in/If your love was a river/I don't know if I'd sink or swim," all set against a background of fast-paced, prog rock guitar riffs and a wonderful, melodic chorus. Another stand-out tune on this is the title track, "Kicking Cans," where Koretz sings about "Coke cans, garbage cans, headphone cans, baked bean cans, can't cans, won't cans, tin cans..." - basically, it's about the refusal to settle for less than exactly what one wants out of life. Another great song, "Come Back Baby," takes the album into slightly different musical territory, with Koretz pulling out the acoustic blues licks in the beginning and blowing into full rockin' electric blues by the end.
For Audio Clips from Kicking Cans
http://www.musicdish.net/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=22
Tony Koretz' Website
http://www.koretzmusic.com
By Holly Day
Tony Koretz (http://www.koretzmusic.com) is a man with a mission: to bring rock 'n' roll back to the table. Since first picking up the guitar at the age of 16, the New Zealand musician, singer, songwriter, and audio engineer has written and released music that just plain smokes with rock'n'roll fervor and passion, the latest collection of which can be heard on his 2004 release, Kicking Cans (Rocksure Soundz). Written, sung, and almost completely played by Koretz himself, with a little help from his brothers Nathan, Marcel, and Simon.
Listening to Koretz's work, you can almost see where his musical roots spring from. There's definitely a 70's guitar rock sound and feel to these songs, with classic prog rock influences like Yes, Styx, and Queen mixed into the musical notation. There's also a warm garage rock/bar band feel to the music, too, that makes the songs instantly accessible and intimate. There's such a strong, live sound to the album that one wonders how Koretz can work well when confined in a studio.
"I love recording, but sometimes I like to get out and play live too," he says. "I go through phases. I might do a series of shows for a time, and then I re-trench in the studio and don't go out and play for a while. I find gigging exhausting, and it's a bit of a love/hate thing for me." He adds, "If I had a road crew to set up and tear down the gear for me, and a regular committed band, I would probably tour and play more."
Kicking Cans definitely has a classic, guitar-heavy rock sound to it, with great hooks and melancholy keyboard riffs. Lyrically, Koretz's subject matter includes everything from the problem of world hunger and political oppression to that old standard called "love."
In fact, one of the best songs on the album, is a love song: the opening track, "If Your Love Was A River." In this, Koretz sings, "If your love was a river/I'd dive right in/If your love was a river/I don't know if I'd sink or swim," all set against a background of fast-paced, prog rock guitar riffs and a wonderful, melodic chorus. Another stand-out tune on this is the title track, "Kicking Cans," where Koretz sings about "Coke cans, garbage cans, headphone cans, baked bean cans, can't cans, won't cans, tin cans..." - basically, it's about the refusal to settle for less than exactly what one wants out of life. Another great song, "Come Back Baby," takes the album into slightly different musical territory, with Koretz pulling out the acoustic blues licks in the beginning and blowing into full rockin' electric blues by the end.
For Audio Clips from Kicking Cans
http://www.musicdish.net/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=22
Tony Koretz' Website
http://www.koretzmusic.com
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