Danny Django: Press

Review: Danny Django at CU
UMC SoundBite puts on a show for students
By Taylor Evans on November 4, 2010

The sight of hundreds of open laptops and the smell of fresh grilled burgers from the Alferd Packer Restaurant & Grill permeate the atmosphere of a sea of stressed Buffs.
It was a typical Wednesday in the UMC.
Next to the stage, a sign could be seen that said, “UMC SoundBite Presents: Danny Django.” A calm voice repeated “check” over and over, permeating the low chatter of students. Precisely at noon, a few chords from an acoustic guitar played. The man of the hour had arrived.
From the second that Danny Django sat down to start playing his guitar, he captured most of the audience’s attention. Accompanied by a harmonica, the Colorado Springs native caught the audience’s attention with an acoustic sound that encompassed both folk and alternative styles.
Django describes himself as “Woody Guthrie with digital capabilities” and also compares himself to such artists as Neil Young and Tom Petty in terms of his vocal quality.
Students said they also drew their own comparisons to Django’s style.
Sarah Daigle, a 21-year-old senior management major, said she enjoys this style of music.
“He is something I would listen to on a regular basis,” Daigle said. “He reminds me a lot of Ben Kweller.”
The set started off with “New York City,” a song that had a more folk feel about the Big Apple itself and the desire to go sightseeing.
Django’s next two songs garnered more applause than his other songs played in the set. “What Life’s About” was reminiscent of Bob Dylan, one of the artists that Django said he draws his inspiration from.
The darker “I Blame You” can strike a chord with students, especially those that are dealing with relationship troubles. Especially with such lyrics as “…wish I didn’t know now what you’re about to find out.”
Django performed a faithful cover of Green Day’s “Time of Your Life.”
Colby Schwartz, an 18-year-old freshman marketing major, said she enjoyed the cover.
“That was by far my favorite song,” Schwartz said. “I did also enjoy his original stuff but the cover just made it for me.”
Some students, like Chris Taylor, a 20-year-old sophomore aerospace engineering major, said they thought of Django’s performance as a treat.
“I love live music,” Taylor said. “Anything with acoustic guitar stuff I enjoy.”
A full list of songs as well as a biography of Danny Django can be found on his website.
Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Taylor Evans at

1. Describe the early years of your musical roots and how your talent was
nurtured.
I listened to a lot of music when I was young. Music from the 1960’s. Bob Dylan, Simon & Garfunkel, The Byrds, The Beach Boys, The Lovin’ Spoonful,etc. My parents listened to this kind of music constantly, I loved it! In my teens I discovered the whole British Invasion thing, The Beatles, The Stones, The Who. I grew into liking about any of the good rock music to the present. The thing is, I could sing well, but I didn’t play anything. My father had an old Folk Guitar, so I picked it up when I was about 16 and started teaching myself…I was terrible but stubborn, eventually around 17 I bought my own cheap steel string, it was a red Hondo II. Now it’s here that you have to realize I was a big High School football star in Peoria, Illinois at this time. I went to Northern Michigan University and played about a Year and realized it wasn’t for me, I had injuries and lost heart. I ended up going to Western Illinois University and went through about ten majors, and then thought, I can play guitar and sing well, let’s try Music. So I went and auditioned. I played and sang “Here, There,& Everywhere” by the Beatles. They were impressed until they found out that I couldn’t read music. They let me in on probation. The first couple of years were a nightmare trying to learn how to read music, Theory, History, etc. I started out a musical preschooler but ended up kind of a star student. I did a year of Grad school in Music Theory/Comp but never graduated. Dr. Elizabeth Werhman was my mentor then, she believed in me while everyone else probably thought I’d lost my mind.
2. Were there any events, people or catalysts that were musically influential?
When I was in 5th grade the conductor from the Peoria Symphony Orchestra came to our school and gave a talk in assembly form to the school. We didn’t have a school band or anything, but he talked about his job and his love of music. I was riveted by the whole thing. At the end of his talk he asked for a volunteer to come and conduct the members of his orchestra. Everyone wanted to do it, somehow he chose me, it was the high point of 5th grade for me. I went home and told my mother. She was proud and proceeded to tell me the story of her father, my grand father I never new, he’d died before I was born. He played Accordian and Guitar and wanted to be a Songwriter when he was young. He wrote a letter to Irving Berlin, and sent him a couple of songs he’d wrote, saying that he would love to come to New York and study with Mr. Berlin. With no seeming reply, he married, had 5 children and became a coal miner. Eventually, upon the death of his mother, he was going through her old things and came upon a letter from Irving Berlin from about 20 years earlier saying he’d liked his music and would love to meet with him to “talk about his future”. I guess Grandpa was one of the first Indie Artists. He published a couple of his songs on his own, but nothing ever became of it except for coal dust. I came to the conclusion that I wanted to be a musician, but didn’t know how, I wanted to be a songwriter like grandpa, but didn’t want any part of coal dust or any of it’s relatives.
3. How would you describe your sound?
That is kind of a dangerous question. No matter what I say, it won’t be completely accurate. It’s evolving and changing as we speak. I will say that my ear wants to hear the Guitars and Bass in my songs. My initial goal when writing is to write something that can stand on its own with me singing and playing an acoustic guitar. That to me is the purest element of the songs sound. Then I try to take that purity and marry it of to an arrangement that adds color and meaning congruent to the lyrics. Some people call these hooks, etc. I don’t see them that way. I’ve never sat down and tried to create a hook. Whenever I think of the word “hook” in that sense, it always reminds me of someone getting “the hook”, being yanked off stage for a poor vaudeville performance or something. That’s not what I’m struggling for. I’m in constant pursuit of that perfect marriage between the song and the sound.
4. What is the feel of your latest CD release, Cosmic Wheel?
I think the CD is many things at many levels. Some of it is a search for some sort of a cosmic circus sound. Some of it is a struggle through some of the hard changes and lessons of life. The rest is a search for purity in world where it can be hard to find it.
5. Where did you record your latest CD and who was involved in the recording
and production of it?
I record in my basement on a Boss BR-1180CD. I write all the songs, arrange, record all the parts through tracking and mix them the best that I can, and let the CD manufacturer do the mastering. My wife does all the artwork, she’s great! Wow, it doesn’t get much more Indie than all that now does it?
6. How involved are you in the recording process of the projects you have
worked on?
I am the recording process lock stock and barrel.
7. How did you record the acoustic guitar parts? What mics did you use and
where were they placed
around the guitar?
I used an Octava M-319 condenser mic about 3 to 4 feet from the sound hole to pick up the Martin 12 string and Martin D-35 Shenandoah I have.
8. What does your live set up consist of?
I play a Martin 000 Concert Acoustic Guitar with Fishman Electronics, an assortment of Harmonicas, through a Seinheiser mic and a Yamaha EMX62 sound system.
9. Who does your booking? Are you under management?
I do my own booking and have no management. I’m completely independent. It would be nice to have to free up time to create more.
10. What are some of your favorite venues to play?
I love playing colleges. I also like the smaller intimate places to try new stuff.
11. What music organizations are you affiliated with?
I’m a member of BMI.
12. Would you agree that music is a language?
It’s funny you should ask me this. I tell my music students this all the time. I teach Guitar, Bass, Piano, violin, Ukulele and maintain a 50 student a week work load. Music is not only a “language” in my view, but a universal language transcending time and culture. People around the world can play a Bach Minuet in relevance to there state in the world. They can and do enjoy the Beatles or Duke Ellington or whoever (Danny Django in some cases). These folks can write and perform music that I might enjoy, or be able to play as well. As it is with our human condition, music is the only real universal language in that the person hearing it can “get” something from the language with out a lot of knowledge. People that don’t speak English aren’t going to buy a 50 minute recording of you I speaking English in most cases, likewise we’d become quite bored after a couple minutes of Dutch dialogue I’m sure. In reference to that same condition, I think we have the potential to do a lot of good throughout the world by communicating in this way.

13. When you compose, do you write to communicate or to express an emotion?
Both, the communication can be quite layered and so are the emotions.
14. Are there people who have helped your musical career?
Yes, my wife who stayed with me despite how moronic I must have looked trying to figure out rhythm in my dorm room and who is very supportive of my music. Dr. Elizabeth Werhman who believed in me back in college when few other people did. My parents bought me the Martin D-35 way back when from a music store that was going out of business. I’ve got a lot of friends and family that support me.
15. What are your plans for the summer of 2007?
Right as we speak, I’m trying to finish my new CD that is to be titled, “Touch The Sky”, it should be completed and in stores in March. From there, it will be time to work on promotion and touring. Eventually, I’d love to tour up in Canada.
16. Have you ever insured your music equipment? If so, with what company and
would you
recommend them to other musicians?
No.
17. Is there a venue that you play regularly at?
I play Common Grounds in Denver a lot.
18. What are your musical goals for the next five years?
Reach a wider audience, tour more like Europe, The U.K. Canada, maybe Japan. I often think of the quote I remember from Pete Seeger. He saw himself as a “continuation of all the songwriters throughout history, some of them have wrote songs that millions of people have heard and some have written songs only a hand full of people have heard.” I believe my job in that succession is to write the best songs that I can and remain true to my character.

Quote by Jamie Anderson at the beginning of the review reads: "Danny Django sounds alot like Tom Petty but has the versatility of Neil Young." Much of this CD is so damn happy, like a Dead song at an outdoor festival where the sun is bright and the hippie girls are twirling around like butterflies. With a title like this, you might think that’s all there is, but nope, there’s also a somber side fueled with anger. He calls himself a Woody Guthrie with digital possibilities, but his lyrics aren’t that meaty. He’s more like a new generation flower child who sounds like Tom Petty but with the versatility of Neil Young – there’s folky songs like “St. Ellen’s Lament,” but also the frenetic “My Isolation,” with stabs of guitar over a bed of distortion. Throw in a little jam band a la Dave Matthews, and you’ve got Django.

There’s never anything obtuse about his lyrics. In “Together” he’s joyful, singing “Everything is so cool.” “So Beautiful” is a sweet love song. I assume it’s to his wife/soulmate/genius/artist/photographer Claudia. (That’s his description and doncha love it? Women like to be told they’re beautiful, just as the song says, but it ain’t bad to be called a genius.) The title cut is a happy-go-lucky modern psychedelic track where he explains how all things come around again. “Freedom” is definitely a danceable anthem. “Freedom, is it important to you?” It’s like a good Marley tune where you wanna rock back on your heels, close your eyes and use it like a mantra. Yeah brother, peace and love, say it again.

Right from the beginning it’s clear that “The Corporation Song” is much more sober: “At this corporation you don’t get a vacation … we don’t give a damn about you.” There’s an evil rumbling guitar a la Lenny Kravitz in “You Say You Know” but a twangy guitar in the joyful country-rock instrumental “The Chase.” It’s aptly titled, sounding like the soundtrack for a good movie chase scene. “Fly High” is a fun party song.

There are no musician credits, so I don’t know the band line-up. Maybe this is one of those releases where the musician does everything himself. It has that kind of slightly sloppy sound that discs like that sometimes have. It’s unpolished in a cool way and perfect for your next outdoor festival or just in your living room. Open the windows.

I tried to get a descent translation of this article from Dutch to English. Some of the words appear to be lost in translation, but the reader can understand most of the writers intentions. What follows is the translated article and then the original Dutch version below it:

Me volslagen unknown, Danny Django. At DT product ion its second disk ' ' Cosmic Wheel '' have appeared and this sympathetic guest has been this way pleasant beside ' ' Cosmic Wheel '' eersteling also its for lering and make the vermaeck available. Danny Django are Indie artist from Colorado Springs and started already on young age music make. If inspiration source people are thus once more quoted as Woody Guthrie. He himself says concerning itself that he sounds as ' ' Woody Guthrie with digital capabilities ''. On ' ' Cosmic Wheel '' something is certainly retrieve of these influences. But also he sounds as TOMs Petty, with regard to song yet also with regard to environment. But it is eventual Danny Django own signatuur which do give a pleasant interpretation to this cd, in the by its splendid voice sound. ' ' Cosmic Wheel '' were produced Django themselves and also sign for all songs on this plate. With ' ' Cosmic Wheel '' Danny Django confirm what he afterwards consider in 2003, with ' ' soul Traces '' already has let to hear be: singer-songwriter with the necessary folk, folk rock to alternative rock, with a zest Americana influences. Performer which moreover the capacity are had open look on everyday matter, such as honesty, labour, love and luck, with a correct feeling bring. The tracks ' ' Sand and water '', ' ' Freedom '' and ' ' The border '' ' ' Cosmic Wheel '' but also the songs ' ' New York city '', ' ' a better Way '' and ' ' Easy With Our Love '' ' ' soul Traces '' is of it an obvious proof. There are not many cd's which seize you as firm at the strot as these two of Danny Django. Its newest plate ' ' Cosmic Wheel '' are this way indringend that we become of it almost frightened. Or we must but simply go along in endless admiration which this Artist deserves.

This is the actual article in Dutch:
Mij volslagen onbekend, Danny Django. Bij DT Productions is zijn tweede schijf "Cosmic Wheel" verschenen en deze sympathieke gast is zo vriendelijk geweest om naast "Cosmic Wheel" ook zijn eersteling ter lering en de vermaeck ter beschikking te stellen. Danny Django is een Indie artiest uit Colorado Springs en begon reeds op jonge leeftijd muziek maken. Als inspiratiebron wordt dan ook nog eens mensen als een Woody Guthrie aangehaald. Hij zelf zegt over zichzelf dat hij klinkt als "Woody Guthrie with digital capabilities". Op "Cosmic Wheel" is van deze invloeden zeker iets terug te vinden. Maar ook klinkt hij als Tom Petty, qua zang doch ook qua sfeer. Maar het is uiteindelijk Danny Django eigen signatuur die deze cd een aangename invulling geeft, niet in de laatste plaats door zijn prachtig stemgeluid. "Cosmic Wheel" werd geproduceerd door Django zelf en tekent ook voor alle songs op deze plaat. Met "Cosmic Wheel" bevestigt Danny Django wat hij achteraf bezien in 2003 met "Soul Traces" al heeft laten horen te zijn: een singer-songwriter met de nodige folk, folk rock tot alternative rock, met een vleugje Americana invloeden. Een performer die daarnaast over het vermogen beschikt zijn open kijk op alledaagse zaken, zoals eerlijkheid, arbeid, liefde en geluk, met een juist gevoel te brengen. De tracks "Sand and Water", "Freedom" en "The Border" op "Cosmic Wheel" maar ook de songs "New York City", "A better Way" en "Easy With Our Love" op "Soul Traces" zijn daar een overduidelijk bewijs van. Er zijn niet veel cd's die je zo stevig bij de strot grijpen als deze twee van Danny Django. Zijn nieuwste plaat "Cosmic Wheel" is zo indringend dat we er bijna bang van worden. Of moeten we maar gewoon meegaan in de eindeloze bewondering die deze cd afdwingt?

About 80 percent of Danny Django's latest album is packed with the type of rock music that will have you smiling and tapping your steering wheel right through an I-25 traffic jam. The other 20 percent falls flat.
Django does better when he sticks to hammering beats, dirty guitars, ambient noise and laid back yet catchy choruses that make you want to shout along. "Freedom", and "My Isolation" are a couple of gems. "The Corporation Song", an ongoing dis to the insensitive companies most of us work for, is enough to make any slave to The Man crack a smile. A classically trained guitarist, Django can pull off a tickling guitar solo.
Django is good at working fast paced, '60's influenced rock. He does especially well with songs that address his value system rather than his love life.
But on slower tunes, Django has the tendency to sound like he's trying too hard. His melodies lose their luster and, on love songs, his lyrics go sacharrine. Worse, Django will sometimes ape his idols. Just listen to the obviously Beatles inspired "Jennifer", or the (Bob) Dylan-esque "St. Ellen's Lament". They're fine songs with imaginative lyrics but they sound like imitations.

Danny,

We have been playing the dickens out of
The Coporation Song. I personally LOVE IT !
Everytime I play it I end up giving a lecture.
The whole cd is great.
Please tell me about the reasons for writing
The Coporation Song. I want to talk more about it
on the air.

Dave Kaspersin

Dynamic Independent Radio WDYN.net 100.1 FM

Independent Music 24 / 7

Danny Django - "Touch The Sky" Django is a pop music angel sent from heaven to bless us with magical music. He should be more famous than the Spice Girls.

Colorado storyteller comes to Wyoming

By CARRIE MAY
Star-Tribune staff writer




If a break from the bar scene with a cup of coffee, a story or two and some acoustic guitar sounds appealing, Wyoming has a lot to offer this upcoming week.

Danny Django of Colorado Springs will play at the Global Cafe, 360 Main St., Lander, on Thursday; at the Ledge Coffee House, 514 W. Main St., Riverton, on Friday, August 6; and at the Metro Coffee Company, 241 S. David St., Casper, on Friday, August 7. All shows start at 8 p.m.

Django is a natural storyteller who writes his own music with an "alternative, folk rock kind of sound". Django cites an array of influences, ranging from Bob Dylan to Neil Young and Joni Mitchell, to Dave Matthews and even Green Day. He mainly performs on acoustic guitar and harmonica.

Django tries to keep a beat going through his entire show, especially when he plays bars. For coffee shops, he said he plays a little softer of a show, but that the beat is still there.

"I try to use a little bit more finesse. It's a lot of fun and I try to engage the audience," Django said. "I usually try to tell a story or two, too." Django tells funny stories about himself, and never knows what story he is going to tell beforehand.

"I tell a lot of stories in my songs," Django said. In one song, called "You Saved the World," Django tells the story of his grandfather, who landed among the first wave of soldiers on Normandy on D-Day, 1944, at Omaha Beach during World War II.

"The song is about how it affected him. It is a tribute to him and all the other guys like him, the countless others," Django said. "I like to try and write songs that not only sound good, but have a message."

To Django, music is about being concerned for the world and having a voice. Django said his music is open to interpretation, and said he looks forward to touring Wyoming.

"I love Wyoming. The people seem to be really open to new ideas and new people," Django said.

For more information on Django's upcoming shows, call the Global Cafe at (307) 332-7900, the Ledge Coffee House at (307) 856-1294 or the Metro Coffee Company at (307) 472-5042, or visit Django's Web site at www.dannydjango.com.

The Gazette in Colorado Springs said in a recent article that "songs on the "Soul Traces" album such as "New York City", "A Better Way" and "Easy With Our Love" get stuck in your head." They add (the song) "You Saved The World" is a great profile of his grandpa, who stormed Omaha Beach once upon a time." "He (Django) is definitive and gifted guitarist and songwriter".

In a live on air interview, Tillie commented that she "loved the songs Livin' A Life Lie" and "A Better Way". She went on further to say that the live performance on the air of these songs were, in her words, "Awesome, showing alot of energy and passion!"

Jacy says that the songs from the current Soul Traces CD are "catchy" and that the tunes get "stuck in your head".

The CD release "Soul Traces" is " a straightforward, enjoyable rock album. There is not a song here you will even think about skipping.

Graeme says that the new CD release "Cosmic Wheel" is " a rollicking record. Great Vocals and brilliant guitar licks. A truely enjoyable record.