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Frank Viele & The Manhattan Project
on Jan 17, 20...
Frank Viele & The Manhattan Project
on Jan 17, 2011 in Artists You Should Know by Nick
What happened? Somewhere between a generation with acts like Huey Lewis, Tower of Power, and Foreigner and today, brass all but vanished from contemporary music.
But damnit, that is unacceptable, and Frank Viele and his Manhattan Project agrees with me!
Hailing from where else? New York City, Frank Viele & The Manhattan Project are a collective of masterful musicians. Frank Viele lends his smooth voice and guitar work to an infusion of Mario Capdiferro on drums, Rob Liptrot on bass and vocals, Eddie Arjun Peters on lead guitar, Pasquale Ianelli on tenor, soprano, and baritone saxophones, and Andrew Mericle on trumpet, and you have a fiery brass section that kicks ass and takes names.
Although already touring together for the past few years, Frank and the boys released their debut album, Neon Lights last July, and it’s already dominated my iTunes play history for its ability to inject energy into the psyche. The disc is a collection of salty brass solos, punchy drums, and smooth vocals that may be the greatest funk release of 2010.
On the music world map, Frank Viele & The Manhattan Project are residing somewhere between the islands of OAR and Dave Matthews Band. Sharing a similar formula, the band is skilled in juxtaposing the idiosyncrasies of a horn section with a solid rock groove that makes for a very strong cocktail. In a world, it is intoxicating.
This is summertime music, and it’s keeping me warm in this desolate permafrost called Pittsburgh. When I pump up tracks like Turn Around and Cards, Right, Tonight, my body is sitting in my shades-of-gray cubicle, but my mind is jumping up in down in the front rows of a summer music festival. Lights are splashing and enveloping my being, and the scents of smoke, sweat, and fog-machine juice ensnare my sense of smell.
Okay, I’m being a dramatist. But rightly so. These guys remind me of the summertime.
Neon Lights is only 9 short tracks, and I am crossing my fingers that these guys will cultivate a strong discography with future releases. The sound is still a little immature, and shows many signs of under-production: poor track compression, mediocre mixing, and perhaps a tad to much chorus effects on lead vocals. These guys will be served well by a growing fan base sponsoring higher production quality.
Either way, they are brilliant, and I recommend them whole-heartedly.
Neon Lights Album Review by Relix Magazine
Sept-Oct 2010 issue, by Heather Farr
If Dave Matthews decided to lend his merry band of...
If Dave Matthews decided to lend his merry band of musicians to Chris Daughtry and the group limited their appearances to strictly 1950s-style underground jazz clubs, the product might sound something like Neon Lights, the first official full-length album from Frank Viele & the Manhattan Project. With every sound utilized, from electric and acoustic guitars to saxophones and Huey Lewis & the News-esque horns, the modern funk/blues/rock band pleasantly obsesses over every aspect of love-yearning for it, giving it up, having it without realizing it. Although the overall theme is upbeat, the album is full of satisfying surprises, such as an infectious, dark bass hook on the title track and the all-around funky, jazz-inspired musicianship and solos found in both “Turn Around” and “Portland Rain.” Although Viele’s strong, gruff vocals sometimes seem a little out of place among the fun and complex musical arrangements, it’s hard not to imagine blaring songs like “Try” on the car radio with the windows down, and it’s even harder to deny the appeal of the band’s sporadic jazzy jams, such as the one found at the beginning of “Anticipation".
--Review by Heather Farr
Neon Lights Album Review by
BlogcriticsSomewhere between the 1980s and today, the use of a horn section in a rock band fell out of favor. I'm not sure how or when, but we went from awesome sax solos and trumpets in songs like "Urgent" from Foreigner, "Who Can It Be Now?" from Men at Work, and Huey Lewis and the News when they toured with the horns of the Tower of Power. Sure there are a few groups like the Dave Matthews Band who still use a trumpet or sax now and then, but it's not quite as integrated into the whole rock experience as it used to be.
Read more: http://blogcritics.org/music/article/music-review-frank-viele-and-the/#ixzz1InXBO54n
Neon Lights Album Review by
Origvation MagazineBrian Cronin
Album review by Jason Sendaula
A funk-tastic go...
Album review by Jason Sendaula
A funk-tastic good time is what you will find in Frank Viele & the Manhattan Project's debut album Neon Lights. The band's combination of horns and percussion makes for a dance party on its own. When you add in the well-placed guitar points and Viele's voice which goes from rough and gruff to smooth, you are left with a group that is made to make it. It brings us back to a time when bands like Chicago used their horns for something other than elevator muzak. There is no not getting your groove on to Viele's music, dig it. Viele Lands Opening Spot For The Wailers by
Connecticut PostI'm flipping out," he said in a recent phone interview from his Hamden apartment. "This thing has taken a long time, about 2 1/2 years. We started recording in Shelton (at White House Productions) and then we got the opportunity to bring it to Cove City Sound Studios on Long Island. Neon Lights Album Review by
SF CriticsFCritics
Now, my personal feelings regarding O.A.R. aside, ...
Now, my personal feelings regarding O.A.R. aside, I was highly skeptical when this came into my inbox. While young white men with a little jazz or soul influence have done exceedingly well in the music industry (John Mayer? Dave Matthews? Jason Mraz, anyone?), one has to wonder if ANYONE backed by an extremely talented, diverse band, could be a hit? Personally, I’m going with no. And Frank Viele seems to support my theory. Afro-Funk this is not. However, his husky voice and both the musical strength of the band and their skilled arrangement makes the album come alive, and makes it worth listening to. The title track “Neon Lights” is a sort of sweeping, Western-influenced epic. It draws you in, stops just short of taking itself too seriously, and doesn’t draw on too long. The sax-heavy “Right in Front of Me” starts out syrupy, but opens up into a pleasant little light jazz love song. The band is currently touring extensively on the East Coast supporting the Wailers, but anyone who is a fan of the artists mentioned above would do themselves a favor to make a point to seek out Viele and crew. It’s a fresh and frankly higher-quality take on the phenomenon. 
