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Dallas Frasca and Her Gentleman
With the success of Triple J airplay on Roots n All, DALLAS FRASCA AND HER GENTLEMAN are fast spreading an epidemic of down and dirty roots rhythms around Australia. Described as "The Modern Day Janis Joplin", Dallas Frasca & Her Gentleman surely appreciate the comparison. Continuing the strong roots contingent Frasca kicks against the male dominance and sounds off like she's got a pair.
At age 19, she started singing in country NSW, nailing her debut solo EP ìAcoustic Slide Grooveî in 2005 and simultaneously stitching up Triple J's Light Your Fuse competition from over 500 entries. At the time she had no idea her music would cause the stir it has during the year. From there, two of her songs hit top position on MP3.com, she's played almost every major festival in Australia including (East Coast Blues & Roots, Falls Fest, Apollo Bay, A Day On The Green, Narooma Blues & Rockabilly Fest, Southbound, Pyramid Rock Fest & Point Nepean Fest alongside artists like Joss Stone, Ben Harper, John Butler and many more). She's been on the road with Xavier Rudd and her remarkable voice has been described as "like diving off a rock into a pristine gorge with the worst hangover of your life, and emerging from the cool depths rejuvenated." With a wail as big as her dread-locked hair, she is a force for the future: she is woman, hear her roar.
Dallas Frasca has an undeniable stage presence. Her powerful and commanding vocal style is one of a kind; raw, gritty and unrestrained, this woman is a force to be reckoned with. Joined by the upside down, left handed, back to front, slide dobro and mandolin extraordinaire, Jeff Curran makes the two piece without kit a wall of guitars and stomp box that delve into raw, double duelling slides, launching from a rock solid ground of roots influences. One thump on that stomp box demands attention from any audience and is a sure-fire way to get the crowd worked up... Dallas Frasca and Her Gentleman are a live experience you donít want to miss!
Frasca will cause quite a fracas when she plays like Thirst For Love and Got Me Goin' from her new EP ìLearn Your Routesî, recorded by Dave Davis (Powderfinger, Midnight Oil and George). Forget those other names for now and go and get yourself solid Frasca grooving. Australia's Joplin will rejuvenate you.
Dallas Frasca is one of Australia's greatest and most obscure singersî... Dolly Dagger ñ The Dwarf. - (THE DWARF review Nov. 2007)
"Dallas' incredibly robust vocal performance conjured the spirit of Janis Joplin and Tom Waits." - BEAT MAGAZINE review - DEEP ROOTS FESTIVAL - April 2007
"These arenít your everyday, run-of-the-mill cranking slide grooves and stomping, rolling rhythms, theyíre heavy and raw like nothing else on earth."
- Sam Fell - (Drum Media, Rhythms Magazine)
"You'd Be A Fool Not To Be Impressed" - Single Of The Week
- Simone (Beat Magazine)
ìThe modern day Janis Joplinî
- Triple J
"In an industry that is fraught with commercialism, an emergence of real talent is a breath of fresh air." - Eva Roberts (Australian Musician Mag)
ìIt feels and sounds natural and thatís what Iím into, real music, from the heart, a powerful blues voice, Iím feelin it.î
- Carlo Santone (Blue King Brown)
For Media Enquiries
Contact Amanda Harcourt:
publicity@dallasfrasca.com
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Dallas Frasca - Learn Your Routes released Nov 2006
Since Alternate Roots Powerhouse Dallas Frasca hit the scene in Dec 2005 when she released her debut solo EP ëAcoustic Slide Grooveí, she has obliterated 4 stomp boxes, cooked 2 P.Aís and melted one guitar amp, clocking up over 30,000kms of touring around Australia.
At the time she had no idea her music would cause the stir it has during the year. Acoustic Slide Groove won Frasca the JJJís ëLight Your Fuseí comp. in March this year, she was nominated as a finalist for APRAís prestigious Professional Development Award, 2006, was in May, shortlisted for the John Butler (JB Seed) grant award just one year of cultivating her slide guitar & vocals, spawned an artist & performer of the highest calibre.
Now Dallas Frasca & Her Gentlemen (featuring Jeff Curran on dobro and mandolin) have earned their street cred building a solid following performing at countless live venues around the country and have been booked at many of the major festivals including East Coast Blues and Roots Festival (Byron Bay), Apollo Bay Music Fest, Falls Festival, Nepean Music Fest (with Ben Harper) Narooma Blues & Rockabilly Festival, Southbound Festival, Blues at Bridgetown Festival, Queenscliff Music Festival and scored some great supports including, Xavier Rudd, Micheal Franti & John Butler to name a few.
Now comes the follow up, much anticipated EP ëLEARN YOUR ROUTESí Recorded by co-producer Dave Davis (Powderfinger, Midnight Oil, George) and mastered by internationally acclaimed Tony Mantz, a.k.a. 'Jack the Bear' (The Waifs, Hilltop Hoods, Jet, You Am I). Independently released, the two piece without kit are a wall of guitars and stomp box that delve into raw, double duelling slides, launching from a rock solid ground of roots influences. The opening track ëLearn Your Routesí assures listeners that there is only one Dallas Frasca, whilst ëThirst For Loveí shows the more sensitive side of her song writing. There is no wonder theyíve labelled her as ëThe Modern Day Janis Jopliní with the inspirational, ìDonít Let No-Oneí held only by Frascaís mammoth vocals.
It feels and sounds natural and thatís what Iím into, real music, from the heart, a powerful blues voice, Iím feelin it.
Carlo Santone (Blue King Brown)
"You'd Be A Fool Not To Be Impressed" - Learn Your Routes - Single Of The Week -
Beat Magazine - Simone
Top 5 single releases for 2006 -
Motivation (Acoustic Slide Groove) -
Mark Rasmussen - Editor, Buzz Magazine
Top Ten Tip Sheet - Learn Your Routes
PBS radio 106.7FM
For Media Enquiries
Contact Amanda Harcourt:
publicity@dallasfrasca.com
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Dallas Frasca - Acoustic Slide Groove released Dec 2005
Alternate Roots powerhouse, Dallas Frasca, didnít start singing until she was 19 years old. Ten years on, Frascaís mighty soul-voice resonates through venues, stereos, and radio stations across Australia. Her vocals have been described as being "like diving off a rock into a pristine gorge with the worst hangover of your life, and emerging from the cool depths rejuvenated."
Frasca has sung in an array of bands from metal to funk. Her passion
and the natural gutsy tone in her voice always lead her back to roots music.
ìThe first time I ever sang in front of people I lost my voice for a
week. When it came back it had that raspy bottom end to it, that just never went away,î Frasca recalls.
That raspy bottom end vocal, unified with groove-based slide-dobro, and pounding stomp box produces Frascaís trademark sound. Influenced by Delta Blues legends Robert Johnson, and Mississippi Fred McDowell, Dallas Frascaís slide-guitar sound is majestic.
Frasca explains how she got into guitar:
ìTwo years ago I got throat nodules. After some inspiring words from a good friend, I picked up a guitar, tuned it to D and bought myself a slide. I spent the year teaching myself to play slide guitar and listening to Gladys Knight, Etta James and Aretha Franklinî
Just one year of cultivating her slide guitar & vocals, spawned an artist & performer of the highest calibre. Frasca was the winner of JJJís ëLight Your Fuseí comp. in March this year, she was nominated as a finalist for APRAís prestigious Professional Development Award, 2006, supported Xavier Rudd on his recent national tour, was in May, shortlisted for the John Butler (JB Seed) grant, booked to play alongside Micheal Franti and JBT in January and two of her songs hit #1 on MP3.com.
Her debut solo EP: Acoustic Slide Groove was the EP was Single Of The Week in Inpress, Melbourne, and now she brings her second offering with the much talked about 'LEARN YOUR ROUTES' EP recorded by Dave Davis (Powderfinger, Midnight Oil & George), mastered by "Jack The Bear" (The Waifs and many more). She has received airplay Australia-wide and is also featured on Triple Jís Blues Roots And Beyond compilation CD.
All shows feature her new band member, the talented Jeff Curran (ex Red Hot Poker Dots & Uncle Bobís Jug Band) forming DALLAS FRASCA & HER GENTLEMEN on dobro & mandolin.
Frasca is music-festival regular, performing annually at The Falls Festival, Southbound Festival, The Australian Blues Festival, Queenscliff Music Festival, Apollo Bay, Tamworth, Folk Rhythm and Life, Narooma, Bridgetown and Brisbane Urban Blues and Roots Festival.
"I have spent all year touring Australia, road-testing my material for
the new EP "Learn Your Routes", the collection of songs I have a mix varying from hard out groove slide and stomp box tunes to more chilled vocal-oriented songs. I'm really happy with it" Dallas tells.
For future gig dates, visit www.dallasfrasca.com
On Acoustic Slide Groove:
The modern day Janis Joplin -Ash Grunwald, Roots Artist
Dallas has a voice you donít quickly forget -Jordie Kilby, Triple J
Dallas Frasca Rips - Kelly Slater, World Pro Surfer
For Media Enquiries
Contact Amanda Harcourt:
publicity@dallasfrasca.com
REVIEWS:
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Dallas Frasca
Hereís the scoop: Dallas Frasca and her Gentlemen are coming your way, and youíd either better run for your lives, or embrace the madness and get on board. For these arenít your everyday, run-of-the-mill cranking slide grooves and stomping, rolling rhythms, theyíre heavy and raw like nothing else on earth and it will eat you alive and spit out your bones if you get too close without taking the proper precautions; duel slide guitar and a vocal strong enough to blow your house down, thereís no denying that Dallas Frasca is a force to be reckoned with.
Over the course of four or so years, Frasca has moulded her music into the tight unit you can see, more and more these days, on any number of festival stages, as well as smaller venues around town. In 2005, she won Triple Js, Light My Fuse competition, with her first EP, Acoustic Slide Groove. Not long after that, she met the first of her Gentlemen, Jeff Curran, which resulted in second EP, Learn Your Routes mid last year, and from there the pair, with a drummer here and there, have begun to build themselves a steady following.
When I got a chance to catch up with her and Curran, it was in Melbourneís Rainbow Hotel recently, and over a few beers and then several more, I got to know a little of what makes this vocal powerhouse tick. Sheís determined, confident and knows exactly what she wants, and you get the feeling sheíd crush you if you ever got in the way, something which you also get listening to the music; itís almost like metal / blues, such is itís aggressive nature.
ìI was thinking about this the other day about, whatís the grunt in our music,î she muses. ìBecause there arenít many female guitarists that play quite as aggressively, as well as vocally. So I was thinking what made what Iíve done different, to what others have done and their background. I was brought up on motorbikes in my family, I was basically raised as one of the boys, so I think a lot of it comes from being raised that way.
ìBut I didnít start singing until I was about 19, and started playing guitar about three years agoî she goes on. She wonít tell me how old she is, so itís hard to put that into perspective, but suffice to say, only three years on the guitar and sheís playing like this? Sheís a natural, and you know about the voice ñ Curran describes it as raucous and head-cutting.
ìWe seem to have a real energy about us now too,î Frasca tells me about how the pair are getting around, now that theyíre beginning to get noticed. ìThe more you perform, the more that grows as well, and weíve learned to interact with different environments and different audiences, from playing festivals like Bluesfest for the first time this year, for example.î
Bluesfest is one example, probably the biggest shows the pair have played, and last years Narooma festival is another, where I saw them for the first time, and watched them completely win over a crowd of older folk, who were a bit confused at first, but dancing in the aisles by the end. It was at that gig I saw them with percussionist, Benny Owen, and if you had any complaint about the band, it would be how the stomp box kind of stagnates the rhythm when thereís no drummer. Why donít they utilise a percussionist all the time? Thatís about to change, you detractors will be pleased to know, as Frasca works towards her debut LP, something which is becoming a strongly anticipated release.
ìWeíre collaborating with a few different artists, weíre not gonna limit it to the two of us,î she tells me. ìJust who, is a secret, but itís going to diversify our sound and really bring it out there.î
Sam Fell - Drum Media MAY 2007
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ANYONE FOR ARMED ROBBERY?
Thoughts after seeing Dallas Frasca play in Fitzroy, March 5 2006
When I listen to Dallas Frasca I feel like robbing a bank, driving a V8 into the red centre, having some kinda don juan vision, writing a long winding letter to my sister, learning blues harp and fucking. Mostly I feel like fucking. And drinking Scotch.
Dallas sings, plays slide guitar, pulls her groin muscle playing stomp box and cites Robert Johnson as one of her influences. Robert Johnson was a legendary blues musician from the Mississippi Delta who rumour has it went to the crossroads and sold his soul to the devil in exchange for the ultimate blues expression. I suspect Dallas of doing the same.
In the old days they used to play slide guitar by pressing the neck of a bottle or the blade of a knife to the strings of the guitar. Listening to Dallas playing slide guitar- the peacock feathers jammed into her dreadlocks silhouetted- I can picture the first blues musicians. Her music has integrity, it retains something; a rootsy spiritual tonic.
It is music that is deeply pleasurable to listen to and a joy to watch being played; but more than that it is music that provokes change and rebellion in its audience. Picture a chain gang throwing down their tools.
Watching Dallas play gigs with Jeff Curran (mandolin and slide dobro) is a lesson in the artistic muse. A chemistry set has blown up between them! Dallas is a conduit for some kind of crazy Mississippi spirits and Jeff Curran knows it! And his abilities compliment hers. His mandolin playing did something to my system and made me get my period five days early. The two of them are damn sexy. You canít watch Dallas on that stomp box without wondering what sheíd be like in bed. You just canít. And her cover of ëOld Fashion Morphineí made me want to drop out of journalism school and start an opium den.
If I was going to commit armed robbery and needed a getaway track it would be a song on her EP called ëMotivationí. When she sings ìDoes a rose know why itís thorns can hurt you?î I thought : Aretha Franklin on acid. If I needed a track to escape a shotgun wedding with it would be her other EP track ëFreedomí. And if Iím feeling really pissed off about being dumped ëHis Majestyí really makes it all alright.
The thing about Dallas is she only sings what she feels. Which is in direct contrast to most of the shit people are peddling around Fitzroy. I think it is called authenticity.
Whatís with her voice? It has no limits to it? Its like diving off a rock into a pristine gorge with the worst hangover of your life and emerging from the cool depths rejuvenated. For someone so freakishly talented, Dallas is refreshingly free of pretense. Halfway through a gig two people walk into the bar and she looks up whilst tuning her guitar, ìHowíre you going guys?î
How did I make it to 27 before discovering the blues? I work at the same gin joint as Dallas and she walked past me whilst I was fluffing the Caesar salad one day singing and BAM my world opened up and I fell into a blueís chasm headfirst. Iíd never heard female vocals like that in real life- only ever in melting Nina Simone cassettes or old Joplin vinyl. The thing about the blues is they seep into your everyday life like bloodstains on a carpet.
Someone once said ìThe blues is truthî and boy does Dallas pay homage to that. She sings about things that are real. Frank, gritty lyrics. Spiritual husky sound. Thereís something about hearing a person sing honestly about their woes and hopes that is pure catharis. You can walk into a Dallas gig suffering a fit of the blue devils and then there is something about her voice- the way she is a mix of optimism and realism- the blend of raunch and humour- that makes it all alright. Better than alright! The relief is palpable. What, I say what, did indy ever do for me except make me wanna get an eating disorder! And jazz just made me want to take xanax! Iím a convert to the blues and Dallas is my priest. I canít wait until she releases an LP and takes over the world.
CatFORD Coles - VIBE MAGAZINE - March 2006
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"It's no wonder she's been touted as one of Australia's best female blues artists. Much like a female version of John Butler, she get's some real hooky grooves on her slide guitar and a real rootsy/bluesy sound to her melodies. She just has this magnetic quality, like all great performers, on and off the stage."
MUSICDEALS.COM.AU - J. Millani - January 2006
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"Lovechild of Janis Joplin and Matt Corcoran......Something quite different in our ranks of blues ladies."
SYDNEY BLUES SOCIETY - Gary DeWall - March 2006
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"The entire album is a strong, and ballsy, roots sound, only aided by her gutsy voice........ whether you like it or not, your feet will start to move."
OZBLUESNROOTS.COM - Christopher Duell - January 2006
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LADY SINGS THE BLUES WHEN SHEíS GOT THE REDS
Gig Review Wednesday 19th July 2006, Dallas Frasca and Her Gentlemen, The Rainbow, Fitzroy.
Halfway through some guy who looked like David Bowie in Labyrinth walked in, ordered a pot and sat down to read Beat magazine. He never got past the cover. Dallasí voice hit him in the side of the head and permeated his every cell.
The atmosphere of my favourite gig so far kicked off with Austin, a solo performer from Geelong with a freakish voice that sounds like Tim Buckley crossed with Little Brother Montgomery. Bit of Devendra Banhart; kind of neo traditionalist folk, Austin did a beautiful cover of the Robert Johnson song ìRambliníOn My Mindî. You can listen to him at www.theaustinsite.com His voice and playing are unique and really uplifting without being cheesy.
Dallas Frasca and Her Gentlemen have a touring mantra that goes, ëWeíre gonna fist em tonight.í When Jeff plays mandolin in the bandís cover of Jolie Hollandís ìOld Fashioned Morphineî the mandolin sounds like rain pattering a melody on the tin roof of an opium den. Other times Jeff makes sounds like a cassette that has melted on the dashboard being played on a road trip. His playing is so atmospheric. So humid. When he plays ìThirst For Loveî I canít help but think of the desert; mirages and heat making the distance waver. Jeff has been playing ever since he was a kid. He is so talented other musicians forget to drink their beer when they watch him play because theyíre too busy marvelling and trying to figure out how the fuck he does it.
This gig had a real mood to it helped along by the prospector: A friend of Dallasí who turned up carrying a swag and a pocketful of gold. Unable to contain his enthusiasm he kept yelling out variations of, ìYou sound fuckiní unbelievable. The fuckiní voice on her!î When Dallas mentioned that there were EPs on sale at the gig the prospector screamed out, ìBuy one assholes! If you donít buy a CD Iíll fuckiní kill you!î
The mailing list was passed around and I noticed that someone had written, ëYou sounded like Janis Jopliní again. In a recent interview I did with Dallas she said ëIím really flattered because that comparison is there but the only thing that Joplin and I have in common is an understanding of expression and being heartfelt when you project something.í So to set the record straight here are some of Dallasí influences: Robert Johnson, Mississippi Fred McDowell, Jolie Holland, Betty Davis, Hat Fitz & Jeff Curran.
Even though Iím an atheist when Dallas held that note in ìFreedomî it sounded like she was channelling god. (Or possibly the devil) This was the best Dallas gig Iíve been to so it is funny to think that Dallas walked up to me at the bar before the gig, sighed, ëI canít sing when Iíve got my periodí and then went on to tear the place apart. So Dallas, if youíre reading this: The only thing YOU canít do when youíve got your monthlies is do an inverted yoga pose.
By CatFORD Coles
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Falls Festival '06
East Coast Blues & Roots Festival '07
Nepean Music Festival '07
Australian Blues Festival '02, '03, '06
Apollo Bay Music Festival '03, '04, '07
Blues On Broadbeach Festival '07
Narooma Blues & Rockabilly Festival '06
Tamworth Country Music Fest '03, '04
Brunswick Music Festival '07
Southbound Festival '07
Blues at Bridgetown Festival '06
Folk, Rhythm and Life Festival (7 of the 10 years)
Queenscliff Music Festival '06
Deni Spring Blues Festival '06
Wangaratta Jazz Festival '02, '03, '06
Thredbo Blues Festival '07
Girl Fest '07
Brisbane Urban Blues and Roots Festival '05, '06
Bruthen Blues and Arts Festival '06
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