Dave Melillo
Encyclopedia
David Andrew Melillo is a Drive-Thru Records
recording singer/songwriter
as well as the former bassist
for pop rock
band Cute Is What We Aim For. He plays a mellow blend of acoustic guitar-driven acoustic rock and piano-accented power pop
, somewhat in the vein of early Dashboard Confessional
and The Rocket Summer
.
to David A. Melillo Sr. and Gina A. Melillo. After moving to Celebration, Florida
in December 2000, he learned how to play the guitar
, the bass guitar
and the piano
and eventually began writing songs. While attending Celebration High School, he played in several ensembles, including the short-lived garage band
Trexx.
In mid-2004, Melillo formed the Taking Back Sunday
-inspired indie rock
band Arcana. While their submitted two-song demo
fell on deaf ears with Drive-Thru Records
, Melillo's solo material did not. Drive-Thru Records invited Melillo to play a showcase for the label and signed him immediately in December 2004, at the age of sixteen. Melillo made his debut on the Drive-Thru Records and PureVolume compilation album
Bands You Love, Have Heard of, and Should Know (2005) with his song "Wait for It". Melillo spent the following summer recording with producer
James Wisner in St. Cloud, FL. Melillo's debut EP, titled Talk Is Cheap
, was first released on April 17, 2006 as a free digital download
from mtvU
. The physical CD release was issued on June 13 through Drive-Thru Records, containing one extra track.
After a falling out with Drive Thru Records, Melillo joined Cute Is What We Aim For playing rhythm guitar on the 2007 Warped Tour
. He toured with the band for the following 2 years on bass guitar and helped write/record the bands sophomore album "Rotation" alongside John Fledmann. In 2009, Melillo left the band for personal reasons, and formed a new band, Nocturnal Me, with former members of Cute Is What We Aim For. Nocturnal Me released three EPs: "Self Titled" in 2009, "Too" in 2010 and "Two Faced" in 2011.
In 2010 Melillo shared production credits on several independent releases, most notably Leslie Mosier's debut EP/album and Set It Off's EP which precluded the band's signing with Hopeless Records. Melillo also began working as a pop/r&b songwriter in 2010 for several major labels and artists, with a focus on melody/lyrics.
2011 began with Melillo refocusing his efforts on his own music. He released a 4 song EP "Future Focused" in October to be followed by a 13 track mix-tape titled "Think Of You" in November.
Drive-Thru Records
Drive-Thru Records, established in 1996, was a California-based record label owned by siblings Richard and Stefanie Reines. It has produced various pop punk bands, many with a distinct SoCal sound....
recording singer/songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
as well as the former bassist
Bassist
A bass player, or bassist is a musician who plays a bass instrument such as a double bass, bass guitar, keyboard bass or a low brass instrument such as a tuba or sousaphone. Different musical genres tend to be associated with one or more of these instruments...
for pop rock
Pop rock
Pop rock is a music genre which mixes a catchy pop style and light lyrics in its guitar-based rock songs. There are varying definitions of the term, ranging from a slower and mellower form of rock music to a subgenre of pop music...
band Cute Is What We Aim For. He plays a mellow blend of acoustic guitar-driven acoustic rock and piano-accented power pop
Power pop
Power pop is a popular musical genre that draws its inspiration from 1960s British and American pop and rock music. It typically incorporates a combination of musical devices such as strong melodies, crisp vocal harmonies, economical arrangements, and prominent guitar riffs. Instrumental solos are...
, somewhat in the vein of early Dashboard Confessional
Dashboard Confessional
Dashboard Confessional is an American rock band from Boca Raton, Florida, led by singer-songwriter Chris Carrabba. The name of the band is derived from the song "The Sharp Hint of New Tears" from the debut album The Swiss Army Romance....
and The Rocket Summer
The Rocket Summer
The Rocket Summer is the solo-project of Bryce Avary who is based in Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas. Avary is a multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter, and producer. He writes and produces every song on his records, and plays every instrument on them....
.
Biography
David Melillo was born on June 12, 1988 in Glen Ridge, New JerseyGlen Ridge, New Jersey
Glen Ridge is a borough in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 7,527. In 2010, Glen Ridge was ranked as the 38th Best Place to live by New Jersey Monthly magazine....
to David A. Melillo Sr. and Gina A. Melillo. After moving to Celebration, Florida
Celebration, Florida
Celebration is a census-designated place and a master-planned community in Osceola County, Florida, United States, located near Walt Disney World Resort and originally developed by The Walt Disney Company...
in December 2000, he learned how to play the guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, the bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
and the piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
and eventually began writing songs. While attending Celebration High School, he played in several ensembles, including the short-lived garage band
Garage band
The term garage band can refer to:* A band that performs garage rock* GarageBand, audio production software published by Apple Inc.* GarageBand.com, a website that helps publicize emerging bands...
Trexx.
In mid-2004, Melillo formed the Taking Back Sunday
Taking Back Sunday
Taking Back Sunday is a rock band from Long Island, NY, formed in 1999 by guitarist Eddie Reyes. Current members of the band are Adam Lazzara , John Nolan , Eddie Reyes , Shaun Cooper and Mark O'Connell ....
-inspired indie rock
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
band Arcana. While their submitted two-song demo
Demo (music)
A demo version or demo of a song is one recorded for reference rather than for release. A demo is a way for a musician to approximate their ideas on tape or disc, and provide an example of those ideas to record labels, producers or other artists...
fell on deaf ears with Drive-Thru Records
Drive-Thru Records
Drive-Thru Records, established in 1996, was a California-based record label owned by siblings Richard and Stefanie Reines. It has produced various pop punk bands, many with a distinct SoCal sound....
, Melillo's solo material did not. Drive-Thru Records invited Melillo to play a showcase for the label and signed him immediately in December 2004, at the age of sixteen. Melillo made his debut on the Drive-Thru Records and PureVolume compilation album
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
Bands You Love, Have Heard of, and Should Know (2005) with his song "Wait for It". Melillo spent the following summer recording with producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
James Wisner in St. Cloud, FL. Melillo's debut EP, titled Talk Is Cheap
Talk Is Cheap (EP)
Talk Is Cheap is Dave Melillo's debut EP. It was released on April 18, 2006 as a free digital download from mtvU, and on June 13, 2006 as a CD from Drive-Thru Records. The mtvU offer featured only the first five songs and expired 30 days after the release date...
, was first released on April 17, 2006 as a free digital download
Music download
A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment...
from mtvU
MtvU
mtvU is a division of Viacom's MTV Networks which produces a 24-hour television channel that is available on more than 750 college and university campuses across the United States, as well as several digital cable packages...
. The physical CD release was issued on June 13 through Drive-Thru Records, containing one extra track.
After a falling out with Drive Thru Records, Melillo joined Cute Is What We Aim For playing rhythm guitar on the 2007 Warped Tour
Warped Tour
The Warped Tour is a touring music and extreme sports festival. The tour is held in venues such as parking lots or fields upon which the stages and other structures are erected. The BMX/skateboarding shoe manufacturer Vans, among others, has sponsored the tour every year since 1995, and it is...
. He toured with the band for the following 2 years on bass guitar and helped write/record the bands sophomore album "Rotation" alongside John Fledmann. In 2009, Melillo left the band for personal reasons, and formed a new band, Nocturnal Me, with former members of Cute Is What We Aim For. Nocturnal Me released three EPs: "Self Titled" in 2009, "Too" in 2010 and "Two Faced" in 2011.
In 2010 Melillo shared production credits on several independent releases, most notably Leslie Mosier's debut EP/album and Set It Off's EP which precluded the band's signing with Hopeless Records. Melillo also began working as a pop/r&b songwriter in 2010 for several major labels and artists, with a focus on melody/lyrics.
2011 began with Melillo refocusing his efforts on his own music. He released a 4 song EP "Future Focused" in October to be followed by a 13 track mix-tape titled "Think Of You" in November.
EPs
- Talk Is CheapTalk Is Cheap (EP)Talk Is Cheap is Dave Melillo's debut EP. It was released on April 18, 2006 as a free digital download from mtvU, and on June 13, 2006 as a CD from Drive-Thru Records. The mtvU offer featured only the first five songs and expired 30 days after the release date...
(2006) - Future Focused (2011)
Non-album tracks
- "Wait for It" – released on Bands You Love, Have Heard of, and Should Know (2005)
- "It Ain't Me BabeIt Ain't Me Babe"It Ain't Me Babe" is the title of a 1964 song by Bob Dylan, first included on his album Another Side of Bob Dylan. The song's opening line is allegedly influenced by musicologist/folk-singer John Jacob Niles' composition "Go 'Way From My Window." Niles is referred to by Dylan as an early...
" – released on Listen to Bob Dylan: A Tribute (2005) - "All I Want for Christmas" – released on A Santa Cause 2: It's a Punk Rock Christmas (2006)
- "The Ties that Bind" released on DemoDemo (music)A demo version or demo of a song is one recorded for reference rather than for release. A demo is a way for a musician to approximate their ideas on tape or disc, and provide an example of those ideas to record labels, producers or other artists...
(2008) - "Read Between The lines" released on DemoDemo (music)A demo version or demo of a song is one recorded for reference rather than for release. A demo is a way for a musician to approximate their ideas on tape or disc, and provide an example of those ideas to record labels, producers or other artists...
(2008)
Dave Melillo's touring band
- Dave Melillo – vocals, acoustic guitar
- Clark Spurlock – lead guitarLead guitarLead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
- Matt Mendes - Bass
- Nate Mullins - Drums
External links
- Official website
- Dave Melillo's profile at MySpaceMySpaceMyspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
- Nocturnal Me's profile at MySpaceMySpaceMyspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....