Rustic Overtones
Encyclopedia
Rustic Overtones is a rock
/jazz
/funk
band from Maine
active from 1993–2002 and 2007–present. They were the first group to perform live on XM Satellite Radio
, and their 2007 album Light At The End
was the fastest-selling local disc ever in the state of Maine
.
, major record label Arista
signed the band spurred on by then president Clive Davis
. The signing lead to "Hardest Way Possible," a song from "Rooms By The Hour" being featured on the soundtrack to the Rob Schneider
film The Animal
. Arista hired legendary producer Tony Visconti
to produce what became the 2001 release, Viva Nueva!. However, after disagreements with the label, and a shakeup at Arista that saw their primary supporter, Clive Davis, depart, the record deal fell through. They were shortly picked up afterward by Tommy Boy
, and released Viva Nueva!
in 2001. The album featured guest appearances by Funkmaster Flex
, Imogen Heap
and David Bowie
. However, Tommy Boy dissolved shortly after the release of the album, once again leaving the Overtones without a record label. The disappointment of two major record deals falling through proved too much for the band members, and they went their separate ways in
2002. Their "final" performance was a three-hour show at the State Theatre on May 11, 2002.
, another band that enjoyed success, with its single "Wasted" appearing in the soundtrack to the movie Beerfest
. Spencer Albee joined with other local musicians including guitarist Zach Jones, drummer Brian Higgins, and bassist Haché and formed Rocktopus (later "As Fast As
" replacing Higgins with drummer Andrew Hodgkins), whose album "Open Letter to the Damned
received a 4.5/5 rating from music critic giant Allmusic. Tony McNaboe served as a touring drummer for Ray LaMontagne
, and released a R&B solo album in 2003 titled "Destination," which was warmly received by both former Rustic Overtones fans and music critics and had two songs entered into local station WCLZ
's regular circulation. In addition, saxophonist Ryan Zoidis split his time between Lettuce and Soulive
, baritone saxophonist Jason Ward pursued a music education degree at the University of Southern Maine
and played with several local bands including Groove Disciples, The Apocalypse Brass Band, and El Grande. Trombonist Dave Noyes joined local group Seekonk
.
that the entire band did indeed plan to reunite, and were in the process of scheduling local reunion shows. On May 29, they announced that they would play two reunion shows at Portland club "The Asylum," one on July 28, 2007 and another on July 29. In addition, after a month of rumors and gossip, the band also announced that they had been working on a new album of previously unreleased material and newly written music, eventually titled Light at the End
, which was released independently in late July 2007 coinciding with the two reunion shows.
Although the band originally made it clear that the reunion will only last for the summer, and the members would turn their attention back to their post-Overtones projects after the completion of the two shows and the release of the album, Gutter confirmed in an article for the Portland Press Herald
that "reunions will become a regular thing" and that the band is "here to stay." Furthermore, during one of the bands reunion shows, Spencer Albee
proclaimed, "we're never going to leave you again, we're sorry". Also, during an interview on a local news station on July 18, 2007 with Gutter and Albee, the two were asked what the future plans are with the band. Gutter responded with "we've got a couple more huge endeavors planned for Rustic Overtones" and Albee stated that "theres no reason to not be together".
On September 8, 2007, the band announced on their MySpace
that they were in the process of filming a "feature film documentary," though they did not announce a release date or filming timetable. On November 24, 2007, Spencer Albee announced to the crowd at an Asylum concert that the band would soon re-release the albums Long Division and Light At The End
on a national record label to get the albums out to the masses. Two days later, the band announced on their MySpace that the label they had signed with was Velour Music, and hinted that their entire back catalog of albums would soon be released.
was released.
, and playing with a raw sound. However, by Rooms by the Hour
, the band's sound had become much more refined and diversified, with much more of a jazz influence on songs such as "Pink Belly" and "Machine Maker," and an alternative rock feel on songs such as "The Heist" and "Kicking and Screaming". By the late '90s and into the early 2000s, the band had become heavily influenced by hip-hop music, leading to the heavy production of the entire album, a collaboration with hip-hop veterans Naughty by Nature
that appeared on the rap group's 1999 album, and the Viva Nueva! song "Smoke", which when played sometimes featured a guest rapper friend of the band who rapped over an extended outtro to the song. Many believe that this radical switch of style is what contributed to the band's fallout with their Arista record deal, as the company apparently believed that the band's sound on the album would be similar to that of their older material. The band's most recent album, Light at the End
, sounds most similar to the production and style of Rooms by the Hour, although the album draws from various other phases of the band's musical evolution as well.
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
/jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
/funk
Funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
band from Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
active from 1993–2002 and 2007–present. They were the first group to perform live on XM Satellite Radio
XM Satellite Radio
XM Satellite Radio is one of two satellite radio services in the United States and Canada, operated by Sirius XM Radio. It provides pay-for-service radio, analogous to cable television. Its service includes 73 different music channels, 39 news, sports, talk and entertainment channels, 21 regional...
, and their 2007 album Light At The End
Light at the End
Light at the End is a 2007 studio album by the Portland, Maine, band Rustic Overtones, the first album by the band since its break-up in 2002. The album was recorded in spring 2007 and released on July 24, 2007. It has become the fastest-selling local disc ever in the state of Maine...
was the fastest-selling local disc ever in the state of Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
.
Early Years: 1993-2002
Rustic Overtones started out in the early 1990s as a three-piece cover band known as Aces Wild with Dave Gutter, Jon Roods, and then-drummer and close friend Matthew Esty, playing small bars. This lineup produced the very rare "Smile" album. The Rustic Overtones gained popularity during the mid to late 1990s in the Portland, Maine music scene, although they had many self-financed tours throughout the country, mostly the northeastern states. After the release of their 1998 album Rooms by the HourRooms by the Hour
Rooms by the Hour is an album released in 1998 by Rustic Overtones. The band's third full length offering, it is credited with earning major label interest in the band and leading to their subsequent contract with the Warner Music Group.-Track listing:...
, major record label Arista
Arista Records
Arista was an American record label. It was a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment and operated under the RCA Music Group. The label was founded in 1974 by Clive Davis, who formerly worked for CBS Records...
signed the band spurred on by then president Clive Davis
Clive Davis
Clive Davis is an American record producer and music industry executive. He has won five Grammy Awards and is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a non-performer. From 1967 to 1973 he was the President of Columbia Records. He was the founder and president of Arista Records from 1975...
. The signing lead to "Hardest Way Possible," a song from "Rooms By The Hour" being featured on the soundtrack to the Rob Schneider
Rob Schneider
Robert Michael "Rob" Schneider is an American actor, comedian, screenwriter, and director. A stand-up comic and veteran of the NBC sketch-comedy series Saturday Night Live, Schneider has gone on to a successful career in feature films, including starring roles in the comedy films Deuce Bigalow:...
film The Animal
The Animal
The Animal is a 2001 comedy film, directed by Luke Greenfield. It stars Rob Schneider, Colleen Haskell, Edward Asner, and John C. McGinley....
. Arista hired legendary producer Tony Visconti
Tony Visconti
Anthony Edward Visconti is an American record producer and sometimes a musician or singer.Since the late 1960s, he has worked with an array of performers; his lengthiest involvement with any artist is with David Bowie: intermittently from Bowie's 1969 album Space Oddity to 2003's Reality, Visconti...
to produce what became the 2001 release, Viva Nueva!. However, after disagreements with the label, and a shakeup at Arista that saw their primary supporter, Clive Davis, depart, the record deal fell through. They were shortly picked up afterward by Tommy Boy
Tommy Boy Records
Tommy Boy Entertainment is an independent record label started in 1981 by Tom Silverman.-History:...
, and released Viva Nueva!
Viva Nueva!
Viva Nueva! is the fourth album by the Rustic Overtones, released in 2001 before their highly publicized breakup a year later. With 16 tracks, the album has the most songs of any Rustic Overtones album to date. Tommy Boy Records distributed the album after relations soured between the Rustic...
in 2001. The album featured guest appearances by Funkmaster Flex
Funkmaster Flex
Aston George Taylor, Jr. better known as Funkmaster Flex is an American hip hop DJ, rapper, musician and producer on New York City's Hot 97 radio station and host of the hit MTV show Funk Flex Full Throttle....
, Imogen Heap
Imogen Heap
Imogen Jennifer Jane Heap is a Grammy Award-winning English singer, composer and songwriter from Havering, Essex. She is known for her work as part of the musical duo Frou Frou and her solo albums, which she writes, produces, and mixes...
and David Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
. However, Tommy Boy dissolved shortly after the release of the album, once again leaving the Overtones without a record label. The disappointment of two major record deals falling through proved too much for the band members, and they went their separate ways in
2002. Their "final" performance was a three-hour show at the State Theatre on May 11, 2002.
Break-up and Solo Careers: 2002-2007
During the five years that the Rustic Overtones went their separate ways, most of the band members pursued a side-project. Dave Gutter and Jon Roods met up with one-time Overtones drummer Marc Boisvert, and formed Paranoid Social ClubParanoid Social Club
Paranoid Social Club is a Rock/Psychedelic/indie band from Portland, Maine, United States which formed in 2002. In 2006, the band's song Wasted was included on the soundtrack of the movie Beerfest...
, another band that enjoyed success, with its single "Wasted" appearing in the soundtrack to the movie Beerfest
Beerfest
Beerfest is a 2006 beer-themed comedy film by the comedy group Broken Lizard. Along with the regular members of Broken Lizard, other actors who appear in the movie include Will Forte, M. C. Gainey, Cloris Leachman, Kendra C...
. Spencer Albee joined with other local musicians including guitarist Zach Jones, drummer Brian Higgins, and bassist Haché and formed Rocktopus (later "As Fast As
As Fast As
As Fast As is an alternative rock band from Portland, Maine, which includes former Rustic Overtones keyboardist Spencer Albee, who along with Haché Horchatta and Zach Jones were members of the power pop group Rocktopus. Their debut album, Open Letter to the Damned was released on Octone Records in...
" replacing Higgins with drummer Andrew Hodgkins), whose album "Open Letter to the Damned
Open Letter to the Damned
Open Letter to the Damned is the debut album by As Fast As. It was released in 2006 by Octone Records and is a re-working of their independently released album Open Letter to the Damned .-Track listing:#"Blame It on the Drugs" – 3:01...
received a 4.5/5 rating from music critic giant Allmusic. Tony McNaboe served as a touring drummer for Ray LaMontagne
Ray LaMontagne
Raymond "Ray" Charles Jack LaMontagne is a Grammy-award winning American singer-songwriter. LaMontagne has released four studio albums, Trouble, Till the Sun Turns Black, Gossip in the Grain and God Willin' & the Creek Don't Rise. He was born in New Hampshire and was inspired to create music after...
, and released a R&B solo album in 2003 titled "Destination," which was warmly received by both former Rustic Overtones fans and music critics and had two songs entered into local station WCLZ
WCLZ
WCLZ is a radio station licensed to North Yarmouth, Maine with studios located in Portland. Since 2001 WCLZ has been broadcasting an Adult Alternative format. It operates on FM frequency 98.9 and is under ownership of Saga Communications.- History :...
's regular circulation. In addition, saxophonist Ryan Zoidis split his time between Lettuce and Soulive
Soulive
Soulive is a funk/jazz trio that originated in Woodstock, New York, and is known for its solos and catchy, upbeat songs. The band consists of Eric Krasno , Alan Evans , Neal Evans...
, baritone saxophonist Jason Ward pursued a music education degree at the University of Southern Maine
University of Southern Maine
The University of Southern Maine is a multi-campus public urban comprehensive university and part of the University of Maine System. USM's three primary campuses are located in Portland, Gorham, and Lewiston...
and played with several local bands including Groove Disciples, The Apocalypse Brass Band, and El Grande. Trombonist Dave Noyes joined local group Seekonk
Seekonk
Seekonk may refer to:* Seekonk, Massachusetts, a town in the United States* Seekonk River, a body of water in Rhode Island, United States* Seekonk , a rock band...
.
Reunion and Light at the End: 2007-2008
In early spring of 2007, drummer Tony McNaboe took the initiative to begin the process of reuniting the band, calling each former member separately, and telling them that everyone else had already agreed to a reunion. In May 2007, Tony McNaboe, Spencer Albee, and Jon Roods made a surprise announcement on Portland's WCYYWCYY
WCYY is a commercial radio station located in Portland, Maine. It broadcasts to the Portland, Maine area on 94.3 FM and formerly on 93.9 FM from Lewiston, Maine. Its target audience are people from ages 18–44. The station airs a modern rock music format and is under ownership of Cumulus Media....
that the entire band did indeed plan to reunite, and were in the process of scheduling local reunion shows. On May 29, they announced that they would play two reunion shows at Portland club "The Asylum," one on July 28, 2007 and another on July 29. In addition, after a month of rumors and gossip, the band also announced that they had been working on a new album of previously unreleased material and newly written music, eventually titled Light at the End
Light at the End
Light at the End is a 2007 studio album by the Portland, Maine, band Rustic Overtones, the first album by the band since its break-up in 2002. The album was recorded in spring 2007 and released on July 24, 2007. It has become the fastest-selling local disc ever in the state of Maine...
, which was released independently in late July 2007 coinciding with the two reunion shows.
Although the band originally made it clear that the reunion will only last for the summer, and the members would turn their attention back to their post-Overtones projects after the completion of the two shows and the release of the album, Gutter confirmed in an article for the Portland Press Herald
Portland Press Herald
The Portland Press Herald publish daily newspapers in Portland, Maine, USA...
that "reunions will become a regular thing" and that the band is "here to stay." Furthermore, during one of the bands reunion shows, Spencer Albee
Spencer Albee
Spencer Aaron Albee is an American musician, producer, and front man of the Maine-based rock band Spencer and the School Spirit Mafia...
proclaimed, "we're never going to leave you again, we're sorry". Also, during an interview on a local news station on July 18, 2007 with Gutter and Albee, the two were asked what the future plans are with the band. Gutter responded with "we've got a couple more huge endeavors planned for Rustic Overtones" and Albee stated that "theres no reason to not be together".
On September 8, 2007, the band announced on their MySpace
MySpace
Myspace 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....
that they were in the process of filming a "feature film documentary," though they did not announce a release date or filming timetable. On November 24, 2007, Spencer Albee announced to the crowd at an Asylum concert that the band would soon re-release the albums Long Division and Light At The End
Light at the End
Light at the End is a 2007 studio album by the Portland, Maine, band Rustic Overtones, the first album by the band since its break-up in 2002. The album was recorded in spring 2007 and released on July 24, 2007. It has become the fastest-selling local disc ever in the state of Maine...
on a national record label to get the albums out to the masses. Two days later, the band announced on their MySpace that the label they had signed with was Velour Music, and hinted that their entire back catalog of albums would soon be released.
Spencer Albee's Departure and New Way Out: 2008-2009
On September 17, 2008, the band unexpectedly announced on their Myspace that Spencer Albee, their keyboardist since 1995's Long Division had left the band. Drummer Tony McNaboe explained that Spencer was parting ways on good terms, and that work on a new album would continue as planned with multi-instrumentalist Nigel Hall from Lettuce filling in on keyboards. Hall began to tour as a normal member of the band until he became too busy with other projects to continue as a full-fledged member, still contributing to the recording of the album. On tour the band began to alternate between Hall and Tyler Quist as keyboardists, playing some shows without a keyboardist at all, or having Ryan Zoidis and Dave Noyes take over keyboardist duties on certain songs. The Band continued work on their album in their self-built studio "Limited Productions Limited" throughout 2008 and 2009, and on November 11, 2009, The New Way OutThe New Way Out
The New Way Out is the sixth studio album by the Portland, Maine, band Rustic Overtones, released on November 11, 2009. Recorded throughout 2008 and 2009, the album is the band's first since the departure of keyboard player Spencer Albee, and their first full-length release of all-new material...
was released.
Styles and influences
In the earliest days of the Rustic Overtones, the band was mostly classified as a rock and soul band, citing their heaviest influences as artists such as Earth, Wind, and Fire and Tom WaitsTom Waits
Thomas Alan "Tom" Waits is an American singer-songwriter, composer, and actor. Waits has a distinctive voice, described by critic Daniel Durchholz as sounding "like it was soaked in a vat of bourbon, left hanging in the smokehouse for a few months, and then taken outside and run over with a car."...
, and playing with a raw sound. However, by Rooms by the Hour
Rooms by the Hour
Rooms by the Hour is an album released in 1998 by Rustic Overtones. The band's third full length offering, it is credited with earning major label interest in the band and leading to their subsequent contract with the Warner Music Group.-Track listing:...
, the band's sound had become much more refined and diversified, with much more of a jazz influence on songs such as "Pink Belly" and "Machine Maker," and an alternative rock feel on songs such as "The Heist" and "Kicking and Screaming". By the late '90s and into the early 2000s, the band had become heavily influenced by hip-hop music, leading to the heavy production of the entire album, a collaboration with hip-hop veterans Naughty by Nature
Naughty by Nature
Naughty by Nature are a Grammy Award-winning American hip hop trio from East Orange, New Jersey that at the time of its formation in 1989 consisted of Treach, Vin Rock, and the DJ Kay Gee...
that appeared on the rap group's 1999 album, and the Viva Nueva! song "Smoke", which when played sometimes featured a guest rapper friend of the band who rapped over an extended outtro to the song. Many believe that this radical switch of style is what contributed to the band's fallout with their Arista record deal, as the company apparently believed that the band's sound on the album would be similar to that of their older material. The band's most recent album, Light at the End
Light at the End
Light at the End is a 2007 studio album by the Portland, Maine, band Rustic Overtones, the first album by the band since its break-up in 2002. The album was recorded in spring 2007 and released on July 24, 2007. It has become the fastest-selling local disc ever in the state of Maine...
, sounds most similar to the production and style of Rooms by the Hour, although the album draws from various other phases of the band's musical evolution as well.
Members
- Dave Gutter - vocals, guitarGuitarThe 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...
- Jon Roods - bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
- Gary Gemetti - drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
- Ryan Zoidis - alto saxophoneAlto saxophoneThe alto saxophone is a member of the saxophone family of woodwind instruments invented by Belgian instrument designer Adolphe Sax in 1841. It is smaller than the tenor but larger than the soprano, and is the type most used in classical compositions...
, tenor saxophoneTenor saxophoneThe tenor saxophone is a medium-sized member of the saxophone family, a group of instruments invented by Adolphe Sax in the 1840s. The tenor, with the alto, are the two most common types of saxophones. The tenor is pitched in the key of B, and written as a transposing instrument in the treble... - Jason Ward - baritone saxophoneBaritone saxophoneThe baritone saxophone, often called "bari sax" , is one of the largest and lowest pitched members of the saxophone family. It was invented by Adolphe Sax. The baritone is distinguished from smaller sizes of saxophone by the extra loop near its mouthpiece...
- Dave Noyes - tromboneTromboneThe trombone is a musical instrument in the brass family. Like all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player’s vibrating lips cause the air column inside the instrument to vibrate...
Albums
- Shish Boom BamShish Boom BamShish Boom Bam is the first album by the Rustic Overtones, released in 1994.-Track listing:# "Head First"# "Three O'Clock"# "Brand New Friend"# "Bad Truth"# "88"# "Fine"# "Ride"# "Fishin' in a Bucket"# "Colostomy"# "Freddie Had a Lady"...
(1994) - Long Division (1995)
- Rooms by the HourRooms by the HourRooms by the Hour is an album released in 1998 by Rustic Overtones. The band's third full length offering, it is credited with earning major label interest in the band and leading to their subsequent contract with the Warner Music Group.-Track listing:...
(1997) - Viva Nueva!Viva Nueva!Viva Nueva! is the fourth album by the Rustic Overtones, released in 2001 before their highly publicized breakup a year later. With 16 tracks, the album has the most songs of any Rustic Overtones album to date. Tommy Boy Records distributed the album after relations soured between the Rustic...
(2001) - Light At The EndLight at the EndLight at the End is a 2007 studio album by the Portland, Maine, band Rustic Overtones, the first album by the band since its break-up in 2002. The album was recorded in spring 2007 and released on July 24, 2007. It has become the fastest-selling local disc ever in the state of Maine...
(2007) - The New Way OutThe New Way OutThe New Way Out is the sixth studio album by the Portland, Maine, band Rustic Overtones, released on November 11, 2009. Recorded throughout 2008 and 2009, the album is the band's first since the departure of keyboard player Spencer Albee, and their first full-length release of all-new material...
(2009)
Singles
- "Check" (1997)
- "Combustible" (2001)
- "C'Mon" (2001)
- "Light at the End" (2008)
- "Downside of Looking Up" (2009)
Promotional recordings
(This is only a partial listing)- This Is Rock N' Roll (Promo Tape) (2000)
- Viva Nueva! Album Advance (2001)
- Live on XM Satellite Radio (2001)
- Promotional Pre Release Viva Nueva! (Date Unknown - boilerplate Tommy Boy inserts are labeled 1997 and 1998, although they were with another label in '97/'98)
- Selections from the Album Viva Nueva! (2001)
External links
- Rustic Overtones reunite to release album - Portland Press HeraldPortland Press HeraldThe Portland Press Herald publish daily newspapers in Portland, Maine, USA...
article chronicling the reunion of the band.
Live recordings
- Rustic Overtones collection at the Internet ArchiveInternet ArchiveThe Internet Archive is a non-profit digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It offers permanent storage and access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, music, moving images, and nearly 3 million public domain books. The Internet Archive...
's live music archive