In this new
release, DANA Alberts
carries post punk emo into the territory of low-fi folk.
It may indeed be hard
to find happiness in such a mix. However, it is beginning to
surface in moments of realization of a paradise lost that can be
interpreted positively.
"Minus One" is
the name of the group he started in the eighties.The band released
four singles through the "Skate Rock" series through
Thrasher
Magazine, and appeared on "One Giant Leap", a compilation record
released in England on Venture Records in 1983.
The next year,
they recorded "Where A Man Was Made," with Spencer Dryden on drums
(Jefferson Airplane drummer) and Naomi Ruth Isenberg (Dan Hicks
and the Hot Licks) on violin. Minus One toured the U.S. in 1985
with the VKTMS, a punk band formed by drummer Louis Gwerder and
featuring Nyna Crawford.
Later that year
Alberts was approached by Danny Sugerman, the author and former
manager of the "Doors, and Iggy Pop's manager. Sugerman had heard
a tape by Minus One, after James Grauerholz, a friend of
Sugerman's had recommended the band.
This led them to an
offer of a record deal from Geffen Records. However, unstated
personal problems inside the group drove them to dissolve.
Disillusioned, Alberts moved to Oregon to lead a quiet life and
retreat from the music scene and rethink and create a new life for
himself. He worked for Fender Musical Instruments, and played in a
band with other employees at work. He toured the Oregon club
circuit with guitar player
Jeff Labansky in a
band called "The Addiction."
As a singer for "The Addiction," Alberts played top showcases and
backed up artists like Sam Kinison and Andy Summers. He also
continued write and record on the side with studio engineer Bill
Dibacco, a bass player. During the next five years Alberts and
Dibacco recorded a total of three albums that were played on local
stations.
In the 90's, Dana moved back to San Francisco to reform "Minus
One." During that time, according to Alberts, he wrote some of the
band's best material. It had never had been recorded until now.
Dana recorded this
solo album that highlights his deft, moody guitar playing
and songwriting as well as his reedy vocal style. Drew Waters, who
plays percussion and some guitar solos, produced the album in a
home studio, giving it an authentic low-fi sound.
"Minus One" music from the 90s makes a positive impression on the
album. According to one version of the story of the band's
genesis, took its name after the shooting death of John Lennon,
and the Brit pop overtones on the album are both subtle and
obvious.
With this release,
Dana acknowledges his gratitude to his former band mates and
others, and off into lightly charted territory, released perhaps
from the prison of his past.
Available online at
cdbaby.com
and elsewhere.
Carl Macki
carlmacki@gmail.com
(415) 596-5264
If you would like Carl to review your CD
Please send them directly to him at
Carl Macki
1811 Novato Blvd # 69
Novato, CA 94947-2951
