Album Notes

Modern pop-rock, with influences including Elvis Costello, The Beatles, Neil Finn, Jon Brion, Aimee Mann, Paul Westerberg/The Replacements,Beck, Jeff Buckley, U2 and Tom Waits. Nominated in the "BEST MALE VOCAL" categroy for the 2001, 2005, 2006 and 2007 Providence Phoenix Music Polls, Eric has performed live with Ben Folds, They Might Be Giants, Josh Ritter, Erin Mckeown, Anna Nalick, Howie Day, Jason Mraz, Mike Doughty, Tanya Donnely, Kristen Hirsh, as well as studio session work with Dropkick Murphy's, No Doubt, and members of The Mighty Might Bosstones. Eric has also performed on the Local Stage at the Newport Folk Festival and the Northampton Music Festival, in addition to live radio broadcasts on WBRU, WRIU, WXIN(R.I.), WICN(Worcester,Ma.), WSMU(Dartmouth,Ma.), WERS and radioboston.com(Boston,Ma.). Nashville's Catamount Records has included "Don't", off HATS AND SHOES, on their HUAC2 (HOT UNSIGNED ARTISTS OF AMERICANA 2) compilation CD, featured at the 2003 SXSW and Folk Alliance conferences. They have also recently included "Hill of Fire", a previously unreleased track, on their HUAC3 CD, featured at the 2004 AMA conference in Nashville, TN. Eric’s third and latest CD, “Saving Secret Grace”, was recorded In 2005 at Dream Edit Studio in Newport , R.I, and features Mike Levesque (David Bowie, Letters to Cleo, Reeves Gabriel, Jen Trynin, Juliana Hatfield) and Bob Giusti (Frank Black) on drums , with Steve Mackey (Deana Carter, Wynonna Judd, Lee Roy Parnel, Steve Wariner, Tricia Yearwood) adding bass tracks in Nashville, Tenn. Mastered at Headpop Digital , in Chandler, AZ. by sound engineer Scott Seymann (Motown, MCA and Sony Records, Barbra Streisand, Quincy Jones, Fox Animation Films for the motion pictures “Anastasia” and “Titan A.E.”), “SAVING SECRET GRACE” is an energetic but thoughtful 10 song pop-rock recording , familiar and classic in its guitar/bass/drums/keys arrangements, yet fresh and modern sounding in its clean , subtle production. Released in August 2006, “SAVING SECRET GRACE” is Eric’s follow up to “HATS AND SHOES” (2003), and “SOUND STATION SEVEN” (2001), and was nominated for Album of the Year in the 2007 Providence Phoenix Best Music Poll. Eric’s music combines the elements of rock, r + b/soul, country/americana and Brit-pop to explore the subjects of personal and emotional politics of human life. Equally important is his hope of connecting to as many people as possible from the stance of a post -modern pop mutt, unique but accessable; lyrically and musically trying to link everyday chaos with everyday calm. PRESS: NEW REVIEWS ! "Wish" starts things off with bouncy pop with handclaps but the rock is offset by a couple of smokey, delicate ballads. The track "Give" is in waltz time with a blazing guitar solo, and also appears on the "Rock Out With Your Tail" Out compilation (shameless plug). Whether it's Paul Westerberg-ish crafty pop, the traces of Soul Asylum, or the Graham Parker-y vocals, you got yer blues, crisp pop, honkeytonk, and swing- all styles effortlessly well accomplished." - mark 9/01/06 "75 Or Less" Released 06.01.2006 www.75orless.com "The first thing that strikes you is the sound. On the fourth track, “Everybody Knows,” the acoustic guitar feels so crisp, so intimate, you’d think it was in the same room. In fact, there’s a lot of good guitar on Eric Fontana’s new album, Saving Secret Grace, a record that surpassess his previous work and is one of the year’s most entertaining listens. Recorded, tracked, and mixed by Scott at Dream Edit in Newport, and assembled in many parts of the country, including Tennessee and Arizona, Fontana has taken a major leap in songwriting, and the advanced studio polish spotlights that growth. The sound, rootsy, and janglin’ in a Byrdsian/Petty kind of way, resonates with a classic vibe. “Fall On You” has a Roy Orbison feel, while “Scattering” echoes the vintage Knopfler Strat sound of earl