Chris Huff
Death And Texas LP
© 2008 Chris Huff (BMI) (884501034104)
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Carefully crafted melodic rock combining the best of jam bands with new wave Britpop into a timeless blend that is both rootsy and modern. Fun to listen to if you experience violent mood swings or hear voices.
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Chris Huff is a singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist/producer specializing in hooky retro pop songs that combine different genres.
His latest CD Death and Texas LP has begun to garner excellent reviews:
"Huff proves himself a competent craftsman...composes solid singles...adept at switching genres...one walks away from D&T with a good feeling and a song in one's head."
- Katherine Clark Gray, Origivation Magazine (Oct 01, 2008)
as well as attention from websites like OurStage.com where “Hey Now Now” placed at #8 in the Jam Bands category for June 2008.
Chris’s musical background goes something like this: started on classical piano, moved to jazz bass with a big band, strummed some folky guitar after a bike accident as therapy, sang a cappella, opera, and gospel both solo and with award-winning choirs and ensembles, studied bluegrass in Kentucky, immersed himself in the electric guitar (focusing on anything pre-Van Halen), and hit the streets singing and playing in bars, clubs, restaurants, and wherever would have him (venues including Carnegie Hall and CBGBs). Along the way he has played and sung with progressive rock bands, large soul groups, little alternapop combos, scored for independent film, and written and performed children’s songs and new age Kirtan chant. So, at this time in history where mixing and matching genres to create endless subgenres is all the rage, Chris is uniquely qualified for this sort of work with his eclectic, all-encompassing musical background and multi-faceted, flexible writing and singing voices.
For some people, this kind of genre-hopping might indicate a lack of focus but for Chris it serves to highlight his core musical philosophy. “I think of what I do as musical gumbo,” he says. “In the way the great jam bands like the Grateful Dead and Phish pool together all of their musical influences to produce something new, my main goal with my Death and Texas LP was to create a retro pop album that pulled from a variety of sources. It would be almost like listening to a mix tape except, of course, all the songs would be performed by the same person.”
The CD was recorded while Chris was traveling around the US and Canada freelancing with a Broadway tour. He produced several projects for members of the company, most notably for Broadway singer Randal Keith (Les Misèrables, Phantom, Spamalot).
Other projects include his first CD North Cathedral Way which led to being a Finalist in the 2001 Independent Music Awards sponsored by Musician’s Atlas. He also co-wrote liner notes for David Bowie’s live and well CD(Chris’s contribution is the first thing you see inside the cover). Bowie, who “quite liked” North Cathedral Way, sent a film crew to shoot a live performance of Chris in Central Park and featured video clips on davidbowie.com of Chris playing “Moonage Daydream” among other select Bowie songs.
Chris has opened for Hamell on Trial, Brooks Williams, Stanley Jordan, and played “The Killing Moon” live with Echo and the Bunnymen. He has also worked as a sideman with Peter Yarrow (Peter, Paul, and Mary), Amanda Green (lyricist of Bway’s High Fidelity), and Chuck Hammer (Lou Reed, David Bowie, TV/film composer).
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Entertaining Mix of American and British Rock
author: Chris & the RadioIndy.com Reviewer Team“Death And Texas LP” is an upbeat and quirky rock album from singer/songwriter Chris Huff that fuses British and American rock influences to create a unique sound. At times, Huff’s vocals can sound eerily similar to David Bowie, and at other times they’re reminiscent of Philadelphia outfit Dr. Dog. The arrangements are solid and guitar-based, drawing from the power pop, psychedelic, folk, reggae, and funk movements, in addition to rock. Huff’s songs are fun and upbeat, quirky and lyrical, sometimes non-sensibly so. “Death And Texas LP” is well-recorded, having both the vocals and arrangements sound clean and professional. “Oceans Never Freeze” is a catchy, head-bobbing track with Zeppelin-esque guitar work, Bowie-like vocals, and enjoyable lyrics. “For The Trees” features some excellent funky bass work, a reggae guitar rhythm, a laid-back beat, group vocals, and more great lyrics from Huff. With “Death and Texas LP,” Chris Huff has created an entertaining album that uniquely blends together a plethora of influences from the last four decades. Fans of quirky, lyrical rock and David Bowie-style vocals should definitely check out “Death And Texas LP.”