Newsongtoo

About the Artist
Music was always around when I grew up. Anytime the extended family got together, music was a focal point. With a father who played piano professionally and the multitude of records sitting on the shelves in my house, there was little that didn't involve music when I was a kid. I also remember hearing so many distinct sounds. Jazz was a regular staple as was, folk, international, and classical. My parents might be listening to Art Tatum or Edith Piaf, while in the other room my oldest brother was playing the Beatles or Black Sabbath. And to top it off, my older sister threw in some Seventies featherweights like the Carpenters and the usual litany A.M. radio staples.

As you can probably imagine, it made for a very confused young man trying to make sense of anything. But in the end, it worked out because I began to play anything I could get my hands on. Having little knowledge of the workings of the piano or guitar, never stopped me from trying to get sounds out of them. At the age of 11, I expressed interest in taking guitar lessons. The piano seemed far too daunting an endeavor. Anyway & by that time I was pretty firmly entrenched in the Beatles, Byrds, and anything else I thought I could play. So guitar it was. The next two years of my life were spent trying the last nerves the many people to tried to teach me. I would memorize the lessons from listening to them and try and get away with spitting it back from memory.

Unfortunately, after my first teacher taught me the basic chords, it was all over. My want to experiment with different types of music was further enhanced by the fact that when I did learn to play, I played by ear. Most of my early guitar playing was done on a beat-up old classical guitar with a heart of gold. I beat the shit out of that thing, learning as many songs and chords as I could. I still miss its pliability and warm sound. As we wound up giving it to someone less fortunate, I consider it having gone to a good cause. When I was 13, my father bought me an acoustic twelve string. This proved to be a major contributor to my tendency to be a loud as possible. Around the same time, my younger brother wanted to get into the mix, so our father picked up an old bass for him. From there we started to develop what would still be my longest musical relationship.

When I finally got up enough money to buy my first electric guitar, my brother and I decided to start a band. Armed with rudimentary songs and a few lame covers, I got my first taste of the limelight. I spent my early time as a teenager playing in local punk bands My Dog Pete and Exploding Man while moonlighting with the minimalist electronica of Bandaido (and the Any Surface Band). Both of these ventures provided me with an outlet for an abundance of teenage angst. With influences ranging from the likes of Husker Du, R.E.M., The Replacements, and the Rain Parade to the Chameleons U.K. and Echo my tendencies drifted away from hardcore to more melodic end of the spectrum. I eventually graduated to playing with my two brothers Vince and Larry (on drums) in local garage favorites the Phantom Five. For a good five years or so, we played on the local garage scene out of New York putting out the 'Great Jones Street' e.p..

After spending five years with my brothers, I decided to go in my own direction. In late 1990 I formed the Grievous Angels. Although the name was borrowed from Gram Parsons, the band's sound leaned more toward power pop with touches of country and psychedelia. The Grievous Angels played up and down the East Coast, releasing the 'That Instant Fantastic Sensation of Love' e.p. in 1993. The other Grievous Angels were Chris Brunner on drums and Jim Davis on bass. Solid pop melodies and a driving rhythm section created a powerful 3 piece sound that received some damn good reviews and a reputation for a good live show. Unfortunately, we found out that there was a Canadian band with the same name, that had more impressive 'indie cred'

Product Description
Some parts pop, some acoustic, some noisy, and some quiet. This record is the culmination of many different direction that all seem to lead back to one place.

Tracks:

Truth Insdie My Lies
Go
Thrashing Doves
Chalk Circle
Bacharach
Colourblind
Fall Down On Me
Painted Line
The Once In A While
Turning The Beat
Some Of My
NewSongtoo
Sort Of A Lullaby

Album Description

Some parts pop, some acoustic, some noisy, and some quiet. This record is the culmination of many different direction that all seem to lead back to one place.

Customer Reviews:

he is sexyrific!!!.......2004-11-07

His lyrics border on poetry and the beat fills my mind with questions like, where can I find a man this deep? To bad my hubby is bald and tone deaf ....CJ take me away! A+ a Capitol effort.

Have a Listen.......2004-05-10

A friend of mine saw CJ give a show in NYC. He suggested that I give the cd a listen and I really enjoyed it. Two of my favorite songs are Go and Turning the Beat; the most catchy on the cd. This cd is really worth your time.

Great, transcendant pop..........2004-03-31

'Newsongtoo' is one of the best albums by a new artist this year. CJ Grogan manages to let his influences (Bacharach to Big Star, Velvet Underground, Nick Drake etc.) show without letting them take over or dominate his sound.
Grogan has a knack for crafting hypnotic, memorable melodies and combining them with deeply personal lyrics.
Definitely one for the alterna-crowd, as well as the more sophisticated listener.

newsongtoo is a worthwhile buy!.......2004-03-11

I saw CJ at the IPO festival in Chicago (right before the record was released) and was instantly drawn to the songs and the individuality of his style. When the record came out, I bought one of the first copies and was glad that I did. This record spans a wide range of influences and styles, but has a uniqueness unto itself. The depth of the influences and the crafting of the songs makes this a "great record". In this day and age, it's a welcome suprise. Highly recommend it.
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