C&L's Late Night Music Club with Patrick Dwyer
By Howie Klein Wednesday Nov 19, 2008 8:00pmBecause I used to work at a record company I still get tons of demos from aspiring artists. It makes no sense because "used to" means "now I'm a blogger and I don't do music biz anymore." Most of the demos aren't very good and I rarely pass them along to John or Blue Gal, let alone put them on LNMC. Today, however, a guy in Montana, Patrick Dwyer, sent me this simple performance YouTube he made of himself singing a Patty Griffin classic, Heavenly Day. What do you think? Should I send this guy to meet some A&R guys?
Login or Register to post comments.
Patrick Dwyer is great!
I thought Howie got a rendition back to 1971?
So this isn't entirely off-topic, that's quite a voice. There seems to be some significant post-processing to get the sound, which in and of itself is rather impressive given that it's a personal thing (or is that easier than I think?).
But honestly, what I really want to ask is the rather off topic "What is the logo on the T-shirt he's wearing?" I've seen it around several times recently, and a I don't recognize it (other than that it looks a bit similar to the logo of the web dev company Dagon Design), and it was starting to bug me wondering...
logo is for DC shoes. its a skateboarding shoe company.
http://www.dcshoes.com/home/
Ahh, thank you very much. I've learned my unnecessary but satisfying trivia for the night.
Good looking guy with a BEAUTIFUL voice. Definitely some talent there. I'd be passing this over to whomever you know.
Thanks for sharing this new talent!
The logo, I believe, is Dolce & Gabbana. Great voice and, while it is possible it was professionally recorded, I'm sure the recording could've been done on a Mac and mixed to sound like it does. Rare to hear a good baritone pop singer - hope he does well!
Howie,
The guy is good. I thought he was completely faking it to a real professional recording at first. Like the above poster says, there must be some post-processing but I think he has a great natural voice even without it.
Thanks for sharing.
Yes,do it. I look away when listening and He has something. I can picture him singing other songs. I think a pro can pull a lot more out of him for todays market.
God save him from "today's market." That'll be the death of anything original or interesting about him.
Very good voice, only off a very few times (sorry, I have perfect pitch).
Could use a more strict back up, as his timing is off on the song quite a few times.
jmo
I wss surpried at his natural talent. I would definitely pass his name on to the people who can help him get started.
He wasn't perfect, but he has a terrific voice with a lot of resonance. He also has some emotion and poetic sensibility. It doesn't hurt that he's nice looking and has what seems to be an appealingly serious, introspective style. Maybe he'll end up being what John Mayer wishes he could be.
I've replied to a couple of comments already but I didn't see this one. Even though it looks like this thread is dead I gotta say this:
Like him or not John Mayer is an OUTRAGEOUSLY good guitar player, absolutely world class AND he writes every single scrap of music he plays (besides the occasional cover).
I'm sure even patrick dwyer would shrink from that comparison.
.
Even though this is not my favorite kind of song, I was compelled to listen to it all the way through.
So many pop singers nowadays, when they perform it is all about them, and not the song. Patrick Dwyer's performance here is about the song. With some coaching and experience I think he will be terrific.
He has a pretty good voice, fairly interesting. I'm not used to hearing that much vibrato. Reminds me somewhat of Antony and the Johnsons. And, he must have decent taste if he's singing Patty Griffin...
Then again, she sets a very high standard. I feel like the emotional intensity of the song was lacking. It felt rushed, and his facial expression made me feel like he was uninvested and even a little uninterested in it. But maybe it's just unfair to compare to a master!
Reminds me of Bobby Goldsboro in a way
Summer The First Time
I don't remember ever hearing it before. Lovely video too.
Thank you, that was very nice.
I'd certainly pay money to listen to that voice some more, which is probably the important question...
Cheek To Cheek
Nobody could dance like Astaire and Rogers. They were the best.
Time for me to get some shut-eye. Good night to all!
Definitely an interesting voice. Don't know enough about producing to know what was done to it, but I'd imagine it'd be interesting without any gimmicks as well. Kind of like John Mayer (who I don't like) with a much stronger voice and with a little bit of the soul-baring, simple honesty of later Nick Lowe (one of my heroes).
Heaven On The 7th Floor
Ya just never hear this song anymore...wonder why that is?
you really don't hear that song often enough! Thanks for the walk down memory lane... I like Patrick too and think he could really belt it out when the spirit moves him. I look forward to seeing more of him. Thanks!
Topknot
Wop The Groove
Wonderful voice; fine demeanor--a refreshing touch of earnestness unusual for this day and age, without being insistent on displaying his personality. I *don't* have perfect pitch, so I didn't hear any mistakes. He might have been trying to demonstrate his chops with all the swooping and tremlo; or it might be youth--he'll learn what to leave out as he gets older. I'd love to witness it. I hope he gets to show what he can do over time.
It came across as clean and simple. I enjoyed listening. I'd spend 99cents gladly to buy the song.
Even though he was off sync a few times with his guitar, he does have a smooth voice. If not Pop, perhaps a blues direction.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGOGc8tCBOI
Ringo Starr and Yarbrough & Peoples and a dust/smoke cover
Cookie Puss
World Famous Supreme Team (Side A Pt.1)
(Side A Pt.2)
When he is able to
a) write the song himself.
and
b) sing it with half as much feeling as Patty Griffin,
then ok.
Otherwise, he's just another boy-band member with halfway decent vocal talent. And about the same talent for feeling out a song as Joey Lawrence.
Yeah, Ok so I want to ba a painter, I painted this Van Gogh for you guys so you'd know I was good. Then I photoshopped it.
Seriously, I totally paint with the same emotion as Van Gogh. You're going to love my Starry Night. It's real dark and thoughtful, I emulate it really well. I'm putting out a coffee table book.
...The music industry is so vaccuous because very few musical artists adhere to the basic rules of art. This is not a meaningful contribution IMO.
He could however, be an excellent back-up singer.
Yeah, uhm, well the vast majority of musicians and vocalists who ave ever existed didn't perform music they wrote. The singer/songwriter, while around before then, didn't become a significant presence until the 1960's.
What you're saying here is, "Fuck you, Enrico Caruso. Get bent, Frank Sinatra. Up yours, Patsy Cline. Your career is built on lies, Aretha Franklin." I could list a LOT more examples, but I don't have the time to do so, and Amato couldn't afford the bandwidth such a list would require.
...But, that's what YOU are saying. Not Me. I guess I could use the words you gave me, but then I wouldn't be true to my heart. So why don't you say them, and I'll just lipsynch them and emote.
I think it's sad that great performers(dwyer not included) are reduced to court jesters. I make most of my money in music playing covers for other artists. Anything I play but didn't write, is just a cover. Alot of the old-time songwriters were writing songs for specific people. Ghost members kind-of. Don't hide behind Amato's bandwidth pocket-book either. Dwyer is copying a performance. Karaoke-time!
Tell me what pieces of music Yehudi Menuhin or Maria Callas wrote. Were the vocalists and musicians at Motown jesters because they performed songs by Holland, Dozier and Holland? And if you don't know it, HD&H wrote the songs and Berry Gordy would find the right group to perform the songs. Bill Monroe certainly didn't write Blue Moon Of Kentucky for Elvis- that doesn't make Elvis' performance of the song any less great.
Look, don't take this as an endorsement of Patrick Dwyer, because I don't think the kid plumbed the emotional depth of this song. I'm not so sure he's got vocal range, either- at least it's not demonstrated here (and that's not such a bad thing- Billie Holiday couldn't hit many high or low notes).
What I disagree with is your comparison of musicians to painters. The more apropropriate comparison would be to actors or directors, artists who, for the most part, interpret someone else's writing. Nicholson's performance in, say, Chinatown shouldn't be tossed away like a used Kleenex simply because Robert Towne wrote the screenplay (and do you think Towne was aiming to play J.J. Gittes?), no matter that Woody Allen, Orson Welles and Charlie Chaplin had a history of auteurship as well as starring roles in their own works. Or do you believe that outside of the auteurs in the world of film all others are artless hacks? That's certainly the inference in your argument.
Um... wow dude. How many songs did Michael Buble write for himself before he made it huge? Last I checked he's still singing mostly Sinatra and Bobby Darin songs.
too many guys and gals out there with good voices. songwriting is the key. no matter how well someone may 'interpret' someone else's song, if they didn't write it it just isn't the same.
.
I think there is a middle ground between andy and the bass guy, but it involves taking a song and making it your own. I'm thinking that Sinead O'Conner's cover of "Nothing Compares to You" and Eva Cassady's cover of "Fields of Gold" were improvements on the originals, as good as those originals were. I agree this guy was copying a performance, so at this point I wouldn't be interested in hearing any more of that kind of thing, but it doesn't mean that he doesn't have talent or potential.
on one hand and t-bone just named two of them.
no offense andy but almost all of your examples are of a different era and genre. In the current age of 'American I dull' true talent needs to set the bar higher, not lower it. 90% of adolescents today think they're gonna be famous for doing little if anything.
after watching again, this guy is definitely lip-synching which probably means that he's not playing either (on the video i mean). the recording is too good for someone who is shaking his head around with no condenser mike directly in front of him. i would ask the guy to make me a vid of him playing and singing the song in full view of the camera, live. otherwise, a little garageband goes a long way! multiple takes, a little punch-in here and there, some reverb...
seriously, is this the best you get sent Howie? cause if so, I've certainly got some songs to send you, original ones.
.
He’s good - Very good.
Post processing or not - He is good.
This guy's got a great voice and interesting demeanor. Thanks for sharing, Howie. I'd like to hear more from him. Can he write?
He picked a great song, so that both good and bad: Good that he has the ear tp know a good song, but bad, because singing a great song gives undeserved cred.
I'd want to hear a demo of 4 or 5 of his best original songs before I passed him up the food chain. At this point, he's a step above the guy in high school who can sing some, who all the chicks fall for. But just a step above.
Oh, and to me, he sounds like he's listened to too many Elvis songs.
As usual, your mileage may vary.
I can't remember the last time a voice grabbed me, lump-in-throat, and held me frozen, 1st syllable to last. There's no stopping you, Patrick. Keep 'em simple, acoustic, & straight from your heart, and there'll be no stopping you.
Hey Patrick You should try ATO records. Seems like you would be a good fit but you'll probably need a "real" agent or "know" someone. Good Luck.
If you have the connections to push this guy up the ladder, you'd be remiss not to. Wonderful, emotive voice; lovely control and musicality; easy on the eyes. I'm pretty jaded, but I'd buy his music after just this brief glimpse.
we don't even know if the guy can write but you're ready to buy 'his music'??
I live in Austin and I know three guys on my street alone who are more deserving of a 'push up the ladder' than mr. dwyer. that's not to say that he doesn't have potential but c'mon...
methinks there are friends of patrick lurking...
.
Did not do anything for me, dime a dozen, just my opinion.
I hope Patrick is lip-synching himself. The voice processing detracts from the cushion of intimacy look but it's all good.
If only Pat could be squeezed into the inauguration schedule to sing it in DC.
Howie sure does audition a lot of music for someone who's not in the business any longer.
He's a cute kid, very appealing. Not a good guitar player. But there's something about the quality of his voice...something very touching and arresting, to me. Yes, he should move up to the next level.
Clearly, he's done something to his voice. But he's got a great voice, despite the processing.
He also does a nice job of rearranging this song to match his range - Patty hits some amazing high notes that he doesn't even try to touch. It's a more downbeat, soulful version of the song. I like it. It didn't stop me in my tracks, but it grew on me as he started moving the song. I could see this guy doing some soulful Raul Malo-type stuff. I'd like to hear more.
I'd rather see Patty sing this in D.C. myself. The guy does a nice audition, but Patty's original version gives me goosebumps.
Awesome voice and a hunk besides!
I think he has a fantastic voice besides being very good looking.I hope he makes it I would definitely go see him play and sing.His voice touched me.
Login or Register to post comments.