MUSICAL INTEGRITY is a phrase most often used in connection with highbrow classical and jazz music. Rarely is it mentioned in the same breath as pop music nor associated with keyboard-driven rock bands. But Long Islands Off Peak Fare (www.offpeakfare.com) has managed to incorporate catchy melodies and meaningful lyrics into songs with unique structures and complex solos. And never has that been so apparent as on the bands brand new album, a five song EP entitled Double Time.
Without a second listen, its apparent that three of the albums five songs, Because Of You, Breaking Point, and Little Bit Sooner, are guaranteed to get airplay. In addition, track 3, Another Whisper, shows the bands ability to sit back and allow a ballad to breathe, while track 4, Away We Go, teases the listener with an example of the intense improvisational jams that can occur at any time during a live show.
Much of the bands new sound is due to the addition of Sean Fitzpatrick on keyboards. As the primary soloist, Fitzpatricks amazing chops are highlighted throughout the record, providing a much-needed aggressive element to the music. Bassist Jim Lollo shares the limelight with Fitzpatrick, displaying his own soloing abilities on a number of songs, yet holding down the low end when necessary. Lead singer and guitarist Mike Martino fronts the band with his soothing vocals and mixture of guitar sounds. Finally, drummer JD Gargano provides a consistent foundation while adding splashes of color throughout each song.
Since its inception in 2003, Off Peak Fare has built up an extremely strong following in the New York area as a result of playing such legendary venues as The Downtown, The Stephen Talkhouse and The Village Pub, where they shared the stage with Sony/Epic recording artist Nine Days. In addition, the band held a residency in the Fall of 2004 at Stony Brook Universitys University Café, were semifinalists at the 2004 Long Island Music Festival, and headlined the Staten Island Waterfront Festival. Beyond the New York area, Off Peak Fare has traveled as far north as Rhode Island, where they opened for Columbia recording artist Ari Hest, and as far south as Philadelphia, where they performed at the Vaudville Theatre.
In addition to their live performances, Off Peak Fare has had solid radio airplay in the New York region and around the country. The band has been featured on WBABs Homegrown program, has received airplay on WHEM, was a special guest for an in-studio interview on WUSBs Local Music show, and had a show at Borders Books webcast live on Q-Waves Radio. The band has also been featured on college radio stations such as WDCE-Richmond and WUSB-Stony Brook, as well as many Internet radio stations such as buzzplay.com and cornerband.com. Their first full-length album, Its Your Circus, garnered rave reviews from purerockfury.com: "Off Peak Fare offers up some incredibly soulful, emotional, and talented rock." |
| Contact |
Click Here to send Off Peak Fare a message!
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| About |
MUSICAL INTEGRITY is a phrase most often used in connection with highbrow classical and jazz music. Rarely is it mentioned in the same breath as pop music nor associated with keyboard-driven rock bands. But Long Islands Off Peak Fare (www.offpeakfare.com) has managed to incorporate catchy melodies and meaningful lyrics into songs with unique structures and complex solos. And never has that been so apparent as on the bands brand new album, a five song EP entitled Double Time.
Without a second listen, its apparent that three of the albums five songs, Because Of You, Breaking Point, and Little Bit Sooner, are guaranteed to get airplay. In addition, track 3, Another Whisper, shows the bands ability to sit back and allow a ballad to breathe, while track 4, Away We Go, teases the listener with an example of the intense improvisational jams that can occur at any time during a live show.
Much of the bands new sound is due to the addition of Sean Fitzpatrick on keyboards. As the primary soloist, Fitzpatricks amazing chops are highlighted throughout the record, providing a much-needed aggressive element to the music. Bassist Jim Lollo shares the limelight with Fitzpatrick, displaying his own soloing abilities on a number of songs, yet holding down the low end when necessary. Lead singer and guitarist Mike Martino fronts the band with his soothing vocals and mixture of guitar sounds. Finally, drummer JD Gargano provides a consistent foundation while adding splashes of color throughout each song.
Since its inception in 2003, Off Peak Fare has built up an extremely strong following in the New York area as a result of playing such legendary venues as The Downtown, The Stephen Talkhouse and The Village Pub, where they shared the stage with Sony/Epic recording artist Nine Days. In addition, the band held a residency in the Fall of 2004 at Stony Brook Universitys University Café, were semifinalists at the 2004 Long Island Music Festival, and headlined the Staten Island Waterfront Festival. Beyond the New York area, Off Peak Fare has traveled as far north as Rhode Island, where they opened for Columbia recording artist Ari Hest, and as far south as Philadelphia, where they performed at the Vaudville Theatre.
In addition to their live performances, Off Peak Fare has had solid radio airplay in the New York region and around the country. The band has been featured on WBABs Homegrown program, has received airplay on WHEM, was a special guest for an in-studio interview on WUSBs Local Music show, and had a show at Borders Books webcast live on Q-Waves Radio. The band has also been featured on college radio stations such as WDCE-Richmond and WUSB-Stony Brook, as well as many Internet radio stations such as buzzplay.com and cornerband.com. Their first full-length album, Its Your Circus, garnered rave reviews from purerockfury.com: "Off Peak Fare offers up some incredibly soulful, emotional, and talented rock." |
| Members |
Jim Lollo, Sean Fitzpatrick, Mike Martino, JD Gargano |
| Location |
New York-Long Island |
| Influences |
Dave Matthews Band, Coldplay, John Mayer |
| Sounds Like |
Acoustic |
| Website |
Click Here to Visit! |
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