David Berkeley
Encyclopedia
David Berkeley, born David Berkeley Friedland on 22 September 1976 in New Jersey
, is an American
singer and songwriter.
He has released four studio album
s, one live album
and has published a book, all of them self-produced under the Straw Man label, in a recording career that begun in 2002.
Berkeley accompanies his singing on acoustic guitar
, solo or with supporting instruments; his music has been described as acoustic
, indie and Americana
, but he also contributed to two electronica
trance
tracks.
After growing up in his native New Jersey and graduating from Harvard he has lived in several areas of the USA working as a tour guide, a travel writer and a teacher amongst other employments. After the starting of his career as a professional musician he moved first to Atlanta and then to Tralonca
, a small village in Corsica
. He now resides in Berkeley, California
. The places he lived in are a strong inspiration for his songwriting, as are the people in his family (his parents, his wife and his two children).
of Berkeley (which he later picked as his stage name
) after having lived in the Californian city of the same name
in the 1960s before moving to New Jersey.
David started showing a passion for singing while still in nursery school, having attended a musical school. Because of this he had his first experience of singing on stage at the age of three or four. Also when he was four, the woman taking care of him was an Avon
saleswoman; she would bring him with her while going door to door
, and he would sing to her potential customers. In an interview he credits receiving cookies and applause for singing "that song about the Titanic sinking" (likely "The Titanic
") as an early experience of positive feedback. His parents helped him nurture his passion for music by taking him to several Broadway
shows, and was usually selected as the leading vocalist in high school musicals
. Initially he played tuba
, and did not start to play guitar until the age of 15 when he would perform songs by Neil Young
, Crosby, Stills & Nash and Grateful Dead
"mostly to get girls".
He graduated from Harvard with degrees in literature
and philosophy
. During his time there he used to busk in Harvard Square
; in the same period he started writing songs "to win (his) girlfriend back".
David Berkeley lived in Alaska
, where he contributed to the Let's Go
Alaska travel guide; Idaho
, where he was a river-rafting
guide; Santa Fe
, where he worked for Outside
magazine; Santa Cruz; Brooklyn
(New York
), teaching creative writing
in a public school in an impoverished area; Atlanta and Tralonca
, a small village in Corsica
, while his wife worked on her PhD
in anthropology
.
While living in Santa Fe, David Berkeley managed a local band. This, in his own words, got him "excited about the music business". It was only after this band broke up that he decided to record his own music.
He decided to become a full-time musician while he was teaching in Brooklyn, as having a double career was taking its toll on his voice and his private life.
He presently lives in Berkeley, California
with his wife Sarah and sons Jackson and Noah.
/indie/alt/folk
/whatever-you-want-to-add-here". It sold over 10,000 copies.
This album includes "Fire Sign", written for an episode (Wannabe) of the second season
of CBS-TV's Without a Trace
and produced by Will Robertson. Although there are sources saying that the same song has also been used in the CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
episode A Thousand Days on Earth, this appears not to be true.
club. Along with the CD is a DVD including four songs recorded in the same occasion. This live release
displays not only David Berkeley's heartfelt musical style, but also his sense of humor in the intermissions between songs.
David Berkeley claims that this is the only live album ever released to be recorded at the now-closed New York club however, in 2004, Bree Sharp
had released an album also recorded at the club, entitled Live at Fez.
to record his third studio album, Strange Light, that would not be released until 2009. This delay allowed his fans and some reviewers to compare it - tongue-in-cheek - with Guns n' Roses
's Chinese Democracy
. When released, the album was enriched by the production of Brian Deck
(Counting Crows
, Modest Mouse
, Iron and Wine, Josh Ritter
). Its style has been judged affirming and intriguing even though downtrodden and melancholic.
As has been done more or less successfully in the past by other bands or artists (amongst which Marillion
, Public Enemy and Jill Sobule
), David Berkeley asked for his fans' contribution for the production of the record; the experiment was successful.
The album was released on January 25, 2011 and is accompanied by a book written by Berkeley himself and entitled 140 Goats & a Guitar, telling the stories behind the inspiration for each song in the album.
In this album Berkeley is accompanied amongst others by Peter Bradley Adams
of Eastmountainsouth
on piano
, Kim Taylor of Over the Rhine on background vocals and by long-term collaborator Jordan Katz of Common Rotation
on horns and banjo; it was produced by long-term collaborator Will Robertson, who had also produced the song "Fire Sign" included in After the Wrecking Ships and has also worked with Shawn Mullins
, Clay Cook
, Pat Sansone
and Peter Ostroushko
. Robertson also played bass
and keyboards
on the album.
Some Kind of Cure features much more electric guitar
than Berkeley's previous works, alongside the church bell
s of Tralonca and a Corsican choir
.
"George Square", the first single from the album, has been made available for download several weeks before the release of he record. Besides twelve original songs, Some Kind of Cure includes David Berkeley's version of "Shenandoah
".
to Mark Mulcahy
(the former vocalist of Miracle Legion
) that features contributions from Mark Mulcahy's favourite musicians. Besides David, other artists featured are Thom Yorke
of Radiohead
, Michael Stipe
of R.E.M.
and J Mascis
of Dinosaur Jr
. The album has been released on the 29th of September 2009 and David Berkeley's contribution has been widely appreciated. He also took part in the benefit live concert that followed that album, held in Williamsburg, Brooklyn
.
During his stay in Corsica, David Berkeley took part to the recording of a cover version of Leonard Cohen
's "Hallelujah" with local artists which has not been released yet.
"Fire Sign" from After the Wrecking Ships has been remix
ed by Steve Brian into an electronica
trance
track and released in September 2010 by Enhanced under the name of "Agulo feat. David Berkeley", which is reported to have been a dancefloor favourite of renowned DJ
s such as Tiësto
and Sean Tyas
. Further versions of the same track have been created by Will Holland, in a bigroom progressive style, and by Freigeist. The Steve Brian version was included in Enhanced's Best of 2010 iTunes
compilation after listeners voted it as one of the best 25 releases of the year by that label.
David Berkeley gave his voice for a second progressive house track called "Vueltas" created by the same Steve Brian who had worked on the dance version of "Fire Sign" and is rumored to be collaborating with other dance artists in creating new music to which he'd add his vocals.
a book called 140 Goats & a Guitar through his own Straw Man label. It was released in January 2011 as a companion book to his fourth studio album Some Kind of Cure and tells the inspiration behind each song in the album through short stories based on real-life events. Berkeley made clear that such tales are not to be considered synopses
of the songs, but simple aids to better understand them.
for the lyrics, Nick Drake
for the mood, and then Neil Young
, The Band
, Elliott Smith
and Jerry Garcia
of the Grateful Dead
. He also admitted to be inspired by hip hop
artist Brother Ali
and indie rock
ers The Hold Steady
. He insists, however, that most of his inspiration derives from poetry (he is especially fond of Yeats
and Keats's Ode on a Grecian Urn
is heavily quoted in "A Moon Song" from The Confluence), passages of prose, people (his parents and his wife and sons especially), the outdoors, art and most form of visual images. He admits to have at least once chosen the topic of a song because a friend pressured him into it.
David Berkeley has a penchant for using geography-related references as song titles. Amongst them "Leaving Idaho
" from The Confluence; "Jefferson
", "Times Square
", "Chicago
" and "Bushwick" from After the Wrecking Ships; "Willis Avenue Bridge
", "Sweet Auburn
" and "Milwaukee Road" from Strange Light, "George Square
" from Some Kind of Cure.
festival in Austin
, Texas
, where he returned in 2004 and 2011. He also toured the USA and supported such artists as Ben Folds
, Rhett Miller
and Ed Harcourt
.
In 2006 he participated in the Jeep Compass
Summer Music Tour.
In early 2007 David Berkeley toured the United Kingdom
for the first time, alongside Ben Parker
. He returned to the UK at the end of the same year with Common Rotation
.
After having spent most of 2008 in Corsica with his family keeping his musical profile low, in 2009 after the release of Strange Light David Berkeley toured with Katie Melua
accompanied by Jordan Katz of Common Rotation. With Katz he also toured once more the United Kingdom.
In 2010 he was a finalist in the Mountain Stage
Newsong Contest after having been one of the two winners of the "Early Bird" stage alongside Rebecca Jordan. The contest was eventually won by Amber Rubarth
.
Following the release of Some Kind of Cure, David Berkeley is touring the USA in what he called Some Kind of Tour. It is not a long tour but a series of small tours with breaks that allow him to return to California to spend time with his family. It also features readings from his new book.
He also appeared on Ira Glass
's This American Life
. He mentioned this experience as the proudest moment of his career so far.
Besides the artists already mentioned, David Berkeley has toured with Billy Bragg
, Don McLean
, Nickel Creek
, Rufus Wainwright
, Ray Lamontagne
, Howie Day
, Gary Jules
, Dido
, Vienna Teng
, Joseph Arthur
, Hem
, Mason Jennings
and Ben Lee
.
David Berkeley's live concerts, both those with a full band and the solo ones (not to mention the dates in which he has performed in duo with Jordan Katz), have been praised for their gentleness and richness. Between songs he uses to tell short anecdotes usually extremely funny, witty and erudite.
) featuring himself, Micah Dalton and Samantha Murphy. Their intention was to gather as many musicians from Atlanta as possible once a month, on a Wednesday, in a café
in the Old Fourth Ward
area to cover whole classic albums. On their debut the three artists, accompanied by other local musicians, covered the whole Bob Dylan
album Blood on the Tracks
. The second album covered has been Rumours
by Fleetwood Mac
. Other albums played were At Folsom Prison
by Johnny Cash
and Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
by The Beatles
.
and Nick Drake
. His tenor
voice has been defined by some reviewer so hypnotizing that he "could easily spin tales of cleaning his bathroom, cleaning his catbox, or participating in any number of equally mundane or horrifying events", and this paired with honest, warm lyrics. Also appreciated were the orchestral arrangements backing up his music. His delivery has been defined delicate and tasteful, sober but not cheap, sweet and sour, his songs are considered rich in texture and poetic, and his voice confident and reassured.
After the Wrecking Ships also gathered enthusiastic reviews and more comparisons to established artists, such as Wilco
and Ryan Adams
, and was chosen as the best album of 2004 by established Rolling Stone
critic Rob O'Connor. Even the renowned and influential New York Times critic Jon Pareles
showed his high appreciation for this album. The Pittsburgh Pulp defined David Berkeley one of the best examples in the resurgence of folk rock, praising the American taste of his songs along with his melodic and melancholy voice. The already mentioned Rob O'Connor, on Harp Magazine, noticed a superficial resemblance to the quieter side of Eddie Vedder
paired with wanderlust and bravado, in the finest troubadour tradition.
In the same year he was also officially recognized by ASCAP as one of the most important emerging songwriters in the USA.
To highlight David Berkeley's perception by the general public, it is interesting to notice that once he has been hired (and flown cross-country) to help a fan serenading
his ex-girlfriend.
The song Red, included in this album, has been criticized by the people of Cleveland for depicting their town in a negative way; the only time he sung the song in Ohio
, David Berkeley changed the reference in the lyrics to Pittsburgh.
Live from Fez was appreciated in its maturity and was reviewed as a good ensemble work, although some reviewers took exception at David Berkeley's on-stage habit, reflected in this album, to intersperse his setlist of quiet, warm songs with light-hearted banter.
Strange Light was also welcomed warmly by the critics adding to the list of artists David Berkeley has been compared to such influential names as James Taylor
, Damien Rice
, David Gray
, Jackson Browne
, Cat Stevens
, Elliott Smith
and Five for Fighting
. This is the album, in some critics' opinion, that could give Berkeley "the big break". According to another critic, David Berkeley now is above comparisons and could be mentioned in the company (and could fit in the same period, the 1970s) of most of the artists he has been compared to. The passion and diversity of his lyrics and the poignancy of his music has also been widely praised, as has
the emotional depth of his works. The originality and complexity of his arrangements have been positively highlighted.
Some Kind of Cure has been praised for its originality, even compared to Berkeley's previous albums, and from the range of influences the various songs seem to have been inspired to. Although the more rock songs have been judged less interesting than the rest of the album, Berkeley's skills as a lyricist and a storyteller have been once again praised, and the texture of the songs have been called "subtle" with the lyrics mentioned as "thoughtful but not self-indulgent". His gift of describing reality under other people's point of views is considered exceptional, allowing his songs to paint reality from different perspectives.
It has been judged the best album Berkeley has released yet thanks to the warmth of the melodies and the soul he seems to have poured in it, although some judged it too measured and not emotional enough. This record suggested comparisons with Steve Reynolds, Josh Ritter
, Eastmountainsouth
, Rosie Thomas
, Ray LaMontagne
, Ben Gibbard
of Death Cab for Cutie
, Joseph Arthur, Dan Fogelberg
and John Denver
.
The Boston Phoenix
defined him "the best of the young American songwriters, a voice full of feeling and a big, big heart. And the balls to say what he thinks".
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, is an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
singer and songwriter.
He has released four studio album
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
s, one live album
Live album
A live album is a recording consisting of material recorded during stage performances using remote recording techniques, commonly contrasted with a studio album...
and has published a book, all of them self-produced under the Straw Man label, in a recording career that begun in 2002.
Berkeley accompanies his singing on acoustic guitar
Acoustic guitar
An acoustic guitar is a guitar that uses only an acoustic sound board. The air in this cavity resonates with the vibrational modes of the string and at low frequencies, which depend on the size of the box, the chamber acts like a Helmholtz resonator, increasing or decreasing the volume of the sound...
, solo or with supporting instruments; his music has been described as acoustic
Acoustic music
Acoustic music comprises music that solely or primarily uses instruments which produce sound through entirely acoustic means, as opposed to electric or electronic means...
, indie and Americana
Americana (music)
Americana is an amalgam of roots musics formed by the confluence of the shared and varied traditions that make up the American musical ethos; specifically those sounds that are merged from folk, country, blues, rhythm and blues, rock and roll and other external influential styles...
, but he also contributed to two electronica
Electronica
Electronica includes a wide range of contemporary electronic music designed for a wide range of uses, including foreground listening, some forms of dancing, and background music for other activities; however, unlike electronic dance music, it is not specifically made for dancing...
trance
Trance music
Trance is a genre of electronic dance music that developed in the 1990s.:251 It is generally characterized by a tempo of between 125 and 150 bpm,:252 repeating melodic synthesizer phrases, and a musical form that builds up and breaks down throughout a track...
tracks.
After growing up in his native New Jersey and graduating from Harvard he has lived in several areas of the USA working as a tour guide, a travel writer and a teacher amongst other employments. After the starting of his career as a professional musician he moved first to Atlanta and then to Tralonca
Tralonca
Tralonca is a commune in the Haute-Corse department of France on the island of Corsica.-Population:-References:*...
, a small village in Corsica
Corsica
Corsica is an island in the Mediterranean Sea. It is located west of Italy, southeast of the French mainland, and north of the island of Sardinia....
. He now resides in Berkeley, California
Berkeley, California
Berkeley is a city on the east shore of the San Francisco Bay in Northern California, United States. Its neighbors to the south are the cities of Oakland and Emeryville. To the north is the city of Albany and the unincorporated community of Kensington...
. The places he lived in are a strong inspiration for his songwriting, as are the people in his family (his parents, his wife and his two children).
Biography
David Berkeley was born David Berkeley Friedland in September 1976. His parents chose to give him the middle nameMiddle name
People's names in several cultures include one or more additional names placed between the first given name and the surname. In Canada and the United States all such names are specifically referred to as middle name; in most European countries they would simply be regarded as second, third, etc....
of Berkeley (which he later picked as his stage name
Stage name
A stage name, also called a showbiz name or screen name, is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers such as actors, wrestlers, comedians, and musicians.-Motivation to use a stage name:...
) after having lived in the Californian city of the same name
Berkeley, California
Berkeley is a city on the east shore of the San Francisco Bay in Northern California, United States. Its neighbors to the south are the cities of Oakland and Emeryville. To the north is the city of Albany and the unincorporated community of Kensington...
in the 1960s before moving to New Jersey.
David started showing a passion for singing while still in nursery school, having attended a musical school. Because of this he had his first experience of singing on stage at the age of three or four. Also when he was four, the woman taking care of him was an Avon
Avon Products
Avon Products, Inc. is a US cosmetics, perfume and toy seller with markets in over 140 countries across the world and sales of $9.9 billion worldwide as of 2007.-Business Model:...
saleswoman; she would bring him with her while going door to door
Door-to-door
Door-to-door is a sales technique in which a salesperson walks from the door of one house to the door of another trying to sell a product or service to the general public. A variant of this involves cold calling first, when another sales representative attempts to gain agreement that a salesperson...
, and he would sing to her potential customers. In an interview he credits receiving cookies and applause for singing "that song about the Titanic sinking" (likely "The Titanic
The Titanic (song)
"The Titanic" is a folk song and children's song most known for being sung in the United States at summer camp...
") as an early experience of positive feedback. His parents helped him nurture his passion for music by taking him to several Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
shows, and was usually selected as the leading vocalist in high school musicals
Musical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
. Initially he played tuba
Tuba
The tuba is the largest and lowest-pitched brass instrument. Sound is produced by vibrating or "buzzing" the lips into a large cupped mouthpiece. It is one of the most recent additions to the modern symphony orchestra, first appearing in the mid-19th century, when it largely replaced the...
, and did not start to play guitar until the age of 15 when he would perform songs by Neil Young
Neil Young
Neil Percival Young, OC, OM is a Canadian singer-songwriter who is widely regarded as one of the most influential musicians of his generation...
, Crosby, Stills & Nash and Grateful Dead
Grateful Dead
The Grateful Dead was an American rock band formed in 1965 in the San Francisco Bay Area. The band was known for its unique and eclectic style, which fused elements of rock, folk, bluegrass, blues, reggae, country, improvisational jazz, psychedelia, and space rock, and for live performances of long...
"mostly to get girls".
He graduated from Harvard with degrees in literature
Literature
Literature is the art of written works, and is not bound to published sources...
and philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
. During his time there he used to busk in Harvard Square
Harvard Square
Harvard Square is a large triangular area in the center of Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, at the intersection of Massachusetts Avenue, Brattle Street, and John F. Kennedy Street. It is the historic center of Cambridge...
; in the same period he started writing songs "to win (his) girlfriend back".
David Berkeley lived in Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
, where he contributed to the Let's Go
Let's Go Travel Guides
Let's Go is the first travel guide series aimed at the student traveler. Researched, written, edited, and run entirely by students at Harvard University, Let's Go was founded in 1960 and is headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts.-History:...
Alaska travel guide; Idaho
Idaho
Idaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....
, where he was a river-rafting
Rafting
Rafting or white water rafting is a challenging recreational outdoor activity using an inflatable raft to navigate a river or other bodies of water. This is usually done on white water or different degrees of rough water, in order to thrill and excite the raft passengers. The development of this...
guide; Santa Fe
Santa Fe, New Mexico
Santa Fe is the capital of the U.S. state of New Mexico. It is the fourth-largest city in the state and is the seat of . Santa Fe had a population of 67,947 in the 2010 census...
, where he worked for Outside
Outside (magazine)
Outside is an American magazine focused on the outdoors. The first issue debuted in September 1977 with its mission statement declaring that the publication was "dedicated to covering the people, sports and activities, politics, art, literature, and hardware of the outdoors..."Its founders were...
magazine; Santa Cruz; Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
(New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
), teaching creative writing
Creative writing
Creative writing is considered to be any writing, fiction, poetry, or non-fiction, that goes outside the bounds of normal professional, journalistic, academic, and technical forms of literature. Works which fall into this category include novels, epics, short stories, and poems...
in a public school in an impoverished area; Atlanta and Tralonca
Tralonca
Tralonca is a commune in the Haute-Corse department of France on the island of Corsica.-Population:-References:*...
, a small village in Corsica
Corsica
Corsica is an island in the Mediterranean Sea. It is located west of Italy, southeast of the French mainland, and north of the island of Sardinia....
, while his wife worked on her PhD
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
in anthropology
Anthropology
Anthropology is the study of humanity. It has origins in the humanities, the natural sciences, and the social sciences. The term "anthropology" is from the Greek anthrōpos , "man", understood to mean mankind or humanity, and -logia , "discourse" or "study", and was first used in 1501 by German...
.
While living in Santa Fe, David Berkeley managed a local band. This, in his own words, got him "excited about the music business". It was only after this band broke up that he decided to record his own music.
He decided to become a full-time musician while he was teaching in Brooklyn, as having a double career was taking its toll on his voice and his private life.
He presently lives in Berkeley, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
with his wife Sarah and sons Jackson and Noah.
The Confluence
His debut came in 2002 with the mostly acoustic The Confluence, in which David Berkeley already displayed the characteristic traits that still identify his style: elaborated lyrics about personal topics, complex song construction, varying chord patterns.After the Wrecking Ships
In 2004 Berkeley released his second album, After the Wrecking Ships, in which he made use of more electric instruments but still without abandoning the genre that he defines "acousticAcoustic music
Acoustic music comprises music that solely or primarily uses instruments which produce sound through entirely acoustic means, as opposed to electric or electronic means...
/indie/alt/folk
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
/whatever-you-want-to-add-here". It sold over 10,000 copies.
This album includes "Fire Sign", written for an episode (Wannabe) of the second season
Without a Trace (season 2)
The second season of Without a Trace premiered September 25, 2003 on CBS and concluded May 20, 2004. There are 24 episodes in this season.The second season was released on DVD in region 1 on March 13, 2007. In region 2 the first season was released on DVD in Germany on November 18, 2005 and in the...
of CBS-TV's Without a Trace
Without a Trace
Without a Trace is an American television drama which originally ran on CBS from September 26, 2002 to May 19, 2009. The series was set in New York City and concerned a fictitious FBI Missing Persons Unit.-Premise:...
and produced by Will Robertson. Although there are sources saying that the same song has also been used in the CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation is an American crime drama television series, which premiered on CBS on October 6, 2000. The show was created by Anthony E. Zuiker and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer...
episode A Thousand Days on Earth, this appears not to be true.
Live from Fez
In 2005 David Berkeley released Live from Fez, the testimony of a live event held on the 22nd of February of the same year, one of the last concerts held at the popular Lower ManhattanLower Manhattan
Lower Manhattan is the southernmost part of the island of Manhattan, the main island and center of business and government of the City of New York...
club. Along with the CD is a DVD including four songs recorded in the same occasion. This live release
Live album
A live album is a recording consisting of material recorded during stage performances using remote recording techniques, commonly contrasted with a studio album...
displays not only David Berkeley's heartfelt musical style, but also his sense of humor in the intermissions between songs.
David Berkeley claims that this is the only live album ever released to be recorded at the now-closed New York club however, in 2004, Bree Sharp
Bree Sharp
Bree Sharp is an American singer and songwriter influenced by rock, pop, and folk. She is currently the lead vocalist of the electropop band Beautiful Small Machines.-Biography:...
had released an album also recorded at the club, entitled Live at Fez.
Strange Light
2006 saw David Berkeley working at the Engine Studios in ChicagoChicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
to record his third studio album, Strange Light, that would not be released until 2009. This delay allowed his fans and some reviewers to compare it - tongue-in-cheek - with Guns n' Roses
Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band, formed in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, in 1985. The band has released six studio albums, three EPs, and one live album...
's Chinese Democracy
Chinese Democracy
Chinese Democracy is the sixth studio album by American hard rock band Guns N' Roses, released in November 2008 on Geffen Records. It is the band's first studio album since "The Spaghetti Incident?" , released exactly 15 years before Chinese Democracy, and their first album of original studio...
. When released, the album was enriched by the production of Brian Deck
Brian Deck
Brian Deck is an American music producer and member of band Red Red Meat. He co-founded Idful Studios in 1988. Since becoming a full time producer, Deck has worked with bands and artists including Modest Mouse, Iron & Wine, Califone, All Smiles, Fruit Bats , Gomez, The Grates, Holopaw, Baby & Hide,...
(Counting Crows
Counting Crows
Counting Crows is an American rock band originating from Berkeley, California. Formed in 1991, the group gained popularity following the release of its debut album in 1993, August and Everything After, which featured the hit single "Mr. Jones"...
, Modest Mouse
Modest Mouse
Modest Mouse is an American indie rock band formed in 1993 in Issaquah, Washington, by singer/lyricist/guitarist Isaac Brock, drummer Jeremiah Green, and bassist Eric Judy. They are based in Portland, Oregon. Since their 1996 debut album, This Is a Long Drive for Someone with Nothing to Think...
, Iron and Wine, Josh Ritter
Josh Ritter
Josh Ritter is an American singer-songwriter, guitarist and author who performs and records with The Royal City Band. Ritter is known for his distinctive Americana style and narrative lyrics. In 2006 he was named one of the "100 Greatest Living Songwriters" by Paste magazine.- Early life :Josh...
). Its style has been judged affirming and intriguing even though downtrodden and melancholic.
Some Kind of Cure
In late 2009, David Berkeley announced on his website and through his mailing list that he was working on a new album called Some Kind of Cure, mostly written while living in Corsica where, in his own words, he had the chance to listen to whatever surrounded him and take in the silence around.As has been done more or less successfully in the past by other bands or artists (amongst which Marillion
Marillion
Marillion are a British rock band, formed in Aylesbury, England in 1979. Their recorded studio output comprises sixteen albums generally regarded in two distinct eras, delineated by the departure of original vocalist & frontman Fish in late 1988, and the subsequent arrival of replacement Steve...
, Public Enemy and Jill Sobule
Jill Sobule
Jill Sobule is an American singer-songwriter best known for the 1995 single "I Kissed a Girl", and "Supermodel" from the soundtrack of the 1995 film Clueless...
), David Berkeley asked for his fans' contribution for the production of the record; the experiment was successful.
The album was released on January 25, 2011 and is accompanied by a book written by Berkeley himself and entitled 140 Goats & a Guitar, telling the stories behind the inspiration for each song in the album.
In this album Berkeley is accompanied amongst others by Peter Bradley Adams
Peter Bradley Adams
Peter Bradley Adams is a folk-pop Americana singer-songwriter from Birmingham, Alabama.-History:Before embarking on his solo career in 2005, Adams was a founding member of the critically acclaimed folk/pop duo eastmountainsouth...
of Eastmountainsouth
Eastmountainsouth
Eastmountainsouth is an American pop/rock band formed in 1999 composed of vocalists Kat Maslich-Bode and Peter Bradley Adams.The group released their self-titled debut album in 2003 after signing a deal with Dreamworks Records. This is the duo's one and only album as they have since parted ways...
on piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, Kim Taylor of Over the Rhine on background vocals and by long-term collaborator Jordan Katz of Common Rotation
Common Rotation
Common Rotation is an American indie rock band consisting of Eric Kufs, , Adam Busch , and Jordan Katz...
on horns and banjo; it was produced by long-term collaborator Will Robertson, who had also produced the song "Fire Sign" included in After the Wrecking Ships and has also worked with Shawn Mullins
Shawn Mullins
Shawn Mullins is an American singer-songwriter who specializes in folk rock, instrumental rock, adult alternative, and Americana music. He is best known for the 1998 single, "Lullaby", which hit number one on the Adult Top 40 and was nominated for a Grammy Award.-Career:Mullins was born in...
, Clay Cook
Clay Cook
Douglas "Clay" Cook is a songwriter, producer and musician who co-wrote several songs with Grammy-winner John Mayer including "No Such Thing", "Comfortable", and "Neon"...
, Pat Sansone
Pat Sansone
Pat Sansone is a multi-instrumentalist in the rock bands Wilco and The Autumn Defense.Sansone was born in Meridian, Mississippi...
and Peter Ostroushko
Peter Ostroushko
Peter Ostroushko is an American violinist and mandolinist.-Background and career:Of Ukrainian ancestry, Ostroushko grew up in northeast Minneapolis...
. Robertson also played bass
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
and keyboards
Keyboard instrument
A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
on the album.
Some Kind of Cure features much more electric guitar
Electric guitar
An electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
than Berkeley's previous works, alongside the church bell
Church bell
A church bell is a bell which is rung in a church either to signify the hour or the time for worshippers to go to church, perhaps to attend a wedding, funeral, or other service...
s of Tralonca and a Corsican choir
Choir
A choir, chorale or chorus is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform.A body of singers who perform together as a group is called a choir or chorus...
.
"George Square", the first single from the album, has been made available for download several weeks before the release of he record. Besides twelve original songs, Some Kind of Cure includes David Berkeley's version of "Shenandoah
Oh Shenandoah
"Oh Shenandoah" is a traditional American folk song of uncertain origin, dating at least to the early 19th century...
".
Other recordings
David Berkeley also recorded a song ("Love's the Only Thing That Shuts Me Up") for Ciao My Shining Star, a tribute albumTribute album
A tribute album is a recorded collection of cover versions of songs or instrumental compositions. Its concept may be either various artists making a tribute to a single artist, a single artist making a tribute to various artists, or a single artist making a tribute to another single artist.There...
to Mark Mulcahy
Mark Mulcahy
Mark Mulcahy is an American musician and former front-man for the New Haven, Connecticut-based band Miracle Legion in the 1980s to mid 1990s. The band earned modest renown, especially in their native New England region, but disbanded after a sad turn of events with their record label, Morgan Creek...
(the former vocalist of Miracle Legion
Miracle Legion
Miracle Legion was an American college rock band formed in 1983 in New Haven, Connecticut. They earned modest renown, especially in their native New England region. The original lineup consisted of singer/guitarist Mark Mulcahy, lead guitarist Mr. Ray Neal, drummer Jeff Wiederschall, and bassist...
) that features contributions from Mark Mulcahy's favourite musicians. Besides David, other artists featured are Thom Yorke
Thom Yorke
Thomas "Thom" Edward Yorke is an English musician who is the lead vocalist and principal songwriter for Radiohead. He mainly plays guitar and piano, but he has also played drums and bass guitar...
of Radiohead
Radiohead
Radiohead are an English rock band from Abingdon, Oxfordshire, formed in 1985. The band consists of Thom Yorke , Jonny Greenwood , Ed O'Brien , Colin Greenwood and Phil Selway .Radiohead released their debut single "Creep" in 1992...
, Michael Stipe
Michael Stipe
John Michael Stipe is an American singer and lyricist. He was the lead vocalist of the alternative rock band R.E.M.Stipe is noted and occasionally parodied for the "mumbling" style of his early career as well as his social and political activism. He was in charge of R.E.M.'s visual image; often...
of R.E.M.
R.E.M.
R.E.M. was an American rock band formed in Athens, Georgia, in 1980 by singer Michael Stipe, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills and drummer Bill Berry. One of the first popular alternative rock bands, R.E.M. gained early attention due to Buck's ringing, arpeggiated guitar style and Stipe's...
and J Mascis
J Mascis
J Mascis is an American musician, best known as the singer, guitarist and songwriter for Dinosaur Jr.. In 2011, he was ranked in Rolling Stone's list of the 100 greatest guitarists of all time.- Biography :...
of Dinosaur Jr
Dinosaur Jr
Dinosaur Jr. is an American alternative rock band formed in Amherst, Massachusetts in 1984. Originally called Dinosaur, prior to legal issues that forced the group to change their name, the band disbanded in 1997 until reuniting in 2005...
. The album has been released on the 29th of September 2009 and David Berkeley's contribution has been widely appreciated. He also took part in the benefit live concert that followed that album, held in Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Williamsburg is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Brooklyn, bordering Greenpoint to the north, Bedford-Stuyvesant to the south, Bushwick to the east and the East River to the west. The neighborhood is part of Brooklyn Community Board 1. The neighborhood is served by the NYPD's 90th ...
.
During his stay in Corsica, David Berkeley took part to the recording of a cover version of Leonard Cohen
Leonard Cohen
Leonard Norman Cohen, is a Canadian singer-songwriter, musician, poet and novelist. Cohen published his first book of poetry in Montreal in 1956 and his first novel in 1963. His work often explores religion, isolation, sexuality and interpersonal relationships...
's "Hallelujah" with local artists which has not been released yet.
"Fire Sign" from After the Wrecking Ships has been remix
Remix
A remix is an alternative version of a recorded song, made from an original version. This term is also used for any alterations of media other than song ....
ed by Steve Brian into an electronica
Electronica
Electronica includes a wide range of contemporary electronic music designed for a wide range of uses, including foreground listening, some forms of dancing, and background music for other activities; however, unlike electronic dance music, it is not specifically made for dancing...
trance
Trance music
Trance is a genre of electronic dance music that developed in the 1990s.:251 It is generally characterized by a tempo of between 125 and 150 bpm,:252 repeating melodic synthesizer phrases, and a musical form that builds up and breaks down throughout a track...
track and released in September 2010 by Enhanced under the name of "Agulo feat. David Berkeley", which is reported to have been a dancefloor favourite of renowned DJ
Disc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
s such as Tiësto
Tiësto
Tijs Michiel Verwest, , known as Tiësto , is a Dutch musician, DJ and record producer of electronic dance music. Although he has used many aliases in the past, he is best known for his work as DJ Tiësto...
and Sean Tyas
Sean Tyas
Sean Tyas is an American DJ and electronic music producer. The genre of his productions and DJ sets can be broadly categorized as trance.Sean's music receives regular airtime on radio shows such as Armin van Buuren's "A State of Trance," Above & Beyond's "Trance Around the World," and his own show,...
. Further versions of the same track have been created by Will Holland, in a bigroom progressive style, and by Freigeist. The Steve Brian version was included in Enhanced's Best of 2010 iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
compilation after listeners voted it as one of the best 25 releases of the year by that label.
David Berkeley gave his voice for a second progressive house track called "Vueltas" created by the same Steve Brian who had worked on the dance version of "Fire Sign" and is rumored to be collaborating with other dance artists in creating new music to which he'd add his vocals.
140 Goats & a Guitar
David Berkeley publishedPublishing
Publishing is the process of production and dissemination of literature or information—the activity of making information available to the general public...
a book called 140 Goats & a Guitar through his own Straw Man label. It was released in January 2011 as a companion book to his fourth studio album Some Kind of Cure and tells the inspiration behind each song in the album through short stories based on real-life events. Berkeley made clear that such tales are not to be considered synopses
Synopsis
A synopsis is a brief summary of the major points of a written work, either as prose or as a table; an abridgment or condensation of a work.-See also:*Synopsys, an electronic design automation company based in Mountain View, California...
of the songs, but simple aids to better understand them.
Inspiration
In an interview, David Berkeley mentioned as his influences Paul SimonPaul Simon
Paul Frederic Simon is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist.Simon is best known for his success, beginning in 1965, as part of the duo Simon & Garfunkel, with musical partner Art Garfunkel. Simon wrote most of the pair's songs, including three that reached number one on the US singles...
for the lyrics, Nick Drake
Nick Drake
Nicholas Rodney "Nick" Drake was an English singer-songwriter and musician. Though he is best known for his sombre guitar based songs, Drake was also proficient at piano, clarinet and saxophone...
for the mood, and then Neil Young
Neil Young
Neil Percival Young, OC, OM is a Canadian singer-songwriter who is widely regarded as one of the most influential musicians of his generation...
, The Band
The Band
The Band was an acclaimed and influential roots rock group. The original group consisted of Rick Danko , Garth Hudson , Richard Manuel , and Robbie Robertson , and Levon Helm...
, Elliott Smith
Elliott Smith
Steven Paul "Elliott" Smith was an American singer-songwriter and musician. Smith was born in Omaha, Nebraska, raised primarily in Texas, and resided for a significant portion of his life in Portland, Oregon, where he first gained popularity...
and Jerry Garcia
Jerry Garcia
Jerome John "Jerry" Garcia was an American musician best known for his lead guitar work, singing and songwriting with the band the Grateful Dead...
of the Grateful Dead
Grateful Dead
The Grateful Dead was an American rock band formed in 1965 in the San Francisco Bay Area. The band was known for its unique and eclectic style, which fused elements of rock, folk, bluegrass, blues, reggae, country, improvisational jazz, psychedelia, and space rock, and for live performances of long...
. He also admitted to be inspired by hip hop
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
artist Brother Ali
Brother Ali
Ali Newman , better known by the stage name Brother Ali, is an American hip hop artist signed to Rhymesayers Entertainment.-Personal life:...
and indie rock
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
ers The Hold Steady
The Hold Steady
The Hold Steady is an American indie rock band from Brooklyn, New York, formed in 2004. The band consists of Craig Finn , Tad Kubler , Galen Polivka , Bobby Drake , and Steve Selvidge...
. He insists, however, that most of his inspiration derives from poetry (he is especially fond of Yeats
Yeats
W. B. Yeats was an Irish poet and playwright.Yeats may also refer to:* Yeats ,* Yeats , an impact crater on Mercury* Yeats , an Irish thoroughbred racehorse-See also:...
and Keats's Ode on a Grecian Urn
Ode on a Grecian Urn
"Ode on a Grecian Urn" is a poem written by the English Romantic poet John Keats in May 1819 and published in January 1820 . It is one of his "Great Odes of 1819", which include "Ode on Indolence", "Ode on Melancholy", "Ode to a Nightingale", and "Ode to Psyche"...
is heavily quoted in "A Moon Song" from The Confluence), passages of prose, people (his parents and his wife and sons especially), the outdoors, art and most form of visual images. He admits to have at least once chosen the topic of a song because a friend pressured him into it.
David Berkeley has a penchant for using geography-related references as song titles. Amongst them "Leaving Idaho
Idaho
Idaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....
" from The Confluence; "Jefferson
Jefferson County, Kansas
Jefferson County is a county located in Northeast Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the county population was 19,126. Its county seat is Oskaloosa, and its most populous city is Valley Falls...
", "Times Square
Times Square
Times Square is a major commercial intersection in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, at the junction of Broadway and Seventh Avenue and stretching from West 42nd to West 47th Streets...
", "Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
" and "Bushwick" from After the Wrecking Ships; "Willis Avenue Bridge
Willis Avenue Bridge
The Willis Avenue Bridge is a swing bridge that carries road traffic northbound over the Harlem River between the New York City boroughs of Manhattan and the Bronx, United States. It connects First Avenue in Manhattan with Willis Avenue in the Bronx...
", "Sweet Auburn
Sweet Auburn
The Sweet Auburn Historic District is a historic African-American neighborhood along Auburn Avenue in Atlanta, Georgia. The name Sweet Auburn was coined by John Wesley Dobbs, referring to the "richest Negro street in the world". The Sweet Auburn district includes:*the Martin Luther King, Jr...
" and "Milwaukee Road" from Strange Light, "George Square
George Square
George Square is the principal civic square in the city of Glasgow, Scotland. It is named after King George III.-Historical development:George Square was laid out in 1781, part of the innovative Georgian central grid plan that initially spanned from Stockwell Street east to Buchanan Street—which...
" from Some Kind of Cure.
Live career
In 2003 David Berkeley showcased at the popular South by SouthwestSouth by Southwest
South by Southwest is an Austin, Texas based company dedicated to planning conferences, trade shows, festivals and other events. Their current roster of annual events include: SXSW Music, SXSW Film, SXSW Interactive, SXSWedu, and SXSWeco and take place every spring in Austin, Texas, United States...
festival in Austin
Austin
Austin is the capital of the U.S. state of Texas.Austin may also refer to:-In the United States:*Austin, Arkansas*Austin, Colorado*Austin, Chicago, Illinois*Austin, Indiana*Austin, Minnesota*Austin, Nevada*Austin, Oregon...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, where he returned in 2004 and 2011. He also toured the USA and supported such artists as Ben Folds
Ben Folds
Benjamin Scott "Ben" Folds is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and television personality. From 1995-2000, Folds was the frontman and pianist of the alternative rock band Ben Folds Five. Since the group disbanded, Folds has performed as a solo artist and has toured all over the world...
, Rhett Miller
Rhett Miller
Stewart Ransom Miller II , better-known as Rhett Miller is the lead singer of the alternative country band Old 97's and a successful solo musician. He graduated from St. Mark's School of Texas, a private boys' school in Dallas in 1989 and briefly attended Sarah Lawrence College on a creative...
and Ed Harcourt
Ed Harcourt
Ed Harcourt is an English singer-songwriter. To date, he has released five studio albums, two EPs, and thirteen singles. His debut album, Here Be Monsters, was nominated for the 2001 Mercury Prize...
.
In 2006 he participated in the Jeep Compass
Jeep Compass
The Jeep Compass is a compact crossover SUV introduced for the 2007 model year. The Jeep Compass, along with the Patriot both slot below the Jeep Wrangler as Jeep's entry-level sport utility vehicles, and is one of Jeep's first crossover SUVs....
Summer Music Tour.
In early 2007 David Berkeley toured the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
for the first time, alongside Ben Parker
Ben & Jason
Ben & Jason were a singer-songwriter duo from London consisting of Ben Parker and Jason Hazeley. Formed in 1998 and pre-empting the so-called New Acoustic Movement by about a year, they released three albums on Go! Beat/Universal: Hello, Emoticons and Ten Songs About You...
. He returned to the UK at the end of the same year with Common Rotation
Common Rotation
Common Rotation is an American indie rock band consisting of Eric Kufs, , Adam Busch , and Jordan Katz...
.
After having spent most of 2008 in Corsica with his family keeping his musical profile low, in 2009 after the release of Strange Light David Berkeley toured with Katie Melua
Katie Melua
Ketevan "Katie" Melua is a British-Georgian singer, songwriter and musician. She moved to Northern Ireland at the age of eight and then to England at fourteen. Melua is signed to the small Dramatico record label, under the management of composer Mike Batt, and made her musical debut in 2003...
accompanied by Jordan Katz of Common Rotation. With Katz he also toured once more the United Kingdom.
In 2010 he was a finalist in the Mountain Stage
Mountain Stage
Mountain Stage is a two-hour music radio show, first aired in 1983, produced by WV Public Broadcasting and distributed worldwide by National Public Radio and the Voice of America's satellite radio service. Hosted by Larry Groce, the program showcases diverse music, from the traditional to modern...
Newsong Contest after having been one of the two winners of the "Early Bird" stage alongside Rebecca Jordan. The contest was eventually won by Amber Rubarth
Amber Rubarth
Amber Rubarth is an American Singer-Songwriter who has independently released 4 albums and 2 EPs. Her newest album "A Common Case of Disappearing," produced by Jacquire King, was released October 4, 2011 and hit #13 on the iTunes Singer-Songwriter charts...
.
Following the release of Some Kind of Cure, David Berkeley is touring the USA in what he called Some Kind of Tour. It is not a long tour but a series of small tours with breaks that allow him to return to California to spend time with his family. It also features readings from his new book.
He also appeared on Ira Glass
Ira Glass
Ira Glass is an American public radio personality, and host and producer of the radio and television show This American Life.- Early life :...
's This American Life
This American Life
This American Life is a weekly hour-long radio program produced by WBEZ and hosted by Ira Glass. It is distributed by Public Radio International on PRI affiliate stations and is also available as a free weekly podcast. Primarily a journalistic non-fiction program, it has also featured essays,...
. He mentioned this experience as the proudest moment of his career so far.
Besides the artists already mentioned, David Berkeley has toured with Billy Bragg
Billy Bragg
Stephen William Bragg , better known as Billy Bragg, is an English alternative rock musician and left-wing activist. His music blends elements of folk music, punk rock and protest songs, and his lyrics mostly deal with political or romantic themes...
, Don McLean
Don McLean
Donald "Don" McLean is an American singer-songwriter. He is most famous for the 1971 album American Pie, containing the renowned songs "American Pie" and "Vincent".-Musical roots:...
, Nickel Creek
Nickel Creek
Nickel Creek was an American progressive acoustic music trio consisting of Chris Thile , Sara Watkins and Sean Watkins . The band was founded in 1989 and released 6 albums between 1993 and 2006...
, Rufus Wainwright
Rufus Wainwright
Rufus McGarrigle Wainwright is an American-Canadian singer-songwriter. He has recorded six albums of original music, EPs, and tracks on compilations and film soundtracks.-Early years:...
, Ray Lamontagne
Ray LaMontagne
Raymond "Ray" Charles Jack LaMontagne is a Grammy-award winning American singer-songwriter. LaMontagne has released four studio albums, Trouble, Till the Sun Turns Black, Gossip in the Grain and God Willin' & the Creek Don't Rise. He was born in New Hampshire and was inspired to create music after...
, Howie Day
Howie Day
Howard Kern "Howie" Day is an American singer-songwriter. Beginning his career as a solo artist in the late 1990s, Day became known for his extensive touring and in-concert use of samplers and effects pedals in order to accompany himself...
, Gary Jules
Gary Jules
Gary Jules is an American singer-songwriter, best known for his cover of Tears for Fears' third single "Mad World", which he recorded together with friend Michael Andrews for the film Donnie Darko. It became the UK Christmas Number One single of 2003...
, Dido
Dido (singer)
Dido Florian Cloud de Bounevialle O'Malley Armstrong , known as Dido, is an English singer-songwriter.Dido shot to worldwide success with her debut album, No Angel...
, Vienna Teng
Vienna Teng
Cynthia Yih Shih , better known by her stage name Vienna Teng, is a Taiwanese American pianist and singer-songwriter based in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Teng has released four studio albums: Waking Hour , Warm Strangers , Dreaming Through the Noise , and Inland Territory...
, Joseph Arthur
Joseph Arthur
Joseph Arthur is an American singer-songwriter and artist from Akron, Ohio. Combining poetic lyrics with a layered sonic palette, Arthur has built his reputation over the years through critically acclaimed releases and constant touring; his unique solo live performances incorporate the use of a...
, Hem
Hem (band)
Hem is an indie folk-rock band from New York City, United States. Band members include Sally Ellyson , Dan Messé , Gary Maurer , Steve Curtis , George Rush , Mark Brotter , Bob Hoffnar , and Heather Zimmerman .-Band history:In 1999,...
, Mason Jennings
Mason Jennings
Mason Jennings is an American pop-folk singer-songwriter. He is well known for his simple yet catchy melodies, intimate lyrics, literary and historical themes, and distinctive voice...
and Ben Lee
Ben Lee
Benjamin Michael "Ben" Lee is an ARIA Award winning musician and actor. Lee began his career as a musician at the age of 14 with the Sydney band Noise Addict, but focused on his solo career when the band broke up in 1995. He appeared as the protagonist in the Australian film The Rage in Placid Lake...
.
David Berkeley's live concerts, both those with a full band and the solo ones (not to mention the dates in which he has performed in duo with Jordan Katz), have been praised for their gentleness and richness. Between songs he uses to tell short anecdotes usually extremely funny, witty and erudite.
The ATL Collective
In July 2009 David Berkeley, then living in Atlanta, announced the formation of the "ATL Collective" (not to be confused with the "Atlanta Collective", a similar project focused on bluesBlues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
) featuring himself, Micah Dalton and Samantha Murphy. Their intention was to gather as many musicians from Atlanta as possible once a month, on a Wednesday, in a café
Café
A café , also spelled cafe, in most countries refers to an establishment which focuses on serving coffee, like an American coffeehouse. In the United States, it may refer to an informal restaurant, offering a range of hot meals and made-to-order sandwiches...
in the Old Fourth Ward
Old Fourth Ward
The Old Fourth Ward, often abbreviated The Fourth Ward or O4W, is a neighborhood stretching east from Downtown Atlanta, Georgia. The Old Fourth Ward is one of the city's most rapidly gentrifying neighborhoods, but is also one of the city's most eclectic, containing a burgeoning nightlife district...
area to cover whole classic albums. On their debut the three artists, accompanied by other local musicians, covered the whole Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
album Blood on the Tracks
Blood on the Tracks
Blood on the Tracks is Bob Dylan's 15th studio album, released by Columbia Records in January 1975. The album marked Dylan's return to Columbia after a two-album stint with Asylum Records....
. The second album covered has been Rumours
Rumours
Rumours is the eleventh studio album by British-American rock band Fleetwood Mac. Largely recorded in California during 1976, it was produced by the band with Ken Caillat and Richard Dashut and was released on 4 February 1977 by Warner Bros. Records. The record peaked at the top of both the...
by Fleetwood Mac
Fleetwood Mac
Fleetwood Mac are a British–American rock band formed in 1967 in London.The only original member present in the band is its eponymous drummer, Mick Fleetwood...
. Other albums played were At Folsom Prison
At Folsom Prison
At Folsom Prison is a live album by Johnny Cash, released on Columbia Records in May 1968. Since his 1955 song "Folsom Prison Blues", Cash had been interested in performing at a prison. His idea was put on hold until 1967, when personnel changes at Columbia Records put Bob Johnston in charge of...
by Johnny Cash
Johnny Cash
John R. "Johnny" Cash was an American singer-songwriter, actor, and author, who has been called one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century...
and Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band is the eighth studio album by the English rock band The Beatles, released on 1 June 1967 on the Parlophone label and produced by George Martin...
by The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
.
Critical appreciation
David Berkeley's debut album, The Confluence, received very positive reviews that compared him to such great artists in his field such as DonovanDonovan
Donovan Donovan Donovan (born Donovan Philips Leitch (born 10 May 1946) is a Scottish singer-songwriter and guitarist. Emerging from the British folk scene, he developed an eclectic and distinctive style that blended folk, jazz, pop, psychedelia, and world music...
and Nick Drake
Nick Drake
Nicholas Rodney "Nick" Drake was an English singer-songwriter and musician. Though he is best known for his sombre guitar based songs, Drake was also proficient at piano, clarinet and saxophone...
. His tenor
Tenor
The tenor is a type of male singing voice and is the highest male voice within the modal register. The typical tenor voice lies between C3, the C one octave below middle C, to the A above middle C in choral music, and up to high C in solo work. The low extreme for tenors is roughly B2...
voice has been defined by some reviewer so hypnotizing that he "could easily spin tales of cleaning his bathroom, cleaning his catbox, or participating in any number of equally mundane or horrifying events", and this paired with honest, warm lyrics. Also appreciated were the orchestral arrangements backing up his music. His delivery has been defined delicate and tasteful, sober but not cheap, sweet and sour, his songs are considered rich in texture and poetic, and his voice confident and reassured.
After the Wrecking Ships also gathered enthusiastic reviews and more comparisons to established artists, such as Wilco
Wilco
Wilco is an American alternative rock band based in Chicago, Illinois. The band was formed in 1994 by the remaining members of alternative country group Uncle Tupelo following singer Jay Farrar's departure. Wilco's lineup has changed frequently, with only singer Jeff Tweedy and bassist John...
and Ryan Adams
Ryan Adams
David Ryan Adams is an American alt-country/rock singer-songwriter, from Jacksonville, North Carolina. Initially part of the group Whiskeytown, Adams left the band and released his first solo album Heartbreaker in 2000...
, and was chosen as the best album of 2004 by established Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
critic Rob O'Connor. Even the renowned and influential New York Times critic Jon Pareles
Jon Pareles
Jon Pareles is an American journalist who is the chief popular music critic in the arts section of the New York Times. He played jazz flute and piano, and graduated from Yale University with a degree in music. In the 1970s he was an associate editor of Crawdaddy!, and in the 1980s an associate...
showed his high appreciation for this album. The Pittsburgh Pulp defined David Berkeley one of the best examples in the resurgence of folk rock, praising the American taste of his songs along with his melodic and melancholy voice. The already mentioned Rob O'Connor, on Harp Magazine, noticed a superficial resemblance to the quieter side of Eddie Vedder
Eddie Vedder
Eddie Vedder is an American musician and singer-songwriter who is best known for being the lead singer and one of three guitarists of the alternative rock band Pearl Jam. He is widely considered a cultural icon of alternative rock.He is also involved in soundtrack work and contributes to albums...
paired with wanderlust and bravado, in the finest troubadour tradition.
In the same year he was also officially recognized by ASCAP as one of the most important emerging songwriters in the USA.
To highlight David Berkeley's perception by the general public, it is interesting to notice that once he has been hired (and flown cross-country) to help a fan serenading
Serenade
In music, a serenade is a musical composition, and/or performance, in someone's honor. Serenades are typically calm, light music.The word Serenade is derived from the Italian word sereno, which means calm....
his ex-girlfriend.
The song Red, included in this album, has been criticized by the people of Cleveland for depicting their town in a negative way; the only time he sung the song in Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, David Berkeley changed the reference in the lyrics to Pittsburgh.
Live from Fez was appreciated in its maturity and was reviewed as a good ensemble work, although some reviewers took exception at David Berkeley's on-stage habit, reflected in this album, to intersperse his setlist of quiet, warm songs with light-hearted banter.
Strange Light was also welcomed warmly by the critics adding to the list of artists David Berkeley has been compared to such influential names as James Taylor
James Taylor
James Vernon Taylor is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. A five-time Grammy Award winner, Taylor was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2000....
, Damien Rice
Damien Rice
Damien Rice is an Irish singer-songwriter, musician and record producer who plays guitar, piano, clarinet and percussion....
, David Gray
David Gray (musician)
David Gray is an English singer-songwriter. He released his first studio album in 1993 and received worldwide attention after the release of White Ladder six years later...
, Jackson Browne
Jackson Browne
Jackson Browne is an American singer-songwriter and musician who has sold over 17 million albums in the United States alone....
, Cat Stevens
Cat Stevens
Yusuf Islam , commonly known by his former stage name Cat Stevens, is an English singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, educator, philanthropist, and prominent convert to Islam....
, Elliott Smith
Elliott Smith
Steven Paul "Elliott" Smith was an American singer-songwriter and musician. Smith was born in Omaha, Nebraska, raised primarily in Texas, and resided for a significant portion of his life in Portland, Oregon, where he first gained popularity...
and Five for Fighting
Five for Fighting
Five for Fighting is the stage name of American singer-songwriter John Ondrasik. He is best known for his piano-based rock, such as the Top 40 songs "Superman " , "100 Years" , and "The Riddle" .-Early years:...
. This is the album, in some critics' opinion, that could give Berkeley "the big break". According to another critic, David Berkeley now is above comparisons and could be mentioned in the company (and could fit in the same period, the 1970s) of most of the artists he has been compared to. The passion and diversity of his lyrics and the poignancy of his music has also been widely praised, as has
the emotional depth of his works. The originality and complexity of his arrangements have been positively highlighted.
Some Kind of Cure has been praised for its originality, even compared to Berkeley's previous albums, and from the range of influences the various songs seem to have been inspired to. Although the more rock songs have been judged less interesting than the rest of the album, Berkeley's skills as a lyricist and a storyteller have been once again praised, and the texture of the songs have been called "subtle" with the lyrics mentioned as "thoughtful but not self-indulgent". His gift of describing reality under other people's point of views is considered exceptional, allowing his songs to paint reality from different perspectives.
It has been judged the best album Berkeley has released yet thanks to the warmth of the melodies and the soul he seems to have poured in it, although some judged it too measured and not emotional enough. This record suggested comparisons with Steve Reynolds, Josh Ritter
Josh Ritter
Josh Ritter is an American singer-songwriter, guitarist and author who performs and records with The Royal City Band. Ritter is known for his distinctive Americana style and narrative lyrics. In 2006 he was named one of the "100 Greatest Living Songwriters" by Paste magazine.- Early life :Josh...
, Eastmountainsouth
Eastmountainsouth
Eastmountainsouth is an American pop/rock band formed in 1999 composed of vocalists Kat Maslich-Bode and Peter Bradley Adams.The group released their self-titled debut album in 2003 after signing a deal with Dreamworks Records. This is the duo's one and only album as they have since parted ways...
, Rosie Thomas
Rosie Thomas
Rosie Thomas is an American singer-songwriter, originally from Michigan. It was through mutual friends that she met Trey Many and began playing shows with Velour 100. They recorded one EP together and played a few short tours, where she met Damien Jurado and Pedro the Lion...
, Ray LaMontagne
Ray LaMontagne
Raymond "Ray" Charles Jack LaMontagne is a Grammy-award winning American singer-songwriter. LaMontagne has released four studio albums, Trouble, Till the Sun Turns Black, Gossip in the Grain and God Willin' & the Creek Don't Rise. He was born in New Hampshire and was inspired to create music after...
, Ben Gibbard
Ben Gibbard
Benjamin "Ben" Gibbard is an American musician known as a member of several successful indie rock bands. He is the lead singer of Death Cab for Cutie and The Postal Service, and is also known for his project ¡All-Time Quarterback! and his first band, Pinwheel.-Personal life and career:Gibbard was...
of Death Cab for Cutie
Death Cab for Cutie
Death Cab for Cutie is an American alternative rock band formed in Bellingham, Washington in 1997. The band consists of Ben Gibbard , Chris Walla , Nick Harmer and Jason McGerr ....
, Joseph Arthur, Dan Fogelberg
Dan Fogelberg
Daniel Grayling "Dan" Fogelberg was an American singer-songwriter, composer, and multi-instrumentalist, whose music was inspired by sources as diverse as folk, pop, rock, classical, jazz, and bluegrass music...
and John Denver
John Denver
Henry John Deutschendorf, Jr. , known professionally as John Denver, was an American singer/songwriter, activist, and humanitarian. After growing up in numerous locations with his military family, Denver began his music career in folk music groups in the late 1960s. His greatest commercial success...
.
The Boston Phoenix
The Phoenix (newspaper)
The Phoenix is the name of several alternative weekly newspapers published in the United States by Phoenix Media/Communications Group of Boston, Massachusetts including the Boston Phoenix, the Providence Phoenix, the Portland Phoenix and the now-defunct Worcester Phoenix...
defined him "the best of the young American songwriters, a voice full of feeling and a big, big heart. And the balls to say what he thinks".
Discography
- 2002 - The Confluence
- 2004 - After the Wrecking Ships
- 2005 - Live from Fez
- 2009 - Strange Light
- 2011 - Some Kind of Cure