Rocco DeLuca and the Burden
Encyclopedia
The California
-based Rocco DeLuca and the Burden was originally formed as a four-piece American
indie rock
band in late 2005. The band no longer plays together, though DeLuca remains a solo artist and sometimes plays with close friends in concert.
) is a half Italian
, half German
rock artist. He grew up in Lake Elsinore, CA and Long Beach, CA. DeLuca is known for his use of the Dobro
, a trade name now owned by Gibson Guitar Corporation and used for a particular design of resonator guitar
. DeLuca began his career as a solo artist opening for artists like Taj Mahal
, John Mayer
and John Lee Hooker
, and has had the opportunity to play with Johnny Cash
. Starting in 2003, he had a residency at the Gypsy Lounge in Lake Forest, California
nearly every Tuesday, running until 2006. In 2005 DeLuca was recognized by independent record label Ironworks
. From 2005 to 2009 he led the band Rocco DeLuca and the Burden and signed with Ironworks
. After the band's last performances in 2009, DeLuca continued as a solo artist, and working on projects with Slash
and Robbie Robertson
.
I Trust You to Kill Me is also the name of the bands' behind-the-scenes documentary. It coincided with the release of the debut album of the same name, which the band promoted in 2005.
On Friday May 5, 2006 Kiefer Sutherland appeared on the UK
chat show Friday Night with Jonathan Ross
to discuss 24
and the I Trust You to Kill Me documentary. The band toured Europe from late 2005 to early 2006.
According to the film's official website, public screenings of the film were held in New York City, West Hollywood, California, and San Francisco in September 2006.
to promote their new release by playing some live shows. In summer 2007, the band also did the first part of the English band Keane Under the Iron Sea Tour
in North America
.
The band appeared on several TV shows, such as the Jimmy Kimmel
TV show, the Tonight Show with Jay Leno
, the Late Show with David Letterman
, The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson
, Friday Night with Jonathan Ross
, Kastljós
in Iceland
, and Top of the Pops
in the UK on May 22, 2006.
In March 2008, DeLuca became the first of four featured artists in Hotel Indigo's Artists in the Spotlight program. www.hotelindigo.com/podcast
. This time, working with U2
producer Daniel Lanois
on the album. For "Mercy", Deluca decided to strip down the setup to make the live experience "more personal," as he explains, and shortly after the album's completion Deluca and drummer Ryan Carman toured as a duo without bassist Dave Beste and percussionist Greg Velasquez. Despite the downsizing of the act, Beste and Velasques were still both featured in the studio recordings for the album and relationships with them remained intact. Celebrity promoter Kiefer Sutherland directed the music video for the album's most-promoted single "Save Yourself", which was used as the promo for the television movie 24: Redemption. Producer Daniel Lanois played a big role in the methods used in the studio recordings. Deluca has cited Lanois as a hero of his and Lanois has many times made guest appearances with him on stage.
, and bells among other percussion instruments. Original percussionist Greg Velasquez has also been credited for keyboards, and original bassist Davis Beste has been credited for glockenspiel, piano and organ. Producer Daniel Lanois was credited for electric piano, electric guitar, strings, percussion, pedal steel, lowery, and piano in the album "Mercy".
Other band members and featured musicians:
's self-titled solo album which was released in April 2010. Rocco DeLuca sings on "Saint is a Sinner Too".
† sold exclusively at live performances
.
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...
-based Rocco DeLuca and the Burden was originally formed as a four-piece American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
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...
band in late 2005. The band no longer plays together, though DeLuca remains a solo artist and sometimes plays with close friends in concert.
Rocco DeLuca
Rocco DeLuca (born December 27, 1975 in Torrance, CaliforniaTorrance, California
Torrance is a city incorporated in 1921 and located in the South Bay region of Los Angeles County, California, United States. Torrance has of shore-front beaches on the Pacific Ocean, quieter and less well-known by tourists than others on the Santa Monica Bay, such as those of neighboring...
) is a half Italian
Italian people
The Italian people are an ethnic group that share a common Italian culture, ancestry and speak the Italian language as a mother tongue. Within Italy, Italians are defined by citizenship, regardless of ancestry or country of residence , and are distinguished from people...
, half German
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
rock artist. He grew up in Lake Elsinore, CA and Long Beach, CA. DeLuca is known for his use of the Dobro
Dobro
Dobro is a registered trademark, now owned by Gibson Guitar Corporation and used for a particular design of resonator guitar.The name has a long and involved history, interwoven with that of the resonator guitar...
, a trade name now owned by Gibson Guitar Corporation and used for a particular design of resonator guitar
Resonator guitar
A resonator guitar or resophonic guitar is an acoustic guitar whose sound is produced by one or more spun metal cones instead of the wooden sound board . Resonator guitars were originally designed to be louder than conventional acoustic guitars which were overwhelmed by horns and percussion...
. DeLuca began his career as a solo artist opening for artists like Taj Mahal
Taj Mahal (musician)
Henry Saint Clair Fredericks , who uses the stage name Taj Mahal, is an American Grammy Award winning blues musician. He incorporates elements of world music into his music...
, John Mayer
John Mayer
John Clayton Mayer is an American pop rock and blues rock musician, singer-songwriter, recording artist, and music producer. Born in Bridgeport, Connecticut and raised in Fairfield, Connecticut, he attended Berklee College of Music in Boston. He moved to Atlanta in 1997, where he refined his...
and John Lee Hooker
John Lee Hooker
John Lee Hooker was an American blues singer-songwriter and guitarist.Hooker began his life as the son of a sharecropper, William Hooker, and rose to prominence performing his own unique style of what was originally closest to Delta blues. He developed a 'talking blues' style that was his trademark...
, and has had the opportunity to play with 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...
. Starting in 2003, he had a residency at the Gypsy Lounge in Lake Forest, California
Lake Forest, California
Lake Forest is a city in Orange County, California. The population was 77,264 at the 2010 census.Lake Forest incorporated as a city on December 20, 1991. Prior to a vote of the residents in that year, the community had formerly been known as El Toro since the 1880s...
nearly every Tuesday, running until 2006. In 2005 DeLuca was recognized by independent record label Ironworks
Ironworks (record label)
Ironworks is a small independent record label created and owned by the lead actor of the Fox TV hit series 24, Kiefer Sutherland, and his long time friend and fellow musician, Jude Cole....
. From 2005 to 2009 he led the band Rocco DeLuca and the Burden and signed with Ironworks
Ironworks (record label)
Ironworks is a small independent record label created and owned by the lead actor of the Fox TV hit series 24, Kiefer Sutherland, and his long time friend and fellow musician, Jude Cole....
. After the band's last performances in 2009, DeLuca continued as a solo artist, and working on projects with Slash
Slash (musician)
Saul Hudson , known by his stage name Slash, is a British-American musician and songwriter. He is best known as the former lead guitarist of the American hard rock band Guns N' Roses, with whom he achieved worldwide success in the late 1980s and early 1990s. During his later years with Guns N'...
and Robbie Robertson
Robbie Robertson
Robbie Robertson, OC; is a Canadian singer-songwriter, and guitarist. He is best known for his membership as the guitarist and primary songwriter within The Band. He was ranked 59th in Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time...
.
I Trust You to Kill Me album and documentary
Rocco DeLuca and the Burden's debut album, I Trust You to Kill Me was released on CD on March 21, 2006 on the Ironworks label. The album was produced by Jude Cole and mixed by Florian Ammon, except for tracks 2, 7 and 10 which were mixed by Dave Reed. The album was engineered by Florian Ammon and Dave Reed.I Trust You to Kill Me is also the name of the bands' behind-the-scenes documentary. It coincided with the release of the debut album of the same name, which the band promoted in 2005.
On Friday May 5, 2006 Kiefer Sutherland appeared on the UK
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...
chat show Friday Night with Jonathan Ross
Friday Night with Jonathan Ross
Friday Night with Jonathan Ross was a British comedy chat show presented by Jonathan Ross. It was first broadcast on BBC One on 2 November 2001. The programme featured Ross's take on current topics of conversation, guest interviews and live music from both a guest music group and the house band...
to discuss 24
24 (TV series)
24 is an American television series produced for the Fox Network and syndicated worldwide, starring Kiefer Sutherland as Counter Terrorist Unit agent Jack Bauer. Each 24-episode season covers 24 hours in the life of Bauer, using the real time method of narration...
and the I Trust You to Kill Me documentary. The band toured Europe from late 2005 to early 2006.
According to the film's official website, public screenings of the film were held in New York City, West Hollywood, California, and San Francisco in September 2006.
Promotion
Kiefer Sutherland, along with Jude Cole through their co-owned record label, Ironworks, was the biggest promoter of the band. Sutherland offered such support as playing the role of the band's tour promoter and manager and helping produce the TV documentary I Trust You To Kill Me, where they traveled the world promoting the band in 2005. Later, in the first week of May 2006, the band and Sutherland hit the United KingdomUnited 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...
to promote their new release by playing some live shows. In summer 2007, the band also did the first part of the English band Keane Under the Iron Sea Tour
Under the Iron Sea Tour
The Under the Iron Sea Tour was the second world tour made by English rock band Keane after the release of their second album Under the Iron Sea.- Keane :. Tom Chaplin - Vocals, Organ, Acoustic Guitar, Piano...
in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
.
The band appeared on several TV shows, such as the Jimmy Kimmel
Jimmy Kimmel
James Christian "Jimmy" Kimmel is an American television host and comedian. He is the host of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, a late-night talk show that airs on ABC. Prior to that, Kimmel was best known as the co-host of Comedy Central's The Man Show and Win Ben Stein's Money...
TV show, the Tonight Show with Jay Leno
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno is an American late-night talk show hosted by Jay Leno that initially aired from May 25, 1992 to May 29, 2009, and resumed production on March 1, 2010. The fourth incarnation of the Tonight Show franchise made its debut on May 25, 1992, three days following Johnny...
, the Late Show with David Letterman
Late Show with David Letterman
Late Show with David Letterman is a U.S. late-night talk show hosted by David Letterman on CBS. The show debuted on August 30, 1993, and is produced by Letterman's production company, Worldwide Pants Incorporated. The show's music director and band-leader of the house band, the CBS Orchestra, is...
, The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson
The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson
The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson is a Peabody Award-winning American late-night talk show hosted by Scottish American comedian Craig Ferguson. Ferguson, the third regular host of the Late Late Show franchise, follows Late Show with David Letterman in the CBS late-night lineup...
, Friday Night with Jonathan Ross
Friday Night with Jonathan Ross
Friday Night with Jonathan Ross was a British comedy chat show presented by Jonathan Ross. It was first broadcast on BBC One on 2 November 2001. The programme featured Ross's take on current topics of conversation, guest interviews and live music from both a guest music group and the house band...
, Kastljós
Kastljós
Kastljós is a high-rated Icelandic news magazine and talk show on the Icelandic national television channel RÚV. Sigmar Guðmundsson is the current editor and primary host of the show...
in Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
, and Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops, also known as TOTP, is a British music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly from 1 January 1964 to 30 July 2006. After 25 December 2006 it became a radio program, now hosted by Tony Blackburn...
in the UK on May 22, 2006.
In March 2008, DeLuca became the first of four featured artists in Hotel Indigo's Artists in the Spotlight program. www.hotelindigo.com/podcast
Mercy
On March 10, 2009, Deluca released his second full-length album, entitled MercyMercy (Rocco DeLuca and the Burden album)
Mercy is the second full-length album by American rock band Rocco DeLuca and the Burden, released on March 10, 2009. The band worked with famed U2 producer Daniel Lanois on this album and although he originally was slated for only a small selection of songs, the band later decided to enlist his...
. This time, working with U2
U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
producer Daniel Lanois
Daniel Lanois
Daniel Lanois born September 19, 1951 in Hull, Quebec) is a Canadian record producer, guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter. He has released a number of albums of his own work and has produced albums for a wide variety of artists, including Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Peter Gabriel, Emmylou Harris, Willie...
on the album. For "Mercy", Deluca decided to strip down the setup to make the live experience "more personal," as he explains, and shortly after the album's completion Deluca and drummer Ryan Carman toured as a duo without bassist Dave Beste and percussionist Greg Velasquez. Despite the downsizing of the act, Beste and Velasques were still both featured in the studio recordings for the album and relationships with them remained intact. Celebrity promoter Kiefer Sutherland directed the music video for the album's most-promoted single "Save Yourself", which was used as the promo for the television movie 24: Redemption. Producer Daniel Lanois played a big role in the methods used in the studio recordings. Deluca has cited Lanois as a hero of his and Lanois has many times made guest appearances with him on stage.
Band member contributions
The band's material was almost exclusively written by Rocco DeLuca himself. He was also the only primary band member who was a determining force in the project. Besides his shrill, unique voice and unique implementation of his resonator guitar, he also played glockenspiel, piano, organ, and banjo in the studio recordings. Long-time friend, Ryan Carman played the drums, glockenspiel, cajónCajón
A cajón is a box-shaped percussion instrument originally from Peru, played by slapping the front face with the hands.-Origins and evolution:...
, and bells among other percussion instruments. Original percussionist Greg Velasquez has also been credited for keyboards, and original bassist Davis Beste has been credited for glockenspiel, piano and organ. Producer Daniel Lanois was credited for electric piano, electric guitar, strings, percussion, pedal steel, lowery, and piano in the album "Mercy".
Other band members and featured musicians:
- Brett Bixby - keyboards, guitar, backing vocals (during live performances of 2007 tour)
Other works and appearances
Rocco DeLuca appears on SlashSlash (musician)
Saul Hudson , known by his stage name Slash, is a British-American musician and songwriter. He is best known as the former lead guitarist of the American hard rock band Guns N' Roses, with whom he achieved worldwide success in the late 1980s and early 1990s. During his later years with Guns N'...
's self-titled solo album which was released in April 2010. Rocco DeLuca sings on "Saint is a Sinner Too".
Albums
- I Trust You to Kill MeI Trust You To Kill Me (album)-Chart information:...
(2006) - MercyMercy (Rocco DeLuca and the Burden album)Mercy is the second full-length album by American rock band Rocco DeLuca and the Burden, released on March 10, 2009. The band worked with famed U2 producer Daniel Lanois on this album and although he originally was slated for only a small selection of songs, the band later decided to enlist his...
(2009) - Field Recordings (2010)†
- Drugs and Hymns (2011)†
† sold exclusively at live performances
Singles
- "Colorful"
- "Save Yourself"
- "Open Pages"
- "Saint is a Sinner too" - Slash ft. Rocco DeLuca
Chart information
| Year | Album / Single | Peak Chart Position | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
Top Heatseekers Top Heatseekers Top Heatseekers refers to either of two separate "Breaking and Entering" music charts issued weekly by Billboard Magazine: the Heatseekers Albums chart or the Heatseekers Songs chart. They were introduced by Billboard in 1993 with the purpose of highlighting the sales by new and developing musical... |
Independent Albums Independent Albums The Billboard Independent Albums is a chart of the highest-selling independent music albums and extended plays in the United States, compiled by Nielsen SoundScan and published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is used to list artists who are not signed to major labels... |
||
| 2006 | I Trust You to Kill Me | 177 | 5 | 12 |
Popular culture
The song "Swing Low" featured in episode 9 of season 4 of Rescue MeRescue Me (TV series)
Rescue Me is an American television drama series that premiered on the FX Network on July 21, 2004, and concluded on September 7, 2011. The series focuses on the professional and personal lives of a group of New York City firefighters in the fictitious Ladder 62 / Engine 99 firehouse.The show...
.