Category: New Releases

Review: Invisible Hand by Tom Mullen

“If you like deep thought, self awareness, and swell Alternative licks, go ahead and stand up: Tom Mullen’s Invisible Hand is your stop. The song cruises along to a keen melody played in a stellar, shimmery sixties guitar tone to low key sparse drumming, while Mullen’s whimsical vocals calmly drop deep economic theory from Adam Smith to a supremely catchy tune, droll, well informed, and entirely unbothered.

Invisible Hand’s instrumentals are fantastic, featuring tight drumming and a beautifully toned guitar and bass playing fabulous retro melodies, excellently executed with a slightly staccato feel that keeps the track lively, interesting, and thoroughly alternative. The song’s lyrics are candid and knowledgeable, dropping easy references to economists Summers, Friedman, Keynes and a trite shoutout to author Ayn Rand, in the midst of its treatise, while also giving personable, less high-minded warnings about trusting the system for a combo that is both intelligent and approachable. Mullen brings great, Alternative vocals that are easy to listen to, while plenty of instrumental flourishes, including brief but satisfying solos beginning at approximately 3:18 keep the piece lighthearted and fun through and through.” – Mary Wildsmith

About the Reviewer:
Mary Wildsmith is an FM Radio DJ, and has been involved in both on-air work and radio production for five and a half years, in addition to working the past decade in and out of the live entertainment industry. She has experience with the fickle nature of the music industry, selecting singles to promote or discard for radio play, and engineering stage to audience sound systems. Having worked balancing, troubleshooting, and running audio rigs has enabled her to be both sensitive, and sympathetic, to the finesse and nuance of quality recording. Mary is passionate about promoting new and independent artists, and has spent extensive time in round-table environments discussing music and audio critically, and collaborating with artists to enable them to put the best possible foot forward with their art.

New Tom Mullen single, “Invisible Hand,” available today!

Middleport, Sept. 22, 2020. Skepticsongs is excited to announce the release of, “Invisible Hand” by Tom Mullen, the first single off Mullen’s forthcoming album, Into the Twilight, which will be available on October 6.

“I’ve had the chorus of this song cycling in my head for over ten years,” said Mullen. One day last year, I was humming the chorus and the first line of the first verse just popped out. So, I sat down to write the rest of the song before I forgot what I’d just done.”

Invisible Hand has already been downloaded by over 200 radio stations worldwide and is beginning to get significant airplay in Europe. A music video will be released within the next two weeks.

The single can be heard now on most popular music platforms, including:

Spotify, iTunes, Apple Music, Amazon Music, Deezer, and more.

For more information, including booking, contact:

Harold Palms
716.475.3834
hpalms@skepticsongs.com
www.skepticsongs.com

The Skeptics’ full-length CD Be Satisfied available for download now!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Skepticsongs recording artists The Skeptics have re-released their 1995 CD, Be Satisfied, 25 years after it made CMJ charts in several U.S. markets. The group’s debut CD features Tom Mullen on lead vocals and guitar, Mark Buckley on bass, Michael “Hairy” Harrier on lead guitar and vocals, and Tim Kelly on drums.

Be Satisfied is available for download on iTunes, Amazon, Spotify, and most other digital music outlets. Sound samples and download links can be found here.

Mullen will perform all ten songs from the album acoustically tonight on Facebook Live  on what has become the #1 rated show in Royalton, NY for that time slot. A link to his Facebook Live feed is here.

World Tour dates are not yet confirmed.

Bio

The Skeptics

Tom Mullen: lead vocals, guitar
Mark Buckley: bass, vocals
Dave Levin: lead guitar, vocals
Dan Komanski: drums

Past members:
Mike Harrier: lead guitar, vocals
Tim Kelly: drums
Christ Swist: drums
Todd Krueger: drums

The Skeptics’ unique blend of melody and edge, harmony and power is gradually bringing them to the forefront of the alternative music scene in Western New York. Their first CD, Be Satisfied,  received airplay at over 100 college and commercial radio stations, several of which reported The Skeptics on their weekly College Music Journal (CMJ) airplay charts. The band released their latest EP, Reloaded, in 2019, which included Global Music Awards Bronze Medal winner, “South Beach.”

The Skeptics are known for their high-energy live performances, including headline shows in New York City, Pittsburgh, Rochester and Buffalo. Notable appearances include opening for national recording artists, 10,000 Maniacs, an appearance on Channel 4’s Nickel City Scene and two appearances on Channel 7’s A.M. Buffalo. The Skeptics have received heavy rotation on WEDG 103.3 FM, CKEY FM 101.1 The River, WBNY 91.3 FM, and numerous other radio stations.

The Skeptics have been described as “hard-driving, guitar-based rock ‘n’ roll,” with a “listener-friendly style” by Anthony Violanti of The Buffalo News, while Dale Anderson of Artvoice described their sound as “infectious.” Popular Australian music blog The Music Injection calls South Beach “a super catchy song.”

For more information, e-mail Harold Palms at contact@skepticsongs.com.

Below is the title track from Be Satisfied:

The Skeptics to Re-release Be Satisfied for 25th Anniversary

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Skepticsongs recording artists The Skeptics will re-release their 1995 CD, Be Satisfied, 25 years after it made CMJ charts in several U.S. markets. The group’s debut CD featured Tom Mullen on lead vocals and guitar, Mark Buckley on bass, Michael “Hairy” Harrier on lead guitar and vocals, and Tim Kelly on drums.

The new release will be available for download on iTunes, Amazon, Spotify, and most other digital music outlets within the next few weeks.

Mullen will perform all ten songs from the album in an upcoming Facebook Live show, date to be announced. Mullen currently appears regularly 7:00 PM – 7:30 PM EST each Wednesday night on what has become the #1 rated show in Royalton, NY for that time slot.

World Tour dates are not yet confirmed.

Bio

The Skeptics

Tom Mullen: lead vocals, guitar
Mark Buckley: bass, vocals
Dave Levin: lead guitar, vocals
Dan Komanski: drums

Past members:
Mike Harrier: lead guitar, vocals
Tim Kelly: drums
Christ Swist: drums
Todd Krueger: drums

The Skeptics’ unique blend of melody and edge, harmony and power is gradually bringing them to the forefront of the alternative music scene in Western New York. Their first CD, Be Satisfied,  received airplay at over 100 college and commercial radio stations, several of which reported The Skeptics on their weekly College Music Journal (CMJ) airplay charts. The band released their latest EP, Reloaded, in 2019, which included Global Music Awards Bronze Medal winner, “South Beach.”

The Skeptics are known for their high-energy live performances, including headline shows in New York City, Pittsburgh, Rochester and Buffalo. Notable appearances include opening for national recording artists, 10,000 Maniacs, an appearance on Channel 4’s Nickel City Scene and two appearances on Channel 7’s A.M. Buffalo. The Skeptics have received heavy rotation on WEDG 103.3 FM, CKEY FM 101.1 The River, WBNY 91.3 FM, and numerous other radio stations.

The Skeptics have been described as “hard-driving, guitar-based rock ‘n’ roll,” with a “listener-friendly style” by Anthony Violanti of The Buffalo News, while Dale Anderson of Artvoice described their sound as “infectious.” Popular Australian music blog The Music Injection calls South Beach “a super catchy song.”

For more information, e-mail Harold Palms at contact@skepticsongs.com.

Below is the title track from Be Satisfied:

The Holly Days say ‘Happy Birthday’ to Buddy Holly with new single, Words of Love

Buffalo, N.Y. September 7, 2019. The Holly Days paid the ultimate tribute to their inspiration, Buddy Holly, by releasing their second single on the rock and roll founding father’s birthday, September 7. “Words of Love” was originally released on the Coral Records label in 1957 and has been covered extensively since, including a notable version by the Beatles on their 1964 album, Beatles for Sale. The Holly Days’ version combines elements of both.

“We love both Buddy’s original version and the Beatles’ cover, so we incorporated parts of each of them,” said lead singer and guitarist Tom Mullen. “I played the guitar intro more like George Harrison but the rest of the song more like Buddy. Of course, George and I both played Buddy’s original guitar solo note for note – you don’t mess with perfection!”

Bassist Gregg Deinhart found inspiration in Paul McCartney’s 1964 bass line. “Words of Love’ is a perfect song for my 1967 Hofner Beatle bass, said Deinhart. “The Beatles did a great cover of this beautiful song and the McCartney bass line creates a nice pulse under the rich harmony and bright guitars of the song.”

However, drummer Dan Komanski found the Latin rhythm of the original more to his liking. “I wanted to capture the spirit of the original, which was inspired by all the Latin rhythms popular at the time, said Komanski. “To get a warmer, unique sound, I played with a pair of Hot Rods and made sure the snares were off.”

While Mullen and Deinhart have been singing this beautiful duet together for decades, Mullen overdubbed the harmony part with his own lead vocal, as Holly did on the original, which was an innovation in rock music at the time.

“We’re very pleased with the way the track came out,” added Mullen. “Getting Buddy’s rhythm guitar part up front, which is buried in the original mix, together with Dan’s work on percussion and Gregg’s bass line produced something that really swings more than any recording of the song I’m familiar with. We hope the fans find it faithful yet fresh and original.”

Sound samples and downloads are available at the most popular distribution sites (iTunes, Amazon, Spotify, etc.) here.

More information can be found at the Skepticsongs website.

Sneak Preview of new Holly Days Single To Be Released September 7, 2019

Western New York Buddy Holly tribute band The Holly Days, will release their second single, Words of Love, on Buddy Holly’s birthday, Saturday September 7, 2019. The song will be released on the Skepticsongs label, which has provided a sneak preview of the new track below.

For more details and updates, subscribe to the Skepticsongs website at www.skepticsongs.com.

The Skeptics Win Silver Medal in Global Music Awards for Woodmancy Road

Buffalo-based rock/power pop band The Skeptics won a Silver Medal in the Global Music Awards for the song, “Woodmancy Road,” off their four-song  EP, Reloaded, released March 30, 2019. A sound sample and links to downloads on iTunes, Amazon, Spotify and other platforms can be found here.

The folk-rock, acoustic-electric track features songwriter Tom Mullen’s lead vocals and rhythm guitar, Dave Levin’s jangly lead lines and vocal harmonies, Mark Buckley’s melodic bass and Dan Komanski’s rock steady drumming and tasty fills.

“I think everyone has a place that has a special magic for them, especially if it’s somewhere they’ve gone since childhood,” said Mullen. “My great-uncle’s cabin in the foothills of New York’s southern tier is that place for me. There never has been a phone there – although now you can be reached on cell phone. It was kind of an escape into the wilderness for hiking, fishing and snake-catching – one of our favorite pastimes when we were kids.”

The Silver Medal is the band’s second Global Music Award. They previously won a Bronze Medal for “South Beach,” off the same EP.

Woodmancy Road was recorded at Loft Studio in Cheektowaga, N.Y. and produced by Jim Sommer. More information can be found on the Skepticsongs website at www.skepticsongs.com.

Buffalo, NY Buddy Holly Tribute Band The Holly Days Releases “That’ll Be the Day”

Western New York Buddy Holly tribute band, The Holly Days, released their first single, “That’ll Be the Day,” on May 27, 2019, the 62nd anniversary of the original single’s release.

The Holly Days is a tribute to Buddy Holly and the Crickets formed by Buffalo natives and longtime band mates Tom Mullen, Gregg Deinhart and Dan Komanski. The three musicians have played together in numerous bands, including Her Majesty’s Secret Service, The Relative Four, The Incidentals and The Skeptics. When Mullen asked Komanski and Deinhart to play on his latest solo effort, Unfamiliar Ground, an impromptu jam session became a labor of love to recreate the magic of their myopic idol.

“This is something I’ve always wanted to do,” said Mullen. “Just like Buddy and drummer Jerry Allison, Dan and I have been playing together since high school, so we have that connection in addition to our love for the man!”

“Buddy Holly has always been an influence on The Skeptics’ music and the opportunity to record this tribute made so much sense to us,” observed Komanski.

“Without the incredible influence of Buddy Holly, rock and roll would have looked a lot different from the 1960s through today,” added Deinhart.

The single was recorded at Loft Studio in Cheektowaga, N.Y. and produced by Jim Sommer. Steve Macdonald of Sommer’s band, Cock Robin, provided background vocals, along with Mullen.

“We wanted to do something very faithful to the original but still fresh and new,” said Mullen. “Our arrangement is based on listening to both the original single and the live performance by the Crickets on the Ed Sullivan Show. There are elements of both in our version.”

A sound sample and links to download the single from iTunes, Amazon and other download platforms can be found here.

The Holly Days will release a second single on Buddy Holly’s birthday, September 7. More information can be found at skepticsongs.com.

Western New York Buddy Holly tribute band, The Holly Days, release That’ll Be the Day

Western New York Buddy Holly tribute band, The Holly Days, will release their first single, “That’ll Be the Day,” on May 27, 2019, the 62nd anniversary of the original single’s release.

The Holly Days is a tribute to Buddy Holly and the Crickets formed by Buffalo natives and longtime band mates Tom Mullen, Gregg Deinhart and Dan Komanski. The three musicians have played together in numerous bands, including Her Majesty’s Secret Service, The Relative Four, The Incidentals and The Skeptics. When Mullen asked Komanski and Deinhart to play on his latest solo effort, Unfamiliar Ground, an impromptu jam session became a labor of love to recreate the magic of their myopic idol.

“This is something I’ve always wanted to do,” said Mullen. “Just like Buddy and drummer Jerry Allison, Dan and I have been playing together since high school, so we have that connection in addition to our love for the man!”

“Buddy Holly has always been an influence on The Skeptics’ music and the opportunity to record this tribute made so much sense to us,” observed Komanski.

“Without the incredible influence of Buddy Holly, rock and roll would have looked a lot different from the 1960s through today,” added Deinhart.

The single was recorded at Loft Studio in Cheektowaga, N.Y. and produced by Jim Sommer.

A sneak preview of the single can be heard here.

The Holly Days will release a second single on Buddy Holly’s birthday, September 7. More information can be found at skepticsongs.com.