New Releases

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

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.

“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.

The Skeptics Release new EP, Reloaded

Buffalo, NY. March 28, 2019. Buffalo-based The Skeptics released a new, four-song EP titled, Reloaded on Thursday. The veteran Western New York power pop quartet took a break from individual projects to recapture the magic that put them on college radio charts all over the country.

Tom and Dave each penned two songs for this tight little EP. The disc gets off to a rousing start with Tom’s fun-in-the-sun, “South Beach,” which grabbed a Bronze Medal at the Global Music Awards. Next up is Dave’s “Flat,” which will leave you anything but. The band continues with an acoustic trip down “Woodmancy Road” and finishes strong with the multi-textured “Bittersweet and Cold.”

Mark’s melodic bass playing adds something special to each track, while Danny K holds it all down with rock steady drumming and tasty fills.

Catchy hooks, compelling melodies, rich harmonies and a variety of styles – It’s incredible what these guys accomplish in such a short space of time. Load up The Skeptics Reloaded – you’ll be glad you did.

Listen to sound samples or download mp3s here.

Download from iTunes here.

Download from Amazon here.

Listen on Spotify here.

The Skeptics Reloaded available now for pre-order

The power pop quartet with a touch of punk are back with four new tracks featuring their signature combination of melody and edge, harmony and power. Features the Global Music Awards Bronze Medal Winner, South Beach!

Preorder on iTunes here.

Preorder on Amazon here.

The Skeptics Win Bronze Medal in Global Music Awards for “South Beach”

Buffalo-based rock/power pop band The Skeptics won a Bronze Medal in the Global Music Awards for the song, “South Beach,” off their four-song EP, Reloaded, scheduled for release March 30, 2019. A sneak preview can be heard here.

The fun-in-the-sun track features songwriter Tom Mullen’s lead vocals and rhythm guitar, Dave Levin’s surf rock lead lines and vocal harmonies, Mark Buckley’s emphatic bass and Dan Komanski’s rock steady drumming and tasty fills.

“It’s an ode to sun, fun and exotic, beautiful women,” says Mullen, “as all odes should be!”

South Beach was recorded at Loft Studio in Cheektowaga, N.Y. and produced by Jim Sommer. It is the band’s first release since the 1990s. More information can be found on the Skepticsongs website at www.skepticsongs.com.