dann russo: News

paradiso lluvioso is available for mass consumption! check it out, listen to it, love it, review it, let me know!
http://cdbaby.com/cd/dannrusso4

so it occurs to me that I should "officially announce" the new music that I am making, since I have been playing it all weekend at my Second Life shows and the music is now available (the full-band "Presents" EP is available to listen to at http://www.dannrusso.com and will be available from iTunes next week and the solo "Paradiso Lluvioso" demo will be available on iTunes this weekend).

I have also started telling the stories of the songs on "paradiso" on my myspace and facebook and I will cross-post them here as well. "Paradiso" is the product of two things - a great story that makes Frank roll his eyes and a challenge that I took up.

first, the story: a few years ago, Frank (the guy who is kind enough to play drums with me, and also http://bostonerin.livejournal.com 's husband) and were watching some sporting event, and a beer commercial came on, the guy winning a gameshow trip to "paradiso lluvioso" (which of course means rainy paradise) and he was unhappy cause he didnt know what he was getting into and was miserable the whole time...and for months, if not years, I would go up to Frank and say "It means rainy paradse, Frank!" and he would roll his eyes. So of course, I promised him that I would name my first solo album "paradiso lluvioso" in his honor.

Turns out, I got my chance in February 2009. The RPM Challenge takes the shortest month (umm, February) and challenges you to write an album (10 songs or 35 minutes) solely in the month of February. I figured this was the time to put together "paradiso." So I took the phrase that I attempted to torture Frank with and made it the titles of the songs (read the first word of each title carefully)

1. IT Seems Like Just a Dream (What a Day)
2. MEANS Justify the Ends
3. RAIN is the Same
4. E a b
5. PARA Que No Tengas Sed
6. DICE
7. FRANK Advice
8. et cetera.

:-)

Dann Russo (Dann Numbers in SL) is going to be rocking the roof off multiple Second Life venues with breakfast shows all weekend! (well, Breakfast in Boston that is)...

Dann Russo (Dann Numbers in SL) is setting up for the release of his full-band EP "Presents," slated to be released on Tuesday, March 10th (and maybe even solo full-length CD) with shows in Second Life at 5am SLT (Pacific Time) on Saturday and 4am SLT (Pacific Time) on Sunday. He will be performing songs from all his recordings, as well as songs that have not yet been recorded.


Dann Russo is a little alt, a little classic, a smidge country and all rock. He’s a singer-songwriter with radio-ready original songs and a live show so electric, you’ll be amazed it’s just acoustic. A "soon to be phenomenon" (NorthEast In-Tune Magazine), Dann is a lively act that’s hard to follow.

For those of you who aren't in the virtual world of Second Life, you can listen here:

Saturday, March 7th, 5am SLT (Pacific Time) 7am Central, 8am EST, 1pm GMT
Live from the Jester Inn @ Pixel Hill http://69.13.151.54:8670
Sunday, March 8th, 4am SLT (Pacific Time) 6am Central, 7am EST, noon GMT
Live from The Lost Continent http://slstreaming.de:8504

If you want to get more information on Dann, or figure out which song to request, visit http://www.dannrusso.com
If you want to get more information on SecondLife, visit http://www.secondlife.com

there is an almost perfectly round rock in front of a shrine to Mary Queen of...something...in Positano that has "Megan and Dann" written on it in red pen...just seemed the thing to do on a rainy windblown Thanksgiving afternoon with the chilly Mediterranean crashing over the seawall:-)

I almost forgot (well, forgot isnt the right word) about this moment until recently when I was writing a song and it just appeared like out of a cloud - THIS is what love is about - this very moment - and love is like that I think - a series of almost vignettes or pictures like a infini-ptych that gets better and longer...and the fact that it is ALMOST perfectly round makes me smile




Little waterfalls on the steps down to the beach
What a day what a day
You pull away so your tears are just out of reach
What a day what a day

What a day to finally figure out
All the things I thought I knew about
What a day what a day
The rain it kind of felt real nice
As we walked along in paradise
What a day what a day

Walked along with your lemon smile and pants up to your knees
What a day what a day
Shivering you told me its not like the movies
What a day what a day

What a day to finally…

And it seems just like a dream
The more I think of it the further away it seems
It seems oh so far away
I promise you we’ll get back there to stay

You came upon a rock so perfect and so fine
What a day what a day
Carved our names onto it a prayer for all time
What a day what a day

The rain it kind of felt real nice
As we walked along in paradise
What a day what a day
The dogs were eating from your hand
The stars the sea the painted sand
What a day what a day
What a day to finally figure out
All the things I thought I knew about
What a day what a day

dann's first machinma video (did I spell that right?) - the March 1st episode of Live-On-Line features a video for "Parking Lot Kings" shot and directed by the talented Steve Cropper from Australia (the show's host!)
http://life-on-line.ning.com/ thanks steve!

so...two big Book Readings to report on :-)

1. Erin Dionne's Book Release party at TCAN in Natick...an amazing space, with an amazing sound system (thank you Dave Massey), rocked out Ruby Red Hair, Fortunes, Forecasts & Lucky Charms, and Dreaming Without You with Frank Colagiovanni on drums after Erin read...and the COOLEST thing, a little girl came up to me afterwards and said "You look JUST LIKE Theo Christmas" :-)

2. Annie's Book Stop in Framingham...you couldn't miss the place, with all the LOCAL AUTHOR ERIN DIONNE THIS WAY signs - it was pretty cool...it's always tough to sing in a very intimate place when I'm used to belting, but only one or two people noticed - Erin read 10 or so pages and I sang RRH and Dreaming. The Purveyor, Paul, was super local (everyone who came in talked to him like he was a favorite uncle) and just awesome...I can't thank Paul enough...

Erin, likewise, words cannot express my thanks for letting me join you on this adventure.

due to a schedule conflict, Dann's show at Sweetwater Cafe on Saturday has been transferred to 3/21

peace,
Dann

well, not really...but I DO promise at least one Elton John song Saturday night at the Sweetwater Cafe in downtown Boston where I am the entertainment from 10 til they throw us out

http://www.myspace.com/sweetwatercafeboston
come on down and stay for as long (or short) as you want...

peace,
Dann

ok - so I'm a little nervous about this but its SO COOL!

Thursday (Feb 26th) and Sunday (March 1st) I will be playing at Erin Dionne's readings of "Models Don't Eat Chocolate Cookies"...well, Thursday is the book release party at the TCAN arts center in Natick, MA and Sunday is a reading at Annie's Book Stop in Framingham, MA...

so make sure you buy the book from Amazon or even better come on down to the reading and buy one, get it signed and rock out! check http://www.erindionne.com for info

tomorrow morning -

coffee and crank it up!

Dann (Numbers) will be rocking out Jester Inn at 5am slt (8am est, 7am central, I think 1pm gmt)

for those of you not in SL - listen to it here: http://69.13.151.54:8670 and for those of you in SL - here is the slurl: http://slurl.com/secondlife/Strayling/234/45/54
peace,
Dann (Numbers in SL, Russo in RL)

http://www.dannrusso.com

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFgLyxQSAHo
its the video preview for Models Don't Eat Chocolate Cookies

go Erin!

http://www.erindionne.com

so - waiting for me on my desk at work this morning was a brand new copy of Models Don't Eat Chocolate Cookies by Erin Dionne. You need to get it now.

peace,
Dann

this is one of the coolest things I have ever seen...

and I was just reminded that it happens next thursday...

Models Don't Eat Chocolate Cookies by Erin Dionne (www.erindionne.com ) comes out and MY SONGS are in it...

that in and of itself is pretty cool...but then Erin wants me to go around and actually play them at her book signings/presentations.

I'm honored and in awe.

so it just came to me in a flash!

well, kind of...I have always wanted to write an album called "Paradiso Lluvioso" and guess what I'm doing in February?

well, yeah, that...

and WRITING PARADISO LLUVIOSO! (http://www.rpmchallenge.com )

here is the initial track listing (subject to editing for time or content)

1. It Looks Worse Than It Is

2. Means Justify The Ends

3. Rain Is The Same (rewritten)

4. E A B

5. Para Que No Tengas Sed

6. Dice

7. Frank Advice

None of the songs will be written until February, although some of them have had a head start ;-)

peace,

Dann

a video for Parking Lot Kings has been filmed in Second Life! check it out:

so cool - Dann music added here:
Bohemio Radio - Listener Supported Radio for Independent Artists Around the World. Check it out at http://www.bohemioradio.com/index-8.html
thanks Bohemio Radio

so I'm gearing up...in the vein of that National Novel Writing Month a phenominally genius person came up with the idea of doing it for music too!

here is the info: http://www.rpmchallenge.com/component/option,com_frontpage/Itemid,1/
If you are a musician, check it out and ITS ON! Especially if I tagged you - then we all have to meet in Portsmouth and listen to each others music.

:-)

10 songs? 35 minutes? in February?

hell yeah.

peace,
Dann

Happy New Year!
So - for some people, me included, New Years is a cool way of looking back and seeing the stuff that happened in 2008 as History - and making sure that some of it gets repeated in a vicious circle of fabulousness but making sure that some things will change forever for good. I for one am taking a mulligan on pretty much everything since Thanksgiving, teeing up the ball a little higher, and getting out the club that I hit the best with.

If you didn't catch the golf analogy, I'm pretty much going to rock out 2009 as well as I can. There are many many good things that are happening and that are going to happen and I can't wait. I'm not going to be upset about stuff that is in the past and I can't do anything about, but I am off to the races and I don't lose races. ;-)

and if you haven't seen this, its pretty cool: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Dann-Russo/36658671856
peace and love for all.

Dann

don't forget to put the Christ back in Christian today - wish the greatest violin player of all time Happy Birthday!

please to put a penny in the old man's hat

and if you haven't got an old man, how about some struggling musicians?

;-)

remember - there is some awesome new music available out there - many can be given as Christmas presents too! Please check out my "top friends"who are musicians at my myspace page (http://www.myspace.com/dannrusso ) and grab some of their music to give and give them some support too!



peace,

Dann

it's kind of upsetting when the day you get the tree is dark and rainy and cold...where is the snow? where is the nice winter that comes from the north and brings down Santa and Rudolph and presents and jolliness? or is it jollyness? Maybe that's the reason my new song "Her Majesty Cry" is about Orpheus and Euridice - the greatest love story ever told with the saddest ending ever. You see, Euridice got bit by a snake and died. Orpheus was such a great singer and songwriter that he was able to go down to the underworld and convince Persephone, queen of Hades, to shed a tear and let Euridice go back to the land of the living. He wasn't allowed to see her until he got back to the outside world, and about two steps from making it to the top, he turned around and saw her vanish.

Halloween
Ok I hate Halloween...well, hate is a strong word...I don't really HATE Halloween, but I certainly don't enjoy it or look forward to it as much as some people (that I happen to live with) do. I blame Sean Brereton scaring the hell out of me in 1st grade with some kind of mask that I probably still have nightmares about today. But that's not the point.

The point is that my costumes ROCK. Ever since the gauntlet has been thrown about 8 years ago to self-make costumes for parties, I have always tried to out-shine anyone there (although there are a few to whom Halloween is an art form akin to Rembrandt or even DaVinci (http://bostonerin.livejournal.com/ ) and I can hardly hold a candle) and have spent a lot of time on my costumes - my Julius Caesar with 27 stab wounds and a sword still in his back, the William Wallace complete with blue face and what the Scots wear under their kilt, the Frodo Baggins...well, that was just fantastic and I was practically made for it...and today I spent two hours creating a fantastic costume - I sewed a brown boa onto my courderoy jacket, more on my sweatbands to put on my knees, created a Temple University t-shirt, am planning ..ing my face, and my hair is perfect for tufts. I seem to put a lot of work into something I only kinda like...but I like the finished product a lot :-)

ok.

so everytime I log onto my website (http://www.dannrusso.com ) the first thing I check is the guestbook. Originally, it was to see if anyone who was at my last show, performance, sl show, met me at someone's house and to whom I gave my card logged on and had any comments about my music, my site, the pics, whatever. Recently there have been a lot of posts (by spammers I assume) that include such winners as "asian women free asian women blowjobs sdfiuysw asian" (that was on there today). And of course I delete the post, but it leads me to a few things:

1. I'm often horrified at the date these posts were put up. That means that anyone who has gone to my site in the last few days has seen it.
2. consequently I'm depressed cause no one went to my site cause they would have told me about it :-P

so...

do I stop allowing comments on my site?
do I just keep deleting?

so I played my first college show in a while and learned a few things:

1. MCPHS rocks. Awesome place, awesome people.

2. sitting down at an intimate venue is the way to go - even the rockier songs were cooler and more well-received than if I was trying to emote on two feet.

3. I need to always play Fix You in my set. I tried it as a lark, playing it for the second time ever, and the end of the song EVERYone sang. It was really cool.

So, thank you very much MCPHS.

And by the way, Casey Sullivan rocks. Check her out: http://www.myspace.com/caseysullivanmusic she is going to be way famous.