john vecchiarelli
portland, or
label : speckrecords
bio / music / press: / shows / photo
"Singer-songwriter John Vecchiarelli could run for mayor and top Dozono and Adams in some districts. The man just exudes a certain gravity, which tugs invisibly at his disciples. Like that bashful record-store track playing beneath the sounds of shuffling jewel cases and pacing feet, Vecchiarelli’s sound is small, but only until properly examined. Give the Portlander a few tracks of your undivided attention, and he’ll give you several days’ worth of introspection in return. Sure, it’s a lopsided deal, but you win every time—and you’ll find out that being simultaneously big and small is anything but medium."
- Mark Stock, Willamette
Week , Portland, OR
"Anyone can get attention by screaming;
it takes a particular talent to command attention through a whisper.
Like the Red House Painters’ Mark Kozelek, Vecchiarelli is a master
of muted shades and melancholy; the album “Songs From Whoville”
is an understated and achingly beautiful collection of material that
slowly seeps under your skin. His voice becomes the perfect instrument
for conveying longing and regret."
- Barbara Mitchell, Portland
Tribune , Portland, OR
"Originally steeped in the realm of hard
rock and punk, John Vecchiarelli went more mellow and racked up some
pretty solid indie cred with a voice that can ebb and flow with the
same melancholic sweetness Jeff Buckley gave us in "Grace".
After four years of brooding under soggy Portland skies, the local released
his second album, "Songs from Whoville", shrewdly bringing
together warm tones of cello, organ and piano to create a winter blanket
of gentle and
well-crafted songs."
- Elizabeth Schuster, Willamette
Week , Portland, OR
"Songs From Whoville" is 8 songs of
quiet brilliance. John's newest songs flip the same emotional switches
for me as artists such as Elliott Smith and Red House Painters, but
do so without sounding derived from them at all."
- KPSU Radio ,
Portland State University, OR
"Ok, its time to cut out the bull here.
Lets take all clever writing techniques, all the cute analogies, all
the flowery phrases, and lets toss them out the window. Why? Because
musically this record does exactly that. 8 songs that pay homage to
the meaning of melody and space, John’s performances and choices
of arrangements are as tasty as they come. Stripped down ensembles featuring
guitar, voice, & piano/organ (Matt Greenberg from Charles Atlas
& Sanchez) with the occasional rhythm track, backup vocal and cello
accompaniment (Jen Grady from the waxfire) “Songs from Whoville”
is moody, powerful and lyrically charged with a deep sense of realization,
loss, and elation. Simply put “Songs from Whoville” is a masterpiece
of pure song."
- KZSU
Radio , Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA
"I've received a lot of positive feedback
after playing "Songs From Whoville" on my radio show, and
listening to the record it's easy to hear why. These eight songs, from
the achingly pretty "Cocoon" to the lovely closing lullaby
"Lillian", are sad and warm and effective, each one perfect
in its own way. Refreshingly different from most 'singer-songwriter'
fare out there, "Whoville" is one of the most beautiful records
of the year. I only wish it were longer!"
- KAOS Radio,
Olympia, WA
"Since relocating here late last century,
alt-folkie Vecchiarelli has developed his craft through constant local
gigs and relentless touring. On Songs from Whoville, his first Portland
disc, he shows how far hes come, coaxing more emotion and technique
from his voice than ever before."
- Jeff Rosenberg, Willamette
Week , Portland, OR
"As a melancholic indie singer-strummer
from Portland, John Vecchiarelli is probably doomed to live forever
in the shadow of "Mount St. Elliott Smith." However, it is
greatly to his credit that, despite inevitable comparisons to the late
guru of "intimate ballads" and "folky pop," Vecchiarelli
has carved out a niche of his own. A studio drummer turned punk rocker
turned acoustic Man of Sorrow, Vecchiarelli owes bigger sonic debts
to Jeff Buckley and Michael Stipe than Elliott Smith or Nick Drake."
- Iain Bernhoft, Gonzaga
Bulletin , Spokane, WA
"Transplanted from New York to Denver to
San Francisco to Portland, John Vecchiarelli is a troubadour of the
one-man-and-his-guitar variety. But his somber songs sound more like
Trent Reznor doing his best Billy Bragg impression; that is, Vecchiarelli
shares the smoldering intensity of Reznors ballads, and strums his electric
and acoustic (usually alternating between the two) guitars with the
tense righteousness of a younger Bragg. With his clever use of guitar
effects and ominous chord changes, Vecchiarelli's songs are simultaneously
dark and brooding, while exuding charm and humor. The songwriter's self
released debut cd, "tiny rooms", employs a full band of pianos,
drums, bass and organs on several tracks, which further flesh out his
beautiful songs. However, Vecchiarelli's music is best experienced live,
where the singer/guitarists emotional impact hits hardest."
- Dave Clifford, Willamette
Week , Portland, OR
"Idiot Kids" heavy swaying pace lulls you down rivers and through streams. The real proof of Vecchiarelli's singing ability comes through on "My Own Design" and the title track "Tiny Rooms", where his voice effortlessly curves around space in a secondhand reaction. Glenn Kotche, Matt Greenberg, Todd Ayers, and Devin Hoff help brighten the highlights and darken the shadows on this folk masterpiece."
- Rob Heater, Editor in chief, Sponic Zine "John Vecchiarelli has been kicking around Portland for a while now, though you don't hear all that much about him. He's a great songwriter, though, with beautiful lyrics and interesting, folky melodies. His vocal delivery is one of the thousands that graduated from the School of Nick Drake, but damn, I mean, Nick Drake was pretty frickin' awesome. Know what I'm saying?"
- Justin Wescoat Sanders, Portland Mercury , OR
"Tiny Rooms is an impeccably produced and
mightily impressive debut, illustrating once more that it's always the
quiet "ex-members of" who come up and knock you on your ass."
- Tim Scanlin, Snackcake Magazine, San Francisco, CA
"A true original, drummer turned singer/guitarist
whose eliptical songs seeem obscure and revelatory at exactly the same
time... intensely personal."
- Michael Roberts,
Westword Magazine , Denver, CO