Storybox: Press & Reviews
Storybox
Posted: Sunday, June 22, 2008
By: Mike V
Review by: Mike V
BIOGRAPHY
Storybox is the brainchild of Dave Montana, a.k.a. Agent D. Montana's musical legacy stretches as far back as his early formative years up to and including the present day. In that time, Montana has completed music school, joined various bands that played everything from calypso and jazz to rock. The "poptronic" bug bit him around 2003, where Montana explored the market with some MP3s and found resounding acceptance for his music. His follow-up to those recordings brings us to his sophomore release, No Dancing Allowed. While the majority of tracks are certainly destined for club play and radio air time, Montana pulls doesn't pull any lyrical punches. This CD follows the usual emotions of love and loss but also digs further into political possibilities, as on title track "No Dancing Allowed," as well as exploring the devastation of the Holocaust.
INTERVIEW
The cover for No Dancing Allowed is quite profound. Which came first, the cover concept or the ideas of the songs?
Montana: The songs came first. Most of the recording was done when it was time to think about the cover.
Was the cover concept your idea or something created in the mind of the photographer?
Montana: It was a little of both. I told Carl Yrwin what I had in mind. I wanted something that would describe the title by itself, because I was not using the title on the cover. Something that would show the holding back of emotions, will and power. Carl came up with the cover himself.
Are there any chances of releasing that photo in a poster size?
Montana: Not really but if someone wanted one bad enough, it could be facilitated on demand.
Your music has been quite a hit on a number of radio and compilation formats. Among these, Woobie Bear Music featured you on their Beartracks 3 compilation. What is your take on the development of 'bear boy' groups that are surfacing as of late?
Montana: Well the only 'bear boy' band I am aware of is Bearforce One. They have achieved much more in a short time than most in 10 years. But most of the 'bear' acts I know of are solo artists. They have more exposure now. thanks to the Internet, Woobie Bear and Bearapalooza. I am glad to have been a part of both. I have great respect for both Greg Hudson of Woobie Bear Music and Freddy Freeman, who started Bearapalooza, although I have never considered myself a 'bear' artist myself. It should be said that the Woobie Bear Music compilations are not made of 'bear' artists only. The track on Beartracks 3 was not as Storybox, but Storybox does appear on two other Woobie Bear Music compilations. Equatronic and Babylonia have appeared on their compilations as well. Woobie Bear Music has expanded to much more than just the 'bear' scene alone.
You state that your track 'No Dancing Allowed' was based on the Stonewall Riots in June 1969. Do you secretly harbor any fear or reservations that the sentiments within the parameters of the song may also be chillingly prophetic with the current nightclub scenario in large cities at some point in our future?
Montana: 'No Dancing Allowed' didn't start with that idea originally. In fact, the title itself was a joke between a friend of mine and I. It started when I had recorded one song for the previous CD I released. He was dancing to a rough demo, and I said, 'Hey, no dancing allowed!' It was then that I thought it was a great name for a song. Then I decided it would be the title of the next CD I'd make. Then the song came, and it was subconsciously that I wrote a fictional account based on the riot. I hope it is not prophetic. The word 'dancing' could be substituted for anything else you'd want to do that you feel you must fight to keep your right to do. But if it is happening somewhere, I hope it gives people the will to do something about it.
'Never Wonder' was created based upon your partner Ron and his negative past relationship. Why do you think many artists, particularly gay artists, shy away from approaching this sad reality in their work?
Montana: I wouldn't say they shy away from such subject. A lot of gay artists tend to be more political with their material, so they write more about issues like equality, human rights, being proud, or being the butt of jokes on TV or cinema and things like that. In the past, with my first release, I was told my lyrics were not gay enough, and that was fine with me. I prefer to write material that is more universal. I don't particularly care to cater to one community over another. That is not to say I wouldn't tackle issues that affect me as a gay man, but it is not my priority.
'Fantasy' is a heavy track based upon many egocentric men. You hold no punches with lyrics such as, 'Body of a god with the face of an angel / How someone like that could be cruel / Soul of the devil and mind of a killer / You are so collected and cool.' Have you ever witnessed someone like this after they have fallen from their conceited pedestal, and would you plan on creating a song dealing with this fall?
Montana: Yes, I have, and it was not pretty. Looks fade. I've always thought what is inside a person is so much more important than the outside beauty. The song was not written about anyone in particular, even though I had a similar experience. It was more based on the idea of having a major crush on someone you think is the most beautiful person you've ever seen and how badly you want to be with them, but once you get to know them you realize the fantasy was much better than the reality you faced. Writing somewhat of a sequel to 'Fantasy' is something I have thought about but have not really dabbled with yet.
What is the personal significance of your covering the Lennon/McCartney tune 'Things We Said Today?'
Montana: There isn't one, really. I actually had started working on 'I Am the Walrus' instead, but found it tedious and got bored with it. I switched to 'Things We Said Today' because I wanted to do a lesser known Beatles track. A lot of people consider their songs to be untouchable, so I had to make sure I could pull it off if I was going to make a synthpop version of one of their songs. This song just happened easy and fast. It was not recorded for the album, though. It was decided to be included at the very end. I'm glad it's there.
'Dream Ghosts' deals with your frequent nightmares. In your opinion, are creative people more prone to being plagued by nightmares, and how do you see them as a help or hindrance to the creative process?
Montana: Perhaps. Creative people feel pressure to better themselves all the time, but I don't know if having nightmares is good or bad for creativity. I guess it is a double-edged sword. It can either push you to go beyond or block you completely.
Are there plans to have your songs on the Logo network?
Montana: Nobody has approached me yet. If anyone out there wants to produce a video, please contact me. Ha!
What other topics would you lyrically like to tackle that you think haven't been said from your perspective yet?
Montana: I am working on a song tentatively called 'Closet' which is sung from the point of view of someone who is remembering how suffocating it was to be in that sort of prison. There are many things to be explored yet, but I intend to do less 'love you, love me' songs for the next full release.
Your style of 'poptronic' is actually the norm rather than the exception in many underground goth clubs. Are you a fan of that genre, and did you knowingly create the music to appeal to this segment?
Montana: Yes, I have always loved synthpop music, especially the older stuff. It's been a great influence in me. However, I did not record the album specifically for the club-goers or club DJs. I simply wanted to record an album that sounded like the music I wish I could hear on the radio today. When I am working, I try not to think if others will like it or not. I record for me. If others like it, then it is a major bonus and a great feeling. Although I do let some selected ears listen to my demos for outside ideas and opinions, ultimately I make music for my own enjoyment.
What's next on the Storybox horizon?
Montana: The immediate plans are to finish a single this year with some remixes to be released by late fall or early winter. I hope to be able to get remixes from artists on my home label, but other contributors are welcome, too. Then next year I'll probably start work on a new Storybox full release.
In today's day and age, it is hard to believe that gay people were often arrested for congregating in their own clubs less than 40 years ago. During that political climate, gay men and women remained an imaginary threat for the mainstream right wing and in spite of the pervasive "love power" that predominated the '60s, this same sentiment was still a long way off for the gay populace. Storybox thus crafts a fictional account of real world events from the 1969 Stonewall Riots with the title track "No Dancing Allowed." While this track is highly danceable and filled with infectious grooves honed from the top electro acts of the '80s, this anthemic track poignantly looks towards the pseudo-apocalyptic future of nightclub life throughout the New York scene of today, regardless of orientation. "Never Wonder" dishes up yet another '80s inspired track reminiscent of New Order with hopeful and emotively loving lyrics. "Ashes in the Air" opens with a dark electronic infusion, which then reverts to something akin to the dark pop sensibility of Depeche Mode. Lyrically, this is an homage to those who perished in the Holocaust without making the topic lighthearted in the least. "Fantasy" brings us on a more theatrical journey, similar to that of the later work of Marc Almond. This mid-tempo beat is delivered with a touch of archaic medieval emphasis combined with Broadway intensity and opulent electronic instrumentation. No Dancing Allowed is a body of work lyrically, photographically, and sonically that will invite contrasts and comparisons, to which a short review could never do full justice. This particular CD is definitely geared to those who love the timeless sounds from the '80s as well as the underground dance pop club styles of today, as both are beautifully combined within the parameters of the 12 tracks. This is a fresh and inviting debut from an artist who clearly puts a creative spin on every aspect of his release in order to make it a timeless classic.
"One of the most creative and emblematic (not to mention bona fide feel-good!) albums to come out of 2007."
STORYBOX: "NO DANCING ALLOWED"
"No Dancing Allowed" is the debut album from Storybox, identified on the official site www.StoryboxMusic.com as "the poptronic music outlet for Agent D., AKA Dave Montana". Montana produced, programmed, arranged, played guitar and keys, and performed all of the 12 songs on this pinnacle of popcraft-- and wrote all but one of them. Right off from the first few beats of the opening title track, the stage is set for this musician's particular skill: creating superb electronic beats and instantly addictive rhythms. It's strikingly clear that Agent D. was influenced by some of the most creative and emblematic (not to mention bona fide feel-good!) new wave music which hit the masses in the '80's: Sparks, Depeche Mode, and New Order among them. Yet, not content to rely solely on his magic box of electronic special effects, he does indeed have a voice. Montana's voice is grounded, strong, and more concrete than a lot of the singers from the genre and era that he was influenced by. Yet, he's also got quite an impressive range (This comes out very clearly at many points throughout the album...), and he also has the capacity to sound (Dare I say?) sweetly romantic. In other words, at times he can emote more tenderness than you'd expect to come from a man who, in person, makes for a very imperious presence. Occasionally, his voice becomes grand, soaring, and almost otherworldly-- not unlike one of his presumed musical role models Dave Gahan, lead vocalist for Depeche Mode. "No Dancing Allowed" the album opens with the title track, which may (...no, must!) become the next dancefloor anthem, a call to action that should be heard from New York City to Dave Montana's home state of North Carolina. The song opens with an almost apocalyptic aura, and moves on to the deep house sound and grand feeling of freedom and abandon that we used to feel at some of New York's legendary clubs (The Roxy and Limelight among them). The listener detects a vein of forbidden ecstasy running through the whole song. Given the dictatorial crackdown on dancing in clubs in New York City over the last few years, the song transcends from fantasy to what may be a very real picture of the future: a song based on a true story about to happen:
"Imagine no beat,
Imagine no sound;
Your hands on your back,
Your face on the ground.
Thou shalt not dance,
Thou shalt not move;
Thou shalt not swing,
Thou shalt not groove..."
The end result is amazing. If "No Dancing Allowed" doesn't start a revolution through its message, nothing will:
"Stomp your feet,
Raise your hands;
Move your body
As fast as you can.
The time is now,
To take your chance;
Fuck any law that says,
'No dancing allowed'!"
The next song, "Never Wonder (Words Unspoken)" will remind astute listeners of one of New Order's most well-known tracks, "Bizarre Love Triangle". With this one, Storybox shifts genres and reminds us that a love song can be irresistibly (Dare I say again?) sentimental, yet rock solid at the same time. For the third track, "Ashes In the Air", the listener is intrigued by an ominous melody (think Depeche Mode's "Agent Orange") morphing into a brooding beat (Think Depeche Mode's "Strangelove"), followed by more upbeat poptronica effects. For a moment we think we're hearing more lighthearted stuff, although the listener soon realizes, via the lyrics, that there's a far, far darker message behind the song. Yes, it's about the Holocaust...
"Led to a place of darkness,
Disguised as a shower room;
The poison fell upon them,
While the others went up in fumes...
Ashes, ashes in the air,
Cried out for help but no one really cared;
I can hear them screaming everywhere,
Do you see those ashes in the air..."
For "Fantasy", Montana adopts yet another vocal style, offering an almost medieval sound and some impressive vocal highlights. "Sun", another gem on the CD, returns to the '80's-influenced, electro-pop realm-- evoking early Depeche Mode ("Just Can't Get Enough") and featuring space-age blips, digital raindrops, and an overall ethereal ambience. The feeling is pure joy-- no more, no less. Next up is "Things We Said Today", the only song on "No Dancing Allowed" that Montana did not write. Originally heard in 1964 (It was composed for The Beatles movie "A Hard Day's Night" and was the B-side of the single of the same name...), the lyrics are timeless, and the melody of Agent D.'s version is addictive. Montana adopts a free-spirited, '60's-influenced sound as an homage to the original; but ultimately, this new interpretation is unmistakably our generation! "Ardor" shifts gears again, serving up a darker atmosphere... and it's not hard to detect a "master and servant" subtext behind the music, even if you don't analyze the lyrics. The sexual tension is intense! This song would be the perfect background music for a, shall we say, forbidden after-hours club. A real stunner comes with "Thearapy". Whether or not the song is fiction or was inspired by true life events is irrelevant -- it's haunting and disturbing either way, and the fact that it's set against a musically neutral (as opposed to, let's say, a more sinister beat...) makes the deadpan, confessional-style lyrics even more jolting.
"You Move Me" is yet another high point on "No Dancing Allowed", pushing Dave Montana's vocals to the forefront. It's the best love song that Martin Gore, Vince Clarke, Andy Bell, or Neil Tennant never wrote:
"But round and round and round we go,
Discussing things we should let flow;
Say you will be mine,
Until the end of time.
Your eyes they dance,
When you look at me;
It makes me wonder what you see.
You move me, you move me..."
The lyrics may be simple, but Mr. Montana's delivery makes it complete. But just when Agent D. shows us a bit more of his vocal power in "You Move Me", the album closes with "Gone With the Wind". A true stunner of a closer, this final track features vocals by Montana that go even further in range and intensity (love those mega-impressive high notes!), backed by some expertly produced electronic rifts. Overall, "No Dancing Allowed" is destined to stand as one of the most creative and emblematic (not to mention bona fide feel-good!) albums to come out of 2007. Like the protagonist in the album's title track calling clubgoers to action, the debut album by Storybox is likely to cause a revolution as well.
Jed Ryan
PM Entertainment Magazine
www.pmentertainmentonline.com
www.jedryan.com
"Thomas Dolby having a love child with The Thompson Twins (all three of them!)."
The Politics of Dancing And Loving
1983: news of AIDS (or what was then Gay Cancer or God’s Punishment—how melodramatic and evil), I’m fairly new in a relationship with another poet, and we’re at Carol’s Speakeasy in Chicago when Re-Flex’s “The Politics of Dancing” comes on. The boys go wild and take off their shirts so that we’re like an army of lovers warring against all the social justices outside of the corporeal disco. It was an era when curious sweat shined on our questioned bodies, when psychic arms went into the air to bring down the spying moon just on the other side of the roof.
The lyrics for “The Politics of Dancing” say this:
We got the message
I heard it on the airwaves
The politicians are now D.J.s
And we understand that the media is being Reaganized, that we gays are cultural and spiritual criminals simply because of declarations that simplify us. So some of us choose to resist—by dancing! By keeping the sexuality in homosexuality. Take a look at the original music video by Re-Flex: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fAS7RxK4Uvc
This memory has been stirred by Storybox’s LP, No Dancing Allowed. This LP’s scenario is even more apocalyptic than in the 1980’s. In the title song, the singer wails and demands that the revolution against tyranny begins with the individual body. Big Brother is everywhere; dancing is wisely forbidden by the powers that be (read Republican, I suspect). This is a great dance tune that offers hope as resilience while Storybox sings and plays: “Your hands on your back / your face on the ground /Thou shalt not dance.” The music swells into a song you must dance to for in small acts of defiance do wise choices become apparent. This is a song about defiance through dancing, through the body, through the right of being a citizen equal to anyone else. The police sirens, the Biblical passages, the disco hook of repeating a chorus are powerful presentations of the human spirit’s embroilment in the contemporary. Finally: imagine a world without music, not the kind one can dance to or that is allowed to negotiate between cosmic and human powers.
The rest of the LP is also solid as it investigates love and place, passion and the times. My favorite song is “Dream Ghosts” for it reminds me of life in a contemporary city in which one’s memories collide with the present architecture, people, facts. Storybox moans, “just release me from this pain” but it is obviously an impossible request. They go on, “wake me, wake me, I can’t take it anymore.” Again, I’m returned to the Chicago of my 1980’s after AIDS has invaded Boystown. I remember one night walking home from the clubs and noticing it was less crowded than it had been years ago, that the city looked haunted, that the mannequins were mostly dressed in circumspect black. I opted for a winged taxi and the driver said, “Where to?” And I didn’t know the answer right away—the past? the future? home? But I thought of the young men I knew, some who were lovers, whose bodies were shipped back to Kentucky, Mississippi, elsewhere as if their years in Chicago were nothing, as if they hadn’t been forced to seek solace and joy far from families and religion. This is why art matters: ghosts need to be honored for their years of scars.
There are other great songs of course, like “Therapy,” and I recommend this LP without any hesitation. Storybox is a new discovery to me and the sound reminds me of Thomas Dolby having a love child with The Thompson Twins (all three of them!). It’s rare to find someone who follows his own way and yet generously invites us along. Dancing and revolution, I’m convinced as the years add on, are synonyms.
"...Naked... genuine and without frills."
Storybox is the personal project of Agent D (a.k.a. Dave Montana). Previously he played in different bands and experienced different musical genres. After moving through different states of the U.S. Dave arrived in Austin, Tx and there decided to start working at Storybox. When Dave asked me if I was interested into reviewing his album I accepted because I like electronic music and synthpop but I accepted also because since from its cover NO DANCING ALLOWED shows its multifaceted essence. A man tied to chains kept by hands raising from the ground it's a particular image for a synthpop record. Also reading the lyrics of the album I noticed that here Dave or Agent D. shows himself naked in front of his audience, talking about his joys and his fears. From his website you can read that "Ashes in the air" born from a chat with a friend who found out his ex was Pro Nazi, "Dream ghosts" from the nightmares that he has almost daily, "Therapy" about a child who's been abused by an uncle while his mom was abused by his dad. Musically we have poppy songs like "Sun", "Gone with the wind" as well as dark electro ballads or dark tunes like "Dream ghosts", "Ardor", "Therapy" or the opening "No dancing allowed". There's also a cover of Beatles' "Thigs we said today" which originally was recorded as "A hard day's night" B side. The production reflects the nature of the work: genuine and without frills.
Storybox has an appreciation for the combined heydays of dance music and new wave.
Storybox (a.k.a. Dave Montana or his band moniker, Agent D) is the latest signing to the ever-growing Section 44 label. With a musical background stemming from when he was a child and most of his teens spent working with various styles of music, he has since returned to what he holds dear and continued his work in the field of synthpop.
The journey of "No Dancing Allowed" starts with an interesting sample that later reveals a lot of the intentions of the album. Through a large number of the tracks, Storybox often picks up on society's thoughts and actions toward the world's gay population in a way that actually makes you stop and listen. This is certainly one of the album's strongest attributes, and I found he explores this area with clearly a lot of thought involved. Unfortunately, this is where my interest stopped. Musically I found the album to be slightly directionless, and it has a nasty habit of fading into background music in between tracks. Another problem I found whilst listening to it was that a lot of the album's tracks don't sound like they've been mastered very well at all. With vocals often sounding under-produced and grainy on some tracks and on others sounding fresh and well performed, I had the constant impression that the album was somewhat unfinished.
On the upside, the album has a certain flair and at certain times it felt like I was listening to the early works of Erasure or Depeche Mode. The only problem I can see with that is that this isn't the early '80s anymore and sounds and production have improved with time. Maybe this is the approach that Storybox intended, but for me it just didn't work. I've heard and bought many albums by many acts that give a sense of rejuvenation in this particular genre, and maybe what this album is missing more than anything is a modern twist.
If you are a fan of the music from the early era of electronic pop music (circa 1980-83) then perhaps "No Dancing Allowed" might be worth looking into. Speaking as a fan of that era as well, though, I can't help but think that if you are not going to give the sound a slight update, then maybe some things should be left as they were.
“No Dancing Allowed” es el primer álbum del reciente Storybox, del versátil y veterano Dave Montana. El tema que da nombre al álbum, ‘No Dancing Allowed’, fue la primera realización oficial de Storybox, incluido en el álbum recopilatorio “Sector One” del sello Section 44. Veterano, como digo, ya que desde la edad de 4 años ya practicaba con la batería, y con 13 años grabó su primer trabajo con la banda Ocolomy, como batería y vocalista. También se hizo cargo de la batería en el grupo No You Turn, además de participar en otras realizaciones.
Agent D está especialmente comprometido con los problemas de la discriminación social de los gays y eso se refleja en las letras de sus canciones. Se denota, de una manera sutil, casi subliminal, en los textos una sensibilidad especial respecto de las relaciones humanas, la preocupación por conductas radicales o intransigentes (particularmente evidente en 'No Dancing Allowed' y, sobre todo, en 'Ashes In The Air'). Esa sensibilidad contrasta, quizá, con su imagen (sex symbol, por cierto), su aspecto "bear leather", duro, fuerte, masculino, incluso basto y rudo.
Comienza el álbum con 'No Dancing Allowed', musicalmente muy bien concebido, con bajadas y aumentos en la intensidad del sonido, bien programado y con un buen ritmo que anima al baile. Sigue 'Never Wonder (Words Unspoken)', un tema más alegre y más melódico, pero que mantiene la misma intensidad musical del anterior, también muy bailable. Del siguiente corte, 'Ashes In The Air', decir que es fenomenal cómo introduce lo que transmite el texto (malestar, preocupación) dentro de la música, de los sonidos; la música transmite lo mismo que el texto. Y en contraposición a lo anterior viene el siguiente corte, 'Fantasy', rompiendo el ritmo, a ritmo de vals de tres por cuatro, con una interesante melodía y una, también, interesante y difícil entonación vocal. Continúa 'Sun', synthpop minimalista, de transcurso rápido, de melodía y ritmo rápidos y alegres que transmiten positivismo. Sigue 'Things We Said Today', quizá un poco monótono, ya que no hay demasiadas variaciones en los sonidos, sin embargo, también invita al baile. El siguiente corte, 'Ardor', parece mucho más elaborado, tal vez porque se van sumando sonidos según transcurre la canción, aumentando de intensidad. 'Dream Ghosts', un tema ambient, de melodías de fondo superpuestas a unas lentas inyecciones de electrónica, sin percusiones, todo sonidos fantasmagóricos. Con este corte cambia la perspectiva, de lo anterior alegre, brillante y positivo, hacia lo siniestro, oscuro y decadente; porque el siguiente, 'Therapy', sigue en esa línea, me recuerda mucho, más que por el sonido, por la angustia que transmite, a una de mis canciones favoritas, 'Baby Doll', de Soft Cell. La voz, casi susurrante, la hace aún más inquietante. 'You Move Me', un tema disco, de sonido bastante repetitivo, donde los compases se repiten, con voz tratada, nada tiene que ver con el siguiente, 'Gone With The Wind', absolutamente synthpop, de sonidos melódicos y nada ásperos. Finaliza el álbum con un tema extra, en el que Agent D luce sus cualidades vocales, al estilo Boy George, o Steve Strange.
Este álbum, “No Dancing Allowed”, de un estricto synthpop, recuerda bastante a los grandes del género como, por ejemplo, las mejores joyas de Erasure “I Say I Say I Say” (1994), “Erasure” (1995), “Chorus” (1991) o “Wild” (1989), o de Yazoo, o de los Depeche Mode de principios de los 80. Sí, parece que Dave Montana quiere recoger el testigo de Vince Clarke con el nombre de Storybox y, de momento, con este "No Dancing Allowed" ya se ha puesto a su altura.
Nashville Performance Review
"...the most arresting music..."