"There are places I remember..." Hey, I just bought $30 worth of Beatles from iTunes, and I have been driving around in the car with my iPod cranking to drink it all in. What is it about listening in the car that is just so...right? "In My Life," gawd, how did they ever write such beautiful and meaningful lyrics when they were so young? It is hard to believe, in retrospect, that the 60s didn't just yield The Beatles, but the landscape also yielded the likes of Bob Dylan and The Rolling Stones, and oh so much landmark music. It was a golden age, and I am happy to have witnessed it first hand, although to be sure, we had no idea how special it was historically while we were in the midst of it.
I'm happy to report that many of today's artists bring it forward, with attention to the details. Melody, lyrics, counterpoint, production. Chris Berardo and The DesBerardos have been referenced by Mario Tarradell of the Dallas Observer as a missing link of sorts, "These guys make clean, real music that harkens back to the 1970's golden era when The Eagles and Jackson Brown attracted fans of pop, rock and country. Ah, the good old days."
Chris fronted the New York City based band Sleeper, before he moved to L.A. to form the band Berardo. Along the way his songwriting grew, as he collaborated with Hall of Fame member Bob Crewe ("Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You," "Lady Marmalade," "Big Girls Don't Cry,") and Jerry Corbetta of Sugarloaf ("Green Eyed Lady.") Chris returned to the Northeast and, along with his brother Marc, started the DesBerardos. There have been three CDs under the DesBerados brand so far, with album four in the works. Chris and company will be playing at The Mansion on O Street this Thursday night, December 2nd. So if you are in the DC area, come check them out...but you have to get your reservations in advance of the show, not at the door. The Mansion is a mysterious place, and if you don't know the password, they will disavow any knowledge of what is going on inside. To whet your appetite, this is "Pure Faith," the title track from album number two, with this version recorded during SXSW 2010 in Austin, at Threadgill's, for Music Fog's artist showcases.
- Jessie Scott
