Graham Czach 'Lucid' Press
Illinois Entertainer Album Review (02/11)
Even if you don’t care for modern prog, you have to respect Graham Czach’s herculean solo effort, Lucid. Self-produced and released (and also featuring the ambitious Czach on many instruments), he’s built an edificial album drawing on the fantastical realms of Pink Floyd, Yes, the third side of the third Extreme album, Saigon Kick, and The Mars Volta. Multi-suite pop songs abound, as do florid Beatles-based melodies in a tale that loosely binds lost love and environmentalism...It’s an opus of which to be very, very proud. – Kevin Keegan
Chicago Tribune Interview/Feature (10/15/10)
Graham Czach's debut album, 'Lucid,' a personal statement
By Andy Downing, special to the Tribune
Link to Chicago Tribune article
Even at just 31, Graham Czach is already a music lifer. Born and raised in suburban Palatine, Czach started playing stand-up and electric bass at the tender age of 7, forming his first rock group, the Skalawags, when he was just a freshman at Fremd High School. "We almost got a record deal but were sort of all over the place at the time," says Czach, who started the group with current Umphrey's McGee drummer Kris Myers. "If we had actually made that deal ... I would probably already be dead. I was way too young."
Going on to describe himself as "extreme" and "a bit of a wild man," a wizened Czach adds: "I learned the hard way with a lot of stuff, man. I've got a lot of gray hair already."
Listening to Czach's solo debut, "Lucid," which he'll celebrate with a record release show at Martyrs' this weekend, it's hard to doubt the multi-instrumentalist's words. The album swings between polar extremes, morphing from guitar-heavy, prog-rock jams like "Hurry Up and Wait" into more tender fare like "True Love," a Paul McCartney-esque ballad bathed in lush strings.
It's also a very personal album; Czach estimates that 75 percent of the lyrics are based on his own experiences, while the remainder come from witnessing the struggles of close friends and family. "Lost in Life," for one, grew from his dealings with an ex-girlfriend who was still coping with losing her mother at an early age. "I was so connected to her that I felt her pain," says Czach. "It made me think back to my own experiences, losing my grandfather when I was young. He was the inspiration for picking up the upright bass. It was his favorite instrument." The musical coda closing the song still stands as Czach's favorite moment on the record, guitars and strings combining in a trancelike clamor that echoes the pain and inner turmoil he felt at the time.
Czach makes no apologies for the heavier issues that surface. Other songs tackle a woman's right to choose ("Choice"), the horrors of addiction ("Nightmare") and environmental issues ("Gather Round," with Czach sounding like Captain Planet-via-John Lennon). "A lot of the music nowadays is really materialistic and about sex and money and things — which is great, whatever, that's cool — but I just wanted to address more important issues," he says. "Music is a great platform, and a lot of these songs were about bringing back substance and a universal message."
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"This is one of the best new voices in music." Read more...
Evigshed Magazine’s Review of 'Lucid' (08/15/10)
"Graham Czach dedicates music to making a difference."
Interview w/ Eastern Progress (09/23/10)
Featured with LIVE Interview on Big Blend Radio and Upcoming Magazine and Newsletter (08/01/10) >>Check it out and Listen Here
Review by Mixtape Muse (06/24/10):
LISTEN: Graham Czach - "Windows" + "Lost In Life"
Graham Czach - "Windows"
"Windows" is tight and yet ever so fluid. It starts subtly enough, but eventually kicks into something incredibly powerful and uplifting. Czach cites Jeff Buckley as an influence, and it's certainly evident here -- especially when he hits those insanely high notes vocally. Czach works in tension and release and can deal quite a kick going effortlessly from the soft to the quick and loud. He's an incredibly skilled musician, but is also sensitive to how a gripping melody can be just as effective as an impressive guitar solo. The music is thoughtfully arranged without sacrificing or diminishing the emotion that motivates the notes to pour out of each instrument.
More after the hop.
"Lost In Life" is equally as moving as "Windows," but illustrates the influence of Soundgarden and Radiohead, two other bands Czach holds near and dear. The song progresses into a bridge that kicks up dust but gradually winds the song down; it's grand in scale with Zeppelin-worthy string arrangements and almost prog-style guitar in the vein of Soundgarden's Kim Thayil. Vocally, Czach sounds a bit like Will Sheff of Okkervil River and shows a bit more grit in his voice.
BUY: "Windows" and "Lost In Life" are from Graham Czach's new album Lucid. Pick it up here. Buy it directly at that link as a portion of the proceeds from the album are being donated to Greenpeace, Planned Parenthood, the American Cancer Society, and the Art of Living Foundation to help change the world for the better.
Lucid features Kris Myers (Umphrey’s McGee) on drums, Matt Nelson (Lupe Fiasco, Matthew Santos) on keys, and Chris Siebold (Howard Levy, Kick the Cat) on guitars.
Chicago's Graham Czach is an accomplished musician, composer, upright/electric bassist, vocalist and guitarist. Throughout his career, he has performed with some of the industry's top musicians, including Grammy Award Winners Paul Wertico and Howard Levy. He also performs and tours with the Aaron Koppel Quartet, Andrew Ripp, the Matt Nelson Trio, and Second Hand Smoke (Sublime Tribute) among others. Czach also recently played double bass on Lupe Fiasco's forthcoming album L.A.S.E.R.S.
Graham Czach Official Site
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Review by PowerPopaholic.com (06/11/10):
Emerging Pop talent for June with FREE downloads
"Graham Czach is a creative and accomplished musician, composer, upright/electric bassist, vocalist and guitarist. “Lucid” is Graham’s debut album where he combines influences from being raised in a household where Led Zeppelin and the Beatles were playing constantly, to being educated and trained as a classical and jazz musician. If you're tired of John Mayers antics and want to hear a man with more talent, give this a shot. The classical composition is evident on the awesome "Abide" and the string filled "True Love." Fans of baroque pop and Eric Matthews will flip over this artist." -06/11/10
Original Press Release of 'Lucid' -by Luck Media (as seen featured on 6abc.com (Philadelphia), ABC7.com, About.com, CBS2 Chicago, CBS 5 San Francisco, CBS 4 Denver, Charlotte Oberver, Chron.com (Houston Chronicle), CNBC, Columbus Dispatch, Contra Costa Times, Daily Breeze, CBS11 Dallas/Ft. Worth, Inside Bay Area, Long Beach Press Telegram, Music News Nashville, Pasadena Star News, P.E. (Press Enterprise), SF Gate (of the San Francisco Chronicle), Sacramento Bee, Salt Lake Tribune, San Bernardino Sun, San Gabriel Valley Tribune, San Jose Mercury News, San Luis Obispo)
Publicity:
LUCK Media & Marketing, Inc
Steve Levesque/Chrissy Sutphin
818-760-8077
www.luckmedia.com
