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CRAIG
MAHER |
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MUSIC
WEB EXPRESS 3000 presents CRAIG MAHER
New
CD The name
of the new CD is called Propel, I came up with the title when
I was going to art school some years back in NYC, and shit was looking
grim with the whole "9-11' thing going on. I knew that there
had to be a better path for all of us on this planet earth so Propel
came to mind. The album was recorded at Sound Spa recording studio
in NJ. The person who owns it his name is Stevie D. Stevie's an old
mate from my pirate days and he has a ton of out-board gear. Stevie
has a great ear for things and we had a very interesting dichotomy
when it came to making Propel but that's part of the challenge
and fun when you don't see eye-to-eye all the time. You can't always
have it like peach jam…plus it made me look harder and deeper
to push the envelope to make something that I thought was fresh and
sounded new. Favorite
Guitars My favorite
guitar at the moment is my ‘64 reissue Strat (powder-blue) which
I used on "Living in the Utopia” and “Where I Belong".
It has a real thin rounded neck and I did some modifications by installing
a Kahler locking tremolo and replacing the back pickup with a Joe
Satriani (Fred) double humbucker to get some more kick. Musical
Influences My musical
influences span a wide-range but some influential vocalists include:
Joni Mitchell, Ian Gillan, Jon Anderson, David Crosby, Robert Plant,
David Bowie, Bono, Gary Brooker, Ozzy, Chet Baker, Chris Robinson,
Glenn Hughes and Roger Daltrey to name a few… Upcoming
Plans After
promotions wrap up with Propel, I'm planning on recording a
new song, "Shed my Skin," this summer to showcase on my
new website. The track was originally going to be on the album, but
I left it off the record because of time restraints. I wrote the song
some years back and it has always been a favorite to play live, so
I'm finally going to get a chance to get it down in the studio!
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Based
out of NYC, singer songwriter Craig Maher whips up a sonic
storm on his 2010 eight track album Propel. Amazing
that in a tribute move, Maher covers the lead off track from the first
1968 NAZZ album, featuring Todd Rundgren’s song “Open My
Eyes” in a cover version on Propel. A very unusual musical
move and overall, it’s a pretty cool album start to finish.
Maher’s key influences include late period Pink Floyd and Bowie
and you can also hear a definite kind of Bon Jovi / Steven Tyler influence
in Maher’s dramatic rock vocal mannerisms. Also outstanding on
Coral sitar, oud, acoustic, electric and synth guitars, Maher truly
dominates the proceedings with a cross section of memorable original
rock tracks. Not only does Maher find musical solace in the classic
prog-rock sound but he also was quite influenced as well by England's
progressive rock album cover designers Hipgnosis and likewise Maher
has put together a unique and cool cover design for Propel. 
Funny,
my musical background started when I was a little man around 5 or
6. I used to hear my mom wail at my brothers at the top of her lungs,
and I would try and emulate her tone and pitch, so I think that was
the first point where I took an interest in music. But it really didn't
kick-in until I was in my teens, when I wanted to sing or play some
kind of instrument. I think my mom could have been a great singer
if she only knew the power of her voice. My sister used to play acoustic
guitar for a bit, and she worked at a restaurant in Princeton where
this guy, Barry Peterson, used to play gigs. I would often see him
there performing so I eventually asked him if I could take some guitar
lessons. I was maybe 12 or 13 at the time. I studied from Barry for
about a year or so, learning all the basics circle of 4ths and the
circle of 5ths (Simon and Garfunkel/Stones) songs on acoustic until
I eventually progressed to electric guitar. Barry was the first person
who introduced me to singing & playing at the same time, which
was no easy task for me back then.