Steve Conte & The Crazy Truth - CD Release Party at J&R Music

To celebrate the release of their self-titled CD, Steve Conte & The Crazy Truth will be performing and signing autographs on Thursday October, 22nd at 6 pm at J&R Music World.

Named for a Charles Bukowski poem, The Crazy Truth began to unfold in 2005 when Steve ran into high school pal Lee “Leeko” Kostrinsky on the street in New York City. Leeko’s punk, reggae & indie rock influences were a perfect foil for Conte’s love of the blues, classic rock and 60’s garage bands. Rounded out by Scarborough’s own Phil Stewart on drums, the trio played their first show in NYC within a few months - a T Rex memorial concert where they performed a cover of Marc Bolan’s classic “Rip Off” and 9 new Steve Conte originals.

Working between records & tours as lead guitarist/backing singer and co-songwriter with the legendary New York Dolls, Conte has produced his band’s debut album, a scorching 11 song rock & roll disc called simply – Steve Conte & The Crazy Truth. It features guest performances by Dolls front man David Johansen on harmonica, the soulful voices of Nikki Richards (Tina Turner/Madonna) and Catherine Russell (Al Green) and horns by Danny Ray (Sylvain Sylvain/ Johnny Thunders), Tom Timko (Stevie Wonder) and Kiku Collins (Beyonce).

Sonically, The Crazy Truth lies somewhere between garage rock and punky blues with hints of Latin-soul played in a dark, smoky lounge. Stooges & Stones meet Morphine & Waits. Classic roots with modern twists. It’s the kind of rock & roll that swings. Steve Conte brings the power, soul and raunch; a guitar hero on the edge of falling apart - with the voice of a derelict angel. Drummer Phil Stewart is equal parts Max Roach and Keith Moon while bassist Leeko was weaned on The Clash and old school reggae.

Conte says: “This album sounds like a band playing LIVE because it is — drums, bass & guitar together in one room, solos recorded live on the basic tracks, rough and tough. It was like doing a gig - and I love playing live with this band because we don’t just deliver the songs…we JAM! It’s all about interplay and the moment.”

Lyrically, the songs reflect two decades of life and excess in New York City…the attractions troubled souls seek out to fill the emptiness. Dive bars, gambling, sex-and-drugs …but not celebrated with the usual macho rock attitude. Mostly it’s about redemption. With Steve Conte’s unique perspective he sings, “I’m always putting the last things first, that’s why I’m starting out with the second verse” and “drag queens, drama queens, future ex-porn stars, we’re all looking for lovers with beautiful scars”. Whether he’s the morally bankrupt guy “coming downtown in a Gypsy Cab” or riding a “Busload Of Hope” to Atlantic City, Conte offers optimism - “In the end we transcend - we’re divine”….”

The Crazy Truth record was mixed by Niko Bolas (Keith Richards, Neil Young) and mastered by Richard Dodd (Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers), yet Conte was determined to keep the album’s production rough and raw. Fans of New York Dolls will be pleased that this album embodies the spirit of those early Dolls records with it’s seat-of-the-pants performances.

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