Gene Dante is the defender of all things that glitter. And all that glitters is glam!
This singer songwriter holds in his arsenal the vocal powerhouse of a David Bowie and a Freddie Mercury rolled into one, with the clever lyrics of an early Lou Reed, and the catchy guitar riffs of T-Rex and Placebo straight out of Velvet Goldmine. If there is anyone today who is the living manifestation of Maxwell Demon, Mr. Gene Dante is it.
His latest record The Romantic Lead on (Omnirox Entertainment) produced by Peter Luben is a masterpiece of new-generation indie-glam. Sultry vocals and slippery smooth guitars glide across the well lubed glitter covered surface of this record. The opening track A Madness to his Method, (video link for A Madness to his Method) is a swank ballad in an era when people seem to have forgotten the art form of constructing a sensual song. The second track Purity of Intent picks up the tempo driving the listener right into track 3 When the Startlet Hits the Wall. This track opens with a familiar feel of something that the Cars might have written if they had co-authored a track with David Bowie. Great vocal harmonies permeate the next few tracks, (something most bands of today can’t seem to master) and gently lands you right on Track 5. This song, Brian, My Darling, touches on the cabaret feel that would pump itself cleverly into any steam punk driven engine if it were lubed with just the perfect amount of glam era guitar. Gene then pushes the listener off the cliff with his surprise non-radio friendly underground hit C Star. In this track Mr. Gene Dante freely takes risks, and is not afraid to put it all out there. Just take a look at the video for the song C Star and you will understand exactly what I mean. With cleverly crafted lyrics, slinky sexual groove, and vocals that drip pre-love all over the track this is a song that Lou Reed would have written if he actually could sing.
There are so many good things to say about this record, well crafted, insidiously clever, and perfectly executed. If they ever make another Velvet Goldmine themed movie this man’s songs should be all over the soundtrack. If not, someone should be making a movie about Gene Dante.
