Dallas David Ochoa

If you hear the term solo acoustic guitarist and your thoughts immediately turn to skinny jeaned, fashionistas in wide brimmed hats pouring their woes out in the chord of A minor, then you need a bit of Dallas David Ochoa in your life. Yes, he plays acoustic guitar, yes, he us a singer-song writer but he manages to harness more groove and vibrancy in one bar than most of the aforementioned would be troubadours do in their first three albums.

Direct, infectious, joyous abandon…. Pop-funk style. How can you not like this guy? And it isn’t just the dexterity of his playing that ticks all the boxes, the fact that he kicks all generic boundaries into touch just by picking up an acoustic guitar is long over due. Classical deftness, funky workouts, dark folky undertones, pop sass and flamenco flourishes all get their turn and anyone who can fit all that together without it feeling forced or showboaty has definitely got to be one to watch. Dallas David Ochoa is without doubt one to watch. - A&R Factory

Light snow is falling outside and I am at the White Eagle for the CD release show of Dallas David Ochoa's new release In Tatters. Dallas begins his set off on solo acoustic guitar. His songs and playing are infectiously rhythmic with many staccato accents and back beats. He is extremely adept at playing complex progressions and patterns while singing effortlessly to his own accompaniment. The songs and subjects reflect personal experiences often with stream of consciousness lyrics. On occasion vocal effects are mixed in to lead the listener into heady places. The audience is definitely engaged and I see many heads bobbing and feet tapping.

After Dallas' opening performance he is joined by Jeff Bissett on drums and Brian Mejia on bass. The music takes on new dimensions with the trio. Songs vary in range with elements of funk to Americana to the avante-garde. The band is tight and polished and play the In Tatters release in its entirety. After the full band performance, guitarist CJ Hawley joins Dallas on stage and the duo perform songs they have co-arranged. The music becomes intimate and introspective to close the evening.

Dallas David Ochoa will be performing next at "Fools Fest" in Stevenson WA at Walking Man Brewing Apr 7th. I highly recommend checking him out! More information can be found at www.dallasdavidochoa.com

- DJ Devon
90.3 FM - Freeform Portland - 90.3 FM Freeform Portland

The Texas born, singer/songwriter Dallas David Ochoa blends together a sound that people say is like a combination of Prince, Frank Zappa, Primus and Ani Difranco. How’s that for diversity? Without a doubt, his latest EP release In Tatters mixes styles and genres up to their full potential. From harder pop and funk, indie rock, progressive and psychedelic jams, Ochoa covers a lot of ground for this short collection of songs. He now resides in Portland, Oregon and his music has been heard on the Portland Radio Project 99.1 FM, Radio Hot Tub and a variety of other Internet and college radio stations.

​What I found with Ochoa’s style is that he can get intense, quirky and fun all in one song. He’s got some crazy, catchy hooks and fast repetitive string action – especially on “Shepherds Pie.” I liked this opener for its jerky nature and the keyboard addition was a nice touch. Funk pop at its finest. “Streetlights” was fantastic too for its fun guitar arrangements, cascading harmonious guitar riffs and happy sounds of the keys.

“Ranger” reminded me of an experimental Prince song. The drum programming and tempo changes with fills are a bit slower than the first two numbers and the added extras made me want to listen more. “A Tiny Spell” is a piano ballad that has that ‘tragic love theme’ thing going like a tormented Prince in one of his tried and true crooners – but Ochoa does this well without being over the top or sappy. The space age sounds of the keys were an added bonus, too. He also had the help of female singer Phephi.

“Last Night” doesn’t push the musical boundaries as much as the first three songs – this tune seemed to have a more traditional progression to it. Lyrically, it sounds like it has a dark message – “Daddy made something in the ground last night” – gave me chills. I’d like to mention to that on top of being a multi-instrumentalist, Ochoa’s voice is a unique instrument in itself. Several times I thought I was hearing two separate singers, but in fact, Ochoa’s voice has some very unique twists to it that can only be experienced by listening to his work. - Divide & Conquer

David Dallas Ochoa’s new EP, In Tatters, comes out of left field. The five tracks contain so many layers of intrigue, you can listen to it on multiple levels. Classic Miles Davis albums give you something similar. Sometime you focus on the trumpet, other listens you reserve for the piano or just the melody. Ochoa’s work fits a similar profile. At first, there is a struggle to figure out what box this music fits into, but then, once you let go, there are all kind of tasty bits and pieces to focus on; the acoustic rhythms, the socially adroit lyrics, the right angle vocals, the unexpected instrumentation. Fortunately it all adds up into something cohesive and powerful.

There are elements that are reminiscent of Kate Bush records or some of the more arty New Wave bands of the early 1980s, so it’s striking that all these sounds are coming from just Ochoa. For a 5-song EP, there’s a good range of tracks, including the romantic duet, “A Tiny Spell.” More would be welcomed. Portland is deep with talent and self-produced music but In Tatters is something truly unique. It really challenges the listener to unpack the music itself, but there’s so much there that it’s easily worth the effort. This is an artist with a long lifeline.

- Prof. Randy Blazak (3/6/18) - Prof. Randy Blazak