LuxDeluxe

LiveWire: FAT's Peter Newland to introduce Lux Deluxe to Springfield audience - Springfield Republican

The Valley’s music scene mounts a collective invasion of Austin’s seminal music festival. - The Valley Advocate

Lux Deluxe is a charismatic local rock band - young, too; most members of the quintet are 20 - and this column would like to recommend you go to their next performance. But unfortunately for you (and fortunately for the band), this Saturday night's Lux Deluxe CD release show at the Iron Horse is seriously sold out.

Vocalist/guitarist Ned King, bassist Jacob Rosazza, lead guitarist Caleb Rosazza, keyboardist Gabriel Bernini and drummer Jake Edwards have a habit of wowing crowds, so if you don't want to miss out on future shows, better plan ahead. They'll appear at the Taste of Amherst on Saturday, June 18 at 7 p.m., and also play an after-hours gig during the run of Wilco's Solid Sound Festival at the Key West Lounge in North Adams on Friday, June 24 at 11 p.m.

Later in the summer Lux Deluxe will make its second appearance at the Green River Fest on Saturday, July 16 at 9:30 p.m. The guys performed at the event last year.

"It was a fun show," said Jacob Rosazza, "but we played on solar power and it kept cutting out."

"I was too powerful," said King, with a big grin.

There was no sun in sight by the time Lux Deluxe started their second-ever live concert for 93.9 The River this past Tuesday - last year they performed on the grass next to Serio's Market, this time they plugged in and rocked out right in the heart of the Farmer's Market behind Thornes.

An ominous two-tone sky - gray and less-gray - swirled above the gathering while the band played "Way Over My Head," the serene, extremely catchy pop gem from its debut album, "Hollow Ground." One major fan stood right in front of the band and sang every word of the chorus; other listening folks sat on the concrete, stood around the perimeter while slurping on cones of flavorful shaved ice, wandered past with curious looks.

"It's fun to play in front of people that I think wouldn't normally come to the shows, but the downside is you kind of have to, um ... play quiet," Jacob Rosazza said before the concert, his bandmates chuckling. "We're a raucous rock band."

Though word eventually came back that a nearby local office wasn't too pleased with the amplified band ricocheting off the buildings and across the parking lot, the shoppers and wanderers that stopped, watched and grooved to Lux Deluxe seemed more than happy.

A mom weighed down with a baby on her back and three sacks hanging off one arm stopped and bounced everything up and down to the beat. A woman with a bowl of noodles in one hand and chopsticks pecking the air in the other hand danced freely to the chugging song "Rearview Mirror" while she ate. A guy in Hawaiian shirt, straw hat and sandals put down his knapsack and twirled out to meet her ... they both bounded around during the song's hoedown coda and bowed a "thank you" to each other when the tune crashed to a close amidst big applause.

"Hollow Ground" was recorded during snow days and school vacations (Bernini is still in high school, Jacob Rosazza and King go to Greenfield Community College) and it shows off the band's classic rock influences.

"We like the old stuff," King said in an earlier interview, and his throaty voice sometimes gives the songs an "Eddie Vedder fronting Tom Petty's Heartbreakers" kind of vibe. Listening to the album you might catch flashes of a Hendrix lick, a Zeppelin melody, a Dire Straits guitar pattern.

The bandmates don't try to hide their influences - Bernini's use of a Hohner clavinet in his keyboard setup is a telltale sign of a joyous NRBQ fan - and they don't try to hide their feelings, either.

"The songs come from personal experience," King said. "You write from things that actually have emotional charge."

The album's title track was written by Jacob Rosazza when he was 15.

"It's about my initial experience in high school, things like cliques and stereotypes that I'd never really experienced before that. The song is generally about growing up, about things you experience as you get older. That's the whole theme of the album." - The Gazette

Ned King isn’t really sure how it happened.
Lux Deluxe, the band he fronts, will celebrate the release of its debut CD “Hollow Ground” at the Iron Horse on Saturday. The show is sold out.
“At first we were thinking that we really had to push to get tickets sold,” said King. “And that was just five days ago. Now here we are telling people if they want to go they really need to call up there. All of a sudden there aren’t enough tickets to go around.”

There has been a buzz surrounding Lux Deluxe for some time now, this group of local musicians who came out of the Pioneer Valley Performing Arts School to form a rock band. The players range in age from 20 down to 16. Time is on their side.
“There are positives and negatives to us being young,” admits King. “People seem to be impressed with what we can do musically. But at the same time we aren’t a priority at shows as an opening band and it s harder to get good shows.”

King (lead vocals / guitar) and drummer Jake Edwards are the elder statesmen in the band. Brothers Jacob (bass) and Caleb (guitar) Rosazza and keyboard player Gabriel Bernini represent the heart of the youth movement.
“They are all so professional and they take it seriously,” King said of his mates. “Everyone has their jobs. I think Caleb makes me look good. They all back me up. I really think I’m blessed.”

While Bernini and the Rosazza’s have recorded in the past with the band US, Edwards and King, who shared songwriting duties on the disc, were newcomers to the process. The band recorded at Spirithouse Studios in Northampton.
“It was a little intimidating at first,” said King. “The weirdest thing for me was getting used to hearing my own voice. But I was surprised at how well we got along. I can see a long and fruitful career with these guys because we are all grounded in the mission.”

The results of that process are impressive.
Most of the songs on “Hollow Ground” are good. Some of them are really good. It is a stunning debut without any qualifiers regarding age or experience. The songs were well-crafted and the sentiments within are genuine.
The songwriting and sound stylings are rooted in classic rock, but King agrees that it is still evolving.
“I think the earlier songs we wrote really came from a roots rock perspective,” he said, mentioning Dire Straits as an influence. “I think the newer songs have a more modern, Wilco feel. Our influences are out there, from Tom Petty to NRBQ.”

The band has also been heavily influenced by local musician Frank Manzi, who fronts the group in the popular Bruce Springsteen tribute called Loose Springsteen.
“He really became a mentor to us,” said King. “We had two songs when we started playing with Frank. We really developed as a band working with him. And I really enjoyed watching him lead the band and how he structured practices. He is an incredible performer and it was something I needed to work on. It helped us in every way.”

Lux Deluxe plays the Iron Horse on Saturday night and the show is sold out. The CD “Hollow Ground” will be available after the performance at luxdeluxemusic.com - Donnie Moorehouse

TORONTO – The five members of LuxDeluxe are as deeply-rooted in Northampton’s independent music scene as any group playing in the Pioneer Valley today. After spending the past few years growing tighter as a unit, making two records in town, and touring the country to build a fan base, the logical next step was to invade Canada.

Every year, thousands of artists from all over the world flock to Toronto for the esteemed North by Northeast (NXNE) festival. Since the people behind the better-known South by Southwest festival in Austin, Tex. launched “North By,” as the Canadian incarnation is often called, in 1995, it has become a reliable outpost for the trendsetting indie music brand. From June 13-22, the Canadian harbor city served as a canvas for the arts as musicians, comedians, visual artists, and film creators showcased their art for hundreds of thousands of attendees. Already considered one of the most cosmopolitan cities in the world, Toronto exploded with culture and enthusiasm as excited artists and art lovers flooded into town. Bands from as far away as Australia, New Zealand, England, Scotland flew in, often to play just a single show.

Having performed at South by Southwest in Austin last year, the men of LuxDeluxe were subsequently accepted to play two full sets at North By this summer. NXNE provides the spectacle of big artists on big stages while offering striving bands an environment conducive to building success in the industry. “Booking agents, music bloggers, critics… it’s a perfect place for people to see lots of up-and-coming artists in a few days,” said Danny Bernini, Lux’s manager and chief engineer of SpiritHouse Productions in Northampton.
So like a thousand other striving bands, LuxDeluxe packed up their van, built a tour around the NXNE gigs, and hit the road.

Playfully dubbed the “Holy Tour Van” by band members, Lux’s transportation on the road was a large red passenger van emblazoned with “Calvary Tabernacle Assembly of God,” purchased from a church in New York last year. Packed in the van with the band equipment were frontman Ned King, guitarist Caleb Rosazza, bassist Jacob Rosazza, keyboardist Gabe Bernini, drummer Jake Edwards, and tour manager Hank MacLeod.

On the road, the members of Lux would “try to see a few sights and get some food in between, but usually end up at a record store for hours, starving.” During one hot, sticky day on the road, “I got hungry and opened up a can of sardines… a huge mistake,” Hank said.

The boys of Lux (ages 19 to 23) have been surrounded by music for their entire lives. As students of the Pioneer Valley Performing Arts Charter Public School in South Hadley, they formed “Loose Springsteen,” a Bruce Springsteen cover band, before beginning to write original music. When I first met Jake, years ago, I asked what type of band Lux was. “Rock and roll,” he responded quickly. I pushed him, trying to extract a more specific answer. “Indie rock? Metal? Classic rock?” I asked. “Nope, just rock and roll.”

From the start, Lux had it made. Being the son of Danny Bernini, a producer who’s worked with artists such as Notorious B.I.G., Blondie, and Mary J. Blige, keyboardist Gabe Bernini was able to give his band access to quality recording equipment and industry experience. SpiritHouse Productions, where Lux’s albums are recorded and produced, is located in co-founder Paul McNamara’s home in Northampton.

When Gabe and Caleb were only 16 years old, Lux released their first full-length album, “Hollow Ground”, which quickly gained popularity in the Pioneer Valley among listeners of all ages.

Three years and a few high school graduations later, LuxDeluxe released their second full-length album, “It’s a Girl.” Cleverly, Lux set up the It’s a Girl Tour around NXNE, performing throughout the Midwest in Ohio, Kentucky, Missouri, and Illinois, before crossing into the Great White North. After North By, they finished their tour with dates in Ontario, Quebec, and Vermont before coming home to Northampton.

There’s no place like Toronto during the festival. More than 50 venues scattered around town, from basement bars to opera halls, participate annually in the massive event hosting thousands of artists. The more well-known musicians like St. Vincent, Spoon, Juicy J and Mac DeMarco played the bigger venues like the Opera House and Yonge-Dundas Square.

Toronto is a feast for the eyes. It has striking skyscrapers, plenty of trees and greenery, bike shares, and beautiful women. Trying not to be distracted by the city and its stunning women, I called Jake to ask where the band was at. He gave me a vague description of their location, somewhere on College Street. I wanted to avoid paying international rates on another phone call, so I pried for more information. “Just look for the big ass red van right out front,” he said. “Can’t miss it.” He was right.

I met the guys on Thursday at the Rancho Relaxo in the heart of the city. After 12 hours on the move from Amherst to Toronto, my road stress and weariness faded immediately; the energy in the city was almost tangible. Groups of excited concertgoers filled the sidewalks, trying to discover what might be their next favorite band.

A dim, thin, long room on the second floor of a Mexican restaurant, the Rancho is exactly the venue one would expect a growing rock band to play. A narrow stairway leads up to the stage with a small bar in the back. It was “by far the most stressful set up,” Caleb said. “Somebody definitely walked off with my guitar right before we were supposed to play, which was an interesting twist. Luckily, it was just a mix up.” Caleb, 19, is the quiet one in LuxDeluxe. Softspoken, witty, and contemplative, it seems like all he wants to think about is playing guitar.

Before Lux took the stage, my first impression of the venue was a bit disappointing. There wasn’t much room for dancing, the crowd was small and stoic, and the drinks were expensive.

Things started looking up when the band plugged in. They opened their first international set with “I Can’t Make It,” a powerful song that shows their classic rock influences, and reminds a bit of the Rolling Stones. It was a perfect choice; of all their music, “I Can’t Make It” is collectively the band’s favorite song to play live. They were gratified “to see people you’ve never met in a country you’ve never played… singing all your songs and really enjoying the music,” Caleb said. “Extra, extra nice.”

There was nothing LuxDeluxe could have done about the size of the room or the drink prices, but they’d be damned if they didn’t pull listeners towards the stage and try to make them move. Around half way through the set, the band did just that. Like the crowds they draw back in Northampton, the people on the dance floor were diverse—young to old, conservative to wild. Scattered “oohs” and “ahhs” pierced the air as audience members were surprised by one of Jake’s drum fills, Caleb’s guitar solos, or Jacob’s and Ned’s vocal harmonies.

The room vibrated. People danced uncontrollably. More so than most, tour manager Hank, who happens to be an underwear model, fluidly and rowdily danced all over the floor. Front man Ned King, donning a Michael Jackson-esque marching band jacket, brought his untamed energy to the stage, feeding off of the excited audience. “By Hook or by Crook,” a keyboard-packed showcase of the band’s indie influences, drew the large crowd of the evening to the dance floor.

Thursday night, after Lux’s set at Rancho Relaxo, there was plenty of time for us to enjoy the city. Bars and venues are open until around four in the morning. It quickly became obvious that in Toronto, there is always something to do.

We walked a couple of blocks (passing multiple NXNE venues on the way) to the Silver Dollar Room, a large bar with a raised stage protruding from the wall and a few warped and uneven pool tables in a side room. Jake and I gave the tables a try, but at three Loonies a game, and with four missing balls, we quickly lost interest.
Everybody had been traveling, setting up, and playing music all day, so we were exhausted, but that didn’t stop us from staying up into the early hours of Friday morning watching bands at the Silver Dollar. When we finally called it a night, most of the guys headed off to sleep at Gabe’s great aunt’s house, who conveniently lived in town. Jake and I found some Chinese food and passed out in the Holy Tour Van.

Photo by Geoff Dempsey.Photo by Geoff Dempsey.Photo by Geoff Dempsey.Photo by Geoff Dempsey.Photo by Geoff Dempsey.Photo by Geoff Dempsey.Photo by Geoff Dempsey.Photo by Geoff Dempsey.Photo by Geoff Dempsey.Photo by Geoff Dempsey.
It was Friday afternoon by the time everyone came around, and we picked up where we left off exploring the city. We took the subway to Queen Street, the main drag of Toronto where you’ll find all types of interesting shops, restaurants, and bars. A vintage record store pulled most of the guys in like a black hole, and they disappeared for almost an hour while the rest of our group checked out a tattoo parlor and the Condom Shack. Gabe had heard of a thrift store called the Black Market on Queen Street. A steep staircase led down to the huge sales floor, which had clothing, trinkets, bags, a wall of sunglasses, and a barber shop. Twenty minutes later, we were on the street waiting for Hank, wondering what was taking him so long.

“He’s probably trying to get some phone numbers.” “No, I think he’s lost.” “I think I saw him with some shirts. He’s probably checking himself out in the mirror.” All three guesses, it turned out, were true.

The band was due at 9 p.m. at the Edward Day Gallery of the Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art. SESAC (somehow not an acronym), an organization advocating for musicians getting paid for performing, hosted the private, invitation-only event. Bouncers guarded the inlet off of Queen Street West, one of Toronto’s busiest roads. A hamburger stand, a full bar, and portable restroom trailer had been set up outside. A stage had been erected in the gallery with professional lighting and sound. Many industry professionals attended the event, giving Lux yet another chance to shake hands, rub elbows, and schedule gigs and meetings.

Despite having the trappings of a music industry showcase, Friday’s performance lacked the spontaneous energy the band had captured the previous night at the Rancho, where the crowd had arguably been more enthusiastic. “We always try to make sure the audience is connected to the band,” said Caleb. “Not just because it’ll be fun for them, but because it’s the only way the band really works to its full potential.”

After the gallery gig, there was a consensus that we would go to the Opera House to see Mac DeMarco, the 24-year-old “slacker rock” star from British Columbia, known for his relaxed, yet lewdly crazy, performances. DeMarco has classified his own music as “jizz jazz.”

It was time to blow off some steam, so packed like Hank’s sardines in the van, we set off for the show. A group of concertgoers on the sidewalk were laughing at the Holy Tour Van, and as Hank pulled a U-Turn, he flipped his middle finger out the window and screamed “PRAISE JESUS!”

With their work in Toronto finished, and nursing at least one black eye from the mosh pit at the DeMarco concert, on Saturday we boarded the “Bruise Cruise,” a massive yacht party in the afternoon hosted by DeMarco with NXNE and M is for Montreal, a Canadian music advocacy group. After two stressful (but rewarding) weeks on the road, the boys of Lux needed a day like this.

We waited patiently and worked on our sunburns for about two hours before the boat departed. The three-hour cruise featured four different music groups performing in genres ranging from rap to punk on the lower deck stage. Topside, hundreds of people lounged on the massive yacht, enjoying the cloudless sky and the spectacular views of the Toronto skyline from Lake Ontario. “Nothing like a hot day, cold Corona, and good music to soothe the soul,” Jake said.

King took advantage of the afternoon sun and lake breeze to catch up on some sleep. “I took a nap on the upper deck only to realize that lots of people were taking pictures of me sleeping!” he said. “Somehow this led to me being interviewed about my band by a festival reporter.”

After NXNE, LuxDeluxe headed to northern Ontario for a few days of rest and relaxation before embarking on the final leg of their Canadian tour. “The driving can get to you and after 3,000 miles we were definitely ready for a break,” said King. “There is so much of Canada to see and getting to play in places like Ottawa and Montreal is going to be awesome.”

Like countless other hardworking and hopeful bands, LuxDeluxe was committed to making the most of this moment. Tight quarters, long hours, and frequent stress are occupational hazards on tour, but they often come with the fringe benefits of camaraderie and increased cohesiveness. “We spent [almost] every single minute of every day together for a month,” Jake said. “Fortunately, we all get along really well.”

And Jake had the only phone that worked in Canada, “so unless we made plans,” he said, “we had to stick together.” - Pioneer Wired

With seemingly endless live music opportunities and a frighteningly short supply of weekends, it would be nice if the stroke-inducing task of festival scheduling were made easier. Although this is truly the most wonderful time of year, it can also cause some serious angst! At least I hope so, otherwise it’s just me! Allow me to ease your fear of missing out with this new music recommendation – Lux Deluxe.

Coming to us from Northampton, MA, Lux Deluxe are a young (the eldest is only 22!) indie rock five-piece with a new LP, It’s a Girl, to parade around. The record is 10 songs, each a different shade of the same colour. “What You Need” is synth-centric and will appeal to the indie pop fans among us – comparisons to Future Islands are apt – while “So Far Away” keeps it cool, but adds more of a straight-ahead rock feel. The bass lines are groovy, the keyboards high in the mix and lead singer Ned King’s voice is fresh and unique. He gives the band a certain classic rock feel. Their record is fun and I can only suspect the live show will be, too!

Lux Deluxe will be gracing the stage at the Edward Day Gallery for North by Northeast (NXNE) on Friday, June 20. If you’re a fan of the indie pop, you definitely shouldn’t miss this one!

Happy NXNE, everybody! - Addicted

The new Lux Deluxe album, “It’s A Girl,” opens with “What You Need,” a song that is also the first single off the disc. The song starts out with a blipping synthesizer that sounds straight out of the 1980s, then some keyboards kick in followed by a sweeping string section. By the time lead vocalist Ned King sings the line “What you need is more than I got” in a voice full of resignation, the listener realizes that this moody, melodic song is indeed Lux Deluxe. But it sure doesn’t sound like the Lux Deluxe we heard on the group’s first album, “Hollow Ground.”

Ned King said that the Northampton-based band chose this song as the first single for that very reason.

“We kind of worked up a reputation around here as being more of an Americana country-rock band and we’ve changed a lot,” explained King in a recent phone conversation. “We wanted to be more associated with indie rock artists like Wilco and My Morning Jacket. That song has a really cool vibe to it and I’m psyched for people to hear it.”

Lux Deluxe is psyched for people to hear all of “It’s A Girl” and that will happen when the band holds a CD-release show on Saturday, April 12, at the Iron Horse Music Hall, 20 Center St., Northampton, at 10 p.m. Opening will be Violent Mae from Portland, Maine.

In addition to King, Lux Deluxe consists of Jake Edwards (drums), brothers Jacob (bass) and Caleb (guitar) Rosazza and their cousin Gabe Bernini on keyboards. The Rosazzas and Bernini started making music together when they were in grade school. Lux Deluxe formed in 2009 when the five band members connected while they were students at the Pioneer Valley Performing Arts School in South Hadley.

The band released “Hollow Ground” in 2011 when some of its members were still in high school; the oldest band member is now 22. King and Jacob Rosazza are the songwriters of the group and they wrote about 30 songs and eventually settled on nine for the record. “So Far Away,” a song of lost love in which King sings in voice reminiscent of Eddie Vedder, was the one song that all the band members helped write.

Since releasing “Hollow Ground,” the band has performed countless shows and become a must-see live act. King, who grew up in Athol, is a dynamic front man who is a whirlwind of motion once he hits the stage. King used to play guitar in the band but now just focuses on his role as singer.

When it came time to make “It’s A Girl,” Lux Deluxe wanted to give listeners a good sense of what the band has become.

“We wanted to get people excited about seeing us live, to let people know that they could see us play a whole record and know that there wasn’t a song on there that we couldn’t do,” said King. “That was the goal from the beginning.”

Lux Deluxe pulls it off with this varied collection of songs that range from the catchy “Hook or by Crook” to the gritty Stones-like rocker “Talk to Her.” “The Last Volunteer” has a clamoring guitar sound reminiscent of Wilco and the most unusual track on the album is “MTV,” a song that King said is his favorite to listen to. The Beatles-esque pop song is a fun listen, especially at the very end when we hear the song played backwards.

“I almost like the chords better backwards and the melody is weird — it sounds like an Italian ballad!” King said.

“I hope people hear a new Lux Deluxe and that people that haven’t heard us before hear something new or something that they haven’t heard in awhile,” added King. “We tried to make the record a coherent piece of art.”

Next up is taking the album on the road. Beginning this month, Lux Deluxe will tour the East Coast and will showcase at the esteemed North by Northwest music festival in Toronto in June. King said the band has been rehearsing up to 20 hours a week getting ready for the tour. And since Lux Deluxe is known for going all out at its shows, I asked King if he could give us a glimpse on what to expect at Saturday.

“We will do the record in its playing order, including all the interludes between songs,” he said. “Every song is going to have something different and fun and we are going to pull out all the stops. If people are going to pay ten bucks, we are going to give them their ten bucks worth — no, make that we will give them a 100 dollars’ worth.” - Greenfield Recorder

Ned King pone la voz y las respuestas a nuestra curiosidad por esta banda de Northampton, Massachussets, llamada Lux Deluxe. Un grupo que no supera la media de 22 años, y que cuando los escuchas por primera vez piensas en bandas como Modest Mouse, My Morning Jacket, Spoon o Wilco haciendo canciones domesticadas para una emisora de FM en los años setenta en los “States”. x Simón Zico

El momento definitivo en el que decidiste que la música era imprescindible en tu vida.
La música es algo esencial en nuestras vidas desde el principio. Todos los miembros de la banda hemos crecido rodeados por padres que amaban y escuchaban buenos discos. No creo que la elección de la música como carrera fuera consciente, de repente es lo único que quieres hacer.

¿Tuviste algún ídolo musical en la infancia?
Todos admiramos a The Beatles desde la infancia. Su pasión y cuidado nos han guiado en la composición de este disco.

Tu disco favorito anterior a 1990, y el de 1990 hasta hoy.

Anterior a los 90: The Beatles “Abbey Road”.
Posterior: Wilco “Yankee Hotel Foxtrot”.

Cuéntanos algo curioso que te haya pasado en alguno de tus viajes por Europa.
Viví en Barcelona unos cuantos meses cuando tenía 10 años. Ese tiempo me ha marcado y ha cambiado mi vida completamente. Siempre deseo volver a España, es un lugar con mucho atractivo artístico.

Una persona a la que te gustaría dar un bofetón y por qué.
Al presidente George W. Bush, por arruinar la reputación de los Estados Unidos (o al menos un poco más de lo que ya estaba).

¿Qué película has visto más veces?
En nombre de la banda, la que más hemos visto es “El imperio contraataca”. Somos fans de “Star Wars”.

2 cosas positivas y 2 cosas negativas que conozcas de España.
Positivas: Paisaje, gastronomía, arte.
Negativas: su estado actual de crisis y La Inquisición.

Descúbrenos a un músico o una banda que te guste mucho y que no conozca mucha gente.
NRBQ (New Rhythm and Blues Quartet), son nuestros favoritos. Nos han influido mucho.

¿Qué concierto al que has asistido no olvidarás nunca?
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds en Brooklyn, New York.

El mejor consejo que te han dado en tu vida.
No esperes tu golpe de suerte. Prepárate, trabaja duro y cuando llegue la oportunidad, estarás listo.

Por último, dinos quién crees que es el bueno, el feo y el malo de la música pop.
El bueno: Arcade Fire; el malo: Justin Bieber; el feo: Lady Gaga. - Soyuz