The Artist Formally Known As Vince

The Artist Formally Known As Vince Band
'On Display'
posted 2012-01-23

Good to see that The Artist Formally Known As Vince is back, though this band from Chicago never stopped rocking.
12 new songs with lots of 60s and 70s influences ("Lapdog", "Light", "She's a Disaster"...) wrapped in glitter. The fact that both male and female vocals work together reinforces the melodic side of the songs. The RAMONES sometimes meet early bubblegum pop in "Laser Beam Precision" or "Falling" and the B-52's turn to early NYC punk rockers in "O" and "Wreck".
A good record to listen to in these days of easily overproduced stuff, but I'm sure that seeing the band live must be even better!/Laurent.

- Veglam

If Exene and John Doe got a flux capicitator and a time-travelling X joined T-Rex they might be called T-Re-X, and they would hope to sound this good!
- Rocktober

1.0 – It strikes me that the title to your latest CD, “On Display”, kinda sums up your approach; in your face. Is that fair?

That’s fair. When we play or people here the music I want it to be noticed. Love it or hate it, but not background noise you can ignore.

2.0 – One may hear more New York or Detroit than Chicago in your rock, who are your musical heroes?

Good ear you have. Big influences, The New York Dolls, The Ramones (70’s NYC punk in general), Stooges, MC5, Bowie, T Rex and coming back home the earliest influence is still Cheap Trick. The city of Chicago is a big influence. I love my hometown, the city and it’s music and people keep inspiring me.

3.0 – What track on the new disc are folks reacting to most? Is it your favorite too?

“Laser Beam Precision” gets people dancing, always a good sign. “O” is another one of my favorites; it’s all drama and suited for the stage (like me).

4.0 – How do you write? does it start with a riff most often?

That varies. Sometimes I strum some chords or play a riff and build from there. Other times I have a phrase that is a great opening line or chorus hook and figure out how to build on that and add the music

5.0 – Who is playing and singing on the disc and what are your guys plans as a band?

On the record, Me-vocals & guitar, Lauren Kurtz-vocals, Brian Chinino-drums, Chris Geisler-bass with guests Ed Anderson(Backyard Tire Fire)-guitar, Aaron Lee Tasjan(Madison Square Gardeners)-guitar, Vee Sonnets(The Sonnets)-keys & guitar. Produced By Tony SanFilippo. Live we have Christopher Elam on lead guitar.

The record recently came out online and we should be receiving the LP’s soon, so we plan on playing as much as we can, wherever we can. Hoping to hit NYC again before the end of the year and possibly down to SXSW in the spring. Also trying to figure out how to get someone to pay for to go play in Europe.

6.0 – When did you settle on the moniker “The Artist Formally Known As Vince”? Do you feel it affords you more freedom to not be ‘Vince’?

I’ve had the name since the mid 90’s. I needed a name to put on a flyer for a solo show around the same time the other guy, whose name rhymes with mine, was using formerly and a symbol. Thought it would be funny yet a homage to one of my favorite musicians. I quickly made the adjustment to “Formally”, I liked the play on words, and it stuck. So I have actually stayed Vince all these years!

7.0 – What is the best guitar ever made for rock & roll and what is your favorite stage guitar?

I am partial to Les Paul’s especially Junior’s.

On stage I tend to play a Gibson Flying V that I had customized with a single vintage P-90 so it sounds like my Junior.

8.0 – Do you still believe in radio?

I do. I still listen to it in the van. I think you can still find new music on radio but you need to go to the college and community stations or listen to specialty shows on commercial radio to hear the interesting new music.

9.0 – Any new Chicago clubs or bars area rockers should check out?

LiveWire, is a cool new small rock club. It’s in my neighborhood, Avondale. A couple musician friends of mine run it. They like the Rock N Roll music. I love playing there. Late Bar is great for late night drinks. If out on a Tuesday night stop by Lucky Number, I sling the drinks and pick the tunes.

10.0 – It’s your ‘Dream Gig’…… who are you opening for? when? where and why?

If I dream it would be going back in time to downtown NYC to open for The New York Dolls at Max’s Kansas City or The Ramones at CBGB’s, I think we would fit in the glam and early punk days, or close to home and open for Cheap Trick at The Brat Stop. Even these day I dream of opening for Cheap Trick or The Dolls anywhere anytime. - INTERVIEW 10.0

THE ARTIST FORMALLY KNOWN AS VINCEWELCOME TO THE SHOWBLUE SPARK (06/26/07)TAFKAVince & Lauren’s Another Space In Time was one of the best records of 2006 that you never heard if you didn’t pay attention to Amplifier or the Chicago Sun Times. Well, the good news is Vince and his merry, rocking pranksters are back in the saddle with the delightfully ramshackle, irreverent Welcome To The Show. Their modus operandi remains the same: brash guitars brimming with mangled Chuck Berry licks (Al Rodis, R. Fish Carpenter, Tony Manno), thudding bass-lines (Clay Thompson), and a relentless back-beat (Brian Chinino) rendered with a decidedly fuck-all attitude. Vamps, tramps and scamps emerge as the libretto in the frenetic “Bimbo Du Jour” - a cut that could possibly revive Cher’s career should Vince have the moxie to pitch it to her management. Proclaims The Artist in his well-honed Lizard King persona “I’m the snake charmer, dance for me….revel in the glamour” as his ingénue (that’s how she’s officially credited) co-vocalist Lauren Kurtz purrs repetitively in her best Siouxsie Sioux quiver “…it’s your destiny...it’s your destiny.” Kurtz steals the Show once again in the slinky “Tiara Blues,” a sordid tale of sartorial debauchery. Though it’s over in a flash (seven cuts) you will find no better rock band working in America today.

--Tom Semioli
- Amplifier Magazine

TAFKAVince
'Welcome To the Show'
posted 2007-10-24

The first thing that came to my mind after listening to ”Welcome To The Show“ was: “God, why is there only 7 songs on this CD?” That was probably planned that way, or maybe that was just because of financial reasons (something I can easily understand), but this album would have deserved 3 or 4 more songs since these 7 songs sound perfect to my ear that has been pricked up to the DOLLS and the RAMONES music (but that also has detected a connection to Australia’s ANGEL CITY here…) Many musicians are involved in this project but the band evolves around the duo Vince and Lauren and their vocal exchanges reminded me a bit of Freddy Lynxx and Big G on “The Courageous Cat” (“Tiara Blues”, “Snake Charmer”), something that can’t leave me indifferent. 6 original songs and an awesome cover of “Trash” make of “Welcome To the Show” the ideal album for those who don’t know much about the universe of The Artist Formally Known As Vince. I must confess that I’m one of them but I’m going to change that as soon as possible./Franckie.
- Veglam Webzine

This TAFKAV may not be lovesexy, but he certainly has a dirty mind.
Resembling Detroit proto-punks such as the Stooges, Brownsville Station, MC5 and their
numerous multigenerational offspring that continue to blaze the pop terrain, Vince captures
the raucous spirit of garage rock via this lo-fi, high-energy outing. Embracing sleaze, rebellion
and a party-hearty spirit, the Artist bares his soul in a splendid collection of libidinous
anthems and self-effacing diatribes. "Going Hollywood" would serve well as a soundtrack to a
Guns N' Roses cartoon by way of defiantly bacchanalian kitsch lyrics and uncompromising
power chords. Celebrating the holy trinity of sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll, "Their Daughter,"
which also appears as a bonus video, crystallizes every suburban parent's nightmare of
teenage lust gone awry. Shoe-gazing in "All of My Life," a Velvet-y Underground track, or
waxing sympathetic in "Party," a warped rambling country-tinged boogie-woogie cut that
bemoans the loss of youth with nary a tear or regret, TAFKAV cuts through all the rock star
sloganeering and spits out the truth in short, sharp shocks. Topping off the disc with canned
applause and a faux encore, "Big Dumb Rock" is downright whip smart.

-Tom Semioli
- Tom Semioli

SLAM - Italian Rock Zine Review

The Artist Formally Known as Vince è l'intero nome di questo artista di Chicago che si ispira
al glam punk dei 70's e al power pop miscelando NEW YORK DOLLS, CHEAP TRICK, T-REX e
RAMOMES, il risultato è questo "At Last", un CD di 11 pezzi dove il musicista fa praticamente
tutto da se.

La produzione suona appena meglio di un demo e le canzoni ne risentono parecchio anche
perchè qualitativamente non ci troviamo di fronte ad un "mostro" di bravura, infatti si ha
quasi la sensazione che Vince non riesca ad elaborare un proprio sound, rimanendo troppo
legato alle sue influenze, e purtroppo per lui, i nomi da cui attinge sono troppo "ingombranti"
non permettendogli così di fare una gran bella figura.

...canzoni già fatte molte altre volte da molte altre band, TAFKA Vince rimandato alla
prossima uscita perchè per i momento non ci siamo proprio.




- Slam

The Artist Formally Know As Vince "At Last" from the Chicago Suntimes

"Get down on your knees/Bow down" sings T.A.F.K.A.V. (as he abbreviates his
so-dumb-it's-brilliant moniker) on "Goin' Hollywood" one of 11 flashy, trashy, glam rock gems
delivered by this makeup-sporting goofball. As a whole, the album doesn't quite warrant that
level of devotion. But it has spark and style nonetheless"

Jim Derogatis

- Jim Derogatis

REVIEWS: CDS
TAFKAVINCE & LAUREN
ANOTHER SPACE IN TIME
INDEPENDENT
Chicago folk duo TAFKAVince (The Artist Formally Known As Vince) & Lauren emerge as sly coffee-house pop purveyors on this wonderfully warm and wicked self-release. With Vince on guitar/vocals and singer Lauren Kurtz, intertwining melodies creep into your psyche like a good narcotic. Here's the skinny: "5 Days" with a full band would be Blondie produced by Phil Spector. If you fell for Dylan and Baez (in a documentary of course, no one is that old!) look no further than the lovelorn duet "Straight & Narrow." Vince's punky strumming and Marty Balin-esque phrasing fuels the frenetic love torn "Bulletproof." Kurtz hits a sweet high-register in the noble dirge "Big Magnet." The Monkees could have recorded "Folk Song," ably abetted by Tony SanFilippo's trippy vibraphone. "Hangin' Around" has an exceptional Beatles / Byrds vibe that would do Beechwood Sparks proud. Closing with the haunting ballad "Missed You," TAFKAVince & Lauren prove that not all the best artists have record deals. Yet.
--Tom Semioli-Amplifier Magazine
- Amplifier Magazine