Tony Denikos
Sykesville, Maryland, United States | SELF
Music
Press
"I can honestly say that it is one of the best CDs that I have heard this year. Beautiful and sensitive performances but some truly strong lyrics". - Andy Reeve, DJ, Seahaven FM, UK
"Tony Denikos writes from the heart,"Time Tells Tales" is an album that is both honest and sincere, it makes for a totally enjoyable listening experience showcasing Tony's talent for songwriting". "From funky to reflective, with a knack for catchy melodies and lyrics, This is one the best local releases of the year"!! - DJ- Michael Macey
"Denikos is passionate and provocative in the acoustic song "Already Gone". "Nobody Loves Her" and "Laurelite" are delicious, fat blues numbers with guitar reminiscent of John Fogerty....If this is your first introduction to Tony Denikos, he certainly delivers an engaging calling card with "Already Gone". " - Johan Schoenmakers, Reviewer
"The best thing going for Tony Denikos is that he feels. It's enjoyable to see a singer songwriter who connects with the story tumbling from his lips...Tony is a tunesmith in the very best sense of the word"!! - Maria Vallifana
"You can't get bored while you're listening to this album because you hear so many different genres of music. He moves easily from Americana to rock, or folk to blues. Tony's versatility really comes to the forefront on this album."
- Gerrit Casper, DJ, Goodnoise, NL
Tony Denikos' "Time Tells Tales".
Tony puts together an amalgam of country-blues, rock-n-roll, and roots rock for an easy listen. Foot-stompin’ rock is what it all comes down to . He plays in the VA/MD/DC area and has gotten big praise from The Washington Post. The songwriting is great and the lyrics are tales that anyone can relate to—something a lot of bands could learn from. Hey it’s just a fun time and everyone’s invited!
- J-Sin - Smother.net
TONY DENIKOS
Time Tells Tales...
In his second recording, Tony Denikos showcases a wonderful versatility in a wide range of styles. Not your 'stuck in one rut' musician, he comfortably slips gracefully and seamlessly from folk to blues to rock, presenting a musical compilation that simply flows from my speakers. It's a winning combination of very good songwriting, paired with a damn fine band. I'm going to keep my eye on this crew; based in the Baltimore/D.C. area, they are proof positive that no one region can claim Americana music as its own.
Released 2003, reviewed by Don Grant.
- Freight Train Boogie
Time Tells Tales is a collection of songs written by Tony himself, and recorded with a group of musicians that, though not well known, are consummate professionals! For me, the songs seem to generate a different kind of energy than other types of rock and roll. None of the songs are in-your-face displays of aggression or angst. In fact, they are all very laid back, with a sound that seems to tap into your very soul, connecting in a way that other styles of music really fail to do. I really enjoyed this record immensely!Tony Denikos has put together an incredible collection of songs on Time Tells Tales; as a songwriter, he displays both musical and lyrical talent... It is an excellent album, and I strongly recommend that you add it to your collection as well!--Mark Lush, Midwestbands.com, 3/2/04
- midwestbands.com
Tony Denikos' "Time Tells Tales".
Tony puts together an amalgam of country-blues, rock-n-roll, and roots rock for an easy listen. Foot-stompin’ rock is what it all comes down to . He plays in the VA/MD/DC area and has gotten big praise from The Washington Post. The songwriting is great and the lyrics are tales that anyone can relate to—something a lot of bands could learn from. Hey it’s just a fun time and everyone’s invited!
- J-Sin - Smother.net
Discography
Still working on that hot first release.
Photos
Bio
Some of my earliest memories are of riding along the country roads of central Maryland, singing songs like "Jack O' Diamonds" by Tex Ritter, "Born to Lose"by Ray Charles, "Caldonia"by Louis Jordan and "Pendulum Swings"by Roger Miller along with my Dad and sisters while my mom smiled at the landscape gliding by... A seed had been planted.
After years of playing pubs and bars ... I wound up winning 10 hours of studio time and $500 bucks. 18 months later Naked & Smiling was released (1999) and included a mix of songs I'd written over the years. The Washington Post reviewed it and called me a, "Tunesmith in the best sense of the word" and folks started coming out to hear the band that I put together during the recording. A tradition of recording hard luck real life songs mixed with humor and wit was born. I get requests for tunes from this CD at live shows to this day.
Time Tells Tales followed in 2003. I started to hone a more Americana sound, relying on my earliest influences as well as artists such as John Prine, CCR, Little Feat, Sprinsteen, James McMurtrey, Lucinda Williams, John Hiatt , Richard Thompson and Steve Earle. Time Tells Tales was given a good deal of radio play in Europe and Free Form stations here at home and it seemed that I had found my true voice somewhere in that gumbo of influences. The Tony Denikos Band had taken it's shape too and we started playing the Mid Altlantic region.
In 2005, I headed to Nashville to begin my next project, Already Gone. I started laying down tracks with Timm Biery (Danny Gatton, Nils Lofgren). Timm brought Dave Jacques (John Prine, Emmy Lou Harris), Dave Roe (Johnny Cash, Dwight Yoakam) and Warner Hodges (Jason and the Scorchers) in on the project to record with Gantt Kushner, Scott and Jen Smith(Naked Blue) and myself what an amazing experience. Already Gone hit the streets with a bang in late 2009 and received critical acclaim from DJs and writers around the globe. It went to #2 on the EuroAmericana Charts and #7 on the Freeform American Roots (FAR) charts right out of the gate.
And now in 2012, Under the Church, is being released. I've been blessed once again by having tremendously talented musicians and producers work with me to create my vision for the CD. My thanks go out to Gantt Kushner, Scott and Jen Smith, and Timm Biery, for lending me their talents for this project. Under the Church goes to places both darker and more light-hearted than my previous releases. It allows me to claim my working class roots, reveal my small town dispositions, and make commentary on our current political climate. It may well be my best CD to date. I'll let you be the judge.
You can find me performing in any number of configurations from acoustic solo to full on, rockin' five-piece band; from South Carolina to Texas to upstate New York. I have assembled a collection of some of the most talented musicians in the country to form my band Tony Denikos & the Working Poor - myself (Vocs, Guitars, Harmonicas), Gantt Kushner (guitar), Lee Townsend (BGVs, bass), Rick Weisenmiller (drums) and Mark Riddle (BGVs, guitars) I feel honored every chance I get to share the stage with them.
I love performing almost as much as I love recording a new song. I cherish the connection that my songs help me make with folks in ways only music can. I sure do hope I get a chance to pick ya'll a tune or two sometime soon.
Band Members
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