The Phoenix Within

The Skinny: The Phoenix Within is a two-piece indie acoustic rock band based out of Mahwah, NJ that recently released the single and music video "Sharks" and are working on their upcoming summer release, the EP Natalie Rose. In the meantime, the band is gigging like crazy, while enlisting in this year's Battle of the Bands Vans Warped Tour Contest.

The Phoenix Within made their acoustic debut October of last year when the band was given the opportunity to perform at CBGB's Music festival in NYC. After that, the remainder of 2014 was spent working on the new single and EP. Once the single dropped, the band followed up its release with a weeklong tour through NJ, CT, PA, NY & CA.

Music is what The Phoenix Within was born to do and the opportunity to perform at Warped Tour will be life changing. They may be the underdogs of this massive collection of artists, but their music needs to be spread to a new generation of ears and Warped Tour is the perfect platform for this incendiary duo. - Puregrain Audio

We recently brought you acoustic indie rockers The Phoenix Within as our Band of the Day. When you take a listen to them, you can’t help but be drawn to the emotions that their songs bring out. Omar Feliciano on guitar and vocals with Ken O’donohue on Bass and Vocals have done a fantastic job of expressing such honesty and vulnerability in their music. We had the chance to chat with them and are pleased to bring that interview to you: - Music Junkie Press

Indie acoustic rock band, The Phoenix Within, have been signed on by Philly-based record label, Crybaby Records. The band recently released their latest single, “SHARKS!” and have completed their previously announced album, Natalie Rose. - AXS

At first glance, the members of The Phoenix Within look like a typical rock group. Dark-wash jeans, Chuck Taylors and T-shirts have almost become a uniform for the alternative rock scene, but speaking with Omar Feliciano, the band’s lead singer and writer, it is clear that the group is anything but typical.

By day, Feliciano and his bandmates work day jobs, attend graduate and law school and run a family business — the lead singer just graduated with a bachelor’s degree in biology and is a lab and research assistant at York College— but by night, they trade in the pens and paper for guitar straps and song lyrics.

“I want to live both lives,” he said. “I love science, I value education and I think the other guys would agree with me, but we also cannot shake off the fact that we love music.”

Feliciano, an Ozone Park resident, met drummer Larry Turco, bassist Kenny O’Donohue and lead guitarist Joe Balzanoin in 2007.

“I was looking for a project I could play guitar in,” he said. “During the search process I responded and posted ads on the Craigslist and MySpace musician communities.”

O’Donohue replied and set up an audition for a band he was starting up with his two childhood friends. Around that time, Feliciano heard from a friend that some guys in New Jersey were also looking for a guitar player. It turns out, it was for the same band.

“I remember two things from that day: looking at Kenny’s face trying to remember where I knew or recognized him from and how good it felt playing along with these amazing musicians,” Feliciano said.

The band’s influences, which include Jimmy Eat World, Coheed and Cambria, Dashboard Confessional, My Chemical Romance and Blink-182, can be heard clearly throughout their music but not so much that the songs feel like carbon copies.

A common thread in the Extended Play is simplicity. In an age where electronic tones and synthesizers are commonly used, it is refreshing to hear electric guitar chords supported by a punchy drum.

While the vocabulary is basic, the lyrics Feliciano has written are sharp, to the point and provide the hauntingly dark visuals that make alternative rock enjoyable. Their single “Free Myself” most clearly flaunts the singer’s writing abilities:

“This empty institute is nothing more than a trap;

“My fever’s rising, yeah my eyes, they seem to fade into black;

“They quickly strap me down. The doctor turns and say’s he’s figured it out.”

But even though a majority of The Phoenix Within’s songs have a dark touch to them, Feliciano has a softer side as demonstrated in the love ballad “I Wouldn’t Trade You,” that pairs a catchy and gentle acoustic tune with lyrics of devotion.

The Phoenix Within is finishing its three-track EP titled “Deceptions,” which is due out in January.

As the band continues to churn out music, the players note that they’ve received a lot of support from friends.

“In the ‘Free Myself’ music video, I reached out to people I knew from working in a pharmacy for so many years,” Feliciano said. “When you go to the YouTube page you can see a list of all the people who donated so we didn’t have to pay for the video out of pocket.”

The video has reached more than 50,000 views, most of which Feliciano said is from word of mouth.

“I know this is the age of technology but in the end, it comes down to word of mouth,” he said. “Up until August, our album was completely free but even now, if someone emails us, I’ll send them the album for free.”

Feliciano said he would love to play bigger venues, namely the Highland Ballroom, but for now, the group will go on a brief hiatus as Turco gets married.
‘The Phoenix Within’

Download their debut album for free at: soundcloud.com/thephoenixwithin - Queens Chronicle Newspaper

The Phoenix Within has come a long way since you were first introduced to the indie pop/acoustic band. They released a self-titled album, performed at multiple venues including their performance for the CBGB Music and Film Festival in October of last year and are now releasing a new single, “SHARKS!”.

“SHARKS!” is from the duo’s new EP, Natalie Rose and was recorded and produced by Dave Dones. The tune has a catchy melody with meaningful lyrics and can be purchased here. It’s the kind of song that will capture your attention and have you whistling along every time.

“You are the current in the sea pulling me back in/ You are the tower on the beach calling out to me/ And I've been thinking love where ever you want to go/ I will call it home so long as you are there” – 'Sharks' lyrics

The music video was directed and produced by Chris Newhard, who also directed their previous single “Free Myself”. The “SHARKS!” video is a simple yet substantial illustration of the song’s lyrics.

The music video and single was largely funded by the sales of their merchandise and previous 2014 EP made from fans, friends and family. The band is extremely grateful and tells AXS, “We would like to thank [fans, friends and family] with everything we have and deep from the bottom of our hearts”.

Their new album is named after and dedicated to bass player’s Kenny O'Donohue’s new born daughter and is expected to be released after its completion in the summer.

In addition to the new single release, The Phoenix Within have also announced new performance dates. The two-piece indie/pop/acoustic band will be visiting Connecticut, Pennsylvania, California and their hometown, New York. Their performance dates are as follow:

The Phoenix Within show dates
Mar. 30 - Hamden, CT - The Space
Mar. 31 - Stroudsburg, PA - Sherman theatre
Apr. 1 - Elmhurst, NY - Blackthorn51
Apr. 4 - Oakland, CA - TBA
Apr. 5 - San Francisco - TBA

The Phoenix Within are also currently making plans for an extensive acoustic rock East Coast tour during the months of July and August 2015. To learn more and stay up to date with The Phoenix Within you can follow them on their social media sites: Facebook and/or Twitter. - AXS

The CBGB Music and Film Festival took place this Columbus Day weekend from Oct 8-12 throughout NYC. The annual festival is a mix of film premieres, live music events and special talks with the industry professionals held at various venues throughout New York City. While the big names such as Jane’s Addiction, Devo, Billy Idol and Macy Gray drew the attention of music lovers, it was also the rising stars who fulfilled the festival.

The Phoenix Within, an indie rock duo from Queens, New York, performed at Pyramid Club for the CBGB Music and Film Festival on Oct 9. In a cozy atmosphere, the duo engaged the crowd and had the audience in awe of their performance. One audience member told AXS, “He has a great voice. It’s a voice that was meant for music”. The duo performed in the basement of Pyramid Club where the crowd could sit comfortably on couches or stand close by the band to enjoy the music.

“We originally had other venues to choose from but we chose this one because of its history. Both Nirvana and The Red Hot Chili Peppers played their first New York City concert in that basement venue and I wanted us to connect and be a part of that.” –The Phoenix Within tells AXS.

The indie rock duo was introduced by Examiner.com earlier this year. They had released a self-titled album and music video for their single “Free Myself”. Since then, they have kept busy and have been writing new material, playing shows and collaborating with other indie rock artist.

“This year we had the pleasure of collaborating with another band out of Queens, NY called Winds & Walls and were able to help out with a few songs on their EP titled Third Rail. I was also lucky enough to be featured on their music video for their single 'Hindsight'."

They also recorded and released a three track EP The Great Deception featuring guitarist, singer, producer and their friend Rob Freeman from Hidden in Plain View. Freeman had previously helped the band record and release their album The Phoenix Within in 2013.

After some time off, The Phoenix Within decided to move forward as an acoustic indie rock duo composed of only Kenny O'Donohue on bass and vocals and Omar Feliciano on guitar and vocals. The duo who shared a confidence and connection on stage have been performing for nearly eight years. When asked about their stage presence, Omar told AXS:

“Being and sharing a stage with Kenny is something that feels natural and comes with ease. We have been performing together and in different bands for nearly 8 years. It's never stressful and never nerve breaking we know each other's strengths and weakness which makes performances easy.”

The Phoenix Within are currently working on writing, recording and completing a new, entirely acoustic full length album. The song “Sharks” will be its single. The release of the song, music video and tour dates will be announce in Jan 2015.

For more of The Phoenix Within, check out these links:

The Phoenix Within official page

The Phoenix Within album

The Great Deception EP - AXS

Music influences our lives daily. We tune into the usual top ten on the radio or we put on our favorites list as we travel, do chores or to simply relax. We come across new music all the time and never grow tired of our playlist. It is rare to discover new talent but every now and then we get lucky.

Introducing the indie rock band The Phoenix Within

The Phoenix Within is from your very own city, New York. The lead singer and rhythm guitar player, Omar Feliciano, has been writing songs, stories and poetry ever since he can remember. When he could no longer keep his work to himself, he reached out to his friends Lawrence Turco who plays the drums, Kenny O’Donohue the bass player, and Joe Balzano the lead guitar player.

Each member of the band have an individual talent. They combined their talents to attribute a sound for the band- a sound that will have you instantly love.

The music

A lot goes into creating a song and it is clear through their music The Phoenix Within not only worked hard but poured their hearts into their music. They have the ability to influence you with meaningful and thoughtful lyrics you can relate to.

With help from Rob Freeman, the band was able to record and release their self-titled album on Jan. 1, 2013. The band’s style is influenced by other great rock bands such as Blink-182, Jimmy Eat World, My Chemical Romance and Green Day.

When listening to their song “Free Myself”, you not only hear the music but you can feel it. The lyrics provide a visual as the guitars and drums accompany the visual.

Their music is much more than a good song to listen to. The Phoenix Within album exhibits insightful and significant songs that listeners can relate to.

You can listen to their music here and judge for yourself.

In the months or years to come, The Phoenix Within will be big and you can say you were one of the first to hear about them.

Want to know more about The Phoenix Within? Here are a few links to their pages:
The Phoenix Within
Facebook
Twitter - Examiner

I don’t know about you guys, but when it comes to 90’s pop punk music, I am a huge fan. The Phoenix Within has put out their newest release “South Ozone” which give me the exact vibe of 90’s pop punk. South Ozone is actually a neighborhood in Queens, NY where singer, Omar Feliciano, grew up. The song gives listeners a sense of nostalgia, but also heartbreak. Growing up is never easy and everyone goes through experiences that turn them into the person they are today. The song takes you on a journey of growing up in South Ozone and life lessons he learned from that background. Looking back to where you grew up, you know every town or neighborhood has its own quirks, characters, and problems. Everyone can relate to the sense of sentimentality this song brings it’s listeners. So if you’re in the mood for that whether it be because of its story, you miss 90’s pop punk, or like me - both, go stream “South Ozone” by The Phoenix Within now available on all streaming platforms.



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