Independent guitarist and singer/songwriter from Toronto, Canada, Joe Silvaggio has been playing on and off with different bands since the ‘90s. Art of Insurrection is his first solo effort. Previously, Silvaggio was in a surf inspired retro rock band called the Atomic Beliveaus. They were among the last bands standing after the Great Lakes Surf Battle of 2018. Before that, he was in a variety of roots rock bands with experimental and psychedelic aspirations. Silvaggio currently gigs semi regularly in and around Southern Ontario and one of the highlights of the past few years was when he mounted a musical theater multimedia show titled The Book of Love. It was a mix of original compositions and covers, poetry and film exploring the theme of love throughout history.
Art of Insurrection was mostly recorded at home with a Mac book using Garage Band, an apogee duet and some good mics which were mostly an AKG 414 & Sure Sm 57 and SM 7B. Silvaggio’s friends contributed on bass, sax, vocals and drums – some of them remotely – and some songs were recorded at a friend’s home studio in Ottawa, Canada called Shovel Face Records. Mixed and mastered by Lewin Berringer from Garage Band and Beyond. The album is basically a mid-life crisis, rock record, which also dabbles in the styles of Americana, country, folk, blues and jazz. On the opening tune, Silvaggio states “Daily Grind” was his feeble attempt at some kind of “laid back Bossa nova.” Whether or not it has elements of a Bossa nova tune, I think it has a smooth, sophisticated sound. It’s lush, mellow delivery and saxophone played by Paul Newman (no, not THAT Paul Newman) and has a fantastic vibe to it. “Crimson Gold” is about empathy and it sounds like it took some inspiration from Neil Young and Wilco. Silvaggio adds his harmonica to the fold, while friends Peppe Piraino sings back up, Joe Iannuzzi on drums and Ian Davis on bass. Silvaggio stated that he couldn't afford a Nashville style pedal steel player, so he tried to mimic the sound of one on his electric guitar. “Home Again” begins with a warm rumbling sound on the drums and just an all-around awesome beat. I think this would make for a great music video with some dude driving in a classic car with the top down on the open road. More sax can be heard here. The next song “The Book of Love (featuring Christina Lianos),” originally written by Stephin Merritt and made popular by Peter Gabriel, is just lovely. And again, the sax played by Newman tied it all together perfectly. “Parting Words” uses a Nick Drake guitar tuning after Silvaggio immersed himself in English folk rock. If I could listen to just one song off this entire album, this one would be it. Silvaggio captured English folk so darn well, it felt like I was transported to another time. His guitar work was so well played, and I’ll be dammed if the saxophone didn’t sound like something from heaven. This song felt like spring, (which just happens to be right around the corner). “Julius and Ethel” is an instrumental Silvaggio wrote for his previous band, Atomic Beliveaus. It’s part trippy, part reggae and the guitar effect sounds reminded me of the stuff Brian Wilson was producing on Pet Sounds. A pretty inventive instrumental. “Post Office Girl” features a thick, dry drum beat I liked a lot and a mellow, warm acoustic rhythm. This one was my second most favorite. “Dust” begins with amp feedback sounds and spacious guitar riffs, and a narration by Jeff Orchard. “Winter Moon” is a brooding melancholy tune recorded with 12 string, slide and an organ – an all-around great closer to a very introspective, but beautifully produced album. The album kept me engaged from beginning to end. Silvaggio remarks that his debut “is small act of protest or insurrection during these hard and cruel times” but, it’s not necessarily a political record. He just tried to explore what he thought it meant to be human under difficult and inhumane conditions. Well, if this is what an independent guitarist/singer/songwriter going through a “mid-life crisis” sounds like, I’d like to hear more.
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