Steve Conte ‘The Concrete Jangle’ album review
“The Concrete Jangle” by Steve Conte is a stellar album that will captivate fans of New York Dolls, Michael Monroe, and Hanoi Rocks with its energetic vibe and rock ‘n’ roll spirit. The collaborations featured on this record are a testament to Conte’s influence in the rock world, with a lineup that reads like a who’s who in the industry.
There’s a distinct Beatles influence evident in tracks like “Hey Hey Hey (Aren’t You The One?)” and “Decomposing A Song For You,” adding a nostalgic yet fresh dimension to the album. The single “We Like It” immediately grabs attention with its catchy hooks and a Gary Glitter-esque vibe, promising an instant hook that sticks with listeners.
“All Tied Up” stands out as a potential next single, showcasing Conte’s seasoned craftsmanship and delivering a perfect blend of rock prowess and musical finesse.
The album’s release on Record Store Day adds to its allure, inviting listeners to experience its raw energy and infectious melodies firsthand. Conte’s collaboration with Andy Partridge of XTC is particularly noteworthy, elevating the album to new heights with their songwriting synergy.
Overall, “The Concrete Jangle” is a testament to Conte’s evolution as an artist, delivering a collection of tracks that resonate with themes of truth, love, and the timeless essence of rock ‘n’ roll. With its blend of garage band grit and melodic sensibility, this album is a must-listen for fans of classic rock and modern indie alike.
Conte says, “When Andy Partridge and I were writing songs for The Concrete Jangle I told him I thought we needed something more 60s-garage-band and that we should put on our Dukes Of Stratosphere hats. He brought in this idea thinking the hook was big & dumb – in the best possible way – and it was! I loved it and thought it could be a contender for a single if we made the rest of it smart and gave it that Gary Glitter beat from “Rock and Roll, Pt. 2”.
Lyrically, we decided it should be about a politician running for office who is promising all sorts of crazy & impossible things. Andy even threw out some of the lines off-the-cuff, like – “a tap in the kitchen that turns on the beer”. He suggested that I sing-speak the verse (‘Sprechstimme’ as he said it), which I interpreted as – do Dylan! When I made the first demo and sent it to him for feedback I had added the bridge; chords, 1/2 time groove, melody & lyrics, (the latter of which he tweaked a bit) and then, we almost had a song. Andy then suggested the riff for the intro, which I tweaked slightly to make it more “me” and finally, we had all the pieces.
For the backing vocals on the chorus/hooks I wanted to get many different walks of life represented, people a politician would be trying to convince in an election; men, women, young, old, black, white, latino, musicians, actors, producers, DJs, singers – and some people who work “real” jobs. Nearly 50 friends added their voices – among them, names like – Ian Hunter, Michael Imperioli, Marshall Crenshaw, Steve Lillywhite, Kasim Sultan, Simon Kirke, Danko Jones, Nasty Suicide, Dregen, Dennis Dunaway, Glen Matlock, Prairie Prince, Tommy Henrickson, Marc Broussard, Jessie Wagner, Palmyra Delran & Genya Ravan.”
Of the upcoming album Conte shares, “”The Concrete Jangle” is the best album I’ve done to date. Not just because all the songs on Side A were co-written with songwriting genius, Andy Partridge (from my favorite band, XTC) – but because working with him made me rise to the occasion and become a better writer/artist myself. You can’t be a slouch and be writing with one of the greatest songwriters since Lennon & McCartney!
I cannot stress how much Andy Partridge contributed to this record – it would not exist without him and his input. I’ve given him a co-production credit for helping with the arrangements of the demos, which were ultimately followed when making the final record. To my earlier point, it is the listeners who have have proven to me that I’ve become better on this record because they’ve thought that some of my lyric and melody lines were Andy’s – which is the highest compliment.
When tasked with which songs were going to exist on Side B, I knew they’d have to stand up next to the Partridge co-writes so I pulled out some the more psychedelic, adventurous soulful songs from the Beatles/XTC/Motown side of my musical brain. I think I picked the right ones because people have mentioned some of those songs as their favorites – and even Andy himself perked up when he heard “I’m Decomposing A Song For You”.
In keeping with the aesthetic of 60s-meets-80 power pop, the record had a limitation on what I could use. I played a multitude of guitars; both acoustic & electric, mandolin, Mellotron, strings, piano & organ (all sampled), tambourine & maracas. I had my other co-producer, Andrew Hollander play real piano & Mellotron while keyboard whiz Rob Schwimmer added an authentic 1960s Ondioline as well as Theremin & synthesizer sounds. Real trumpets by Chris Anderson, cello by Mark Stewart, bass by brother John Conte and drums by Prairie Prince (The Tubes, XTC, Todd Rundgren), Thommy Price (Joan Jett, Billy Idol, Mink DeVille) and Brian Delaney (New York Dolls). My sons Zia Conte & Baz Conte sang backing vocals.
Some of the lyrical themes on the record are truth vs. misinformation, entitlement, boredom, heartache, fidelity, addiction and loss – and of course, love and lust.”
‘The Concrete Jangle’ Track Listing:
Fourth of July
Hey Hey Hey (Aren’t You The One?)
We Like It
Shoot Out The Stars
One Last Bell
Motor City Love Machine
All Tied Up
Decomposing A Song For You
Girl With No Name
I Dream Her
