NEW YORK DOLLS Guitarist STEVE CONTE To Release CRAZY TRUTH Debut

October 20, 2009

To rock and rollers around the globe, the legendary Steve Conte is probably best known as the lead guitarist, songwriter/and backing vocalist in the NEW YORK DOLLS. Conte is also the lead singer, songwriter and guitarist for a raft of other bands including CROWN JEWELS, THE CONTES, and his latest incarnation — STEVE CONTE & THE CRAZY TRUTH.

Sonically, THE CRAZY TRUTH lies somewhere between garage rock and punk blues with hints of Latin-soul in a dark, smoky lounge. It's the STOOGES and the STONES versus MORPHINE and TOM WAITS. The overall vibe is best described by Conte as "classic roots with a modern twist."

Steve Conte delivers the power, soul and raunch. He's a runaway guitar hero on the edge of falling apart — with the voice of a derelict angel. Drummer Phil Stewart is equal parts Max Roach and Keith Moon while bassist Leeko was weaned on THE CLASH and old school reggae.

Says Conte, "This album sounds like a band playing live because it's drums, bass and guitar together in one room, solos recorded live on the basic tracks, rough and tough. It was like doing a gig. I love playing live with this band because it's all about interplay and the moment. We don't just deliver the songs…we JAM!"

Due in Europe on November 30 via "Steve Conte & The Crazy Truth" via Vintage/Colosseum Music, "Steve Conte & The Crazy Truth" will feature the following track listing:

01. This Is The End?
02. Gypsy Cab?
03. Texas T?
04. The Goods Are Odd?
05. Get Off?
06. The Truth Ain't Pretty?
07. Her Highness?
08. Busload of Hope?
09. Strumpet-hearted Monkey Girl?
10. Indie Girl?
11. Junk Planet

Lyrically, the songs reflect two decades of life and excess in New York City…the distractions troubled souls move toward to fill the emptiness. Dive bars, gambling, sex and drugs. It's all there, but not celebrated with the traditional macho rock attitude. It's more about redemption.

On "The Truth Ain't Pretty", Conte sings, "I'm always putting the last things first, that's why I'm starting out with the second verse," while on "The Goods Are Odd" he croons "Drag queens, drama queens, future ex-porn stars, we're all looking for lovers with beautiful scars."

Whether he's the morally bankrupt guy "coming downtown in a gypsy cab" (from the standout track "Gypsy Cab") or riding a "Busload of Hope" to Atlantic City, Conte offers a sense of optimism in the song "This Is The End" — "In the end we transcend - we're divine".

Special guests on the album include David Johansen (NEW YORK DOLLS) on harmonica, Catherine Russell (DAVID BOWIE) and Nicki Richards (MADONNA) on backing vocals, plus Danny Ray (SYLVAIN SYLVAIN, JOHNNY THUNDERS),Kiku Collins (BEYONCE),and Tom Timko (STEVIE WONDER) on horns.

The album was mixed by the legendary Niko Bolas (NEIL YOUNG, KEITH RICHARDS) and mastered by Richard Dodd (TOM PETTY, GREEN DAY).

For more information, visit www.steveconteandthecrazytruth.com.

Find more on

Prev More News Next

Comments Disclaimer And Information

BLABBERMOUTH.NET uses the Facebook Comments plugin to let people comment on content on the site using their Facebook account. The comments reside on Facebook servers and are not stored on BLABBERMOUTH.NET. To comment on a BLABBERMOUTH.NET story or review, you must be logged in to an active personal account on Facebook. Once you're logged in, you will be able to comment. User comments or postings do not reflect the viewpoint of BLABBERMOUTH.NET and BLABBERMOUTH.NET does not endorse, or guarantee the accuracy of, any user comment. To report spam or any abusive, obscene, defamatory, racist, homophobic or threatening comments, or anything that may violate any applicable laws, use the "Report to Facebook" and "Mark as spam" links that appear next to the comments themselves. To do so, click the downward arrow on the top-right corner of the Facebook comment (the arrow is invisible until you roll over it) and select the appropriate action. You can also send an e-mail to blabbermouthinbox(@)gmail.com with pertinent details. BLABBERMOUTH.NET reserves the right to "hide" comments that may be considered offensive, illegal or inappropriate and to "ban" users that violate the site's Terms Of Service. Hidden comments will still appear to the user and to the user's Facebook friends. If a new comment is published from a "banned" user or contains a blacklisted word, this comment will automatically have limited visibility (the "banned" user's comments will only be visible to the user and the user's Facebook friends).