Artist description Combining the musical sensibilities from both classic and alternative rock -- along with a maturity that only age and experience can bring -- The Empire Towers have touched a nerve with their first release, "Surrender Dorothy." Don Drehoff and Stan Gabriszeski (both formerly of "The Smack") have collaborated for the first time in over a decade to produce a stunning collage of words, images, and sound that perfectly capture the intricacies of love, loss, wisdom and healing -- definitely not the kind of stuff for the young or faint at heart. Listen and you may be challenged or even changed -- but certainly you will never be the same again. Here's hoping there is more music like this to follow -- we all need more songs from The Empire Towers.

Music Style Classical and alternative rock

Musical Influences The Beatles, REM, Dylan, The Who

Similar Artists The Beatles, REM

Artist History Don Drehoff and Stan Gabriszeski met in college (to ask "when" is like asking a woman her age ... simply not polite to do :-) and quickly formed a friendship, based on their affinity for music listening, writing and performing. They performed together as "The Smack" -- once even opening for Peter Frampton -- but disbanded soon after graduation. Their first effort here, "Surrender Dorothy" -- is the fulfillment of a promise made many years ago -- and is their first formal collaboration. Coincidentally, they grew up 10 minutes from one another (in Brooklyn Park, MD and Glen Burnie, MD, respectively), so the influences on their perspectives and their music is surprisingly similar. Don has been writing songs for years, creating music that attempts to portray "the stuff of life" -- love, loss, success, shortcoming, and all the rest. Stan's strong vocals add a deep richness and sense of urgency that complete the efforts. Together, they formed "The Empire Towers" (named after their hometown eight story "skyscraper" in a eighborhood of strip malls and one story ranchers) in order to execute upon and deliver their work. Supporting The Empire Towers are Jeff Morris (guitars), Inis Infante (bass) and Kenny Grimes (drums) -- all three some of the finest studio and band musicians, in Dallas, TX. Jeff's expertise also extends to both the studio and to engineering, and is an integral part in creating the sound that is The Empire Towers.

Group Members Don Drehoff Stan Gabriszeski

Albums Surrender Dorothy

Location Glen Burnie, MD - USA

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