Artist description Dan Coleron never imagined himself launching a solo career from Anchorage, Alaska. A Massachusetts native, Coleron began his career in the Boston folk scene, before packing his bags and guitar to head north to Alaska in the spring of 1997...following his own call of the wild. Upon his arrival, Coleron formed the jam band Hara and played weekly for dancing crowds throughout the state. By the year 2000, Coleron had released his first album, "Bird Point". The success of the album in the Anchorage area was a testament to Coleron's grassroots following from years of playing the Alaskan circuit festival and as a mainstay at popular venues such as Max's in Girdwood and the Mooses Tooth in Anchorage. "Bird Point transforms the listener to a different realm. In the somber and mood altering 'At Least' the listener walks through a forest wood and into a cratered moon," Crystal Hutchens, Anchorage Press. A folk pop rocker, Coleron looks to his guitar as the rhythm section as music columnist Matt Hopper notes in the Anchorage Daily News. "His style of strumming is unique in that it mimics the thumb picking, walking bass lines of old, but uses the thumb position to thump the guitar and strings to create a percussive effect essential to Coleron's rich and colorful sound." After hosting an open mic at Anchorage's Snow City Cafe and performing to audiences from Fairbanks to Juneau, Coleron was brimming with material for his second album, Silt. A far more ambitious album than his first, Silt incorporates a variety of musical styles from latin to rap to bluegrass and features an all star band. In the fall of 2003, we find Coleron reemerging in his hometown of Boston. Having made his mark in Anchorage, it's now time for another coast as Dan takes on his latest journey. We can only imagine where he might end up.

Music Style Alternative Folk Rock

Similar Artists David Grey, Jack Johnson, John Mayer, Elliot Smith, Ben Harper, Ani Difranco, Blind Melon

Albums Silt, Bird Point

Press Reviews Anchorage Press 5/2003 Can 'Silt' be this fine? Dan Coleron brings it on his new CD By Crystal Hutchens Right now a two-foot-tall munchkin is spinning in circles, shuffling her feet and bobbing her head, doing a dance that perfectly represents the way the music we're listening to makes me feel. The album is Silt, a ten-track disk written, performed and co-produced by Dan Coleron, and from its first note I was transported to a world where time is of no consequence and only thought matters. By the third listen the album had merged with my stereo and now it's all that I can play. Damn you, Coleron, my other CDs are gathering dust. Recorded and co-produced by Sean Cobb, Silt also features superb production. Coleron is backed by the musicians from his former outfit, The Dan Coleron Trio; Nathan Engbretson brings the bass lines and Kris Rosenstrater throws in jangly percussion. Still need frosting? Emily Tornfelt and Sara Zipkin add background vocals, Peter Townsend brings the mandolin and, yes kids, Scott Pavey sneaks in a didgeridoo. Coleron's voice has a sensual quality, like sun-hardened honey. Whether he's despairing over leaving a lover or taking a lover on, it can be as soothing as being a newborn cuddled by a lullaby. On “Sun Moon Earth,” the first cut, Coleron sings this chorus: The sun is in my hands The moon is in my eyes The earth my love And it runs through my head at all hours of the day and night. I wake up singing. “To Mr. Moe,” the second track, switches from fourth to third gear as Coleron laments about “the way we use and abuse this land.” “It's only a matter of time before we rise,” he sings, “it's about caring for a sacred land. About loving yourself and your fellow man... You might say that I am aiming high. Damn right it's life.” The next two songs, “I'll Just Wait” and “I Leave You” grind down to a slow churn as we get a glimpse into Coleron's tender heart. We find him waiting on love as he sings: I feel your beauty flowing within And I would like to fire your kiln And then spin you around my skin But I'll just wait. Then he goes on to express the pain of leaving love gone wrong: “Many gifts you gave to me. I'd give them all back for your loyalty.” On the title track, Coleron walks through silt and miles of aldered hill to make his way to a lover. The song seems to walk right through to track six, “One by One,” the most experimental song on the album. Bouncy bass and jazzy percussion are framed by melodic keyboard and a Debbie Harry-style free-form rap. The lyrics tackle transcendental soul ascension and an earth where only love remains. The album winds down through glimpses of Coleron's thoughts and dilemmas. Inside the jewel case is a picture of an American flag half buried in sand. Coleron has made a big mark on the Anchorage music scene. Silt is the second recording he's released in Alaska while dividing his time between hosting a weekly open mic at Snow City Cafe and performing his music live at bars, coffee shops and festivals. The first time I saw him perform, the hair on my arms stood up and my heart rattled. I'm happy to report that Silt captures the energy of his live shows - and that every word, every phrase, every song is placed perfectly. Coleron heads for Boston in August; the chances of him coming back without a record contract are, I'd say, slim to none. F

Location Boston, MA - USA

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