Artist description If Billy Joel and Ani Difranco had a baby with Elvis Costello as the babysitter.

Music Style Alternative Folk-Pop

Musical Influences Billy Joel, R.E.M., Ani Difranco, Elvis Costello, B-52's, Paul Simon

Similar Artists A touch of Billy Joel-esque melodies, a touch of R.E.M. style lyrics, and the political grrrr of Ani Difranco

Artist History Danny Katz has been writing, recording and performing his own original compositions on guitar, piano and voice since the age of 14, and frightening the general populace since birth. During high school, as one-half of Scarsdale, NY folk-rock duos "Stephen & Danny" and "The Mad Hatters," he was responsible for all keyboard and guitar arrangements that gave both groups their signature "folk-country/jazz-pop" sound. "Stephen & Danny" released two fully arranged, full-length albums together, "Friday Nights" and "My Apple Tree." Songs from both groups were mostly about teenage love, although Danny now wonders what he knew of love in high school (or now for that matter!) During his high school years, Danny would often plop himself down in his family’s living room and spend hours writing little political numbers about the "oppressive" suburbs, instead of doing his homework (much to his family’s chagrin.) He fancied himself a suburban genius. No one seemed to share his feelings on that, however, and he didn’t perform his own material in front of anyone except a few squirrels and some curious and rather stoned Scarsdale High School dropouts. While attending Sarah Lawrence College in Bronxville, NY, a school so open-minded that it can often make ones’ brain fall out, he perfected his unique songwriting style through various collaborative projects and performances, most notably his participation in "Frogs in the Night," a duo specializing in "politically progressive folk rock... with some '80s songs thrown in for good measure." (What's activism without a good Madonna number, eh?) It was during this time that Danny decided that playing guitar for only a bunch of depressed suburban squirrels on campus was not enough, and he was soon seen shamelessly promoting his own solo on-campus coffeehouse solo concerts. During a year exchange program at Tsukuba University in Tsukuba, Japan, he quickly gained popularity doing folk-rock renditions of Japanese pop songs. He also introduced several of those pop songs in English. He was a co-founder of two bands while there, "Gatchinko" (no translation) and "Bunka Iku Iku" (translated: "cultural orgasm") and was a guest performer with an Eric Clapton cover band (no translation needed.) As lead vocalist and guitarist for the New York City-based Danny Katz Band, he has garnered praise and local fame for his lively guitar playing, aggressive singing style, confrontational, thought provoking lyrics and distinct ability to smack his teeth against the microphone while singing with his eyes closed. Danny performs in various New York City bars, with his onstage antics always putting his teeth at risk. Although shades of his many influences can be detected (Ani DiFranco, R.E.M., Simon and Garfunkel, Pete Seeger, Erasure, Billy Joel, Spitz and Southern All Stars and Globe), he has a style all his own. Those brave enough to inquire as to how he describes this style are met with "folk pop that'll make you want to hump your high school art teacher" or "if Ani Difranco and Billy Joel had a baby with Elvis Costello as the babysitter," both somewhat frightening descriptions. With Ani Difranco as his touring inspiration, Danny proceeded to do more shows in 2002 than his teeth care to remember. For s**ts and giggles, Danny dug out a five-song collection of his older solo material, "Gay Shock" (songs of a closeted suburban queen) which inspired him to return to the studio to record "Landscape," (songs of a not so closeted suburban queen) his fourth studio recording released in November 2002. In December of 2002 he traveled to his motherland, Japan, where he successfully promoted "Landscape" (and sold out of his first pressing!) Never satisfied with just sitting and strumming guitar like a normal, healthy songwriter, Danny keeps himself decadently neurotic by dabbling in several projects at once. As soon as he returned from Japan, Danny and Billy Anderson put the final touches on "Danger High Voltage: Not Your Father's Cabaret!" which was met with rave reviews and requests for the cabaret to become an annual performance. At the cabaret’s conclusion, Danny accosted Angela Ai, a very talented (and compared to Danny, grounded) singer-songwriter into considering collaboration projects. He now works at her guitarist. He is also working on pieces for a film soundtrack as well as English language lyrics for a pop song originally released in Italian. In addition, Danny is busying himself with preparing a multimedia audition package to send to record labels in Japan in the hopes of securing a Japanese tour in 2004. Future projects include "The Morito Project / Gerbil Mafia," a dance remix experience and Tanpopo/Kween Dandylion, a drag show extravaganza, both scheduled for debut in 2004. Danny eventually hopes to take some time off stage and away from microphones to score for commercials and video games as well. And he hopes his teeth will thank him.

Group Members Danny Katz - vocals, guitar; Joe Beninati, Jr. - percussion; Rawn Randall - bass; Scott Aronow - keyboards

Instruments Vocals, piano and guitar (and absolutely atrocious violin and viola)

Albums Landscape, Gay Shock, My Apple Tree, Friday Nights

Press Reviews Please visit http://www.dannykatzmusic.com/bio.html after the bio section

Additional Info Join the mailing list at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/DannyKatzMusic/

Location Scarsdale, NY - USA

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