Derek Nicoletto • Only The Lonely

In 1982, The Motels released the single "Only The Lonely". It was the second single off the album 'All Four One'. The song was a moody ballad that manage to soar up high, thanks to the stunning vocals from lead singer Martha Davis. Davis was joined by the band, which was guitarist Guy Perry, keyboardist Marty Jourard, bass player Michael Goodroe, and drummer Brian Glascock. The song flew up the charts, and made it to the Top 10, landing at #8 on the Billboard Hot 100. Now, 32 years later, it is being covered by Manhattan-based singer/songwriter Derek Nicoletto.

In the release, Derek said he recorded the song at the suggestion of a friend. The single was produced by Jamie Siegel, who also produced Nicoletto's other solo efforts. The video features Chelsea Bearce, Damon Clyde, Anne Davis Mulford, Serene Neihart Regen, Gina Kim, Memlee Miller and Derek's cat Wilson. It was shot via the 8mm iPhone app on location around New York City, including Matthew Corozine Studio Theatre, Inc. I hope you enjoy Derek Nicoletto's cover of "Only the Lonely".

This cover maintains the haunted quality of the original, but Nicoletto still manages to put his own distinctive spin on it. I know I had to have it the minute I watched the video, and I bought it! You can purchase Derek's cover of "Only the Lonely" from iTunes. To learn more about Derek Nicoletto, check out his official website. You can also "follow" him on Twitter and "like" him on Facebook.

Derek Nicoletto • Hell In Gramercy

Singer/songwriter Derek Nicoletto has released a new music video, featuring the song "Hell In Gramercy". The song was featuring on the 2013 release, 'Just Panic and Get it Over With', the latest set of new music from the artist. The song beautifully combines the influences found in Nicoletto's music, in this case Rock, Electronica, and Pop. There is something wonderfully bombastic, while still maintaining a personalize touch, with a palpable emotional current running throughout. Derek's vocals are so alive, so vibrant, I find this song hard to resist. The video was directed by Josh Stoddard and Max Lewin, and shot on location at Gibson Showroom, New York City. This is "Hell In Gramercy" by Derek Nicoletto.

I just love the pyrotechnic quality of the track, and the video captures it perfectly! You can find "Hell In Gramercy" on Derek's 2012 release, 'Just Panic and Get It Over With'. You can purchase it from iTunes and Amazon. To learn more about Derek Nicoletto, check out his official website. You can also "follow" him on Twitter and "like" him on Facebook. Let him know how much you love the video, I am sure he'd love to hear from everyone!

Derek Nicoletto • "Kings Are We" Music Video

New York singer/songwriter Derek Nicoletto has released a new music video for "Kings Are We", the first track off his amazing EP, 'Just Panic and Get it Over With'. The song was written by Derek Nicoletto and Kiyanu Kim. The video was directed by Nicoletto, who also shot the footage in New York City, Oahu, Kauai, and Fire Island. The images of shadows, animals, and a few interesting things seen on his journey make for an interesting background to the song. "Kings Are We" feels like an aural landscape, washing over the listener with a mood and feeling, more than a narrative. Please enjoy the official music video for Derek Nicoletto's "Kings Are We".

I still love the 'Just Panic and Get it Over With' EP, a wonderful assortment of music. It still feels as fresh now as it did in the Spring. I am still loving "In The Blink of an Eye", and, well the rest of the songs too. There is a wonderful quality I find in Nicoletto's voice, a crispness and clarity that never sacrifices warmth for strength. I've been a fan since his days as frontman to the Rock band Telling On Trixie. In fact, I am wearing an TOT band t-shirt as I type this! Check out my review of 'Just Panic And Get It Over With' here. To learn more about Derek Nicoletto, check out his official website. You can also "follow" him on Twitter and "like" him on Facebook. You can purchase 'Just Panic And Get It Over With' from iTunes and Amazon.

Derek Nicoletto • San Simeon

I just loved Derek Nicoletto's recent release, 'Just Panic and Get it Over With', so I couldn't help but be excited when I saw Derek had released his first music video in conjuncture with the EP. I eagerly hit play for the "San Simeon" video, and was happy I did. The song is wonderful, as you can read in my original review. The video only looks to enhance that beauty, and it worked for me. Check out the beautiful imagery from "San Simeon".

If the use of paints and art weren't enough, Derek's handsome and smiling face would make any day brighter. Of course, the song already got that job done, so everything else is bonus points. You can purchase 'Just Panic And Get It Over With' from iTunes and Amazon. To learn more about Derek Nicoletto, check out his official website. You can also follow him on Twitter or "like" him on Facebook.

Derek Nicoletto • Just Panic And Get It Over With

Yesterday, Derek Nicoletto released his latest collection of songs, 'Just Panic And Get It Over With'. I've been following Derek since first discovering his talent as the front man for Telling On Trixie, a rock band that put out two albums in 2007 and 2008. Once the band decided to call it quits, Derek continued to express himself musically, and in 2011 released his first solo album, 'Kind Ghosts'. I loved the Rock sound he had with Telling On Trixie, and liked the way he grew to a Pop/Rock sound with 'Kind Ghosts'. I was excited and couldn't wait to hear what is next, and I immediately heard an evolution continued to happen. 'Just Panic And Get It Over With' has an electronic sound driven by Nicoletto's strong vocals and a very fresh sense of Pop. There is the duality of feeling the 6-song collection has a softer touch, but a much clearer focus than his previous music.

When speaking about putting this collection together, Derek talked about hitting a point in production when he just couldn't seem to go forward, be it with writing or recording. His producer, Jamie Siegel, Told him to take a bit of time away from it all, to regroup. It obviously worked, for I have the EP in my eager hands, and have the music playing on my iPod. And this is how Derek explains he came up with the title. "Sometimes we need earthquakes to shake us," he said, "leaving the strong parts stand and the weak parts open to be rebuilt. I've been rebuilding. I think I always will be. And to grow and to rebuild yourself, sometimes you need to Just Panic And Get It Over With." And it is in that spirit that I will begin with some of my thoughts on this EP. It kicks off with "Kings Are We", the bracing percussion, but soon takes on a different feeling, with a light and airy mood comforting my heart. There is a bit more urgency to "F5", with the percussion track driving the tempo. There is a real electronic feel to the song. We are reminded that on most computers, the 'F5' keys refreshes your screen, and there are certainly times we'd all like to be able to 'refresh' our life. There is a real anger in "Hell In Gramercy", as you can hear for yourself by hitting play.

There is a wonderful ethereal feel to the opening of "Mother Numb It", but as a percussion track is layered on to it, along with Nicoletto's bold vocals, there is a beauty in the way the song comes together with the layers. It really reminds me of some of the music made by The Police in the latter stages of their collaboration, when seemingly disparate sounds comes together to make intriguing music. Soon we hear the opening bars of "Blink of an Eye", and I instantly feel the warmth of music, reminding me of Yazoo and Depeche Mode, with a lightness that did not preclude smart and honest lyrics. Check out "Blink of an Eye".

And, finally, the last song is "San Simeon", a charming Pop song that manages seduce the listener in all the right ways. There is a dreamy quality to it, a hypnotic sound that makes me beg for more. And that, my friend, pretty much sums up my thoughts on 'Just Panic And Get It Over With', a seductive and enchanting collection of original music from Derek Nicoletto. I hit play and allow the music to take me places I only dreamed of before. You can purchase 'Just Panic And Get It Over With' from iTunes and Amazon. To learn more about Derek Nicoletto, check out his official website. You can also follow him on Twitter or "like" him on Facebook.

Kat Solar at Delaware Pride

Kat Solar joined the other performers at the Delaware Pride Afterparty, and added a wonderful sparkle to the proceedings. And when she was joined by her dancers, both male and female, she also lifted the sexiness to a new high. Her music was perfect for the event, strong Electro-Pop that combines the best of saucy Pop with great Dance music. I will admit to not being familiar with her music beforehand, but that is certainly not the case anymore. And so you can say you are familiar with it too, give a listen to this great track off the 'Snake Eyes' album. This is "Doing What Feels Good", and it certainly feels good to listen...

Kat reminds me of a sexy Jane Krakowski type, seeming at first to be all about the sex appeal. But you quickly realize that is just her powdered exterior, for there is more where that came from. She can dance, work a boa, and deliver a song with a coo and a wink, and maybe a little spank, too. Kat is having a great time on stage with her dancers, and that joy is contagious.

And not only can Kat dance, but her dancers were also in top form all night long. All four were sexy, but the boys were particularly fetching, dancing with no shirts, flaunting their young and perfect bodies. Yet while she was singing, Kat always was in command of the stage, pulling my attention away from the dancers to her performances. You can also give a listen to the title cut from her album.This is "Snake Eyes", a great sample of the music.

For more about Kat Solar, visit her official website. You can also 'like' her on Facebook, and 'follow' her on Twitter. I didn't get any information on the boys, but I will always have my pictures... And on the website, I can find out her upcoming shows, but you can too. And if there is one near you, I'd advise you to buy your tickets early. Speaking of buying, you can purchases her album, 'Snake Eyes', from iTunes and Amazon. Enjoy the rest of the pictures, and if you see Kat, tell her I said 'Hi!'

Derek Nicoletto at Delaware Pride

When Derek Nicoletto tweeted me about his upcoming appearance at the Afterparty for Delaware Pride, I was near giddy. I've been a big fan for a couple of years, since finding the band Telling On Trixie, where Derek was the lead vocalist. Somehow, our schedules have yet to clear so I could not only make it to a show, but to also meet this handsome and talented man. I was a bit disappointed with the stage, set up in the darkest area of the Hotel banquet room. The terrible lighting pretty much made videos impossible. And in taking pictures, I used my flash, which I never do, fearful of disrupting the viewing pleasures of others. But when I noticed shooting without the flash was impossible, I was left with little choice. As I couldn't take video, I will use some Soundcloud files to share Derek's music. This first song will be "Hustler With A Rescue Plan", one of my favorite tracks, which Derek performed live at the show.

Derek performed several songs off his latest album, 'Kind Ghosts'. His voice has such a great tone and such a depth when singing live. I was totally grooving on the music, and watching Derek work the audience. I also loved his t-shirt, designed by Scooter LaForge. Scotter also had a hand in the cover to 'Kind Ghosts', painting Derek's t-shirt one him.

One of the things I learned at the performance was Derek is every bit as sweet in person as he has been online. And he has a beautiful smile! He also sang a great version of his latest single, "Champion". Since I recently did a post about it, I decided to feature another song off his debut album. While he didn't sing it at the show, I really do love "Sugar". Not only is it a beautiful song, but it fits his voice perfectly, leaving me feeling like I was wrapped in a warm honey blanket.

To learn more about Derek Nicoletto, check out his official website. You can also follow him on Twitter or "like" him on Facebook. You can purchase the Kind Ghosts album on iTunes, CD Baby, Bandcamp, and Amazon. If you like his t-shirt, you can visit the official website for designer Scooter LaForge and see all the great work he has to offer. Below you can see a shot of Derek dancing with Kat Solar, the other performer at the Afterparty. It was great to see everyone cutting loose! Thanks, Delaware Pride!

Derek Nicoletto Wants Us All To 'Just Panic & Get It Over With'

I was thrilled to hear Derek Nicoletto was working on new music. In fact, he's been back in the studio, working on finishing up the new songs. This was great news, as I am still enjoying his last release, 'Kind Ghosts'. In fact, I had just seen Nicoletto performing live a few weeks ago, making an exciting show for Delaware Pride. When I noticed you could pre-order his new collection, I couldn't resist taking a moment to ask a couple of questions of the handsome and talented Nicoletto. And Derek was more than kind to offer up his answers. My first question was if the new album had a name and a schedule? "The new record," he answered, "is a six-song EP called 'Just Panic And Get It Over With'.Full release will be in early (maybe February/March) 2013, but there will be early releases for people who went to the website and pre-ordered." Like many projects that help ease the cash flow of funding releases, there are many options you can take "The highest prize on the pre-order is being able to attend the 2013 Grammy's with me and my dad next year. I can't wait to take him. He was there in the 70's with various project he was on and has been campaigning for me to take him ever since I became a voting member."

Derek in the "Orion's Light" video by Telling On Trixie

Of course, as I recently heard him play several songs from his solo debut, I was interested in hearing if the new EP had a different feel than 'Kind Ghosts'? "Definitely," he told me. "It's more eclectic. There are a couple of radio-ready pop songs, but the other songs were non-formulaic and extremely free form in the studio. Two of the songs were produced by Jamie Siegel, who produced the Kind Ghosts album. The other four songs were at the direction of my bandmate Kiyanu Kim. It's really cool to be produced by a brilliant bandmate, who plays with you on stage, then takes ideas from those performances and parlays them into studio recordings. What a ride" So, where does Derek find inspiration for writing songs? "Sometimes they are distinct things I'm going through. Sometimes they are about fictional characters or are inspired by stories I overhear or that I am told. A lot of times, they include hopeful lessons I want to teach myself, like the title track of 'Kind Ghosts,' and on this album, two songs called "Kings Are We" and "San Simeon." Every one of my songs is an exploration of a certain moment." With all this talk of the creative process, I was interested in knows what part of the process does Derek enjoy the most: writing, recording, or performing? "Those are three different rides at the same carnival" he explained. "The fact that what I do encompasses those three very different processes and experiences is tremendously fulfilling. The way I tour this album is going to be completely different than anything I've ever done. I'm keeping it a secret right now though. But it's really something new and something I don't see any other artists doing."

Derek in his video for "Hustler With A Rescue Plan"

I was also looking to know what does the pre-order help the artist do? "Pre-orders help me finish sooner and get to the stage quicker," he answered straight forwardly. "Pre-orders really make everything easier for artists. Right now, if you buy the digital download of this album, it's $5 for 6 songs. When it hits iTunes it's going to be more expensive and a third of that money goes to Apple. All of that $5 goes to me. Who do you want to give the money to, for the same product? Believe me, as an Apple freak, they get enough of my money. Also, this time I opted out of Kickstarter because I realized I could just do it on my own website. Kickstarter is a great platform for people, but I did this same crowd-funding thing with Telling on Trixie's 'Ugly, Broke and Sober' before any of those sites started and all we had as a model was Jill Sobule. She's really all we ever needed. So I'm going back to that method. I created a page on my site, here. Shortly after the release of  'Just Panic And Get It Over With' I'm going to release a book of lyrics. Now that I have five studio albums under my belt from Telling on Trixie, Derek and the Darling and my solo albums, I wanted to memorialize the lyrics. If you're a lyric freak, like I am, you'll dig my book." I will have to admit I was a fan of Telling On Trixie, and was in fact a supporter of "A Band With A Plan", the fundraising for the second album. It was with the first album that I discovered the talented lead singer, Derek.

Derek in the video for "Kind Ghosts"

I could not resist asking Derek which of all his songs were his favorite date? "Right now I'm in a very "Take Medicine" mood. That's a happy, sexy place to be. We had a blast writing and recording that song. I perform it in every show. And the rap that God-des laid on "Take Medicine" is flawless and so freaking hot."

So I am sure there are others like me who are excited about the new music, and ready to step up and pre-order. Again, visit the official page and check out the options! For more about Derek Nicoletto, visit his official website. You can also "like" him on Facebook, or follow him on Twitter.

Derek in his video for "Champion"

Derek Nicoletto • Take Medicine (feat. God-des)

I thought I would kick off this fine Friday with a little fantastic track from Derek Nicolett's Kind Ghosts album. The eleventh track off the CD is "Take Medicine" and it features the God-des, one half of the great hip-hop/soul duo, God-des and She. I thought this track would be the perfect one to give you a little extra get-up-and-go as the work week draws to a close. That is why I think this is the perfect time for you to "Take Medicine".



I am lucky enough to be catching Derek live on Saturday night, Sept. 8th, at the Delaware Pride Afterparty. If you can't make it there are other ways you can be listening to Derek. Kind Ghosts is available on iTunes, Amazon, CD Baby. For more about Derek, check out his official webpage here.

Derek Nicoletto • Champion Remixes

The set of remixes for Derek Nicoletto's "Champion" have been released, and are waiting to join your iTunes collection. The eight-song package includes the album cut, and an extraordinary acoustic version featuring some brilliant guitar work from producer Jamie Siegel. Give a listen to "Champion (Acoustic Version)" and I bet you'll need to buy it...



In case you don't remember from an earlier post, "Champion" is a driving rock song with bold imagery, brash instrumentation, and a strong performance from Nicoletto, whose voice has a strength and depth perfectly suited to the song. Here is the video for "Champion".



You can find the Champion Remixed on iTunes and Amazon. The song is featured on the great album Kind Ghosts, which can also be found on iTunes and Amazon. For more about Derek Nicoletto, check out his official website.

Derek Nicoletto • Champion

How could I have a series of songs celebrating the 2012 London Olympics and not have one for all the gold medal winners? Well, I have what could be the perfect song in the rocker Derek Nicoletto's "Champion". Big and bold, the song delivers a big punch, just the song for anyone now considered the best in the world. What a great song, off a great album by a fantastic artist. Enjoy "Champion".



"Champion" is off the album Kind Ghosts, available on iTunes and Amazon. For more about Derek Nicoletto, check out his official website.

Derek Nicoletto • Champion Video

Derek Nicoletto has released the latest video from the Kind Ghosts album. The video features the song "Champion", written by Derek Nicoletto and Jamie Siegel. The driving rock beat pounds throughout the song, hitting out like a former lover. The videos keys on that tribal beat, giving a string of images that intrigue and sometimes scare. There is a mystical feel, supernatural and foreboding. But there is also something Freudian, like the subconscious streaming across the screen. Something is chasing that handsome man, making him run from something, like the lyrics suggest. And I must say, Derek is looking fantastic in the video! Dayumm! Give it a watch for yourself.



The video was directed by Marko Kalfa and Ned Stresen-Reuter for Interference Films. It was produced by Dave Beatrice; with Styling and Monster by Timothy McKlusky. Other credits for the video include: Asst. Camera: William J. Hopper; Mask: Caden Manson of Big Art Group; Jewelry: Michael J. Spirito; Casting by Kevin Crawford Inc. Makeup: Sergey Logvinov Models: Red Models and Mason M. For more about Derek Nicoletto, check out his official website. You can also follow him on Twitter or "like" him on Facebook. You can purchase the Kind Ghosts album on iTunes and Amazon. You can also get the Derek Nicoletto App for your iPhone or iPad here. To share the video with friends or family on Twitter or Facebook, click here.