Article about Alizarin in the newspaper!
April 28, 2010
Firing up Maricopa’s music scene
Local band creating brilliant harmony in short timeframe
A full-time employee and student by both day and night, one must wonder if Alizarin band member Brett Dooley ever sleeps.
The conundrum is furthered when finding Dooley, who formed the alternative rock group with fellow Maricopa residents Tony LaRocca and Kimberly Capria less than a year ago, came together with his bandmates to produce the group’s first album “Archaic Manifestations of the Unconscious,” in less than a month.
Much like how the music itself came together, so too, did the name – a can of paint in Dooley’s house with the deep red hue of Alizarin written upon it caught the collective eye of the group.
“The color it represents is a very emotional color,” Dooley said. “With some of the songs we have, it really represents that.”
Still holding auditions for a bassist and drummer to make their lives shows louder and deeper musically, Dooley said they are interested in recruiting others with a passion for creativity.
“The first album was a bit of a demo so there was a bit of a time crunch involved,” he said. “I don’t want anybody in the band that isn’t going to provide creative input. Otherwise, they’re just a cover musician.”
Each of the eight tracks on the new album are unique, with each of the trio contributing on creating new lyrics.
The album sees subdued, melodic riffs that highlight piano chords and guitar strings contributed by Dooley and LaRocca.
Dooley said many of their songs are written with the pieces for a larger orchestra in mind, with both he and LaRocca dabbling in other stringed instruments, such as the cello.
The album features guitar melodies that sound like something out of newer Dave Matthews Band works with a lead vocalist drawing similarities to a more upbeat Amy Lee (of Evanescence fame).
Capria got her start in music with marching band as a teenager, saying she was “always writing” new music growing up, while LaRocca had a more personal story to tell.
“When I was 7, my dad died… and my uncle gave me a guitar right after that,” he said. LaRocca said he found solace in music, playing in church bands growing up, always keeping alive the dream of playing in a big-time band.
Dooley played the role of mixer/producer, learning the craft on the fly to help create a professional sounding album.
While the album leans more toward an alternative collection with certain tracks that wouldn’t be out of place playing in a coffee shop, it does feature some edgier tracks, such as “Domination,” as perhaps a signal of where the band wants to take its second, more-involved album.
“We still consider this a rock album,” said Dooley, who said he spends every waking moment not dedicated to school or work on writing, recording and playing.
For now, they are playing as many local venues as possible – with a performance at Arena Sports Grill notched just last weekend – with the hope of eventually making it to larger stages in the Valley and beyond.
LaRocca said as much as playing the live shows and working on the second album, developing a bigger base of performers locally in something that resonates within him.
“Living in Maricopa there’s a lack of musicians. We wanted to have something there to say ‘this is what we’re capable of.’”
For more information about the band or to hear music from the new album, visit the group’s Web site at www.alizarinmusic.com
