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Our interview with Cynthia Brando of Music Emerging originally aired October 13, 2019.
Our interview with Scorpio Rising Productions originally aired December 23, 2020.
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Reviews
Twangville
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2020 BY SHAWN UNDERWOOD
I’ve been writing reviews for over a decade, and I listen to a bunch of things I never write about. Plus, stints on the radio and owning too many records. In all that time, I’ve never heard an album start and end with the same song, only in English and Russian. I have now. Better still, it’s indicative of the fun little surprises you find throughout the latest album from LA couple and musical entity, Non Duo.
It’s called In Your Eyes, and begins with the English version of the title track. Throwing out a Gypsy folk vibe, it features half of the pair, Marina Gutman, on fiddle. That Balkan sound also appears on Dumb & Done, this time highlighting Paul McCarty’s vocals, in a number that’s destined for numerous sing-alongs. He gets to show off his guitar prowess on Nothing To Say, a quick instrumental piece.
There are also a few tunes that pay homage to classic country music. Light the Dark Sky has you two-stepping around the room as it describes the brilliance and love of another human being. Why I Quit Drinkin’ is perhaps the perfect title for a honky-tonk ballad. It’s a witty tale of woe that would sound good sung by musical couples from Johnny & June all the way up to Kelly & Bruce. At the opposite end of the spectrum is As Not Someone New, with Gutman pulling off a jazz chanteuse delivery.
By now you might think In Your Eyes is just a random collection of songs. That’s really not the case. Gutman and McCarty’s vocals bring a consistency, and some beautiful harmonies, that serve as a spiritual guide for the musical explorations. As a result the record delivers something old and something new, all in one enjoyable package.
Read the review <here>
Divide and Conquer
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2020 BY J.J. Thayer
We always like seeing artists return to Divide and Conquer, so I was delighted when Non-Duo sent their second album In Your Eyes our way. It’s been about four years since Non-Duo’s first album 1, and this is a worthy followup. (Read our review of their debut here.)
Non-Duo is made up of Marina Gutman (vocals/ukulele/percussion) and Paul McCarty (vocals/guitar/harmonica/percussion/whistles). Gutman, hailing from Moldova, brings gypsy and Russian-music influences; New Orleans’ McCarty brings a cajun/rock background. For the album, they’ve rounded out the lineup with Chad Watson (bass), Damien De La Cruz (drums/percussion/whistles) and Phil Parlapiano (accordion/piano). The result is an eclectic, interesting, multi-style twelve-track collection which offers crossover appeal. The styles are interspersed throughout the album’s running order, so it never gets boring.
The title track “In Your Eyes,” an upbeat gypsy-folk stomp, kicks off the set. Gutman and McCarty sing a vocal duet all the way through with Parlapiano’s accordion draped throughout. With the locked-in bass and layers of percussion color, the track is a fun, fine start to the album. They use the same track to close the album, but with a Russian translation of the lyrics (and title: “Tvoi Glaza”). Fans of this track will enjoy “Dumb & Done;” it also explores the gypsy-folk feel.
“Going Back Home” with McCarty’s plaintive harmonica, finds the group exploring the folk-ballad space. Gutman takes the lead vocal here with McCarty’s harmonies joining later. Another ballad, “Electrocution”, finds McCarty taking the lead vocal with his harmonica against Parlapiano’s piano. Both tracks take a light lyrical touch on tough subjects.
“Light the Dark Sky,” “Hey Hey Come Around” and “Melancholy Sky” lean towards folk and country with the snare-driven train beat. “Light the Dark Sky” was my favorite of the three with its McCartney-eque melody and progression, as well as nice bass work from Watson.
Non-Duo adds to the variety with the other tracks. “As Someone Not New” is a whistling, finger-snapping, walking-bass jazz tune that might be in your Real Book. “Come A Knockin” moves towards darker and atmospheric, almost alt-rock tones. I particularly liked “Nothing to Say,” a short fingerstyle acoustic guitar instrumental interlude.
In Your Eyes is a fine continuation of the work Non-Duo started with 1. The varied styles are all well-executed, and kept this listener entertained and smiling. Well done!
Read the review <here>
Our debut album, 1
Non Duo is Paul McCarty (from the great Wicked Saints) and the Russian singer-songwriter Marina Gutman. Together they wrote nine of the eleven songs here, and produced this spirited, acoustic-inflected journey with David Williams, who also engineered and mixed.
These are tenderly projected, lyrical songs produced with a delicate restraint that underscores but never overwhelms the heart of each. Paul and Marina sing together like they have been singing together their whole life. They sometimes sing unison, or harmonies both unexpected but right, and often compellingly hypnotic, bringing to mind the great fused female-male vocals of John Doe and Exene in X.
The focus is on the song always, and on the delivery of these finely-etched lyrics. “Wild Junkie Dream” lopes on a sparse but insistent galloping groove that crystallizes that junkie dynamic of hopeful exodus. “Not Two,” the album’s closer, is an absolutely beautiful song, with an elegiac melody of great simplicity that brings to mind Jacques Brel’s great statements of humanity. It’s sweetly colored by the two voices, and David William’s eloquent electric guitar lines. “Every moment we are making is true,” they sing plaintively, as that truth carries these songs to an elevated realm.
Beautiful musicianship paints these tracks with poignancy throughout. Of course, getting musicians of the caliber of Chad Watson (bass, mandolin and trombone) or Phil Parlapiano (accordion, banjo) goes a long way. This is an unexpected and beautifully subtle album of many soulful surprises. Hoping it’s the first of many.
Read the whole review at AmericanSongwriter.com
Non Duo, a genre-defying musical act composed of Paul McCarty, former frontman of Wicked Saints, and Marina Gutman. Their musical influences, ranging from Russian and gypsy styles to cajun rock, blend together to form a genuine sound and memorable musical journey in 1, their debut album released in October 2016.
A wistful harmonica and upbeat blues acoustic guitars immediately plunge the listener into a swampy, foot-stomping folk tune in “This One Is For Me” the album’s opener. Tight harmonies between Paul McCarty and Marina Gutman are accompanied by crisp percussion and full instrumentation. “Free” strikes a slightly more mellow tone, and the delicate sounds of accordion chords bring an added zest to the song’s tone.
Beautiful fingerpicking on acoustic lays the backdrop for Gutman and McCarty to sweetly sing a soft ballad in “Dark” which is followed by “Shadows & Lights” a more upbeat anthem that maintains a solemn, sunny countryside feel. Lush vocal harmonies bring a choral element to “High On The Water” and the catchy instrument riffs and memorable lyrical sections make this song a definite highlight of the record.
The album slows down a bit in “Small Things,” a seemingly simple song that is in reality a masterfully complex tune that incorporates unconventional percussion techniques with more traditional guitar patterns, making for a intriguing listening experience. Following this track is “Turn Around,” a lighthearted tune featuring whistling, echoing guitar chords, and energy that crescendos to the very end.
“Saying Goodbye” and “Mama”, the next two tracks on the record, dig deep into the band’s country roots, creating an inviting and warm space with slow strumming, thoughtful lyrics and conventional blues techniques. The gypsy-esque facet of the band’s style is evidenced in “Wild Junkie Dream,” a brooding, mysterious tune that leaves the listener with more questions with answers.
The album comes to a surprisingly rich ending with “Not Two,” a piano-led song that subtly and quietly brings a hushed tone to the listener. As a whole, 1 is eclectic, original and bona fide, giving any listener a wide variety of sounds and ideas in a relatively short time frame.
Read the whole review at NoMoreDivision.com
For my 674th review, I am proud to present Non Duo 1, an October 3, 2016 debut album from the singer/songwriter duo Non Duo. This duo consists of the stylings of Paul McCarty from New Orleans and Marina Gutman from Moldova in Europe.
Listening to this album I am impressed with the mixture of bluegrass, gypsy and folk sound as found in such tracks as This One Is For Me, Dark, High On The Water, and my favorite track Not Two. This album was well written, performed with great harmonies and acoustic guitar stylings, and recorded. I am looking forward to hearing more from this duo. Please check out this album on Spotify and this release is available for purchase from Amazon, iTunes, and everywhere else that CD’s and digital downloads are sold.