joematzzie .com/ beyond belief

Great eclectic alternative rock; as unique as Joe himself.
-Melinda Beasi of Eyeball Man Records

Joe Matzzie Beyond Belief's musical journey is a diverse group of songs that showcase not only his songwriting prowess, but his inherent love for rock and roll. It's All True contains 12 tracks that mix rock and roll, folk and pop under a singer-songwriter point of view, reminiscent of Lou Reed or David Byrne in theory. Lyrically sound and musically loose enough to feel like a bar room jam session ("I Can't Figure Julie Out") yet tight enough to hammer out some tasty, catchy licks ("Down And Dirty", "Alligator"), JMBB take hints of a punk rock attitude and applies them to rock songs that Kurt Cobain would write with Folk Implosions. Great usage of instrumentation helps too, as the band at points throw in some congas and horns in addition to the standard rock band setup for some flare. Looking for something left of center rooted in the mainstream? Then check out Joe Matzzie Beyond Belief for an album chock full of pleasant surprises.
-Mike SOS of 3:16 Productions

New York based outfit, Joe Matzzie Beyond Belief, represents that rare project that incorporates Rock, World, Jazz, and Rhythm into honest, melodic pop. Beyond Belief's current mini-CD, "The First 20 Minutes", has been heard on over 35 college radio stations in the northeast. Creative mastermind and mad genius behind the band, Joe Matzzie, formed Beyond Belief as an outlet for his own musical frustration and creative inspiration.

Beyond Belief's extravaganza of sound and melody takes the listener right into the beat of the city that is the Melting Pot of America. While walking near New York's 4th Street and Broadway, Matzzie was taken in by the crowds of people and the general chaos of Manhattan life. "I was looking around, and just watching the masses of people," Matzzie recalls. "I thought, God! This is Beyond Belief"! Beyond Belief debuted at New York's CB's Gallery in February of 1996. The concept of city living, the challenge of survival, not only gave the band its name but also became the background noise for "The First 20 Minutes".

While comparisons to Ska are inevitable due to the horns, Beyond Belief represents a different approach. Matzzie has been writing and arranging music since his early days in music school. "I was surrounded by musicians and just started writing for them," Matzzie recalls. " I wrote the song Way Home. Originally it was four horns; trombone, two trumpets, and an alto sax. It was recorded on a four track, and that was the first arrangement I wrote for horns. When I write a song, I'm not thinking about rules, or trying to follow them. It's the energy.

The First 20 Minutes features six original songs that convey this emotion, hard driven, soft spoken, tender and furious, the songs stand out with a definitive style that loses nothing for all of the mayhem. Like the city that never sleeps, Beyond Belief makes it work. That, and as bassist Lee Butterfield describes it, "Joe's on tenacious motherfucker."

In the fall 2000, Against the backdrop of wholesale district counter-culture, obsessive-compulsive relationships, and defaulting student loans, singer/songwriter Joe Matzzie and his band of musical misfits created the album It's All True. The album is a collection of conspiracy theories, urban legends, and parables about the constant desire for the definitive. The title "It's All True", is as much a reference to the fantastical stories of alligators, love-lorn Celtic Gods and old men living in lighthouses; which Matzzie weaves into the lyrics, as it is a reference to the music style itself, and it's diverse nature. It's all valid, it's all for real, and it's all fair game for Joe Matzzie Beyond Belief. Featured tunes include Alligator, a favorite at the band's live shows, and The Song of The Wandering Aengus, which is based on a poem by W.B.Yeats. It's a Concept album," states Matzzie. "It's All True sums up what Beyond Belief is about. It's a mix of true stories and completely fabricated lies, but it represents the everything we're part of, blending influences into what's natural for the song at hand."

With no place to pull over safely, Joe Matzzie Beyond Belief has arrived.

Joe Matzzie Beyond Belief's second CD release is a whole lot more polished than its 1996 eponymous cassette (the band's digital debut, The First 20 Minutes slipped through the cracks in the Universe) but has lost none of the charm that attracted me to them in the first place. Peppering its rootsy pop-rock with horns, along with scattered ska, jump and jazz influences, JMBB makes music that demands movement, whether its foot-tapping or outright swinging. Matzzie, who wrote, produced and arranged It's All True in a addition to singing the darn thing, is the perfect front for this kinda band; his gruff, bluesy vocals remind me variously of Paul Westerberg, Peter Wolff and Van Morrison. Grab this if you're in the mood to smile.
- Jim Santo's Demo Universe

"Clever melodies laced with Madness Horns, angular guitar, and extremely well written lyrics. Recommended".
-The Music Paper

Beyond Belief has 12 delightfully melodic alternative/pop tunes written and produced by singer/songwriter Joe Matzzie of New York City. Matzzie has a talent for writing well crafted rhythmic songs about love and love lost. He has a great groove... lots of edgy rhythm guitars and the pleasant addition of trumpet, sax and congas in several songs which I liked because it gave his songs some distinction and make them stand out from a lot of the typical pop songs you hear on the radio.
"Let's Get Down and Dirty" is a fast, danceable, new wavish tune that really rocks with an unexpected horn section accent that updates what would be a purely retro track reminiscent of the late 70's- early 80's punk movement. I liked the song a lot. "Untitled Christmas Song" is another favorite of mine, simply done, but with hauntingly melodic vocals and a sax solo that ends the song. "Alligator" is another great tune with a taste of ska and bit of Cab Calloway!
Beyond Belief is well produced and has lots of great arrangements. I highly recommend this band and this CD. You can purchase it at CDBaby.com and listen to sound clips of the songs. Visit Matzzie's website for more information about this very talented singer/songwriter!
-Liz Smith of The Night Guide

"Congratulations on some wonderful work here. The songs that I like the best are7 Years, Down and Dirty, and from the first album, Silver Lining. You're very talented and I'm very pleased with the new product. It is all true"
-Joey Welz of Bill Haley's Comets

"We came home and had a listen to your demo CD. Cool stuff, I like it. Cool that you are blending the "city" themes with the more relaxed/mellow/folk/whatever kind of sound. I heard some Dylan similarities, too. And could tap my foot to it. Anyway, good job!"
-Suzanne Glass of Indie-Music.com

"Joe Matzzie is backed up by a unique sounding band on this release. A traditional rock trio augmented by sax and trumpet provides for some interesting moments. The songwriting is catchy and the musicians have obviously spent a lot of time working on arrangements, especially the harmonies between the brass players. Alternating somewhere between straight ahead rock and roll and funk. Matzzie shows his diverse influence and a quirky vocal style"
-Good Times Magazine

_ _ _

"This is an interesting combination here. We have good rock with an alternative edge and some horns thrown in also. No this isn't SKA, but an excellent cross over in my eyes. Their songs will have you singing along in no time. They can rock when they want to, track two shows us that. Only thing I didn't like about this CD, only six tracks.
- Baxter's Anti-Zine

"Really Cool and Fun"
- Caake Magazine

"I like Matzzie's voice and guitar playing as well as his harmonic sensibilities".
- Musician's Exchangee

"Part of the solution.
(Matzzie) radiates the sort charm I thought only Irish guys had".
- Demo Universe

"Mixing Jazz and Rock works pretty well for this combo. A good start."
- Oculus

(323)828-9105
usrecords@joematzzie.com

c.1999

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