TRYPTOPHAN profile picture

TRYPTOPHAN

www.tryptophanmusic.com

About Me





Tryptophan is a long running independent musical group based in Staten Island NYC USA. Its primary members are Ron Hill, Nick Purpura, and Frank Cavallo. Tryptophan also has a recording studio, whose practices dedicated to punk rock DIY principals to create the best experience for both artists and their audience.
Tryptophan (the performing band) has been together since 1996, releasing its music primarily thru the internet, cassettes, and cd-r’s. We have organized countless shows here on Staten Island, and have watched many of our opening bands blow up to local superstardom (hahahahaha!!). By keeping our expectations low, our egos in check, and our personalities humble we have been able to survive, perhaps modestly, but to continue to write, record, and perform our original music.
On the flip side, we have also been able to share our experience by offering both music production (Ron & Nick), music instruction (Nick & Frank, who teach guitar and drums respectively). Since 1995, Tryptophan’s underground studio has recorded the likes of such New York area artists as Awek, The Big Waterdogs, Headquarters, Kevin Devine, Miracle of 86, Monty Love, Muddfoot, Music For Girls, The Outskirts, Sangwich, Semz, Serpico, Seymore Glass and countless more. Known for our friendly and helpful service and inexpensive prices, we have helped many a performer get his music recorded and out!

My Interests

Music:

Member Since: 8/8/2004
Band Website: tryptophanmusic.com
Band Members: Ron Hill, vocals, guitar, lyrics
Frank Cavallo, drum and vocals
Nick Purpura, bass, guitar, keys, vocals
Steven Pepe Guitar
Past & Part Timers:
Dan Reitz, bass, played 3 shows, recorded & co-wrote 1 song
Mike Runer, founding drummer
Marisa Cianella, guitar and vocals, played 3 shows
Vito Delesante, vocals, played 2 shows
Alex Armatage, engineer, Fadt CD
Liz Heim, vocals on Fadt cd, played 2 shows
Chris McAllen, bass, played 1 show
Mike Strand Berg, gtr 1 show! Will Shalda, keys, played 3 shows, and recorded the upcoming "Hooka A Brother up"

Influences: Pink Floyd, Syd Barrett, Velvet Underground, Butthole Surfers, Flaming Lips, Negativland, Cannibal Overdrive, Daniel Johnston, Ween, The Monkees, Frank Zappa, NYC Hardcore, Shimmy Disc Bands, The Sex Pistols, AC-DC, Black Sabbath, John Lennon, drugs and alcohol, our local band scene.
Sounds Like: Our recorded sound is tightly focused psychedelic punk rock music, mixing lo-fi and hi-fi elements, unexpected sound effects and voices, with an often manic percussion section, with a madcap vocalist singing thinnly veiled songs about the relationships between himself and his internal imaginary world.
Type of Label: None

My Blog

We Harbor No Ill Will preview

Well, if your prone to belive everything Terrible Tim says, he calls this the "Ill Will" party, McAllan insists the true name is "The Revenge Show". I hear people over at "Rock The Harbor" are calling...
Posted by TRYPTOPHAN on Wed, 11 Jun 2008 03:11:00 PST

The Golden Tones Of Tryptophan

Huge sounds from 2 Amplified Acoustics, 1 Gibson hollow body, and a tiny kit of drums. Big Stereo Sounds!! Live at The Cup 2/28/2008. Paste this link http://www.divshare.com/download/3927525-d45 to do...
Posted by TRYPTOPHAN on Sun, 02 Mar 2008 10:10:00 PST

10/20/2007 show recording

Actually the 2nd half:http://www.divshare.com/download/2590918-d5e ...
Posted by TRYPTOPHAN on Mon, 05 Nov 2007 12:39:00 PST

Tryptophan 10/20/2007

Here is a board recording of us PRACTICING for the show. I forgot to bring my recorder, but is is a very nice recording none the less Played at Martini Red with The Headlocks and David Ellio...
Posted by TRYPTOPHAN on Sun, 21 Oct 2007 11:03:00 PST

Trytophan Live 8/25/2007 with audio

Our friend steve pepe has been jamming with us. We are playing fast and furiously.Its kinda crazier sounding then normal. We sound like a late 60s gogo band,gone mental. http://www.divshare.c...
Posted by TRYPTOPHAN on Mon, 27 Aug 2007 01:01:00 PST

The Awful Page

Its amazing how you kept reading her lettersread between the lines and you didnt fell no betterand all the lines, you copped from books up on the shelfthe printed headlines scream but you wont read yo...
Posted by TRYPTOPHAN on Wed, 26 Apr 2006 10:39:00 PST

Our setlist 1/29/05:

The Pigeon Song Moron Buggy Grain Cryin NVS Breakdown The Creep Five Stop Hurdy Gurdy Sleep Away VCR Light Hooka A brother up
Posted by TRYPTOPHAN on Mon, 01 Jan 1900 12:00:00 PST

Thanks to all who made it to TRYP2PHAN on 8/14/04

It was a high wire act and a pleasure to perform to all the folks who made it out to the show. It was like the ultimate open mike set. Out set list was: Cryin (Roy Orbison) Creep in the Cellar (Bu...
Posted by TRYPTOPHAN on Mon, 01 Jan 1900 12:00:00 PST

Here we is.

A slight return for a web site!
Posted by TRYPTOPHAN on Mon, 01 Jan 1900 12:00:00 PST