Gene Dante and The Future Starlets

Gene Dante is the master of the dichotomy. He is both a musicianand an actor; a songwriter, with his mind drawn inward, and a performer, with his energy focusedoutward. The music he creates is both flamboyantly glamorous and strikingly gritty. It resonateswith the sparkle of glitter and the rawness of the gutter. It is both class and trash, edge andpolish, emotional and entertainment.
The juxtaposition of such predilections should not be surprising since Gene, who got into rocklistening to groups like Queen and Kiss as a kid, has walked the line between theater and musicthroughout his career, often fusing the two interests to work to his advantage. Over the years Genehas toured with The Rocky Horror Show in Europe,formed a production company in Boston to stage and star in Hedwigand the Angry Inch , and played The Beast in Beauty andthe Beast – always attracting attention with his uniquely emotive voice and charismaticstage presence. Now Gene has focused his lens on his rock career with his band The Future Starlets,where he draws upon his theatrical skills to bring a dynamic visual element to his music.
The latest incarnation of the Starlets, which came together in 2007, reveals, as Gene says, thathe’s “the luckiest guy in town,” pulling together a group of musicians able to fully realize thesongs Gene has written. With the help of drummer TamoraGooding , bassist Jim Collins , and guitarist Scott Patalano , (formally of renowned group Mistle Thrush), Gene’sengaging songs are fleshed out into the complex, compelling tracks they have recorded with longtimeindustry A&R exec and record producer Peter Lubin for theStarlets new album, The Romantic Lead. The album was recorded and mixed at Q Division inSomerville, MA with engineer Jon Lupfer manning the board.
The record, composed of songs Gene wrote over the last two years, is a fully-realized vision,accentuated with Gene’s theatrical flair and remarkable ability to use music to tell a story. “Ialways envisioned a record much like a show or an opera,” he explains. “I think a record shouldhave an ebb and flow, conflict and climax. These songs tell a story without being super-heavy likea concept album. There are recurring themes. Any song that was too random wasn’t included. Thisis a fictitious romance between two imperfect people. It will reflect a time and place in my life,but won’t be wholly biographical.”
Crooning on “The Dreamers” and “The Starlet Hits the Wall” and soaring textures on “Like a Satellite” reveal Dante’s ability to draw upon influences like Brian Eno , David Bowie andNeal Diamond in a way that reinvigorates the sounds of post-glam with new life and unique musical flourishes, elevating the usual three-minute pop song to a newheight with dramatic flair and genuine passion. It is not just Dante’s penchant for musicalinnovation that pervades the disc, but his dramatic, humanist sense of emotion that reveals its fullrange here. Dante says “C Star,” (accompanied by a sexy, swaggering video, directed by Michael Pope ) is “intentionally unplayable by mainstream radio. IfI must wax intellectual, it’s a proletariat response to the invasion of tabloid photojournalism andthe objectification/de-valuation of entertainers as a sub-breed.” While that reveals one end of thealbum’s unique sonic spectrum, the wholly emotive “To a GodUnknown” is, as Dante says in his liner notes, “both inspired-by and an-ode-to the writers Ienjoy” where “The prodigal child repeatedly returns bruised, brilliant, and even more beloved.”
Most importantly, though, Dante and his Starlets create songs ready to be translated onto the stagewith equal amounts of theatrical fervor and adamant concern for songcraft. “I believe in being agood entertainer and a good artist,” Gene says. “I take my cues from the old school but that doesn’tmean I’m a throwback.”
Or maybe he’s both a throwback and a leader of a new wave. Not a bad dichotomy to master.

Management: Lisa van Oosterum: [email protected]
*** Nominated for Best Male Vocalist in 2009 Boston Best Music Poll *** "A Madness To His Method" music video premiered on MTV's LOGO network ***2009 WBCN Rock n Roll Rumble Silver Medal,
***“These Boston stalwarts blend in lyrical pop content with rock guitars and catchy hooks hookslike milk and Oreo’s.” – Frantik Magazine
***“Once you see them perform live, it's impossible not to fall for their razor-sharp, high energylive performances. (So addictively catchy, and unbelievably well put together...!)” -Ryanssmashinglife.com

"C Star" Music Video
(Please note: NSFW)
Directed by Michael Pope and Produced by Brianna Olson.
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