Rod Alonzo

Historically speaking, my mom is from New Orleans and my dad is from Mexico City. I was born in St. Joseph, Michigan and then at the age of 8, moved to Sheboygan, Wisconsin. The New Orleans/Mexico City combination provided for a wide range of both musical and culinary experiences when I was growing up. My dad favored classical music, and often Segovia or Beethoven records were playing at full volume while the aroma of sauteeing garlic wafted out of the kitchen. It being the 70s, my mom was always playing ABBA, Elton John, and the Bee Gees. Eventually, I learned how to work the record player, and began raiding my parents LP and 45s collection. I remember listening to The White Album, Jimi Hendrix/Otis Redding Live at Monterey, House of the Rising Sun, The Letter and Creedence over and over. I still have my parents' first Sony record player upon which I melded with all of those records.Another formative moment from that era was MTV. Living in Sheboygan, Wisconsin in 1981 was...well, it was Ronald Reagan's America after all. Let's just say after seeing my first video ("Rock the Casbah" by the Clash) in which there were armadillos, hasids and bedouins, and Joe Strummer with a mohawk, I suddenly started to be aware there was more going on in the world than the annual Bratwurst Fest.Fortuitously, in the summer of 1983, I attendend Interlochen National Music Camp where a wide range of classical and rock music became known to me. I remember one incredulous New Yorker, cabin-mate explaining who the Sex Pistols were. I also met kids from all over the country. The next summer, we moved to Duxbury, Massachusetts. I saw my first tie-dyed shirt, heard the Stones, the Dead, the Violent Femmes, and R.E.M. A close friend whom I met back then and with whom I wrote some tunes, now plays in a devastating, Northampton-based band called National Carpet. Antother huge influence appeared in the form of a benevolent history teacher who loaned me his Frank Zappa, Captain Beefheart, Residents, and Lenny Bruce albums. He was a bit skeptical of the classic rock hierarcy and a good dose of fly in the ointment is always welcomed. I spent many hours and dollars in the used record stores in Kenmore Square and Cambridge. During this time, I began writing songs with two friends from Interlochen, Jason Crigler and John Williams (South Croyden). The thrill of writing and recording our own songs into the early hours of a dark January morning has never left us. Jason was an amazing guitar player even then and John taught me tremendous amounts about song arrangements and vocal harmonies.The songwriting continued and eventually I moved to NYC with the intention of getting work as a songwriter. I played alone and with a band (Tony Mason, Jeff Hill, John Deley, Tim Luntzel, Jason Crigler, Kieren Mulvaney, and Oliver Delano) at CB's Gallery, Sine, Baby Jupiter, Brownies, Luna Lounge, and The Living Room.At long last, I met Chris Brown, who, when I asked him if I could make a demo with him automatically enquired, "Why not make an album?" Chris, it should be known, is a marvel. He and I collaborated on recording twelve songs which now make up the album "Cyclists." In the past, I would always try to immitate the style of my heroes like Smokey Robinson or John Lennon. But why try to sound exactly like someone else? Chris would often hear what I was going for, but then he'd throw in a little Stockhausen or Van Dyke Parks, taking the song to a level I would never have imagined. Having completed "Cyclists", I feel excited about finally having a real album. Have a listen.Downloadable mp3s of "Cyclists" are now availible at: www.indiekazoo.com/rodalonzo Feel free to buy a copy.