Lauren Agnelli

Hey there! I would call myself a dyed-in-the-wool downtown New Yorker (with recent new CT roots) and freelance (rock) journalist, poet, songwriter, short story writer, and novelist (published in four out of five areas, so far), As a performing musician, on tour most of my adult life, I have made or contributed to more than 50 cd's (many featuring compositions of my own). As a lover of many styles of music, I just love to dip into an immense songbag of eclectic music and perform live: in the Small Town Concert Series, at coffeehouses, restaurants, bars, and at house concerts (Hootenannies are on their way back!). I've lately worked mostly in NY & CT, but am looking forward to traveling to Canada & other places afar in this new year of 2008. I've been working on new songs for a combination folk-punk/ rootsy/Americana type collection of songs, that would sort of hearken back to the Washington Squares folkiness, with harmonies and maybe a little country twang? Right now we're "woodshedding" the new material, but Dave Rave is offering to help produce a new cd, and we may have some surprise producers/recording studios (?Spicefighter in Ivortyon, CT?) -- and we'll see where it goes! Live onstage, Happily I'm still sometimes joined by Dave Rave (vocals, guitar, electric bass, songs). I'm also working with local Haddam CT musical luminary & darn nice guy Rodney Maxwell, for a true country flavor (lead guitar, vocals, songs, master gardener). And more recently, Forrest Harlow (vocals, electric autoharp, synthesizer) and Jon Morse (drums!) have joined us to form a kind of "fearsome foursome," the eclectic acoustic electric AGNELLI HARLOW MAXWELL & MORSE (now playing at a watering hole near you!). I am also leading the SMALL TOWN CONCERT SERIES BIG HOUSE BAND (featuring AHM&M plus Bill Calhoun on keyboards, Emily Lisker on baritone sax, Hans Lohse on percussion plus, and sometimes other special guest players too, like bassist Mark Haberfeld). NOW FOR A BIO UPDATE BY RALPH ALFONSO, HEAD HONCHO OF BONGOBEAT RECORDS: "Lauren Agnelli is surely a Renaissance Woman of music. In the 70s, she was a writer for the legendary Creem magazine under the alias Trixie A. Balm. As a freelancer, she wrote the early bio/press release for Patti Smith. As a musician, she was part of the CBGBs 1977 nerve-center with her band Nervus Rex (debut lp with Blondie/Pat Benatar producer Mike Chapman). In 1983, she forms neo-beatnik folksters the Washington Squares (nominated for a Grammy award), who spearhead the 80s revival with two albums and a non-stop international touring schedule, performing with such legendary figures as Allen Ginsberg. In the 90s, the duo of Agnelli & Rave rack up rave reviews with ex-Television drummer Billy Ficca touring and recording in Russia for Melodiya Records. Lauren's lp of torch songs with Brave Combo makes the Japanese Hot 100 chart. A NY-based singer/guitarist/bass-player/songwriter, Lauren is currently performing smoky jazz originals and standards in Manhattan, Canada, and Connecticut. Her first ever solo album (Lauren Agnelli, Love Always Follows Me) is enjoying a late 2004 release on the Vancouver-based Bongobeat label.""A modern-day Julie London" The Village Voice