TAROCK MUSIC

ARTIST SPOTLIGHT: RICK SHAFFER

GARAGE-ROCKER RICK SHAFFER HAS BEEN GOING STRONG SINCE THE 70’S, AND HE CERTAINLY HASN’T LOST EVEN A LITTLE BIT OF THAT FLICKER AND FLAIR THAT MADE HIM SUCH A RECOGNIZABLE FORCE IN THE UNDERGROUND ROCK SCENE.

Garage-Rocker Rick Shaffer has been going strong since the seventies and he certainly hasn’t lost even a little bit of that flicker and flair that made him such a recognizable force in the underground rock scene.

It is an unfortunate reality in the current world of music crafted by today’s generation.  It seems as if fearless, ambitious artists are becoming more and more rare and undiscovered.  This is mostly due to an unapologetic desire by most new-coming artists to shamelessly reach into existing successful markets, void of any integrity, and follow an incredibly safe musical formula of commercially appealing and catchy copy of a copy singles.  This trend has infected almost every musical appendage and genre, whether it be commercially produced or independently released.  The most unfortunate result of this trend is the stifling of musical ambition and the lack of innovation to set oneself apart in the industry.

While this approach may work well if your goal as an artist is to make fast cash, albeit becoming forgettable, it certainly isn’t the winning formula for industry longevity and lasting notoriety.

Rick Shaffer has been rebelling against this trend for decades, with no signs of stopping.

In Rick’s eighth solo release entitled Stolen Moments, his approach is refreshingly vintage-inspired and passionate, while his music remains curiously relatable and hard hitting.  Raw and gritty vocals shine through searing guitar riffs, bluesy bass-lines, and a wildly groovy rhythm section; making for a diverse and lively musical experience.  Much respect to the backing rhythm section of Teddy Rixon (bass) and Stevie Carlisle (drums).  Rick’s overall sound is an amazingly varied fusion of Alternative Indie and Garage Rock, while maintaining effective and impactful songwriting.  All I Want acts the perfect opener, effectively containing a satisfying blend of all the album has to offer.

Listeners are taken on a sonic journey through a broad spectrum of Classic Rock & Roll that pays homage to such revered acts as The Rolling Stones, The Stooges, David Bowie, and Iggy Pop; all while adding an entirely unique self-defining twist. Downtown Suzy is a great example of the variation in style you can expect within the album.

Rick Shaffer has proven over the years that with his addictive, passionate, and highly engaging tunes; music, as an artistic medium, can transcend the label of “commodity,” and become something much more intimate and memorable.  Each track featured on the album is fantastically arranged in a way that maintains the listener’s interest, and contains undeniable style and instrumental intricacies that are both unique and add undeniable character to the track.  Rick consistently surprises and impresses with his vocal ability and displays a strong understanding of what made the Garage Rock genre so distinct.  With the powerful and effective backing of guitar, bass, and driving percussion; Rick proves that his vocal prowess is simply just one example of his many strong assets.  Each vocal performance is authentic and memorable for his thoughtful lyrics.  It is interesting to note that this album was inspired by the concept that there are no guarantees or promises in life, and every minute he spends writing and recording is precious time. Songs like Time Stays and Chopping Wood captures this dedication to energy and immediacy perfectly.

Rick Shaffer is a remarkable act and an amazing breath of fresh air within an industry that has become overly saturated with copycat artists whose sole goal is to cash in on an increasingly uninventive formula.  We can only hope that his music influences a new generation of independent artists and inspires a return to what made music something special. Stolen Moments is a MUST LISTEN!

• John Keith, Screaming Match

“STOLEN MOMENTS” BALANCES GARAGE PRIMITIVISM AND SMART ROCK CRAFT!

2017 marks Rick Shaffer’s eighth solo album, Stolen Moments, which was inspired by the concept that there are no guarantees or promises in life.  Throughout his career, Shaffer has turned over every possible stone, and he’s decimated them all into a thousand pieces.  He helped jump start punk rock, merged seamlessly into garage rock and found success with The Reds, a band he co-founded, he has since found his way to solo punk and garage rock releases among other projects.  That all makes his new record an incredibly hard act to follow.  What else is there left to conquer?  The proto-garage raver to end all garage ravers, that’s what!

Rick Shaffer’s art balances garage primitivism and smart rock craft, which will frequently draw avant-gardists and casual listeners alike, to his unique rock n’ roll fervor.  Combining jagged, roaring guitars and fast-slow dynamics with raw melodic vocals, intertwining harmonics, and evocative, lyrics, Shaffer is an accomplished musician who is not afraid to wail and bash out chords while his lead guitar squeals out spirals of beautiful noise.

The music’s shrieking power will cover every emotional and intellectual territory inside your cluttered brain, as Stolen Moments pushes the envelope, redefines, and ultimately sets fire to the foundations of everything currently found under the rock tag and all its sub-genres.

It is of course, abrasive in parts, but it is not inaccessible to even mainstream radio.  I could easily imagine tracks such as Downtown Suzy,  Modern Lie, Time Stays and Call My Name blaring from my radio.  It may take some time to get past the squalls of raw power, but once you do, it is easy to see that this actually is a very melodic album.  The guitars wail and scream and Shaffer uses his instrument like few others do today.  A great full-length from one of the smartest, ingenuous artists foraging within the genre, in my humble opinion.

No theatrics, no sense of hip or cool. Just the basics.  The performances themselves are delivered in variable doses of bone crushing, elegance, beauty, raw, power, and color.  The great thing about Rick Shaffer is that he is an artist that does everything so right.  The vocals are fierce and emotive, Teddy Rixon’s bass like loud, delicate thunder, Stevie Carlisle’s drums smart, inventive, and solidly anchored.

And then there is Shaffer’s guitar, bearing the responsibility of bringing all those twisted, sonic sounds right into your stereo.  Of course, there are the songs that exult those qualities, among them, All I Want, One In Five, Higher, Chopping Wood and Danger Awaits.  Rick Shaffer is for real, and Stolen Moments is an immense creative process transformed into musical form, one that is impossible to ignore.

• Rick Jamm, TUNED LOUD!, 2017

After experiencing the strength of Rick Shaffer’s previous album Outside Of Time the prospect of a new project to indulge in was an exciting one. In actual fact, if at all possible, Stolen Moments is even more of an explosion of energy, passion and grit than the former, and it’s addictively entertaining.

All I Want is the opener, and what a way to begin. Full throttle rock and roll, authentic grit and gravel in the voice and the distortion. Notably different to anything else I’ve heard from the songwriter, All I Want has something deeply real about it – the lyrics seem consumed by the chaos and beauty of being human, being lost within a lust for making music.  It’s not dissimilar to the incomparably honest sound of Black Rebel Motorcycle Club. The sound of Rick’s voice is superb, stylish and powerful, emotional, entirely engaged and seemingly married to this music and this artistry.

Downtown Suzy explodes in an equally attention grabbing manner.  The guitars are out of this world, and the melodies and riffs featured bring about a touch of country rock, a hint of Primal Scream, a varied sense of songwriting and a definite moment of certainty and character. One In Five swings the indie anthem bat and offers up a memorable guitar riff and a song with plenty of space surrounding the lyrics, so you get a real sense of storytelling, as well as a further helping of almighty rock and roll.

Modern Lie is a huge song; from the moment it begins there’s something striking and quite special about it. The chord progression, the slightly softer sound, the additional vocal parts, the melody, the build up to the hook – this one is a stunning bit of songwriting. You can take home a copy of this song in an instant, for free; just click the link below…

Another beautifully honest and compelling song is Other One. This track leaves its mark for a number of reasons, not least of all that inherent depth and passion that comes through in the reflective storytelling, and the emotional vocal performance; gentler here for the most part.  There’s a real touch of humanness to the writing and Rick Shaffer undoubtedly has a way with poetic expression, as well as a unique and interesting perspective on life.  A fantastic song.

Higher is an infectiously enjoyable track, the rhythm and vibrancy of the piece just pours out through the speakers and incites a craving to witness the whole thing being performed live. The full band, real time experience is likely to be insanely good. There’s a sense of urgency to the song and it fills you with enthusiasm and a certain lust for life, in the way that only truly expressive, authentic music can. Rick Shaffer’s passion is incomparable, it drives these songs with intense purity and realness, and fortunately, his unquestionable level of experience means that every track is skilfully and effectively crafted.

There’s another moment of somewhat lighter rock and roll with Time Stays. The guitar riff running throughout creates a further touch of country rock and blues, and as the song progresses, the melody varies a little, and the good vibes seem to multiply. Call My Name follows on from this brilliantly. Stolen Moments is really a project that just gets better and better as it moves along. The sound becomes familiar, the energy settles in for the long run, and the ideas presented take on a new level of personality and intrigue.

Chopping Wood is a song in a world of its own. The opening instrumentation has the ultimate level of grit and boldness that just oozes creative freedom and storms into your consciousness with a manic sort of power. Then you get the final track of the collection, the smooth and seductive hit that is Danger Awaits. There’s a sense of space again here, the beat is thick and heavy yet mellow in pace, the reverb-soaked solo guitar moments flicker in and out of the mix. The bass line is spectacular – simple but solid in its attitude and relevance to the mood. And of course, right there on top of everything, Rick Shaffer’s vocal strength and immediacy offers up the concept and the story line as one last reminder of his unwavering presence, as one last stolen moment even.  The artist is unstoppable, and the quality of the music is at an all time high.

• Rebecca Cullen, Stereo Stickman, (Musician and writer with an MA in Songwriting.)

Stolen Moments is the eighth solo album for Rick Shaffer, as it would have it, he was inspired by the concept that there is no guarantee’s or promise’s in life, and every minute he has spent writing and recording is his precious time.  That said, this album takes 10-tracks of pure rock n’ roll mixed in with some garage rock to keep it humming loud and proud.

All I Want kicks things off for the album, as it breaks the fourth wall with pure rock aggression, that garage rock style breathing freely, as the guitar jerks, and drums flare, vocalization sucking it all in, with such a progressive force, it is pure aggression throughout.  Downtown Suzy turns down the rock hard vibes with some mellow dramatics of tone, as the music is still rock based, but more tempo driven, being casual, sweet, and truly one to become a classic for him.

One In Five is a lot like the previous track, except it has more piazza going for it.  A lot of energy, angst, and adrenaline charging through.  It provides more of an exposed feeling, as the song develops itself, into becoming one track that stands out.  It has a lot going for it, lots of catchiness, upbeat tones, vocals being outspoken yet tight lipped with expression.  Another one to absorb would be Call My Name, as well as Danger Awaits, both of which consist of an edger tone than the previous tracks mentioned.  More of an in-your-face experience, that keeps the vocals and instrumentals on the brim, with you as the listener, on the brink of more.

Rick Shaffer as an artist, solo for that matter, does have its proper moments of appeal.  Lots of rock hard momentum, with a great source of attitude and feeling towards the music.  Like the way he was inspired by the concept of there not being no guarantee or promises in life, deal, that is all spoken right here upon this release.  So much devotion and time was spent on these tracks, not just the one’s mentioned here, but in general on this album, it is really apparent how much of that precious time he used to create such an album as this one.  His past creations may be great sources of his works as well, but this release has got a lot going for it.

There is no other way to put it really.  Rick Shaffer’s Stolen Moments is just that, he has taken a lot of his moments, in his life, put them all to good use for this album and his past works too.  Hence the title Stolen Moments goes hand in hand with the music and its meaning all at once.  In short, the music consisted within this album, just packs a punch.  If music in terms of rock or garage rock is to your liking then this album is for you.  If not, then you will likely find something about his works, to get your grooves beating to the right tone, of his musical drift of conception.

• Natalie Perez, Skope Magazine

Rick Shaffer’s eighth solo album Stolen Moments is an explosive garage rock seventies sound much like the intensity and aggression of his Philly band The Reds.  Tracks like All I Want, Higher,  and One In Five are incendiary rockers with a “nitro” back-beat supplied by the rhythm section of nineteen-year-old drummer Stevie Carlisle, and bass player Teddy Rixon a holdover from previous recordings.  Lyrically the theme is, “no guarantees or promises exist in this life and time keeps on moving leaving us on “borrowed time.”

Tracks Modern Lie, Other One, and Danger Awaits contain some thick sounds, dark lyrics and atmospherics’ similar to the Iggy / Bowie collaborations.  Mr. Shaffer provides more extensive guitar work on these tracks and to these ears are some of his best.

The thread is there from the his early solo albums that inhabit the early Stones, Pretty Things vibe, especially on tracks Downtown Suzy, Time Stays and Call My Name.

If you’re looking for something that’s a cross between Kill City by Iggy Pop and James Williamson, and the classic solo album Lust for Life by Iggy Pop, then this guy is your man.

• Warren Lane, Phase Four Media, 2017

Pennsylvania rock artist Rick Shaffer’s career in music spans decades.  His accolades are impressive to say the least.  But now, he’s released what I would consider his best of eight solo albums to date!  The ten-track Garage Rock album Stolen Moments packs a real punch.

From the first track All I Want you will start bobbing your head and grooving along.  The guitar riffs are pungent and the vocals are reminiscent of many classic rock legends.  The whole album from front to back is packed full of energy. You can tell Rick had a ton of fun creating Stolen Moments.

Rick Shaffer says that the inspiration for Stolen Moments is that there are no guarantees in life, and every moment he spends creating music is precious time.  We definitely agree, and are glad he spends his time wisely, for us all to enjoy the results!

• Muzic Notez The Magazine, 2017

“Modern Lie” (Single Review)

Rick Shaffer isn’t just a rock artist, he’s a rock artist that is able to create this nostalgic sound that will give you a flashback to when Led Zeppelin ruled the world!  With his track called Modern Lie, on his album Stolen Moments, listeners are treated to a jam that will not only have your heart racing, but will also serve as the perfect energy booster for your dullest day of the week.

It doesn’t get more classic than this folks!  Not only can Rick Shaffer make the picture perfect rock-n-roll track, but he also has this charisma that manifests itself on every single word he delivers.  With the instrumental being one that is highly electric, Rick feeds off that energy to deliver this spirited performance vocally.

Content-wise, Rick’s words are relentless, they are passionate, and most importantly, they are coming from his heart.  There is no doubt in his mind that this special person to him is the modern lie.  I feel like he’s so convinced that he’s willing to put his life savings to prove he’s right.  Don’t you just love that passion?

This is definitely a track I recommend you adding to your daily rotation.

• The Widows Peak Bandit, The Ratings Game, 2017