Turktunes.com - Matt Turk Reviews

Gillen & Turk's "Backs to the Wall" well crafted and filled with hope
Daily Freeman Kingston, NY 7.11.08 By David Malachowski

Well-executed harmonies can be transforming, and the duo Gillen & Turk inherently knows that.

The Hudson Valley's Fred Gillen Jr. and Matt Turk have put together a CD of not only finely crafted songs sung well, but filled with hope. They've put their time in - underground for the MTA in Manhattan, as well as at Pete Seeger's "Circle of Song" tent at the Great Clearwater Music and Arts Festival.

Former solo artists, Gillen and Turk combined their efforts with spectacular results. An alt-country cosmic cowboy sound is revealed in the 12 tracks here, from the open air "These Nameless Streets," the sunny Grateful Dead-like vibe of "It Really Matters," the urgent, politically charged "Black Hills" and the free-flowing "Come Away With Me."

"Peace Rant" recalls early Dylan in more ways than one, while "Killing Machine" has an almost Clash-like anxiety.

This work is not frivolous love songs, but topical and thought-provoking tunes, like the music we loved years ago.

A moving first effort by a promising pair.

The World According to Wawrzyniak
GILLEN & TURK - Backs to the Wall

Tuneful and lulling, with a nice folksy pop-rock sound and equally engaging reflective sensibility to it, this album automatically wins the listener over on the basis of its gently melodic quality alone. Fred Gillen Jr. and Matt Turk harmonize beautifully well together on the lead vocals; their two voices blend seamlessly into a lovely and arresting whole that's an absolute pleasure to hear. Moreover, these two New York City-based guys are very fine and thoughtful songwriters. Whether it's the sweet charm of the opening track "These Nameless Streets," or the bubbly vitality of the bouncy "It Really Matters," this album delivers one delightful song after another. Some songs rock a bit harder than others ("Fall Down" in particular has a strong socking beat to it), but every last one hits the pleasingly dulcet spot just the same. A wonderfully radiant little gem.
- Joe Wawrzyniak, Jersey Beat

The Celebrity Café
Backs to the Wall is an eclectic mix of the familiar and the slightly exotic. Reminiscent of great musicians like Bob Dylan and the Beatles, Gillen & Turk are both poets and political commentators, and their statements are framed by top-notch playing and original instrumentation. Read more here.

Monterey County Herald | Go! June 12-18, 2008
Laid back folk rockers with soulful songwriting, beautiful harmonies and skillful guitar (and sometimes mandolin) finesse.

Duluth News Tribune | The Wave May 29, 2008
Singin' some social commentary
Fred Gillen and Matt Turk sing folk music that rests on commitment. They sing a lot of social-commentary songs. They're young, but their politics are those of the first generation of politicized folk singers. The music needs no apology, they're fine musicians.

Acoustic Live
March 2008, in Acoustic Live, about Gillen & Turk, Richard Cucarro says "Two folk-rock musicians had travelled almost parallel paths to arrive at the same destination. Their rafter-raising shout-outs for peace and social justice combine influences from Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger. How they got there speaks to their foundations, their integrity and their gritty determination as well as their talent." Read more here.

The music here (Washington Arms) is actually very catchy, with well-written melody lines that are hummable (or to have arms waving in the air in an audience situation). His voice is easily matched to this sound. There's even a cover of "I'd Love to Change the World". The chorus for the last cut, "Sky", can easily stay in your mind well after the CD is over. I'm sure this may have shown up on MTV, when they still played music.

When solo artists team up, it's really....rockin'
BY MATT SARTWELL
THE JOURNAL NEWS
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Read the whole review here.

Gillen & Turk Play Grand Central Station

Fred Gillen Jr. and Matt Turk won a coveted spot in the Metropolitan Transit Authority's Music Under New York program this May, 2007. The auditions were covered in the national and major New York media. News of the washboard and harmonies went out over the Associated Press newswire reaching Hong Kong, Singapore and who knows where else. Fred and Matt will be performing for straphangers in the subways this summer. Check the gigs page for details.

Turk, a songwriting 'balladeer,'
BY JAMES O'ROURKE FOR THE JOURNAL NEWS

Friday, April 6, 2007
"To say that Turk's music has one distinctive feel would be impossible. At times his music is highly introspective and folksy, yet for the most part, his tunes are well-crafted rock songs that are impossible not to relate to on some level." Read more here.

Dara Matt Turk Makes His Mark:
WCT Interview by Dara Sliwinski.
June 2006

"Turk delivers poignant lyrics with solid artisanship coupled with a powerful, dynamic voice. It is his ability to charm that allows Turk's music to reach a wide variety of audiences, both young and old."

Read the entire article here.
3 page PDF (1.2Mb)

Press Releases

February 13, 2008
December 4, 2007
November 29, 2006(pdf)
June 9, 2006(pdf)

WESTCHESTER WEEKLY DESK
Local Talent Rocks On, And a Label Taps In

Brian Wise | Nov. 27, 2005
Matt Turk, a guitarist, singer and songwriter from Hastings-on-Hudson, is active with Tribes Hill...
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Review by fin from South of Mainstream
What do blues, party funk, roots rock, and New York have in common? Matt Turk. That wasn't really meant to be funny and neither is Turk's release What Gives.
Read more...

WESTCHESTER WEEKLY DESK
From Local Artists, CD's to Tease the Ear

Susan Hodara | Oct. 5, 2003
"What Gives is 11 songs of heartfelt roots-rock..."
Read more...

Thomas Staudter
What Gives features eleven songs of earnest pop-rock. Musically and lyrically it suggests David Bowie, Bruce Cockburn, Elliott Murphy, U2 and Duncan Sheik — in short, literate tunes with heart and muscle.
Read more...

What Gives is a huge musical statement by an artist to be reckoned with, enunciated by a voice so AM/FM friendly there is no question the world would be a better place with his material rocking the airwaves. Joe Viglione's review of What Gives is on All Music Guide.

"In my 20 years in the music business as a musician, producer, and radio host, I have listened to countless indie releases. What Gives by Matt Turk is among the best of them! Strong songwriting with catchy hooks complemented by tasteful production, solid guitar playing, and compelling vocals are what sets What Gives apart. I'd put this album up against anything, indie or major label, and it would come out a winner."

--Todd Mack | Producer & Host
The Off The Beat-n-Track Radio Hour WKZE 98.1FM

Joe Viglione on RollingStone.com said: "As the late Lillian Roxon raved about the young and relatively unknown Jackson Browne in her book Rock Encyclopedia back in 1969, Matt Turk may strike you as just as talented a find."

Matt Turk's eponymous debut features impeccably recorded songs. Turk is better when he's rocking out. On the edgy "Buffalohead," Mr. Turk's youthfully sweet voice and his penchant for guitar become power assets.
--Kurt Hoffman Forward

Completely natural! All rock critics are familiar with the story of how Jon Landau wrote "I've seen the future of rock 'n' roll, and he's Bruce Springsteen." At the risk of overstating my enthusiasm, well, I feel that way about Matt Turk; he's that good.
--Larry Jaffee On the Tracks