By Erika Wilkins
What separates undiscovered talent from ordinary bands trying to make it big? A little bit of magic. It is with great will power that I refrain from littering this article with references to everyone form Queen and Zeppelin to the Jackson Five. Not because the Duchess of York replicates the sounds of bands that precede them, not because there’s a lack of words to describe their soulful heart-thumping music music, but because I want to convey the magnitude of awe this group of musicians inspires.
Embedded in the Virginia Commonwealth University town of Richmond, Virginia is an original band so insightful, majestic, and passionate, you’ll scarcely believe they’ve just outgrew puberty.
Duchess of York is creating a rumbling in the downtown Richmond, that is uprooting music fans from the woodwork, and giving them a new band to idolize. I am one of those adoring fans.
That ability, the ability to capture adoration and devotion with music alone, is the magic that Michael York, Austin York, Jacob Shank, and Constantine (Dean) Giavos possess.
When these magicians join forces, they conjure music that could have easily filled the entire Almost Famous soundtrack, with their wonderful mix of old school rock, reggae, glam and metal. With compelling ballads like “Half Moon”, where vocalist Michael York croons, “If you want me to stay, I think I’ll think I’ll quietly go…” They even channel the late Johnny Cash with poignancy not often seen in people of their years. On the anthem- inspiring “Little Boom Box”, (which could easily be the next “We Will Rock You”, blasting before sports event from now until eternity), DOY switches gears completely. They pound out a hard-hitting and undeniably cool track: the likes of which they’re most known for. But it is on the band’s newest single “Tangle Me Up” which profoundly shows their talent as musicians.
This masterpiece of no uncertain standing begins with a daunting nursery rhyme of a guitar solo that slowly gets murkier as Austin and Dean quietly make their entrance that lasts forty seconds.
Even at a stage so early in their career, Duchess of York can make you wait, and want for the meat of the song to arrive without losing your interest. Suddenly, without warning or fumble, a clean transition into loud and soul metal occurs and the party goes smoothly uphill thereafter.
As if that weren’t enough, “Tangle Me Up” then takes a spin to 1970’s Kingston, where they “play that funky music, white boy”, and again showcase their uniqueness. You can picture the hazes of smoke surrounding the youthful entertainers, and smell the incense burning as they whale “Ta-a-a-a-a-angle me up!” as it was gloriously sung.
In a song with intimate and important lyrics, Duchess relies solely on the music. There are no tricks, trips, or pretentious guitar solos; just the artfully created rhythms that have built the band of tomorrow their unwavering following. If you’re itching to hear this celebrated band, visit myspace.com/doymusic and have a listen.
