Current/Independent Music
The Lucky 13: casual Q & A with bitter little dutchboy
April 8, 2001
In the last column, we looked at the self-titled album by bitter little dutchboy, otherwise known as Mr. Ray Di Pietro. Ray & I had a chance recently to bridge the gap between our West and East coasts. Here's to the hope that the "radio revolution" is on its way...
ADAM: Hi, Ray. How are ya?
RAY: I’m really good Adam--thank you for the kind review and the support that you’ve shown bitter little dutchboy!
ADAM: So, first things first, what’s in your stereo right now?
RAY: Coldplay “Parachutes”. What an AMAZING record!!!!
ADAM: The world ends tomorrow and the Ticketmaster Upstairs starts recruiting for the Eternal House Band. Who”s playing?
RAY: Great question! John Lennon, Jeff Buckley, Keith Moon, Jimi Hendrix and Frank Sinatra would be hanging out in the Eternal House Lounge...
ADAM: So what’s the guilty pleasure in your CD collection? Mine is Iron Maiden.
RAY: A lot of Neil Diamond cds...
ADAM: Any chance you’re going to abandon the solo career and join a boy band?
RAY: How about the boy bands splitting up and joining bitter little dutchboy? But with NO dancing.
ADAM: What’s your take on the current state of affairs in the music industry? There’s been a lot of negative critical press about modern music, or at least the music that’s on popular radio.
RAY: It’s a strange time at commercial radio nowadays. Between the boy bands at Top 40 and The Modern Rock stations rocking harder with Limp etc...it leaves pop music like bitter little dutchboy regulated to the specialty shows. Thank God for Rodney at KROQ in Los Angeles. It’s time for another radio revolution.
ADAM: I know you’re an avid reader. So what’s the last book you read that blew you away?
RAY: “What Makes Sammy Run?” by Budd Schulberg.
ADAM: How about the last movie you saw that blew you away?
RAY: The Virgin Suicides
ADAM: What’s your favorite watering hole and what’s the best drink to get there?
RAY: Hmmm...Resto Leon on 12th and 1st here in NYC--a great dirty martini and beautiful French bartender.
ADAM: A lot of your songs revolve around misfortunes with women; have you ever had people get upset about seeing themselves in a song of yours?
RAY: No, I don’t think so...most of the people see the humor. Matt Dillon & Cameron Diaz liked the “Cameron Diaz” song, as well as Nina from “Alternative Barbie”--she loved it.
ADAM: I’m just curious...when you play “Cameron Diaz” live do you change the lyrics to include whoever she’s currently dating? I’ve been spurning her advances because I thought you might have a hard time working “Adam McKibbin” into the song.
RAY: I actually change the movie titles and keep them current...nice try Adam--I think “McKibbin” would be a bit premature...but as my mom always said, “Never say never.”
ADAM: Thanks. Do your songs tend to emerge from sustained working and re-working or sudden bursts of creative energy?
RAY: It’s usually sudden bursts of creative energy. If it seems like I’m spending too much time on a song then I usually lose interest and move on.
ADAM: And finally, Ray...when can we expect that second album?
RAY: I’m actually working on some new stuff now and will record the second record this spring/summer. It should be ready in the fall...I look very much forward to sending you a copy.
bitter little dutchboy
Author: Adam McKibbin
Published on: March 27, 2001
| OK, I'll confess. I was first
drawn into Bitter Little Dutchboy by the irresistible packaging; Robert Farnum's
strangely alluring band logo, the quintessential "cute baby picture" on the back
and (the capper for me) a song simply named "Cameron Diaz." I hadn't
heard any of the songs, but I was already a fan. The gamble paid off. Sometimes you can judge a disc by its cover and these 27 minutes of addictive pop were everything I'd hoped for. The lyrics mix heartache with hope and the music straight-out rocks. These are guitar hooks that will sink in your skin and not let go. Prepare to hum for days. The album's first songs explore the central theme of unrequited love, of the woman who is transformed to a goddess in the spotlight of the dutchboy (otherwise known as Ray Di Pietro). Ray sings about his Alternative Barbie ("Nina has three boyfriends/And I'm not one of them"); he sings about Kat ( "Never know that I love you/Never know that I need you"); and he sings about, and ohhh do I feel his pain here, Cameron Diaz ("She's with him, I'll never get her/But I can dream"). The album scales its peak with its middle tracks. "Kat" is the album's stand-out track, featuring one of the best guitar hooks you'll be hearing any time soon (one of those hooks so good that you'll try to sing it), a shout-along chorus, and the album's most emotional climax (Di Pietro nailing the line "I'm too young to have nothing/Well I'm too young to have nothing at all"). "Deluxe" is the song that follows, and it's a brilliant shift. Up to this point, we've met the girl sleeping with his best friend, the girls who won't give him the time of day. "Deluxe" not only doesn't give up hope, it comes on strong. "I'd like to see you from time to time" Ray purrs. Joe Sac's bass line lurks sexily underneath. Additional players on the album include Joe Klompus (bass), Jason Sutter (drums), Steve Scully (drums), and Milo Beuller (drums). But there's no doubt who's the star of the show, and it's the charming, jack-of-all-trades Di Pietro, who chalks up writing/singing/producing credits on every song while playing guitar and occasionally taking a stab at bass and drums. The result is, to put it simply, an album worth checking out. Who knew it could sound so fun to be bitter? To purchase Bitter Little Dutchboy visit http://www.cdfreedom.com or http://www.cdnow.com or http://www.theorchard.com In addition to writing an infectious album, Di Pietro also displays excellent taste on his website, where he acknowledges his musical heroes (McCartney, Springsteen, Peter Buck, etc.) and dishes about his other raves from literature to public radio (my personal favorite is http://www.nicole-blackman.com ) Check it all out at http://www.bitterlittledutchboy.com |
Yahoo Artist Review: bittle little dutchboy pine for philandering girls who won't pay them the time of day for peppy Power Pop guitars. Their falsetto harmonies are grade-A, Beach Boys perfect. –Listen.com
ALL MEDIA GUIDE EXPERT REVIEW: The debut from the one-man ensemble of Bitter Little Dutchboy collects the sporadic recordings of Ray Di Pietro. Spanning from 1996 to 1999, all of the tracks feature Di Pietro himself taking the guitar, bass, and vocals duties. A cute collection of cheerful pop ditties -- one part acoustic, one part electric -- Bitter Little Dutchboy is delicately crafted pop that could easily win the heart of every girl about whom Di Pietro wrote a song. ~ Mike DaRonco
RHYTHM & NEWS June 2000
***** (out of 5)
POUGHKEEPSIE JOURNAL Friday, May 19, 2000 Enjoy! Section
George Fletcher IN TUNE
Bitter Little Dutchboy "Bitter Little Dutchboy" (Raytone Recordings)
The raw, edgy tunes that comprise the veneer of this first full length release from "Bitter Little Dutchboy" belies the truth found just below the surface: it's hooky rock 'n' roll with an unconventional bent.
It's led by former local disc jockey, singer/songwriter Ray Di Pietro, a.k.a. Bitter Little Dutchboy, who found his way back to the mid-Hudson Valley by way of Boston. Di Pietro's tenure in Beantown was well worth the trip, if only for the birth of the tune "Kat", a freakishly wild ode to an illusive lover.
Like wise, on "Alternative Barbie" the singer vocalizes his pains of being disregarded by resourceful women. "Nina has three boyfriends and I'm not one of them," he sings. "Maybe one day I'll have a chance, when I get my big record advance."
The group, born in 1994 as an outgrowth of Di Pietro's solo act, embraces many of the same musical influences and incorporates the same passionate elements as those utilized by The Beatles, REM, the Smiths, the Replacements, Peter Gabriel, and the Beastie Boys - a driving back beat, heavy guitars and compelling vocal work.
Many of the tunes have a lo-fi quality to them, but there's something innately endearing about them. Perhaps it's the sense the Di Pietro and Company don't take themselves too seriously, which is -in and of itself- the freahest element a band can offer in this age of plastic pop wannabees.
"SAY WHAT???" WEEKLY INDUSTRY SOURCE www.eceworldwide.com
EDITION
TWENTY-NINE - WEEK OF APRIL 30, 2000
New York based, Bitter Little Dutchboy has his own independent release. He gives
a new meaning to Indie-Rock with flaring guitar licks and raw sounds. Bitter Little
Dutchboy was formed by Ray Di Pietro in 1994 and has since
released two-song, 7-inch single, "Kat/deluxe". Later that year, on the strength
of that single, Bitter Little Dutchboy found himself in the WFNX/Molson Polar Beach Party
Finals at the Paradise in Boston. Although his sounds are raw, you can hear through it and
find a generally good sounding CD. With more development in his corner, he will definitely
rise up to the table and deliver a more alternative edge, but without hesitation, you
should listen to what he has to offer now.
Website: www.bitterlittledutchboy.com
CD: Bitter Little Dutchboy, Raytone Recordings, Available on line.
Suggested tracks: She's a Freak and Super Wicked!
Tour dates: None at this time.
INSTANT Feb/March 1999 by Chris Hinckley
instant: To start, the standard boring question for all the Instant readers that might not be familiar with Bitter Little Dutchboy. How and why did Bitter Little Dutchboy start?
ray: Bitter Little Dutchboy started in 1994 after years of myself just being me doing solo shows. After a while I wanted to rock out in a sticky sonic pop band, so I did and here we are.
instant: Bitter Little Dutchboy has a straight ahead, indie pop, singer/songwriter style, what are the musical backgrounds of each of the bands primary members?
ray: Actually my musical background is all over the place even though Bitter Little Dutchboy is pretty straight ahead pop. I grew up listening to The Beatles and 70's AM radio, drifting into 80's new wave to Peter Gabriel and Genesis, the Smiths, REM, New Order, Motown, hip hop, Beasties, industrial, back to the Beach Boys, the Replacements and Frank Sinatra.
instant: What has been the primary driving force behind the music of Bitter Little Dutchboy?
ray: The primary driving force behind the music of Bitter Little Dutchboy has been the constant desire to make records and tour the way my father did in the early to mid 60's as the bassist for french star Johnny Hallyday. In February of 1964 they hung out with The Beatles for a few weeks at the Olympia Theater in Paris while both had extended engagements there. A week or so later The Beatles did the Ed Sullivan show!! I'm proud of my dad!!
instant: As Bitter Little Dutchboy progresses musically, what direction do you see the band going in? Meaning, do you see yourselves getting more experimental with the music, changing styles, adapting, etc, etc.
ray: I don't know what direction Bitter Little Dutchboy will head in as we progress musically. I like to keep things simple but I wouldn't be surprised if I drew from influences from my days as a club dj in New York.
instant: What influences you - both musically and non-musically?
ray: Things that influence Bitter Little Dutchboy are music, girls, sex, movies, books, relationships, and my regular misfortunes. Not in any particular order...
instant: If Bitter Little Dutchboy could go on the road with any 3 bands from any era, who would they be and why?
ray: Great question!!! If we could go on the road with any 3 bands from any era, they would be The Beatles (circa 1969), REM (circa the Green Tour), and LUSH ( I LOVE Miki Berenyi!!! We are perfect for each other! Is she married??) It would be one hell of a show, I love each of the bands music so much.
instant: Who do you consider to be your peers and your idols?
ray: I consider all of us trying to make music peers of one another. We're all in the same boat trying to get where we want to go. I consider my idols to be Paul McCartney, Johnny Marr, Springsteen, Peter Buck, and Sinatra. Amazing people I'd love to have a drink and tell stories with.
instant: Boston's a very competitive music scene, what is your opinion of the scene as a hole and where do you see yourselves in it?
ray: Boston is a very competitive music scene but that's what I love about it. If you work hard and people did your music there is radio, press and clubs to play in and they all support the scene. It's awesome. As far as how I see ourselves in the scene, I must admit I'm not the most positive guy in the world. I always think that nobody cares and is listening.
instant: What has been Bitter Little Dutchboy's best moment to date and what has been the worst?
ray: The best moment for Bitter Little Dutchboy was when I found out Matt Dillon said my "Cameron Diaz" song was cool at the premiere of "There's Something About Mary" in June of 1998, and was going to play the song for her that weekend! The worst moment was when I heard they broke up.
instant: Who is the Bitter Little Dutchboy?
ray: Fortunatley or unfortunately I am he...
instant: Finally, where did the name come from.
ray: The name Bitter Little Dutchboy came from this guy Mark Roth I used to work for in a club in New York. I was being a total asshole at work because I was sick of being there and wanted to move to Boston. So he started yelling at me and said, "I'm going to kick your ass you bitter little dutchboy!!!" I just started laughing and said that was going to be my band name. He thought I was full of shit.
STUFF @ NIGHT December 22, 1998 - January 5, 1999
Resolutions are made to be broken. Each January 1, we search out our coziest vice and attempt to erase it from our lives. The rotund vow to be slim. The slothful swear they'll produce. The busy pledge to slow down. And it never happens. So this year we thought we'd cut to the chase and ask Bostonians for resolutions they know they'll break. Now, pass the Chee-tos.
Ray di Pietro: member of bitter little dutchboy
Not to write songs about girls I don't have a chance of hooking up with. Cameron Diaz is a good example.
BOSTON SUNDAY GLOBE April 26, 1998 City Weekly Section
On The Rise: Sweet songs of longing from a Bitter Dutchboy
The Bitter Little Dutchboy writes songs of longing for famous actresses he will never meet, girlfriends who sleep with his best friend, and sexy bartenders on Lansdowne Street who won't give him the time of day.
Despite these lyrical complaints, the Bitter Little Dutchboy, a.k.a. Ray Di Pietro, is an engagingly upbeat character.
"I love to perform and write songs," says Di Pietro, 28. "It's great. You can write about anything you want to."
Di Pietro was bitten by the rock music bug early on. His father, Ralph Di Pietro, was the bass player for the French singing star Johnny Hallyday.
Di Pietro's apartment in Brookline is stuffed with photos of members of his dad's band hanging out with the Beatles. There is a special spot in his bedroom where the Bitter Little Dutchboy single hangs on the wall next to his dad's single.
As Bitter Little Dutchboy (a name given to him by a former employer who was kidding him about his surly attitude on the job), Di Pietro prefers to use a revolving stable of musicians rather than try to keep a full-time band together.
"With bands someone is always leaving, or getting a better gig, and the whole thing changes," he says. "I figured I would just do what I do and just keep on going."
He promotes each show vigorously, putting up posters around town, sending tapes out to local radio stations for airplay and launching barrages of e-mail messages.
"People aren't just going to show up, you have to give them a reason," he says. "If you are passionate about your music, you also have to be passionate about promoting and marketing yourself."
He has gone to the extreme with one of his songs, "Cameron Diaz," a blatant come-on to the actress. He asked some friends who know Diaz's boyfriend, Matt Dillon, to send the couple the song.
"I've got a better chance of playing tennis with the pope tomorrow than ever going near her," he says. "But I hear that Matt Dillon has a sense of humor, so maybe he will like it, and not come kick my ass. Hopefully, she will like it too."
One thing the Dutchboy boy is not bitter about is the music industry. After working in radio in New York and finding contacts making pizza for the stars a Mama Kin, he has gained inside knowledge, and has persuaded a California-based management company, Atlas/Third Rail, which handles clients such as Alanis Morrisette, Weezer, Green Day, Seal, and the Goo Goo Dolls to take him under his wing. He has also released a single on the local record label Wicked Disc.
You can see Bitter Little Dutchboy next Sunday at T.T. the Bear's at 9 p.m. with Madder Rose. Call 492-BEAR. DAVID WILDMAN
INSITE MAGAZINE February 1998 by Sarah Heim
Ray Di Pietro, AKA bitter little dutchboy, brings an innovative sticky, sonic pop to the Boston alternative music scene. Ray, not really dutch at all, adopted his band name from the reprimands of a previous employer. During the argument Ray's then boss and club owner lashed out, calling Ray a "bitter little dutchboy", a name that, while provoking a good deal of laughter, also stuck.
Ray's creative ingenuity is the driving force behind the writing and composing of his songs, a jog he does all himself. Working solo doesn't seem to have hindered the quality of his music. The bitter little dutchboy seven inch single Kat/Deluxe on Wicked Disc, a Newbury Comics imprint, clearly showcases the extremes of his lyrical and musical capacity.
The first track, "Kat," an edgy, hard driving pop song plays in striking contrast to the laid back and loopy sounds of "Deluxe."
Fans should expect a twelve song, full length CD to be released in 1998 (record label negotiations are currently underway), featuring the new single "Cameron Diaz", a witty, bitter and wistful tune on the plight of unattainable lust. Runner up in the WFNX Molsen Polar Beach Party, bitter little dutchboy has recently been taken under the wing of Atlas/Third Rail, the L.A. based managing firm who works with names like Alanis Morrisette, Seal, Green Day, and Weezer.
See bitter little dutchboy live on February 6th @ O'Briens in Allston at 11:30pm.
INSTANT July/August 1997 by Chris Hinckley
I hate it when my boy is bitter! Anyway, Bitter Little Dutchboy is certainly not little, at least when it comes to tunes, but they might just be bitter. The songs seem to deal with failed relationships or something of that ilk. The big guitar and tremendous drum sound remind us of the Minneapolis Replacements/Soul Asylum glory days. Ray Di Pietro has a knack for songwriting and his voice and vocal delivery stands out and that is what makes Bitter Little Dutchboy a relevant and viable band. I haven't heard much about this band, but would be interested in hearing more. (Wicked Disc, 38 Everett St. Allston, MA 02134)
ROCK FETISH 1997
Bitter Little Dutchboy 7", "Kat' / 'Deluxe"
This is only a double song record but it is wonderful! The vocals that Ray Di Pietro serves up on "Kat" and "Deluxe" are amazing as well as the guitar riffs he produces. Mix in Joe Klompus and Jason Sutter on bass and drums and you get a song that catches your ear like a cool breeze on a summers day. Excellent! - Starr
THE NOISE July/August 1997
WARM VINYL
bitter little dutchboy "Deluxe/"Kat" Wicked Disc 7" single
I hate to be a stickler for perfection, but I feel it's my duty (as I take my music very seriously) to point out to the good folks at Wicked Disc that they fucked up. Surely not with the musical content, or the band itself, for they are very good. It has to do with the packaging. Actually, this comes off like a compliment more than anything else, because it shows I was paying attention. These days, with so much music coming out faster than a litter of rabbits, it's refreshing when even two songs on a 7" can make the cut. The dedut single by B.L.D. shows plenty of promise too, if they are ready to make a leap into CD territory. My advice is to take a page from the Trona or Dambuilders scrap book and put out a collection of singles first, solidifying a base. Speaking of bases, I'm sure some were off base, when they thought that bassist Joe Klompus and drummer Jason Sutter left Jack Drag to play with singer/guitarist/songwriter Ray Di Pietro's new project. Alas, Ray only borrowed them for the recording of his single. If nobody told you, i'm sure you would think that the song "Deluxe" was a tune by none other than Jack Drag, especially with the moody tempo changes and the same ringing guitar ound. Flip it over, and you find something else though. The flip side found this listener putting the needle at the beginning of the disc at least three times and humming the chorus over and over. With this edgy two minute ditty, this song could be the next "Million Miles Away" by the Plimsouls, interpreted by the Replacements by way of the Del Fuegos. Now about the packaging thing, the song titles are printed on the wrong sides of the single. Hey wait a minute, what was I thinking? Wicked Disc planned it this way. Just another clever marketing ploy. Forget my anal retentiveness and enjoy the music. My mistake. Mikey Dee
CHEESE BALL MAGAZINE Surf n' Turf Summer Issue 1997
Deluxe b/w Kat - BITTER LITTLE DUTCHBOY (Wicked Disc)
A fine single pressed on limited "black" vinyl gives us a sample of a band that is perfect for the alt radio crowd. Deluxe is a soft spoken yet intense ( a quality there is far to little of in this time of louder more distortive is more mentality). The vocalist Ray Di Pietro insists that he "doesn't fool around". Friends of Jack Drag they share a similar understanding of pop but with different methods of execution. The 'boys have no problem coming off as a guitar rock band. The flip side kicks in a bit more with a good, clean rocker with Kat, an infatuated boy song driven home in earnest. The bassline of ex-Orangatang member Joe Klompus drives the number home. Plus a great band logo to boot!
RHYTHM AND NEWS June 1997
***** (out of 5)
BITTER LITTLE DUTCHBOY "Kat" b/w "Deluxe" (Wicked Disc)
Bitter Little Dutchboy's balls are to the wall on "Kat," the A-side to this rare (#378 of 1,000) 45 from this Boston based band. Alternative rock all the way, I can't help but scream out the chorus' whacked refrain, "Kat!" Tap, tap, tap... "Kat!"
This is the most fun I've had with my record player in a very long time.
A dark haze clouds the rocking of the two-chord verse on "Deluxe" as lead singer Ray Di Pietro's sensual tenor croons those magic words, "I'd like to find you...and we'll fool around."
From listening to this record, I feel as though we already have. Light up a cig and bask in the glow.
-Lisa Fairbanks
NORTH EAST PERFORMER October 1997
Bitter Little Dutchboy - Deluxe b/w Kat
This single is a little confusing in its makeup, having one side labeled "Side A" and the other listed as "Side A Too", with the names of the songs on the opposite sides as well. After a bit of investigation, I figured which song was which, foiling this bitter little prank by this Bitter Little Dutchboy.
"Deluxe" is a groovy tune with a thick simple beat and breathy vocals; a drowsy composition reminiscent of The Stone Roses. Nothing too flashy, nothing to prove, just lyrical simplicity and a straightforward delivery of a very cool song.
"Kat" is more upbeat, not as buffered as the former, but still maintains simplicity. Ray Di Pietro shows off a nice set of vocals and some whining high-end guitar, almost a complete turnaround from the sedated "Deluxe."
These songs display a nice range of music for Bitter Little Dutchboy, leading me to believe that the rest of their material could fall comfortably in between these two extremes. There is some great energy exposed and some obviously competent musicians at the helm. Over all, a fine product lacking only in it's girth, so get your finger out of the dyke and send me more material. -Rev. Keith W. Harris