TOM SCHRAEDER

bio

The door, the gutter, and the grave are three things that 23-year-old Tom Schraeder has one foot in. The door, because he’s recently been chosen as one of the Onion A.V. Club's "Top 5 Artists to Watch in 2008," inspired Chicago Magazine’s Noah Isackson to declare that “Tom Schraeder [is] on the brink of stardom,” and prompted Jim Derogatis (Chicago Sun-Times, Sound Opinions) to proclaim of his Lollapalooza set: "Combined with a moving sound equal parts alternative-country, cornfield psychedelia and Neil Young, tunes like this...marked him as a real talent." The gutter, because his world-weary voice is at times haunting and at times undeniably close to the brink of disaster. The grave, because one or another of the wine, women, and song trifecta will surely be this young man’s demise - and he’d have it no other way. The 7 song e.p. with the intensely personal title was recorded in Chicago at Studio Ballistico with Tim Sandusky (Bound Stems, Oucho Sparks), and lends the listener a glimpse of the deceptive simplicity that belies the mark of a pure pop genius. Proving to be as accomplished onstage as he is off, this Chicago newcomer with the old soul is the sort of well-rounded artist that comes around once in a blue moon...this may be the first time you've heard of Tom Schraeder & His Ego, but we'll bet you a whiskey shot that it won't be the last.

press

"Schraeder's is a down-home, down-to-earth songwriting style, the kind that encourages arm-in-arm barroom sing-alongs, even among strangers. The untrained ear may hear his happily drunk "Whiskey Song," which is set against a backdrop of clinking glasses and rowdy voices, as similar to Ryan Adams' "The Bar Is A Beautiful Place." It's far less corny, though, and its songwriting is more earnest, more adventurous." Emily Youssef (CMJ)

"Tom Schraeder and his Gram Parsons-Wilco-Paul Westerberg-Tim Booth-inspired sound, fresh off Lollapalooza, are on the brink of stardom." Noah Isackson (Chicago Magazine)

"The strength of tracks such as "The Whiskey Song," "Porcelain Doll" and "An Easy Way to Cry" from "The Door, the Gutter, the Grave" is that they recall all of Schraeder's varied influences without resorting to mere imitation, thanks to the sophisticated melodies and arrangements and the surprisingly insightful and world-weary lyrics." Jim DeRogatis (Chicago Sun-Times)

"On songs like the bitterly funny "Which Excludes You", Schraeder writes like Ryan Adams woke up one day and forgot to tell everyone how big of screw-up he is; as a result, finally got his shit together and wrote a song with the orchestral grandeur of The Beatles...This is the one ego that actually deserves to be inflated." Jonathan Graef (Minneapolis Fucking Rocks)

"Top five artists to watch...The world needs another dude with a guitar like it needs a planet-destroying asteroid, but Tom Schraeder has been perking up ears all year, which a memorable performance at Lollapalooza perpetuated. (The Sun-Times' headline: "Schraeder, LCD, Daft Punk Soar" - not bad for a dude who played at 12:30 in the afternoon on the first day.) But the booze-soaked songs on The Door, The Gutter, The Grave show that even a style that's been done to death can work when it's done well." Kyle Ryan (The Onion)

"Schraeder delivers his slightly gritty vocals with a sharp, emotive range, delving from bittersweet remorse (the lilting "Easy Way to Cry") to just plain bitter (the sing-along chorus of "Whiskey Song" Kim Jefferies (UR Magazine)

"It's of little surprise that the 23-year-old, who counts Goldie's and Hungry Brain among his favorite dives, frequents smoky bar rooms long after most of the city is deep in slumber. His self-released debut EP, "The Door, the Gutter, the Grave," is the sound of one-too-many late nights -- a musician doing his best to mask his heartbreak with the bottle. "Easy Way To Cry" finds Schraeder haunted by visions of a former lover. ("[She's] dancing like an angel in my head," he sings.) "The Whiskey Song," which sounds like it was recorded amid the clatter of a local tavern, is a boozy anthem for the downtrodden; the spartan "Porcelain Doll" is every bit as fragile as its namesake." Andy Downing (Chicago Tribune)

"Schraeder, LCD, Daft Punk sore - but jam bands don't." Jim DeRogatis (Chicago Sun-Times)

contacts

MANAGEMENT: Lizz Kannenberg at En Prise Entertainment: lizz@enpriseentertainment.com • 773.404.1497

THE BAND: http://www.myspace.com/tomschraeder


listen

TOM SCHRAEDER "Whiskey Song"




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