Ever wonder what might happen if Chris Trapper was transported back to the mid-1980's to release an album? "Into The Bright Lights" is the music that he might have created in that situation, blending an 80's feel with the Chris Trapper that you've known and loved for years.
Chris Trapper has always defined his music through his songwriting and storytelling, and this latest digital release is no exception. It is incredibly reminiscent of his debut solo album as well as the music he made in the early days with The Push Stars. "Family Tree" is signature Chris Trapper, as his lyrics are the star and his vocal delivery is as unique as his music. "The Game Is Done" and the title track are also excellent tracks. Trapper will always be one of those musicians that you can count on for great music, and this new EP is no exception.
Check out the EP for yourself by clicking on the cover art and downloading the album by naming your own price.
I decided to release this in the "pay what you can" model, as an offering for those fans who may be under the economic tide,
and for those of you who are swimming, all proceeds for this recording will pool into my next recording budget, tour support,
and my ongoing struggle with doughnut addiction.
Many thanks for your continued support, Chris Trapper
GUELPH. A powerful force of nature swept through the Hillside Festival on Saturday.
No, I'm not referring to persistent showers throughout much of the day that turned the island into a soggy sponge before the sun appeared just in time to be seen sinking into Guelph Lake.....
"Good music leavened with a humour was provided by Buffalo-bred singer/songwriter Chris Trapper"
Chris Trapper has always defined his music through his songwriting and storytelling, and this latest digital release is no exception. It is incredibly reminiscent of his debut solo album as well as the music he made in the early days with The Push Stars. "Family Tree" is signature Chris Trapper, as his lyrics are the star and his vocal delivery is as unique as his music. "The Game Is Done" and the title track are also excellent tracks. Trapper will always be one of those musicians that you can count on for great music, and this new EP is no exception.
Check out the EP for yourself by clicking on the cover art and downloading the album by naming your own price.
I tend to forget sometimes that I am a singer, because I'm so caught up in songwriting, so when Crit and Brad asked me to sing some tunes for them I thought...really? me? I'm no Frank Sinatra...but heck, why not. Crit has actually recorded a bunch of stuff for me, including the original recording of my "Birthday Song" so I owed him a favor or two as well. Chris Trapper
Be Sure To Tune In:
On Episode 604 Chris Trapper can be heard singing a song called "Frozen Snow"
music by Brad Hatfield, lyrics by Crit Harmon.
On Episode 606 Chris is singing a song called "I Will Take You Home"
music by Brad Hatfield, lyrics by Crit Harmon.
Episode 604 Breakout, Original Air Date: July 20, 2010
Episode 606 Sanctuary, Original Air Date: August 3, 2010
ROCHESTER DEMOCRAT AND CHRONICLE
Even life isn't as lifelike as Chris Trapper
By Jeff Spevak. Staff music critic. April 29, 2010
The phrase "Careful what you wish for" wasn't intended for Bill Gates, overlord of the Internet. It's for guys like Chris Trapper, independent musicians working without a net, married to a self-employed graphic artist, with a mortgage, paying health care out of their own pockets, plus $550 a week in daycare for the two kids. Yet when the producers of one of those teen-driven WB shows, Pepper Dennis, approached him a few years ago about doing a theme song for the show, Trapper had reservations.
"As I was writing it, I was very aware of the fact that, say this show becomes a hit like the Friends theme, I'll have to sing this song every night of my musical life," he says. "So it can't be embarrassing, even if they're asking for total bubblegum pop."
On the other side of the coin, literally, there's Danny Wilde, one half of the duo known as The Rembrandts. Wilde wrote the Friends theme. And now, "He never has to work again," Trapper says.
The temptation of lifelong security won. Pepper Dennis "was about a girl searching for love, (who) can't find it," Trapper says. "I based the song in bars, which is where I play, and what I know."
The rest is history, if you're a 15-year-old girl. The Pepper Dennis producers picked Trapper's song, "Better Half," as the show's theme, over the compositions of two other writers. "For 18 months I wasn't worried," Trapper says. "I was planning on my retirement at that point."
But Pepper Dennis dried up after 13 episodes. So rather than living on the Wilde side, Trapper is still touring the world's clubs, with shows Friday and Saturday at Abilene Bar & Lounge.
The truth is, even if Pepper Dennis had escalated to Friends stratosphere, Trapper would probably still be touring the world's clubs. Writing and singing songs is what he did with the modestly successful pop band The Push Stars. More important, it is what he did to become the man he is today.
"I stuttered as a teenager," Trapper says. "It can be pretty debilitating. In the sixth grade, I fainted onstage during a play audition. I couldn't spit the words out. I had to leave class whenever I had to give an oral report. I would stay home sick. People think you're crazy when you talk.
"Stuttering was one of the integral reasons I started writing songs. There was no way to reach out to people, so it became my voice. I couldn't talk to women, so I'd call them and say, 'Hey, let's meet in the park. I'll bring my guitar and play a few songs I wrote.' When I did that, my odds of hooking up would go up."
The truth is, Trapper still stutters. By phone from his home in Massachusetts, Trapper's stutter sounds like the poor reception you might get on a cell phone when the satellites aren't correctly aligned. A few missing words here, moments of silence there.
"I think you learn to deal with it," he says, describing what he tells a stuttering support group for young teens that he sometimes speaks to in Boston. "I started caring less and less about what people thought.
"I had to give a speech a few years back I'd written a song for the band Great Big Sea, and it was getting an award, so I went and accepted it for them. I walked onstage in front of 1,000 people and told myself, 'On this night, I'm not going to be the guy I used to be.' And I didn't stutter at all during my speech. I couldn't believe I did it.
"I just did a two-hour show in Boston, and I talked for a good half the show onstage, storytelling. Had you ever told me I'd be able to do that a few years ago, I'd say no way. Onstage now, I see it as an alternate universe. I actually love talking, telling the stories behind songs. It's more fun than singing the songs. It's cathartic, just being able to talk."
The songs are cathartic as well. "Romantic, self therapy," he says. "It's like keeping a diary for me. I'm always aware of the fact that the point of this is sharing."
How much of his songs are Trapper?
"One hundred percent. I've had parents, family, that I've had to explain things to: I meant this, and not that. I don't regret it. I regret I didn't have such a code I have to live by." If he could lie just a little, "life would be easier."
Even life can't lay claim to being 100 percent lifelike, as when Trapper was invited to make a cameo appearance on Pepper Dennis.
"I remember driving onto the lot, which was really cool, and going into an empty room," he says. "Suddenly they start to bring tables in, a stage, booths, a bartender walks in, all the extras walk in. It looked like every gig I did in every city. Then Rebecca Romijn walks in and I think, 'OK, this a little different than my gigs.'"
Rebecca Romijn! Sports Illustrated swimsuit model! Star of Pepper Dennis! "I'd been lusting for her with her picture for years," Trapper says. "She's the first person I ever felt guilty about talking to right off the bat."
Trapper played himself, "a barroom singer in the corner of the bar." Romijn and three other cast members sat at a table, playing that TV hybrid of fantasy and lie.
"Four completely hot women," Trapper says, "talking about how bad their love lives are. A little surreal, I guess."
Chris Trapper plays Fri-Sat, April 30-May 1 at 8:30 p.m. at Abilene Bar & Lounge, 153 Liberty Pole Way. $20. 232-3230
There's two reasons why Chris Trapper appeals to me. One, he's worked extensively with one of my all-time favorite bands, Celtic-rock outfit Great Big Sea. But two, Trapper is a fellow stutterer who wrote his first song as a teenager to express his angst over being picked on in school. Since then, Trapper has fronted the indie alt-rockers The Push Stars and, while on hiatus from that band, has carved out a niche as a solo artist who produces intricate power-pop songs that are smart, honest, jaded, and funny. His ability to tell stories of everyday people and their struggles will be on display when he plays two shows at Abilene this weekend.
Chris Trapper plays Fri-Sat, April 30-May 1 at 8:30 p.m. at Abilene Bar & Lounge, 153 Liberty Pole Way. $20. 232-3230
The Chris Trapper song In My Sight can be heard (about 65 seconds of it!) in the Hallmark Channel Movie Elevator Girl.
Listen for Chris' music, about 2/3 of the way in, during the Jake's Burgers romantic music montage.
In My Sight can be heard on the current CHRIS TRAPPER CD: Til The Last Leaf Falls
CHRIS TRAPPER CONTRIBUTES THREE ORIGINAL SONGS TO INDIE FILM FIGHTING FISH
"Avalanche", "Weightless" and "Time To Forgive"
Film Premiers April 20, 2010
Boston singer/songwriter Chris Trapper contributes three original songs, "Avalanche", "Weightless" and "Time To Forgive" to indie film Fighting Fish. Chris enjoys a long-standing creative rapport with the film's Producer, Bertha Bay-Sa Pan and is pleased to be a cornerstone artist for the film and corresponding soundtrack.
Fighting Fish is the first feature coming from producer Bertha Bay-Sa Pan's recently launched Slew Pictures (Face, Almost Perfect). Fighting Fish is Annette Apitz's feature-film directorial debut. The film was shot with a Red camera in upstate New York.
Pan says: "We are dedicated to telling stories with heart and intelligence that cross international borders"
The talented cast includes Val Emmich (Ugly Betty, 30 Rock), Anna Moore ("The Life Before her Eyes"), Halley Feiffer ("The Messenger," "Gentlemen Broncos") and Haviland Morris ("Adam"). Three of Val Emmich's songs are on the film's soundtrack. Other soundtrack artists who supported this project include Elf Power, Imperial Teen, Chris Trapper, This Car Up, and Mark McAdam.
Fighting Fish world premiere is confirmed for April 20, 2010 at the NASHVILLE FILM FESTIVAL as part of the First-Time Filmmaker Competition category. There will be two screenings: April 20th at 9:15 pm and April 2st1 at 5:15 pm, at Regal Green Hills Cinemas.
Bertha Bay-Sa Pan directed the music video for Chris Trapper's pop tune "Wish I Was Cool".
Friday, March 12th at 8 PM Chris Trapper came into Prescott on tour, performing at Livy Lou's until 11 PM. The clothing store was converted to an intimate setting for the preparation of Trapper's musical performance.
Also, along with Chris Trapper, the audience was treated to two other singer's. One being an old friend of Chris' from New York, Adam. The other being a local girl, Shelby.
Starting at 7:40 with a performance from Shelby Trischler. With a beautiful voice, accompanied by an acoustic guitar, it was a great opening for the show. After her performance there was a short break, before the next performer took the stage. Taking the stage next at 8:35 was Adam, growing up with Chris in New York. Performing a single song as an opener for Trapper's performance.
Finally, Chris took the stage at 8:45 in the evening, beginning his performance by asking how the audience was doing. Trapper has an interesting way of performing, not only does he sing, but he also tells stories from his experiences, making a connection with the audience that most musicians lack. Just one of the reason's for the extraordinary performances he provides, that connection allows a personal touch, something that will stick with the people present at his shows.
PHOENIX EXAMINER
Q&A with Signer/Songwriter Chris Trapper, by Sahara Faughn
February 19, 2010
After hearing Chris Trapper was coming to town for a performance, I decided to contact him for a quick Q&A to help promote the performance and get to know him a little before his show.
Q: First of all, I think its important to ask how your doing ... Often times I think people forget singer/songwriters are people to, they have feelings, good days, bad days. So, how are you?
Chris: I’m very well, thank you. Just getting ready to play tonight in Syracuse, N.Y. where the winter weather today is semi–frightful. Aside from getting 4 hours of sleep last night
(which has become the norm for me) I am feeling good.
Q: Have you ever been to the Prescott area before?
Chris: I’ve never been to Prescott, but I’ve heard it’s beautiful. I’ve played Tempe, Phoenix, Scottsdale,Tucson, and Flagstaff, but this will be my first time in Prescott.
Q: Do you have a particular song, or album that you feel is a personal achievement?
Chris: As far as having a CD that’s personal achievement, I think my Gone Again album would be my vote, If only because I was in such a creative space making the record.
At the time, my rock n roll band, the Push Stars, had decided to go from full time job to semi–retirement, and I knew I had to go solo, but I wanted a clean slate creatively,
so I talked to my buddy John Clark who leads a 7 piece jazz band, and asked if they'd make a CD with me. Now to differentiate, some people think jazz and they think Kenny G,
but the Wolverine Jazz Band plays New Orleans style traditional, or Dixieland jazz, and have a median average band member age of about 60 years old.
So the process of blending styles was cool, and I got the most press I’d ever gotten nationally because the concept seemed to interest people.
But mostly, the record itself is the testament that music knows no boundaries. It’s played live, not with computers, and the engineer got really good sounds, so listening to it, you feel like you’re in the room with us.
Q: Have you ever gotten stage fright, like when you first started and first saw the audience?
Do you still get that from time to time? Where you just need to take a few moments and collect yourself before going out there.
Chris: I always get stage fright. If I didn’t, I’d think something was enormously wrong. My pre–show ritual is to feel like a sheep being led to slaughter,
and the thoughts running through my head are ’why the hell do I do this for a living, I'm such an idiot’ My post show feeling is relief, success, a certain ’ahhhhh, thank god that’s over’
And that feeling of fear and release is addictive.
Q: Do you feel your career as a singer/songwriter has had a jump since doing the song for August Rush?
Chris: No, not really any particularly huge jumps anywhere. What ’August Rush’ HAS done is help sustain my career and enable me to add a great story to my suitcase when I go out on the road,
and also bring in enough money to put food on the table for a couple years when I’m home. My career has truly been a slow and steady marathon, and I’d love it no other way.
I also think it was a beautiful movie, and a lot of people loved it, so being attached to it has lent a certain credibility around me in some people’s eyes.
Besides, whenever I’ve had songs in movies, my parents have tended to stop nagging me to get a real job ... for about a year.
Q: After touring the US, do you have plans of touring overseas at any time in the future?
Chris: I just played in Scotland and Germany in December, and had a wonderful time. I have to say, it was the easiest touring I’ve ever done. I didn’t have to drive anywhere,
book any hotel rooms, and I was not allowed to pay for anything while I was there. (my hosts in Scotland threatened to beat the p*ss out of me if I revealed my wallet at any time) I’m going back in May.
Q: A lot of music out today tends to influence society, how they dress, act, talk ... and some of that isn’t always good influence. Do you hope your music will influence the younger generations?
How so?
Chris: I honestly don’t think of myself as important enough to influence people. And that’s just being honest. But at the same time,
I guess most of the artists who DO influence people probably don’t have a right to. Look, songwriting is an art form, and my vehicle is entertainment, but Saturday nights party is ultimately Sunday mornings memory,
so I see it all as semi–meaningless. I love it, but I also use it as a release to get me through the stuff I’m going through. I guess it’s selfish in that respect.
But I think a good writer should always remember his / her audience, and I hope that people will hear an occasional nice message in my lyrics.
Funny, now that I think about it, there’s a beautiful song by John Prine called ’Hello in there’ which influenced me maybe more than any other piece of artwork I’ve ever come across.
The song’s message is simple, getting old is lonesome and hard, but the last line goes ’so if you’re walking down the street sometime, and you spot some hollow ancient eyes,
please don’t just pass them by and stare, as if you didn’t care, say hello in there, hello’ and to this day, I always say hi to old people. True, it's not ’smack my bitch up’ but it is powerful to me.
Q: If you could say anything to the readers out there, and the people listening to your music, what would it be?
Chris: I would thank them. I know there are several million musical listening options, so for the fact that they not only stumbled onto my music, but actually listen, thanks.
I want to thank you very much for your time. I wish you the best of luck with your music and hope to hear more from you in the future!
His performance will be Friday, March 12, 2010 at Livy Lou's in Prescott, Arizona.
ALL MY CHILDREN
THIS TIME featured scene
original air date: Dec-02-09
“We’ve tabulated the votes, and the Top Ten CD’s of 2009 have been selected.
We’ve listed CD’s #15 to #11 below, in case you wanted to see who ’just missed’ being included in the WUMB Top 10 for 2009. Thanks to all who voted. “
15 – Chris Trapper – Til the Last Leaf Falls
14 – Geoff Muldaur – Geoff Muldaur & the Texas Sheiks
13 – Elien Jewell – Sea of Tears
12 – Levon Helm – Electric Dirt
11 – Eliza Gilkyson – Beautiful World
10 – Buddy & Julie Miller – Written in Chalk
9 – The Derek Trucks Band – The Derek Trucks Band
8 – Chris Smither – Time Stands Still
7 – Dave Alvin and The Guilty Women
6 – Susan Werner – Classics
5 – Justin Townes Earle – Midnight at the Movies
4 – Monsters of Folk – Monsters of Folk
3 – Neko Case – Middle Cyclone
2 – Tom Russell – Blood & Candle Smoke
1 – Antje Duvekot – The Near Demise of the High Wire
MELODIC.NET
Four out of a possible Four Stars
January 12, 2010
Chris Trapper with a history in the cool band Push Stars and four released albums is a really productive artist. As a solo artist, he has over an eight year
period managed to deliver six albums, and with a good result every time. Ok, if he had done half as many, we had been given stronger and more consistent album,
but thinks he still has managed to create something exciting every time. A large part of this is of course good songs, but he has also a very proper voice.
Would not say that Chris Trapper is one of the greatest singers, but few artists have such a presence and feeling in his voice, which makes he especially interesting.
’Til The Last Leaf Falls’ is no exception to his earlier material and is of course, a nice pop – rock album in the spirit of both Brian Vander Ark and Jay Clifford.
Would even say that it is his best solo album and very close to Push Stars best moments. There is a playfulness and optimism behind the melodies which make him stand out among all
singer–songwriters out there. It can also be further confirmed as Rob Thomas of Matchbox Twenty is said to have expressed that Chris Trapper writes “The kind of music that songwriters love“.
Not bad from a great hero who has written a few good track over the years. So if you want a warm and very well written album " 'Til The Last Leaf Falls" is a very good investment,
very uncomplicated, but also very well made done.
Like many major–label casualties, Chris Trapper has garnered a cult following with his easy E Street pop–rock.
Trapper quietly polishes tunes of booze, brunets and broken dreams both as a solo artist and as the songwriter behind the Push Stars.
FOLK / CHRIS TRAPPER
Thursday: Boston has a thriving rock scene, but it is also known for pumping out first–rate singer–songwriters.
After becoming the toast of the former with his band, the Push Stars, Chris Trapper decided to check out life in the latter.
One could say Trapper has always gone out of his way to avoid stardom – the Push Stars eschewed major–label offers in favor
of small indies, where they had more creative control. Now, Trapper has taken that to an extreme by barnstorming the coffeehouse
circuit alone, playing intimate venues like Ginkgo, which we’re betting has never before hosted anyone who once warmed up for
Matchbox 20.
– Rob Hubbard
STAFF PICK in CHARLESTON SC
by Marina Fleming for The Charleston City Paper.
October 28, 2009
Chris Trapper, the former front man from the beloved ’90s/’00s alternative rock group The Push Stars, continues to advance in his solo career.
Trapper returns to town on Wed. Oct. 28 for a show at the Village Tavern in Mt. Pleasant. Since his last showing at the Tavern,
Trapper has put out a new album, entitled ’Til the Last Leaf Falls. One of his latest songs, ’This Time,’ emerged as the number–one
selling tune on the Grammy–nominated soundtrack August Rush. Trapper has spent much of 2009 on the road playing all over the United States and Canada,
and even has a trip planned to Scotland and Germany later this year. His style has stayed consistent however, keeping in tune with his alternative
acoustic music with a modern–day folk twist. Trapper is best known for his down–to–earth lyrics and organic approach to classic pop.
FOX25 BOSTON
Chris Trapper Performs Live on the Fox Morning Show.
October 22, 2009
FOX25, myfoxboston – Grammy–nominated singer/songwriter Chris Trapper has been busy touring all over the United States and Canada,
but he’s back with a big show tomorrow night at the Regent Theatre in Arlington.
Trapper’s latest CD, ’Til the Last Leaf Falls,’ is receiving rave reviews, and it’s another outstanding collection of terrific songs.
Listen to his performance..
LISTEN UP
by Mark Bialczak of The Syracuse Post Standard.
October 01, 2009
CHRIS TRAPPER back to The Red House in Syracuse by very popular demand
Chris Trapper loves to mix the vibes of 1950s pop, 1990s rock and trad–jazz.
The singer and guitarist who used to lead Boston band The Push Stars is a regular at The Red House in Syracuse. The Buffalo native has earned praise all over the country.
But sometimes its toughest to earn praise in your own backyard. Not for Trapper. From his hometown Buffalo News:
“It’s an incredibly rare musician, particularly in the world of popular music, who is able to forge a career based on quiet dignity and steadfast integrity.“
I first got clued in to Trapper’s work in 2001 when I caught him with The Push Stars at the late, great Happy Endings Cake and Coffeehouse in Armory Square. I said he was at his “edgy, Americana best.“
I again went to the A–word when reviewed Trapper’s solo CD in 2006: “Americana radio listeners could enjoy the sweetness and vivid imagery of “Jukebox Lights“ ...
CHOICE CONCERTS
by Frank De Blase, Rochester City Newspaper.
October 01, 2009
Rochester City Paper
All three members of the currently shelved Push Stars won’t rule out a reunion; just not right now. They’re all too busy, especially front man and
principle songwriter Chris Trapper. Trapper has been doing the solo thing for a while, branching out here and there to include Dixieland, of all
things, a few years back with “Gone Again.“ Trapper’s music is multi–faceted yet uncomplicated. It’s casual and cool with elements of classic pop and
folk, strummed with a decided swing and ease.
CHRIS TRAPPER
by Jinelle Shengulette Special to Metromix.
October 01, 2009
Rochester Insider/Metromix
When Boston–based singer–songwriter Chris Trapper was younger and wanted to ask out a girl, he would record his voice on a cassette, dial the girl’s number
and play the recording. He took this precaution to avoid embarrassment from stuttering.
The Buffalo native later found an outlet for his frustration with stuttering – music – which also enabled him to get his message across in a different way.
“I realized if I was going to communicate who I was to people, I would need some alternate medium because speaking wasn’t going well,“ says Trapper
Gradually, he says, he became more comfortable talking onstage, and his stutter improved. “It became a really powerful thing for me.“
The Grammy–nominated singer–songwriter, who specializes in indie power pop, will perform at Abilene Bar and Lounge on Friday, Oct. 2,
as part of a national tour to support Til the Last Leaf Falls, his sixth solo effort.
Trapper is approaching this tour in short bursts, setting out on the road for a few days and a few shows, heading back home to rest and then repeating the sequence.
“I toured with (The Push Stars) for a bunch of years, and we’d do eight months on tour without any home life,“ he explains. “I kind of
want to have some semblance of a normal life, with the touring, fast–food lifestyle.“
As the lead singer of The Push Stars, Trapper watched his band go from being “a great bar band“ to opening for acts like Matchbox 20,
“eating lobster in catering rooms and playing for 50,000 people.“
Still, there came a point when Trapper says the band “ran its course.“ (He says it’s now on hiatus “indefinitely.“) He channeled his
energy into solo work, which led to a string of successes, including contributing a song to the film August Rush.
He had heard that the film’s producers were looking for a song for lead actor Jonathan Rhys Meyers to sing in the movie. After Trapper
was given a script, he sat in his back yard, read the whole thing and “literally walked inside, grabbed my guitar and wrote the song in less than an hour,“ he says.
After the song, titled “This Time,“ was chosen for the film, Trapper was asked to act in a scene with Rhys Meyers, although it ended up on the cutting-room floor.
“I spent the day in a Town Car (with Rhys Meyers), driving through San Francisco; we were shooting at all different spots,“ Trapper
recalls. “It was amazing for me to see how the city shuts down for the film industry ... it was amazing to see him act, too. I got a new respect for the talent in acting.“
“This Time“ went on to be the most downloaded song off of the soundtrack, which was nominated for a Grammy last year. Trapper says
attending the Grammys was a “pinnacle moment“ in his career.
Today, the singer–songwriter is working on a follow–up to Til the Last Leaf Falls. With 10 demos recorded, he’s trying to gauge the vibe of his next record.
“The nice thing about being a songwriter versus (being) in a band is you can really do anything sound-wise,“ he says, “The boundaries are widened.“
Timothy Hankins – Creative Thought, Original Writing August, 2009
WHAT SONGS ARE MEANT TO DO
As I listen I can’t help but consider the Chris Trapper catalog and think of the way his songs are explorations of a
vast emotional landscape. They encompass so much of everyday life, and tend to track some where between pathos and joy,
sometimes hovering near the edge of each, one thing I never hear in a Chris Trapper tune is cynicism.
You may not know it, but you’ve probably already heard a Chris Trapper song. Though the Boston–based songwriter hasn’t
become a nationwide household name, the sophisticated simplicity of his tunes has earned him a well–deserved reputation
as one of the best songwriters currently working in the craft. And that reputation has brought with it one opportu nity after
another for his music to be featured in films and television. [read more]
Timothy Sanford Hankins is a writer and musician based in Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
It’s an incredibly rare musician, particularly in the world of popular music, who is able to forge a career based on quiet dignity and steadfast integrity.
Clinging to such concepts usually means making peace with the idea that you’ll probably never be a household name, will
likely fly below the mainstream radar much of the time, will communicate with a smaller audience. Chris Trapper,
who returns to his native Buffalo from longtime digs in Boston, Mass., for a show inside the Tralf (622 Main St.) at 8 p. m. Thursday, is one such musician.
Best known as the former leader of the Push Stars, and now a fully tenured solo artist, Trapper has had considerable
success over the years, landing songs in movies, contributing to television shows, collaborating with highly successful
bands, and even grabbing a Grammy nomination for his involvement with the “August Rush“ soundtrack.
Still, Trapper has never really taken the bait, never gone whole–hog for the gold ring, never been willing to compromise
his own ideas about songwriting and record–making in order to make the jump from revered cult figure to spotlight–bathed mega–dude.
Of course, it’s not like Trapper is some obscure artist hell–bent on creating outsider art based on a willful tendency
toward the avant–garde. No, he’s essentially a pop singer–songwriter with folk leanings. He has never tried to reinvent the wheel.
Within those parameters, however, Trapper has consistently been willing to experiment, whether that meant collaborating with
Boston’s renowned Wolverine Jazz Band for the Dixieland–flavored “Gone Again,“ releasing an album of self–penned Christmas/holiday
songs, or co–writing pieces for Canadian Celtic–folk–rock outfit Great Big Sea.
Trapper is currently touring behind his sixth solo effort, “Til the Last Leaf Falls,“ and the Tralf show will concentrate on
material from that record. He has invited some friends, in the form of Buffalo’s own Corrections and Bob Fera, to open.
Jeff Miers – Pop Music Critic
BEST OF WNY.COM May, 2009
BEST OF WESTERN NEW YORK
Buffalo native Chris Trapper has released a new solo disc with the title Til The Last Leaf Falls.
The ex–Push Stars member and current Boston, MA resident has a knack for writing hook laden and melodic
pop gems along the lines of John Hiatt and Jacob Dylan. Some of those well written gems from Til The Last
Leaf Falls include ’Black Hearted Bride’, the deceptively simple yet unforgettably catchy ’Look what the
wind blew in’, ’Big Mistake’, the title track and ’Least You're Breathing’ a galloping romp reminiscent of
The E–Street Band. Trapper makes it back to town often and you owe yourself the chance to check him out live.
CD Review – By Bob Silvestri
KTKE RADIO April, 2009
LIVE ON THE AIR, TRUCKEE TAHOE RADIO
I wanted to let you know I enjoyed meeting Chris. Such a pleasure! He sounded sooooooo good acoustic
He is so talented and very personable! I felt like I knew him forever. We know alot of
the same peoplein the biz and back in Boston...it was a trip!
His show on Friday night was highly entertaining! He was so funny on stage. He def. won the crowd over!
I received the new CD. Many thx. I’ve dropped ’This Time’ into rotation along with Chris’ station liners.
The CD is currently stuck in my player. I am sure I will find more songs to drop into rotation and I will let you know which ones I chose.
Our doors are always open to Chris and his music. Thanks again for helping make this interview and meeting happen!
Sincerely, Sue Waters - Music Director - 101.5FM KTKE
PERFORMING SONGWRITER MAGAZINE February, 2009
DIY - TOP 12 PICKS
Given the exceptional creative arc maintained by his three previous albums, culminating now with this
wonderful offering, New England songsmith and former Push Stars frontman Chris Trapper continues
to dazzle even as he’s inexplicably escaped attention from the world at large. With their rich, evocative
ambiance, his songs consistently provide an immediate listenability.
It’s that mesh of aural imagery, supple arrangements and emotive delivery that imbues this album with a
sound both supple and stirring, from the skyward gaze of ’Black Hearted Bride’; to the irresistibly
infectious ’Black Eye’. So too, ’Look What the Wind Blew In’, ’Across the World’ and ’Curbside View’ all
demonstrate how the allure of a solitary stance can still resonate and, indeed, radiate ever so brightly. –LZ
Lee Zimmerman - Performing Songwriter
INK 19 February, 2009
CD REVIEW: TIL THE LAST LEAF FALLS
INK 19
Given the exceptional creative arc maintained by his three previous albums, culminating now with this
Til The Last Leaf Falls is Boston singer–songwriter Chris Trapper’s
fourth solo record and is another stellar collection of the kind of
wistful, undeniably melodic folk–pop songs which have become his
trademark.
The former Push Stars frontman has found a new lease of life as a solo
artist and Til The Last Leaf Falls arguably shows him at the peak of
his creative powers.
Opener ’This Time’ was featured prominently in the soundtrack for the
August Rush soundtrack and is classic Trapper, with its mid tempo riff
and introspective lyrics, while the vivid sketch of unrequited love
contained in the lyrics of ’Wait a Lifetime’ confirms him as one of
life’s hopeless romantics.
With a full band behind him, Trapper’s songs always strike a chord, but
the sheer simplicity of the acoustic ’Look What The Wind Blew In’
contrasts with his powerful lyrics of bitter regret and disappointment,
to be a real album highlight. The uptempo pop of ’Least You’re
Breathing’ and ’Black Eye’ show another side to Trapper’s songwriting
mastery, while the atmospheric title track and jaunty ’Black Hearted
Bride’ again demonstrate the diversity of his material.
But it’s the quite outstanding ’Cost of Constant Travelling’ which
steals the show, thanks in no small part to some typically understated
guitar work from guest player Duke Levine.
In these troubled and uncertain times, the enduring beauty that can be
found throughout almost every song on Til The Last Leaf Falls is
something to be truly thankful.
Andrew Ellis - INK 19
THE VALLEY ADVOCATE January 01, 2009
CD SHORTS: CHRIS TRAPPER TIL THE LAST LEAF FALLS
The name Chris Trapper may not ring immediate bells, but you've heard his songs in
films such as August Rush, The Devil Wears Prada, and There's Something About Mary.
He sometimes fronts the pop rock Push Stars, but also has a dynamic solo career and
a repertoire that's somewhere between the wall-to-wall lushness of Snow Patrol and the
chirpy optimism of Great Big Sea. Trapper claims musical brotherhood with the latter;
his baritone often resembles that of Alan Doyle. Check out "Black Eye," a song that manages t
o tackle abuse, car theft and flight, yet still come off as opti-pop
with its "everything is gonna be OK" promise. Truly one of the highlights of 2008.
Rob Weir - The Valley Advocate
THE BOSTON GLOBE December 29, 2008
POP: CHRIS TRAPPER TIL THE LAST LEAF FALLS
ESSENTIAL ”This Time”
Chris Trapper knocked on stardom's door with the Push Stars but has had a long and winding career ever since.
This is his fifth solo disc and further affirms his underrated status. Trapper's voice has the earnestly sensitive timbre of Coldplay's Chris Martin (I'd love to hear them sing duets),
though he departs from custom and shows a darker side this time.
All the songs are subtle musings on love, with some of the better ones afloat in bittersweetness, as in ”Big Mistake” and ”Black Eye.” Some of the tempos are too
restrained - this is a classic, Triple A radio-style disc - but Trapper limns them with gorgeous details that shimmer through his quiet melodies.
Some of his piano playing is reminiscent of Neil Young on ”Journey Through the Past,” while his guitar playing is continually effective.
His backup players also shine, notably Boston's Duke Levine on guitar, mandolin, and lap steel.
This is an artful album about a man in thoughtful transition in life. And he includes his own version of the gently lilting ”This Time,” which he wrote
for the ”August Rush” soundtrack (actor Jonathan Rhys Meyers sang it in the movie).
Trapper is an incurable romantic and you'll see why here. (Out now)
Steve Morse - The Boston Globe
ROOTSTIME.BE January 2009
CHRIS TRAPPER TIL THE LAST LEAF FALLS
Til The Last Leaf Falls is already the fifth solo album of the Boston living singer-songwriter
Chris Trapper, who as a group before the recording zangersrol in poprock trio 'Push Stars.
13 songs on this album is noting the original version of the romantic song "This Time", a song
for a Grammy Award nominated as part of the movie soundtrack for the print "August Rush",
for that occasion, although sung Join by Jonathan Rhys Meyers. Chris Trapper of the songs are often in
several American films and TV series. They are all situated in the alternative popgenre and sing often
the darker side of society. On this album are rapidly alternated between a beautiful piano ballad
in "Wait A Lifetime" and an Irish folk song sing along music grafted i n "Black Hearted Bride" to
immediately thereafter to proceed in a swinging rocker "Constant Cost Of Traveling" with us 'Counting Crows'
reminder calls. Chris Trapper leaves usually an elaborate acoustic song then subtly uitdeint in some melodic
genre and style. In addition, he spends a lot of attention to the lyrics in which he tries to say something
valuable. His voice - a mix of a baritone and a tenor - knows the attention of the listener to seize and
classic sounding popmelodieën its elegant and easy to the ear. We believe in voting several times on Adam
Duritz of Counting Crows' songs and also close relatively close to the genre of this band. However, we are
not a tribute to the merits of the artist Chris Trapper himself as songwriter and singer. Smooth rock tunes
like "Cost Of Constant Traveling", "In My Sight" and "Black Eye" are easily the necessary information to
obtain airplay on many U.S. radio stations. But in the more emotion fully and slower songs like "This Time",
"Curb Side View" and "Look What the Wind Blew In" know this singer to charm, often only with finger picking
acoustic guitar and a touch of pedal steel as a musical accompaniment. Or in the piano ballads "Wait A Lifetime"
and "Big Mistake" in which Chris Trapper his beautiful singing qualities know to show up. In conclusion,
we have even an honorable mention for the title track "Til The Last Leaf Falls", the beautiful swinging on
babbling "Across The World" and the instrumental CD-valve "Passing".
This is a very nice disc that you
have music in the house should identify and nurture in twilight and a glass of consolation.
THISisMODERN November 18, 2008
Chris Trapper "It's Christmas Time"
Chris Trapper has always been a storyteller, and is known for showcasing his very down to earth and relatable life stories through his music. This collection does just that, with a bit of a spin: it's all about Christmas. Chris' cunning lyricism shine throughout the entire disc which is both sentimental and comedic at times. Each song tells a story and as a listener it is easy to connect with Chris and his cast of characters. Christmas music like this doesn't come around too often.
Key Tracks: "Black And Blue Christmas"; "California Holiday"; "It's Christmastime"
BUFFALO NEWS December 12, 2007
Jeff Miers Buffalo native and erstwhile leader of the Push Stars Chris Trapper gives us a full album’s worth of
self-penned Christmas tunes with “It’s Christmas Time” (Starlit Records), and it’s a
laid-back beauty. With sparse accompaniment — mostly acoustic guitar, some nice lap steel, upright bass and smartly arranged
horns — the record sounds instantly familiar and inviting, and celebrates the sadly undervalued beauty of Trapper’s
voice. It’s another new Christmas classic, then.
BOSTON HERALD December 7, 2007
Larry Katz
Christmas music is back.
OK, it never really went away. As inevitable as an Amy Winehouse
meltdown, every fall a blizzard of Christmas CDs arrive. This I know
all too well, because every fall I wade through a hundred or so of
these seasonal offerings in search of holiday goodies.
But last year’s search for worthy Christmas sounds ended in utter
frustration. 2006 rated as absolutely the worst year for Yule music
ever - or at least since the dawn of the compact disc.
So I bring glad tidings. Christmas music roars back in 2007 with a
sleighful of worthy releases to lively up your December.
Best original songs: Chris Trapper, “It’s Christmas Time.” This
isn’t merely the best by a Boston singer/songwriter, it’s the
year’s best set of new Christmas tunes, period. Simple arrangements
and instrumentation (featuring banjo, ukulele, lap steel and the
like) accentuate Push Star Trapper’s charm and sincerity as he
captures real-life holiday feelings. Runner-up: Over the Rhine,
“Snow Angels.” Female-fronted Cincinnati band’s somber Noel
reflections.
CHRIS TRAPPER HEY YOUSTARLIT RECORDS November 2007
Andrew Ellis www.ink19.com
Chris Trapper’s Hey You has been out for nearly a year but such a special album deserves some retrospective praise.
The former Push Stars singer-songwriter has released two previous solo albums, but Hey You is probably the pick of his entire back catalogue -- and that’s saying something for a writer and performer as prolific as Trapper.
A brief spell on Capitol apart, Trapper has spent the majority of his eight-album recording career on the indie periphery, but it’s a situation that clearly suits him. This freedom affords him the ability to release records containing such diverse gems as the quirky “Say It Loud,” the beautiful Celtic-tinged “In From The Outside” and the Latin-flavored “Tear Choked Eye.”
The sparse, gentle acoustics of “Everytime I See You” and the philosophical “35th Birthday” show Trapper at his understated, evocative best, while haunting opener “Feelings Without Weight” demonstrates a modern, melodic edge to his songwriting.
Despite the diverse nature of the songs, Hey You has a sense of unity that ties all the songs together: namely, Chris Trapper’s remarkable talent. His career may perhaps be best summed up by the lyric “Why am I always inside out/ Caught in the corners of the crowd?”, but I urge you to discover his music for yourself.
CHRIS TRAPPER, "HEY YOU!" (STARLIT RECORDS, 2006) Par Winberg www.melodic.net
Chris Trapper from The Push Stars is out on a solo adventure and that with a good result. Chris sits on a very nice voice and the album is a very personal and clever singer songwriter popalbum. Imagine yourself a 15 year younger Elvis Costello with a poppier edge mixed the classic modern "singer songwriter sound from Aware". Just listen to a song like "Say It Loud" at his MySpace site and you'll get the grip and probably buy your own copy. This CD is close to a four if it wasn't for a FEW quite boring tracks. But they're few and the main part is as I wrote really good. Check him out today folks.
ST. LOUIS RIVERFRONT TIMES February 7, 2007
Chris Trapper has the unfortunate luck of coming to town the very same night as the way-sold-out Shins show — which means that the Boston singer-songwriter might not have the audience he deserves for his richly detailed tunes. A mainstay of the Beantown music scene for more than a decade as the leader of heartfelt rockers the Push Stars, Trapper the solo artist is an equally thoughtful troubadour who addresses the weightier side of life. That's no more evident than on last year's Hey, You, a solid collection of songs about hard-luck loners and sad-eyed romantics. Trapper's vocals most often resemble the wrinkled tenor of Counting Crows' Adam Duritz (sans whining), but his voice is a honeyed match for Hey's slick, rootsy college-rock and acoustic folk-twang — music inspired by and courtesy of guests such as Great Big Sea, Martin Sexton and Trapper's Push Stars bandmates.
INSITE ATLANTA February 2007
For the past 10 years, Chris Trapper has been valiantly leading Boston's
criminally underrated Push Stars, the alt rockers who perfected power pop on
1999's After the Party. Though they flirted with national success thanks to
a spot on the There's Something About Mary soundtrack and a brief stay with
Capitol, but were ultimately shown the door after failing to make the label
millions.
In the years since, the band has continued to churn out records and Trapper
has vacillated between fronting a remarkable rock band and putting in time
as an equally remarkable solo artist. On Hey You, his third solo disc, the
songs are still rooted in a satisfying pop foundation, but Trapper tends to
gamble more on experimentation bringing in steel guitars, accordions,
whistles and horns.
The result is just as strong as anything Trapper has turned in before and
likely to impress anyone who has ever owned a Cheap Trick or Big Star
record.
PERFORMING SONGWRITER
December 2006
Mare Wakefield “You think I think too much of myself / And I think you’ve been seeing someone else.” So begins “All Time Favorite,” a peppy swing tune by Push Stars frontman Chris Trapper. He goes on to accuse his shifty sweetie of working out, dressing up and “leaving too much lipstick on your cup.” Banjo, trombone and saloon-style piano bob happily along as Trapper contemplates his supposed betrayal.
Trapper leaves the Push Stars’ pop-rock stylings behind to explore a jazzier sound on Gone Again. Backed by Boston’s Wolverine Jazz Band, Trapper sings of week-long trips on tourist ships and girls crazy for Frank Sinatra. The record exudes a comfy lounge feel with expert arrangement incorporating tubas, guitars and lap steel. We know Trapper’s tasted success before, and our guess is that it won’t be long before he’s singled out on the singer-songwriter circuit as well.
WASHINGTON POST
May 5, 2006
Pamela Murray Winters The way Chris Trapper tells it, he was feeling jaded and uninspired when he ran across an old jazz cassette and hatched a plan to record with some Dixieland-style musicians. The result suggests that he has overcome his creative block. “Gone Again” sets the strut and embellishments of the Wolverine Jazz Band’s Boston–area musicians who, as Trapper says in his liner notes, “play a lost art” to Trapper’s own droll songs. He’s a fellow who declares to a lover: “Don’t need caviar and wine / Burger King will be just fine.”
Ignoring the cheeky, postmodern swing resurgence of the 1990s, Trapper, of The Push Stars, sounds like the 21st-century young popster he is. The dark humor of songs such as “Nowhere,” a tale of a groom’s night out gone wrong, makes for a perfect bridge between Trapper’s modern sensibilities and the sunny-side optimism of horns, piano, banjo, and percussion. And “Boston Girl” connects last century’s patter and talking blues with hip–hop rhyming: Only the jitterbug rhythm and Tijuana Brass-sounding chorus make the difference.
Just for good measure, Trapper throws in a few quiet, contemplative numbers such as the sweet lap-steel-washed “Jukebox Lights.”
Some albums manage to be more than music, more than song or sound. If
you catch it right, and if you're open to it, they are windows into
moments, and invitations to truth. No great Truth, mind you, other than
what it feels like to be on the road, or sitting in your backyard on a
warm day, or in love. Some albums are something more. Chris Trapper's
Gone Again is such an album. This project finds the Push Stars front
man joining the Wolverine Jazz Band, and is filled with a variety of
clarinet counter-melodies and tuba bass-lines. Without exception, the
songs work. When combined with Trapper's expert songwriting and easy
voice, the result is like nothing else you've heard, and yet is like
everything you already love. Some songs bring to mind Cake or the
Squirrel Nut Zippers, others Jack Johnson, John Mayer or Toad the Wet
Sprocket. Listeners of a slightly earlier generation will recall Marc
Cohn, David Wilcox, the Counting Crows or even Tom Waits. The point is
that although Gone Again is completely unique and original, it's not so
original or unusual that you won't find yourself playing it over and
over.
The number of incredible songs on Gone Again is almost as many as
there are tracks, but some deserve special mention. The album opens
with a sweet rolling gem called "All Time Favorite," which will put a
smile on your face every time it sings from your stereo. "Nowhere" is a
dirty old postcard, lost and pleading, dramatic and imperative. A
proclaiming trumpet punctuates the story, and calls to mind a back
alley somewhere in Tijuana. "Away We Go" brings us to a coconut island
of tropical simplicity, a lazy love affair in the sun, which then
transitions into the upbeat "Boston Girl." This song taps along at
exactly the pace of highway stripes running under the wheels of a car
on the highway, cleverly complimenting the women of Boston by
describing the kinds of women they are not. Then again Trapper manages
to be romantic yet masculine, in the perfect "Dinner and Dream."
Whispering and beautiful, this song is perhaps the finest on the album.
There is still great music being made. You just have to go out and
find it. Bring it into your life and you will be rewarded. Chris
Trapper's Gone Again has a place in your collection, and never far from
your CD player.
PULSE OF THE TWIN CITIES November 23, 2005
Chris Trapper's new disc Gone Again came to me as a welcome treat this past
week, featuring as it does the New Orleans-esque stylings of the Wolverine
Jazz Band. Trapper's pop leanings, which are so boldly in the forefront in
his usual outfit, the Push-Stars, are here couched in the sensitive and
swinging accompaniment of banjo, tuba, clarinet, trumpet and trombone. A lot
of front men who choose to go native in the trad jazz world hew to covers,
but Trapper admirably sticks to his original guns here by composing all the
tracks. Opener "All Time Favorite" is a standout, draping a sad-sack tale of
infidelity in velvety curtains and clever wordplay like, "You're out busy
planning your escape/and I'm a superhero with no cape." It's a sharp
contrast to the woe-is-me vibe that pervades a lot of indie-rock nowadays (a
lot of which I like), and a good reminder that the point of a lot of early
jazz and blues wasn't wallowing in misery, but dancing your sorrows away.
CITY NEWSPAPER Rochester, NY
Frank DeBlase
Chris Trapper's new CD Gone
Again has the Boston-based singer-songwriter sounding like a New England
Yankee in Leon Redbone's court -- or perhaps Dylan in Dixieland. As
frontman for The Pushstars and as a solo artist, Trapper has long proven
himself a powerful, insightful songwriter. But this new album has Trapper
waking up in a jazzy dream thanks to The Wolverine Jazz Band. This is the
coolest thing he has ever done. Trapper and the band each manage to maintain
their own identities --- the thoughtful songwriter and a classic jazz band
full of swing and joy. Neither has to augment or sacrifice. It's simply
Trapper's patented pop style played with a jazz band. And it totally works.
The lazy, hazy Tin Pan shuffles give a new perch for his lyrics that in turn
allow the jazz to grow and sashay outside the Alley.
CHRIS TRAPPER "SONGS FROM THE DRIVE-IN" STARLIT RECORDS By Nick A. Zaino III
Boston Phoenix.com
October 17, 2002
As the frontman for the Boston pop group the Push Stars, Chris Trapper displayed his talent for making radio-friendly music that treads the line between Top 40 rock and grassroots folk. But beneath the sunny melodic surface, there has always been a darker side to his songwriting. And on his first solo effort, Songs from the Drive-In, he indulges that side. The result is a much more personal-sounding collection of songs - a throwback to his days as a lone folkie on the Boston scene.
Trapper spins small-town tales of death, joy, and remembrance in stripped-down, mostly acoustic arrangements that put the focus on his formidable storytelling talents. As in true folk music, the charm is in the details. Lovers draw "fingerpaint hearts" on their car windows at the drive-in; the sound of a neighborhood kid struggling to play his clarinet drifts out into the street; a young would-be hero dies in a car race over a $20 bet. By the time Songs from the Drive-In is over, Trapper's imagination has spawned a whole town full of people living, breathing, and dying.
PRESS QUOTES
"Trapper could write a song about early 20th century import/export
regulations and have you singing along by the chorus. The Push Stars
frontman has just released his third solo record, and it's clear his
penchant for pop hooks remains unshaken. With a little help from friends
including Great Big Sea and Martin Sexton, as well as a couple of
additional Push Stars, "Hey, You" exposes fans to some Celtic sounds and
even an Afro-Cuban groove to go with Trapper's wistful jangly pop." - Boston Herald
"This guy has it - "it" being that blend of talent and "otherness" that can take a simple rock song out of the area of the pedestrian and into the ether of the sublime." - Buffalo News
"Chris Trapper plays the role of a hopeless loser to perfection on his latest release "Hey, You." Proclaiming the restlessness of a life lived going in circles, Trapper articulates the frustrations of a dead-end road with first person accounts of school bullies, belittling bosses and failed relationships. The beauty in the misery, however, is Trapper's ability to tell the stories with humor and melody.” - Charleston Post and Courier
"Hey,You" examines the loneliness that we all sometimes feel. Trapper conjures up such strong imagery of lives slowly dying that you can feel the choking heat and taste the dust from the streets. And Trapper is not afraid to cross musical boundaries and experiment with different sounds.” - Binghamton Press and Sun Bulletin
"He has a wonderful gift for communicating wounded optimism, both through
his lyrics and his smooth-yet-wobbly vocals, and is tremendously skilled at
blending shiny mainstream pop with New England folk. This time around,
Trapper uses the Wolverine Jazz Band to not only flesh out his sound, but
take it in a new direction. The result is something like Dixieland folk,
which isn't as strange as you might think - matter of fact, it's often (like
on the opener, "All Time Favorite") downright wonderful." - Jefitoblog
"Undergoing an extreme musical makeover from lead singer of the respected
pop-rock sensation The Push Stars to an independent solo artist,
Boston-based, Buffalo-born musician Chris Trapper has recently released Gone
Again (Starlit Records). The album blends the songwriter's acoustic
abilities with his love for jazz. Joining the songwriter is The Wolverine
Jazz Band, who help give shape to Trapper's otherwise clean-cut sonic
landscape with such instruments as the banjo, trumpet, and trombone."
-
Buffalo Art Voice
"...the just-released "Gone Again" is a brave, ambitious departure for the songwriter. Working with Boston's noted trad/Dixieland jazz ensemble the Wolverine Jazz Band, Trapper sets his vivid, deeply melodic songs against a backdrop that rather poignantly evokes images of New Orleans. It's stirring stuff and reveals Trapper to be an artist still forging into new territory."
- Buffalo News
"...mix of nostalgia-dosed requiems for old lovers, older towns, and pledge-pin romance, all wrapped in a package of cascading choruses and soaring melodies. It's the sentimental stuff of prom dates and wedding receptions, with the occasional Sunday hangover thrown in to keep it all from getting too WB Network-cute." - Boston Phoenix
"Another brilliant album, the songs here are written so poetically, and abstractly - it's nearly impossible not to be intrigued." - DiscoveringArtists.com
"Luckily for us, Trapper's therapeutic output results in the kind of infectiously melodic pop that is far too rare these days. His lyrics range from the pensively melancholy to the goofily ecstatic, but the tone and sound of the Push Stars music is relentlessly vibrant, reveling in sheer joy." - Patriot Ledger
"...new songs seemed to fit right in, maybe adding a more rootsy, thoughtful turn. Songs such as the stormy-sweet "Claire" and "Outside of a Dream " were a keen mix of Chris Trapper's rich, passionate voice and his unabashed sentimentality." - Boston Herald
"We’re so smitten by Chris Trapper’s songwriting, honestly, this disc has melted onto the transport system of my trusty Magnavox CD machine. From the opening "Any Little Town" to the concluding "Cadillac," this is great music, the kind of music picky holdouts like you and me so righteously deserve." – Gavin
INTERVIEWS AND FEATURE ARTICLES
PATRIOT LEDGER December 15, 2006
There is good news for fans of the Boston band the Push Stars:- Chris Trapper said the band ‘‘has never really gone out of my blood.’’
Trapper, of Westwood, will lead a Push Stars show at the Paradise Lounge in Boston on New Year’s Eve. Be warned, though, this gig is not a reunion. MORE
BUFFALO NEWS November 17, 2006
Though he's best known as songwriter and singer with eminently lovable pop auteurs The Push Stars, I first came to know of Chris Trapper's talent as a student of English and music at Fredonia State College in the late '80s. Back then, Trapper was fronting a band called Awake and Dreaming, and the group had captured my imagination. MORE
PHOENIXVILLE NEWS November 16, 2006
Boston-based pop-rocker Chris Trapper of The Push Stars will be making his Phoenixville debut at Steel City Coffee House this Friday night, November 17, 2006 at 8:30 p.m.
Trapper said that he was asked to come to town by his friend, Anne Heaton, who'll be performing along with Lanky this Friday. MORE
BINGHAMTON PRESS & SUN BULLETIN October 2006
Chris Trapper knows what it's like to be a faceless drone in a dead-end job. Before his success as a rock musician, he's proud to say he worked at both a McDonald's and a gas station. Well, maybe not proud exactly. But those experiences are a driving force for his songwriting work ethic MORE
JAZZ TIMES June 2006
Chris Trapper looks like he could be a male crooner a la Michael Buble. With his slicked back red-brown hair, blue eyes and lean torso, you could easily imagine this former barbershop-quartet singer sporting a snappy suit and crooning into a big old Sinatraesque microphone. MORE
"The lyrical singer-songwriter thing in Boston is very respected, but in other cities you look for a singer-songwriter room, and they're hard to find. I think that's the nice thing about Boston." Read our interview with Chris and learn more about his life with the Push Stars and his new solo project. MORE
PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW January 19, 2006
Who wants a cookie?
That was the gist of Chris Trapper's spiel to tourists years ago when he
was working for a cookie shop at an outdoor mall in Quincy, Mass. Not
exactly a job with future prospects, and Trapper admits the job weighed
on
him. Especially the night he sat down, after a particularly onerous
shift,
to watch a Dixieland band perform. MORE
BINGHAMTON PRESS & SUN BULLETIN January 19, 2006
Folk wisdom and fortune cookies say that a change is as good as rest--but even Chris Trapper's friends and colleagues were puzzled at first by his detour into the land of Dixieland jazz. MORE
BOSTON HERALD January 6, 2006
What if the tried-and-true pop music triumvirate of guitar, bass and drums were replaced by clarinet, tuba and banjo?
No need to ponder the dramatic ramifications of this hypothetical
question any longer. Chris Trapper, frontman for Boston's Push Stars,
has just released a rather wonderful solo record MORE
BOSTON GLOBE January 6, 2006
Chris Trapper would be the first guy to tell you he's always been
unhip, even sort of square, when it comes to rock 'n' roll attitude.
''I sang in a barbershop quartet in high school," Trapper says over
chocolate cream pie at the Other Side Cosmic Café on Newbury Street,
where he used to wait tables a lifetime ago. That was long before his
Boston-by-way-of-Buffalo pop band, the Push Stars, briefly became major
label semistars and he found himself writing MORE
PATRIOT LEDGER January 6, 2006
His fans know him as the leader of the beloved New England pop-rock crew the Push Stars, and industry folks know him as a go-to songwriter:
Chris Trapper's songs have seen countless movies and TV shows, and have
been covered by everyone from matchbox twenty frontman Rob Thomas to
girl-rockers MORE
POUGHKEEPSIE PULSE October 13, 2005
Chris Trapper is best known as the lead singer for The Push stars, a pop/rock and from Boston that has played alongside Matchbox Twenty, Train, Third Eye Blind and Vertical Horizon. The band has had songs in the hot soundtrack MORE
