Don DiLego - Photographs of 1971 (2006)

Recorded in equal parts New York City and Portland, OR, "Photographs of 1971" is Don DiLego’s new and third full-length album. It was self-produced along with Portland’s engineer auteur, Gregg Williams (The Dandy Warhols). Having stumbled across some old white-bordered photographs from the 70’s, Don was inspired to write a song that grew from the ashes of the collage strewn across the floor. That would later give way to the album’s photographic themes, and a vivid backdrop for showcasing his strengths as a songwriter and storyteller. The Big Takeover! writes that Photographs of 1971 is “a masterful follow up to his Lonestar Hitchhiker series.”

Don's first release, "The Lonestar Hitchhiker," was recorded for Universal Records shortly after his move to New York City. Featured musicians included Jay Bennett (ex-Wilco), Gregg Williams (Sheryl Crow, Wallflowers), and Paul Garisto (Jesse Malin, Ryan Adams). He has toured extensively across the US (including a stint on the MTV Campus Invasion Tour) as well as toured the UK. His songs have been featured in film and tv (MTV, VH1, HBO, Disney, Discovery), and Don has just completed the score for the feature-length independent film, “Ranchero.” More recently, “Photographs” was received very well with influential stations like KCRW, WXPN, NPR, and XM Radio. The highly regarded “World Café with David Dye” selected Don as a World Café NEXT Artist, a national feature. The critical acclaim for Don’s latest also led to a performance at the Bonnarroo Music Festival in June 2008.

Drawing comparisons to the likes of Wilco, Beck, Ryan Adams, and even the Beach Boys, DiLego continues to develop as an artist who refuses to be categorized. With “Photographs of 1971,” he has released his most personal work to date.