The Spirit of 1960's British Invasion Music Lives On

Reviewers of DrmJ's music most often liken his musical style to that of The Beatles, especially John Lennon. There's no mistaking the influence of 1960's British Invasion music in DrmJ's pop/rock selections. Here are some excerpts from his reviews:

"Sounds like a lost Lennon basement tape. Re-recorded I believe it would be a gem. John (Lennon) lives."

"This is the kind of melody that could stick in your head. Vocals are competent, guitar arpeggios remind me of late-period Beatles."

"If I didn't know any better I would say that John Lennon wrote this song. Nice going. You have a melody that is peaking exceptionally well. There is a lot of vibe here. In the 60s I believe you would of had a hit . . . this is a good song and well written."

"60's flashback. What a refreshing song. I love tunes like this. Has an uplifting beat but very meaningful tune. Great guitar work. Haven't heard this type of playing since George Harrison."

"Mr. Lennon, I presume? I can hear that you are influenced by the Beatles and that you wear your influences proudly which is a good thing. The vocals are suitable for the song and the filtering is good. The lead guitar is well played and the melody is very soothing. Very enjoyable indeed."

"Beatle-esque. The melody and the mood are very much like John Lennon (solo) and the Beatles."

"I'm stuck! Brilliant song! Nice to hear someone writing such strong melodies. You can't avoid the comparisons with the Beatles, but when someone pulls it off this well, you can't knock it."

DrmJ, with intentions to license his songs to others to perform, recorded his music on a four-track recorder to use for promoting his musical compositions. DrmJ has gratiously granted his permission to post links to audio samples of his music.

Click on a song title to launch the Yahoo music player.

Cloudy Day
You'll Never Really Know
I Just Can't Go On This Way
Hold Me Closer
It's Just A Cloudy Day

Bittersweet
Words That I Used To Hear You Say
Don't Take Your Love

Chain of Blues
It's So Good To See You
It's All Up To You

Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and raised in the Borough of Wilkinsburg, a tough neighborhood nine miles east of downtown Pittsburgh, DrmJ has been playing and composing music for most of his life.

True of most young artists, DrmJ was a member of various garage bands, the best of which was a rock and country band called the "Mockingbirds." Says DrmJ of his involvement in the Mockingbirds, "A four-piece band consisting of only two serious members is bound to fail." In his mid-20s, DrmJ's musical path changed from percussionist to singer/songwriter. He taught himself to play guitar and discovered he had a penchant for writing lyrics. To date, DrmJ has released eleven albums with more in the works. He is the sole vocalist and performer of all instrumentation on his albums. DrmJ plays Rickenbacker and Fender guitars, almost exclusively; his choice of percussion instruments is Ludwig.

DrmJ's music, with its haunting vocals, often reflects his life experiences. Influenced by the mid-60s "British Invasion" and American country music, DrmJ has amassed a music catalogue of nearly 200 copyright-registered songs. His music has received airplay both within the U.S. as well as internationally. "I Just Can't Hide It," the first track on the Lonely Times album, received recognition (an Honorable Mention awarded to the top 10%) at the 1988 Music City Song Festival. "Hold Me Closer," on the Cloudy Day album, charted at #1 in the Pop and Pop/Rock categories in 2002 at Broadjam.com. The Bittersweet album received a four-star review from the International Country Music Association (Rhett Ashley).