CHRIS DEMARCO "LOST AND FOUND" REVIEWED BY THE LEE COUNTY COURIER 2/19/09
By Jim Clark Publisher
DeMarco finds heart of classic rock n roll
True rock aficionados will know Chris DeMarco. Unfortunately most won't. You should. He was a sought-after musician in the 70's and 80's. On his CD Lost and Found he has a who's who of rock artists helping out. It features Dick Wagner (Alice Cooper Band), Tommy Talton (Gregg Allman Band), Ken Mazur (Robert Palmer Band), Barry Richman (Skynyrd), Rhys Clark (Billy Joel) and Jim Fielder (Buffalo Springfield).
Back in 1977 Chris was the front-man for Riff Raff. In the day he was an important part of the Hollywood music scene. But he grew tired of the life, and has settled in Atlanta.
Lost and Found is a complex mix of the bluesy, "Out of the Blue," the arena-like Journey rock "Can't Go Home Again;" the quirkly story song "Love and Murder" to the sensitive, delicate cadence of "The Quiet of the Rain." I especially liked the slow rocking "It's Inevitable" and the love ballad "When It's Gone."
If you like original rock, give Chris a try. You can get the CD from CD Baby or at
CHRIS DEMARCO - THE 80'S REVIEWED BY RADIOINDY (12/21/08)
Chris DeMarco's most recent self titled release, "Chris DeMarco-The 80's" is an album that re-invents the upbeat classic pop rock music of that era. DeMarco, a seasoned veteran of music who has performed with various well known artists, has decided to debut his works originally recorded in the 1980's. These catchy pop styles are splashed with light lyrics over striking guitar riffs while keyboards add a touch of pop orchestration. DeMarco's vocals are melodic and rich, exhibiting his polished, strong and distinct voice. Note the high harmonies on "The Same Old Way" and also on "One More Shot." They are undoubtedly a staple of '80's pop. Rock-hard drums streaming with solid fills and edgy guitar licks reach well beyond their roots on "The Mirror." If you like music that captures the essence of 80's pop/rock, "Chris DeMarco-The 80's" is a CD well worth listening to.
Diane and the RadioIndy Reviewer Team
AUGUST 27, 2008
LOST AND FOUND REVIEWED BY CONSEQUENCE OF SOUND - DAVID BUCHANAN
With all of these nostalgic acts popping up, its nice to see someone else take it to another level.
Chris DeMarco's style is lodged somewhere between Peter Frampton and Buffalo Springfield, without a talkbox. With classic rock and 80s seeping through, he would have fit well into a tour with the likes of Boston, and this man is truly comes off as comfortable in his own skin.
Pure positivity pours out of this mans music - with Styx-like bombast in the chorus for Sail Away, and a David Gilmour-esque atmosphere present in Its Inevitable. The only unfortunate factor is the nostalgia being overly present, to such an extent that its hard to believe DeMarco never played in a cover band sometime during his career.
As a frontman for the group Riff Raff, formed in 1977, he has had a taste of the rock star life for a few decades, but as a solo artist, he brings a more adult contemporary signature to his style. Personally, I think it suits him - but what do I know, I was born in 1984.
His album, Lost and Found, consistently weaves together past and present with appearances from members of bands such as Steppenwolf, Cowboy, Alice Cooper, and even Lynyrd Skynyrd. The 70s and 80s sound shine through on this wonderful album, and for a fan of any band mentioned in this article - DeMarco will make you feel right at home.
AUG. 2008 - LOST AND FOUND REVIEWED BY MUSIC STREET JOURNAL
Gary Hill from Music Street Journal gave my CD a "thumbs up" with his recent review. Here's an excerpt:
The title Lost and Found refers to the fact that this CD includes both old and new songs from Chris DeMarco. Much of the music is sort of adult contemporary to pop rock in nature, but DeMarco and company also flirt with progressive rock at points. For my money two tracks here, "Love and Murder" and "Sail Away" make this disc worth having without considering anything else on the disc. DeMarco is joined on this disc by such luminaries as Dick Wagner (Alice Cooper Band), Tommy Talton (Gregg Allman Band and Cowboy), Ken Mazur (Robert Palmer Band), Rhys Clark (Billy Joel Band and Freddy Fender Band) playing drums and Jim Fielder (Buffalo Springfield, Blood Sweat and Tears and Neil Sedaka) on bass.
You can read the whole track by track review here:
5/27/08 - CD Review by WILDY'S WORLD
What a long and varied road it's been for Chris DeMarco. From his days fronting Island Recording artist Riff Raff to his current tranquility base in Atlanta, Chris DeMarco has made a career of creating/performing well-crafted songs. His latest release, Lost and Found, is no exception. Chris DeMarco trots out a list of musical friends that boggles the mind: Dick Wagner (Alice Cooper), Tommy Talton (Gregg Allman), Ken Mazur (Robert Palmer), Barry Richman (Lynyrd Skynyrd, Rhys Clark (Billy Joel/Freddy Jones Band) and Jim Fielder (Buffalo Springfield/Blood Sweat and Tears/Neil Sedaka). Oh, and let's not forget Billy Joel and Michael Monarch (Steppenwolf), who appear on the bonus track Sail Away
Lost and Found is a rather varied record within the classic rock realm, with some songs (I Don't Wanna Wake Up, Out of The Blue, I;m Calling You, Love and Murder) that work very well. A couple of tracks fell flat for me, but overall this is a very powerful album. As a songwriter DeMarco is extremely talented, and obviously the band is top-notch. The sound is a little dated perhaps for the younger set, but those who know great music will be instantly attracted to Lost and Found.
Unknown Soldier is my personal favorite track, with it's neo-country Americana flavoring. Sail Away is a close second. You'll know Billy Joel by the presence of his signature keys (A riff that sounds like it might have been pulled right from Captain Jack). This is a first-class classic mellow rock album. It's not going to find a lot of traction with the kiddies, but will appeal strongly to fans of 70's & 80's AOR stations. An admirable effort.
Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)
Wildy's World is a blog dedicated to identifying INDIE/Unsigned/up-and-coming musical talent through album reviews and discussion.
REVIEW OF CD "LOST AND FOUND" ROOTSTIME 4/7/08
While listening to the first number 'Out Of The Blue' of the album 'Lost and Found', it reminds you to the songs and singing-style of David Bowie or Cousteau and I kept those thoughts the whole time while listening to this album of Chris DeMarco. However this man already had an impressive musical career in the past which lasted for the same period as Bowie. In the seventies and eighties he was very popular and was on stage with almost every superstar you can think of. After the heavy period in Hollywood he's living a relatively quiet life now for many years with his wife Charlotte in Atlanta, Georgia. The title of this first solo-album can be seen as a mixture of new songs, and songs from his very first steps in music which have been made into more modern versions of it on this album. The title also reflects to original recordings he found after many years.
For instance, there is ballad, 'Sail Away', recorded in the seventies. Three of the legendary musicians who played on that recording also play on the new songs.That song also features Billy Joel on the piano, and Michael Monarch on his guitar.
The song 'Love and Murder' is a very good performed spoken word-song. An extremely good performance is 'It's Inevitable' which gave me that Bowie-vibe again. So you can say that Chris DeMarco has a warm and convincing voice and also has the ability to write good songs and lyrics. For example the reggae song 'I don't wanna wake up' where I couldn't help the fact that my thoughts went to Elliot Murphy because of the whispering telling of a story.
It's getting emotional in the song 'When it's gone', a story about the painful confrontation the morning after a night of fighting. 'Unknown Soldier' is more like Soft pop rock, a beautiful song. The piano in some songs reminds you to Bruce Hornsby, for example in 'It's never to Late'.
As conclusion you can say that you never want to skip a song of the album Lost and Found. All the songs are OK, however we do have our favorites...
Freddy Celis, Rootstime
3/17/08 - REVIEW BY RADIO INDY
"Lost and Found" by Chris DeMarco is a heart warming contemporary rock album. Chris vocals are rich and have a nice depth to them. The accompanying arrangements are softly driving and contain subtle variances, including a hint of country from time to time. The musicianship and production throughout the CD are very professional. "Love and Murder" is a fun track with spoken word and a 40s sound with a little twang. "I Dont Wanna Wake Up" is a "song about a girl" with a light Island sound. "Sail Away" features some nice vibrato and range in the vocals and leaves you with a sense of hope. If you enjoy softer adult rock, youll enjoy this CD.
