PRESS KIT
Infidels Records
Infidels Records: Artist - UniversalDice
UniversalDice's music falls somewhere under the category of classic indie rock, appealing to fans of both classic rock and indie oriented rock that is adventurous and surprising. The band's goal is to make the music sound good and make it meaningful. There are no limitations, so the band is liable to rock out, or use a string quartet if that is what it takes. Lyrically, UniversalDice is in a category by itself, using a conversational lyrical style from a true-to-life humanistic perspective. This band is NOT trendy, dated, edgy, generic, rebellious, traditional, current, modern, retro, alternative or mainstream, etc. This simply is NOT what you were expecting. Don't take our word for this!
MobYorkCity.com
UNIVERSALDICE DROPS NEW SINGLE
Alright, my fellow music-loving buds, gather ’round ’cause I’ve got some groovy news to lay on ya! UniversalDice just dropped their latest single, “Slip Away,” and let me tell ya, it’s a straight-up masterpiece, man.
First off, let’s talk about that catchy melody. From the moment those sweet piano chords start to chime in, you know you’re in for a unique and memorable ride. It’s like being transported back to the golden age of folk-rock, where every chord struck a chord deep in your soul, ya dig? And don’t even get me started on the vocals—pure magic, my friends. They’ve got this raw, emotive quality that just grabs you by the heartstrings and refuses to let go with the impressive harmonies that feel timeless.
But it ain’t just the music that’s got me all fired up, oh no. The lyrics, man, the lyrics—they’re like poetry set to music, weaving a tale of life’s ups and downs with a wisdom that goes beyond their years. Inspired by the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam, these words ain’t just catchy—they’re downright profound. Lines like “Make the most of what you spend, before you end your stay” hit you right in the feels, reminding us to live each moment to the fullest, ya know?
And let’s not forget about the instrumentation, my friends. UniversalDice ain’t messin’ around when it comes to their craft, man. They’ve got this killer orchestral arrangement that just elevates the whole dang thing to another level. It’s like they’ve taken the best elements of classic rock and infused them with a modern twist, creating a sound that’s fresh yet familiar all at once…
Big Celebrity Buzz
“Once Upon A Time” by Universal Dice
And so let us raise a toast to Universal Dice—a band that continues to push the boundaries of rock music while staying true to their roots. With “Once Upon A Time” as their latest offering, they prove once again that in a world of fleeting trends and empty promises, there is still room for music that speaks to the soul. So let the countdown begin, dear readers, for “Misfit Memoirs” promises to be an album for the ages—a timeless ode to the resilience of the human spirit, brought to life by the incomparable talents of Universal Dice.
Skope Magazine
“Curse” From Universal Dice
The first single “Curse” from Universal Dice’s new album Misfit Memoirs throws down a gauntlet challenging the idea that classic rock is passe. Gerry Dantone’s creative stewardship over Universal Dice has produced several memorable moments already, but “Curse” ranks among the finest work yet from this unit. It harbingers a brilliant release with Misfits Memoirs while standing on its own as a thoroughly satisfying musical experience. The classic virtues of first-rate songwriting are in evidence from beginning to end and patiently developed with a steady and confident hand. “Curse” checks off all the boxes you may have for solid songwriting and focuses on intensely human emotions. There are no shortcuts.
UniversalDice has been fortunate enough to have received many reviews and hundreds of playlist additions, and have garnered positive feedback from both curators and listeners alike. This positive reception only fuels the passion to continue creating music that stands the test of time. These songs are not meant to be disposable. They are NOT "product." The band is in this for the music.
Songwriter, singer and political and philosophical writer/activist Gerry Dantone has a writing style that is first and foremost humanistic, but also coherent, provocative and multi-layered. In addition, the band's primary themes are as big as they get; life and death and meaning and purpose. No other band is as prepared to tackle these subjects as UniversalDice. Longtime bandmates Bob Barcus on guitar and Eddie Canova on bass are among Long Island's finest session players and more recent members are longtime Long Island musical giants Walt Sargent and Vincent Crici who add their keyboard support to the band's latest tunes.
There are several upcoming releases in the pipeline. The band will be releasing a number of singles in the coming months, followed by a highly anticipated full album release, “Misfit Memoirs,” in mid to late 2024. After over 25 years, the band is entitled to its "memoirs." The album’s theme will be about looking back and understanding who you are, and the regret and hard lessons learned along the way, and family. The first single, released March 4, 2024 is “Curse,” a song telling the true-to-life story of a family and the rejection by parents of their child for being different by way of a dialogue between the parents and child. Future singles include “Once Upon a Time,” and “Slip Away."
Additionally, this is truly an album by UniversalDice. Besides performing the songs, it was written, performed, recorded, mixed and mastered by the band. Even the cover art, lyric videos and just about anything else you might think of were handled/created by band members. UniversalDice is proud of these new songs and hope you will consider them.
The songs of the previous album, "birth, love, hate, death", the second rock opera written and produced by Gerry Dantone, were well received. "blhd" was focused on love in real life terms, imperfections and all. This is a nuanced album and the lyrics are NOT what you would expect - there are no easy cliches here, no unrealistic happy endings. At the same time their memorable melodies recall the qualities admired in many classic bands though their songs never sound like any of these classic band's tunes in particular. These songs are original in every sense.
Music from “Misfit Memoirs”:
Music to "birth, love, hate, death":
Lyrics to "birth, love, hate, death": http://www.universaldice.com/lyrics_to_birth_love_hate_death
YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/@universaldice
Reviews of "birth, love, hate, death":
Indie Music Reviews: "We don’t see albums like this in the mainstream much anymore... more and more artists of every musical type are increasingly building easily digestible releases. Not so for Gerry Dantone and Universal Dice. This aims high and finds its mark.
Valhalla Music Blog: "Whether pulling off some keyboard/vocal tenderness with “Honestly” and soulful closer “Forever,” or coming straight from the rock n’ roll gut on “I Love It When They Hate It” and “Better Man,” Universal Dice can do absolutely nothing wrong on this record. If you long for the days when musical giants walked and ruled the Earth, then "birth, love, death, hate" will be exactly the kind of sonic reminder you’ve been hoping to hear for ages. What an album, what a band; highly recommended!"
Razorfish: "Universal Dice pulls out all of the stops on this monstrous masterwork. With diverse songwriting flair, excellent instrumentation, meaningful vocals and lyrics and a production job that leaves a ton of space for each instrument to cut through, there’s absolutely not a single bum note or tune in the bunch. Anyone that wants a slice of REAL DEAL, vintage rock n’ roll done with an updated outlook on the sound must absolutely score a copy of birth, love, hate, death… it simply doesn’t get any better than this."
Indie Band Guru: "Gerry Dantone’s aspirations remind us of an earlier time in our history, not far removed from today, when musicians and composers working in popular music looked to stretch the form to accommodate the wide breadth of their dreams and express the seemingly inexpressible. The fourth studio release from Dantone’s band Universal Dice birth, love, hate, death is one of those albums and carries listeners on an amazing, bracing journey over sixteen songs."
Skope Magazine: "Universal Dice’s fourth release is definitely their best yet and shows Dantone’s songwriting creativity has no appreciable limit."
Released on CDBaby, Amazon, iTunes, Spotify, YouTube, and everywhere else, et al.
Sounds like Green Day, the Killers, the Who, the Beatles, Eagles, Springsteen, Pink Floyd, Fleetwood Mac, but really they sound like no one else!
Genre: Classic indie rock and classic rock
Email: info@universaldice.com
www.UniversalDice.com
https://www.facebook.com/UniversalDice/
https://twitter.com/universaldice
https://www.instagram.com/gerrydantone/
https://open.spotify.com/artist/5UqnHMQA5AgmLcD4W7BGLM?si=CLIl4HSlTxW8FUAqFW-uWw
https://www.youtube.com/@universaldice
https://music.apple.com/us/artist/universaldice/67000312
