Examiner : MOBFest 2009 : Full Article
Dick Prall – (June 19, Goose Island, 12:45 a.m.) – Iowa-born, Chicago-based singer-songwriter Dick Prall specializes in indie pop that’s at once clever, thoughtful and charming, with an adoration of classic acts such as Elvis Costello, The Beatles and Jayhawks put to good use.
Chicago’s annual MOBfest, set for June 18, 19 and 20, will once again bring a variety of local and national indie acts to the attention of record execs and the A&R community. The fest features a long list of live performances over its three-day run at venues such as Cubby Bear, Metro and Uncommon Ground. In addition, it includes a day devoted to music industry panels designed for networking and discussing music business trends set for June 20 at Elbo Room.
With past performances by bands such as The Killers, Disturbed, Kill Hannah and The Redwalls under its belt, MOBfest 2009 could …
June 17th, 2009
New Music Binge : Fearless Radio : LISTEN
June 12th, 2009
WGNtv.com : Full Article
Iowa-bred and Chicago-based Dick Prall never meant for his love of food to find its way into his songwriting talents. His albums have been called “a box of chocolates for your ears.” (Performing Songwriter Magazine). His tunes have even been likened to potato chips, “…wise, crisp and tasty.” (Momzine). And his early diet of melodic lyricists, from Buddy Holly to John Lennon to Elvis Costello, mixed with his brilliant storytelling and his love for the guitar, help define his own blend of songwriting. Shying away from critics’ placement into genres like “power-pop,” “rootsy” or “indie rock,” Dick Prall has triumphed in the creation of his own musical genre: porch pop. No everyday pop, this genre evokes the sonic midway between Bob Dylan and Andrew Bird, between Josh Rouse and Wilco, between chocolate and potato chips.
After releasing three critically-acclaimed albums – Somewhere About Here (1998), Dressing Up The …
May 13th, 2009
Ahhh the smell of newness…
Well, we have a historic election behind us and now the real work begins – preparing rock shows. We’re busting our bootys in getting ready for the next run of shows in December, which entails getting our new drummer, new lead guitar slinger, and new keyboard/sax/guitar/flute/whateverthehellelse player familiar with all the tunes. After only a couple o’ practices, I’ve been leaving rehearsals with a giant smile on my face ‘cuz this configuration is quite the boon. It’s pretty much the pinnacle of talent, and I’m the charmed lad who gets to share the stage with ‘em, folks.
If you’re in the Chicago area, then pop out to the Double Door on December 4th to see the inaugural performance of the new group. And for the Iowa contingency, we’ll be taking our wares to Des Moines’ People’s Court on December 12th and Davenport’s Redstone Room on December 13th. …
November 18th, 2008
Ink 19 :: Dick Prall
With a deft pop sensibility, Chicago-based singer/songwriter Dick Prall sings about the good, bad, and fugly moments he’s encountered in life and relationships, turning them into subtle parables that linger longer on the heart and go deeper than most surface-bound pop hits.
Like a vintage Ryan Adams song, sometimes cathartic, other times crass, and most of the time catchy, each track on Weightless (2007) shows you a side of Prall’s ability to craft and produce an album with emotive power and sincere songwriting that bucks pretension and doesn’t take the heaviness too seriously, making it easy to embrace the crisp chords and sweet croon wrapped around the simple sounding yet complex and intricate songwriting.
In “Halfway to Hollywood” he speaks to the struggling artist with a quaint guitar melody and soft swooning vocals, a solid hook within a straightforward rock song that builds and then delivers. On other …
October 18th, 2008
I’m winding this summer down with one last stint in Iowa before the leaves make their colorful exodus and I’m able to once again sport my adored scarves, for which I must admit, I have a bit of an odd affection toward. What the fall also brings is a chance for me to begin holing up in the studio every few weeks to pop out a fresh song for your ears to (hopefully) warm up to. I’ll keep you posted when you can hop online and download them.
For the good folks in Decorah, IA and the surrounding area, swing out this Saturday night to hear yours truly open for the Nadas at Marty’s CyberCafe on the Luther College Campus. And for those fine people of Des Moines, I’ll be playing a solo acoustic show at AK O’Connors in Beaverdale on Sunday – your last chance to …
September 6th, 2008
“I’m preparing for the Des Moines show this Saturday night, August 2nd, with The Envy Corps at the Simon Estes Riverfront Amphitheater. Very psyched to see and hear these guys – checked them out online and I’m honestly an instant fan. Extremely talented. Also, on Saturday morning around 9 a.m. I’ll be on WHO TV13 (Des Moines) to have a chat and play a tune. Let’s hope my sleepy voice has worked itself out of me. I’m gearing up to start touring more this fall and looking forward to releasing some new tunes for you all to hear as the months roll into the winter. I hope a new tune each month will keep folks satiated until any further full-length release. And thanks to Coca-Cola for having me on their jukebox for their mycokerewards.com promo.”
August 1st, 2008
Hello, all… the summer is fairly tame and should continue to be so for a spell. Last year’s summer was full of recording and shows, so I’ve asked the powers that be to allow me a little down time over the next month or so to get my bearings, get back to writing, and to just generally live a brief sloth-like existence.
Folks have been receiving the latest record well and I’m anxious to venture into some new territory/venues this coming fall and to start rolling out what will hopefully be a new record in ’09. I’ve recently become obsessed with ‘70s Paul Simon stuff, baroque music, Imogen Heap, and the Arctic Monkeys (yes, I’m a little late), so who knows what is going to fall out of my head when it comes to writing and recording. Maybe manically orchestrated accessible acoustic pop that works best when driving really fast …
July 15th, 2008
Dec, 2007: Dick Prall Featured in STARBUCKS!!!Yes, we’re going corporate. Starbucks has come a’callin’ and wants to feature Dick Prall’s tune, “The Cornflakes Song,” in over 10,000+ Starbucks stores in 2008. Not only will you hear him overhead while you’re buying your coffee, but they are going to start rolling out plasma screens that display the name of the artists as they’re being spun. How’s that for a good start to a great ’08?
December 13th, 2007
Singer/songwriter Dick Prall comes to his easygoing manner naturally. Though he readily admits to enjoying the embrace of company, it was Prall’s exploration of “autonomy” that brought a whole new spin to his latest work.
December 3rd, 2006
