Cercare di definire, di catalogare, la personalità e la musica di Ron Gallo è come cercare di stringere l’acqua tra le mani. Costruisce qualcosa, per poi destrutturizzarla, non intenzionalmente ma più per necessità, un modo per rimanere impegnato e genuino in qualunque cosa faccia. La sua unica costante è che non c’è costante.

Non ci sono confini progettuali ne territoriali nel percorso del cantautore statunitense. Progettuali perché dopo una lunga pausa che segue un estenuante tour vissuto appieno senza soste, dopo essersi cancellato dai social media, dopo aver sciolto la band, Gallo ha trovato la forza di reinventarsi e ripartire. Territoriali perché le circostanze lo hanno portato a legarsi a doppio filo all’Italia – grazie alla moglie e collaboratrice Chiara D’Anzieri – e all’America in quel di Nashville dove ha dovuto far rientro causa problemi col visto. Ed è proprio in questo contesto che in un periodo temporale di tre mesi per lo più d’autoisolamento nella sua casa, inizia a scrivere e registrare la musica che alla fine sarebbe diventata il nuovo album PEACEMEAL, che uscirà nel 2021.

I singoli che anticipano PEACEMEAL vedono Gallo uscire dagli oscuri confini del garage per fare musica senza limiti. Il risultato, come in HIDE (MYSELF BEHIND YOU), è un colorato miscuglio di hip-hop, r&b, weirdo pop , jazz e punk degli anni ’90 – la sua versione della “musica pop”.

E, fortunatamente, potremo ascoltare i brani dal suo terzo album alla decima edizione di PASSATELLI IN BRONSON. L’artista statunitense, con un live in diretta da Nashville, sarà infatti l’ospite internazionale del “festival delle feste” per eccellenza che, seppure in versione “smart” online, ci terrà compagnia grazie al forte impegno e passione dei ragazzi di Bronson produzioni.

Nonostante le attuali condizioni stiano di fatto rendendo impossibile la fruizione di eventi dal vivo in presenza, l’Associazione Culturale Bronson ha deciso di non sospendere l’ormai tradizionale appuntamento con il festival natalizio che alla musica live – troviamo tante ottime realtà indipendenti italiane, come i padovani Post Nebbia, i Bee Bee Sea, da Mantova, in circolazione con un nuovo disco, So Beast, Sunset Radio, Marrano – unisce panel, presentazione di libri e proposte gastronomiche tipiche del periodo. I concerti il 18-19-20 dicembre 2020 saranno allora sì online ma in diretta streaming, fruibili dunque in tempo reale, tramite la piattaforma Dice. E in diretta – ma sulla pagina Facebook di Bronson – saranno anche i quattro incontri , in programma. Diverso invece il discorso legato alla questione cibo, che verrà gestito in modalità delivery dal Bronson Café.

Per l’occasione Ron Gallo, prima della sua esibizione live di Sabato 19, ci confeziona una playlist davvero da non perdere e ce la racconta track by track.

Binki – “Sea Sick” – One of my favorite new artists I found out about this year.  Binki just blends a lot of stuff that I really like and does it in a way that feels specific to my tastes.  It gives me 90’s nostalgia, but feels really new, there’s humor, there’s talk/sing/rapping, nice guitar chords, lo-fi/hi-fi. Ya know.  It’s just good and he’s got 4 total songs out so excited to see where it goes.

Primal Scream “Loaded” – I had never heard this until recently and it’s an example of what I feel like I am chasing with music.  Another great example of blending a lot of different stuff to make something new.  That chord progression, used in a million popular songs, but also the one I used in “Young Lady, You’re Scaring Me” always hits the spot.

Arlo Parks “Hurt” – It’s not common that the radio brings to me something I had never heard and I actually like. This is one of those songs I heard on a brand new station in Nashville WNXP, it was 7am and I was driving. Honest storytelling, a mention of Twin Peaks, great voice and a spoken verse, yes to all that.

BOYO “Feel” – I recently did one of my first ever musical collaborations and it was with BOYO.  They did a remix of my song “HIDE (MYSELF BEHIND YOU)” and I love it.  BOYO is a musical machine and has so many great songs, prolific and honest and it just feels raw and explores a wide spectrum of styles.

The Smiths “Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now” – It took me a long time to enter into any sort of Smith’s phase. But when time is right it is very right. Morrissey does what I always try to do really well – blend humor and darkness. He gets a lot of shit it seems, but I really think people fear such honesty. Always love someone being unapologetically them.

Chickpee “25” – Completely unrelated to the fact that the singer is my wife and love – this is a great song and the times we’ve been in our home studio during this pandemic and played this transported me back to the beach in Ravenna (where we shot the music video) and always brings me joy.  We are working on her full album now and it’s gonna be great.

Brittany Howard “He Loves Me” – I’ve been following Brittany’s music since her very early days with Alabama Shakes and this record, which is her first solo record, mixes together so much stuff I love into one and the kind of album I aspire to make. It was a leap of faith leaving behind the confines of her band to make something limitless and fully her and that’s a process I relate to hardcore. She’s one of the real ones and also an extremely down to earth and kind person. May or may not be collaborating with her in the near future too 🙂

Arctic Monkeys “Star Treatment” – I really did not like this album when I first heard it.  Chiara played it incessantly. I remembered their first album and it was very synonymous with my college party years and that was fun but did not keep up with them at all.  BUT, after enough times hearing this, it really grew on me.  The writing is really good and odd.

Bren Joy “Henny in the Hamptons” – A fellow Nashvillain I discovered cus we played a bandsintown livestream together on the same bill. WHAT. A. VOICE.

Jeff Buckley “Grace” – Recently I sat in my studio and did Jeff Buckley karaoke after trying to learn his songs for hours and really firsthand saw how otherworldly he was.  I don’t know how that guy existed.  I have listened to this record consistently for over a decade and every time I listen it gets better and I am equally as moved as the first listen.  I have chills typing this.  That is powerful, his music is a gift from another dimension and I think Jeff Buckley is absolutely the greatest voice of all time.