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Strings Attached
Mountain Xpress, June 2012
"Strings are so expressive,” says Durocher. “Lyrically and musically, I was getting into way more emotional, personal, raw material than I’ve dealt with before, and I knew that the strings would be a good way to express that.” Read article

Asheville's Lovestruck Suckers to Appear at Altamont Theatre
The Laurel of Asheville, June 2012
“It was one of those magical nights where everyone in attendance was there for the same reason, the right reason, the music. The audience was captivated from the first note." Read article

Music to make mama cry: Silas Durocher and Lovestruck Suckers
Citizen-Times, January 2012
“I’m really tapping into my own emotions and experiences and coming to understand how universal they are; how they add so much depth to a person and make a person more able to relate to everyone else's experiences." Read article

Silas Durocher Talks About Composing
New College News, November 2010
Stylistically, this piece is very funky. I’m excited about it because the music is much more honest and unforgivingly “me” than some previous efforts. The orchestra will be pushed into new territory. Read article

Band Fuses Mix of Styles
Herald-Tribune. Sarasota, FL by Abby Weingarten
Infusing some of the rhythms of Durocher's first two bands, Stone Soup and Silas Durocher and Everybody Knows, Soulgrass Rebellion is a mix of reggae, soul, funk, rock and bluegrass. Read article

From the Islands to the Mountains
Mountain Xpress. Asheville, NC by Dane Smith, March 2010
The musicians knew they would have to stretch the limits of their chemistry and potential as performers to keep audiences coming back. And, somewhat to their own surprise, they did. Read article

Light Up Your Life with Soulgrass
Take 5 by Casey Blake, 2010
In a town like Asheville, often saturated with “differentness,” it can be rare to find something truly unique. Soulgrass Rebellion, however, has beaten the odds by presenting a musical style that not only makes the cut for originality but by selling out shows as if it's the oldest band in town. Read article

Silas Durocher and Everybody Knows: Thesis Statement
Honest Tune, The Southern Journal of Jam by Josh Mintz, July 2009
There's something different going on with Thesis Statment, in a good way. It's as if Durocher and company have taken classical music and a little bit of G. Love and smashed it up, with great results. Read article

Thesis Statement Review

SWATTEAM. Online review site, July 2009
Anyone that's on the prowl for new and interesting music that exhibits great song writing, superb musicianship, and excellent engineering will want to grab a copy of this CD. This is the kind of CD you like on the first listen and you like it even more on the 100th listen. Read article

REVIEW: A thrilling blend of rock and classical music at Crossroads
Herald Tribune. Sarasota, FL by Gayle Williams, March 2009
"The world premiere of a commissioned work by New College alumnus Silas Durocher was the headliner. Hello Good Monday,” a three-movement pastiche of tuneful fun demonstrated Durocher’s still budding talent as he playfully experimented with colors and orchestration." Read article

Silas Durocher: If Igor Stravinsky met Anthony Kiedis
Mountain Xpress. Asheville, NC by Jake Frankel, February 2009
"The young songwriter weaves together astoundingly complex compositions that call to mind everyone from Igor Stravinsky to Frank Zappa and the Red Hot Chili Peppers. It’s a mix heady enough to keep the most seasoned music geek guessing, and yet the disk also maintains a Jack Johnson mellowness appropriate for lazy Sunday afternoons around the house." Read article

CD Reviews: Silas Durocher and Everybody Knows
Bold Life. Asheville, NC by Brent Fleury, January 2009
"Silas Durocher is a musical genius. If Durocher had been born in Liverpool in the 1940s, Paul McCartney could very well be a retired factory worker right now." Read article

Creating a fusion of sound with debut release 'Thesis Statement'
Frederick News Post. Frederick, MD by Lauren LaRocca, January 2009
"Thesis Statement uses [Durocher's] talent along with that of his band, Everybody Knows, to fuse rock, jazz, reggae, blues, bluegrass and soul with classical styles and instruments." Read article

Pandora International Radio
Kevin Seal, Executive Producer, Pandora Internet Radio, January 2009
"Silas Durocher's "Casi Tango" [from his Thesis Statement CD] is a real triumph—a great mix of seductive instrumental textures, rock propulsion, and slippery counterpoint. The arrangements and performances are ace, and the writing avoids predictability at every turn."

"Thesis Statement" Reviewed by RadioIndy.com
December 2008
“The arrangements are clever and intelligent, showcasing the extremely unique writing style of Durocher. The group interacts in a highly artistic way, bringing each composition to life with their superb performances." Read article

"New College Grad Makes "Statement"
Herald Tribune. Sarasota, FL by Abby Weingarten, November 2008
"A master of the melodic hybrid, Silas Durocher is known to fuse Jewish Klezmer with classic rock, gospel with African rhythms and folk with funk." Read article

Music: Silas Durocher and Everybody Knows
Creative Loafing. Tampa, FL November 2008
"His sophisticated arrangements, tight jams and quirky pop sensibility -- often recalling Andrew Bird, Beirut and DeVotchKa -- court quite the fan base: Sarasota Orchestra maestro Leif Bjaland commissioned the singer-songwriter to compose a piece for premiere early next year." Read article

Partners in Chime
SRQ Magazine. Sarasota, FL October 2008
"There is a classical concert world out there beyond the stodgy gala, where listeners can file into no-frills theaters in corduroy jackets and Converse All-Stars and tune their ears to sounds a la The Beatles-meet-Beethoven." Read article

A look at what Asheville’s composers are up to
Asheville Citizen Times. Asheville, NC September 2008
"Silas Durocher's latest classical composition, "In the Midst of a Beautiful Space," written for flute, oboe and bassoon, was performed in Asheville Oct. 28." Read article

This Week In Sarasota
by Leif Bjaland, Artistic Director and Conductor of the Florida West Coast Symphony
September 2007

"I was struck with the way Silas has integrated disparate musical styles from Bartok to minor-toned Weimar style jazz to the Beatles to ethnomusics from Africa and the Middle East into a very distinctive musical voice. The songs were direct, but far from simple-minded. They were intimate–sometimes witty, sometimes poignant. They made you want to listen, to understand and be at one with the song." Read article

Funk or Flunk: Silas Durocher Prepares for His Final Exam
Creative Loafing. Tampa, FL
by Cooper Levey-Baker, May 2007
"The scruffy-bearded student used the experience of working with professional musicians as a springboard for his senior thesis project, which he'll unveil this Thursday." Read article

Francis Schwartz, Composer and retired Dean of Humanities, University of Puerto Rico
"I believe that Silas Durocher is a gifted young composer who should have a sterling future. He understands that there are many mansions in the house of music and he naturally partakes of all of them. That is why his music is so enjoyable."

Sasha Von Dassow, Cellist with the Florida Orchestra and Music Director of the North Port Orchestra
"Silas Durocher is the kind of musician whose enthusiasm is infectious, as are his rhythms and arrangements. He is a versatile musician with technical command of his instruments and his writing, and he's clever, too. His pieces groove and make me smile- just what a jaded musician needs. Playing with him was the most musical fun I've had in a long time."

Bharat Chandra, Principal Clarinetist of the Florida West Coast Symphony
"I always catch myself singing Silas' music when I'm feeling good, and sometimes I'm sure I feel that way because his music is in my head. It's contagious, and there's no doubt this guy's the real thing. I've seen how audiences react to Silas, and I think his music will be around for a long time."