Uzeda is one of the longest-lived and influential bands in the Italian underground rock scene, playing a full-thrust brand of post-punk that rides the line between controlled and explosive.
It’s hard not to believe that the band has drawn inspiration from the threatening, majestic Etna volcano next to which its hometown, Catania, Sicily, is built. It’s an apt metaphor for Uzeda’s sound.
For this writer, the band evokes the heyday of Nick Cave’s The Birthday Party, with a roaring rhythm section comprising drummer Davide Oliveri and bassist Raffaele Gulisano, jagged, and often fluid, guitar lines by Agostino Tilotta that play off the distinctive vocals of the lead singer, in this case, Giovanna Cacciola. Cacciola has a vast emotional range and her coos can quickly turn to wails before settling back down to a croon.
The band – which has performed in Milwaukee in the past – has a new record, “Stella,” on Chicago’s Touch and Go imprint. It was recorded with Steve Albini at Red House Studios in Senigallia, Italy. (Interestingly, Milwaukee’s Italian community is mostly Sicilian, like Uzeda, but had a significant population in Bay View that hailed from the Marches, near Senigallia).
With “Stella” under its belt, Uzeda returns to America and to Milwaukee for a gig at MSOE’s Todd Wehr Theater on Monday, Sept. 11 with Shellac.
We had the opportunity to chat with guitarist Ago Tilotta via e-mail and in a twist, we questioned him in Italian, thinking it’d be easier for him, and he answered in English, thinking it would be easier for us.
OMC: What is the underground scene like in Italy these days? I know there are a few places to play, but are there fans and enough venues?
Ago Tilotta: The underground culture, everywhere in this world, doesn't get a lot of attention in these times. Corporations have taken full control of the media, spreading all over the entertaining sound of bad quality, submitting people's imagination to a dark and blind ignorance.
New, young bands have a difficult time emerging; if they have a strong and proud belief in what they do they will survive, growing their personality and contributing to the cultural development of their environment. If they (are) playing without interaction between real life and imagination, or without that sense of sharp irony that brings together true social problems and fantasy, those bands will disappear in a couple of years.
There are clubs where it's still possible to play in Italy, and there are cities where bands turn up in positive challenge the limited perspective offered by egoist local government. Catania is one of those cities . Uzeda has been a band since 1987; we've been on the road for 19 years. After such a long time, our sound has grown and the number of our "friends" has grown too. So,in Italy, when we play we need a venue with a capacity not smaller than 50 (fifty) people!!
OMC: What’s going on in the city of Senigallia these days? It seems like there is always a band recording at Red House, people like John Parish, Charlotte from Ash, you guys, etc.
AT: In Senigallia there is a good recording studio where many bands record their albums, (but) what happens in the studio's business life has nothing to do with what's happening in Senigallia. Senigallia is a pretty city in the Adriatic coast, well known for the beach and the good food and famous as one of the environments used by Fellini to film the amazing "Amarcord" movie. In summer the population explodes, in winter Senigallia is a cemetery. Nothing is happening in Senigallia, really!!
OMC: Modern Italian music is really unknown in America, mostly because people here think only of Andrea Bocelli and maybe Zucchero when they think of Italian music. Is that changing?
AT: Oh well … the American people thinking that Italian music is Bocelli or Zucchero are all influenced by the media through official channels that totally exclude and ignore the colorful world of the underground music. It's the same for some Italian people thinking that American music is Frank Sinatra, Michael Jackson, Madonna or Bon Jovi. The official networks, controlling the audience, promote mainstream and entertaining music that is the attitude of those mentioned above, an attitude that is the opposite of Uzeda's environment.
You will never hear Uzeda's (music) or underground music in those channels. The underground world (music, movies, photos, graffiti, books, etc.) doesn't have exposure and promotion in the official channels, so whoever wants to discover that fertile and artistic world has to explore the underground channels (free radio, fanzines, galleries, e-zines, web-zines, alternative rock music magazines, pirate TV channels, etc.). The underground world is strongly alive, everywhere in the world, also in Italy.
OMC: Why does Uzeda write and sing in English? Do you also write in Italian?
AT: Giovanna sings in English using her voice as an instrument jamming with guitar, bass and drums. The voice mixed with the other instruments naturally needs stretched words in a dry accent and a powerful sound; and that's perfect for our sound.
OMC: I know that you’ve played here in Milwaukee before, at the Cactus Club. What do you think of the city?
AT: Milwaukee is the city of the Harley-Davidson, of the beer Miller, of Fonzarelli, the “Happy Days” hero,and the city of Rob Sieracki, our huge friend; Milwaukee is an amazing city, we love it. We played the Cactus Club when it was a tiny club, and since then we have a huge respect and love for the city. We know also that a big American-Sicilian community is based in Milwaukee. It's a great honor for Uzeda to come back in your city.
It’s hard not to believe that the band has drawn inspiration from the threatening, majestic Etna volcano next to which its hometown, Catania, Sicily, is built. It’s an apt metaphor for Uzeda’s sound.
For this writer, the band evokes the heyday of Nick Cave’s The Birthday Party, with a roaring rhythm section comprising drummer Davide Oliveri and bassist Raffaele Gulisano, jagged, and often fluid, guitar lines by Agostino Tilotta that play off the distinctive vocals of the lead singer, in this case, Giovanna Cacciola. Cacciola has a vast emotional range and her coos can quickly turn to wails before settling back down to a croon.
The band – which has performed in Milwaukee in the past – has a new record, “Stella,” on Chicago’s Touch and Go imprint. It was recorded with Steve Albini at Red House Studios in Senigallia, Italy. (Interestingly, Milwaukee’s Italian community is mostly Sicilian, like Uzeda, but had a significant population in Bay View that hailed from the Marches, near Senigallia).
With “Stella” under its belt, Uzeda returns to America and to Milwaukee for a gig at MSOE’s Todd Wehr Theater on Monday, Sept. 11 with Shellac.
We had the opportunity to chat with guitarist Ago Tilotta via e-mail and in a twist, we questioned him in Italian, thinking it’d be easier for him, and he answered in English, thinking it would be easier for us.
OMC: What is the underground scene like in Italy these days? I know there are a few places to play, but are there fans and enough venues?
Ago Tilotta: The underground culture, everywhere in this world, doesn't get a lot of attention in these times. Corporations have taken full control of the media, spreading all over the entertaining sound of bad quality, submitting people's imagination to a dark and blind ignorance.
New, young bands have a difficult time emerging; if they have a strong and proud belief in what they do they will survive, growing their personality and contributing to the cultural development of their environment. If they (are) playing without interaction between real life and imagination, or without that sense of sharp irony that brings together true social problems and fantasy, those bands will disappear in a couple of years.
There are clubs where it's still possible to play in Italy, and there are cities where bands turn up in positive challenge the limited perspective offered by egoist local government. Catania is one of those cities . Uzeda has been a band since 1987; we've been on the road for 19 years. After such a long time, our sound has grown and the number of our "friends" has grown too. So,in Italy, when we play we need a venue with a capacity not smaller than 50 (fifty) people!!
OMC: What’s going on in the city of Senigallia these days? It seems like there is always a band recording at Red House, people like John Parish, Charlotte from Ash, you guys, etc.
AT: In Senigallia there is a good recording studio where many bands record their albums, (but) what happens in the studio's business life has nothing to do with what's happening in Senigallia. Senigallia is a pretty city in the Adriatic coast, well known for the beach and the good food and famous as one of the environments used by Fellini to film the amazing "Amarcord" movie. In summer the population explodes, in winter Senigallia is a cemetery. Nothing is happening in Senigallia, really!!
OMC: Modern Italian music is really unknown in America, mostly because people here think only of Andrea Bocelli and maybe Zucchero when they think of Italian music. Is that changing?
AT: Oh well … the American people thinking that Italian music is Bocelli or Zucchero are all influenced by the media through official channels that totally exclude and ignore the colorful world of the underground music. It's the same for some Italian people thinking that American music is Frank Sinatra, Michael Jackson, Madonna or Bon Jovi. The official networks, controlling the audience, promote mainstream and entertaining music that is the attitude of those mentioned above, an attitude that is the opposite of Uzeda's environment.
You will never hear Uzeda's (music) or underground music in those channels. The underground world (music, movies, photos, graffiti, books, etc.) doesn't have exposure and promotion in the official channels, so whoever wants to discover that fertile and artistic world has to explore the underground channels (free radio, fanzines, galleries, e-zines, web-zines, alternative rock music magazines, pirate TV channels, etc.). The underground world is strongly alive, everywhere in the world, also in Italy.
OMC: Why does Uzeda write and sing in English? Do you also write in Italian?
AT: Giovanna sings in English using her voice as an instrument jamming with guitar, bass and drums. The voice mixed with the other instruments naturally needs stretched words in a dry accent and a powerful sound; and that's perfect for our sound.
OMC: I know that you’ve played here in Milwaukee before, at the Cactus Club. What do you think of the city?
AT: Milwaukee is the city of the Harley-Davidson, of the beer Miller, of Fonzarelli, the “Happy Days” hero,and the city of Rob Sieracki, our huge friend; Milwaukee is an amazing city, we love it. We played the Cactus Club when it was a tiny club, and since then we have a huge respect and love for the city. We know also that a big American-Sicilian community is based in Milwaukee. It's a great honor for Uzeda to come back in your city.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.
