Album review (translated from the Greek) published in Jazz n’ Tzaz magazine, Greece, April 2008 of 'Old House Playground: “The whore and the dog'

“Good evening, my name is Tryfon Lazos, I play guitar in the band Old House Playground. We have finished our first record entitled, “The whore and the dog,” a mixture of jazz, blues, retro, alternative, and folk (flamenco, rebetika) sounds. It is an independent production and up until now we are not signed with a record company.  Our influences are artists such as Tom Waits, The White Stripes, Madrugada, Bukowski, Astor Piazolla, Vamvakaris. So, I have sent you our first album to listen to and for a critic at your magazine to review, if you reckon what you hear is worth it. The band consists of: Tryfon Lazos, vocals, guitars, baglamas, banjo ; Evangelos Vasilakos, guitars, harmonica; Conor Loughran, double bass, trumpet, Andreas Venetantes, drums. The previous summer we had our first mini tour in the north of ..Ireland.., 5 gigs in 4 cities (16/8 Brysons- Magherafelt, 17/8 Ballyronan, 18/8 Linenhall- Derry, 20/8 Aunties Annie- Belfast, 22/8 The ..Errigle.. ..Inn-.. ....Belfast....) and the response from the people was very, very good. That’s it for now. I hope to hear from you soon, thanks for your time. With respect, Tryfon Lazos.” The letter, the envelope, arrived from the post office to Tzami Karatasou a few months ago, together with the aforementioned CD. I read it immediately, of course. For a start, two things made an impression on me. Firstly, the clarity of the statement (due to our obsessional professionalism, we even edit our prescriptions… - but here, we didn’t have to add or take away anything). Secondly, the album cover. A stubbed out cigarette in a glass ashtray, a glass- a drink, a newspaper clipping, a vinyl record lying out of its sleeve, a little cassette player, something else… you’ll see for yourselves. I listened to it when I got home, but I’m only writing about it now.....

   Old House Playground are not a Greek band, they don’t have anything in common with what yon hear now in this country. From the outset, they write songs. With English lyrics, with good English lyrics. Concerned with love stories, love, sometimes with the different aspects of everyday life, sometimes with the different faces of despair, and nothing yet poisoned by the darkness of gothic, the weirdness of heaviness, nonchalance, or the foolishness of negativity. Their world is one of bitter sweet romance, a ray of light, of “drowning” melodies (but melodies), of whispering, of wailing cries. The “beat” and the “colour” is their headquarters. Composition “full up,” worked in detail, clarity of orchestration, with full use made of the existing instruments (no overuse, no unwelcome solos), economical with sound (a trumpet, a cymbal, an acoustic guitar, handclaps) no effects, no meddling in the studio, or the “departures” of lo- fi. Nothing is down to chance, everything is in the service of the “raw materials.” That is the song and its’ “references.” That is their own reference. Their breath. They stroll… on the lip of the glass. On the point of the needle…....

 Contact: www.myspace.com/oldhouseplayground, e-mail: info@oldhouseplayground.com....

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