Steve Conte & The Crazy Truth

Named for a Charles Bukowski poem, The Crazy Truth began to unfold in 2005 when Steve ran into high school pal Lee "Leeko" Kostrinsky on New York's Lower East Side. Leeko's punk, reggae & indie rock influences were a perfect foil for Conte's blues, 60's garage rock and latin-soul. Rounded out by Scarborough's own Phil Stewart on drums, the trio played their first show in NYC within a few months - a T Rex memorial concert where they performed a cover of Marc Bolan's classic "Rip Off" and 9 new S.C. originals. Working between records & tours as lead guitarist/backing singer and co-songwriter with the legendary New York Dolls, Conte has produced his band's debut album, a scorching 11 song rock & roll disc called simply – "STEVE CONTE & THE CRAZY TRUTH". It features guest performances by Dolls front man David Johansen on harmonica, the soulful voices of Nikki Richards and Catherine Russell and horns by Danny Ray, Tom Timko and Kiku Collins. The sounds range from garage rock ‘n blues to smoky lounge with hints of latin and reggae. Steve sez: "This album sounds like a rock and roll band playing together LIVE because that’s what it is...guitar solos played on the basic tracks, live rhythm section. And I love performing with this band because we don't just deliver the songs...we JAM!! We can set up anywhere and play a gig as long as there are a couple of amps, mics & a drum kit - no technology. It’s all about interplay and the moment..." The Crazy Truth record was mixed by Niko Bolas (Keith Richards, Neil Young) and mastered by Richard Dodd (Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers), yet Conte was determined to keep the album's production rough and raw. Fans of New York Dolls will be pleased that this album embodies the spirit of those early Dolls records with it's seat-of-the-pants performances. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.