The Wizard Of Menlo Park is the first single form my upcoming release "Cautionary Tales" due out on February 3, 2023. This track is also available on all streaming services.
CAUTIONARY TALES
“What a sound Dean Johanesen, producer / engineer Steve Connelly and the musicians got on “Cautionary Tales.” The songs I already knew are done magnificently. “Strike Up the Band,” “Circus Queen,” “Walker’s Pure Extract,” “Mr. Delaware,” and “Red Eyed, Red Light, Goodnight!”—highlights of most Dean Johanesen performances—are captured in a beautiful multi-year labor of love. And the songs I didn’t know are fast becoming favorites. The additional treats between some of the tracks remind me of how much I love James Taylor’s first “Apple” album and the Rascals “Once Upon a Dream” and “The Who Sell Out.” The finest records of any decade can carry you into the following decades, and this one by Dean is timeless! It’s now a world where there is more music than anyone can possibly consume. Do not miss Dean Johanesen’s “Cautionary Tales.””
— Steve Huntington, Sirius/XM Radio
“Highly reminiscent of Father John Misty’s newest record, it’s really been this year that we’ve fallen in love with this particular sound. Through the song’s five minute runtime, Dean nearly immediately immerses the listener into another atmosphere and decade through his unique instrumental choices that focus heavily on horns to really set the mood. Lyrically speaking, he’s also shown extreme great strength in his songwriting, effortlessly painting a picture for the listener to connect the dots through his words. Not only are you imagining what’s happening, but it certainly doesn’t hurt that the entire vibe makes you feel like you’ve transported 100 years into the past. In terms of crafting the experience, he’s gone above and beyond in nailing every facet of what make this song true to the form of its influences.” - Editor's Picks Review - We Write About Music - The Wizard Of Menlo Park
PRE SALE
My new record "Cautionary Tales" is set for release in February of 2023. This record has taken a long time to complete and has involved a number of musicians helping me realize my vision of the full sound of the songs.
It has been a dream of mine to release my music, at some point, on an actual vinyl record. This release seems to fit the style perfectly with it's influence of swing music ala Django Reinhardt, The Squirrel Nut Zippers, Louis Jordan etc.
I am considering a pre sale here as opposed to a crowd funding service to help start the production in vinyl by simply asking if anyone interested would pay for their copy in advance of the release. This will help me fund the record and give those who donate an advanced copy of the vinyl along with a free digital download. I am also thinking of gift packages for contributions much like the other crowd funding platforms.
The artwork for this release has been done by Beatrice Coron who is an accomplished paper cutting artist. Beatrice has worked on a couple of Dave Matthews releases, a Tim Burton DVD and has had installments of her work on public places as well as museums all over the world. You can see her Ted Talk at the following link - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cAGFKYNrQgY.
If you are interested in contributing to the presale you can email me at djohanesen@gmail.com.
Thank you in advance for your interest. I look forward ot sharing this next record with you all very soon.
Sincerely - Dean Johanesen
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