December '06--CelebrityCafe CD Review

Chris Volpe - Refugee Blues
- An acoustic guitar lovers’ delight describes Chris Volpe’s “Refugee Blues.” While many of the songs sound the same, the lyrics discern each track with their uniqueness and double meanings, making this album a must-have. “Shoes,” is a ballad about hiding from one’s misfortunes with lines like, “I’m runnin’ madly. I don’t really know from what. I’ve been livin’ my whole life like some phrase trapped at the tip of my tongue. Don’t really know how to say it, it's always just out of reach, stay locked away in my larynx along with my freedom of speech.”

“Wait ‘Til Tomorrow,” is faster and has more of a country flow with lines like, “I’ve seen enough, it’s been long and cold. We all have our breakin’ point.” “1849 Revisited,” is a unique title for a song and its lyrics speak about interpretation with lines like, “Always look the other way, they’ll tell you, of course what other means is yours to prove….in proclamations meant to guide my move.” Volpe’s somber voice lends a deep understanding to his lyrics and the assumption that they have a hidden meaning behind them. If you are a fan of thought-provoking lyrics and acoustic guitar play, then pick up Chris Volpe’s “Refugee Blues,” you will be glad you did. Reviewer: Sari N. Ken

November '06--USA Songwriting Competition
International Finalist--"Shoes"
Chris Volpe wins award in his 4th international songwriting contest of 2006! In addition to the finalist award, Chris received the Honorable Mention prize and was offered a showcase spot at SXSW this March!

October '06--St. Mary's College Concert Review

On October 11th, General Manager of KSMC, Kelly Rubert, delivered the second installment of the Campfire Series starring Chris Volpe.

The San Francisco-based Volpe broke in a guitar he purchased the prior Saturday at the show. By the first chorus of the first song, the audience was well aware of why he won the Independent Music Award for Best Album by a Singer-Songwriter for 2006...

The album Refugee Blues can only come from the places where Volpe has traveled. Volpe made the record in its purest form-in two hours. He won limited studio time in a songwriting contest, which is not unfamiliar ground for Volpe. The physical and emotional displacement that attaches itself to youth presents itself with a sharp sense of maturity on the fifteen track album. Volpe possesses an intricate lyrical arsenal. He has the sensibilities of a poet; the ability to tell stories in metaphors. At every turn, it is apparent he challenges himself musically, which is no surprise considering he is a self-taught musician. Perhaps the honesty found on Refugee Blues can only come from writing songs in New York subway stations as he did.

Volpe's voyage through Americana relays to listeners a sense of honesty found in coffee shops, but with a sound ready for the masses. With his sound arrives the first train back to spirit in music.
--Danny Acosta

Entire Article Here.

October '06--Successful Radio Campaign!

Refugee Blues has officially charted on the CMJ charts in 8 states and is in regular rotation on 160 stations nationwide!! Click here for more info.

September '06--CoolNoise.co.uk.

This is a very unsuitable album to be sent to me. No guitar histrionics, no shouting and no Indie! The picking guitar style is one I know from English Folk and I am very envious of what Chris can do on the guitar. The songwriting and musicianship is excellent - he did recently win the We Are Listening’s 2006 Singer-Songwriter Award. His prize is a trip to London to do some recording.

I am not big on Folk normally, but there are some songs when Chris Volpe comes into the same league as Elliot Smith and Josh Ritter (and that is my area). The first five tracks from Shoes to Where The Rubber Meets The Road are intense and romantic Americana of the highest quality. I hope what we have here is an artist who is stepping outside of the cliches of a genre where he has learnt his craft. I would say we have a man who can evoke pictures and emotions of a gentle and intelligent American dream.

September '06--John Lennon Songwriting Contest
Chris' song "Where the Rubber Meets the Road"
selected as one of the 3 Finalists in the
international John Lennon Songwriting Contest!!

September '06--Chris Volpe on CMJ.com
Chris Volpe highlighted on CMJ's DownloadThis! artist feature.

WE ARE LISTENING

August '06--Chris Volpe wins Best Singer/Songwriter 2006 in London's international Singer-Songwriter Awards!! Details here.



Smother Magazine: August '06
San Franscisco’s singer/songwriter Chris Volpe pours his whole lot of emotions into each of his songs. The fingerpicking guitar portions breathes an air of Americana folk into “Refugee Blues”. He reminds me a bit of early Curt Porter. Lyrically it’s ingenious and a terrific read if you want to spend some time glimpsing behind someone else’s eyes. Pick it up.
- J-Sin

July '06
Chris Volpe teams up with Tinderbox Music

Chris is now working with the hardworking staff of Tinderbox Music on promotional efforts. Chris' CMJ radio campaign starts on August first!

2006 Independent Music Awards Album of
the Year Winner for Refugee Blues--
Folk/Singer-Songwriter


San Francisco Bay Guardian

One listen to Refugee Blues and you'll realize Chris Volpe is not your mother's Leo Kottke. While the fingerpicking of this self-taught virtuoso often draws comparison to the legendary guitarist, it is his lyricism that sets Volpe apart. Accolades from the West Coast Songwriting Association attest to the fact that Volpe and Refugee Blues perfectly invoke the feelings of alienation and desperation arguably intrinsic to living in modern-day America.


Bay Area Songwriter Chris Volpe's Transient Folk Music Shines
NPR.org Open Mic

Chris Volpe is a San Franciscan singer-songwriter whose introspective writing delves into his personal experiences with feeling like a "refugee" in his own country.As Volpe sings, "I roam alone and restless, a ghost through the alleyways," he reflects on his encounters after "giving up everyone and everything" to move to New York City, a rite of passage for many musicians and artists. There is a haunting sense of loneliness to Volpe's songs as he thoughtfully explores the vast American landscape.

Volpe is earning recognition for his self-taught, self-made and self-released music. He recently won an Independent Music Award for Best Folk Singer of 2006 in a competition judged by the likes of Norah Jones, Melissa Etheridge and Bill Wyman.
The featured track on Volpe’s Refugee Blues is "Shoes."

KISU 91.1 FM Radio
Jeremy Petersen of "In House" Radio Show

Chris Volpe is a promising San Francisco-based singer-songwriter whose music draws comparisons to the likes of Dylan, Drake and Paul Simon. His 2005 self-release Refugee Blues had already garnered plenty of attention when it was recently named the Independent Music Awards 2006 Folk Album of the Year, an honor that has in the past been bestowed upon the likes of Chris Whitley, among others. Given the way the album sounds, it's amazing when one considers the fact that all fifteen tracks were recorded in one take, nor were there any overdubs. One gets the feeling that the young Volpe is just getting started.