54songs – Tobia Lamare 
28 -april-2014  week #14 song#14
“SHAVE ALL THE HIPSTERS”

www.54songs.com

I have always loved urban subcultures. During the ‘90s I used to wear a parka and if I was not sumer smart I was a very smart freak. Incredible psychedelic foulards and red leather ties bought from the market of my town.

Being a mod in Lecce during the 90’s wasn’t easy.

You wanted to be different from ordinary people but they thought that you were a forest ranger. To find yourself you had to move, to Bolougne, Rome, to the big mod weekend in Rimini (Delta or Smart Drivers). But the  Mecca for a small town mod was still London.

In London I had found friends, a big imported humanity, beer, bacardi breezer, soul and rock n roll music. The coolest party were in small clubs. I remember about a really cool soul party in Soho were at the entrance they looked at me and said – You are too smart to pay!-.

In that moment I felt like James Bond. I wanted to thank my mother for my perfectly ironed white shirt and I decided to dedicate her a Martini Vodka at the bar.

-May I have a martini vodka please?-  and instead of a bar tender replying to me –shaked or stirred sir?-  I received two glasses: one of Martini and one of Vodka. In the homeland of James Bond, of the Mods, in the coolest soul club of London (and it was!) they didn’t know how to make a Martini Vodka.

In that moment I thought that I was  so much more a “mod” than any other mod in that club. They were clowns. I bet that no one of them drove their Vespa trhough a rain storm on the Lecce-Frigole (a country road of my town) with a passenger (my friend Cicci) only because we wanted to test our new, and finally arrived after a long stores research, parkas! None of them had ever tried to go with their Vespas to an Harley Davidson Bikers Weekend to find some rockers to fight to and instead to receive compliments for your old scooter and have also some free beers. None of them tried to ipnotize a very beautiful  girl with the word –Govinda!- ( I was an Austin Powers fan but time proved me right)

We were the mod version of the Leningrad Cowboys and I was proud of that. Time goes away and soul music is here to stay, the style changes but elegance it’s in the manners and not only in the clothes. Years go away and the real mods stay, trends changes and subcultures prolificate. After the mods, punks and whatever the new urban nomads are the hipsters. But the really nice and interesting thing about hipsters is that they are a bit of everything, a real meltin’ pot of tastes. They are eccentric and they are always in search of new sounds and new stylists.

They are faster than the mods because if the mods used tu run on scooters to get fastly everywhere in London, Hipsters run on broadband. And who is not on a broadband nowadays. They run so fastly that the broadband goes beyond them and this subculture is standardized even before it can dictate the rules or the “not” rules in the alt.-cultures area. To someone who has been a mod it is natural to like the hipsters, they have something in common. And hipsters love moustache and I like moustache.Beard and moustache seem to be like Puma Suede or Adida gazzelle for the britpoppers.

But now the globalization brought the hipster ahestetics to the best latin-american discoteque of the Adriatic coast in Italy. Probabily to understand who’s a real hipster we have to shave them and to see if it’s only a sweet beard or also sprit, essence. It’s not only a polemic shaving thing, it can be a sexy shaving. We can shave with love to figure out if they know Pitchfork, we can shave to understand if at least they dress American Apparel underwear or if they go for  a  less brrave TopShop. We can shave and during the same time of the regrowth there will be a new word to classify  hipsters. But love remains.

 SHAVE ALL THE HIPSTERS  music composed and performed by Stefano Todisco a.k.a. Tobia Lamare
Tobia Lamare: vocals (yes the flasetto), guitars, keytar and drum machine
Recorded at Lobello Records during 26-27 april 2014

Ho sempre amato le sub-culture urbane. Negli anni ’90 indossavo un parka e, se non ero vestito super elegante allora ero un freak molto elegante. Ascott incredibili e foulard psichedelici, cravattini di pelle rossa scovati nel mercato della mia città. 
Essere un mod a Lecce negli anni ’90 non era semplice. 
Tutta la tua voglia di distinguerti dalla massa si risolveva nel farti scambiare per una guardia forestale. Per cercare la tua identità, quindi, scappavi a Bologna, Roma, ai grandi raduni a Rimini, quelli Delta e quelli Smart Drivers. Ma la mecca per un Mod di provincia era sempre Londra.  
A Londra trovai amici, grande umanità importata, birra, il bacardi breezer, il soul e il rock n roll. Le feste più cool erano spesso in piccoli club. Mi ricordo un soul party a Soho dove all’ingresso guardandomi nel mio “3 bottoni” (vestito) mi dissero –You are too smart to pay!- cioè –Sei troppo elegante per pagare-.
In quel momento mi sentivo James Bond. Volevo ringraziare mia madre per avermi stirato la mia camicia bianca prima di partire, così pensai di dedicarle un Martini Vodka al bancone. 
 -May I have a martini vodka please?- e ti aspetti che ti rispondano –Agitato o mescolato?- e invece ti presentano due bicchieri uno di martini e uno di vodka. Nella patria di James Bond, dei Mods, nel club soul più fico di Londra e vi assicuro che lo era, non sapevano fare un Martini Vodka. 
 In quel momento ho capito che paradossalmente ero molto più mod di tutti gli altri, finti e vestiti come il manichino di Merc prima che strisciassero la loro carta. Erano pagliacci. Nessuno di loro scommetto che aveva sfidato una tempesta di pioggia in due (l’altro era Cicci) su una vespa rush dell’89 sulla Lecce- Frigole per testare il parka finalmente arrivato dopo mesi di ricerche. Nessuno era andato in Vespa a un raduno Harley pensando di trovare dei rockers per scatenare una rissa (ero sempre con Cicci) e invece ricevere i complimenti per il buon restauro delle nostre due ruote e avere anche qualche birra in omaggio. Nessuno e dico nessuno di quei Mod da weekend provava a conquistare bellissime ragazze provando a ipnotizzarle dicendo – Govinda!- (mi sentivo anche un po’ Austin Powers e il tempo mi ha dato ragione). 



Eravamo la versione mod dei Leningrad Cowboys e ne andavo fiero. Il tempo passa e il soul resta, lo stile cambia ma l’eleganza è nei modi e non solo nei vestiti. Gli anni vanno via e i veri mod restano, le mode cambiano e le subculture prolificano. Dopo i Mod, i Punk e varie ed eventuali, i nuovi nomadi urbani sono gli hipsters. Ma in realtà la cosa bella degli Hipsters è che sono un po’ tutto, un vero meltin’ pot di gusti. Sono eccentrici, attenti ai nuovi suoni e ai nuovi stilisti. Sono più veloci dei mod perché mentre i mod giravano in scooter per arrivare velocemente ovunque dentro Londra, gli Hipster viaggiano a banda larga. E chi non viaggia a banda larga al giorno d’oggi. Viaggiano così veloci che la banda larga li supera e questa subcultura si trova massificata prima che ne detti ancora le regole o le “non” regole. A chi è stato mod non possono non piacere gli hipster, molti dei concetti sono simili. Poi gli hipster hanno i baffi e a me i baffi piacciono. La barba e i baffi sembrano essere per loro come erano le Puma Suede o le Gazzelle per i britpoppers. Ma ora la massificazione ha portato l’estetica hipster in tutti gli angoli remoti della nostra penisola e anche nelle più quotate sale da ballo latino-americane della litoranea. Quindi forse per capire chi è un vero hipster dovremmo radere tutti e vedere se sono solo barbetta o anche essenza. E non per forza deve essere una rasatura polemica, ma può essere anche una rasatura sexy. Possiamo radere con amore per scoprire se in realtà conoscono Pitchfork, possiamo radere per capire se hanno almeno un paio di mutande di American Apparel o se preferiscono il meno audace Top Shop. Possiamo radere e nello stesso tempo della ricrescita ci sarà una nuova parola per chiamare gli hipster. Ma l’amore resta.

 
54 SONGS  partners: CoolClub, surfinsalento, Radio Flo, Radiazioni NRG su CiccioRiccio FM, SoldOut su Controweb ControRadio Bari, Esco di Radio su MondoRadio TuttiFrutti FM, Zero WebRadio, Caffè Letterario Lecce, Venerdì Pesce ciao como radio fm, Il Tacco D’Italia, Urka!.


"Shave All The Hipsters" (week#14 - 54songs.com)

A song to remember rainy weekends in Camden Town, full of people, music and emotions. A song also to say goodby to my last band, that ends tours and recording sessions and give space to the new ensemble that will be named simply 54SONGS and that I will introduce you soon. So a little delay due to a re-organization, but, as always, I will do something to be forgiven!  READ MORE ON WWW.54SONGS.COM

music & lyrics Stefano Todisco a.k.a. Tobia Lamare
performed by Tobia Lamare:
VOX GUITARS AND DRUM MACHINE

"Second Hand Market" (week#32 - 54songs.com)

Tobia Lamare synth
"Heart in a Meat Grinder" Lobello Records 2024

Heart in a Meat Grinder

the heart

THE HEART

Tobia Lamare vos, guitar, bass, synth
Andrea Miccoli drums
"Heart in a Meat Grinder" Lobello Records 2024

music & lyrics by Stefano Todisco a.k.a. Tobia Lamare

Sleeper

SLEEPER

Tobia Lamare vox, guit, harmonica, bass, synth
Andrea Miccoli drums
"Heart in a Meat Grinder" Lobello Records 2024

music & lyrics by Stefano Todisco a.k.a. Tobia Lamare

Hoopoes

HOOPOES

Tobia Lamare vox, guit, bass, synth
Andrea Miccoli drums
"Heart in a Meat Grinder" Lobello Records 2024

music & lyrics by Stefano Todisco a.k.a. Tobia Lamare

Just a little love song

JUST A LITTLE LOVE SONG

Play for today

PLAY FOR TODAY

Poly Love

POLY LOVE

Tobia Lamare vox, guit, bass, synth
"Heart in a Meat Grinder" Lobello Records 2024

music & lyrics by Stefano Todisco a.k.a. Tobia Lamare

YOUNG BEE

Tobia Lamare guit, hammond, synth, edrum

"Heart in a Meat Grinder" Lobello Records 2024

music  by Stefano Todisco a.k.a. Tobia Lamare

Hart in a Meat Grinder

Ballata per Droidi

BALLATA PER DROIDI

Tobia Lamare vox, harmonica, guit
"Heart in a Meat Grinder" Lobello Records 2024

music & lyrics by Stefano Todisco a.k.a. Tobia Lamare

TAKE MY HAND

Tobia Lamare synth, drum

"Heart in a Meat Grinder" Lobello Records 2024

Lobello Records

THE MEAT GRINDER

from the album "Summer Melodies" - Lobello Records 2016
music & lyrics Stefano Todisco (a.k.a. Tobia Lamare)

Tobia Lamare - guitar and vox
Roberto Pisacane - bass
Francesco Pennetta - drums
Emanuele Coluccia - saxophone
Alessandro dell'Anna - trumpet
Hammond - Mauro Tre
Special guests on vocal- Random Recipe

Superlady feat. Random Recipe

from the album "Summer Melodies" - Lobello Records 2016
music & lyrics Stefano Todisco (a.k.a. Tobia Lamare)

Tobia Lamare - guitar,  vox and harp

Thank You

from the album "Summer Melodies" - Lobello Records 2016
music & lyrics Stefano Todisco (a.k.a. Tobia Lamare)

Tobia Lamare - guitar and vox
Roberto Pisacane - bass
Francesco Pennetta - drums
Emanuele Coluccia - saxophone
Alessandro dell'Anna - trumpet

Second Hand Market

from the album "Songs For The Present Time" (Lobello Records 2019)
music and lyrics Stefano Todisco a.k.a. Tobia Lamare
Tobia Lamare: vox, guitars, keys, organ
Antonio Candido jr: harmonica
Andrea Miccoli: drums
Antonino De Blasi: bass

mixed by Tobia Lamare & Alex Fazzi @ Lobello Records
mastering @ sage audio Nashville

Dada

from the album "Songs For The Present Time" (Lobello Records 2019)
music and lyrics Stefano Todisco a.k.a. Tobia Lamare
all instruments played by Tobia Lamare

mixed by Tobia Lamare & Alex Fazzi @ Lobello Records
mastering @ sage audio Nashville

The Big Snack

from the album "Songs For The Present Time" (Lobello Records 2019)
music and lyrics Stefano Todisco a.k.a. Tobia Lamare
Tobia Lamare: vox, guitars, keys, organ
Antonio Candido jr: harmonica
Andrea Miccoli: drums
Antonino De Blasi: bass
Dario Stefanizzi sax
Alessandro Dell'Anna trumpet

mixed by Tobia Lamare & Alex Fazzi @ Lobello Records
mastering @ sage audio Nashville

This Road

from the album "Songs For The Present Time" (Lobello Records 2019)
music Stefano Todisco a.k.a. Tobia Lamare
lyrics P.B. Shelley
Tobia Lamare: vox, guitars
Massimo Todisco: electric piano
Antonio Candido jr: harmonica
Andrea Miccoli: drums
Antonino De Blasi: bass

mixed by Tobia Lamare & Alex Fazzi @ Lobello Records
mastering @ sage audio Nashville

Ode To The West Wind

Music from the hot beach of Frigole - South East Italy

Tobia Lamare

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