The Cheepskates recorded and released several acclaimed albums and EP’s from 1984 through 1991. The band was included in the fourth edition of the Trouser Press Record Guide, where rock journalist Dave Sprague called their music “…a timeless pleasure.”
In 2000, Dandelion in the Year of the Rooster was released. The six-song EP featured songs about time, lost love, and hope. The highlights of the disc are “Falling Away,” an upbeat rocker that ties in time travel with a soured love affair, and “This Country Needs A War,” Tony’s answer to the infamous school shootings, which now seems oddly prophetic in the wake of the 9/11 tragedy.
Sleight Of Hand, Tony’s full-length, 12-song opus was released in 2002. Included are standouts such as “I Will Listen,” “Girl,” “Rat Behind the Wall,” “Another Suit,” and “Rev” (which is also a featured tune on the International Pop Overthrow Vol. 5 compilation on Not Lame Records). There is also a cover version of Phil Ochs’ country & western-tinged “Chords Of Fame.”
The recording sessions on Tony’s next long-awaited album will begin in earnest in September, 2006. It’s untitled at this point, but will be about “searching and finding your destination…. “Sleight of Hand’ was more about heartbreak and loss. The next one will be very different, a bit more hopeful…”, Tony says. This album is slated to be released in early 2007. Fans can sneak-preview “In This Life”, which has already been recorded at Greensboro’s Earthtones Recording studios, on Tony’s Myspace.com website (see below). Till then, we’ll just have to keep on grooving to “Dandelion…” and “Sleight of Hand”. But fear not, the BEST is yet to come!
