DESCRIPTION:
“It’s likely that Dusty Santamaria was born in Rainbow California in Summer of 1982, but he can’t confirm that for certain. The son of produce peddling gypsies, Santamaria has long relied on travel and “off the grid” sensibilities to ensure his survival both as an artist and as a human being. Those sensibilities are apparent in his songs. At once Poetic, strange, catchy, and thought provoking, he sounds a bit like John Lennon singing Doo Wop for the Velvet Underground. After a six year stint fronting Portland Oregon garage band, The Singing Knives, Santamaria is back on the touring circuit as a solo artist in support of his newest effort, “Minor Cult Figure,” released on vinyl by Voodoo It Yourself Records. Echo and Buzz magazine describes Santamaria as “a phantom cornerstone of West Coast underground music and poetry.” Portland’s Willamette Week says, “The guy is nothing if not an artist and everything most folk singers claim to be.” Musically, “Minor Cult Figure” Draws from mid-century R&B, gospel, and country music as a backdrop for vivid, impressionistic lyrics, while Santamaria’s memorable live shows have scored him opening slots for the likes of Reckless Eric, Hurray for the Riff Raff, and Lucinda Williams. In an era of slick, transparent, marketing agendas, Dusty Santamaria performs as one possessed by the spirit of a re-emerging zeitgeist of a lost, yet intrinsic era of American sound.” – Hills Pategonia – Jan. 22nd, 2017

Recorded live at Studio On 4th in Reno May 5 2017