CLASSIC ROCK.Byline: Sandra Barrera Staff Writer Tomas Costanza was on his way to becoming a classical music composer when he made a last-ditch effort to live the life of a rock 'n' roller. The 28-year-old frontman front·man n. 1. also front man A man who serves as a nominal leader but who lacks real authority. 2. Music A leading singer with a group. and guitarist of New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of alternative rock band Diffuser dif·fus·er n. 1. One that diffuses, as: a. A light fixture, such as a frosted globe, that spreads light evenly. b. A medium that scatters light, used in photography to soften shadows. c. has no regrets. With his band recently signed to Hollywood Records Hollywood Records is a record label owned by Disney. It mainly focuses on pop music. The label was started in 1989 and initially distributed by Elektra Records in the US and Canada until 1995 when distribution switched to PolyGram (which became Universal Music Group in 1998. , a single that's already been featured on a major motion picture soundtrack and a nationwide tour underway, it's no wonder. Costanza and his Diffuser band mates - Anthony Cangelosi, Lawrence Sullivan and Billy Alemaghides - are living out their dream. ``As kids, we used to always think of this as, 'Wouldn't it be great to be a rock star? Great to make a career out of what we do?' And now,'' he says, ``it's become reality.'' That reality hit Costanza especially hard the day of this interview. ``I'm a little under the weather today,'' he says, blaming it on the band's heavy touring schedule. Diffuser has been on the road for the last 4 1/2 months, playing small clubs across the country. ``And to think I could have missed out,'' he says. As a teen, Costanza was a student of classical guitar at a performing arts high school in New York. He began studying guitar at age 10. Although he got heavily into rock, going as far as growing his hair long and playing with a number of local bands, it was Costanza's intention to become a classical music composer. He attended the Berklee College of Music Berklee College of Music, founded in 1945, is an independent music college in Boston, Massachusetts, with many prominent faculty, staff, alumni, and visiting artists. It has an enrollment of approximately 3,900 students and a 2004 faculty of approximately 430. for it. But Costanza says he grew nostalgic for rock, so he and his buddies got serious about making more than noise. They formed Flu 13, which became a heavy-hitter in the indie rock Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that primarily exists in the independent underground music scene. The term is sometimes used interchangeably with underground music as a whole, though more specifically implicates that the music meets the criterion of being rock, as scene. And they even self-released a few records, including the band's finale, ``Foul Key of V.'' ``We put a lot of time into that album,'' says Costanza. ``It really brought us to where we are now. It was a turning point in our career.'' The album got into the hands of college radio, where it fast became a favorite. A few curious label representatives started hanging out at the band's live shows but were hesitant to bite. ``They were like, 'You're still too artsy art·sy adj. art·si·er, art·si·est Informal Arty. ,' '' Costanza says. Diffuser went back into the studio and recorded a demo of simple pop songs, which ended up getting the attention of Hollywood Records. ``They just snagged us right away,'' Costanza says. Diffuser's demo became the band's Hollywood Records debut album, ``Injury Loves Melody.'' The album spawned a minor hit with ``Karma karma or karman (kär`mə, kär`mən), [Skt.,=action, work, or ritual], basic concept common to Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism. ,'' also featured on the ``Mission: Impossible 2'' soundtrack. Its pop-friendly punk is a nod to the likes of Stone Temple Pilots Stone Temple Pilots (abbreviated STP) was a popular Grammy Award-winning American hard rock band in the 1990s and early 2000s, consisting of Scott Weiland (vocals), brothers Robert (bass guitar, vocals) and Dean DeLeo (guitar), and Eric Kretz (drums, percussion). , Foo Fighters Foo Fighters are an American rock band formed by musician Dave Grohl in 1995.[1] The group is named after a secret military operation during World War II which researched UFOs ("Foo" being the slang term for a UFO). and Sunny Day Real Estate. Its lyrics are steeped in heartache. Costanza says the song was written about the girlfriend he unknowingly neglected and ultimately lost. ``I didn't give her the attention she deserved until it was too late,'' he says. ``Karma'' has been garnering airplay air·play n. The broadcasting of an audio or audiovisual recording on the air over radio or television. airplay Noun the broadcast performances of a record on radio across the country, and even placed on Billboard's mainstream and modern rock tracks charts. Joey Scoleri, vice president of rock promotion for Hollywood Records, says the song's popularity has a lot to do with its universal theme. He quotes the main chorus line: ``Sometimes you get what you want/Sometimes you get what you need/But you're always gonna get what you deserve.'' ``Most people are big believers in karma,'' says Scoleri. ``They relate to it no matter if they're 15 or 50.'' But this is no one-hit wonder, as Scoleri points out. He says there's plenty more where that comes from on the album. ``In this era of bands that are angry and screaming about how much their nose ring is killing them, it's nice to have a band that writes great songs with melodies and hooks and isn't angry about nothing,'' says Scoleri. ``They're one of those bands that's going to build slowly and create a loyal following. I think it's the best way to have a career.'' And only when he's too old to rock out on the stage does Costanza say he will consider going back to classical composition. ``But that's not for another 20 years or whatever,'' he says. DIFFUSER Where: The Troubadour troubadour One of a class of lyric poets and poet-musicians, often of knightly rank, that flourished from the 11th through the 13th century, chiefly in Provence and other regions of southern France, northern Spain, and northern Italy. , 9081 Santa Monica Blvd., West Hollywood. When: 9 p.m. Monday Tickets: $3 for anyone under 21, those 21 and over get in free. Call (210) 276-1158. CAPTION(S): photo Photo: Tomas Costanza, left, and his band Diffuser were too artsy for some record labels, so they cut a demo of pop songs to prove their versatility. |
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