Diane Marie Kloba was born in Chicago and was a simple poet from an early age. She began playing guitar at about 17 when she bought her first guitar, a used Epiphone acoustic. Music and poetry always being her passion, she joined many original alternative rock bands with a somewhat sophisticated punk attitude and style. Finally in the early 1990s she formed The Silent Workers. They were regulars for about nine years on the Chicago club scene and festival shows, including Houby Fest, Lakeview Fest and Lisle’s Eyes to the Skies Festival. Their recording Quark received local and national airplay, including live performances on radio stations WHPK, WZRD, WRDP. The Silent Workers continue to exist.
In 2004 Diane Marie released her solo recording ‘I Kid You Not’ on Striped Shirt Records. Punk attitude and subtle humor, star gazing thoughts and hints of anti-pop, this album was a winner and went on to be voted as the #9 album of the year in The Village Voice Pazz and Jop poll for 2004. In May 2005 Diane Marie released ‘Messages From The Ionosphere’. Urgent vocals are backed with hip-hop style shouts that serve as a Greek chorus to the songs drama. This album also received national and International airplay.
Diane Marie Kloba has now released ‘For You Stranger’, a dedication to the musicians, artists and inventors in this world.
In a place where pop music is not a goal but an avoidance, Diane Marie Kloba creates an urgently approachable and personally honest creation titled For You, Stranger. While keeping the attitude, verse and vibe up front, bent jazz and twisted surf are placed neatly between alternative and punk rock sonics. Experimenting on some songs with sparse drums, solid chords and spastic leads work well here behind Diane Marie’s charming words and poetic vocal style.
The opening cut, “For a Stranger” is empty and hypnotic, with a grand finale of group vocals, ending before it ever starts, gives no clue to the rest of the albums vibe.
The resulting overall style is performance art educated by a punk aesthetic. She neither spares nor tames her unconventional guitar leads.
This is Diane Marie’s best album yet. Her message is compelling and the songs soar and ebb with a mood that is enticing.
A small group of collaborators join Diane Marie on some tracks: Contributions come from members of her erstwhile band, The Silent Workers as well as vocalist/percussionist Fan‑Cee.
Diane likes to listen to Fiona Apple, Regina Spector, Radiohead, Wilco, Isis, Roots, Sole.
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