Rhapsody in Black

Gary hails from the industrial town of Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada. He has been writing and recording music since 1999, and in that time he has released five albums. 'Anthems For The Young At Heart' (Ninthwave, Texas), 'Another Coin in the Daydream Machine' (Ninthwave), 'Dressed in Black' (Eleven Wave, Saint John, NB), 'Future Fashion' (Cohaagen, New York) and his latest offering 'RHAPSODY IN BLACK'. Previously, his music has been described as everything from synthpop, to New Wave, to 80s electro, to dance pop. A strong influence of Gary Numan, The Human League, and OMD was present in much of his earlier work. One of his tracks appeared on a 2002 compilation released by the highly respected Moonshine label, called 'Electro Nouveau'. Gary's track appeared alongside the likes of Sigue Sigue Sputnik, Miss Kitten and Ladytron. Yet over time, his sound has evolved, and recently he has released a brand new album called 'Rhapsody in Black'. This album consists of straightforward, less electronic pop with a distinct nod to the classic sounds of Fleetwood Mac, ELO, Leonard Cohen, Johnny Cash, Simon and Garfunkel, the Mamas and the Papas, the Beach Boys, Depeche Mode, ABC and Echo and the Bunnymen. 'Rhapsody In Black' marks a dramatic turning point for Flanagan. The songs are mature, poetic, profound and surprisingly dark. The tracks prove to be a stark, shocking contradiction to his previous synthpop. 'For the longest time', says Flanagan, 'I have been wanting to go down a darker, more melancholy road'. The 808 drum machine beats of yesteryear have been replaced by acoustic guitar. Gary has performed at the Halifax Pop Explosion, Cymbria, Stereophonic, Evolve and the Pop Montreal Music Festivals. He has had opening gigs for the likes of Lederhosen Lucil, B.J. Snowden, and Buck 65. His music has been played around the world, and he has made countless compilation appearances. Today, Gary still wows audiences with his high energy live shows and his dramatic, poetic songs that speak of life, love, truth and solitude. 'Flanagan's new album 'Rhapsody In Black' is his most accomplished, both in production and lyrics[...] He makes this old style surprisingly modern.'- Bob Mersereau, Telegraph Journal.