"Hey Rob,
I must tell you ... as a veteran 25 year songwriter ... I wish I'd written it myself."

- Alan Roy Scott, co-founder of the Unisong International Song Contest, on My So-Called Democracy

Shoot The Messenger in a nutshell: Bob Dylan meets Talking Heads.

Highlights:
• 11 songs have won over 20 national songwriting awards

• Gigging regularly since 2004 (played CBGB 3 times)

• 4 songs lyrics published in an international journal of poetry

• Played many festivals (MEANYFest, SSCapeMay, et al)

We write about seldom-trod, but important subjects, eg:

• the working classes' disposability by the corporate
kleptocracy, where justice is blind - to greed gone wild
(The Other Side Of Somehow, a 2010 Billboard Song
Contest winner; written years before the OWS movement)

• the pervasive perversion of the media by its' corporate pimps (My So-Called Democracy)

And then there's our serious songs.

Summary: great material, great live show.

Latest News

2.15.12: Booked 2 gigs in 2 weex: The Shrine, 2.23; Gizzi's Cafe, 3.1.

10.23.11: STM is the first band to play the first OWS Open Mic in Zuchatti Park

7.5.11: Booked a new venue: Cafe Vivaldi, in the village

8.26.2010: Songs reviewed by producer Jack Douglas
(John Lennon, Patti Smith, The Who, et al), who said:
I really enjoyed your music.
Very inventive! Totally unique.
You had me up dancing.

1.2.09: Your Morning Smile lyrics are published in Shabdaguchha

Influences

Bob Dylan, Talking Heads, XTC, The Sex Pistols, Barenaked Ladies, Eddie From Ohio, Frank Zappa, REM, Muddy Waters, Louis Jordan, Bob Marley, Toots & The Maytals, The Clash.

We?re known for great songs & performances; from serious to funny.

Bio

?Hey Rob,
I must tell you ? as a veteran 25 year songwriter myself, the highest compliment I can pay you is to say I wish I'd written it myself.?

- Alan Roy Scott, co-founder of the Unisong International Song Contest, on My So-Called Democracy

When 16 year-old high school gymnast Rob Frail got tired of the low pay of his first job (doing back flips for beer at Reidys? Tavern in his native Patchogue, NY), he went to work in a factory making electronic noise generators, used to test radar systems. Here, Frail found his true calling: making music. As his songwriting skills matured over the years, his music departed substantially from its? initial strong resemblance to noise.

Later, when Frail was laid off from a computer programming gig in 2003, he started writing songs, and formed Shoot The Messenger to express them. The songs are getting noticed. In less than 2 years, 9 songs have scored 16 awards in 7 national songwriting competitions. More remarkable is that the 9 songs span the rock, pop, reggae, folk, and country genres:

==========> Awards:

8.8.07: No Ordinary Visionary & Bleeding Heart won Finalist in American Songwriter Magazines? Lyric Contest, Sept/Oct issue

8.2.07: Bleeding Heart & Alive won Honorable Mention, 2007 Singer/Songwriter Awards Round 3

6.30.07: My So-Called Democracy won 4th Place in The Unisong International Song Contest, Topical/Political category, among 400 entries;
Alive won Finalist, same category.
This Is Why Life Sux won Honorable Mention, Upbeat Pop category.

5.31.07: What Did I Miss? won Finalist in American Songwriter Magazines Lyric Contest, July/Aug issue

5.27.07: Alive lyrics are selected for publication in the 3Q 2007 issue of Shabdaguchha, an international poetry journal distributed in 8 countries, circulation 500

4.1.07: This Is Why Life Sux won Finalist in the The Durango Song Contest

3.29.07: On & Off won Honorable Mention, 2007 Singer/Songwriter Awards

3.15.07: This Is Why Life Sux won 4th Place among 800 entries, The Great American Song Contest (Pop);
Alive won Finalist (Rock), in same

12.6.06: Talki?n A Noose Too Far Blues won Finalist, Mid-Atlantic Song Contest.

10.25.06: Alive won Honorable Mention, American Songwriter Magazines' Lyric Contest, Nov/Dec

8.23.06: On & Off won Honorable Mention, Mountain Stage NewSong Contest.

3.15.06: This Is Why Life Sux won Honorable Mention, Great American Song Contest Country category

8.25.05: The Royal We won Honorable Mention, American Songwriter Magazines? Lyric Contest, Sept/Oct 2005

==========> Award Web Links:

My So-Called Democracy, 4th Place:
www.unisong.com/Winners11.aspx,
scroll down to Topical/Political category, see photo.

This Is Why Life Sux, Top Five:
www.greatamericansong.com/winners.html,
scroll down to Pop/Adult Comtemporary category, see photo

Talkin' A Noose Too Far Blues, Honorable Mention:
www.saw.org/masc/masc23/masc23.asp,
scroll down to Open category

Alive, Finalist:
www.greatamericansong.com/honorary.html,
scroll down to Rock/Alt. category

==========> Performance History:

In just a few short years STM has evolved into a notable live act, culminating in three appearances at the world famous CBGBs. Flexibility is the hallmark, whether performing as an acoustic guitar duo, or a rock quartet; either way, great songs & harmonies rule.

Shoot The Messenger is also scoring slots in festivals: Mid Point Music Festival, MEANYFest, NYC, 3 years running.

Frail plays voice, guitar, bass, drums, and blues harp, and is continually producing his songs in his Pro Tools-based studio as he writes them. He started guitar at an early age, and has studied blues; classic rock; jazz; indie/alternative; and funk.

In fact, Frail takes lessons with jazz-fusion legend Larry Coryell during Larrys? annual pilgrimages to The Blue Note or Iridium. This explains why you may hear some Charlie Parker or Wes Montgomery lines in a Frail guitar solo.