His ability to create authentic pop music has earned Justin several songwriting awards from Berklee College Of Music in Boston, as well as a slot in the 2006 International Pop Overthrow Tour. Justin’s commitment to music is further demonstrated by his busy schedule of gigs at some of the best venues in the northeast, often providing tour support from groups ranging from ZOX, Matt Wertz, to Spin Doctors front man Chris Barron. With the release of 1175 Boylston, his first full-length album, Justin has already made a name for himself in college radio market. The two singles from the record “Sunny Day” and “City With 2 Streetlights” spent 8 weeks on the top 25 CMJ Charts, being played in over 350 stations across the country and sparking some major label interest. Justin has also recently won the ASCAPLUS award from ASCAP for his outstanding achievement and hard work. Justin was also a finalist in the 2007 USA Songwriting Competition and chosen best Male Artist for The International Acoustic Music Awards. Currently Justin resides in Vermont where he lives as a working musician. His latest record “Predetermined Fate” has just been mixed and mastered. Currently Justin and his team are looking to find the record a home.
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Justin Levinson: Higher Ground “Artist of the Month“-February 2009
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Reviews for “Predetermined Fate”
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Levinson’s pop sensibilities and melodic songwriting shine through on this set of taut and radio friendly country-leaning songs. The warm, acoustic led arrangements would likely find favor with fans of Nickel Creek and The Avett Brothers…the album moves along at a sprightly pace, stopping occasionally to dwell on life’s broken hearts and disappointments but always looking forward down the highway. A feeling of restlessness and wanderlust permeates the lyrics; searching for meaning in life, with time all the while fleeting. Read full review HERE.
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SKOPE, by Valerie Williams.
Coming from a Vermont resident, this album is completely unexpected, but it is a pleasant surprise to hear someone above the Mason-Dixon line challenge the genre and put his own spin on what it means to layer your songs with a country vibe. Read full review HERE.
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Highlights include the pedal steel-drenched “Bandaid on a Bullet Wound”, about a marriage gone bad; “Losing You to Tennessee”, which sounds like Ryan Adams in country mode; and “Hopelessness”, which has a “The Weight”-style melody. Which leaves the question: where is Levinson predetermined to go next? Read full review HERE.
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Justin Levinson has a talent for melody and graceful Americana arrangements. Predetermined Fate is full of songs with a lot of potential. There’s something that runs through Predetermined Fate however that speaks of future growth. I suspect the next album will be even better; but watch out, this one will grow on you. Read full review HERE.
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Levinson’s latest disc falls firmly into the country-rock genre and makes full usage of harmonicas, steel guitars, and fiddles along with the usual piano, electric rock guitar, and drums. His voice fits the material well and his arrangements are always mainstream yet eclectic. He writes intelligent lyrics without getting obscure so his eleven tunes are all highly accessible. Read full review HERE.
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Though he settles into a distinctly more alt-country-styled groove than on his previous works, Levinson’s knack for letter-perfect pop hooks remains intact… There’s a bounty of genuinely inspired tracks to be had, suggesting that Levinson has finally come into his own. Read full review HERE.
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The first thing you notice when you start spinning Predetermined Fate is that Justin Levinson knows how to write a song. Not just the music, but the lyrics too. It’s actually one of the rare occasions where the lyrics actually grabbed me before the music and melodies. Levinson has a knack of penning lyrics that put a smile on your face with vivid imagery and clever turns of phrase, all wrapped up with a keen sense of humour. Heck he even makes “Hopelessness” sound like a good thing. Read full review HERE.
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BOSTON BAND CRUSH “Hopelessness” from Predetermined Fate
While the feeling of actual hopelessness is not present in the musical arrangements – or the gently swinging melody – one merely needs to listen to the lyrics. Levinson’s message of, well, hopelessness, is transmitted through such sweet sounds that we almost miss the whole feeling. Levinson’s voice rests somewhere in between Jackson Browne and Ben Folds…and Levinson’s vocals really raise this song up a few tiers above the already reasonable plateau that the instrumental arrangements have taken it. Read full review HERE.
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From the start of Justin Levinson’s newest release “Predetermined Fate”, I feel good. Justin does a great job of mixing good song-writing and vocals with upbeat, folksy, acoustic rock and musicianship. Throughout the album Justin brings us through a range of emotions touching on topics like coming to terms with love, being hurt in life, getting by day to day, all while trying to be a better person overall… Justin Levinson writes good songs, bringing out emotions all listeners can relate to and in the end, isn’t that what music is supposed to do? Read full review HERE
Predetermined Fate is a fantastically fun album to listen to. The entire overal sound and feel of the eleven tracks has a wonderful country-twang of an acoustic guitar, combined with Levinson’s inde-rock style vocals. Songs such as Bandaid on a Bulletwound, Losing You To Tennesse, Hoplessness and Soles Of Your Feet have a laidback feel that helps to not only emphasize the music, but also the lyrics that help to drive it. Read full review HERE
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ALTERNATE ROOT MAGAZINE: ARTIST OF THE WEEK
Justin Levinson brings a strong sense of Pop structure and form into an Alt Country arena. The songs on his most recent release, ‘Predetermined Fate’ saunter between Folk Rock (“Everytime You Learn Something’), acoustic guitar anchored Chamber Pop (“Groundhog Day”) and the Alt Country that acts as a lightning rod on the album (“Everything Has Always Been About You”). Though the album is an instrumental melting pot with harmonica, bending guitar notes, piano trills and rhythms that run the gamut from shuffle to solid punches, what holds ‘Predetermined Fate’ in place, is the vocal work and lyric content. Read full review HERE.
Justin’s album is an extremely pleasant blend of kava, skullcap, GABA…wait, that’s my holistic relaxation blend…you get the idea. This countrified, Neil Young-meets-Ben Folds collection of songs is really well put together. “Country” may be too general as a descriptive term here, and though there are almost too many Mr. Young-style harmonica blows here and there, it all works for the greater good. It’s the telling of a story of ups and downs, why and why-nots, from the vantage point of a native Vermonter, thrust into the Boston scene for five years, and then released back to the Great Green North. It’s a welcome sound and a display of songwriting that should be followed with the utmost care and craft. (Mike Loce) Read full review HERE.
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Predetermined Fate combines a mature sound along with a bouyant feel that is evident throughout. Levinson is often compared to Ben Folds (which is quite tiresome) and he more than deserves to be judged upon his own artistic merits. Check out Justin Levinson -
VIRGIN AMERICA IN-FLIGHT AIRPLAY
Justin Levinson will be featured on VIRGIN AMERICA IN-FLIGHT AIRPLAY: “NEW MUSIC DISCOVERED” during the month of November. Justin is one of four artists selected for an interview and a featured song. With flights from major U.S. cities, including San Francisco, LA, Las Vegas, San Diego, Seattle, New York, Washington D.C, Boston and Orange County– more than 416,667 ears per month will be listening to Justin’s song, “Losing You to Tennessee” from his latest album, Predetermined Fate.
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Reviews for “Bury Your Love”
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ABSOLUTE POWERPOP : 1/15/08
Levinson was one of the early discoveries of this blog nearly two years ago (how time flies) when he released 1175 Boylston, an excellent piano-pop disc. But whereas 1175 Boylston was rooted more in the piano pop of Ben Folds, Bury Your Love is more the piano pop of Elton John circa the early 70s during his Tumbleweed Connection/Madman Across The Water period. Overall, it’s an interesting departure for Levinson, and full marks to him for not repeating his first disc. Read full review HERE.
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Justin Levinson’s music is influenced by many great artists—the Beatles, Bob Dylan, and Elton John, to name a few. Juxtaposing upbeat melodies with often serious subject matter, Justin creates perfectly catchy tunes that nobody can resist singing along to…During the writing and recording of his 2008 release, Bury Your Love, Justin was inspired by Elton John’s Tumbleweed Connection and heavily influenced by a road trip to Nashville. Read full review HERE.
PHANTOM TOLLBOOTH: 1/30/08 by James Morovich
Justin Levinson is a fine folksy rock artist that will appeal to fans of Bill Mallonee, Bob Dylan and Neil Young. There are some excellent songs here on this seven song mini-album entitled Bury Your Love. I am looking forward to hearing more from this talented young Boston songwriter! Read full review HERE
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Justin Levinson burst on the scene with “1175 Boylston” and this is his 7-song follow up. “Bury Your Love” is a bit more mature and his opener “Heavy Weight” is compared to Elton John’s early period favorably. The remaining album takes more of an alt-country lean, like the very Jayhawks-like “Home” and “Bury your Love.” A catchy bit of piano pop in “Daisy May” follows the Ben Folds mold nicely. The remaining songs are classic folk pop. It’s no wonder he will be writing soundtrack musical themes soon. Read full review HERE.
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Justin Levinson; a multi-talented, songwriter/ musician from Boston, has become an overnight sensation for the new generation. After graduating from Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA, he has won several music awards, including a slot at the 2006 International Pop Overthrow Tour. He has also become a household name to fans all over the world. His music speaks to the heart of all us, young and old. Read full review HERE.
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COLLEGE OF NEW JERSEY: THE SIGNAL, by Diana Bubser
Singer-songwriter Justin Levinson performed to an almost full house of enthusiastic music fans at the first WTSR Concert Series of the semester, held in the Kendall TV studio last Wednesday. The event was the second time Levinson performed at the College. “It feels great to be back. Everyone is really friendly and I’m happy to have the opportunity to be here,” he said. Levinson opened the one-hour performance with the slow piano ballad “Keep Your Heart Fulfilled.” The audience sat enraptured as his soft yet powerful voice filled the studio. He then followed up with “Daisy Mae,” an upbeat, jazzy track from his latest album, “Bury Your Love.” Read full review HERE.
Reviews for “1175 Boylston”
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MIT “The Tech” 8/28/06, By Jillian Berry
Justin Levinson’s debut album, “1175 Boylston,” can best be described as “powerpop” with its perfectly blended poppy tunes and lyrical depth. A songwriting student at the Berklee College of Music, Levinson is often compared to Ben Folds in sound and style – and with good reason. Levinson’s piano skills, pure vocals, and song writing abilities are impressive, and they shine throughout the CD. Read full review HERE.
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HYBRID MAGAZINE: by Caitlin McGuire
If you’ve ever read anything I’ve ever written, you’d realize that I can’t stand anything derivative. Unless it sounds like The Smiths, of course. But I finally found a singer that isn’t original, but I like anyways. And his name is Justin Levinson. It’s been a while since the last time Ben Folds released something. But Levinson is making up the difference. His debut full-length album, 1175 Boylston, released in 2006, combines piano know-how with the smart pop that made Folds so great. Perfect for the spring time, and the upcoming summer time, be ready for Justin Levinson to graduate and hit the indie radio stations with a vengeance. Read full review HERE.
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Wow. 2006 is shaping up to be quite a year for great new discoveries. We’re barely halfway through February, and here comes another one: Justin Levinson. His debut, 1175 Boylston, sounds like the work of a seasoned pro. Now while anyone these days with a piano-based sound and some pop smarts gets compared to Ben Folds, the comparison is truly earned here. This cd reminds me, more than any other I can recall, of the Ben Folds Five debut album ( one of my top 10 albums of the 90s), not only musically but in spirit as well. Read full review HERE.
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PERFORMER MAG, by Megan Ferringer
Having been compared to an early Ben Folds with a little twist of Elliot Smith thrown in, Levinson adds maturity to the obviously buoyant and bubbly pop rock style. Levinson displays strong and surprisingly deep lyrical talent, covering issues as diverse as love and the war in Iraq… With his own fervent vocal talent grounded in a strong piano-based sound, Levinson fits nicely within the genre of power pop. Read full review HERE.
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FAME MUSIC REVIEW, by Frank Gutch Jr.
My apologies to Justin Levinson and Adam Popick. I listened hard and tried to get it, but everything was muffled. Then I realized my head was firmly lodged between my cheeks. Man, I love pop, power or otherwise, so why 1175 Boylston didn’t immediately lodge itself in my head I have no idea, but somehow it didn’t. The guy who turned me onto it rarely misses, though, and I stuck it out, and a couple of days ago I got it. 1175 Boylston hasn’t been off the CD player since. Read full review HERE.
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COLLEGE OF NEW JERSEY: THE SIGNAL
The Television Studio in Kendall Hall was disappointingly lacking a big audience as the fourth show in the WTSR and Lions Television (LTV) Concert Series began. This, however, did not stop 22-year-old singer/songwriter Justin Levinson from performing as though he were trying to impress a packed house at Madison Square Garden… Levinson was an extraordinary one-man band. Only two instruments were obvious to the audience: a keyboard and an acoustic guitar. A third, however, was revealed later on: a harmonica… In only an hour, Levinson’s talent convinced almost everyone in the room that the WTSR-LTV Concert Series may not have attracted a large crowd Wednesday night, but the humorous minstrel certainly deserved one. Read full review HERE.
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Justin Levinson sits at the helm of a new crop of young songwriters from Berklee College of Music. In fact, faculty members of the Berklee songwriting department voted Levinson’s album-opener “Sunny Day” Best Song of the Year. The reason for such high praise is clear when you hear Levinson’s playful, piano-driven power-pop. Delivered with a breezy charm, Justin’s music is rife with beautiful piano solos, catchy upbeat hooks, and overall buoyancy. Reminiscent of BEN FOLDS, Justin Levinson’s piano skills are perfectly complimented by expressive and often witty lyrics (think NADA SURF or WEEZER), while his work on the trumpet and trombone add a depth that creates an album that “sounds like the work of a seasoned pro” (Absolute Powerpop). Read full review HERE.
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