The Bowery Presents

Music Hall of Williamsburg upcoming shows

Apes and Androids
official website
myspace
Apes & Androids' Jacobs and Tobias met as third graders in New Jersey and started writing music in their pre-teens. "After high school, we went to different colleges so we had a long distance band relationship. We'd work in our dorm rooms, then get together during breaks and build songs together," says Jacobs.The band's live performances are becoming as well-known as the songs themselves, with cheerleaders, giant silver skulls, face paint and even a Korean drum circle all making appearances for a unique live experience.The band's musical division between the past and future dates back to elementary school. "I remember when I met David, he was listening to Digital Underground, stuff with a lot of samples," says Jacobs, who was already deep into Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin and Nirvana.
--Rolling Stone.com
The Phenomenal Handclap Band
official website
myspace
The Phenomenal Handclap Band (PHB) is a tightly knit group of musicians
and artists from Lower Manhattan and Brooklyn. The band started to take
shape when DJ and production partners Daniel Collás and Sean Marquand
began writing songs together in their studio while simultaneously
producing other artists' records. With their involvement in the
thriving nightlife scene, the partners had an almost encyclopedic
knowledge of esoteric music ranging from Brazilian soul to vintage
psych-rock & proto-disco, along with a wide range of musician friends
to help them cultivate their vision for their own album.

This Phenomenal Handclap Band album did not come to life in the most
traditional of ways. During the recording process, Collás and Marquand
called upon various friends from the indie rock and underground soul
scene such as Aurelio Valle, Carol C, Jaleel Bunton, Jon Spencer, and
Lady Tigra to perform on the album. As the band itself progressed, PHB
was distilled into an eight-member harmonious collective. Patrick Wood,
Luke Riverside, Laura Marin, Bing Ji Ling, Pier Pappalardo and Joan
Tick joined to officially form the band in 2008. The self-titled debut
PHB album was released in the summer of 2009 and their first single,
“15 to 20” hit the radio and controlled the dance floor instantaneously.

The harmonious culmination of numerous diverse musical backgrounds
resulted in a sound that is equal parts anthemic, dancefloor-oriented
and orchestral, embracing elements of progressive rock, disco, electro,
and psychedelia. While the album and band members represent a wide
range of genres, an unforgettable singularity is achieved.

There is an intrinsic cult-like element to the band with their close
friendship, unity, enthusiasm & larger than life choir-like
arrangements. Still, there is a strong focus on individuality as most
members originate from various solo projects and New York City-based
bands, with each member of the band bringing their own expertise to the
table. Bing Ji Ling swoons with smooth soul falsettos & plays guitar
alongside the ever energetic and supreme lead guitarist, Luke
Riverside. Patrick Wood both tenaciously and delicately keeps the band
going on drums, along with the Latin jazz trained bassist Pier
Pappalardo, together making for an unrelenting and powerful rhythm
section. Singer, Laura Marin, brings with her a background in Brazilian
pop engaging the audience with her rich husky vocal style; often
harmonizing with her female cohort, Joan Tick, who takes the darker
regions of the set with robust and sinister lead vocals. All the while,
Daniel Collás unifies the group with his feverish and sometimes
maniacal organ and vocal performances, all of this culminating into an
eye-popping spectacle that overwhelms the senses. It pulses with a
savage rhythm that provides the ultimate foil for cascading guitars,
electrified washes of organs and synthesizers, and hypnotic 6 part
vocal harmonies. The variety of songs and performers fuse together with
delirious sermonizing that whips crowds into an elated frenzy.

The band toured tirelessly in 2009 and has no intentions of slowing
down in the year to come. Having played many large, well-respected
festivals all over the UK, Europe, the US and Australia, PHB have
already packed their 2010 spring and summer tour schedule with some of
the most highly anticipated music events worldwide. Daniel, Sean, Bing
Ji Ling, Patrick, Luke, Joan, Laura, and Pier begin writing the second
PHB album together this spring. The band’s new single “Baby” hits March
8th, 2010.
Bonnie Baxter
official website
myspace
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