During the CMJ Music Marathon, Deirdre Bones checked out Stereoactive’s showcase for TheMusic.FM.
The Jaguar Club
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
The Jaguar Club - Sleepwalking [MP3]
Although The Jaguar Club hails from Brooklyn (and lets’ face it, which indie band doesn’t these days) their sound is straight out of Manchester - a brilliant mix of The Cure and Joy Division with perhaps a pinch of Oasis thrown in there for good measure.
The Jaguar Club is made up of Will Popadic on vocals and guitar, Jeremiah Joyce on drums with Yoichiro Fujita on bass. They opened their set at the Delancey with ‘Sleepwalking,’ an upbeat, lively song designed to grab the attention of this audience, it worked well. This excellent opener demonstrated to this crowd what they are capable of.
Popadic’s voice contributes to The Jaguar Club’s Joy Division comparison, possessing as he does an almost Ian-Curtis-like voice. His voice has depth that sinks to almost a talking voice, then swings wildly to a high pitch. Bass player Yoichiro Fujita provided backing vocals in addition to what appeared to be almost intuitive bass playing as he was so in sync with the music, all driven by the flawless drumbeat of Jeremiah Joyce.
Popadic’s performance came complete with energetic dance moves as he demonstrated a pure joy for performance as danced his way through the set. The Jaguar Club provided a very energetic performance into which they poured their all. Highlights were ‘Future sounds’, ‘Out of the City’ and ‘Sleepwalking’.
My Teenage Stride
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
My Teenage Stride - American Car [MP3]
My Teenage Stride provided a conveyor belt set of music to the audience at The Delancey for the Stereoactive showcase. They set up their equipment very quickly and rapidly announced that they had somewhere else that they needed to be and that they would sing us a few songs before they had to go. At this stage of the evening the sets were running a little behind schedule, but it appears that My Teenage Stride had double booked themselves – not a bad situation for a band to be in.
Nevertheless, despite their rushed demeanor, My Teenage Stride put on a decent show, if doing away with the niceties of interaction with the crowd. Their pop, upbeat sound was very popular with this audience who seemed happy to dance the night away with My Teenage Stride. Their rushed set did however provide a good sampling of their music. Their sound is reminiscent of The Smiths and 80s British rock. Highlights included the upbeat ‘Gallipoli Now’ which can’t fail to make a crowd dance and sing along and also ‘To Live and Die in the Airport Lounge’. I would definitely like to see them perform when they are not rushing off to another venue.
Shilpa Ray and Her Happy Hookers
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Shilpa Ray and her Happy Hookers - Coward Cracked the Dawn (Radio Edit) [MP3]
Shilpa Ray and Her Happy Hookers took over from My Teenage Stride taking quite a while to get their equipment set up, not least because their keyboard wouldn’t work. Fortunately another band came to the rescue and loaned them one for their set. Shilpa Ray and Her Happy Hookers is made up of Jay Braun on guitar, Josh Fleischmann on drums, keyboardist Andrew Hoepfner, Nick Hundley on bass and, of course Shilpa Ray herself on vocals and the harmonium.
This act was one of the most popular of the evening if attendance was anything to go by. Sadly I missed the charm that seemed to appeal to others. Musically, the band plays very well together and have a very good base sound. Ray’s style of singing distracts from this. Her voice sounded forced and as though it was competing with the music rather than enhancing it. As a band I feel that they have a good sound but Ray’s singing in a metal rock style over a more pop sound creates a confusing sound. One wonders if she let her voice enhance the music a little more rather than compete with it if a better sound would be crafted. However, there is no doubt that this crowd was very entertained and enjoyed this set.
