Barkhouse
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Barkhouse

Brooklyn, New York, United States | Established. Jan 01, 2012 | INDIE

Brooklyn, New York, United States | INDIE
Established on Jan, 2012
Band Rock Indie

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This band has not uploaded any videos
This band has not uploaded any videos

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""Oh No" is an Oh Yes"

Sometimes a song is so fast-paced and gnarly, it makes you feel like you’re a superhuman badass, and Brooklyn band Barkhouse’s new tune “Oh No!” does just that. With the harried, distorted vocals of Jay Mort coupled with machine gun drums, this tune is totally redolent of the early 2000s (hello, The Strokes), and at one minute and 53 seconds, there's no chance this will outstay its welcome.

Bandmember Mort had this to say about the song: "The song is about the justice system ruining people's lives based on one mistake, one action. The frantic man is crying out, wishing he could change the mind of the judge as he reveals the sentence. But nothing can be done to stop him, as he has all the power. Oh no, oh shit."

Quite. - VICE - Noisey


"Barkhouse - Wolves At The Wall Premier"

Celebrity bumps are always nice, whether you need them or not. Barkhouse, who are experiencing the latter situation, have found themselves in the good graces of Adrian Grenier. The Entourage star liked the Brooklyn outfit so much, in fact, that he invited them to record their EP at his Wreckroom Records studio. Title track “Wolves At The Wall” is a bluesy concoction of rock and soul that will have you thinking of Cold War Kids and Steely Dan. Give it a first listen below. - All Things Go


"Barkhouse - Wolves At The Wall"

Alright, ninjas. Unfortunately the weekend is over. It’s time to gear up, grab the bull by the horns, and absolutely own the pathetic excuse for a weekday known as Monday. Luckily for us, we have some rippin’ tunes to help carry the tempo for today’s hustle, and it comes via New York outfit Barkhouse.

Do us a favor before you get too far into this post. Can you press play on “Oh No?” There we go. Now we have the proper mood set for this write up. As if pre-destined to be the perfect song to kick your day off, “Oh No” has a strong focus on frenetic percussion and grainy vocals, all of which create a manic, grin-inducing energy which produces the need to get up and punch the day right in the face. It beckons on associations of The Strokes, while maintaining a more feverish tempo than those larger-than-life fellow New Yorkers.

Not every song on Wolves at the Wall boasts a fast-paced intensity worthy of replacing your morning caffeine fix though. In fact, “Getting Away,” holds quite the contrast, displaying a delicate, indie rock vibe. The slowly cascading guitar riffs carefully accentuate the pronounced bassline, providing the perfect compliment to your road trip playlist.

“Twice a Day” continues to show the breadth of their talent, giving us a progressive rock build up. The glowing intro and haunting vocals slowly build into a crescendo of engaging guitar work and a head-nodding rhythm section, which quickly reminds us of some of our favorite Brit-pop acts.

At the end of the day, this five-track EP (recorded at Adrian Grenier’s Wreckroom Records) has us grinning ear-to-ear and wondering how in the hell they aren’t bigger yet. Regardless of whatever reason that may be, it won’t be long. Make sure to snag this gem, which comes out tomorrow, and be ahead of the curve. - Music Ninja


"Uncommonly Warm Rock and Roll Heart"

Barkhouse are a young three-piece outfit from the heart and soul of Brooklyn. They line up as: Will De Zengotita on guitar and vocals; Jay Mort on bass, keys and vocals; and Olmo Tighe on drums. They are tight like family, not least because Will and Olmo are cousins and Mort is a childhood chum.
This is a band very much at the beginning but it’s plain from the recently released bandcamp EP that school has been out for some time now. They play regularly on the burgeoning Brooklyn scene and their songs have a solid, brownstone core and an uncommonly warm rock’n’roll heart. Barkhouse know how to use minor keys to create a soulful feelgood feel that is quite distinct from the vogue-ish fatalism of folk and the drowned sorrows of country.
Will is doing something confidently courageous by fronting up on guitar and lead vocal the way he does. He’s taking responsibility for the songs and I think that self-assurance grows from the knowledge that he’s among friends both on and off stage. - The Curators Office


"Uncommonly Warm Rock and Roll Heart"

Barkhouse are a young three-piece outfit from the heart and soul of Brooklyn. They line up as: Will De Zengotita on guitar and vocals; Jay Mort on bass, keys and vocals; and Olmo Tighe on drums. They are tight like family, not least because Will and Olmo are cousins and Mort is a childhood chum.
This is a band very much at the beginning but it’s plain from the recently released bandcamp EP that school has been out for some time now. They play regularly on the burgeoning Brooklyn scene and their songs have a solid, brownstone core and an uncommonly warm rock’n’roll heart. Barkhouse know how to use minor keys to create a soulful feelgood feel that is quite distinct from the vogue-ish fatalism of folk and the drowned sorrows of country.
Will is doing something confidently courageous by fronting up on guitar and lead vocal the way he does. He’s taking responsibility for the songs and I think that self-assurance grows from the knowledge that he’s among friends both on and off stage. - The Curators Office


"Hold Tight - We're Goin' For A Ride With The Barkhouse Boys"

Everyone knows there’s more to life than cars and girls but the heart and soul of rock and roll was never just about cruising through your teens. It was born in the fifties, flunked school in the sixties, skipped college in the seventies and for the past thirty years its skills have been lost in a series of dead end jobs shelving samples. Who these days has the chutzpah to resuscitate the form and deliver it in an authentic, yet contemporary voice? You will find the answer to that question somewhere in New York City.

I have previously described the tune-laden repertoire of Barkhouse as honest-to-goodness, brownstone rock ‘n’ soul music. I hear nothing in the new four-tracker Hold Tight to make me change my mind. What is noteworthy about this set of very fine songs is not simply the refinement of production values, courtesy of the Wreckroom studio, but something more important. It has a great feel to it. That, if anything, is what good rock, pop and soul is truly all about.
The selections are largely in the minor keys and clip along like a tuned-up Gran Torino driving all night with the radio on. Maybe that’s medium-cool Robert Cray, early Dire Straits, sub-atomic Blondie or the Cars you can hear in the background. But that was then and this now. Barkhouse choose to customize their rock n roll references for our austere times in stripped-down arrangements and a very direct delivery. Naturally, the glue for all this material is in the disciplined backbeat provided by quiet man and big figure Olmo Tighe. I suspect that it is the foundation of the whole live-in-the-studio vibe that has made Barkhouse and Wreckroom so good for each other.
There is a glassy frisson about the massive reverb on the guitars, and a searching quality in Will de Zengotita’s impassioned vocal performances. Will has always been a willing front man, but he seems now to believe much more in his own song. As a singer, he is self-evidently more comfortable in his own skin, and now finds himself possessed of a soulful individuality, particularly on the title track. On Lookouts he downsizes to a different register and offers up another distinct personality. Elsewhere, Jay Mort takes the lead on Gimme Mine where his dry detachment is another vocal colour and a useful contrast to Zengotita’s fervent phrasing on Hold Tight and the hypnotic Low Lights.
Lyrically, there is very little about going steady, much less having fun all summer long. They subvert the medium with slightly oblique wordplay that suggests they read the NYT rather than the funny papers.

On Hold Tight we hear, “Since last September we’ve been becoming friends, but you might be killing me…stop asking me to reach out for you..”, and on Lookouts, “There’s lookouts on the sea, they don’t look out for me. I wonder how I’d be if I could let it out, give it out perfectly”.

Theirs are universal observations and anxieties, articulated in the speech of the times in songs that will be readily understood by their growing audience. A common knowledge perhaps, but no one would have expected exceptional dance-ability married to such an urbane commentary.
The Barkhouse set-list of original compositions is growing to album-sized proportions and I understand that the recording of Hold Tight was economical as it sounds. It would be no bad thing to use this EP as a template for a definitive debut with all those bare wires showing. The results would be electric. - Instrumentali Musicali


"Hold Tight - We're Goin' For A Ride With The Barkhouse Boys"

Everyone knows there’s more to life than cars and girls but the heart and soul of rock and roll was never just about cruising through your teens. It was born in the fifties, flunked school in the sixties, skipped college in the seventies and for the past thirty years its skills have been lost in a series of dead end jobs shelving samples. Who these days has the chutzpah to resuscitate the form and deliver it in an authentic, yet contemporary voice? You will find the answer to that question somewhere in New York City.

I have previously described the tune-laden repertoire of Barkhouse as honest-to-goodness, brownstone rock ‘n’ soul music. I hear nothing in the new four-tracker Hold Tight to make me change my mind. What is noteworthy about this set of very fine songs is not simply the refinement of production values, courtesy of the Wreckroom studio, but something more important. It has a great feel to it. That, if anything, is what good rock, pop and soul is truly all about.
The selections are largely in the minor keys and clip along like a tuned-up Gran Torino driving all night with the radio on. Maybe that’s medium-cool Robert Cray, early Dire Straits, sub-atomic Blondie or the Cars you can hear in the background. But that was then and this now. Barkhouse choose to customize their rock n roll references for our austere times in stripped-down arrangements and a very direct delivery. Naturally, the glue for all this material is in the disciplined backbeat provided by quiet man and big figure Olmo Tighe. I suspect that it is the foundation of the whole live-in-the-studio vibe that has made Barkhouse and Wreckroom so good for each other.
There is a glassy frisson about the massive reverb on the guitars, and a searching quality in Will de Zengotita’s impassioned vocal performances. Will has always been a willing front man, but he seems now to believe much more in his own song. As a singer, he is self-evidently more comfortable in his own skin, and now finds himself possessed of a soulful individuality, particularly on the title track. On Lookouts he downsizes to a different register and offers up another distinct personality. Elsewhere, Jay Mort takes the lead on Gimme Mine where his dry detachment is another vocal colour and a useful contrast to Zengotita’s fervent phrasing on Hold Tight and the hypnotic Low Lights.
Lyrically, there is very little about going steady, much less having fun all summer long. They subvert the medium with slightly oblique wordplay that suggests they read the NYT rather than the funny papers.

On Hold Tight we hear, “Since last September we’ve been becoming friends, but you might be killing me…stop asking me to reach out for you..”, and on Lookouts, “There’s lookouts on the sea, they don’t look out for me. I wonder how I’d be if I could let it out, give it out perfectly”.

Theirs are universal observations and anxieties, articulated in the speech of the times in songs that will be readily understood by their growing audience. A common knowledge perhaps, but no one would have expected exceptional dance-ability married to such an urbane commentary.
The Barkhouse set-list of original compositions is growing to album-sized proportions and I understand that the recording of Hold Tight was economical as it sounds. It would be no bad thing to use this EP as a template for a definitive debut with all those bare wires showing. The results would be electric. - Instrumentali Musicali


"Barkhouse "Hold Tight""

Usually when an adult figure tries to push a ‘cool’ new band, you proceed with dubious caution. But sometimes they know what’s up, so I am sure to always to keep an open mind. Barkhouse came from a mentor of mine, Tom De Zengotita, who apparently has good genes — his offspring (singer) is as talented as he is smart. This song, Hold Tight, reminds me of a post 70’s blend of Brit pop, Classic and Prague rock infused with some new time flavor. Think Steely Dan, Rolling Stones or Television, with Black Keys, The Walkman or The Strokes thrown in the mix.

- Adrian
- Adrian Grenier, Wreckroom Records


"Barkhouse "Hold Tight""

Usually when an adult figure tries to push a ‘cool’ new band, you proceed with dubious caution. But sometimes they know what’s up, so I am sure to always to keep an open mind. Barkhouse came from a mentor of mine, Tom De Zengotita, who apparently has good genes — his offspring (singer) is as talented as he is smart. This song, Hold Tight, reminds me of a post 70’s blend of Brit pop, Classic and Prague rock infused with some new time flavor. Think Steely Dan, Rolling Stones or Television, with Black Keys, The Walkman or The Strokes thrown in the mix.

- Adrian
- Adrian Grenier, Wreckroom Records


"Barkhouse"

It's been a long long time since the outer-boros of New York City have produced an ensemble of talented song-crafters such as the band Barkhouse.


Led by the under-stated Will de Zengotita, this threesome is unpretentiously remarkable in their consistent delivery of heart-torn power ballads and Joe Jackson-tinged anthems.


Will's voice harkens to David Byrne and beckons the early 80's in the best way and exudes a soul-searching pain as he belts out lyrics like this line from "I Can't Wait"; How come you never learned to drive/You wake up crying out “this can’t be my life”/You don’t know how my mother cries/She only wants to be a sister to you.


This song, a powerful ode to a diminishing relationship that is slowly going down in flames is one of the best I observed the band perform at a recent live show which was pretty well attended considering the competition these days for things to occupy the time of potential music fans. He further sings: "So what do you want to do tonight?/Let’s hang out with some people we don’t like."


I ask you my friends... Who among us has not been there?


Another stand out song from Barkhouse is "Closer Weapon" which further demonstrates a strong propensity for clever word play to illustrate their underlying semi-urban form of romantic tragedy that can only come from three guys who have the 7 Train in their blood. "But I know that’s just no excuse/Up on the roof with my pigeon coop/She pulls her knife when the music starts to play/And she said/Dance with me darlin’/I’ve got a closer weapon"


Beyond what I consider extraordinary lyric writing, each member of Barkhouse is also a VERY impressive musician with de Zengotita showing off ample lead guitar prowess when needed, Olmo Tighe, who also pulls double duty as the drummer for Michael Imperioli's La Dolce Vita, holding it down on backbeat duties and Jay Mort on bass, keyboard and harmonica.


Another remarkable thing about this band is that all of their songs are credited to the full band instead of the usual frontman-takes-all we tend to see from many win-at-any-cost music outfits as of late.
When it comes down to it, Barkhouse is doing everything right.... good, honest songwriting delivered by some great guys who are just so good at it, they couldn't stop if they wanted to. You can't help but to root for the home team.


Keep an eye on these lads! - The Jimmy Lloyd Songwriter Showcase (NBC)


"Barkhouse"

It's been a long long time since the outer-boros of New York City have produced an ensemble of talented song-crafters such as the band Barkhouse.


Led by the under-stated Will de Zengotita, this threesome is unpretentiously remarkable in their consistent delivery of heart-torn power ballads and Joe Jackson-tinged anthems.


Will's voice harkens to David Byrne and beckons the early 80's in the best way and exudes a soul-searching pain as he belts out lyrics like this line from "I Can't Wait"; How come you never learned to drive/You wake up crying out “this can’t be my life”/You don’t know how my mother cries/She only wants to be a sister to you.


This song, a powerful ode to a diminishing relationship that is slowly going down in flames is one of the best I observed the band perform at a recent live show which was pretty well attended considering the competition these days for things to occupy the time of potential music fans. He further sings: "So what do you want to do tonight?/Let’s hang out with some people we don’t like."


I ask you my friends... Who among us has not been there?


Another stand out song from Barkhouse is "Closer Weapon" which further demonstrates a strong propensity for clever word play to illustrate their underlying semi-urban form of romantic tragedy that can only come from three guys who have the 7 Train in their blood. "But I know that’s just no excuse/Up on the roof with my pigeon coop/She pulls her knife when the music starts to play/And she said/Dance with me darlin’/I’ve got a closer weapon"


Beyond what I consider extraordinary lyric writing, each member of Barkhouse is also a VERY impressive musician with de Zengotita showing off ample lead guitar prowess when needed, Olmo Tighe, who also pulls double duty as the drummer for Michael Imperioli's La Dolce Vita, holding it down on backbeat duties and Jay Mort on bass, keyboard and harmonica.


Another remarkable thing about this band is that all of their songs are credited to the full band instead of the usual frontman-takes-all we tend to see from many win-at-any-cost music outfits as of late.
When it comes down to it, Barkhouse is doing everything right.... good, honest songwriting delivered by some great guys who are just so good at it, they couldn't stop if they wanted to. You can't help but to root for the home team.


Keep an eye on these lads! - The Jimmy Lloyd Songwriter Showcase (NBC)


Discography

Hold Tight EP (Wreckroom Records) - April 2013

Wonderful Signs/Suffer - September 2012

Barkhouse EP - January 2012

Photos

Bio

At first Barkhouse was an event, a one-night show designed by Will de Zengotita, to showcase some long hidden material. Will was joined by several musicians that night, including old companions Jay Mort and Olmo Tighe. Ignited by the “Barkhouse” show these three would go on to form a new band of the same name. Even as the writing became a shared endeavor, their songs have continued with the same sincerity and intensity that characterized those first offerings.
Now three years on and well established in the Brooklyn music scene they recently hooked up with Wreckroom Records to record the critically acclaimed Wolves At The Wall EP. Barkhouse has drawn comparisons to older acts like The Cars and Talking Heads as well as newer bands like The Black Keys or The Walkmen but you’ll have to see for yourself at
www.barkhousemusic.com

Band Members