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The best kept secret in music
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As Tom Lehrer once said, "Life is like a sewer - what you get out of it depends on what you put into it." The Charleston Bar in Williamsburg has its faults...but it's got a great location, right in the heart of Bedford Ave.
One of the bands I had in recently was a young quartet named Eisenhower who had just moved to Brooklyn from New Orleans. Why anyone - especially an unsigned band - would want to leave New Orleans for New York City is beyond me. But as you can imagine, they've been having a rough go of it, knocking on doors and trying to find gigs while also finding and keeping day jobs that pay enough to cover the ridiculous rents you pay in NYC. Then they played the Charleston.
So I went to the Charleston for Eisenhower's first official night there. Bass, drums, guitar, and a lead singer on a Korg. The keyboards add a nice touch. As Tris McCall would say, having a synth as a lead instrument keeps the songs feeling more open and airy, without being dominated by the lead guitarist's BDARG (big dirty-ass rhythm guitar sound.) He can play it like a piano, an organ, or a synthesizer, giving each song a unique feel. What I like about these guys is that they each bring a different vibe to the group: The guitarist bellows his vocals in a post-metallic roar and plays some ferocious licks, the singer on keyboards has a laidback, witty, erudite vibe, and the drummer is a sweaty, hairy, shirtless monster flailing away as he twirls his drumsticks: James Hetfield meets Randy Newman meets Animal from the Muppets. - Jim Testa - Jersey Beat Magazine
Discography
Upcoming: Kamal 16 (2005)
Photos
Feeling a bit camera shy
Bio
General Dwight D. Eisenhower: The 34th President of the United States. He was a firm believer in the strength of the military, but only used force when necessary. Eisenhower is a peace loving band. They will not, however, hesitate to storm the beaches of American Music with their high energy rock and roll. With Ryan Perea on vocals and guitar, Chris Zaleski on vocals and keys, Gregg Perea on bass, and Tim Muller on drums, the unit functions as a rigorously trained battalion whose specialization is rapid fire attacks on musical boundaries and limitations. By not confining themselves to one easily marketable style of music, they allow their sound to develop naturally. Eisenhower has recently finished their first recording: a four song EP that incorporates a variety of influences. They are currently hard at work on their first self-produced full length album entitled Kamal 16. All the while they remain guided by the immortal words of IKE:
“This world of ours…must avoid becoming a community of dreadful fear and hate, and be, instead, a proud confederation of mutual trust and respect.”
“I think that people want peace so much that one of these days government had better get out of their way and let them have it.”
“Some people wanted champagne and caviar when they should have had beer and hot dogs.”
Eisenhower’s forces have joined with those of the Streetwave movement which is currently establishing bases in Brooklyn and Hollywood in an effort to spread their message of freedom and enjoyment of life. Their home base is a factory in Bushwick, Brooklyn, U.S.A., just down the street from their comrades Plastic East. Together with the rest of the members of the Streetwave, they continue on their mission to spread musical freedom to the East Coast, the West Coast, and soon, the World.
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