Haybaby

Two nights later it was out again to Brooklyn Bowl and the 1.21 Gigawatts Issue Four Release Party. Opening the show was the always loveable Haybaby. Leslie, Sam and Zach looked and sounded great on the big stage of Brooklyn Bowl. The audience was totally into it! - Dave Cromwell Writes

Two nights later it was out again to Brooklyn Bowl and the 1.21 Gigawatts Issue Four Release Party. Opening the show was the always loveable Haybaby. Leslie, Sam and Zach looked and sounded great on the big stage of Brooklyn Bowl. The audience was totally into it! - Dave Cromwell Writes

Haybaby is a Brooklyn based indie rock band who sounds like a blend of the Pixies and the Brian Jonestown Massacre with a boost of soul. Leslie Hong posseses a strong and impressive singing voice dispite her small stature. The band also consists of Zachary Ellis from the notorious local cult band, Steer and Sam Jacoff who is an emerging local NYC singer/songwriter.

Haybaby is an energetic and entertaining indie rock band who brings laughter and great fun by exuding a lighthearted stage presense. - The Examiner

Coed local trio Haybaby does a rousing kind of punk cabaret, like Shilpa Ray fronting a sludgy psych-blues combo. Weird and magnetic stuff, say we. - Time Out New York

Coed local trio Haybaby does a rousing kind of punk cabaret, like Shilpa Ray fronting a sludgy psych-blues combo. Weird and magnetic stuff, say we. - Time Out New York

The show started out strong with a fresh injection of the trio Haybaby, fronted by the petite spirited spitfire Leslie Hong, who despite saying she felt nervous, scorched on guitar just as much as she wailed on the mic, and propelled through with heavy firepower also given in spades by the rhythm section of Zach Ellis and Sam Yield. It was my first experience hearing them, but they are quite a joy to rock out to, and I hope to hear more from them. - Dean Keim

4 piece punky soul band Haybaby have leaked out of the cracks and I am more than ready to scoop them up. There is something about a this band that just gets me. I narrowed it down to the simplicity. There is nothing that gets in the way and you can feel that raw energy moving right into your veins. It’s just my luck that tonight (Feb 8) they are playing a show at Cake Shop and since I just learned of their existence, I am obviously not present. Mark my words, I’ll be front and center at their next show. - The Sour Mash

4 piece punky soul band Haybaby have leaked out of the cracks and I am more than ready to scoop them up. There is something about a this band that just gets me. I narrowed it down to the simplicity. There is nothing that gets in the way and you can feel that raw energy moving right into your veins. It’s just my luck that tonight (Feb 8) they are playing a show at Cake Shop and since I just learned of their existence, I am obviously not present. Mark my words, I’ll be front and center at their next show. - The Sour Mash

New musical discoveries are so much fun. I recently found out about Brooklyn based post punk rock band Haybaby. A great introduction to them is posted below. It is a link to a live studio session on BreakThruRado. As I listened to this great music I thought of pioneering bands like The Talking Heads and the related Tom Tom Club as well a bit of the Pixies and Yuck. Their songs are sonically diverse but always sewn together by heavy- well composed bass lines. Guitarist / sometimes drummer Leslie Hong's vocals can disarm you in about 3 seconds. She has a cute and crazy undertone with melodies that masterfully dance from strident - to pretty - to on the edge of dissonance. There is the breezy punkish beauty of Mad Girls Love Song to the quirky yet sonically explosive My Mother Tells Me were she sings "I'm shivering because I'm scared of things that grow like love and... mold" in a distant self reflective "koo koo" sort of way as the song pumps slowly around her only to burst into big glorious rockish breaks. I love the dynamics in this song.

As much as I am having in instant crush on Leslie's vocals, I would not specifically say she is the lead vocalist as the drummer / sometimes guitarist Zach Ellis pops up in many of the songs. In Noodles, he sings "I don't need, need, need, need, need, need, need, need you.... there's a needle, needle, needle, needle, needle, needle, needle in you..." amidst a very sweet punchy music bed as Leslie provides an array of harmonious and contra-posing vocal lines. This song, in particular, has an art rock feel in that aforementioned Talking Heads vein. It is as quirky as it is catchy and the lyrics (as potent as a bottle of Jack Daniels) could be swallowed straight or with a dash of metaphors.

Yeerks ("Sometimes, I'm nervous but mostly I'm crazy") moves so well. Babies is a silly sock hoppish slow punk dance and deliciously fun. Summertime with Zach on guitar /vocals and Leslie on the drums is a bit of garden rock that makes me think of Woodstock and Lou Reed. Wash You starts with an almost porch blues rock feel as Leslie croons with a fair amount of punch drunk swagger, "Wash your dirty face girl, glance your dirty hands. Go put in your eyes girl, start taking commands. You... just written on my wrists... my viens were cold and dry. Your ear against my hollow chest... a desert in my eyes. All my words have left me... mouth thick with useless tongue. An empty brain and shrinking skull directs my breathless lung."
Soon after... all Hell breaks loose.

Haybaby is a band to get excited about. - American Pancake

The influence that Brooklyn has on the music we listen to is undeniable. As I take a step away from the hustle and bustle of a work trip I feel compelled to cover what is going on here tonight. As I scour the NYC scene a band with the name Haybaby grabs my attention. As I sit in my hotel introducing Haybaby to you I sense a certain emerging buzz. Spreading like a kindergarten classroom illness, from this blog to many, Haybaby has the genes to bust on the scene.

Haybaby is a garage rock trio that rides on heavy overtones and the vocals of Leslie Hong. Track, “Wash You” is the pick me up off the floor and slap me in the face wake-up call that we all love to be reminded of. This song is a genuine plea for change with the comforting support of rock n roll. Keep it on repeat. - Thought on Tracks

The influence that Brooklyn has on the music we listen to is undeniable. As I take a step away from the hustle and bustle of a work trip I feel compelled to cover what is going on here tonight. As I scour the NYC scene a band with the name Haybaby grabs my attention. As I sit in my hotel introducing Haybaby to you I sense a certain emerging buzz. Spreading like a kindergarten classroom illness, from this blog to many, Haybaby has the genes to bust on the scene.

Haybaby is a garage rock trio that rides on heavy overtones and the vocals of Leslie Hong. Track, “Wash You” is the pick me up off the floor and slap me in the face wake-up call that we all love to be reminded of. This song is a genuine plea for change with the comforting support of rock n roll. Keep it on repeat. - Thought on Tracks

HAYBABY: not just a bunch of garage rock babes! They bring sludge to a new level and mix that into some really sweet songs! Their songs are jams and do exactly what they need to get people to croon and no more! Also Sam, Zach, and Leslie are super fun and chill peeps! Buy them drinks and they will entertain the shit out of you! - DIY Brooklyn

HAYBABY: not just a bunch of garage rock babes! They bring sludge to a new level and mix that into some really sweet songs! Their songs are jams and do exactly what they need to get people to croon and no more! Also Sam, Zach, and Leslie are super fun and chill peeps! Buy them drinks and they will entertain the shit out of you! - DIY Brooklyn