Music
Press
"Those of us who grew up listening to Pantera, Tribe Called Quest, Bob Marley, Deee-lite, and the Dead Kennedys all on the same mix tape won't want to miss Honeycreeper, a funky, sexy mish-mash of all those genres. Leading lady and songstress Mandy Beck plays sax with a vengeance and her boys bring the funk."
- The Portland Phoenix
"They groove like there's no tomorrow and they rock like mad. Honeycreeper can go from a laid-back groove to an all-out aural assault so quick they'll knock your socks off. There were many musical moments during their set when Honeycreeper got things sounding sexy, sweaty, dirty and downright nasty. However, Honeycreeper never lost sight of what is truly important - the songs. Honeycreeper's songs sound familiar, yet they remained unique and special. Most importantly, they were ridiculously fun! At this point, it would be easy for me to say something like "Honeycreeper is destined to be the next big thing." But I won't say that. I wouldn't want to jinx them. What I will say is that they have great songs, strong instrumentation and put on a wickedly fun show. They have a wonderful pop-sensibility while simultaneously being offbeat, wacky and eclectic. In my opinion, this fresh, young band is the total package. Although they are new to the scene, and they are still growing, they won't disappoint. Do yourself a favor and check this band out before they're huge. Trust me, you'll be glad you did."
- www.jambase.com
"Albany-based Honeycreeper revives the odd concept that alt-rock doesn't have to whine and self-possess. This hard-working quartet-a perfect blend of accomplished musicians, tight songwriting, and a stage-ready front woman/saxophonist-becomes more polished with every show. Promoting. a roster of shows from New York City to New England, they return to fulfill the promise of "Next Big Thing."
- Chronogram
"Honeycreeper is described as a "dirty, nasty, sexy, sweaty, high-energy rock band that's funky as hell!" The sound is seasoned liberally with punk, ska, hip-hop, metal, tribal and reggae. Honeycreeper is fronted by a female singer/saxophone player, Mandy Beck, who's vocal style ranges from James Brown to James Hetfield, backed by a funked-up, amped-up rhythm section and hard rocking guitar playing. The band is currently touring in support of their new CD, Freakqualizer, which showcases their eclectic mix of musical styles."
- Freetime Magazine
"The opening of Honeycreeper’s Freakqualizer grabs your attention with a jazz-infused rhythm that rages straight out of Mandy Beck’s saxophone. But when the multitalented Beck’s voice joins the fun, you’re suddenly jolted into taking a second listen. Shouldn’t be surprising, then, that the track is entitled “Your Voice”. Honeycreeper do not need to rely solely on the strength of this kick-ass lead female singer/saxophonist, though; their personalized approach is enough to latch on to your eardrums and hold on tightly throughout the rest of the album. By “The Man”, you’re probably thinking this band is certainly rocking your iPod and would probably be even more gratifying live. The punk, ska, hip hop, and reggae blend together for a sound that is eccentric, catchy and ultimately entertaining."
- Face Magazine
“Honeycreeper is the shit, plain and simple. From the first track, “Your Voice,” you know that this CD will be like nothing you’ve ever heard before. This is a disc jam-packed with styles, solos, energy, and fun. I definitely recommend seeing these guys and picking up a copy of Freakqualizer.”
- Todd Springer for CTSka.com
- CTSka.com
“Bringing together influences from all over the musical spectrum with a dynamic female lead… Honeycreeper is one of the most fiercely original groups in the current music scene.”
- Gutterman for TeamScene.com
- TeamScene.com
The members of Albany-area alternative rock outfit Honeycreeper are nothing if not ambitious: atop a pneumatic punk-funk base, the energetic foursome pile on weighty slabs of hip hop, reggae, hard rock and 1990’s American ska. And it’s proven to be a winning recipe, making the act a frequent club favorite locally and up and down the East Coast. “Freakqualizer,” Honeycreeper’s debut album, is a sharply produced, impressively realized first effort that, quite loudly and literally, screams out for college and alternative radio airplay.
- Daily Freeman
Discography
Freakqualizer - Planet A Records - 2005
Photos
Feeling a bit camera shy
Bio
HONEYCREEPER GETS “FREAKY” WITH YOUR EARHOLES
It’s been over a year since Honeycreeper’s three-song demo – which has been circulating hand-to-hand among music fans, artists, and musicians, in all-ages venues, colleges, galleries, bars and clubs of the band’s upstate NY home-base as well as their adopted hometown of NYC – was recorded. In the meantime, Honeycreeper has played shows and rocked stages throughout the Northeast and beyond. So, when it came time to record its first, full-length album, one of the band’s main goals was to capture their live show energy on tape. For Honeycreeper, their new album “Freakqualizer” is not only the product of an intense nine days in the studio capturing that energy, but also the culmination of distinct life experiences and a wide variety of musical influences.
“There’s not one specific thing that makes Honeycreeper what it is”, claims Mandy Beck, who is the front woman, saxophonist, and lyricist of the band. “We are an eclectic mix of different styles- mainly punk, funk, and ska- and each song has its own distinct personality.” And, while it is true that the band mashes a bunch of different musical styles on this record (usually within the same song) as one reviewer put it, “Honeycreeper never loses sight of what is truly important - the songs.”
A recurring theme in Honeycreeper’s music is the idea of dichotomy- the existence of two contrasting ideas that combine to make a balance (think Yin & Yang). “Lyrically, our songs are about some serious life shaping events, like growing up with my father’s alcoholism, as well as religion and morality, but the music is very up-beat and positive with a strong punk undertone. This is very much our personality. We have gone through hard times, everybody does, but we figure there’s no use being whiney or negative about it.” Beck says, smiling. “On the other hand, we have songs about everyday things like love and not wanting to go to work in the morning, but these songs also have the Honeycreeper spin on it. For example, our big love song, “These Days” starts with the lyric ‘Punching people in the brain.’”
When listening to Honeycreeper, it would be hard not to notice the musical aggression of Mandy Beck, who grew up listening to female musicians who were far more demure than their peers. Beck elaborates, “I hope I can be a positive role-model for female musicians. I’ve spent the past 5 years teaching music as my day job and practicing my butt off to be the kind of player that deserves to be respected as a musician, period, not just a female musician. At the risk of sounding sexist, I strongly believe that females would have a more prominent role in music if they spent less time primping and more time practicing. I hope to spread the word to girls everywhere that you don’t need to be a man to play music with balls!”
Graduating from The Crane School of Music (as a Bassoon major) and taking lessons for many years, Mandy Beck is as serious as they come about music, but is known to be as silly as they come about most everything else. It is no surprise that she has teamed up with a drummer known mysteriously as El Mustango, who has been playing and studying drums for over 15 years yet still finds time to search for lowbrow art on eBay, collect Pez dispensers and often plays his drums without any pants on. Complimenting the duo is bassist Sean Fortune, who not only was impressive enough on his instrument to join the band at age 16, but also came to the realization that “poop” spelled backwards is still “poop”. Fortune confides, “I feel really lucky not only to find musicians that I click with musically, but people who are as sick and demented as I am.” Rounding the band out is newcomer Seth Fisher, Honeycreeper’s guitarist and resident ball-buster. Honeycreeper’s good-natured and off-the-wall sense of humor not only comes through in their music and live shows, but also in their entertaining website and emails. This helps to make Honeycreeper a particularly endearing band.
It’s not just Honeycreeper’s sense of humor that keeps people interested, but there amped-up live show as well. "They groove like there's no tomorrow and they rock like mad. Honeycreeper can go from a laid-back groove to an all-out aural assault so quick they'll knock your socks off…” is how one journalist explained a Honeycreeper live experience. Hoping to keep the performer/audience connection strong, one of Honeycreeper’s main goals was for “Freakqualizer” to capture the “live” Honeycreeper experience. “Our main influences are very energetic and dynamic performers on stage, and not only do we strive to be like that ourselves when we play live, but we also wanted that vibe on the album”, explains El Mustango. With screaming sax solos, tight and funky grooves, vocals ranging from James Brown to James Hetfield, and serious hard rocking guitar solos, the album does seem to truly embody Honeycreeper’s high energy and eclectic
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