Honeycut
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Honeycut

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Music

The best kept secret in music

Press


"Honeycut at Treasure Island festival 9/15/07"

Bay Area electro funk act Honeycut seduced concertgoers early in the day from the Tunnel Stage, oozing a cool cat aesthetic that seemed sourced from vintage keyboardist Hervé Salters and new collaborator Etienne du Rocher on bass, and treating the audience to their Apple iMac commercial hit "Exodus Honey" and a harmonica-tastic closing cover of "Last Night a DJ Saved My Life." Some seemed a little thrown by vocalist Bart Davenport's third person point of view ("This song's by Honeycut! Thanks for listening to Honeycut!"), but his "I'm walking on one of those airport people movers" dance moves and unexpected art history movement abbreviation ("This song has a Renaissance vibe. You hip to Ren Fair?") on the synth-flute special "Protégé" won them back.

-Melissa Goldstein - Spin.com


"Honeycut live at V Festival Toronto, CAN 9/9/07"

San Francisco Bay’s Honeycut showed Toronto how to rock and dance
By: Sheena Lyonnais
Sept 14, 2007

California’s retro inspired rockers Honeycut said goodbye to rock and roll and instead instigated their own genre of rock and dance at their Canadian debut at Toronto’s Virgin Festival last weekend. Their blend of disco rock and hip hop drew influences from blues, the early British mod invasion and 70s denim bellbottoms in a fashion that had the audience simultaneously bopping and head banging.

There’s something refreshing about a band so innovative and unique even the band members aren’t entirely sure how to describe their sound. Equipped without any guitars, a somewhat space-like bass sound, a drum machine, a break dancing keyboardist and arguably the most engaging front man in contemporary rock and roll, Honeycut chose to describe themselves in terms of desserts rather than genres, perhaps speaking volumes to their personality.

“We’re like an Oreo cookie dipped inside a big old batch of peanut butter, thrown into a garbage can full of salsa with whipped cream all sprayed on the top, a cherry twist, a piece of lemon twist and that’s pretty much it,” joked singer Bart Davenport.

All kidding aside, the mosaic that is Honeycut is simply addicting. Davenport lures the audience in with his uncanny stage presence and dance moves that have previously been compared to the likes of Mick Jagger. Despite their unusual lineup, Honeycut’s music is undeniably awesome and the industry has taken notice.

Although better suited for an iPod advertisement, their song Exodus Honey is currently featured on a commercial for the new iMacs. England has also taken a liking to the band, so much so that both a single and the album will be released there before it is even debuted in their neighbours to the north.

“The actual line up of instruments that we play our songs with and this type of song writing with this instrumentation isn’t really being done by anyone else,” Davenport said.

Perhaps this is directly related to their unusual influences and Davenport’s atypical musical debut. He attended Malcolm X grade school in Berkeley, California as a child and performed in a choir comprised primarily of black students, introducing him to rhythm and blues. As a teenager he became interested in the British mod movement, imitating and appropriating both their sound and stage moves into his personal style.

The dance moves are part of the appeal. Drawing inspiration from reruns of What’s Happening and Soul Train, Iggy Pop, Tom Jones and even Fred Astaire, Davenport has learned to use his movements to command the stage.

If the European audience responds well to the single Shadows, a UK tour may be in order. Following that the band hopes to return to Canada, potentially as early as January and possibly at the Mod Club.

Although akin to their native warmer Californian weather, bassist Etienne de Rocher said they will embrace poutine and snowstorms for their Canadian fans.

“We will brave the cold for you Canada,” he said.
A Canadian release date for the album has not yet been set, but to temporarily satisfy your retro rock cravings check out their Myspace page at http://www.myspace.com/honeycutmusic .


By: Sheena Lyonnais
Sept 14, 2007 - Toronto Music Scene.ca


Discography

'The Day I Turned To Glass' LP (Quannum Projects)

Photos

Feeling a bit camera shy

Bio

CONTACT// SARAH LANDY// 347.721.3969// sarah@quannum.com

>> HONEYCUT HITS THE FESTIVAL CIRCUIT IN 2007
WITH PERFORMNACES AT BUMBERSHOOT, DOWNLOAD FESTIVAL & VIRGIN FESTIVAL TORONTO

>> “EXODUS HONEY” FEATURED IN THE NEW APPLE IMAC COMMERCIALS!!

>> DEBUT ALBUM – THE DAY I TURNED TO GLASS – OUT NOW ON QUANNUM PROJECTS!

After kicking off the 2007 with awe-striking sets at SXSW and NOISE POP,
HONEYCUT hit the fall festival circuit with performances at BUMBERSHOOT (Sept 1 @ Seattle
Center), DOWNLOAD FESTIVAL CHICAGO (Sept 2 @ Charter One Pavilion), the VIRGIN FESTIVAL
Toronto (Sept 9 @ Toronto Centre Island), the TREASURE ISLAND FESTIVAL (Sept 15 @ Treasure
Island, SF) and SAN DIEGO STREET SCENE (Sept 22 @ Del Mar Fairgrounds). In June they performed
at the influential LIVE 105 BFD Festival (Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountainview, CA).

The Bay Area-based trio’s live show is simply exhilarating. Honeycut serves up their unique blend of rock, electronica, funk and soul, completely live before your eyes. French keyboard wonder RV Salters
moves about his vintage keys like an over-caffeinated Herbie Hancock -- singer Bart Davenport works
the room his soulful croon and Jagger-esque moves -- drum programmer Tony Sevener drums up beats
on the MPC 100% live -- and they are joined by Etienne de Rocher on bass.

Honeycut sounds like “Emotional Rescue”-era Rolling Stones brewed with Motown vibes of Al Green and Shuggie Otis and contemporary influences of Massive Attack, DJ Shadow and Phoenix.

Honeycut released their debut album -- The Day I Turned To Glass -- on Quannum Projects in the fall
2006. The infectious single “Shadows” garnered early support from commercial radio stations
including LIVE 105, KROQ and Indie 103, while the album held down the #1 spot on college stations
such as KALX Berkeley for several weeks.
Many have been exposed to Honeycut via KCRW: the
album steadily topped the top 50 albums chart, and the station showcased Honeycut on their CMJ lineup
and invited them in the studio to perform on Morning Becomes Eclectic.

KIDS UK, home of The Wombats and Band of Horses, is releasing “Shadows” across the pond this October.
Honeycut’s song “Exodus Honey” is featured in the new Apple iMac commercials.

MTV has also taken note, and featured the song “The Day I Turned To Glass” in promos in between programming, which ran through the month of May. Prior to Honeycut, MTV has set up these “Music Environments” with bands such as Tokyo Police Club, The Cold War Kids and Los Abandoned.

In 2007 Honeycut has shared stages with artists such as Cake, Jarvis Cocker, Teddybears, Lady
Sovereign, Cornelius, Ghostland Observatory and Greyboy Allstars. All would agree that Honeycut is
a must-see live act.

For live dates:
http://www.quannum.com & http://www.myspace.com/honeycutmusic.

PRESS PAGE: http://www.quannum.com/site/press2006/Honeycut
LOGIN: press
PASSWORD: pr3552007

MYSPACE: http://www.myspace.com/honeycutmusic

AllMusic.com/ live review @ BUMBERSHOOT
http://wm05.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=63:06

SPIN.com/ live review @ Treasure Island Festival
http://www.spin.com/treasureisland/2007/09/070917_day_one/

Toronto Music Scene/ live review @ VFEST Toronto
http://www.torontomusicscene.ca/interviews/san-francisco-bay-s-honeycut-showed-toronto-how-to-rock-and.html

PERFORMING LIVE - SXSW:
http://sxsw2007.imeem.com/video/H1jWMOZZ/honeycut_performing_shadows_at_the_sf_x_sxsw_showcase/

PERFORMING LIVE - KCRW/ MORNING BECOMES ECLECTIC
http://www.kcrw.com/music/programs/mb/mb061204honeycut

FEATURED ALBUM REVIEW - THE CALIFORNIA REPORT (KQED)
http://www.californiareport.org/domains/californiareport/archive/R610201630/e?action=success

"This Bay Area combo – featuring manic Frenchy synth guy Hervé "RV" Salters (General Elektriks), whose frantic footwork rivaled his killer brand of keyboard massacre – is a four-man nod to Parliament, Funkadelic, Earth, Wind & Fire, the Chemical Bros and Air. - AUSTIN CHRONICLE, (LIVE REVIEW SXSW)

“The band effortlessly mixes soul, funk and bossa nova with frenetic beats to great effect”
- FILTER, DEC 2006

"On the group's debut album, Salters plays the role of maestro, skillfully using synthesizers to jump from one
soundscape to the next, and "Tough Kid" features vocalist Davenport singing silky falsetto lines over his bandmate's
pounding synth arrangement. Meanwhile, "Crowed Avenue" sounds as though Stevie Wonder's clavinet has been
resurrected and re-imagined, this time accompanied by a crispy beat courtesy of Sevener, who prefers the MPC to
the drum kit." - SPIN.com, SEPT 25, 2006 (ARTIST OF THE DAY)

" Why they should make it big: The group's brand of funky dance-pop is blistering hot in 2007, thanks in large part to
the overwhelming success of such like-minded acts as the Gorillaz and Gnarls Barkley. In fact, Honeycut -- which
consists of vocalist Bart Davenport, keyboardist/sample-wiz