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NEVER THE NINES are a contemporary rock trio that is fueled by the stellar ivory tickling of vocalist Charlie. Something of a breeding between U2 and Billy Joel, this band alternates between soul driven hooks and progressively apt refrains with a powerful sense of dynamics and harmony. Their latest three song EP was recorded LIVE on Sirius Satellite Radio and is an amazingly tuneful venture into subtle emotion delivered with stylistic flair. www.neverthenines.com is the place to find out about this fantastic recording.
-Erin Fox
- Erin Fox
Randomville.com – Ohio live music webzine 9.21.06
Midpoint Music Festival 2006 – Day Two
By Mackenzie McAninch
Never The Nines came down from New York and brought a large bag of tricks with them. Sometimes they sounded like they were playing Santana rhythms. Sometimes their guitarist and bassist thrashed about like Flea and John Frusciante. Other times they slowed it down to beat us down with passion. But for most of the time, they had the crowd dancing their butts off while singer/keyboardist Charlie Irwin kept them zoned in with experimental journeys on keyboards. - Randomville.com Ohio Live Music Webzine
Never the Nines (Hoboken, N.J.) Alt Pop
There are three things that make NTN a great band. The first is the virtuoso piano playing and writing of Charlie Irwin, conjuring heartbreak and rapture from the instrument no matter what volume level the band is playing at. Every music fan has their favorite little runs that they feel are so memorable as to be synonymous with the piano. Well, clear your cache, because Irwin has, like, five of those in every song. He is to the ivories what Frank Black is to guitar, making your keyboard heroes seem like hacks. No. 2 is the band's grooves; you could get lost for days inside these monstrous pockets. Bassist Tito and drummer Corby Hewson are either well-schooled or ridiculously experienced players. Finally, Irwin's Jazzy vocal calisthenics are a refreshing break from reserved crooners that abound today. He's not afraid to push his rich voice and never seems to find his limits.
Dig it: Coldplay or Aqualung jamming with Ui (EW - Citybeat - Cincinnati's News and Entertainment Weekly
By DJchallah
Spotlight: Never the Nines
“The extraordinary truth about this life is that nothing is, or can ever be expected to be perfect. It is this overwhelming fact that makes it all so interesting.” -Never the Nines Well, as far as musical perfection is concerned, Never the Nines comes pretty damn close. A perfect nine in fact. Flirting somewhere among raw energy, rock, and aggression, you’ll find Never the Nines: a band with the musical complexity and vocal prowess to effectively monopolize and relish in the human emotion. Do yourself a favor: Check out Apology , Out & Through , Liar and November.
9.13.06
- Amiestreet.com - independent artist website
For some straight rock in the vein of Muse and 90 Day Men, check out the band Never the Nines out of Hoboken, New Jersey. These guys have an excellent grip on exactly what they can do with their instruments, and know when and where to use the highs and lows that they can create with them. There are three songs right here that you can download, and a full length is coming soon.
- -Steve-O - wrankmusic.com
Discography
Live at Sirius Satellite Radio 3 song Live CD - 2003
The State of Things - Debut LP featuring 11 studio tracks. - April 2006
The Barbershop Sessions - 4 song demos recorded with producer Jason Corsaro - September 2006
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Bio
“He will most likely never write normally and he will not be able to play the piano or participate in similar activities requiring full use of the fingers on his right hand”. This is what singer/pianist Charlie Irwin's mother was told after her 2 year old son’s right hand was severely damaged in a freak tractor accident. The skin grafting, nerve damage and scarring were not enough, however, to keep her from aiding him with her own form of physical therapy. It was at the piano that she helped the toddler build strength in his hand.
Charlie would not sit down to write on the piano until 15 years later. It was then, not so ironically, that he found his reason.
In spring of 2003, Charlie called upon his best friends and skilled players Tito and Corby Hewson to form a band. “It was clear from the moment I started writing some of these song ideas that this would not be a solo project,” said singer/pianist Charlie Irwin. “Never the Nines is based around diversity of mind and the natural democracy of music. Where is the adventure in doing things according to one specific set of rules? It’s the combination of each individual’s insight and discipline that makes this music what it is”.
Since the bands first rehearsal, they have written 3 albums worth of music, released a professional full length album independently (1000 copies since April, 2006) and played at high profile events such as Bamboozle 2006 at The Meadowlands in New Jersey and The Midpoint Music Festival in Cincinnati, Ohio.
In the summer of 2006, Never the Nines ended a yearlong search for a fourth member. Austin Briggs joined the band on guitar and in various other roles.
With the group finally complete, Never the Nines is prepared to move their highly emotional and universal music to the masses. With the music business so focused on fads and short-term products, legends must be dug for and discovered. Never the Nines makes legendary music. Music that our children’s children will be listening to on antiques called mp3 players.
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