The Americans
New York City, New York, United States
Music
Press
"You can dance to it. You can drive to it. You can really, really like it even halfway through the first song."
http://www.nylonmag.com/?parid=1651§ion=article - NYLON MAGAZINE 6/12/08
"Together, they have created a wonderfully strong collection of catchy pop melodies that are as danceable as their lyrics are"
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4T78QWLA2U8/SKxzFo1z7-I/AAAAAAAABRM/c50MFnb3OGI/s1600-h/Picture+2.png - selfportrait.net 8/19/08
“OK, so I really haven't been inspired by anything lately until I got an email delivered from the heavens.The Americans, though vaguely named, know exactly the type of music they want to make. The combination of styles will make your head hurt, but damn if they don't perfectly mesh. The Americans, lead by Charlie Klarsfeld, are a bit RnB, a bit old school doo-wop, a bit indie pop, and whole lotta awesome. Their songs are filled with hooks from start to finish. They're one of those bands that you know you're going to love 30 seconds into.
December Blues starts with a catchy saloon piano, horns, and a lush background of ooohs and ahhhs. The song has so many layers that work so well together. It suddenly takes a turn in the middle when all the instruments take a break for some vocals and hand claps. And One Night Stand is a danceable ditty with its bouncy piano. Honestly The Americans are a complex band with outstanding melodies and multi-layered talent. Their self-titled EP is on iTunes. Grab it and let's build the buzz.”
http://diggingfordays.blogspot.com/ - Digging for Days 5/20/09
The eight-piece New York City band The Americans is scheduled to play Friday, April 24th at Beta. Headed by Bard sophomore and ex- Hysteric Charlie Klarsfeld, The Americans in their current form assembled earlier this year and have since put out a four-song EP. We took a minute to talk to Charlie to find out how The Americans came to be and where they’re going…
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Method Life: So how and when did The Americans form?
Charlie Klarsfeld: Well, I started the band in October of 2007 and only one of that original group remains. I finally got the current group together at the beginning of this year, but I had already started writing and recording songs and playing shows to build up a fan base.
ML: Do you write all of your songs?
CK: Well, at the beginning I sort of arranged everything, but with the current group it has definitely become more of a collaborative effort. There are eight of us though, and a lot of us are song-writers and strong creative minds, so sometimes I have to sort of direct things. Even scheduling a rehearsal can be hectic.
ML: How did you end up booking a show here at Wesleyan?
CK: We’ve wanted to play here for a long time, so we’re really excited. Some of the guys from the band that is set to open for us, Il Bastardo, go to Bard with me and know some Beta brothers, so that’s how the show came together. We heard that a lot of shows were going to be canceled at Wesleyan recently though, so I’m glad this worked out.
ML: How would you describe your music and who would you consider to be your main influences?
CK: Definitely Stevie Wonder, Phil Spector and basically anything Phil Spector has touched…acts like the Crystals, for instance. All Motown stuff, The Supremes…you’ll see in the show tomorrow that our new stuff has a lot of Motown influence.
ML: You have an EP on itunes now. Any chance of a full album in the future?
CK: Yeah, I mean we’ve recorded a lot of stuff and gotten the chance to work with a ton of people. I went to the same music school as one of the members of the Dap-Kings (the funk/soul house band of Daptone Records who played on Amy Winehouse’s record and now play with vocalist Sharon Jones), so we got to play with them. We’ve had the opportunity to work with Mark Ronson and also ended up recording a song with Sean Lennon. So we have material, but it’s sort of all over the place. We can’t wait to put together a full album, it’s just a matter of getting everything together and getting the funding we need.
Their show kicks off tomorrow at 11 pm, with a $3 cover at the door. All proceeds will go to Diabetes Happens, a non-for-profit organization founded by Beta’s Tyler Byrne ’09, which aims to “promote a positive and pro-active outlook on life with diabetes.” - METHODlife 4/24/09
Discography
The Americans EP
"One Night Stand" played on 101.9 RXP FM in NYC
Photos
Bio
After listening to The Americans EP, almost speechless, Mark Ronson simply told the 19 year old singer/songwriter Charlie Klarsfeld, “You’re a bad boy.”
Who are the Americans! Klarsfeld’s brainchild appropriates a pastiche of pop influences to form something entirely new. Not strictly an R&B, Garage Rock, Doo-Wop, Funk, Blues or Dance group, Klarsfeld writes intensely personal pop songs in a palatable manner. His songwriting has already inspired established musicians to lend their hands in the realization of his visionary musical undertakings. Sean Lennon’s production of “Requiem” adds an air of tragedy to the song. The Dap Kings horn section (Amy Winehouse, Mark Ronson, Al Green) arranged by producer Jeff Peretz gives a classic soul feel to the lover’s dialogue taking place in the duets “Sleeptalking” and “Talking to Strangers,” featuring the smoky R&B vocals of singer Julia Tepper (solo artist, Frances). The songs catch your attention from the outset, maybe because beneath the layered instrumentals is a melodic base that enables the experimental production to breathe without obscuring the listener’s attention.
Klarsfeld’s music grips the audience with baroque multilayered tracks where every bell chime seems to have a purpose, married with literary lyrics delving deeply into his own consciousness. While Klarsfeld’s privileged New York City background (not to mention being signed to V2 at 16 years old with Hysterics) could have limited his lyric depth, he yearns to negotiate his intense romantic sensibility with the superficial world he inhabits with a sense of malaise. This struggle in many ways seems to be the source of his restlessness that propels his musical ambition, and complicates his lyrical output enough to toil with over and over.
While there have been many amalgamations of the band in the short time since their arrival on the musical scene at Santo’s Party House, the heart and soul of the band (Klarsfeld and Tepper) at last have the backing of classically trained musicians to evolve the band rather than inhibit it. Along with Tepper, the beautiful Sissy Clemens helps with the principal vocals. The Texan singer/songwriter Matt Sheffer takes the reigns on the keyboard sections and also hailing from Texas, Corey Dozier plays bass with uncommon virtuosity and energy. Jazz composer Kyle Olson fervently bangs with drums, against the backdrop of a classically trained brass section, with Paul Brana on the trumpet and John Stanesco on the saxophone. The band ranges from twenty to twenty four year olds, with musical snob roots, uniting for the common purpose of making great pop records and putting on mind/body/soul blowing shows.
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