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From the start the band was on top of their game last night. The songs were crisp, clear, and wonderfully lush, the band was playful with a packed crowd, and it seemed everyone was having a great time watching a hometown band making good. The set was full of fantastic tunes, including "Fifteen" and "Had It All" which have been posted on this site before.
Overall it was a nice performance and it shows that the band is making great strides in improving and expanding it's pop sound. Live it sounds great, and I'm expecting this band to make a huge leap any day now. - Pop Tarts Suck Toasted
e all have our stereotypes about different New York boroughs. The elite Manhattanites counter the hipsters from Brooklyn, while Queens conjures up family life and the Bronx, well, conjures up much different images. Needless to say these stereotypes are often squashed by a quick visit. So how should we judge Staten Islanders? Many of us got a taste of the tiny borough in Brooklyn Saturday night, as a few top-notch bands from Staten Island took over Galapagos. I came to the realization that the borough is far from what I pictured. In fact, Staten Islanders are a lot like us!
My favorite act from the night, which was put together by SI's premiere blogger Pop Tarts Suck Toasted and the AWE section of the Staten Island Advance, was local favorites The Heavenly Tenants . Fronted by the boy/girl vocals of Greg Swanson and Emily Taubler, the band creates a perfect combination of quirky indie rock that isn't derivative, or pretentious. What it is, as exemplified by Saturday night's show, is a whole lot of fun from start to finish, even in spite of technical difficulties. It was nice to see a girl rock out just as hard, if not harder than the boys. Combined with Rory Merola (Dead Rabbit) and Marissa Ciannella (Captain Ahab and the Sea Crackens) on drum and bass respectively, their live show is one not to be missed.
Lucky for you, the band has a bunch of shows coming up, in all boroughs. My suggestion? Take the (free) ferry to Staten Island to catch the band at Martini Red on May 23. You'll never notice you left Brooklyn.
- LimeWire Music Blog
The first band of the night was The Heavenly Tenants, a Staten Island four piece that absolutely sparkled despite being the first band to tackle the heat of the back room. No matter how hot it was in the back, The Heavenly Tenants were hotter, pounding out a 30-minute set that seemed way too short. The music is excellent as it blends melodic pop with some aspects of the noisier alternative world. It's a perfect medley, especially with their adorable front couple handling the harmonies. I don't say this much about Staten Island bands, because let's face it I'm biased and most aren't refined enough just yet, but I really think this band could make quite a splash on the indie scene in the very near future. I'm sure I'll have more on them in the future, but keep checking their site for the stage they'll be playing next and check them out!
- Pop Tarts Suck Toasted
Locals will recognize Greg Swanson from S.I. punk band The Amber Jets and Emily Taubler from indie pop band The Outskirts, so it's no surprise that the two musicians' new collaboration is impressively put together -- even though it's different from past efforts. The melodic duo's songs, reminiscent of early rock 'n' roll as well as newer influences like The New Pornographers and Stereolab, were born as demos with programmed drums and simple guitars, but have now been fleshed out for the live setting with the help of oh-so-familiar musicians Rory Merola (Dead Rabbit) and Marissa Ciannella (Murray). The warm, energetic pop music with guy-gal vocals busts out next from the back room of Martini Red tonight. - SILive.com
From the start the band was on top of their game last night. The songs were crisp, clear, and wonderfully lush, the band was playful with a packed crowd, and it seemed everyone was having a great time watching a hometown band making good. The set was full of fantastic tunes, including "Fifteen" and "Had It All" which have been posted on this site before.
Overall it was a nice performance and it shows that the band is making great strides in improving and expanding it's pop sound. Live it sounds great, and I'm expecting this band to make a huge leap any day now. - Pop Tarts Suck Toasted
Discography
Forthcoming LP "Universal Crimes of the Heart"
Tracks streaming at http://www.myspace.com/theheavenlytenants & AOL music.com
Photos
Bio
Influenced by bands such as The Pixies, The Apples in Stereo, Superchunk, and The New Pornographers, The Heavenly Tenants exude excitement and zeal while delivering a delightfully magnetic sound. Cleverly blending the old and the new, The Heavenly Tenants prove to be a well balanced dynamic between pop and punk laced with a garage rock indie sound. Abrasive and hauntingly enchanting melodies are created with crunching and clean guitars, driving beats, and a charmingly distinct interplay of male/female vocals. Bittersweet and defiant lyrics are delivered with exuberance and wit, while intriguing and unforgettable melodies produce a novel and captivating sound. Sporadically programmed beats, keyboards, and moog synthesizers provide an unexpected electronic twist on an old school indie tradition, allowing The Heavenly Tenants to avoid the many clichés having the tendency to trap bands in one particular genre. As they perform both electric and acoustic shows, The Heavenly Tenants are constantly expanding their live and sonic abilities.
For many years, Greg and Emily had admired one another’s musical abilities and accomplishments. Since 1995, Greg had been the guitarist and singer for the popular New York based pop-punk band, The Amber Jets (formerly Darien), and had successfully toured both Europe and Japan. Emily had been making her music known throughout the NY/NJ area with her former indie-pop band, The Outskirts, and also with occasional acoustic shows. It wasn’t until early 2006 that the two singer/songwriters combined their talents to form what is now known as The Heavenly Tenants.
Initially, Greg and Emily recorded their songs during weekends at Greg’s home studio. They mixed guitars, keyboards, and vocals with electronically programmed beats and created music they thought worthy of pursuing. The addition of drummer, Rory, and bassist, Marissa, made it possible for The Heavenly Tenants to play live and truly develop their innovative sound.
The Heavenly Tenants are currently recording their debut full length album.
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