After nearly three years of crowd-roiling shows, plus multiple attempts at recording, basement band releases its anticipated debut album: a polished compilation of the group's best live songs to date.
basement band was founded when longtime friends and musical collaborators Jeff Malinowski (guitar, vocals) and John Durgee (drums, vocals) moved to Brooklyn in 2005. The duo began performing their folk-rock-influenced songs in venues throughout NYC, and fortuitously fell into a group of talented young musicians reviving country music’s Honky Tonk tradition at the Lower East Side’s Living Room. Performing there and at various other New York venues ever since, the band retained its harmony-driven, alt.country feel while its size—and sound—expanded. The outfit now floods the stage six musicians strong, with Amal Bouhabib’s honey-drenched vocals, James Preston’s cadenced bass, Patrick Hay’s prodigious guitar and Bryan Trenis’s organ accompaniment often augmenting their original sound to a fever pitch.
In the summer of 2007, basement band began recording their debut album the way most NYC groups do: In a cramped Manhattan studio, laying down tracks individually (guitars first, then drums, then bass). But created track by track, the band found that their songs lacked the “live” feel so essential to their sound. So after finding a recording studio large enough for them all to track together in Woodstock, NY, the musicians quit the city for a weekend trip. There, the album’s ten songs were all re-recorded. With basic tracks in hand, the band returned to Brooklyn to add some finishing touches (vocal harmonies, percussion), but purposely left the tracks bare enough so that the recordings retained their live sound. The resulting album, “until the evening came” is a stirring mix of barn-splintering rock and heartbreaking country ballads.
basement band’s songs have been likened to Harvest-era Neil Young, or Wilco, though their unique style filters from the group’s component parts: a strong musical proficiency (full, knitted harmonies, tight arrangements), peppered with arcs of influence like Keith Richards slide-guitar, Dylan-esque harmonica solos and Fleetwood Mac-like layered vocals. This combination of instrumental mastery and soulful intuition result in a polished and spontaneous rock band whose modern lyrics add relevance to melodies reminiscent of classic rock standards and poignant campfire refrains from eras gone by.
Thanks so much for being my friend and supporting my music! "Shut UP and Listen!" is done and will be available for download in September! Keep in touch! I We just added new videos of "Out of Time" and "Loving U is Such a Drag!" Live from The Key Club in LA! Come watch! Have a great week! xo, E~
So I think since my sister and cousin and I let you play by our tent at Fetish Fest through the morning hours you should bring me to see you guys play in Albany :)
You guys were awesome this weekend @ Fetish Fest!!!!!!!!! Jeff, I will look for your name next time I see the credits of some children's program and John, I will look for you on Fuse! Say "hi" to Steven for me! Ha!
Hello, hope all is good just dropping by to say our album is now only £2+postage, for 12 tracks on limited edition cd our shop is http://d67. bigcartel. com, thanks and take care, Absent.
Thanks for being a friend. When you have a second please sign up for my newsletter on my myspace. It's the best way to stay in touch with you. Let's keep in touch :)... also free song if you sign up!
Hey guys. For some reason I didn't realize you were from Brooklyn! AMAZING set @ Osyrus. Loved it very much! Would love to swap some shows in the coming months, if interested. I am working on our summer/fall schedule and would love to work together. let me know what you think!
wow. you all sound amazing.... (chills).. i hope you will come to our may 23rd show with kamara and suzan....i would love to set up a show with you too.... ('the showroom') xoxo elizabeth
hey basement band, i had fun playing with you guys at the Delancy. it was a raucous night filled with debauchery and binge drinking. two things i thoroughly enjoy. lets do it again sometime soon.
can't make it to ur gig on monday, but ill def be there for the CD release show. take care,
