LUKE LAPPIN, guitarist and singer, was taught how to play music by his father Bruce, who served as lead singer in his own band back in the 70's. Influenced by his father's work, and such bands such as the Beatles, Oasis, and Radiohead, Luke started playing guitar and writing songs at age 15, and never looked back. Now, Luke spends his time writing more songs to add to Delano Grove's already sizeable catalogue, and plots their inevitable rock and roll coup d'etat.
KAREN LAPPIN, Vocalist/Sampler, "whose unique vocal style is quite impressive. For such a small girl, this little vixen produces an amazingly powerful sound that is controlled and hauntingly seductive."(NMN 2003)Karen has been heard on countless MTV commercials and has led her own now-laid-to-rest electro-rock band, CYNIX through a few national tours with rockers like Adrian Young of No Doubt and Bow Wow Wow. Her Media exposure has ranged from Maxim to The Clear Channel's New Music Network. After a brief LA stint, karen now lives back in good ol' New York, and continues to compose, write, sing, and rock out with her old friends in Delano Grove.
His cousin MORGAN LAPPIN, drummer, recently joined the band, bringing a family theme and his amazing drum skills to Delano Grove. Morgan first played drums using Lincoln Logs and a KFC bucket when he was but a boy, and now is one with the drum, so much so that he often finds himself slapping his own skull when away from his kit, to realize the constant music that goes on in his brain.
MIKE STOCK vocals / keyboards, is the troubled genius. Backstage, before or after a gig, one might find Mike randomly practicing advanced calculus, or unexpectedly ingesting large amounts of adulterants, to silence the voices in his head. With his extensive, musical training, large catalog of original songs, and angelic vocals, Mike is another invaluable member of the band.
ZACK ROSE bass - was first discovered on one of the many uncharted islands in the archipelago of Indonesia, by the explorer/anthropologist Yebbin Punstippe. He had made his habitat on a small outcropping of volcanic formations off of the coast, and survived by eating the various species of sea lichen indigenous to the island. He had concoted a very complex and sophisticated system of roads, as well as a number scheme that rivaled that of the Aztecs. Punstippe took Zack aboard his Sloop and gave him a bass guitar, which was to be their only means of communication for the remainder of their voyage back to Portugal.
ED PASQUALE, lead guitar, whose addictive guitar lines are only matched by his coolness under pressure of any kind. In watching Ed effortlessly jam on the axe, one might imagine attempting to distract his cool by whipping him with reeds
and holding a gun to his head, only to find Ed, cool and chill as ever, ripping even better guitar lines. Ed finds his greatest influence in jam bands such as the Grateful Dead, but in listening to him play, it is clear he has gathered influences from all over the musical spectrum.
DAVE KEEN violin - A master of sound, Dave, along with his violin and his unexplainable outbursts, can be experienced at times on the LES around 4am as well as throughout the globe. Delano Grove is proud to have this crazy kat on board to rock the tunes even further.Keen was brought into this world as a mail-order fetus. Eight weeks out of the box, he received full enlightenment in a vision of peace for 1 in every 23 people. After a couple years of self destruction in a tripeingly bad pop group, Dave was picked off an airport runway by Karen Lappin while trying to catch a 727 with a rope as it took off, "to keep an eye on it in case of terrorists" and brought to Delano Grove to play tuba and guiro.
Influences
Radiohead, The Beatles, John Frusciante, The Nazz, Coldplay, Ben Folds Five, Foo Fighters, Fountains of Wayne, Sublime, Nada Surf, Oasis, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Steadman, Wondermints, Ween, Tahiti 80, The New Pornographers, The Vines, Lemonheads, Keane, FUGAZi, Beck, Nirvana, Supergrass, Dinosaur Jr., Eliot Smith (Heatmieser), David Bowie, The Thrills, Braniac, Flaming Lips, Jet, Modest Mouse, Beauty Pill, Soundtrack of Our Lives, Grateful Dead, Mr.Bungle, Television, Matthew Sweet, Faraquet, Karate, Doves, Stereophonics, Travis, Weezer, Eels, U2, The Strokes, Wings, Braid, Hey Mercedes, Jeff Buckly, Cream, Castor, Unwed Sailor, Sharks keep Moving, The Jayhawks, Weezer, Chore, International Noise Conspiracy, Division of Laura Lee, Tom Petty, Neil Young, Local H, The Shins, Broken Social Scene, Beck, Beuhla, Bill Perry, Bult To Spill, The Beta Band, The Who, Smart Went Crazy, aaaaand MORE!
Sounds Like
Their songs, vocal melodies and harmonies are instantly memorable. Diverse, dirty, divine. NYC's Delano Grove is here for the long haul.
Delano Grove is a rock and roll band, pure and simple. It may be a tired term, but once in a while bands come along that epitomize the beautifully dysfunctional tenets of this musical art form. Their melodically-driven, multi-instrumental, vocal-harmony infused music has the frenzy of a band nearly tearing itself apart with differing influences and creative rage, rescued by a great sense of song form, and a collective ear for the hook that makes you move. Luke Lappin (lead vocals, guitar) and Karen Lappin (lead vocals) are married both legally and creatively, and their beauty and tension on stage nearly matches their private sparring matches. With Cousin Morgan Lappin on the drums, and lifelong friends Mike Stock (keyboards, lead vocals), Ed Pasquale (lead guitar), and Zach Rose (bass) their music sounds like a musical version of their experience with each other in life. This honesty is what makes Delano Grove’s music special. The songs are a conversation you can bang your head to. An argument you can dance to. A feeling you can sing along with. With enough repressed anger to make you body check an unsuspecting concert-goer who may or may not be blocking your view. Delano Grove is your friend. Don't believe it. Take a listen. "I Spent Most of My Childhood in Space" is the band's debut LP and surely an instant classic. Delano Grove can also be heard in the Strangers With Candy movie, where they magically collaborated on the song, Atomic Car, with Amy Sedaris, and Paul Dinello and Stephen Colbert.
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ULTRA NEATO NEWS
Without music to decorate it, time is just a bunch of boring production
deadlines or dates by which bills must be paid. - ZAPPA
Hey.... so i was really upset to see only a select few of your songs... and u guess i haven't been to your site in some time cause i didn't know it got directed to myspace.... but i wanted to her carousel and white electric thunder and.... well kinda upset i didn't get to hear it