Margo Guryan, Neil Innes, Belle and Sebastian, The Kinks, Richard Rodgers, The Beach Boys, Cole Porter, They Might Be Giants, Harry Nilsson, Donovan, Of Montreal, Nina Simone, The Beatles, Dusty Springfield, Cake, The Cardigans, etc, etc,
Sounds Like
Charming pop with a guitar, keyboard and/or ukulele.
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The Bicycats are lead by singer/songwriter Zach The Shark Bernstein, a Long Islander by birth, but a Western New Yorker at heart. On stage, he is joined by his guitar, ukulele and maybe a piano as he sings about food, animals, the symptoms of capitalism, melting ferris wheels and sometimes, love. He tries to keep the audience happy and only uses curse words when he really needs to. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ The Bicycats debut album "I Love You For Your Mind" was released in September of 2006, shortly before embarking on a series of tours. Touring has been consistent, and The Bicycats have since played shows in the following states (ordered chronologically): New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Vermont, New Jersey, Virginia, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Texas, Louisiana, Maryland, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Nebraska, Iowa, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, California, Oregon, Washington, West Virginia, Tennessee, Delaware, and Massachusetts. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- On the album, "I Love You For You Mind" (2006), Zach plays guitar, ukulele, keyboards, bass, banjo, marimba, drums and sings. He is also joined by the following guest players: Jon Samson, Amos Rosenstein, Celine George, Sarah Charpentier, Sarah Rosenstein and Jon Dashkoff.
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On the new album, "How Could You?" (2008), featured guest players include Chris Coon, Geoff Saunders, Celine George, Amos Rosenstein, Chris Potter, Ben Thomas, John Elliott, Jonny Cigar, Dave Goebel, Stephen Lecik, Sam Reich, Lisa Rubin, Rachel Odhner, Trish Ritchie, Sarah Rosenstein, Gina Sherwood and Amanda Danskin.
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“These melodies are like a new best friend, who is relentlessly trying to get you up off your heartbroken, melancholy ass, and go out for drinks, on a night when you’re hell bent on sulking. His “aw c’mon man I SWEAR we won’t even think about her” tactics eventually win, and you submit. The next thing you know, you’re at the bar with this offbeat guy, and the painful subjects you were purposefully avoiding have come up. Thing is, you’re not mad. This guy is damn funny. It turns out; the searing pain of heartbreak IS kind of absurd in this lighting, and man you needed to get out of that stale old house anyway. Such is the case with ‘i love you for your mind.’ The Bicycats trick you into meeting up during recess, and then serve up intelligent, weighty subjects using form and lyrics that are just silly and random enough to not leave you full of regret for having tackled such lofty tomfoolery. Bernstein gets away with it because clever fun is contagious. Don’t fight it.”
-Beth from 9 Pound Chihuahua (Durham, NC)
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"The Bicycats' lone Bicycat (essentially), Zachary Bernstein, celebrates the birth of his new CD "How Could You?" while also celebrating the 25th anniversary of himself. The CD opens up swinging all Redbone and Tin Pan with "My Heart Belongs To Dixie" before veering back to the tight 'n' sweet pop that the last Bicycats platter, "I Love You For Your Mind," teemed with. With quirky lyrics about killing spiders, a waitress who's actually a bird on her way down south, and a serenade set in a cemetery, this album is more acoustic and jazzy than the last, but just as much fun for oddballs and evenballs alike."
-Frank De Blase, Rochester City Paper
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"I danced in my seat. I nodded earnestly. I guffawed. I think I even drooled."
-Kelli Rae Powell, colleague
hey there friend I heard the ferris wheel again on BER and thought of you and had to hear a little more. are you coming back to rochester anytime soon?
I've had Grinning and Feeling Ashamed stuck in my head all day. I'm hopeful this means you'll be here someday soon to play with your other half? There might even be new material inspired by his stint as a jailbird.
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