The Key Party: Sara Syms (The 3Vs - Vocals, Violin, Vibraslap), Andy Mazo (Bass, Toy Piano Shaker) Rick Parker (Trombone) Ian Young (Sax) Miki Hirose (Trumpet, Flugelhorn) George Mel (Percussion)
TKP has at times also included: Ken Rich (Tuba, Mixes, Noise and More), Mark Rapp (Trumpet), Jarrod Ruby (Drums), Derek Lee Bronston (Harmonica, Dobro), James Reynolds (Piano-Organ), Matt Beck (Lap Steel), Josh Keithley (Kitchen Sink and more)
Please be advised that in no way is their participation an endorsement of the product... Thanks>
Influences
The Three Johns (Prine, Cash and Rotten), Tom Waits, Leonard Cohen, Pink Martini, The Clash, Paris Combo, Esquivel, Billy Bragg, Underworld, David Bowie, Nick Cave and Dean Martin and of course Henry Mancini.
“a house party of an unusually artistic coterie” – CMJ
“songs of rock and roll poetry celebrating the debauched, the broken, the drunken and the misfitting… Gaines is a poet in the same sense that Exene or Lou Reed is a poet: as much about an attitude and a stance as about specific words and notes struck.” PopMatters
The STORY:
A 3am channel-surfing escapade brought Darren Gaines to the movie The Ice Storm just as Sigorney Weaver reached her hand into the bowl and drew out the young man's keys. He bought a fish bowl the next day... wrote out instrument names, arrangements, recording ideas, names of toys and musicians, anything and everything that could inspire him... placed them all in the bowl and reached for his first draw... “No Drums.” He smiled.
His Burroughs-esq technique spawned Hit or Miss, the debut album of The Key Party. Hit or Miss was named Album of the Day by CMJ, Download of the Week in the San Francisco Chronicle and praised as a “Tom Waits style one man junkyard army from New York” by the LA Weekly.
For their new record My Blacks Don’t Match (Produced by Ken Rich – Joseph Arthur, Our Shadows Will Remain ) Gaines willed the word “Drums” back into the fishbowl and, for good measure, tossed in slips that included phrases like brass riffs from TV theme songs, sitcoms and cartoons. The themes of broken, misfitting lives and New York City street hassle remain: while making My Blacks Don’t Match, Gaines found himself laid off, evicted by treacherous landlords, and moved to Brooklyn (where he feels akin to an ex-pat) but the musical evolution is clear from the first horn salvo of the opening track. “… the horn accompaniment sounds like he's slapping around Henry Mancini for some kicks.” itsnotthebandihateitstheirfans.blogspot. With co-conspirator Sara Syms now entrenched as a full time member of The Key Party, Gaines has been freed to let his songs find new avenues. Using Syms breathy vocals to counter his “voice of tattered velvet that falls between Tom Waits and Steve Wynn” (PopMatters) Gaines' songs have evolved into subversive lounge songs, one part punk one part jazz. Gaines says, “I wanted this record to be elegy to Street Hassle. I wanted it to feel like a long, hard night out in NYC that ended at 6:27am on West 10th and Weehawken... a little worse for the wear.”
To CONTACT: info1@thekeypartynyc.com - myspace.com/thekeypartynyc
Thanks for your friendship, and welcome aboard the Redline ship. Looking forward to sharing the journey ahead with you. Take Care, and thanks again. Peace, Karl
Hi jim rose here. yes im the actor who plays the caveman on the commercials so now you have something to tease me about the next time we see each other. Im going to be in your area in the summer hosting rock shows and writing a new book about the people I meet on the road. We should throw a small party together. If you want to hang out ,message me at my other site here www.myspace.com/toohotforfizzle or go to my top friend(same site) We dont read the messages at the circus site.we are getting too many to handle there There are too many there and hard to manage
WE WILL BE PLAYING A GREAT NEW TRACK FROM "THE KEY PARTY" THIS SUNDAY NIGHT (MARCH 8TH) FROM 6-8PM (PST). CHECK US OUT FOR THE BEST AND LATEST IN COMMERICAL FREE ALTERNATIVE, INDIE, PUNK, METAL, THE CLASSICS AND GREAT LOCAL ORANGE COUNTY BANDS.
Greetings my friend . thankyou for the friendship. Great sounds , truly inspired ! How are you ? I hope that you enjoy my Dark Art. Have a great day. Stay in touch. Rob
