CLICK ON BELOW IMAGE TO DOWNLOAD TRI-STATE CONSPIRACY'S LATEST ALBUM, "NUISANCE" FROM CDBABY!
Tri-State Conspiracy is a "psycho swing" and ska band based in New York City. Through their tight, polished sound, incredibly high energy live shows, and sheer resiliency they have earned their place as a true New York institution. They have performed nearly 200 shows and have shared the stage with such bands as The Squirrel Nut Zippers, The Cherry Poppin' Daddies, The Slackers, The English Beat, The Aggrolites, World Inferno Friendship Society, The Pietasters, and The Toasters. They have recently caught attention in NYC for their “Tri-State Conspiracy & Friends” shows at the Bowery Poetry Club. Featuring an “underground melting pot” of opening bands (ska, rockabilly, punk, swing, etc.) they have successfully drawn audiences of 150+ people. 8 members, 4 horns, 2 guitars, and a lead singer/trumpet player with a penchant for vintage suits and retro microphones: Jeff Paris elaborates on the history of the band and on their latest full length album, "Nuisance" (released Nov 2008)...
When I first formed Tri-State Conspiracy with Tom Lawlor back in 2001, people used to ask me why the hell I would want to start a ska band. The "3rd Wave" ska explosion had come to a screeching halt and the housing boom in Manhattan was seriously threatening the state of local underground music. It was like the exact opposite of the '70s. More and more people from around the world wanted to move into New York and unfortunately it seemed like most of them weren't really into seeing real local live music with any semblance of passion or raw energy. Then one by one the clubs that supported this type of music started shutting down: first Wetlands, then Coney Island High, then CBGB. The list goes on. I guess you could say the reason for Tri-State Conspiracy was a general state of restlessness and dissatisfaction with the status quo. Yeah we weren't teenagers anymore and we had day jobs, but we were still pissed off and going barhopping with the rest of the douchebags and hipsters didn't seem to be enough of an outlet for us.
Why ska? Tom and I were both big ska kids during the '90s so it was only natural that our sound would evolve from that scene. At the same time we were also affected by the swing revival bands of that era, not to mention our love for oldies music in general. I find that most ska bands go in one of two directions: you either have your suburban ska bands who go the "ska punk" or "ska core" direction and then you have your ska purists, typically city-based, who form traditional ska bands with Jamaican and/or British influences. What makes Tri-State Conspiracy original is our classic American sound. We draw upon the styles of music that predated and influenced ska like swing, jump blues, and original rhythm and blues...with a little bit of rockabilly thrown in for good measure. In certain ways we are trying to return back to the days when jazz and swing was crazy and made people do crazy things, i.e. before it became mainstream. “The Devil’s music” as
it were...
There's also a bit of a dark side to Tri-State Conspiracy. People always ask me, "What's with your f-ed up lyrics?". Maybe it's the fact that Tom and I watched too many horror movies as kids. Or maybe it's the fact that Tom is such a metalhead and loves writing in minor chords. I think a lot of our music is about purging ourselves of our inner demons. Yeah New York is a much safer place these days, but f-ed up things still happen here, not to mention that, due to the competitive nature of the city, there are douchebags of all walks of life trying to push everyone else around. These negative energies typically come through in our lyrics, while the music itself is extremely high energy and danceable. I suppose the juxtaposition of bright sounds and dark lyrics sort of fits in with the tradition of classic ska music.
What also sets apart Tri-State Conspiracy from most bands in the “ska”, “punk”, or for lack of better termonology “underground”
scene is our ability to appeal to such a wide age group. What amazes me is when we receive rave reviews not only from the angst ridden teenagers dancing for our set but also from the parents, and sometimes even
grandparents who happen to be chaperoning them. In that respect I think we are one of the few true “all ages” bands. The adults appreciate the musical chops and the teenagers appreciate the high energy performances.
Those who are expecting straight-ahead ska might be a little bit disappointed with the new album, "Nuisance". Whereas our first album High Strung Mess (released 2005) was more of our "ska record", Tri-State Conspiracy's Nuisance is a lot heavier on the swing, blues, and dare I say it...rock and roll. The new tunes, however, are still upbeat, highly danceable, and have our signature catchy horn lines, so existing fans need not worry that we've gone the way of "rock band with horns". Plus there's plenty more songs about murder and revenge for the whole family to enjoy!
ALSO CHECK OUT OUR FIRST ALBUM HIGH STRUNG MESS! (click below)
WANT TO BOOK TRI-STATE CONSPIRACY?
Send us a myspace message...
or try one of these other popular forms of communication:
Definatly come this is not a show to miss! Little Kids added a horn section, debut performance of State of Emergency, and never before seen songs from TheMAGS, Out of Babylon, and JCD
Hey guys!! I just heard that you just played a show in Hudson... How do you not let a sista know when you will be playing locally!?!?! ROCK ON FELLAS!! Hope you all come back to Kingston soon!! XOXO
Hey you guys just posted the pictures from the show at the Bowery Poetry club check them out, steal them, whatevs it was a sick show I hope it wasn't the last one!!
You guys were amazing tonight. My friend Chase and myself had to walk two hours to get home and the whole time we were just talking about how amazing the show was. Every song you guys played was perfect and damn whoever didn't see the show missed out on an experience of a life time. Next time you guys are here in Philly we'll be front and center again. Thanks again guys for just being so skankafunkinlicious.
Yeah, I've had to miss a ton of shows due to work. I'm even stuck with a Metrocard with $14.00 on it that's expired now. It's not just work, though, Since December I have been walking 4 miles in the morning and 4 miles in the evening as my feet and knees won't let me run anymore. That means getting up at 5:00 so I can go for my walk and still get to work by 8:00, so late shows have been out of the question. The June 13 show starts at 8:00, so that's a big plus for me, so I'll definitely try and make it out for that!
