July 10, 2009
The Long Island Sound
The Shake, a local blend
The Shake (Handout / )
The Shake is one of those bands that probably shouldn't fit together, but somehow does.
And the new album, "Well, Oh Well," to be released on May 27, shows how the band - singer/guitarist Jon Merkin, guitarist Eliad Shapiro, bassist Jeremy Stein and drummer Vishal Kumar - make it happen.
"We all come from different ends of the spectrum, but I think we're getting closer to defining our sound," says Stein, calling from his home in West Hempstead. "I'm into punk and a lot of heavier stuff, and since I'm the bassist, I like the Chili Peppers. Jon, the singer, is into Brit rock, like Oasis. Our lead guitar player, Eliad, is into Zeppelin and classic rock. And our drummer is all over the place. But now we're really starting to come together as musicians. We've found our common ground."
That common ground is an indie-rock base, with flecks of the Gallagher brothers on "Eden's Shore," some grinding guitar riffs on "YNA" and a nice groove on the moody title track. Stein says that growing up in the Long Island music scene with friends in Envy on the Coast and following bands like Taking Back Sunday heavily influenced his music, even though the styles aren't exactly the same and his tastes have expanded.
Since all four members are still in college, the summer months are when they hope to push the band full-time. After all, even before they're out of school, they've already had a song on the soundtrack to last year's romantic comedy "Licensed to Wed" and they have high hopes for "Well, Oh Well," recorded at Bennett Studios in Englewood, N.J.
Like so many bands trying to navigate the struggling music industry, The Shake isn't really sure whether a major-label deal - or any deal at all, for that matter - will be the best business move. "All I know is whatever the future holds, we'll be ready," Stein says.
The Shake plays Club NME at The Annex, 152 Orchard St., Manhattan, 212-673-3410, May 22. Contact The Long Island Sound at thelisound@gmail.com
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