The Bowery Presents

The Mercury Lounge upcoming shows

Jay Banerjee & The Heartthrobs
10:00

The Roulette Sisters
9:00
The Debutante Hour
8:00
Schwervon!
7:00

Venue:
The Mercury Lounge
Date:
Sun 3/21
Notes:
21+
Doors: 7:00 PM / Show: 7:00 PM
$8
Jay Banerjee & The Heartthrobs
myspace
"The indie world has traveled awfully far in the direction of highbrow nerdism lately—falsetto uh-oh’s, timpani rhythms, vaguely elfin-sounding obscure words. Jay Banerjee returns to basics without stopping at stupid along the way: tight guitar riffs and jittery beats that recall the late-’70s pub-rock of Elvis Costello and Nick Lowe, or the ’60s garage hits of Bobby Fuller and the Syndicate of Sound. ... A little new wave, a little early Beatles, Banerjee’s style is a welcome reminder of how much fun angst can be when it’s not saddled down by pretension."

Karen Schoemer
Critic for Rolling Stone and The New York Times

Even though he plays all the instruments on his forthcoming debut album, New York City rocker Jay Banerjee considers himself "a singer-songwriter more than a musician. The only reason I play everything myself is because I don't really get along with people too well." Strange that someone apparently so misanthropic would spend his time crafting sparkling pop melodies, which carry sharp, wordplay-heavy, and "girl-crazy" lyrics that veer from spiteful to sweet and back again.

After the advance singles "Kate", "Long Way Home", and "No Way Girl" instantly found attention from hipper radio outlets around the world, with DJs and listeners alike embracing the refreshingly minimal production, Jay assembled a young supergroup called The Heartthrobs. Featuring the talents of Matt Marando on 12-string lead guitar, John McNamara on bass, and Vinny Giangola on drums, the energetic quartet captures the feel of the solo studio material "better than perfectly," Jay says. "The Heartthrobs take the songs to places that I never could have expected. The whole experience has been really wild for me. I may be a songwriter more than anything, but playing live with a precision-tight group, tearing up some of the marquee spots around town, blowing people away...I have to admit. It's fun."
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