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The burlesque indie-rock cabaret act, the Easy Tease, originated as the creative project of Maggie Carson (vocals/banjo) and Adam Janos (vocals/piano). The band's current line up also features Daniel Bieber (cello/vocals), and Michael Feld (drums/vocals). This instrumentation "makes for a bold sound, as plucked banjo is spiked with strident piano," tasteful percussion, and soaring cello (The Boston Globe). As this borscht bubbles, a unified sound is evoked - one both accessible and mysteriously original. Further spicing the band's stew are its bizarre skits. The band's most recent "Decision 2008" tour set consisted of 9 original songs from the upcoming album, along with several short theatric skits centered around the theme of electing a band president. These skits -- light, absurd, and pointedly impertinent to the American presidential race -- served as a vehicle to bring out the band's collective personality. From the moment the audience entered the house until the set's conclusion, their votes were pursued by the "candidates" via grandiose speeches, campaign songs, and vicious intra-band mudslinging. At the end of the night, votes were cast into the ballot box are tallied and the regions primary's delegates were allotted into the tour's overall election schema. To compliment the election aesthetic the band recorded their own YouTube Debates. The Easy Tease was conceived in 2005 at Bard College, and took the act on the road the summer of 2006 before settling in New York City. The band has now toured greater New England, South East Canada, the Mid-Atlantic Region and the Mid-West, playing venues ranging from small cafes, to large-scale music festivals, to divey bars and classy art centers.  After their 2006 tour the band released their first full-length album, the sardonically titled "Bold Displays of Cowardice" featuring the original lineup of Carson and Janos alongside Willis Crichton (drums/vocals) and Monroe Ellenbogen (trombone/vocals) - (The Chronogram: "an indie-rock record with a brave heart... the rhythmic variety is instantly likable"). The album has been aired on stations including NY/CT's Homegrown Radio NJ (WKZE 98.1), Public Radio for the Miami Valley (WYSO 91.3), and the college radio stations of the University of Rochester (88.5 WRUR) and Bard College (540 WXBC). The band is excited to go back into the studio this spring to begin work on their sophomore release with Philadelphia-based engineer Matt Sommer. The band's music, along with Janos's acting, are also featured in a comic video sketch entitled "No Dwelling" by the popular internet comedy troupe Olde English. |