The Sharp Things is an American,
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the U ...
-based
chamber pop
Chamber pop (or Chamber rock; also called baroque pop and sometimes conflated with orchestral pop or symphonic pop) is a music genre that combines rock music with the intricate use of strings, horns, piano, and vocal harmonies, and other compon ...
collective, led by singer/songwriter
Perry Serpa (born 1965).
Current members include Jim Santo, Aisha Cohen, Michelle Caputo, James Pertusi, and Andrea Dovalle.
Career
The band originated in the late 1990s as a
recording
A record, recording or records may refer to:
An item or collection of data Computing
* Record (computer science), a data structure
** Record, or row (database), a set of fields in a database related to one entity
** Boot sector or boot record, r ...
project of Serpa and drummer Steve Gonzalez. The band's name was taken from the title of an unreleased
demo tape
A demo (shortened from "demonstration") is a song or group of songs typically recorded for limited circulation or for reference use, rather than for general public release. A demo is a way for a musician to approximate their ideas in a fixed for ...
, ''Here Come The Sharp Things'', which in turn was taken from a
lyric
Lyric may refer to:
* Lyrics, the words, often in verse form, which are sung, usually to a melody, and constitute the semantic content of a song
* Lyric poetry is a form of poetry that expresses a subjective, personal point of view
* Lyric, from ...
to a never-recorded song, the title of which is now forgotten. Guitarist Santo (formerly of
Jenifer Convertible), joined in 1997 and the trio adopted The Sharp Things as its name for performances at small clubs on the
Lower East Side
The Lower East Side, sometimes abbreviated as LES, is a historic neighborhood in the southeastern part of Manhattan in New York City. It is located roughly between the Bowery and the East River from Canal to Houston streets.
Traditionally ...
of New York City.
The Sharp Things steadily added members over the next few years and began to broaden its musical palette with
strings,
horns,
woodwinds
Woodwind instruments are a family of musical instruments within the greater category of wind instruments. Common examples include flute, clarinet, oboe, bassoon, and saxophone. There are two main types of woodwind instruments: flutes and ...
,
keyboards
Keyboard may refer to:
Text input
* Keyboard, part of a typewriter
* Computer keyboard
** Keyboard layout, the software control of computer keyboards and their mapping
** Keyboard technology, computer keyboard hardware and firmware
Music
* Musi ...
and other
instruments
Instrument may refer to:
Science and technology
* Flight instruments, the devices used to measure the speed, altitude, and pertinent flight angles of various kinds of aircraft
* Laboratory equipment, the measuring tools used in a scientific l ...
. The group's first album, ''Here Comes The Sharp Things'' (an entirely different set of songs from the similarly entitled demo tape) was released in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., federal district, five ma ...
in 2002 on
Dive Records.
Comprising songs recorded by two different ensembles in 2000 and 2001, and largely produced by Serpa and Santo in the former's basement studio in
Queens
Queens is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Queens County, in the U.S. state of New York. Located on Long Island, it is the largest New York City borough by area. It is bordered by the borough of Brooklyn at the western tip of Long ...
, New York, ''Here Comes The Sharp Things'' won critical acclaim for its lush, melancholy blend of
British folk revival
The British folk revival incorporates a number of movements for the collection, preservation and performance of folk music
Folk music is a music genre that includes traditional folk music and the contemporary genre that evolved from the ...
,
classical music,
jazz
Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a majo ...
and 1970s radio pop influences. Favorable comparisons were drawn to a diverse list of artists, including
Burt Bacharach
Burt Freeman Bacharach ( ; born May 12, 1928) is an American composer, songwriter, record producer and pianist who composed hundreds of pop songs from the late 1950s through the 1980s, many in collaboration with lyricist Hal David. A six-time Gr ...
,
Brian Wilson
Brian Douglas Wilson (born June 20, 1942) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer who co-founded the Beach Boys. Often called a genius for his novel approaches to pop composition, extraordinary musical aptitude, and m ...
,
Nick Cave
Nicholas Edward Cave (born 22 September 1957) is an Australian singer, songwriter, poet, lyricist, author, screenwriter, composer and occasional actor. Known for his baritone voice and for fronting the rock band Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, C ...
,
Talk Talk
Talk Talk were an English band formed in 1981, led by Mark Hollis (vocals, guitar, piano), Lee Harris (drums), and Paul Webb (bass). The group achieved early chart success with the synth-pop singles "Talk Talk" (1982), " It's My Life", and " S ...
,
The Left Banke
The Left Banke was an American baroque pop band, formed in New York City in 1965. They are best remembered for their two U.S. hit singles, " Walk Away Renée" and " Pretty Ballerina". The band often used what the music press referred to as " ba ...
and
Randy Newman
Randall Stuart Newman (born November 28, 1943) is an American singer-songwriter, arranger, composer, and pianist known for his Southern-accented singing style, early Americana-influenced songs (often with mordant or satirical lyrics), and vari ...
. A cassette-only release appeared in 2003 on the Italian label
Best Kept Secret, followed by a release in the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
on
Setanta Records
Setanta Records was a British independent record label led by founder Keith Cullen. Setanta published UK and Irish indie music in the late 1980s and in the 1990s.
History
Setanta Records was started in a Camberwell, London squat by former bic ...
in the spring of 2004. In August of that year, the song "Demon Of Love" was released by
Nettwerk
Nettwerk Music Group is the umbrella company for Nettwerk Records, Nettwerk Management, and Nettwerk One Publishing.
Established in 1984, the Vancouver-based company was created by Nettwerk principals Terry McBride and Mark Jowett as a record ...
on ''Public Display of Affection: The Sound of Independent Radio'', a compilation of songs chosen by
program directors from four of the most influential public radio stations in the United States; The Sharp Things were picked by
Rita Houston
Rita Houston (September 28, 1961 – December 15, 2020) was the Program Director of Fordham University’s public radio station WFUV and the host of the show ''The Whole Wide World''.
Houston was considered a "tastemaker" in the radio world, h ...
of
Fordham University
Fordham University () is a Private university, private Jesuit universities, Jesuit research university in New York City. Established in 1841 and named after the Fordham, Bronx, Fordham neighborhood of the The Bronx, Bronx in which its origina ...
station
WFUV
WFUV (90.7 FM) is a non–commercial radio station licensed to New York, New York. The station is owned by Fordham University, with studios on its Bronx campus and its antenna atop nearby Montefiore Medical Center. WFUV first went on the air i ...
.
''Foxes & Hounds'' was released in 2005 on
Bar/None Records
Bar/None Records is an independent record label based in Hoboken, New Jersey.
Early history
Tom Prendergast started Bar/None in early 1986 in Hoboken, New Jersey. Having previously worked in pirate radio and booked and promoted bands in his na ...
.
In contrast to the
lo-fi
Lo-fi (also typeset as lofi or low-fi; short for low fidelity) is a music or production quality in which elements usually regarded as imperfections in the context of a recording or performance are present, sometimes as a deliberate choice. The ...
, homemade approach of the debut, the second album was entirely recorded and mixed in professional
recording studio
A recording studio is a specialized facility for sound recording, mixing, and audio production of instrumental or vocal musical performances, spoken words, and other sounds. They range in size from a small in-home project studio large en ...
s in New York City. ''Foxes & Hounds'' also marked the emergence of The Sharp Things as a relatively stable line-up, and coincided with a stepped-up schedule of performances.
R&B,
blues,
disco and
rock
Rock most often refers to:
* Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids
* Rock music, a genre of popular music
Rock or Rocks may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...
influences manifested themselves in the songs on the album.
The Sharp Things began recording their third album on October 14, 2006. Entitled ''A Moveable Feast'', the album features performances by
The New York Symphonic Arts Ensemble. The 40-piece
orchestra
An orchestra (; ) is a large instrumental ensemble typical of classical music, which combines instruments from different families.
There are typically four main sections of instruments:
* bowed string instruments, such as the violin, viola, c ...
, conducted by
Sybille Werner, was recorded on November 9, 2006, at the
Julia Richman Education Complex
The Julia Richman Education Complex (JREC) is an educational multiplex located in the Upper East Side neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City. Named after the district superintendent of schools, Julia Richman, it houses six autonomous small sch ...
in
Manhattan
Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five Boroughs of New York City, boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the List of co ...
. Other performers include
Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ce ...
-winning actor and musician
Michael Cerveris
Michael Cerveris (born November 6, 1960) is an American actor, singer, and guitarist. He has performed in many stage musicals and plays, including several Stephen Sondheim musicals: ''Assassins'', '' Sweeney Todd'', '' Road Show'', and '' Pass ...
;
Franz Nicolay
Franz Nicolay (born 1977) is an American musician and writer. He is best known for playing the accordion and piano in The World/Inferno Friendship Society and keyboards in The Hold Steady from 2005 to 2010 and again from 2016 onwards. He is also ...
, keyboardist for
The Hold Steady
The Hold Steady is an American rock band originally from Minneapolis, Minnesota, now based in Brooklyn, New York, formed in 2003. The band consists of Craig Finn (vocals, guitar), Tad Kubler (guitar), Galen Polivka (bass), Bobby Drake (drums), ...
; and tenor saxophonist
Stuart D. Bogie
Stuart D. Bogie is an American multi-instrumentalist, composer, arranger, and music producer. Originally from Evanston, Illinois, Bogie became a staple in the Brooklyn music scene.
Early years
Bogie studied music at the Interlochen Arts Acad ...
of
Antibalas
Antibalas (Spanish for "bulletproof") is an American, Brooklyn-based afrobeat band that is modeled after Fela Kuti's Africa 70 band and Eddie Palmieri's Harlem River Drive Orchestra. Although their music generally follows the musical architectu ...
.
Returning to the homemade approach of ''Here Comes A Sharp Things'', ''A Moveable Feast'' was recorded in various kitchens, living rooms and basements around New York City by producer
Billy "Prince Polo" Szeflinski. The album was mixed March 8–12, 2007, by
Alex Lipsen at
Headgear Recording in
Williamsburg,
Brooklyn
Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. Kings County is the most populous Administrative divisions of New York (state)#County, county in the State of New York, ...
. At the urging of Bar/None owner
Glenn Morrow, an additional song, "Cruel Thing," was recorded April 26–27, 2007, at
Truth & Soul
''Truth & Soul'' is the fifth studio album by Australian-New Zealand recording artist Stan Walker. It was released in Australia and New Zealand on 17 April 2015 by Sony Music Australia and features a collection of soul covers.
Background
Whils ...
, also in Williamsburg.
Clay Wells Holley was recording engineer, and mixed the song with Szeflinski.
''A Moveable Feast'' was released June 26, 2007 on
Bar/None Records
Bar/None Records is an independent record label based in Hoboken, New Jersey.
Early history
Tom Prendergast started Bar/None in early 1986 in Hoboken, New Jersey. Having previously worked in pirate radio and booked and promoted bands in his na ...
.
On September 28, 2009, The Sharp Things began recording what was to become a four-album series titled ''Dogs Of Bushwick''. Again produced by Szeflinski, the recordings were primarily done at
The Kennel Recording Studio in Bushwick, Brooklyn, a facility owned by Santo that closed in April 2014. Between July 23, 2010 and September 15, 2010, the band sponsored
Kickstarterfundraising drive that received more than $3,600 in pledges to fund the album's recording. A second campaign, o
Indiegogobetween February 1, 2014 and April 2, 2014, again raised more than $3,600. Further recording and mixing was done at Danbro Studios in Brooklyn and at Dubway Studios in Manhattan.
A free digital single, "It's Alright," originally recorded by
Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath were an English rock band formed in Birmingham in 1968 by guitarist Tony Iommi, drummer Bill Ward, bassist Geezer Butler and vocalist Ozzy Osbourne. They are often cited as pioneers of heavy metal music. The band helped de ...
and written and sung by drummer
Bill Ward, was released in November 2012 to promote the album series. The first album in the ''Dogs Of Bushwick'' series, ''Green Is Good'', was released on February 26, 2013, on Dive Records. The second album in the series, ''The Truth Is Like The Sun,'' was released on November 26, 2013, also on Dive.
On September 26, 2013, The Sharp Things returned to the concert stage for the first time in three years, performing at Galapagos Art Space, located in the
DUMBO
''Dumbo'' is a 1941 American animated fantasy film produced by Walt Disney Productions and released by RKO Radio Pictures. The fourth Disney animated feature film, it is based upon the storyline written by Helen Aberson and Harold Pearl, a ...
section of Brooklyn. The performance was recorded by Jon D'Uva and released on March 20, 2014 as ''Live At Galapagos Art Space.''
On July 17, 2014, Serpa announced on the band's
Facebook
Facebook is an online social media and social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. Founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with fellow Harvard College students and roommates Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin ...
page that the next album in the ''Dogs Of Bushwick'' series would be titled ''Adventurer's Inn.'' According to Serpa, the album was "named after a long dismantled amusement park where I spent many great days when I was child." The album was released December 2, 2014. A single from the album, "Love Me Indigo," received airplay on several
Triple A radio stations in the United States, including
WTMD
WTMD (89.7 FM) is an adult album alternative-formatted public radio station owned by Your Public Radio, previously licensed to Towson University and located in Towson, Maryland. The station serves Baltimore, Maryland and Washington, D.C.
Histo ...
, in Towson, Maryland, which hosted a live concert broadcast of The Sharp Things in February 2015.
Drummer and founding member Steve Gonzalez died September 11, 2014. He was 49. The band, which had been booked to perform that evening at Mercury Lounge in New York City, learned of his death shortly before taking the stage. The performance was recorded and distributed digitally by the New York City-based concert blogger NYC Taper.
''Selected Songs 2002-2014,'' compiled from the band's discography to date, was released by Dive Records on December 25, 2014.
In 2015 the band began performing in smaller ensembles, often without a drummer. The group supported
The Church
Church may refer to:
Religion
* Church (building), a building for Christian religious activities
* Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination
* Church service, a formalized period of Christian communal worship
* Chris ...
on nine U.S. dates in March of that year, as a duo and quartet.
In September, Serpa and Pertusi played two shows in England, opening for
Caravan Of Thieves
Caravan of Thieves is a gypsy-swing four-piece based in Bridgeport, Connecticut. Their music has been described as “gypsy flavored song writing ith
The Ith () is a ridge in Germany's Central Uplands which is up to 439 m high. It lies about 40 km southwest of Hanover and, at 22 kilometres, is the longest line of crags in North Germany.
Geography
Location
The Ith is immediate ...
high intensity hows” Caravan of Thieves has toured with renowned artists such as Emmylo ...
and
The Polyphonic Spree
The Polyphonic Spree is an American choral rock band from Dallas, Texas that was formed in 2000 by singer/songwriter Tim DeLaughter. The band's pop and rock songs are augmented by a large vocal choir, and instruments such as flute, trumpet, f ...
;
this resulted in The Sharp Things being invited to open for the Spree on five dates of their U.S. tour in November 2015.
''EverybodyEverybody'', the fourth and final album in the ''Dogs Of Bushwick'' series, was released February 19, 2016 on
Ropeadope Records
Ropeadope Records is an American record label known for recordings in a variety of genres including jazz, hip hop, gospel, and electronic music. The label, now led by Louis Marks, was founded in 1999 by Andy HurwitzAndy Hurwitz"Ropeadope carves i ...
.
Discography
*''Here Comes The Sharp Things'' November 2002 (Dive)
*''Here Comes The Sharp Things'' June 2003 (Best Kept Secret)
*''Here Comes The Sharp Things'' May 2004 (Setanta)
*''Public Display of Affection: The Sound of Independent Radio'' August 2004 (Nettwerk)
*''Foxes & Hounds'' May 2005 (Bar/None)
*''A Moveable Feast'' June 2007 (Bar/None)
*"It's Alright" (digital single) November 2012 (Dive)
*''Green Is Good'' February 2013 (Dive)
*''The Truth Is Like The Sun'' November 2013 (Dive)
*''Live at Galapagos Art Space'' March 2014 (Dive)
*''International Pop Overthrow, Vol. 17'' October 2014 (Pop Geek Heaven)
*''Adventurer's Inn'' December 2014 (Dive)
*''Selected Songs 2002-2014'' December 2014 (Dive)
*''EverybodyEverybody'' February 2016 (Ropeadope)
References
External links
Official web site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sharp Things
American pop music groups
Musical groups from Brooklyn