Artist description moye is best described as a surprising mix of Wilco, Bob Dylan, Ben Folds Five, The Beatles, and 60s soul. The songs are a unique but comfortable melange of these influences. Band members include John Moye on piano and vocals, Ben Haber on guitar, WHit Lanier on bass, Linnea Weiss on cello, and Matt Katz on drums/percussion.

Music Style indie-pop/rock/folk/alt-country

Musical Influences Wilco, Beatles, REM, Bruce Sprinsteen, Radiohead, Pavement, Bob Dylan

Similar Artists Wilco, REM, Bruce Springsteen, the Beatles, Radiohead, Pavement, Bob Dylan

Artist History moye, a quintet from Brooklyn, NY, began their career in Washington, D.C. Pianist/vocalist John Moye and drummer Matt Katz met at Georgetown University in 1995 and have been playing music together ever since. Guitarist Ben Haber studied at the Berklee College of Music in Boston. He completed the trio in 1999. Armed with a 4-track recorder and a sizable appreciation for all musical genres, John Moye began recording tunes in his Brooklyn apartment 2 years ago. After a brief hiatus in the Middle East, Katz joined him in Brooklyn eager to expand their musical exploits. Haber was quickly added to the mix to contribute his melodic, understated guitar-playing. MOYEs first proper appearance was at the Pig n Whistle bar in Tribeca, NYC. Moye's new full-length cd, "48 Hicks," was recorded in thedo-it-yourself indie tradition of early R.E.M., Ben Folds Five, andcountless other bands before them; with a small budget, a limited amont oftime, and a small recording studio in a basement in Long Island, the bandset to record a batch of low-tech, but great, songs. Part of the reason forthe album is that the band had quickly developed a core of devoted fans, and"48 Hicks" was recorded to satisfy their many requests for a full-lengthfollow-up to the limited issue e.p. Songs for Isabella (2000). The album,whose topics range from ruminations on Eurorail travel to a fictitiousromance with actress Olivia Hussy of "Romeo and Juliet," from adolescentlove in "Walked Away" to the woes of subletting an apartment in "Kitty," waspredominantly recorded in the span of three days in December 2000, and wasreleased on Tap Out Records in March 2001.A unique family-like atmosphere surrounds the band with it's fanbase-- manyof whom trade shows amongst each other, attend live shows again and again,and know the lyrics to the songs by heart. This "communal" fan baseseparates Moye from many of the bands they tend to share the stage with;their shows are fun and unpredictable, with sometimes rowdy crowd/bandinteraction and occasional strange and interesting pop covers thrown intothe setlists to keep the less familiar audiences smiling. Aswww.citysearch.com wrote about Moye earlier this year: "Moye has absolutelyno problem warming up a crowd."Moye has also generated considerable praise in the media, receiving positivereviews in print and electronic media outlets up and down the East Coast. http://www.moyeband.com

Group Members Ben Haber: guitars, Matt Katz: drums, Whit Lanier: bass; John Moye: keyboards, Linnea Weiss: cello

Instruments guitars, keyboards, drums, cello

Albums Songs for Isabella e.p.; 48 Hicks l.p.

Press Reviews "earnest young man, alterna-pop is generally a turn-off, but there is something oddly compelling about this new york band....moye's quietly timeless, melancholic songs are petite, gem-like wonders that definitely rank a cut above." -- creative loafing, august 2000 "a cross between wilco, counting crows, the beatles and bob dylan..." -the village voice, january 2001 "they have no problem warming up a crowd; their catchy tunes have audiences up from their seats from the get-go. they are perfect for fans of wilco and widespread panic." -- www.citysearch.com, august 2000 "this new-york based piano-driven band offers a refreshing change of pace. frontman john moye's straightforward songwriting combines an ear-grabbing melodic sensibility with the slightest hint of americana." -- the atlanta journal-constitution, august 2000 "with the popular music landscape becoming increasingly fragmented into distict genres (twangcore, punkpop, eno-anything) it seems that no one bothers to write a decent song anymore. moye, a 5 piece outfit led by john moye, bucks all the trends by creating straightforward pop songs that don't fit into anyone's marketing scheme. that hasn't stopped them from garnering comparisons to wilco and cat stevens..." -- the raleigh spectator, october 2000 "a sublime mix of the alt pop stylings of wilco and the fab four, coupled with the folk sensibilities of bob dylan...the end result is an uncharacteristic song oriented unit..think ben folds five without the quirkiness, or counting crows without the whining...the band's musings reflect an honest, literal approach to songwriting-- a distinction which immediately separates them from the pack of 'modern rock' puppets..." --www.hipcity.net, november 2000

Location New York, NY - USA

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