Artist description Grand, melancholy, occasionally shambolic, orchestral pop with beautiful harmonies and edgy electric guitar.

Music Style Chamber-pop

Musical Influences Scott Walker, Burt Bacharach, Divine Comedy, Tom Waits, Leon Russell, American Music Club, Elton John

Similar Artists Belle and Sebastian, Aluminum Group, The Divine Comedy, Tindersticks, Lambchop

Artist History It all began back in the winter of 1995 when Perry Serpa escaped to rural Pennsylvania with drummer/co-conspirator Steven Gonzalez to record a demo of songs which he entitled The Sharp Things, based on a fictitious band he never expected to become tangible. Having long abandoned the twin pursuits of unattainable commercial success and equally unattainable indie credibility, he had taken to creating something closer to the sounds he heard inside his head and finally stopped torturing everybody. They mounted a series of shows at the predictable NYC haunts. Performing as a duo, with Perry on a not-very-well-played acoustic guitar and singing, the focus was, for the first time, on the pretty tunes. One of those shows, in August 1997, was witnessed by Jim Santo, then-lead guitarist for downtown noise-pop band Jenifer Convertible. Jim, a fan of Perry's music from the past, was knocked out by the new songs and demanded Perry form a band to play them. Without missing a beat, Perry invited Jim to be in the band; pleasantly surprised, Jim accepted. Within a few weeks, the trio, having adopted The Sharp Things as its name, began playing shows around the East Village, with Jim on electric guitar, Perry on acoustic (still bad), and Steve behind the drums. Without a definite plan in mind, Perry began inviting friends and acquaintances to join in, and before long the group had grown to include violin, bass guitar and piano. Supporting players came and went as Perry, Steve and Jim continued to focus their sound and direction. In 1999, Perry recruited Janet Treadaway, former guitarist for East Village babe-rockers Fluffer; and Erica Maeyama, then-drummer for Knocked Out Loaded; to play bass and keyboards, respectively. Shortly thereafter the band acquired a talented new violinist, Dawn Hui. This line-up proved somewhat stable and The Sharp Things' orchestral sound began to come together. The Sharp Things entered the studio in early 2000 for a weekend recording marathon that produced 10 tracks in less than 24 hours. For this session, the core band was supplemented by Brian McWhorter (trumpet, flugelhorn), John Dunbar (keyboards), Michael "Sport" Murphy (pennywhistle, lu sheng), Erich Schoen-Rene (cello) and Mercury Rev guitarist Grasshopper, on clarinet. Although never officially released, the recording won accolades from the few who heard it. Bill Konig from CMJ wrote: "The Sharp Things are a wonderfully verdant pop ensemble...The group's self-titled debut was recorded in just two days, yet the rich end result undeniably suggests otherwise. Singer-songwriter Perry Serpa possesses a real flair for constructing beautiful arrangements that perfectly frame his poignant, picturesque wordplay." After a year of some activity, including a splendid opening spot with Tahiti 80 at the Bowery Ballroom, with Jenny Toomey at the Mercury Lounge and a regular gig at free jazz outpost Tonic, (post-Klezmer Sunday brunches) the ensemble recorded six new songs in the fateful month of September 2001, but now with Serpa playing his songs on his first instrument, the piano. Earlier songs such as the loser-grandiose "I Will Always Be Swimming In This Sea" and "Right" (complete with McWhorter's near-perfect and very Bacharach flugelhorn solo) were enmeshed with newer songs like the sprawling "Vacationing" and the haunted, Serpa/Santo-penned "It Took Forever To Get Home Tonight." The result is The Sharp Things' debut CD, appropriately entitled Here Comes The Sharp Things. The long player is now slated for release in February 2003 on Dive Records and through their Web site (www.thesharpthings.com).

Group Members Perry Serpa: lead vocal, piano, acoustic guitar Jim Santo: electric and acoustic guitar, backing vocals Steve Gonzalez: drums, percussion Alec Cumming: bass, backing vocals Michelle Caputo: electric and acoustic guitar Aisha Cohen: viola, backing vocals Janis Shen: violin Shanda Marsh: cello Brian McWhorter: trumpet, flugelhorn Janet Treadaway: flute, keyboards, backing vocals Gretchen E. Petrus: French horn, keyboards

Albums Here Comes The Sharp Things

Press Reviews With well over 10 members, string quintet included, New York's the Sharp Things don't lack for texture and chamber-pop grandeur, and half the pleasure of Here Comes The Sharp Things comes from sheer over-the-top melodrama. Singer-songwriter Perry Serpa emotes through the album's 11 songs with one eye on '60s whitebread pop—think The Association—and the other on the poetic histrionics of The Divine Comedy. It works. On "I Will Always Be Swimming In This Sea," Serpa soars through the chorus and then cedes the spotlight to a glorious orchestral string break. "It Took Forever To get Home Tonight" pulses hypnotically, gradually accruing layers of vibes, strings and keyboards, and "Missing The Daze" mixes lush backing choruses, horns, violins and jaunty piano. There's an occasional air of self-importance here, but the other half of the disc's considerable pleasures comes from the barbs that puncture the inflated drama. "Oh you little bitch/You could have anyone you want/But you preferred to torture me," Serpa croons in "Lies About You And I," rubbing salt into his wounded ego. Desperation reaches its pinnacle in the stately "Lonesome For The Man": "Stole the pills inside your bathroom case/And left your house without a trace," Serpa sings with suicidal sincerity. Full of grandness and nuanced details, Here Comes The Sharp Things is a remarkably sophisticated debut. -- Steve Klinge, New Music Monthly Jan/Feb 2003

Location Sunnyside, NY - USA

Copyright notice. All material on MP3.com is protected by copyright law and by international treaties. You may download this material and make reasonable number of copies of this material only for your own personal use. You may not otherwise reproduce, distribute, publicly perform, publicly display, or create derivative works of this material, unless authorized by the appropriate copyright owner(s).