Artist description With their keen and personal sensibilities, TheCucumbers have been bringing their odd rooted visions of the world to the world since they first jangled out of the now-legendary Hoboken scene of the mid-80's. The Cukes are flowering wildly in this new season, still dancing, and still joyously doing that thing they do. Try this: it's what the doctor ordered, and it is NOT what's going around.

Music Style Quirky, smart indie pop!

Musical Influences Elvis Costello, B-52s, Buddy Holly, The Bongos

Similar Artists Sheryl Crow, Sixpence None the Richer, Hole, B-52s

Artist History The Cucumbers first lifted off somewhere around 1982, and were early and vital measures of the Hoboken Sound. Darlings of the press and indie tothe very core, Deena Shoshkes and Jon Fried found national acclaim with their distaff hits "All Shook Up" and the MTV/HBO-spun "My Boyfriend." Somewhere in there the love dug in, and after the arrival of sons Jesse and Jamie they set up musical house again in the energetic company of bassist and vegetalian philosopher Kurt Wrobel. Their 1994 break-the-silence release with Zero Hour Records paved the way for "Total Vegetility" (Home Office Records, 1999), the band's triumphal and fully-realized return to the indie pop arena.

Group Members Deena Shoshkes - vox, guitars; Jon Fried - guitars, vox; Kurt Wrobel - bass, vocals; EdNo - drums, percussion

Instruments guitars (two), bass, drums and thumpy things.

Albums Total Vegetility (1999), Where We Sleep Tonight (1994), The Cucumbers (1987), Who Betrays Me... (1985), Fresh Cucumbers EP (1983)

Press Reviews From the newest crop: The Village VOICE called Total Vegetility "a fertile garden of smart psych-pop" in May of 1999, about the time that Jon Pareles, head rock critic for the New York Times, was fitting the news that "power pop with a light touch and endearing quirks survives in The Cucumbers." Head Village VOICE critic Robert Christgau opined in June of 1999 that "Once these Hoboken popsters were admirably cute. Now they're admirably stubborn. Either way they're admirably enthusiastic." Indiemeister Jim Santo was less abstruse: "Veteran Hoboken indie-rockers return with a terrifically tuneful collection. Deena Shoshkes' vocals are as vivacious and sassy as ever, and hubby Jon Fried shines on guitar as always. New members Kurt Wrobel (bass) and Dave Ross (drums) give the music a crisp, punchy rhythm. Sounding a bit like B-52s without the camp (and Fred Schneider's adenoidal vocals),tunes like "Indivisible," "Charlie," "Neighbors" and "8500 Million Miles" have an infectious charm that will brighten your day without insulting your intelligence. Devotees of smart pop should flock to this like chickens to corn."

Additional Info It *is* pretty easy being green.

Location Hoboken, New Jersey - USA

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