The Danbees – Down at the Bar (single)
Mindy McCall
Posted On July 30, 2018
The Danbees – Down at the Bar
SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/track/5mv563m6iROWBP7JcBoARZ?si=wNrBHXn6Reum2kJaevCjYw
The single release “Down at the Bar” from The Danbees will likely mark a crucial turning point in the fortunes of this New York City based rock band. Originally hailing from the Ithaca, New York area and first formed in 2014, the band initially coalesced around a core of main songwriter and front man Mark Slotoroff and drummer Wade McManus. The chemistry of their partnership prodded them to enlist Slotoroff’s childhood friend Shane Matthews on lead guitar and, later, a former bandmate of McManus’ Sam Enright to play bass guitar. “Down at the Bar” is from the band’s forthcoming EP release The Veggie Tapes and promises their sophomore release will be every bit as vital as their 2016 debut Fishnets Anonymous. Let’s hope, as well, this new collection will allow them to expand their touring itinerary outside the East Coast and bring their individual brand of rock to the Midwest and beyond.
YOU TUBE: https://youtu.be/4PxO_7Dx-Lw
The unabashed love they have for rock music comes through loud and clear. Shane Matthews’ guitar playing is boisterous and often unrestrained while still never tumbling over into outright chaos – he does an excellent job of bringing a lot of aggression to his playing while still following a logical progression from verse into chorus, the brief instrumental breaks he takes, and how fluidly he shifts gears between the song’s assorted changes. Wade McManus’ drumming is a little unconventional, but never so much it draws attention away from the song and the distinctive attack he brings to his kit helps sets “Down at the Bar” a little further apart from standard rock fare. He’s capably joined by bassist Sam Enright who, though never prominent in the mix, nonetheless provides the song with a consistent sternum rattling pulse functioning as the song’s heart.
Slotoroff’s singing is peerless among modern rock singers. He has the sharp performing instincts of someone who’s been doing this for decades while boasting a cannon strong voice that could easily dominate the track but, instead, taps into the song’s mood and gives a reading of the song every bit as visceral and dancing on the edge as the arrangement. Make no mistake, however – there’s immense artistry in what these four musicians and performers pull off. The song’s soul and point of view, however, comes across in Slotoroff’s singing and the lyrical content – few songs I’ve heard in recent years are such well-rounded, unquestionably rock songs like this one. It comes out of its corner swinging from the first and leaves a mark on listeners before it’s done.
New York City and the college rock scene has produced a real winner with The Danbees. The Big Apple based four piece has blazed a trail since their 2014 formation and this EP seems like the next logical step in their continued ascent. One thing is for sure – the positive reception will continue, the crowds will be larger than before, the stages bigger, and The Danbees sound primed for the next leg of their journey in the music world with “Down at the Bar”.
INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/thedanbees
Mindy McCall
