Given the average indie trios and quartets that come out…this band is quite big. Literally. There are six of them, all hailing from
There are drummers – yes more than one - a percussionist, guitarists and a bassist. There’s a piano thumping vocalist who tosses his head in the air and wails with the same earnestness that reminds us of his more familiar, more famous counterpart in
It may be an unfair assumption, but it’s unavoidable. There is now a quickly assumed, if not recognized, Chris Martin in every piano playing alt rock singer. Stephen Patterson is the piano playing vocalist in this band but Alexander Even and Gregory Roberts also literally pitch in on the vocals.
The winning thrill in this band is the way it combines an infectious earnestness in the energy of its music style with the nonchalant swagger of a group of guys having an experimental jam session, in its musical arrangements. And they could very easily be the next Death Cab for Cutie meets Arctic Monkeys. They’ve aped the punk rock adrenaline of Monkey madness dotted with firework beats with South American/African/Carribean flavors. But also include the melodic artistry that’s too close for Cutie and too spontaneous to not be inspired by the origins of creative electronic music – the 70s, just ask Jefferson Airplane whose song White Rabbit must have had more than a coincidental influence on the band’s name.
The band released their debut studio album, titled Fort Nightly in May a few years ago, which they dubbed as ‘honky-tonk calypso’ music. The album was followed by 2009’s sophomore smash, It’s Frightening, which was produced by the frontman of Spoon, Britt Daniel.
The band is famed for their refreshing covers –particularly Bob Dylan’s Maggie’s Farm. And also for their stage tricks, which include frequently switching instruments among the six of them.
In TNL’s new favorite, ‘Percussion Gun’, taken off the album It’s Frightening, the three-chord scale of the guitar riff has a melody similar to Snow Patrol’s Chasing Cars and a machine gun drum routine which pumps the energy of the White Stripes.
Band Members
Alexander Even – guitar, vocal
Brian Betancourt - bass
Matthew Clark – drums, additional percussion
Jamie Levinson – drums
Gregory Roberts – vocals, guitar
Stephen Patterson – vocals, piano
Percussion Gun
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The Plot
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Kid on my shoulders
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Rudie Fails
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Navy Wives
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While we go dancing
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Midnight and I
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Lionesse
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For more on the White Rabbits check out http://www.myspace.com/whiterabbits




But what’s the cliché – is it that he’s singing about what every rapper sings he wants, or that by so singing, he’s got what every rapper wants? He’s already got the girls ready to scream on cue, Rihanna’s paparazzi-framed kisses, rap superstars from Kanye to Lil’ Wayne ready to give him the champagne-welcome at his shows, the charts ready to make him richer than the single digit rise of his music and the red Nike Air Jordans that must be giving him the wings he needs for this kind of success.