Mo Pitkins

A HAWK AND A HACKSAW plus HARTLEY

Friday, Dec 16, 2005 11:30 PM EST (11:30 PM Doors)
at Mo Pitkin's
in New York, NY

A Hawk & A Hacksaw - A reverential madman, Jeremy Barnes, drops an impassioned bomb on traditional structures, mines through the wreckage and reassembles pieces with the attentive care given to holy relics. AHAAH doesn't break from musical history as much as sing its essential values in wholly new forms. AHAAH touches on Transylvanian folk melodies, early American folk songs, Roman gypsy traditions, klezmer, mariachi, modern composition, as well as experiences with his previous bands. Neutral Milk Hotel and Bablicon. Live, Barnes (accompanied by violinist Heather Trost) plays drums, accordion, bells and cowbell simultaneously, the novelty of a one-man band taken to innovative new lengths. His new record is called Darkness At Noon. "This is no worthy exercise in emulating ethnicity; rather, it's a busy mixture of freestyle and multifaceted folk song structures." - The Wire..... Hartley - "Whimsical, self-conscious pop with ridiculously clever lyrics that sounds like it was plucked from an 80's college radio playlist. Hooray!" - Time Out "It may be hard to believe that a song that name-check’s That Dog could find any universal truth, but Goldstein’s love is infectious and inspiring in it’s total puppy-dog devotion, and this record is testament to following your tiny, personal dreams. Smart and ridiculous Indie-Folk pop. Heartfelt and goofy fun!" - Other Music "Hipster meets Hasid. Like a Devendra Bernstein." - jewsrock.org "Songs In The Key of Zoloft displays a unique mixture of anxious neurotic pop and meta-folk, and features one of our favorite songs too!" - Gothamist