creaky boards is a nyc based antifolk collective that sounds melodic, joyous, collaborative, old timey, humble, honest, emotional, 60s pop, bouncy, harmonious, adventurous, punkish, theatrical, vaudevillian.

12 MP3 Songs
ROCK: 60's Rock, POP: Piano



Details:
Fed up by bored, suburban Michigan, songwriter/pianist Andrew Hoepfner hit the road and saw America riding the spine of a Greyhound, playing piano wherever cops wouldn't bust him and snoozing on any available doormat. Upon Hoepfner's arrival at New York City Port Authority, Creaky Boards began as a whimsical folk-punk duo, alongside lanky daydreaming trumpeter Jason Benjamin, in the unforgiving winter of 2004. They were immediately greeted by an avalanche of theatrical subway performances and electric club shows. The bright-eyed Midwestern boys were embraced by the East Village antifolk scene, who quickly made them a house staple and exposed audiences to their inspired Wilson-esque melodies, honest no-frills delivery, and eccentric sense of showmanship. By summer, Creaky Boards was opening up for the Trachtenberg Family Slideshow Players at the Knitting Factory, and Jeffrey Lewis at the 2004 Summer Antifolk Fest.

Always present in Creaky Boards has been frontman Andrew Hoepfner's irrepressible drive to create. At one point, his obsessive and furious piano pounding led him into big trouble when his hands were injured from overuse. Unsure of whether or not he would be able to continue making music, Hoepfner slipped into depression, and the fate of Creaky Boards hung in question. Yet, physical barriers eventually proved no match for inspiration, and brilliant hands-free a cappella arrangements began turning up in the band's home recordings and live shows. Friends from Hoepfner's underage Michigan punk rock days migrated to the rescue, expanding Creaky Boards into a five piece, which eased the pressure off of Hoepfner's piano duties. Before long, the band was blossoming once again.

In the summer of 2005, Creaky Boards released their first full-length studio album, "Where's the Sunshine?" an explosion of vaudevillian garage pop for the eternally brokenhearted. Ample bursts of trumpet, accordion, and vocal harmony give the disc a charmingly unusual instrumentation. Super-long song titles like "I Came to This Town to Get High" and "I'll Kiss You at Every Red Light" reveal the band's ever present quirkiness. With a rock 'n roll playfulness akin to The Kinks, the Americana twang of Hank Williams, and a Spector-like boom, âSunshineâ vaulted Creaky Boardsâ status into a little legend at its home base, the Sidewalk Café.

2006 found Hoepfner finally overcoming his depression, hand pain, and tumultuous love life. Not surprisingly, Creaky Boards was hit by another surge of creativity, and through an unprecedented level of collaboration, the band evolved into its most innovative form yet. Creaky Boards now exists as a collective, a rotating cast of original members and newly welcomed New York eccentrics; a circus centered around Andrew Hoepfner, the ringmaster. Gigs can no longer be properly called gigs, as Hoepfner has amped them up into story-like, performance spectacles. Highlights include September's âTravelinâ Showâ, in which each song was based on a different city, and illustrated by an accompanying comic book program. Halloween was another big night for Creaky Boards, who through costume and creepy arrangements put on a truly haunting performance. At home, Hoepfner is churning out a host of soulful new recordings from his apartment living room, affirming his continual grasp on grainy, timeless pop. The consistent thread through all of it is Creaky Boardsâ triumphant sense of wonder and his audience's steadfast loyalty.