The Shake Mug

The essence of the raw Rock & Roll spirit, The Shake’s music is hook-laden, riff-driven, and loud. Just like their hometown of New York City, their music is self-aware, but never pretentious or uninviting. In just three short years, the Shake has released two critically-acclaimed albums. Their debut disc, Kick It, propelled the band through the ranks of the New York City indie rock scene. Their second album, Well, Oh Well, revealed a more mature facet of the band. With more introspective subject matter, a more deliberate and radio-friendly sonic palette, and darker arrangements, Well, Oh Well was viewed by many as the next step forward for the band and the older brother to the Shake’s freshman effort. 2009 brings with it the release of the band's new single, “Galleries,” a first look at the Shake's newest material. The next step in the band's musical evolution, "Galleries" gives a voice to all those frustrated with the phony and self-delusional aspects of the artistic world, pleading for honesty with a group that prides itself on its exaggerated sense of self- importance. Jon Merkin and Eliad Shapiro, former high school band mates, formed The Shake in the summer of 2005. “The first few times we sat down, we churned out a lot of songs,” explains Merkin. Shapiro recalls, “We were impressed with how well we meshed together. We really compliment each other nicely in terms of writing melodies, chords and lyrics and the first few times we played together, there was a real energy.” In their search for a bassist, Merkin and Shapiro recruited Stein, who Merkin met while traveling abroad during his summer before starting college. Their search for a drummer led them to Vishal Kumar, a fellow student at Columbia University and a seasoned session drummer and performer. In his short career, Kumar has performed in numerous venues including Madison Square Garden and recorded for dozens of prominent artists and producers. Together, Stein and Kumar make up the mighty rhythm section that drives the music of the Shake. Unlike other groups, each member of The Shake is schooled in a different style of music, and draws from a wide pool of influences including rock, blues, jazz, punk, and electronic music. The result is what they call “a constantly evolving, more musically diverse style of rock that utilizes distinct melodies and harmonies in order to maintain a straightforward and familiar feel that still sounds fresh. In their short time as a band, the Shake has already been featured in a major motion picture, shared the stage with internationally acclaimed acts such as Richard Lloyd (of Television), the Mooney Suzuki and the Living End. They’re just getting started and show no signs of slowing down.