Local Band Spotlight: The Tappas

This Week’s Band Spotlight is on The Tappas. These guys were kind enough to follow me on Twitter and volunteer their pictures. I figured, “They seem like good guys, I better see if they can play.” Turns out, they are pretty awesome. Here’s some info on them:

To be fair, I haven’t seen them live. I do know that they play at some good venues, like Joclyn’s in Media, where they don’t book bad talent. That gives me some confidence in them for sure. I did get an opportunity to listen to some of their music that is available online. I was impressed.

The first thing that strikes me is the musical talent is there. They don’t sound choppy or poorly organized. The guitars are on point and sound great. The vocal stylings of Jon Paslay are also refreshingly familiar. I would say his voice has a little Michael Stipe of R.E.M. There are definitely 90s overtones.

The Tappas are:

Jon Paslay - Lead Guitar, Lead Vocals

Jamie Gaffney - Keyboard, Vocals

Andy Russell - Rhythm Guitar, Vocals

Mark Zandgrilli - Bass, Vocals

Anthony Doyle - Drums

From their Website: “Despite recent trends in the industry, there remains a desire for quality music that appeals to the masses. Combining elements from several genres, some of those being pop, funk, rock, hip-hop, and techno, The Tappas have an accessible style all their own. People can easily identify with their catchy songs and danceable jams, making their live shows a must see. Hailing from Delaware County, they picked up their instruments in 1997. College separated the band for long periods of time and summer became the only time they could play. In January of 2002, The Tappas buckled down and got serious about their music. They entered Milkboy Recording to record their 7-song EP “SOUPA”. A few months later 4 more songs were recorded to make “SOUPA” an 11 song album. Following this experience The Tappas spent the next several years acquiring gear and building a small studio so they can record on their own. In 2008, they finished their self-recorded 12 song album entitled “Keepin Still”.

"The band is led by Lead Guitarist Jonathan Paslay. Jonathan, a graduate of Penn State, writes the lyrics and music. However, what makes The Tappas stand out is the chemistry of the friends. Each member has the ability to read the other members and improvise, adding their own unique sound to the group, complimenting each other to a T. In 2010, the band added a fifth member, Andy Russell, another childhood friend to the band. By adding such a talented rhythm guitarist the bands sound continues to evolve.”

Links:

http://www.thetappas.com
http://www.thetappas.bandcamp.com
http://www.twitter.com/thetappas