The Easy Tease

"The Violent Femmes meet Belle and Sebastian in a wild west saloon." A Manhattan-based quartet, the Easy Tease is the creative synergy of Maggie Carson (banjo/vocals), Adam Janos (piano/vocals), Monroe Ellenbogen (trombone/vocals), and Willis Crichton (drums/vocals). Birthing the band's appeal is Carson's subtly melodic banjo playing, floating through and between trombone-piano duets, anchored by a good old-fashioned drumset.

A Manhattan-based quartet, the Easy Tease is the creative synergy of Maggie Carson (banjo/vocals), Adam Janos (piano/vocals), Monroe Ellenbogen (trombone/vocals), and Willis Crichton (drums/vocals). Birthing the band's appeal is Carson's subtly melodic banjo playing, floating through and between trombone-piano duets, anchored by a good old-fashioned drumset. As this borscht bubbles, a unified sound is evoked - one both accessible and mysteriously original. Further spicing the band's stew are its bizarre skits - intensive Japanese lessons, Scandinavian mating dances, lovers' quarrels, etc. The Easy Tease's colorful blend of music and melodrama allows its performers to contribute to the band four clearly distinct personalities. This grants the band as a whole the ability to express a countless array of oft-contradictory yet familiar feelings, from first-date style awkwardness to the pride of an unexpected champion. Charming by virtue of its willingness to express such feelings, the Easy Tease's collective personality made the band immensely successful in New York's Mid-Hudson Valley. This success, in turn, brought about the band's craving for a broader context - one they've found in New York City and wish to expand further with a Northeast tour this August.


Since coming to New York, the Easy Tease has played at wide variety of functions, ranging from venues such as the Lion's Den and Bar Matchless to the main stage at the 2006 Milford Music Festival. Other bands with which the Easy Tease has shared the stage include cosmic country-rock band New Riders of the Purple Sage, the indie-pop band Sure Juror (On Again/Off Again Records) and funk-jazz outfit theFoundation. Experience with events and stages of all sorts and sizes allows the Easy Tease the flexibility to cultivate an intimate show which reflects the scope and personality of each venue it plays. Together the band has assembled a cumulative experience of hundreds of live performances and numerous EPs.

The Easy Tease's own first EP, too little too late, recorded by Philadelphia-based engineer Matthew Sommer has received extensive airplay on WXBC (Annandale, NY) and is currently in its third print. This summer, the band is working on another EP, Bold Displays of Cowardice, due out in late August 2006.