The scene: a packed party in downtown NYC.
People were dancing.
Lot’s of them, people that is.
In a loft. A human jammed loft. Full of young good looking professionals, all gathered to hear a raucously rowdy twosome known as Hank and Cupcakes. They are: Hank – a skinny energetic bass player*… and… Cupcakes – a guitar strumming, drum rattling, vocally bawling crazy wild woman who does it all. Together in the lunatic harmony of a hot summer night, they banged out vociferous sounds. Was ecstatic. And after this so so live set I approached Cupcakes to introduce myself. What ensued was a plug for the Soul Dynamic and a promise of an album review. An official EP hand-off ceremony took place.
Now allow me to fulfill said agreement.
Their self-titled EP is chock full of glimpses into BIG potential. Case in point – Hank and Ms. Cupcakes just jet-setted off to Berlin to record their first full length album. Things are happening. Now.
They cover the gamut when it comes to making the most of their six tracks. From the poppy, electro-catchy “Hit (This Is It),” to the slow, yet poetic “Roses,” – they have not pigeonholed themselves into a musical corner. Sprinkling in a little hip-hop, they even found time to cover Joy Division’s “She’s Lost Control.” That’s a statement. Hank does a smooth job at keeping an excellent rhythm, while Cupcakes (love writing Cupcakes:) sounds like the third sister of Katie White (The Ting Tings) and Beth Ditto (Gossip). They’re a killer combo of a electric soul seasoned with some danced out synthed out rock. Who’s hungry? If so order up some “Pleasure Town.”
I’m not saying they “don’t have a hit,” but what I will say is – I’m intrigued to see these two take it to the next level. They won’t have a hit, they’ll have hits.
Author: Del Toro Alma
Photo: Alan Lugo
Album Art: http://www.myspace.com/hankandcupcakes
*When we first published this story, we said Hank was the drummer, for this we apologize.
