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honeyhoney
By Alex Green
"I've tried subtlety before," Game Theory's Scott Miller once sang. "But," he added, "I will not anymore." Listening to honeyhoney singer Suzanne Santo on her band's debut album First Rodeo, it sounds like she too has dispensed with similar social niceties and conversational finesse and now favors frankness and blunt honesty.
Not that First Rodeo is a brash and brusque affair, because it has more than a few moments of tremendous sensitivity, but Santo certainly is not one to mince words. For example, on "David," she declares war on a platonic relationship, singing: "It's alright David/I'm fucked up again/And I'm tired of waiting/Of being your friend." Meanwhile, on the lashing pop jewel "Give Yourself To Me" she sings: "You tell me I drink too much/But I tell you that's just your crutch/That comes up when I'm having more fun than you."
Consisting of the Ohio-bred Santo and songwriter/guitarist Ben Jaffe (who hails from Massachusetts), honeyhoney is one of those rare bands that come fully formed, with the kind of out-of-the-box brilliance that makes every number sound positively fresh and vibrant. As a guitarist, Jaffe artfully offers riffs that come expertly cribbed from the likes of Django Reinhardt and R.E.M.'s Peter Buck, while as a songwriter his shrewd lyrics bring to mind the clever and intuitive poeticism of John Prine and the more caustic work of Warren Zevon. Meanwhile, Santo's voice—a powerful confluence of Ann Wilson, Exene Cervenka, Ella Fitzgerald and Patti Griffin—is the perfect sonic complement to Jaffe, its sheer power, grace and musical brio infusing each number with a sizzling and melodic timelessness.
honeyhoney may only be a duo, but they get the work done of a band three times their size. "At first glance," says Ironworks co-founder Jude Cole, on the brevity of honeyhoney's personnel, "I had to grimace when I thought of signing a duo. Traditionally, these kinds of acts have never had much cred or staying power. However, when I got to witness the chemistry between Ben and Suzanne and how they truly magnified each other's strengths and facilitated each other's weaknesses, as a musician I envied the fact that they had found one another. Now, I can't imagine them not being together. This first record demonstrates that chemistry for me and I get very excited about where this will all go in the future."
As for honeyhoney's greatest musical strength, Cole, who produced First Rodeo, says in an exclusive interview with CITC, "I believe they both live a song until they own it. There are some tunes that didn't make the record because as much as they tried to fit the suit on, it just wasn't them. Ben has a gift for lyrics that reminds me of a young Randy Newman and Suzanne's ability to deliver that lyric is again the chemistry that makes this duo so special."
Santo, is, in fact, one of those rare singers who knows how to whip her voice around a riff or slide her syllables around a chord progression in a way that makes the verses as memorable as the choruses. She shines on every track and what's so jaw dropping about her delivery is how varied it can be. A true musical equilibrist, she can be firm and commanding on the searing pop of "Give Yourself To Me," but she can just as easily be playful and spry ("Little Toy Gun") or mellifluous and charming ("Black Crows").
honeyhoney's debut is not only one of the best albums of the year, it comes brimming with confidence, creativity and poise. The fact is, every number is so good, it's hard not to dispense with highlights and just give you a guided tour of the entire album. But if pressed to just name a few, "Not For Long" is bittersweet and plaintive; "Slow Brains" manages a winning bluesy swagger and the album-closing "Oh Mama" is a devastating piano ballad.
And if you listen closely, Santo, assured as she may be on these proceedings, slips in a moment of open wounded self-deprecation. "Even picture perfect ladies lost the beat," she sings.
Not this one.
Allow CITC to introduce you to a band so good they named it twice and made it all one word: honeyhoney
Ben Jaffe (Acoustic/Electric Guitar)
FULL NAME: Benjamin Charles Jaffe
NICKNAME: Ben, Jaffe, Jaffro
BAND MEMBERS: Suzanne Santo, Ben Jaffe
HOMETOWN: Williamstown MA
WEBSITE: www.honeyhoneymusic.com
RECORD LABEL: Ironworks Music
DESCRIBE YOUR SOUND IN ONE SENTENCE: In a dusty Denny's bathroom Paul Simon is feeling up Patsy Cline while Quentin Tarantino films through the window and breathes heavily.
DESCRIBE YOUR SOUND IN ONE WORD: Sex
PROUDEST PROFESSIONAL MOMENT: When I realized how happy I am with our first record.
STRANGEST PROFESSIONAL MOMENT: Playing jazz guitar for Ellen DeGeneres while wearing a peach colored tuxedo.
THE SONG YOU WISH YOU'D WRITTEN: "Guilty" by Randy Newman
THE SONG YOU'RE PROUD AS HELL YOU DID WRITE: "David"
FIVE BEST BANDS TO EVER ROAM THE EARTH: Django Reinhardt's original Hot Club band, The Beach Boys, The Beatles, Bob Marley and the Wailers, Tenacious D
WHAT WERE YOU LIKE AS A KID?: Hyperactive.
LIFE CHANGING MOMENT: My first erection.
MOST HUMBLING MOMENT: My first erection.
BEST ALBUM TO PLAY AFTER A BREAK-UP AND YOU'RE HOLDING A BOTTLE OF VODKA AND SOMETHING SHARP: Eckhart Tolle's audiobook, The Power Of Now.
INDULGENCE YOU REFUSE TO GIVE UP: Non-procreative sex.
PERSONAL PHILOSOPHY: Let it go.
Suzanne Santo (Vocals):
FULL NAME: Suzanne Alisa Santosuosso
NICKNAME: Suza, Suza-Lewis, Lewis, and Zanzibar Lewis. (I think they're weird, too.)
BAND MEMBERS: Ben Jaffe (So Rad)
HOMETOWN: Strongsville Ohio
WEBSITE: www.honeyhoneymusic.com
RECORD LABEL: Ironworks
DESCRIBE YOUR SOUND IN ONE SENTENCE: If garage rock, jazz, bluegrass and soul all got high and had an orgy at Quentin Tarantino's house, we would be the bastard progeny that came out of one of their wombs...dancing
DESCRIBE YOUR SOUND IN ONE WORD: Rockin
PROUDEST PROFESSIONAL MOMENT: My proudest professional moment was a couple of weeks ago when Ben, Jude, Kiefer and I had all sat down at the studio to listen to the 11 songs that we had recorded and mixed, and were ready to be mastered. It was really moving to have all of us be so excited about this record, knowing where we started with it all and how hard we've worked…I cried...I'm a sap.
STRANGEST PROFESSIONAL MOMENT: When 4 girls came up to me after a show in Connecticut and told me they loved me and asked me to sign their boobs, and then proceeded to ignore Ben Jaffe. (He felt a little left out.)
THE SONG YOU WISH THAT YOU'D WRITTEN: "Jessie's Girl"... that's a big fat lie...ummm, I wanna say any Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash or Townes Van Zandt song, but if I have to be specific I will pick "The Times They Are A Changin" by Bob Dylan.
THE SONG YOU'RE PROUD AS HELL YOU DID WRITE: "Come On Home" (It's a song that Ben and I wrote together.)
FIVE BEST BANDS TO EVER ROAM THE EARTH: The Beatles, The Beach Boys, Weezer, Radiohead, Rage Against the Machine.
WHAT WERE YOU LIKE AS A KID?: Rambunctious, annoying, "slightly sensitive," and not very cool.
LIFE CHANGING MOMENT: When my parents let me move to New York City when I was 16 to pursue my dreams and aspirations. I had parental supervision until I was 17 and got emancipated, but it's still f-ing crazy to look back and be like "holy shit, they really let me move away!"
MOST HUMBLING MOMENT: My most humbling moments are in a big melting pot filled with all of the restaurants and bars I've worked in over the years. The service industry can kick the shit out of you.
BEST ALBUM TO PLAY AFTER A BREAK-UP AND YOU'RE HOLDING A BOTTLE OF VODKA AND SOMETHING SHARP: Beck—Sea Change
INDULGENCE YOU REFUSE TO GIVE UP: Coffee
PERSONAL PHILOSOPHY: I feel that in life, when you can get over yourself, and personal obstacles of ego and insecurities, the people and things that are most important to you become so much more sacred and protected. I'm quick to make excuses for myself at times and it only makes things more difficult and crappy. When I live in truth I am the most happy.
honeyhoney Discography
First Rodeo (2008)
Loose Boots EP (2008)
Internet
www.myspace.com/honeyhoneyband
www.honeyhoneymusic.com
First Rodeo is out now on Ironworks
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