The Band
How does one begin to describe a band that sounds like Blondie having sex with Frank Zappa and Neil Young backstage at a Jurassic 5 show?
The Energy Commission is without a doubt a very lyrically driven group with a masterful sense of songwriting and melodic craftsmanship. “Take Dylan-level complexity lyrics - but never tuneless or humorless like too much protest music. They bounce and jive and groove their messages.” Wamon Timbsdayle (Roctober Magazine)
This is a band that lives to challenge their listeners. Jay Weinberg made himself heard on Good Morning America from the roof of a gas station in his home town as he was arrested for singing his protest song “Price Gouge’n” which mastering engineer Doug Sax said sounded like a “hit record”. Weinberg then lived his lyrical message and rode a bicycle donated by Trek from Valparaiso, IN to the front gates of the White House in Washington D.C. The Chicago Tribune called him an “overnight hero”.
Then there’s Danielle Cales. A witty and wry songwriter with a refreshingly unique voice. When harmonizing with Weinberg the pairing is as charming as Johhny and June, but when Danielle takes the lead she can be as fierce as Janis and as sexy as Debbie Harry.
iLL Tony Skils (Santonio Ussery) steps up to show that MC truly means Mic Controller and the charasmatic duo of a long standing Hip Hop leaning manifests with Weinberg switching gears to assist in Mastering the Ceremony. These cats are the epitome of cool, with a dashing sense of good looks, humor, and presence, they play off of each other like Walter Matthau and Jack Lemmon.
That sense of humor shines in tunes like “Modern Warfare” and “Reach” which are both based on Jay’s unhealthy obsession with videogames. Weinberg also directs and helps edit the music videos himself which have gone onto to over 320,000 views on Youtube. The “Modern Warfare” video put Jay in gamer infamy with an interview on Microsoft’s Xbox 360 Gamer Spotlight and the “Reach” video was featured on WIRED.com and in Chicago’s RedEYE.
The visual intrigue of the band, their sense of humor, their look, and their productions attest to their understanding of entertainment outside of being just another band. They strive to connect with their audience.
Esola; the aspiring film director, the extra in the gay bar scene in American Pie 3, brings a Doc Brown mad science to the Keys. Nick is classically trained from the American Conservatory of Music and composes his own film scores. He is a performer to be seen, one of the most animated and passionate ivory ticklers of our time.
Josva Ibrahim has got the biggest damn legs you’ll ever see in a bass player and the playlists on his iPod are as random as you can imagine. His eclectic tastes are fitting for a band that has a seemingly blatant disregard for genre and serves Jos well in his creativity.
Last but not least, without Shae’s solid pocket and tasteful drumming the Energy Commission would be without it’s spine. MacPherson is the newest addition to the band, but his funky exploration and study of all things rhythm have made his presence unimaginable.
The Energy Commission possesses an elusive sound. Experience dictates their direction. Life is without genre, so too it would seem, is The Energy Commission.
