Music
Press
A snappy beat accompanies the genuinely sweet and brutally honest lyrics ("I try to stay away but something escapes me and I lay here with you...") in their sure-to-be-a-cult-classic "Destroy Me." - Danielle Turchiano - NaBloPoMo (Mar 2, 2008)
"Last weekend, Jen & Abby sold out the Hotel Cafe, the hottest venue in L.A. for singer/songwriters, for a show that marked the release of “Cannot Rearrange,” their debut CD. - L. Kent Wolgamott - Lincoln Journal Star (Dec 11, 2008)
"Their attitude is nothing but endearing and one could say their lyrics are an exact carbon copy of that. However, there’s a gumption in there that saves them from being called anything too saccherine-sweet." - Seraphina - BeatCrave.com (Dec 16, 2008)
So a musician and an actor walk into a Starbucks…
Which could mean one of two things: a poorly-executed joke with a haphazard punchline, or a true-to-life preface to the alt-folk-duo that is Jen & Abby. Jen, the musician, and Abby, the actor, met four years ago on a lucky whim in Los Angeles and have virtually been inseparable since. Their debut album, “Cannot Rearrange”, is an overall variation of mood and tempo that is all at once folksy to the point of vintage Carol King, with an unintentional take on Natalie Merchant and a twist of John Mayer a la “Room for Squares”. Their studio persona is as involved as it is casual, a quality likely to incite those who prefer live performances to crave such an experience - which, incidentally, is the duo’s favorite method of exhibition.
Jen and Abby describe themselves as “a bird and a fish tied together, not by choice, but out of necessity”. This very well could prove as a reasonable explanation for their symbiotic style of composition - ethereal, with punch; sweet, but honest; quirky, with sizable gall - all without a manufactured redundancy that dooms most promising talent to being played on a loop until the flavor is lost. It’s highly probable that “Cannot Rearrange” will forge a fast and intimate one-sided relationship between the listener and Jen and Abby. But if there’s anything that can be said about the pair, coveted standing-room-only moments aren’t too far off.
Be sure to check out our interview with them here.
Recommended tracks: “Destroy Me”, “Let Go”, and “Enjoy the View”.
- Lindsey Darden - Beatcrave.com (Jan 21, 2009)
Just when I feel like giving up on Los Angeles, this city manages to show off its very best. Last night, the Hotel Café was super packed with an excited, enthusiastic, and (dare I say?) happy crowd. This was a great change of pace, as several shows I’ve been to the last week have been pretty empty. We were all there to see Jen & Abby, a local indie-rock girl band. But instead of the sticking to same old indie sounds, they provided the audience with a sort of musical time machine. Jumping through genre and style, they got the place buzzing with even more energy.
As soon as they started playing, I knew it was going to be a fun show. Lead singer Abby Miller was phenomenal. She was our bubbly pixie-like host for the evening, constantly offering jokes and anecdotes for the audience’s pleasure. Instead of introducing a song she simply said, “This song is… Oh you’ll figure it out!” Jen Trani on guitar offered the steady musical grounding to Miller’s rich vocals. The songs bounced from jazzy numbers (the king that belong in a black and white Cary Grant movie) to the sort of 1990’s Grrrl rock that Seattle would be jealous of.
Formed in Los Angeles four years ago, Jen & Abby are apparently Hotel Café regulars. They have a pretty strong local following and I can see why. The band members were great at what they did. I was particularly impressed by Adrienne Woods on cello. I’m a huge sucker for cello, and she was not disappointing. My first favorite song of the night was a Gothic folk song about a father who loses his daughter and seeks revenge. It was dark and haunting and put the Hotel Café at a stand still (which is quite the accomplishment when you think about how many people in the audience were drinking). After this number, Miller looked at the audience mischievously and got ready for the last song.
It was time to really bring the house down. It was time for a 1970’s, badass, groove-tastic reinterpretation of Britney Spear’s Toxic. The song was so well done that I didn’t recognize it until half way through. I just stood there and thought, “Wait a minute? This is a Britney Spears song. But… But… it sounds good!” Britney should take more than a few lessons from Abby Miller’s example. People were dancing, clapping their hands, and not a single pair of booty shorts were in sight.
All in all: Great people, great music, great times. Jen & Abby provided an instant pick-me-up to my night without that nasty sugar-crash that Red Bull causes. Thanks LA, I needed that.
- Rachel K. - Loudvine.com (Feb 2, 2009)
I'm not really sure exactly who to compare them to, maybe Natalie Merchant/10,000 Maniacs? The Indigo Girls? Now that I write that, I'm realizing that I don't actually know what Natalie Merchant, 10,000 Maniacs, or The Indigo Girls sound like. But if they sound anything like jen & abby, they must be pretty good. - Soul Honky
Abby, a poet and actress and Jen, a musician, met in 2005. Their debut album, “Cannot Rearrange,” was released this past December. What took so long? It doesn’t really matter, because what they came up with makes up for lost time.
Their Myspace page lists their genre as “acoustic/alternative/pop,” but I definitely hear country influences on some tracks, such as the second track, “Lazy Angels” and the third, “Let Go.” The guitar is the main instrument in all songs, but besides a bit of background bass and percussion, it’s all that’s needed.
My favorite song is the title track, “Cannot Rearrange.” It’s one of the best relationship songs I’ve ever heard, with unique lyrics set in a comfortable, meandering melody.
Overall, I highly recommend Jen and Abby. They’re fun, unique and great to listen to.
Reviewer: Alyssa Marcus
- http://thecelebritycafe.com
Jen & Abby are local singer/songwriters who have performed around the LA area for the last 3 years. Their music, entirely original, is based in Folk roots, but is flavored with Blues, Pop, and Country. Jen plays acoustic guitar and Abby covers the vocals. Jen & Abby have recently added drums and bass to their live performance. Playing primarily at Hotel Cafe' in Hollywood, their debut performance was at Jennifer's Coffee Connection in Studio City. Jen & Abby are currently recording their first album, Cannot Rearrange due out in early 2008. For more information log on to www.jenandabby.com or e-mail at info@jenandabby.com - Studio City Lifestyle
Discography
Debut CD: Cannot Rearrange (2008)
1)Destroy Me 2)Lazy Angeles 3)Let Go 4)Lightweight 5)Help Me Out 6)Cannot Rearrange 7)Hush 8)Safe (featuring Gaby Moreno) 9)Be Still My Dear 10)Enjoy the View
Self titled EP (2006)
1)Lightwieght 2)Enjoy the View 3)Be Still My Dear 4)Collide
Photos
Bio
The story of Jen and Abby…
In April of 2005, a young talented musician with an Ovation met a young talented actor with some poems in a Starbucks on Hollywood Blvd. The young musician, having played for over 10 years, was hesitant about writing with the young actor, but she decided to meet with her once, and then tell her that it wasn’t going to work out. They met days later at the musician's little apartment in Valley Village and a little over an hour after they started ‘jamming’ had two songs under their belt. One of those songs has traveled with them all the way to their first album. In May of 2005, the musician and actor played their first gig and truly haven’t looked back.
Jen, the musician, and Abby, the actor, have played out at some well-known Los Angeles venues such as The Roxy, The Viper Room, Room 5, and their favorite spot, Hotel Café. They have had songs placed on Gilmore Girls and most recently on the indie features ‘Weather Girl’ and ‘Let the Game Begin.’
In December of 2008, Jen and Abby plan the release of their first album Cannot Rearrange.
They feel that although the songwriting process has been one worth celebrating, their favorite outlet is live performance. And although Jen and Abby are two very different beings (kind of like a bird from the sky drawn to a fish from the water), they are bound together with one common goal, to change the world through their music, one being at a time.
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