bad apples

Southern New England`s The Bad Apples are far from bad, actually, they`re quite good and another perfect example of another overlooked band. While record companies still scramble to sign disposable acts who they can try and exploit for a few quick bags of loot, hard working bands like the Bad Apples continue to exist under the radar, which is a crime. The Bad Apples are a relatively young three-piece, but their influence goes far beyond their individual ages. Their website boasts four memorable tracks showcasing their diversity making the Bad Apples impossible to classify beyond "rock". There are many other musical elements to this band that the listener will soon forget this group has only three members.
The influence of their heroes (steely Dan, David Bowie, The Beatles and Tower of Power) is clearly present, but it`s hard not to count Ben Folds as an influence on the track Days of Tom Petty on Danny Movefastly. The Bad Apples are certainly keeping themselves busy for the remainder of 2007 with several shows scheduled throughout Connecticut and New Jersey bringing thier message of rock with them.
By Andy Poncherello
November 18, 2007 - project413.org

Saturday Brings us to SBC in Branford, where the Bad Apples are having a cd release party for their debut album Home; and homage to the area the Apples were grown.
"We tried to keep a general theme; the album is a tribute to our home area, being East Haven and New Haven," explains Apples drummer Dave Witter. "It`s pretty much about us, being friends and growing up together. It`s something for us and something for the people we know. If they don`t know, there`s still plenty for everyone else to enjoy."
The band has a long history together.
"We`ve been playing music for a number of years, we all have been best friends the entire time. We played in high school bands together," recalls Witter. "We had a band back in high school called the Elastic Band." The Elastic Band took a hiatis as the members went to college. It was in college, at the New England Art Institute that the Apples were formed. "Our bass player (Robert "BJ" Felsted) was attending school. He had access to a studio and we were playing there," Witter says. "We were getting prouder of the sessions and getting a lot of work done. By the time the album was finished, we decided that we had to do something with it."
The band should be proud of Home. The album showcases an originality not seen in typical debut records.
And while the band is good, they`re tough to classify.
"We`ve got some funkier tunes; we`ve also got some pop in there. If I had to go with something I`d have to say it`s near funk, mostly because of the bass lines." Witter says. "It was something we were very conscious of during the recording sessions, making sure, literally, that my right foot matched up with the bass player`s right hand."
The result is an eclectic batch of songs that vary in style, blending almost every genre imaginable, from hip hop to blues with lots of rock and funk trown in the mix. The instrumentation is also quire varied.
"We wanted it to be just the way we heard it. We heard these diffferent things in our heads, and we had the resources," Witter says. "We have a lot of different friends who play different instruments...we brought them in, half told them what to play, and half let them do what they felt. "
Their live show "is different" says Witter. "We focus more on the vocal end of things...We took the time to re-work the songs, basically re-learn them to play them live, to make it work and sound full. In my opinion, it sounds great. We`ve taken it to the live setting, and people are into it."
-Jeff Petrin
August 29th, 2007 - Play New Haven Magazine

WHO: James Albis, keyboard and horn player for the East Haven based trio Bad Apples. The guys-Albis, bassist BJ Felsted and drummer Dave Witter make singable rock music with tinges of jazz. On very strong songs like "Danny Movefastly" Bad Apples conjure up memories of classic Steely Dan songs.

Where can you see him?
James and the Bad Apples will host a CD-release party at SBC Restraunt and Brewery in Branford, CT at 7pm Saturday. At the show you can purchase the band`s very good first CD, "Home." After more than a year of recording, the disc is ready and to Weekend`s ears, it`s pretty good. - New Haven Register

On Home, New Jersey's Bad Apples come across as a jam band more interested in having fun than filling ears with long winded musical journeys. There are lengthy numbers on the album - fueled by jazz and funk resulting in amiably dance ready songs for the hippie crowd as much as the next square in the room.
The trio finds inspiration and fruitful creativity through funk, rock and even rap on one track ('Moses Poses: Private Eye'). On 'Acid Reflux' the bounce is layered with popping drums and playful keyboards. The jazzy and soulful strut of 'Jackpot' is reminiscent of the J Geils Band and Smashmouth fused in an after hours club. Singer (and drummer) Dave Witter's deep gut vocals are tempered with coffee and whiskey, raspy like Dr. John and throaty like a New Orleans street preacher. 'The Smell' is wonderfully nervous, think 'House of the Rising Sun' with a faster pace and sweeter harmonies. Its carnival-esque piano driving rhythm makes it a standout among the variety of songs on Home.
However, it's the plodding rhythm of 'I-95' that illustrates the smart complexity of the band. It plays evenly - steady drumming, vibrophone and guitar that excercises restraint along the way, building just enough to tease but never achieving more than it needs to be. But 'Its My Time' is an album highlight, funky and catchy enough to bridge all the races, and 'Days' flows like honey. James Albis' driving piano notes coupled with organ cut deep, rolling over one another like playful children. It's a song made for radio airplay.
Bad Apples are steely Dan meets Smashmouth meets Blues Traveler meets Ben Folds Five - many things all at once with nothing going wrong in the mix. Home represents Bad Apples refining their sound and serving as a peak into their future as a dynamic rock band.
-Brian Tucker

Bad Apples perform at the Juggling Gypsy May 17th, 10pm - Bootleg Magazine