Uncle Charlie

11/19/09
Edible L.A. Magazine


Uncle Charlie – The Uncle You Want to Get to Know
These guys are pro: a 3-piece package of skin-tight musicality, clever branding, and phenomenally memorable songs, Uncle Charlie is operating outside of the tired cliché that is the “LA Music Scene.”

Perhaps it’s because co-creators Andrew Kelsey (vocals, guitar, songwriter) and Greg Markles (drums, vocals) are a little hungrier then their competition to bring it. Maybe it’s the years of individual performing experience that is obvious onstage – their charisma and smooth sets charming women and entertaining men in whatever packed LA venue they are headlining at. Oh, and there’s the sheer musical talent. Uncle Charlie has IT.

The Uncle Charlie Experience
The night I attended their well-crafted EP/CD release party at Club Fais Do Do (an impressive location reminiscent of New Orleans, circa 1940’s), these boys set the place on fire with one hot song after another. The mixture of eclectic rock (Enjoy The Ride), complex ballads (Pain Relief), crowd-pleasing surf-songs (Sha-La-La), and a little blues thrown in (Snickers & Cigarettes) defies genre categories. Loyal fans (Uncle Charlie brands them as their “nieces and nephews”) might list the influences of The Dave Matthews Band, Maroon 5, Jack Johnson, and classic blues, funk, even reggae, all blended with an electric mixer to cook up their modern, easy-on-the-ear catalog, which includes over 30 originals, and some stylish covers. The show was a sensation.

Classic Showmanship
In addition to Kelsey and Markles, is Kahlil Sabbagh, who is jokingly announced as their “perpetually auditioning” bass player – even though Sabbagh has extensive musical credits. This kind of tongue-in-cheek humor is carried onto the stage in combination with a razor-sharp sense of show, evocative of the great Blues Brothers live concerts. The fun-loving band seems to have produced a persona all it’s own by cunningly creating “Uncle Charlie” as a real-life character, even though he doesn’t exist. Named after the slang expression for a curve pitch in baseball (the musicians are huge fans of the sport), the character of “Uncle Charlie” seems to have taken on the role of paterfamilias to the band’s cool and lighthearted image.

Songs That Stay With You
Somehow, Uncle Chuck’s sound is at once unique and familiar, deep and rich with intricate rhythms, yet simple enough to hum on the drive home. In fact, it is difficult to pick out those sure hits. Kelsey’s tunes are so catchy, most of them are on a higher level of awesome - ready for major radio air-time and The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brian.


Sienna Spencer
Edible L.A. Magazine
Segment Producer KCRW
Freelance Writer/Blogger
- Edible L.A. Magazine

Uncle Charlie

April 15, 2010: The Cannery, San Francisco, CA

Seeing an old musician friend perform with his new band? Why not, especially if it's just a few blocks away, the sun's out in full force and I hadn't seen him in quite a while. "I'll just swing by for an hour, listen politely, take a few pictures and will be back behind my desk an hour later" - or so I thought. But I ended up staying for a full three-hour set of Uncle Charlie, performing at San Francisco's The Cannery. Here's why.

Guitar, drums and bass - you don't really need more than that. Long time and audibly quite experienced musicians Andrew Kelsey (guitar, vocals) and Greg Markles (drums, vocals) are the core of Uncle Charlie, complimented by what seemed to me like an almost monthly changing bass player. As I understand, they are running with a permanent one now (Shanon Paul). The bass man in San Francisco was Adam Siegmont, and you could tell that he hadn't been playing with Kelsey and Markles for long. Where those guys were outgoing, engaging the audience by telling offbeat stories and even more offbeat jokes while one of them (Markles) would run off regularly to feed a parking meter, Siegmont seemed a bit intimidated by the stage experience. But that didn't translate into him playing his bass guitar with intimidation at all - the sound of the trio was very tight and groovy all around.

To describe Uncle Charlie’s musical style is tricky endeavor - it bridges and combines all kinds of genres, including rock, R&B and soul. While their track "Secret" is reminiscent of an angry Jack Johnson, Uncle Charlie switches effortlessly to funk with "Dust Me Off" and then to folk pop in the sing-along "Sha La La". The sheer amount of original material commands respect - there are maybe just a few cover songs during the three hours of their performance. But I'm sure that they would be able to moonlight as a music box with a slight spin on each requested song, too.

In all honesty, it's hard to not like those guys and their unique sound. Should Uncle Charlie ever play in your town, gather some friends and check them out - you won't be disappointed.

Roland Austinat
Bay Area Productions,
Writer and Consultant
- Bay Area Productions

9-16-10
Los Angeles, CA

"Uncle Charlie’s coming to dinner!"

Uncle Charlie has been rapidly gaining fans throughout their Los Angeles home, residing in an already musically diverse city. However this experienced band offers something a bit more atypical then what you find on the L.A. music scene. There is no clear way to truly define Uncle Charlie; they are a blend of something familiar and comforting yet unlike anything you may have heard before - especially in a time of very unclear lines drawn in music today, with simple material and limited talent somehow not standing in the way of industry success.

Uncle Charlie’s sound has a universal quality that makes their style seem at home in any era between the 60’s and any time in the next decade. As far as musicianship goes, this three-piece is clean-cut in it’s precision. Solid lead vocals accompanied by well-balanced three part harmonies and spotless instrumentation makes for a thoroughly engaging concert experience. The well-coordinated breaks and drops punctuate most of the funk and soul selections, a technique proven to awaken the passive listener. It becomes quite apparent that the members of Uncle Charlie: Andrew Kelsey (lead vocals/guitar), Greg Markles (drummer/vocalist), and Shanon Paul (bass/backing vocals), are seasoned and professional performers.

The band’s live performance emanates a fun and entertaining vibe while invoking a very seductive undercurrent. Between numbers, several funny exchanges between the band mates make the audience laugh, demonstrating an accessible charm which makes seeing Uncle Charlie feel more like an overall show rather than watching “just another band.”

Uncle Charlie is a definite crowd pleaser – with the crowd ranging from older patrons looking for a good-hearted atmosphere, to college kids seeking a sexy, modern evening out. This group manages to offer a variety of original styles and sounds along with an across-the-board appeal. So if Uncle Charlie joins you for supper, pass the mashed potatoes and enjoy!

Greg Allen
Rockshows.org
- Rockshows.org

Saturday October 10th 2009
Uncle Charlie CD release show Club Fais Do-do LosAngeles, Ca

It’s hard to sit still at an Uncle Charlie concert. The high-octane rhythms hook your boogie and pull you to your feet, while the lyrics beg you to chime in. Whether it’s the wry sexiness of “Between the Sheets” or the joy mantra of “Everything’s All Right,” Uncle Charlie lyrics have a sweet static cling that starts on the first chorus and seem to show up out of nowhere days later. Of course, when it’s a packed house, as it was on [insert Day of the week] at Club Fais Do Do, fans may have to resort to chair dancing and foot tapping, but sitting still is not an option.

Uncle Charlie, the brainchild of singer/songwriter Andrew Kelsey and drummer/songwriter Greg Markles, styles itself as a Rat Pack take on modern rock. Their promo pictures sport a glib sense of yesteryear, and their onstage patter is quick and charming. “My name is Kahlil Sabbagh,” quips the tall bass player as he introduces the team, “I’m still auditioning for the band.”

Team is a key word in Uncle Charlie-land. Named for a baseball slang term (think curve ball), each element works together to bring it home. No outfield exile for the drum kit, for instance. Markles’ flying hands are up front and personal, and his rich gravel voice does a swinging two-step with Kelsey’s warm, soulful sounds. Sabbagh’s bass and back-up vocals keep a steady spine. And the band doesn’t seem to play to, as much as with the audience, its “nieces and nephews,” as Uncle Charlie fans are called. And watching the rapt facing and wiggling bodies at Club Fais Do Do, it’s hard not to join the family.

Deborah Elder Brown
Author at Guilford Publications
Freelance Reporter at Time Magazine
West Coast Editor at Fairchild Publications
Managing Editor at Installation News
Founder at Writing from the Well Workshop
- Writing from the Well