bass, vocals

Mike, 24, is a graduate of Hunter College in Manhattan where he played trumpet in the jazz band, under the direction of trombonist Ryan Keberle, and minored in music. Mike also plays, or has played, with various local artists and groups, including, the Del-Reys, Dorian Spencer, the Air Horns and the Fletch Star Band.

drums

Paul, 27, operates a studio on the South Shore of Staten Island where he records and produces local acts, and teaches drum lessons. Paul has played with the NYC ska/reggae stalwart King Django, and currently plays with Brooklyn acts The Del-Reys and Rachel Fine. He has been known to play percussion for numerous local groups, including Paragraph and the Headlocks.

trumpet, vocals

Rafael, 31, received his first trumpet in 1988. As music major at the College of Staten Island, he studied with local legend Mike Morreale, and plays with several groups around Staten Island and the metropolitan area, including marching bands, big bands, symphonic orchestras, and original projects.

vocals, keys, trumpet

Billy, 30, in addition to handling lead vocal duties, also acts as the band’s utility player, bringing keyboards, a second trumpet, and percussion into the mix.

While studying at Penn State University from 1999-2003, Billy fronted the popular local cover band Furious Styles, which evolved into an original project called Dramatic Oil Company.

In 2005, he recorded some dub versions of his favorite tunes using a simple recording setup in his parents’ basement.

A student of popular music, Billy wrote about the practice and art of remixing for his NYU master’s thesis. He contributed articles about Matisyahu, Rosanne Cash, and Art Neville (of the Meters) to a Rhode Island alt-weekly, and wrote for an as-yet-unpublished encyclopedia of hip-hop edited by Bill Adler of Def Jam. He also contributed research to the New York Public Library exhibition Yaddo: Making American Culture.

Billy currently works as the New Media Writer at the United Federation of Teachers where he administers the union’s blog Edwize, among other web-related duties.

vocals

Nicole, 24, recently completed a master’s degree program at Hunter College and is pursuing a career as a music educator. Nicole also performs original songs and covers with The Bad Mouth Betties, and as a solo acoustic act. In 2008 Nicole was voted “Best Diva” by readers of the Staten Island Advance.