Mplshenrys's Blog

Minneapolis!

mplshenrys — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 06:41:17 +0000

The Minneapolis Henrys would like to thank everyone who came out to see us last Thursday @ Acadia in MPLS. It’s always nice to play in the town that named us.

Special thanks go out to the cats in A Night in The Box for hooking up the show. Check ‘em out at http://www.myspace.com/nightinthebox

They totally rule!

We’re barely alive, but rockin’ nonetheless!

mplshenrys — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 05:17:23 +0000

Update from the Henrys 3/23/09 We almost died! Read the whole story at our myspace blog www.myspace.com/mplshenrys We almost died! No but seriously. Our not-so-beloved van “Harrison Ford,” a 1994 E150, has been on its last legs since we bought it in December and it finally pooped out on I-90, nearly taking us with it this morning at about 8am eastern. The rear axel BROKE IN HALF while driving 70 miles an hour on I-90 just west of Rochester New York. Brandon, the best f-ing driver in the world, heard the crazy noise that was the left rear wheel relieving itself of the van entirely and struggled to maintain steering to pull us over. A sleeping Jai woke up to the swerving and Brandon yelling “I can’t control it” and then Brandon and Ian, in unison, screaming obscenities. When we went skidding sideways toward the side of the road the van spun in a wild circle and then tipped probably within 10 degrees of totally flipping over. After the van stopped moving and we made sure everyone was alright we gave serious thanks for that 10 degrees, for the fact that we didn’t hit any other cars in the process, and for Brandon’s fabulous driving abilities. So, while we checked each other for bumps and bruises (happily not broken limbs and sculls) we waited for a tow truck to take us to Batavia, NY, a little town that luckily had a garage, a Dunkin Donuts and an enterprise rent-a-car. We unloaded Harrison for one last time and loaded up our fancy $50 a day Toyota Seinna and got back on the road, determined to make our Boston show at O’Brien’s. We left Harrison in Batavia after cursing its corpse for sucking so bad ever since we came to own it. Harrison used to beep for absolutely no reason every couple of minutes five times in a row, which we took it to mean “I love you Minneapolis Henrys” (one beep for every word). We guess he didn’t love us that much. Beep beep beep beep beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep

-Kate Paris, of The Minneapolis Henrys

Check this out!

mplshenrys — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 03:30:07 +0000

Illinois Entertainer reviews The Way of The Albatross

mplshenrys — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 01:20:01 +0000

“Minnesota-bred Chicago act The Minneapolis Henrys keeps things friendly on its debut, The Way Of The Albatross. The indie rock group largely prefers an untroubled output highlighted by refined guitar riffs melded with intricate drum patterns and jovial vocals best heard on songs like “The Photograph.” Even when lead vocalist/guitarist Jai Henry veers toward anger (”Stay Away”), the Henrys maintains its cool, making this album ideal for fans of relaxed yet progressive rock.” (www.myspace.com/mplshenrys)
– Max Herman, Illinois Entertainer. March 2nd, 2009

Hey NYC, We’re headed your way

mplshenrys — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 01:19:25 +0000

Click the text to RSVP on Going.com

More dates to follow!

-The Henrys

Plus check out our Myspace for up to the date info:
Myspace.com/mplshenrys

Consequence of Sound reviews The Henrys Live game!

mplshenrys — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 19:52:07 +0000

The Minneapolis Henrys capsize The Bottom Lounge (1/23)

By Chris DeSalvo on January 28th, 2009

The Minneapolis Henrys capsize The Bottom Lounge (1/23)

Jai Henry is a slight young man. A lanky, bespectacled creator of hum-along tunes that wouldn’t have been out of place on the Garden State soundtrack had Zach Braff done more extensive digging for incendiary talent. He is the co-creator of infectious little ditties that could eventually wind-up giving James Mercer (The Shins) a run for his money as best-bearded-and-lanky-songwriter-in-the universe.

All hailing from their native Minnesota, each member of The Minneapolis Henrys strikes a pose without posing. It’s a refreshing display of honest posture that reminds us why we go see terrific underground acts in the first place. No supermodels. No guns. No Pete Doherty. Just three gentleman-donning non-skinny-ties, and proportionally sized-clothing. The lone female member in a quaint, modest party-dress. There were no ironic cardigans, nor any pretentiously placed bandannas to mention.

They left all the statement-making up to the music. Oh, what a sound. They don’t’ so much beat you to death with excellence as they tantalize your ear drums with melodic homage’s to what alt-rock music is capable of without a fashion guru modeling their on-stage garb.

With The Minneapolis Henrys, what you see is what you get. Four simultaneously cadence-driven musicians whose collective talents enable the four-piece to woo an audience without pushing any inward-thinking art-rock tendencies on them. What they’ve created is a subtly brilliant live show that hardly allows its audience members time to breathe. They engage those in attendance by requesting even the most jaded of the hipster set to approach the stage, and “get jiggy with it,” rather than mug and pout in the distance. They’re about as personable a young band as you’re likely to see in the area.

Jai himself is a living, vivaciously breathing representation of what we’re all capable of if we (a) have talent, (b) undeniable spirit, and (c) a willingness to let our innate awareness of how to carry a tune rummage through our lanky-frames and dance to good music as we create/perform it. If you haven’t yet seen, or heard of, The Minneapolis Henrys, Friday night’s show at the refurbished Bottom Lounge may have been just enough to win you over.

Oh, and not to discredit the opening act of the night, The New Loud should be everyone’s favorite new band. They’re superfluous interpretation of how to excel at the delivery of driving, surging sonic testaments to how to woo an audience is a mesmerizing live experience I would recommend to anyone willing to lend an ear to music that sounds not only groundbreaking, but decadently powerful.

Set List:
The Ballad of Robert Murdoch
So Long Sophie
The Ballad of Sophia Green
Magnum
Tusk Wounds Rockets
The Black Rose of Santa Lucia
Ice Storms
Letters from Odysseus
Tumbleweeds
All’s Fair

A brief excursion…

mplshenrys — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 14:55:46 +0000

Not a tour, just a brief trip. Tonight we play Mojo’s in the pretty little college town of Columbia, MO. Then on Wednesday we hit up The Wedge in St. Louis. I hope it’s at least a couple of degrees warmer down there…

Consequence of Sound reviews “The Way of The Albatross”

mplshenrys — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 22:56:10 +0000

Listen: The Minneapolis Henrys

By Chris DeSalvo on December 19th, 2008

Listen: The Minneapolis Henrys

Minneapolis, Minnesota is home to many a revolutionary alternative rock band. Think about it. If you’re a kid up there with disheveled pop-sensibilities, a knack for strumming guitars turned-to-D, and an affinity for proudly donning pasty-white skin, there’s really nothing else you should be doing. It’s a morbidly cold region to grow up in, and this is why so many terrific bands (some you’ve never heard of) have hailed from this region. Think about it, without dastardly weather conditions, would Prince has fashioned himself a gaudily dressed rock savior? Would Robert Zimmerman have migrated east?

The Minneapolis Henrys have formulated a fresh interpretation of what off-kilter rock music should sound like. Yes, their songs ooze Indie-cred, and no, they don’t dress like they’re trying to channel Mick Jagger’s live corpse. Rather, each of the songs on their yet-to-be released The Way of the Albatross take tiny sonic jabs at your subconscious, and force their way into your internal, personal play list.
You won’t be able to help it. If you dig Modest Mouse’s earlier stuff, pledge daily allegiance to lo-fi recording, and adore craftily-buried hooks amidst superfluously arranged tunes, you will immediately fall in love with this band.
Each day we are inundated with new bands trying to prove their relevance before another indie-outfit can steal the thunder of the moment. As a result, the market becomes heavily liquidated, watered-down, and entirely moot. We’d rather sit back and listen to My Bloody Valentine, and wish we were born 10 or 15 years earlier. A band like The Minneapolis Henrys come around every so often. They know they may never be rock stars, but this isn’t why they got into the business of making groundbreaking records. They’ve managed to fuse everything they love about underground music, and spit it out with an original flare rarely seen or heard anymore.
In order to throw a slew of songs at us, and make them stick, you need to innovate with tools used thousands of times before. This is next to impossible, and the reason we love The Pixies, The Replacements, or Jawbreaker. If you can pull off creating something that’s both a fusion of what’s been done before, and an enigmatic creation of something new and exciting, you’ve (a) done your homework, and (b) will make some coin doing what you love.
The Minneapolis Henrys are your new favorite band. You’re welcome.

We made WLUW’s best of 08!

mplshenrys — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 20:22:15 +0000

BEST OF 2008! (TOP 30)
Category: Music

ROC

Here is our list of TOP 30 RECORDS of 2008!

Drum …………………………

Roll……………………………………………………

Please……………………………………………………………………….

30 SLT / THE WAY OF THE BUFFALO / LIMEY JAM

29 COMPANY OF THIEVES / TOURNIQUET EP / SR

28 RISE AGAINST / APPEAL TO REASON / GEFFEN

27 MUSIKANTO / GHOST PAIN / SR

26 CANASTA / WE WERE MIXED UP / SR

25 GRAMMAR / LOW / VIATOR

24 ALLA / ES TIEMPO / CRAMMED DISCS

23 THE 1900′S / (7″ WHITE VINYL) / PARASOL

22 THE DIALS / AMOEBA AMORE / NO FUN RECORDS

21 THE INFRASONICS / SURFACE TO AIR / CAFFEINATED RECORDINGS

20 UNICYCLE LOVES YOU / UNICYCLE LOVES YOU / HIGHWHEEL RECORDS

19 LOCAL H / TWELVE ANGRY MONTHS / SHOUT FACTORY

18 RUE ROYALE / RUE ROYALE / SR

17 MAKE BELIEVE / BONE CHURCH / FLAMESHOVEL

16 MINNEAPOLIS HENRY’S / THE WAY OF THE ALBATROSS / GRAPE JUICE

15 JOE PUG / JOE PUG / JOE PUG MUSIC

14 THE PRAIRIE CARTEL / EP 1 & 2 / SR

13 PIT ER PAT / HIGH TIME / THRILL JOCKEY

12 MAHJONGG / KONTPAB / K RECORDS

11 CURTIS EVANS / MORE SONGS ABOUT LONELINESS / GRAPE JUICE

10 TOMS SCHRADER AND HIS EGO / LYING THROUGH DINNER / SR

09 INCHWORM / SHEEP IN WOLFS CLOTHING / SR

08 COOL KIDS / THE BAKE SALE / CAKE RECORDINGS

07 BRIGHTON MA / AMATEUR LOVERS / LOOSE TOOTH RECORDS

06 PRETTY GOOD DANCE MOVES / EEP / GORGEOUS GROUP

05 WALTER MEEGO / VOYAGER / ALMOST GOLD

04 BAILIFF / MM HMM / SR

03 BOUND STEMS / THE FAMILY AFLOAT / FLAMESHOVEL

02 CATFISH HAVEN / DEVASTATOR / SECRETLY CANADIAN

01 THE M’S / REAL CLOSE ONES / POLYVINYL

Amplifier Magazine Reviews “The Way of The Albatross”

mplshenrys — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 20:05:25 +0000

THE MINNEAPOLIS HENRYS
THE WAY OF THE ALBATROSS
GRAPE JUICE (2008)

For most, when thinking of Minneapolis and music, the purple-clad androgynous one, sometimes known as Prince, is the first and only thing to come to mind. As great an artist as he is, for those of us of a certain age and with different musical tastes, Minneapolis will always mean seminal punk bands such as Husker Du and The Replacements; not because of a dearth of bands to come out of the Twin Cities since then, but because they were that great/influential/important.

The Mpls Henrys (which I believe refers to a high school in Minneapolis, but don’t quote me on that) have clearly listened to their Replacements as well, and in spite of the frontman having a voice much closer to Robert Smith than to Paul Westerberg, the thirteen tunes on this record are fairly straight-forward indie pop/punk fare. The Henrys craft nice, tight songs, create momentum and sustain it on both ballads and percussion driven rockers. The classic guitar, bass, drum trio is augmented on several tracks by a cello, creating a nice change of atmosphere and supplying the band with some much needed variety to separate them from the herd.

Last I checked the weather online, both Minneapolis and Chicago, where the band now resides, were in the negatives. Thank god those poor souls have some hot, good ol’ fashioned Minneapolis rock to warm their freezing bones.

–William Carey [January 19, 2009]