To stand out in Manhattan, you have to make sure to do something a bit against the grain. Josh Yavneh, a veteran to the NYC music scene, is well aware of the different nuances involved in taking influences from some of rock’s greatest performers and carving out a new sound with his group, Josh Yavneh and the Culprits. He’s been grinding since 2005, writing and refining original music all the while. Pulling from the likes of Tom Petty and Wilco, these “good ol’ rock n roll” tunes are amped up with fuzz-washed bass lines and concise, distorted guitar leads. Timothy Kessler (bass) provides a lot of character to the lower end of each song, Jon Kurzman (drums) keeps a steady pulse in the pocket, but also shows his ability to break out and provide energy with his fills. The band takes a big cue from the blues in general, especially with the raspy vocals and quick, efficient lead solos. As a tip of the hat to Josh, it’s quite the accomplishment to get that kind of vocal tone without sacrificing intonation, but he is able to pull off a good Fogerty-styled vocal performance on these songs while also keeping his own unique baritone resonance ever present.
