Los Angeles duo honeyhoney play Cafe 939 tonight, and I feel certain it will be one of those shows I will look back on, and say “Oh, I saw them at this tiny venue a couple of years ago.” All of my friends in this theoretical future will be jealous because honeyhoney will have achieved indie notoriety and fame by then. I see many up-and-coming bands, but few pack the charisma, talent, and unique voice that honeyhoney brings to the stage.
Suzanne Santo and Ben Jaffe weave juxstaposing themes into gorgeous, sometimes heartbroken melodies. These are two musicians who were clearly steeped in all varieties of music from an early age, and have successfully cultivated all of those influences into something cohesive and lovely. It’s not easy to describe this “indie roots duo;” perhaps their bio states it best: “Evoking California’s hippie Dust Bowl fringe, equal parts Okie squalor and Pacific shimmer, there is a strong pull of Woody Guthrie-esque folk, vintage Buffalo Springfield, glints of Gram Parsons and bits of Bonnie Raitt’s early blues, Rickie Lee Jones reality and Bakerfsfield Saturday nights. Not country, not folk, not rock, it is a hybrid that defies exact definition.”
Many of the best things in life “defy exact definition,” too, and that’s a good thing.
Honeyhoney is on tour this fall promoting their new album “Billy Jack,” which hits stores on October 24th. They play Cafe 939 at 8 tonight, along with Joshua James, and Levi Lowrey – check ’em out!
