Local Spotlight: The Shills, "Keep Your Hands Busy" EP

In its original context, a "shill" was a member of a carnival troupe who feigned audience participation with the hopes of generating excitement and interest in an attraction. The practice was obviously frowned upon for its intent to mislead and delude, but nevertheless persisted and evolved over the years to include auctions, corporate sales, gambling operations and, more recently, internet scams. With such a negative history attached to the practice, I was a bit puzzled upon discovering a group of local Boston musicians who adopted the word as the name of their band. The Shills, a four-piece rock band currently comprised of vocalist/guitarist Bryan Murphy, guitarist Ryan Jackson, bassist Dave Sicilian, and drummer James Zaner, have proudly emblazoned the word on their work since their formation in 2004. And while it may seem questionable for a performance act to associate itself with such a deceptive practice, The Shills have cleverly re-appropriated this term to mean something entirely different from its historical associations. The Shills don't need to plant shills to bolster audience excitement; they're planting themselves on stage and bolstering audience excitement on their own. There's nothing deceptive or underhanded about it. In fact, the band's dynamic live performances, genuine musicianship, and hard work over the past nine years is likely what landed them an opportunity to record their most recent EP, "Keep Your Hands Busy: Volume 1," with producer Scott Riebling (Fall Out Boy, Cobra Starship, We The Kings). 


The Shills infuse their self-described pop/rock foundation with hints of progressive rock and, at times, ethereal soundscapes, thanks to the versatility of each member's musicianship. Lead singer and guitarist Bryan Murphy's voice is an undeniably pure exercise in balance and versatility--at once suited for stadium sized anthems and intimate admissions, straightforward pop and forays into progressive rock, it reminds me of the late (and wonderful) Jeff Buckley. Luckily, Murphy has a band behind him with an equally matched level of talent and precision to support him. Guitarist Ryan Jackson (who replaced former guitarist Eric Ryrie late last year), brings his distinct blend of classic rock, jazz, and progressive rock licks to the band, while drummer James Zaner and bassist Dave Sicilian demonstrate immense technical and creative ability on their respective instruments. Ultimately, though, it is the seamless combination of these members that make The Shills so impressive. In an era of bands thrown together haphazardly--with an equally haphazard DIY aesthetic--The Shills remind me what a band can accomplish with hard work, time, and natural ability. Check out the single, "Honest Answers" below, and be sure to get tickets to their EP release show at Brighton Music Hall this coming Wednesday at 9 PM. 


The EP release show is May 2nd @ Brighton Music Hall at 9pm  

w/

Art Decade

The Dirty Dishes

You Can Be A Wesley 


You can buy tickets to the show here




Current members of The Shills:

From left to right: Dave Sicilian (Bass), James Zaner (Drums), Bryan Murphy (Vocals/Guitar), Ryan Jackson (Guitar)













In anticipation of their EP release, The Shills played the album in its entirety on March 3. Check out the video below to meet each of the band members and learn a bit more about the history of their formation. With hints of the energy and talent inherent to their live shows, this clip has us excited to check out their release party at Brighton Music Hall later this week: