Trachtenberg Family Slideshow Players
Former Seattle residents Trachtenberg Family Slideshow Players are fast growing into a better transplanted New York franchise than that Northwestern coffee chain that socially responsible types hate to love. In fact, this family probably wouldn’t be caught dead there unless the green-aproned baristas were giving away organic soy lattes and homemade spelt muffins. This makes them more hardcore than The Partridges, The Bradys and that goofy family of darkness, The Osbournes all put together. They recycle, support local businesses, and home-school their nine-year-old daughter, Rachel, who also happens to be their drummer.

The band itself is a marvel of vaudeville genius. Father Jason Trachtenberg writes music and funny lyrics to accompany the hokey vintage slides that mother Tina projects at their live shows. Rachel sings, plays, and serves up the occasional rim shots to any bad joke that may spill out of her dad’s mouth.

A recent show in a former Brooklyn mayonnaise factory brought happy tears to my eyes and sent otherwise dour hipsters into fits of giggles. Rachel and her father warbled cheerily about mountain trips to Japan, naked old ladies, and birthday parties. The finale was a six song mini-opera about an internal McDonald’s board meeting. It’s like looking at a family vacation photo album with the family you wish you had.

For performances and info: http://trachtenburg.homestead.com

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Yuppie Pricks
If Christian Bale's character from AMERICAN PSYCHO had a band, this could be it. The Yuppie Pricks are the picture of upwardly mobile professional perfection, from their snappy ties to their impressive portfolios.

Inside, however is a boiling distaste for the riders of the bull market and the golden spoons from which they feed. Singer “Trevor Middleton” clutches not an axe, but a tennis racket microphone and channels Jello Biafra. He whips through brilliant numbers such as “Coke Party”, “Poverty Sucks” and the raunchy Democratic slam, “Donkey Party” with the kind of abandon that can only come from years of putting blow jobs on expense accounts.

Perfect music for your next fully catered corporate function. Or just play it really loud whenever those assholes from sales come too close to your desk.

www.yuppiepricks.com

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