Ching Chong Song
| Ching Ching | ||
|---|---|---|
| Origin | New York City, United States | |
| Genres | Anti-folk, cabaret | |
| Instruments | piano, singing saw, ukulele | |
| Years active | 2003–present | |
| Associated acts | DANyDANY, Kevin Blechdom, The Debutante Hour | |
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| Members | Dan Gower Julie LaMendola Susan Hwang Johnny Dydo Jeff Larson Sam Grossman Simon Beins Stefko |
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Ching Ching (previously known as Ching Chong Song) are Dan Gower and Julie LaMendola, a vocal duo rooted in New York City's Anti-folk scene. Gower typically plays piano, while LaMendola plays singing saw. Their music is often experimental and off-kilter in nature, shifting from humorous to dark, serious, or thoughtful in tone, sometimes within the same song. Time Out New York wrote "Ching Chong Song is a genuine New York oddity, drawing equally from junior-high musicals and graphic performance art. LaMendola commands the stage with her nerves unhinged, one part rising diva, the other local loon."
LaMendola's approach to saw playing is to use it primarily as a melodic instrument, rather than a simple atmospheric effect, which is demonstrated in such songs as "Lynette" and "Jonquil". The prevalence of saw in their music was noted by the Village Voice when they wrote "Cabaret weirdos Ching Chong Song have a surprisingly large amount of singing saw in their tunes."
The group have released two full-length studio albums, Little Naked Gay Adventure and Everything is for the Babies, both produced by Kevin Blechdom. The latter album also features Susan Hwang, of The Debutante Hour, as a third member, playing accordion, janggu (a traditional Korean drum) and providing a third vocal harmony. While Hwang also appears with them in promo photos, and performs with them as schedules permit, they do still perform as a duo. Their extended musical family also includes Johnny Dydo, Jeff Larson, Sam Grossman, Simon Beins, and Stefko.
They have toured in the US and Europe, and performed at such diverse events as Art Basel, in Basel, Switzerland, Primavera a la Ciutat, in Barcelona, Spain, Ladyfest Rotterdam, in Rotterdam, Netherlands, and the Nachtbar Porn Festival in Berlin, Germany. They have also appeared on the NYC public access program Checkerboard Kids and were chosen to close the 22nd annual Antifolk Festival, hosted by Sidewalk Cafe owner and Anti-folk luminary, Lach. They were one of the groups listed as "Best Live Band in Town" in the New York Press 2009 Music Poll.
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