Sing Sing

Shivering Timbers, led by husband and wife Jayson and Sarah Benn (with various friends on drums) are classics in that great Akron tradition: they don't fit into any mold but their own. Sarah is a captivating singer -- part P.J. Harvey, part Patsy Cline -- while the nuanced howl of Jayson's guitar work is the perfect mate to her sultry vocals. What's more difficult to describe is the mood they create, which can, at times, entrance and haunt the audience, while in the next breath, invite them into a whimsical, foot-stomping play land. With a combined musical background encompassing everything from punk rock to gospel, blues to classical, Shivering Timbers have crafted a sound that is at once deeply personal, yet broadly appealing. Fellow Akronite Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys was moved enough to produce their debut album, We All Started In The Same Place, a collection of original home-spun and studio-crafted songs, fold songs, and nursery rhymes re-imagined and inspired by the birth of their daughter. The second and newest album was produced by Brian Olive (Greenhornes, Soledad Brothers, Dr. John's latest), and takes the listener down a darker, slightly heavier journey than the first album. Focused mostly on the lead vocals, haunting guitar lines, upright bass and drums, Sing Sing resonates powerfully, revealing the current direction of the band.