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They
don't look Joo-ish to me?
Misnomer(S)
@ The Delancey
October 31, 2005
by Lara Hoegel
Don't tell the Joo sisters
you can't tell them apart (from each other or from any other
young Asian woman.) Don't make any Asian-girl-playing-the-violin-for-a-change
quips, either — not without fear of their musical
wrath, at least.
The Joo sisters want you
to know something about themselves: They were born and raised
in Buffalo, New York and not - as you're likely to think
- Korea, China, Japan or any other Asian country you know
nothing about. Oh, and another thing: They speak perfect
English - probably better than you do, in fact.
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The duo of Noodes and SoS have joined forces
with DJ Will Star, a prominent NYC beat-maker (and Cityzen contributor)
to form the current incarnation of Misnomer(S).
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Misnomers
played to a costumed and sugar-fueled crowd on Halloween
night at The Delancey, an appropriately creepy Lower East
Side venue. The sibling duo dressed as cat and mouse, respectively.
Even Star got into the Halloween spirit and showed up dressed
in his "DJ gear."
The Joo sisters are personable
in conversation. On stage, affable sexiness fades to fury
as Noodles raps cathartic, socially-conscious, and admonishing
lyrics over SoS' soaring arco and haunting tremelo. What
Noodles wants to do - change your mind, or just tell you
off - is uncertain. She does both.
DJ Star and the Joo sisters
had only hooked up a few days prior to the show, but the
three performers already function in-sync. Noodles' MC routine
faltered slightly at moments; she seemed hesitant with her
between-song-banter. These moments were immediately remedied
by an interjection from the steadfast DJ behind her, followed
by the disciplined sound of SoS' violin.
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"Worker Bee", laced
over a menacing violin lick, cites centuries of American anti-Asian
discrimination - even paying tribute to the Chinese immigrants
who built the First Transcontinental Railroad in 1869.
For "Music Maker",
Noodles claimed to have inherited the legacy of Biggie Smalls,
and defended her love of hip-hop as SoS' fingers climbed
rapidly up her E-string to the violin's highest register.
"American Eyes" is Noodles at her angriest, most
aggressive best: "Hey Chink-bitch, what you speak no
English?/ I thought the big city would bring/ Bigger minds
and better times." Yet, Noodles balanced the heavy
emotionality of her lyrics with an easy self-deprecation. |
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The Misnomers launched
into their newest track, "Woo-Hoo," a sure-fire
hit-single-in-waiting; half-way through the track, the crowd
had memorized the chorus and chanted along, "I'm having
one of those bad days again/ And I can't help it, I'm so
damn selfish," to the utterly contagious beats and
intricate loops of an In-the-Zone DJ Will Star.
Misnomers' delicious violin licks,
powerful beats, and spicy lyrical cadence enchanted the
audience, and a promising young hip-hop ensemble made its
debut as a trio to the wicked delight of New York City's
stimulatory sensors in the gallows of The Delancey on All
Hallow's Eve.
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For more
info on Misnomers, pics, and music, check out: www.myspace.com/misnomermusic
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