Artist of the Day: The Shaky Hands

Portland, Ore. is a breeding grounds for indie bands — scruffy-faced, guitar-playing dudes in flannel abound.  So what about The Shaky Hands sets them apart from the rest of the pack? It's a mixture of frontman Nicholas Delffs' rattly vocals and the band's lo-fi, upbeat tunes that makes you want to listen to The Shaky Hand's on repeat.

Formed in Portland in 2003, the group self-released its first album, The Skidmore Days. The album was recorded in a basement and was the first step in making a name for The Shaky Hands in the Portland music scene.



After being signed to Halocene Music, TSH released 2007's The Shaky Hands, a folky run-through-the-prairie album whiched gained the band positive attention from critics and further expanded its growing fan base, moving the band from a local sensation to up-and-coming band to watch.

In 2008 came Lunglight, followed by this year's Let it Die, released by Kill Rock Stars. Let it Die marked shift in TSH's music.  Not as lo-fi as earlier recordings, but some of the tracks maintained the uppbeat tone ("Allison and the Ancient Eyes") from earlier material while others were a demonstrated a more slow, almost alt-country tinged feel ("Gonna Hold You Tonight").

The Shaky Hands are currently touring Europe before coming back to the U.S. in December.  You can see TSH in Atlanta at the Drunken Unicorn on December 5.

Who's Who: Nicholas Delffs (vocals), Mayhaw Hoons (bass), Jeff Lehman (guitar), and Jake Morris (drums)
Label: Kill Rock Stars/Halocene
Latest release: Let It Die (2009)
On the web: www.myspace.com/shakyhands 

-Kristen Callihan
currently listening to "Sunburns" by The Shaky Hands

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