The Shaky Hands

All Music Guide:

Portland's the Shaky Hands play a smart, slightly shambolic brand of indie pop informed by classic folk-rock and British Invasion pop that had made them a local favorite in their hometown and earned them a growing international following. The Shaky Hands were formed in 2003 by singer and guitarist Nicholas Delffs and drummer Colin Anderson, who had recently arrived in Portland after leaving Mendocino, CA. Eager to start a band, Delffs and Anderson teamed up with bassist Paul Culp, and the trio began working up fresh material. The Shaky Hands began recording their new songs at a makeshift studio owned by guitarist Jeff Lehman, and before long Lehman was absorbed into the group. These early recording sessions evolved into an album called The Skidmore Days, which the Shaky Hands released themselves in 2004. Later that same year, Culp parted ways with the band and Mayhaw Hoons became the Shaky Hands' new bassist; he made his recorded debut with an EP the group put out in 2005. The Shaky Hands had become a frequent presence on the Portland music scene, playing anywhere and everywhere from house parties to Portland's PDX Now Pop Festival, and in 2007 the independent newspaper Willamette Week declared them Portland's Best New Band not long after the release of their second full-length album, The Shaky Hands on Holocene Records. The album became a critical favorite, and they were soon signed to the respected American indie label Kill Rock Stars as well as Europe's Memphis Industries. Before the release of 2008's Lunglight, the Shaky Hands experienced a personnel shake-up when Colin Anderson left the band and multi-instrumentalist Nathan Delffs (Nicholas' brother), who had already been working with the group, moved over to drums. By the end of 2008, Nathan Delffs was out of the group, and Jake Morris, formerly with the Joggers, was named the Shaky Hands' new drummer. Let It Die appeared in 2009.

Wikipedia:

The Shaky Hands are a Portland, Oregon based rock group, formed in 2003 by musician Paul Culp, of "Lonesome Radio Heart" and Colin Anderson. Nicholas Delffs joined soon after on vocals and guitar. They spent the next three years gradually building a following in the Portland area and self-releasing two CDs, one informally called The Skidmore Days, which is a lo-fi full-length album recorded in future guitarist Jeff Lehman's North Portland basement and mixed by Alex Arrowsmith. They also released a self-titled EP informally referred to as the Bonnie Doon EP, in reference to the location it was recorded. The Shaky Hands were signed to Holocene Music in late 2006. By this time, the lineup had changed considerably, with Mayhaw Hoons replacing Culp (who left in late 2004) on bass and the addition of second guitarist Jeff Lehman. Nathan Delffs (Nicholas' brother, and member of The Castanets) joined shortly thereafter on percussion and lap steel. Their sound is a fusion of 1960s style British Invasion bands such as The Kinks, The Who and The Zombies and American folk-rock in the vein of Neil Young. The result is what many have described as a loose, jangly, rootsy style of indie rock. The Delffs brothers (along with most of the members of Shaky Hands) also perform Shaky Hands songs (alongside original compositions) under the Death Songs moniker, a more experimental and folk-oriented side project.

In March 2007, Pitchfork Media reviewed their song "Whales Sing" from their forthcoming debut album, out April 10 on Holocene Music. On April 5 of the same year, Holocene Music posted the video for "Why And How Come," directed by Whitey McConnaughy, on YouTube.com.

The band signed to UK independent label Memphis Industries in the summer of 2007, just as they began recording their second album, Lunglight. They released the eponymous debut in the UK & Continental Europe on November 26, 2007. In 2008, The Shaky Hands signed to Kill Rock Stars, which released Lunglight in conjunction with Holocene Music on September 9, 2008, two months after founding member Colin Anderson left the group. Multi-instrumentalist Nathan Delffs took Anderson's place on the drums for the rest of 2008 before Jake Morris of The Joggers took up the position on a permanent basis, beginning with their winter 2009 tour opening for The Meat Puppets.

After spending much of 2009 on tour, Morris left the group in February 2010. Delffs moved to the drums in Morris' absence and recruited Portland artist Alex Arrowsmith for keyboards and guitars. After recording a new record Realms Out Of Reach in summer 2010, Mayhaw Hoons left the group and Arrowsmith moved to bass. Mike Yun was brought in on keyboards and guitar, along with Justin Power on additional percussion and backing vocals. The group is currently working on plans to release Realms Out Of Reach.

Mayhaw Hoons [edit]

Mayhaw Hoons (born June 22, 1982) is the bassist for the Shaky Hands, who he has performed and recorded with since 2004. He has self-released several solo albums produced by Portland musician and friend Alex Arrowsmith (on whose records he has also made appearances). Hoons also fronts the on-again-off-again Portland garage-funk band Mondo Hollywood as the singer and principal songwriter. He was the bass player and backing vocalist for The Shaky Hands from 2004 until his departure in summer 2010. His greatest aspiration is to follow in the footsteps of his incredible cousin, Joe Keatinge.