Music | Elm City Exchange

Wowza! Check out everyone who’s coming to share great music with us in New Haven!

For the details of when and where, check out our Schedule.

Grit Rhythm

Grit Rhythm’s blue collar and electrified charm, delivered by powerhouse singer and New Haven native Matt Rhone, stirs emotions with mellow blues grooves and high-test rhythmic ballads. With soul, for the soul.

Olive Tiger

Olive Tiger is driven by the obsessive need to bring imagined sounds to life, creating experiences of beauty and profundity in the process. Based in greater New Haven & Brooklyn, the trio uses cello, violin, guitar, drums, and electronics to craft a unique blend of melody-driven orchestral sounds. Intensified by a loop pedal, Olive’s hauntingly beautiful vocals and cello are backed by seductive rhythms with an electronic tinge. The result lands somewhere between My Brightest Diamond, tUnE-yArDs, St. Vincent, and Andrew Bird.

The Fried Bananas

What a cute group of fellas.

Louis Armstrong said it best, “The main thing is to live for that audience, ’cause what you’re there for is to please the people.” This is the core belief of this highly acclaimed band, and dancers from events like Montreal Dance Fest, Glen Echo Ballroom, Mobtown Ballroom, and more are singing (and dancing) their praise:

“First off, they rock. Secondly, the name is no joke: they really lay the heat down and make your nether regions want to jump around.”
-Davis Thurber, Montreal Dance Fest founder, teacher and performer

“I absolutely love dancing to this band! Not only is the music awesome & impossible to stand still to, the musicians are amongst some of the coolest people I know!”
– Dorothy Boice, dance instructor, performer and evangelist

The Fried Bananas was first assembled in 2006 under the guidance of co-leaders Shawn Hershey and Josh Fialkoff, who are both dancers themselves. Together they carefully crafted the Bananas’ sound, drawing inspiration from jazz greats like Louis Armstrong, Sidney Bechet, and Dr. Michael White. Since then, this versatile band has evolved to incorporate other swing influences from New Orleans to New York City, from the 20’s to the 40’s. So whether you’re looking to swing out or boogie back, The Fried Bananas has your back, and your dancing shoes.

Check out more info on the band at their website!

French 75

French 75 was formed somewhat haphazardly in January 2016, as it started with a tuba player anxious to play more than oom-pahs, an overly enthusiastic clarinetist and a trumpet player ready to sprinkle his jazz wisdom on two primarily classical musicians. From there, a laid back (aren’t they all??) drummer was added, who was willing to put up with the chaos and finally a banjo player who truly became the glue to bring F75 together. Rehearsals include disagreements, good beer and working on our version of 1920s hot jazz!

The members include:
Alexander Kollias – clarinet
Seth Bailey – trumpet
John Birt – banjo
Mark Macksoud – drums
Allison Lazur – tuba

Check out some of their music:

Josh Fialkoff

Josh Fialkoff (of Saturday’s Fried Bananas fame) will play a solo set for us on Sunday night at practicum!

Local DJs:

Khader: Hi, my name is Ahmed K Fadiga; Friends call me Khader. Originally from the Ivory Coast, precisely Abidjan, I have been living in the US since 2004. I am into sport, soccer, basketball, volleyball, and many more. But, music keeps me going. I have to have it (music of course). Dancing takes me away, it makes me feel like an eagle gliding through the clouds. I remember watching my dad dance salsa every Sunday morning, that was beautiful. I guess this is one reason I enjoy watching/seeing others dance to my music selection. Love love!!

Emily: Emily found lindy hop fresh out of high school, and she hasn’t stopped dancing since. When she isn’t drowning in a sea of required reading, she likes to build swing playlists, acquire more lipsticks, write bad poetry, and read good books for fun. Ask her to dance!

Ed: Ed Courchaine is a fourth year PhD student at Yale studying Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry. When not on the dance floor he enjoys cycling, backpacking, and writing. He has no known aliases or prior arrests.

Rose: Rose King, aka DJ Buttz McGee, is a hospice chaplain by day and a dancebeast by night. Her sets are an eclectic mix of folk, R&B, hip hop, glam rock and a whole lot of Latin. She can’t wait to create for you a soundscape.

Joyce: Joyce has been dancing swing and blues for over 5 years, and has been passionate about the music for just as long. Joyce loves the classic music of the 20’s, 30’s, 40’s (and sometimes 50’s) – the big bands that will keep you swinging hard and the mellow jazzy tunes that make you want to groove to the beat. Joyce has DJ’d all around Connecticut, across the country (California), and abroad (Sweden) and has developed a voice as a DJ that really speaks to keeping the traditional jazz sound and playfulness and creativity that the music and dance give each other. Joyce is incredibly excited to be able to DJ for everyone at Elm City Exchange.

Holly: Holly has been a part of the swing, blues and fusion world for over 6 years. Music is a large part of her life and is one of the major components that attracted her to this dance community. Movement is one of her favorite forms of expression and she is delighted to share the music she loves to move to with all of you!

Meg: Meg Sullivan (that’s me!) is a graduate student in Yale’s Biochemistry program. I love west coast swing and fusion dancing, rock climbing, and hiking. Ask me to dance!

Aric: Aric has been a blues dj for the last 4 years in the New Haven and Hartford areas. He takes time to collect music and arrange set lists to keep you on the dance floor and enjoying the music. His specialties are traveling songs in the ballroom blues category, but plays lots of new Orleans and Chicago style artists, like Sydney Bechet, Bobby Bland, and Muddy Waters.

Will: William has been a dancer for close to 7-8 years whose background includes, but not limited to: Ballroom, Salsa, Bachata, Tango, and Merengue; who found his roots in the Yale Swing and Blues group. As a DJ and former YSB Instructor, William incorporates music with elements that are rooted in Blues, but which are heavily influenced by his dance background and with popular music; straddling the line between old and new.

Isabel Bate: I find music inspiring, thrilling and evocative. I love discovering music, creating new associations, attaching meaning and emotion to songs. I have a playlist for every mood and moment. I love listening to unfamiliar music and seeing my appreciation of genres widen. Despite being a pretty social person, I’ve skipped functions to read about and listen to music. That’s why partner dance is so wonderful! There’s nothing better than dancing with lovely people to great music.

Local+Regional Collaborative DJ Duo:

KNelly: In 2015 they met and had amazing dances at random and unplanned moments. They started nerding out about music on car rides to dance events in early 2017. From there it escalated to sharing themed playlists and cohosting house parties. And now, for the first time, the dynamic DJ duo that is Kelly Lynn Epstein and Nell McGloin-King appear as the synergized KNelly, to seduce your ears with unearthly and delicious tunes.

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Regional DJ:

Laura: Laura Boddorff began DJing for dancers years ago in the candlelit muggy house parties of Oregon. A perpetually overwhelming love of dance inspired collection after collection of music in every style and attitude and mood. She loves classic rhythms, unique and evocative sounds, and rolling dynamics that take dancers on a journey through each of their experiences of the evening.

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