Review Text
Led by songwriter Max Bien-Kahn, Max and the Martians play songs of love and dogs. They are a New Orleans-based rock and roll dance band comprised of an eclectic mix of musicians. Following their recent EP Curtains, Max and the Martians will be releasing Please Hold On/Love on Vacation, a 7" teaser of two songs that will be featured on their next full-length album. Warm, hazy, and melancholic, "Please Hold On" was recorded in collaboration with Duff Thompson and Bill Howard at Mashed Potato Records' studio in the spring of 2018. Contrastingly, "Love on Vacation" is a fun, buoyant summer pop song also recorded in collaboration around the same time with Video Age bandleader Ross Farbe. The 7" is set to be released by Mashed Potato Records on September 20, 2019. In addition to the role of songwriter/bandleader for Max and the Martians, Bien-Kahn is also a supporting player in countless New Orleans-based projects, most prominently as the guitarist in traditional jazz band Tuba Skinny. He plays often with Esther Rose, Duff Thompson, and other songwriters, and was a regular session musician on Mashed Potato Records' new compilations.
