THE SHAKE counts several of the original “British invasion” bands among their influences. Parallels to the Yardbirds, the Small Faces and the early Rolling Stones are apparent in many of their songs. But what give THE SHAKE their versatility are the individual band members’ varied influences. Merkin cites BritRock acts like Oasis and the Kinks while Shapiro prefers the classic rock styling of Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin, and guitar greats Muddy Waters and Elmore James. Stein revels in old-school punk like the Ramones and early Green Day, while McNellis is a Jazz connoisseur. When you add all this together and mix it with their youthful enthusiasm, the result is the unique sound that is THE SHAKE.