Dead Bands

Planes Mistaken for Stars

2010-02-25T08:01:00.000-08:00

The death of a band is always a major disappointment for fans, but it is much harder to accept when they go out at the top of their game. Such was the case for Planes Mistaken for Stars, whose music became increasingly heavier and more aggressive with each release. The core members of the group, guitarist/vocalist Gared O'Donnell and guitarist Matt Bellinger, formed PMFS in 1997, in their hometown of Peoria, IL, along with bassist Aaron Wise and drummer Mike Ricketts. They started out as a melodic post-hardcore band, submitting their song, "The Past Two," to Deep Elm Records for the third installment of the Emo Diaries compilation series in 1999. Soon after, Deep Elm signed the band, and released the band's self-titled album, which they had originally put out themselves. After Wise left the group and was replaced by Jamie Drier, they released the Fucking Fight EP on Dim Mak Records, as well as a split EP with The Appleseed Cast and Race Car Riot on Deep Elm. At this point, the band still followed the loud/soft dynamic of post-hardcore, though O'Donnell's vocals were much grittier and harsh than most of his peers.

Towards the end of 1999, PMFS and a dozen of their friends made a mass migration from Peoria to Denver, CO. In 2000, they recorded the slightly heavier Knife in the Marathon EP, and subsequently left Deep Elm for No Idea Records, the Gainesville, FL beard-rock label. They put out their first real full length in 2001, Fuck With Fire, and soon after followed up with the Spearheading the Sin Movement EP. Both of these records found the band drifting casually towards hardcore, leaving most of their emo elements behind. However, it was not until 2003, when Drier left the band and was replaced by Chuck French, that they would fully develop their sound. With their new lineup, PMFS went into the studio with A.J. Mogis (Bright Eyes, The Faint) to record their second full length, Up In Them Guts ( a Too $hort reference). This was the turning point in their career, with the instrumentation leaning more towards doom and sludge, and O'Donnell's voice sounding almost like a tuvan throat singer, utilizing various ranges at once. The album was released in the summer of 2004, which set the band off on a relentless tour schedule, opening for a surprisingly diverse set of bands, including High on Fire, Dillinger Escape Plan, Against Me!, and The Ataris. In 2005, they spent most of the year touring the US and the UK, this time as headliners.

There were rumors floating around that PMFS were going to sign with Relapse Records following their tour, but the band decided to go with Abacus Recordings instead. They had originally planned to release their third album on 06-06-2006, but were forced to push recording back so that they could get the producer that they wanted, Matt Bayles (ISIS, Mastodon). The resulting record, Mercy, was well worth the wait. Here, the band had realized the potential that Up In Them Guts suggested, finding the focus needed to balance their ever-increasing ferocity. At around this time, Bellinger quit the band to focus on his side project, Ghost Buffalo, so French moved over to guitar, with Neil Keener joining as the second guitarist. This lineup did not last very long, as the band announced that they were breaking up in July of 2007. PMFS played their farewell show on February 16, 2008, at the Marquis Theater in Denver. French and Keener are currently playing together in the cosmic hardcore band, Git Some. Bellinger is still working with Ghost Buffalo in the Denver area. Ricketts and Dryer moved back to Chicago to form the band onYou, and O'Donnell has been working on his new project, Hawks and Doves. Although it is unfortunate that PMFS disbanded at the pinnacle of their existence, I suppose it is better to burn out than to fade away.

By the End of Tonight

2009-04-08T12:53:00.000-07:00

In the realm of popular music, it seems that the greatest mainstream success is achieved by those bands that are most deeply entrenched in normalcy. While the Nickelbacks and Linkin Parks of the world are selling out arenas with their derivative schlock, there are thousands upon thousands of groundbreaking bands that break up without ever being heard. By the End of Tonight were about as unconventional as a rock outfit could be, which is probably the reason that they spent the entirety of their brief career in relative obscurity.

BTEOT formed in Alvin, TX in 2003 as a four-piece instrumental group, consisting of Stefan Mach and Josh Smith on guitars, James Templeton on bass, and Jeff Wilson on drums. Wilson opted to play a toddler's drum set in lieu of a standard kit, most likely for the extremely tight "pop" that he was able to get out of the tiny snare drum. They produced their first full length themselves, entitled ...In a Letter to the Sandbox. This album was a sloppy, no-holds-barred exercise in spazz-core. Not only does each song sound completely different, but each song sounds different on a measure-to-measure basis. The opening track, "We Are The Cure For Blinking Lights!" misleads the listener with all 4 members screaming over machine gun-blast drums. After this one-minute track, no vocals are heard for the rest of the album.

In 2004 , the band sent their album to Temporary Residence Limited, home of such post-rock bands as Explosions in the Sky and Mono. To this day, BTEOT stand as the only band to be signed by the label based solely on a demo. Temporary Residence picked their four favorite songs from ...In a Letter to the Sandbox, and released them as the Fireworks on Ice EP. In 2005, they went into the studio to record their second LP, A Tribute to Tigers. The band recorded this album live, in order to capture the sheer chaos of their live show. Despite the fact that there were only 5 songs clocking in at just under a half hour, this was truly their landmark record. "Setting Sail In April" spans over 10 different genres in just under 6 minutes, and concludes with a fakeout ending, where one guitar plays with the volume all the way down, only to have the full band come in at full blast for the last 4 seconds.

In 2006, BTEOT released 4 EPs - a solo project by each member of the band, in the tradition of KISS and the Melvins. Just after recording his Imaginary EP, Josh Smith left the band and was replaced by Brett Taylor. The band went on to record a final split EP with fellow experimentalists Tera Melos, entitled Complex Full of Phantoms. These songs were somewhat of a departure from their earlier work, featuring much heavier riffs, more cohesive structures, and higher quality studio production. This split won critical praise from many obscure music publications, but still failed to reach even a moderate level of commercial success. In early 2008, Wilson left the band, leading the band on a year-long search for a new drummer. At the beginning of this year, the band announced on their MySpace page that they had disbanded.

Check out a live performance of "Setting Sail In April" from A Tribute to Tigers here:

Botch

2009-03-26T06:42:00.000-07:00

It is very rare for a band to have such an impact on rock music that they end up inventing a new sub-genre. Creativity and ingenuity are hard qualities to come by in an art that has been so historically defined by plagiarism. Tacoma, Washington's Botch single-handedly created and perfected the "mathcore" genre. The band seemed perfectly in synch with each other on their 2 LPs and countless EPs, but their 2002 breakup revealed that each member had the capability to develop their own unique sound, without drawing any direct comparison to Botch.

Botch formed in 1993, when guitarist Dave Knudson and drummer Tim Latona were still in high school. Early on, they spent most of their time attempting to play Helmet covers in their newly-discovered drop-D tuning. These two chose the name by simply opening a dictionary. Bassist Brian Cook and vocalist Dave Verellen soon joined the band, and they played their first show in Verellen's garage on Halloween of 1993. They released a demo tape in 1994 (of which all of the members are embarrassed), and eventually did a mini-tour of Canada, with Verellen's father as tour manager/chaperone.

The band finally got a break when they went on tour with Ink and Dagger and nineironspitfire in 1997. That same year, they played a show in Buffalo, NY with Snapcase for over 1,000 people, which was by far the biggest live exposure that they had recieved. Around this time, they were approached by Hydra Head CEO and ISIS vocalist, Aaron Turner, to contribute a cover of Black Sabbath's "The Wizard" for a 7" series. The band ended up sending him an entire album's worth of songs, and Turner decided to sign them to Hydra Head. They re-recorded these songs with Matt Bayles (ISIS, Mastodon) in Pearl Jam guitarist Stone Gossard's studio in 1998. The resulting product was American Nervoso. While very rough around the edges, this album re-invented hardcore, neglecting the typical "chugga-chugga" riffs for mercurial guitar shredding, and completely abandoning the tough-guy mentality.

After the release of their first full-length, Botch toured relentlessly and released several split EPs with nineironspitfire, the Murder City Devils, Cave In, and Knut. However, it was not until 2000 that they truly perfected the "mathcore" sound, with the release of We Are The Romans. This album still stands as the pinnacle of the genre, and has been emulated by literally hundreds of bands today. Latona's odd time signatures are matched perfectly by Knudson's unprecedented guitar riffs, while Verellen's vicious bark continually increases the ferocity of their songs. This album was beloved in the underground hardcore/metal scene, but went mostly unnoticed in the big picture.

By 2002, all of the band members had been playing with side projects that were becoming more and more serious. They released their final EP, An Anthology of Dead Ends, and decided to disband shortly thereafter. They chronicled their final performance at the Showbox in Seattle on a DVD titled 061502, which perfectly captures the utter chaos of their live show. Since then, Verellen has gone on to play drums in Roy, and is currently singing in the metalcore band, Narrows. Brian Cook is currently the singer in Roy, and plays bass in both These Arms Are Snakes and Russian Circles. Knudson has made the most drastic shift of the group, as he is now the showstopping, finger-tapping lead guitarist in Minus the Bear. The band recently released a statement on their MySpace page, saying: "There is no reunion in the works. As proud as we are of the band and as much as we're still friends, there is no plan to do a reunion. Zero, zilch, nada. However, we do appreciate everyone's continuing interest in the band. Thanks."

Check out the video for "St. Matthew Returns to the Womb" from We Are The Romans here:

The White Octave

2009-03-16T12:58:00.000-07:00

Most rock musicians struggle their entire lives to form a band with any kind of relevance, and unfortunately, there is a very low rate of success. You may not know his name, but Steven Pedersen has played an integral role in not one, but four landmark bands. When you have this much music under so many different names, it is easy for some of it to fall through the cracks. While Slowdown Virginia, Cursive and Criteria are his more famous vehicles, The White Octave is the one that tends to go unnoticed.

A forefather of the Omaha music scene, Pedersen began his career with Tim Kasher and Matt Oberst in The March Hares. After they broke up in 1993, they joined with Matt Maginn and Casey Caniglia to form the now-legendary Slowdown Virginia. Every Omaha band from Bright Eyes to The Faint has gone on record as saying that Slowdown Virginia (affectionately called "Slowdown") were the reason that they started playing music. After 2 years of touring, they disbanded, and Pedersen, Kasher and Maginn formed Cursive with drummer Clint Schnase, formerly of Smashmouth (not to be confused with Smash Mouth).

Early on, Cursive drew their sound from the early 90's D.C. scene, only with more heartfelt lyrics than Fugazi or Shudder to Think. Pedersen and Kasher shared vocal duties, with Kasher's melodies and Pedersen's screaming complementing each other. After releasing only one full-length and several EP's, the band broke up in 1998. That same year, they posthumously released their second LP, The Storms of Early Summer: Semantics of Song, on Saddle Creek Records. Cursive's breakup was entirely due to the fact that Pedersen had gotten into Duke University's law school, and had to move to Chapel Hill, NC. It is here that Pedersen formed The White Octave, where he would be the primary songwriter for the first time.

The White Octave allowed Pedersen to expand his sound beyond that of Cursive, utilizing fuzzed-out bass and disrhythmic drums to create a truly bizzare niche. Pedersen's voice has been compared to At the Drive-In's Cedric Bixler more than a few times, and for good reason. He absolutely thrashes his vocal chords on every song, and he is rarely in tune. The band released their first full length, the criminally underrated Style No. 6312, on Deep Elm Records in 2000. From the battered acoustic guitar of opening track "Appeals For Insertion" to the chaotic close of the title track, the album is a flawless work of makeshift post-hardcore.

The band released several tracks on Deep Elm Samplers, as well as a split EP with Sorry About Dresden. In 2001, they released their second LP, Menergy, on Initial Records. The production value on this album was much lower than Style No. 6312, but Pedersen's voice and driving guitar were still intact, accounting for another great record. Around this time, Pedersen had become a lawyer, and he needed to get back to his family in Omaha. The White Octave broke up, and Pedersen went on to form Criteria, who have since released 2 stellar albums that are more in the vein of second wave-Cursive. Of all the bands that Steven Pedersen has been a part of, The White Octave's songs are by far the most sincere and original. This very well may be the reason why it is the most overlooked portion of his work.

Check out their MySpace page here.

Recommended tracks: "Appeals for Insertion" and "Crossing the Rubicon."

Mineral

2009-02-05T13:46:00.000-08:00

Many great bands have died without finding any kind of mainstream success. There are countless reasons why these bands do not blow up: their sound is too abstract for radio play, they split for personal reasons before they can be discovered, they do not have the means to tour enough to get their name out, etc. However, it is extremely rare for a band to actively reject their one shot at widespread popularity. Such was the case for Mineral, the Austin, TX emo band that found what they were looking for and decided to throw it away once they got it.

Mineral was formed in 1994 by singer/guitarist Chris Simpson. They began as a makeshift version of Sunny Day Real Estate, which was still a bit of a niche sound at the time. Though initially somewhat derivative, they drew from some of the rawer elements of SDRE. The loud/soft dynamic with piercing guitars and driving bass were familiar, but Simpson's voice was much more plaintive than anything you will hear to this day. On many songs, it literally sounds like he is crying while he is singing. The band consolidated all of these things into their first single, "Parking Lot," which finds Simpson gladly accepting his own death: "I wouldn't mind if you took me in my sleep tonight/ I wouldn't even put up a fight." Sure, the lyrics seem a bit melodramatic on paper, but with the full band behind them, the song is an emotional powerhouse.

The "Parking Lot" single got the attention of Crank! Records, who signed Mineral, and sent them into the studio to record their first LP, The Power of Failing, in 1996. This record continued with the sound of "Parking Lot," which they included as the album's closer. However, many of the songs were significantly longer, saturated with extended instrumental sections. The production was very rough, but this only added to the intensity, exaggerating the difference between the pretty, soft parts and the crushing, heavy parts. The band toured relentlessly following the release of this album. During this time, they also released a split 7" with Midwestern emo giants Jimmy Eat World and Sense Field, which increased their popularity exponentially.

By 1998, the band had been touring straight since the release of The Power of Failing. They recieved a great deal of critical praise and built up a buzz that brought every major label knocking at their door. They eventually signed a deal with Interscope Records, but were bound to Crank! for one more record. That summer, they went into the studio with producer Mark Trombino (Jimmy Eat World, Blink-182) to record their sophomore LP, EndSerenading. This album featured much crisper, polished production, which lent itself well to Mineral's beatiful arpeggios and sparse drums. Despite the fact that they were finally about to make it to the big leagues, the band decided to break up before they ever got to work with Interscope. In fact, they revealed that the recording process for EndSerenading was extremely difficult, and they almost did not even complete the album.

After the breakup, drummer Gabriel Wiley formed another influential emo group, Pop Unknown, and later released an EP with the proto-screamo group, Kissing Chaos. He also had a brief stint in a band called Imbroco with guitarist Scott David McCarver. Bassist Jeremy Gomez joined Chris Simpson in his new band, The Gloria Record, which was a more indie-leaning version of Mineral. Since they have also disbanded, Simpson is currently working on an indie-folk solo project called Zookeeper. These bands, though all very good in their own ways, will most likely never generate the kind of mainstream hype that Mineral had, and sadly threw away.

Check out "Parking Lot" here:

At the Drive-In

2009-01-29T14:28:00.000-08:00

Although it is certainly well-worn territory, I feel that it is necessary to discuss the life and death of At the Drive-In, whose breakup was arguably the most unexpected and controversial of the past decade. Despite having spent 8 years tirelessly touring and recording, they enjoyed less than 6 months of mainstream success. The band was founded by guitarist Jim Ward and singer Cedric Bixler-Zavala in 1993. Between 1993 and 1997, they gained and lost many members, and released their first LP, Acrobatic Tenement, and 2 EP's: Hell Paso and Alfaro Vive, Carajo! They built up a modest following based on these recordings, but their music did not make it very far outside of Texas. It was not until 1998 that they solidified their final lineup, with guitarist Omar Rodriguez-Lopez, bassist Paul Hinojos and drummer Tony Hajjar. Incidentally, this was also the year that they released their masterpiece, In/Casino/Out.

ATDI had always been known for the intensity of their live performances, which is something that they had trouble capturing on their albums. To remedy this, they recorded In/Casino/Out as a live studio album. The result is a positively exhilarating record, recalling the early days of post-hardcore, i.e. Rites of Spring, Embrace. The guitars alternatingly shred and squeal over a frantic, unpredictable rhythm section. All the while, Bixler haphazardly soars in and out of tune, maniacally spouting his cryptic lyrics: "Is this just another life preserver or a bivouac tenure?/ The tropic of cancer answered 'Drink the quicksand'." The album failed to make any mainstream headway for the band, but it led to a deal with Grand Royal Records, the Beastie Boys' label.

After releasing the Vaya EP and a series of splits with Sunshine, Burning Airlines and the Murder City Devils, ATDI went into the studio with Ross Robinson (Glassjaw, Deftones), to record Relationship of Command. This album was significantly more polished, and much heavier than any of their previous work. The lead single, "One Armed Scissor," received a huge amount of radio play. MTV even began heralding them as their new "buzz band." However, after only several months of popularity, the band decided to break up while in the middle of touring, leaving many disappointed fans (including myself) to collect refunds at their local venues. The band cited numerous reasons for the split, including their rigorous tour schedule, artistic differences, and Bixler and Rodriguez-Lopez's drug habits. Bixler later took full responsbility for the breakup, saying that he felt as though the ATDI was holding him back.

These days, Bixler and Rodriguez-Lopez are putting their drug-addled minds to good use, channeling Pink Floyd and Santana with their new prog-rock group, the Mars Volta. They are the only two permanent members of the band, but they often collaborate with various accomplished musicians, including Flea and John Frusciante of the Red Hot Chili Peppers. After ATDI's breakup, Hinojos, Hajjar, and Ward formed Sparta, a more straightforward post-hardcore band. They have released three albums that have all achieved moderate success. Ward has also developed a solo project called Sleepercar. Hinojos has recently left Sparta and joined the Mars Volta. The death of At the Drive-In is one of the rare cases where one great band splits off into two great bands.

Check out the video for "One Armed Scissor" from Relationship of Command here:

Death from Above 1979

2009-01-22T13:43:00.000-08:00

Maintaining a band is very much like maintaining a relationship - especially when there are only two people involved. From the outset, Death from Above 1979 seemed too good to be true, and as it turns out, they were. DFA1979 consisted of Jesse F. Keeler on bass/synths and Sebastian Grainger on vocals/drums. In the sea of two-member rock outfits that were popping up in the early 2000's, they stood out in many ways. Even though they had no guitars, they were able to shred harder than any band on the indie rock scene. Keeler's chunky basslines somehow managed to channel Kyuss and Daft Punk at the same time, while Grainger wailed and moaned, frantically pounding the drums simultaneously. They were perfect complements to each other. Unfortunately, they were only in synch with each other for one EP and a single full-length.

Keeler and Grainger released their first EP, Heads Up, in 2002, and were eventually signed to Vice Records. At this point, they were still known as Death From Above, until LCD Soundsystem's James Murphy took legal action against them. His label, DFA Records, claimed that they had license to the name. The band's response was to add the minimum amount of characters legally required of them, so they landed on 1979. However, this did not sit well with DFA1979, as you could see on their website at the time, which literally declared a jihad on Murphy, saying, "If I had the resources, I would fly a plane into his skull," among many other things.

With their new moniker, DFA1979 released what would be their only proper LP, You're a Woman, I'm a Machine. The album starts with a screeching synth line, and once the drums and bass come in, it never stops. Grainger's alternatingly sweet and sexual lyrics stand in stark contrast to the sheer brutality of their instrumentals. In "Romantic Rights," he talks about wanting to settle down and start a family, while in "Pull Out"....well, you can figure that one out for yourself. This album, along with their infamy as a two-man wrecking crew onstage, launched them into the hype machine full force. It seemed that every hipster you ran into was talking about them. After their tour ended, they released a remix album, Romance Bloody Romance, featuring remixes by a wide range of artists, including Justice and Queens of the Stone Age singer, Josh Homme.

This was the last that anyone would hear from DFA1979. By 2006, it had been over a year since the remix album dropped, and they were still nowhere to be found. On August 4th, 2006, Keeler announced on their website that the band had been broken up since the end of their last tour. He said that they parted ways because of creative differences. While it is unfortunate that they had such limited productivity with DFA1979, their current projects reveal the fact that they were headed in two entirely different directions. Today, Keeler is one-half of MSTRKFT, the Canadian hipster answer to Daft Punk. Grainger is playing decidedly softer indie rock with his backup band, the Mountains, who recently signed with Saddle Creek Records.

Though we may never hear from Death from Above 1979 again, you can still catch little slivers of their music around if you listen hard enough. You can hear the opening riff to "Romantic Rights" in the credits for MTV2's sketch comedy show, Human Giant. The MSTRKRFT remix of "Sexy Results" was briefly in a commercial for the Motorola Q. Even atari-clash upstarts Crystal Castles lifted the opening synth line from "Dead Womb" as the verse to their track, "Untrust Us."

Check out the video for "Black History Month" here:

The Dismemberment Plan

2009-01-15T14:13:00.000-08:00

One could make the argument that the late 90's/early 00's was the worst period in rock and roll history. Radio was divided between boy/girl pop and butt rock, pop-punk was just breaking through to the mainstream, and originality was at an all time low. It is easy to see how a groundbreaking band like the Dismemberment Plan fell through the cracks in such an environment. Forming in 1993 while still in high school, the D-Plan initially took their cues from local D.C. heroes, Fugazi and Jawbox. Their first two albums, 1995's ! & 1997's Is Terrified, exhibited their oddball take on post-hardcore, but it was not until the turn of the millenium that they reached the height of their genius.

From the outset, the Dismemberment Plan were tied to DeSoto Records, which was and still is owned by members of Jawbox. In 1998, they were briefly picked up by Interscope Records. During this time, they recorded what would be their masterpiece, Emergency & I. However, their only album that Interscope released officially was The Ice of Boston EP. The label postponed the release of the full-length indefinitely, and in 1999, they dropped the D-Plan with Emergency & I still not seeing the light of day. They went back to DeSoto, and released the album, which won over even the toughest critics. Pitchfork even placed it as their #16 album of the 90's just weeks after it came out.

It is obvious that the band poured every drop of their enthusiasm into Emergency & I, and on top of that, the album conveys a great sense of humor, something that indie rock was missing for the most part. The album opens with "A Life of Possibilities," which instantly launches into an unfathomable rhythm with Travis Morrison soaring in and out of his freestyle falsetto. There are keyboards present, but not your typical Cure-aping soaring synth lines. Here, the Rolands and Korgs bellow and pulse in truly bizarre fashion, yet somehow help to keep the song cohesive. From here, the band goes all over the place. "What Do You Want Me To Say?" bounces between scrambled verses and supertight choruses. "You Are Invited" is mostly just a programmed drum beat that occasionally teases with chiming guitars, until the entire band explodes onto the track without warning.

The underground success of Emergency & I afforded the band much better touring opportunities, as they were invited to open for Pearl Jam's 2000 European tour. However, they still were not able to cross over into the mainstream. In 2001, they recorded their final proper LP, Change, which was by far the band's most straightforward and approachable work. In 2002, they put all of the tracks from Emergency & I and Change on their website, and encouraged their fans to rearrange and submit them (which may have been the birth of the indie remix). They picked their favorites, and released them as A People's History of the Dismemberment Plan. Despite this novel idea and their new polished sound, the band broke up in January of 2003. They played one reunion show in 2007, at a benefit for Callum Robbins, the son of Jawbox/Burning Airlines singer J. Robbins, who suffers from spinal muscular atrophy.

Since the Dismemberment Plan's demise, Travis Morrison has released two solo LPs under his own name, working closely with Chris Walla and Jason McGerr from Death Cab for Cutie. Bassist Eric Axelson joined ex-members of the Promise Ring in Maritime from 2004 to 2006, and now plays with D-Plan drummer Joe Easley in a band called Statehood. None of these bands, however, have met either the commercial or critical success of the Dismemberment Plan.

Check out this fan-made video for "You Are Invited" from Emergency & I here:

Sharks Keep Moving

2008-12-16T13:57:00.000-08:00

There are some music scenes that are so tightly knit and incestuous, that it is difficult to tell where one band starts and another begins. For example, in the early 80's, D.C.'s hardcore scene was based around Ian Mackaye and various Dischord affiliates, from Minor Threat all the way to Fugazi. In the early 90's, nearly every Chicago indie band was somehow involved with Cap'n Jazz and the Kinsella brothers. Today, it is difficult to find a Canadian band that is not associated with Broken Social Scene. Such collectives give birth to groups with varying levels of success and longevity, but are also inevitably responsible for a staggering number of casualties.

One of the most underrated indie scenes of the last decade is that of Seattle, Washington. Having kept relatively quiet after the demise of the grunge movement, the city began churning out a network of bands in the late 90's that are surprisingly relevant today. Sharks Keep Moving was one of the seminal bands of this scene. In 1997, after the dissolution of their relatively unknown post-hardcore group, State Route 522, Jake Snider, Nathan Turpen and Jeff DeGolier decided to change their sound a bit. Although always highly technical, they evolved into a more jazz-tinged, melodic indie format. They were joined by drummer Dan Dean in 1998, and released a split 7" with The Kentucky Pistol - Rocky Votolato's first band.

Between their built-in fanbase from State Route 522 and the momentum of the split EP, Sharks Keep Moving eventually gained the attention of both Second Nature Records and Status Records. They recorded the Desert Strings & Drifters EP with producer Matt Bayles, and released it on Second Nature. On this record, the band completely expanded their horizons, with odd time signatures and extended instrumental stretches. After the EP's release, Jeff DeGolier left the band, and was replaced by Morgan Henderson of the Blood Brothers.

In 1999, after some brief touring of the west coast, they went back into the studio with Matt Bayles, and recorded a self-titled full length, which they would release on Status. This album found the band nearing the 10-minute mark on several tracks, half of which were instrumental. When Snider did sing, the lyrics were delivered with a laid-back croon, generally dealing with Pacific Northwest pastimes, such as drinking, driving, smoking, and sailing. The band kept relatively quiet during the next year, and Dan Dean eventually left the band. He was soon replaced by J. Clark of Kill Sadie. After months of rumors that they were in the process of recording, the band finally released a 3-song EP titled Pause and Clause. Although this EP developed their sound even further, incorporating more jazz elements into the mix, it was the last collection of songs that they would record.

Sharks Keep Moving did not break up because of lack of exposure, personal differences, or any other of the many reasons that typically lead to a band's demise. Rather, these musicians were so prolific, that they could not maintain this band among the many others that they were involved in. Snider has found the greatest level of success as the lead singer/guitarist for the math-rock supergroup, Minus the Bear. J. Clark went on to form the female-fronted post hardcore group, Pretty Girls Make Graves, who broke up after 3 albums. He is currently playing in the Matador Records art-punk band, Jaguar Love. Morgan Henderson continued to play with the Blood Brothers until they broke up last year. Status Records announced that they were preparing a Sharks Keep Moving B-sides/remix CD back in 2001, but little has been said on the matter since.

Check out "Tied To The Tracks" from Pause and Clause here:

Jawbox / Burning Airlines

2008-12-02T13:38:00.000-08:00

When a band relies on equal artistic contribution from each of its members, its death often results in a multitude of new groups, offering up tangential attempts at their previous work. In most cases, the resulting music falls considerably short of that of the original band. However, when one person is the brainchild for a dead band, there is a much stronger possibility of its reincarnation reaching the heights of the original. J. Robbins was such a mastermind for not one, but two landmark indie bands.

Robbins got his start playing bass with the final lineup of Government Issue, who were one of the most influential bands in the 80's D.C. punk scene. When the band dissolved in 1989, Robbins formed Jawbox with bassist Kim Coletta and drummer Adam Wade. They released their first album, Grippe, on Dischord Records, the most legendary indie label this side of Sub Pop. Bill Barbot joined the group as second guitarist and second singer just before the release of their sophomore record, Novelty. Zach Barocas also joined the band around this time, filling in for Wade. Both of these albums led to their creation of DeSoto Records, which went on to become a fairly successful indie label in its own right.

From the outset, Jawbox's music was intense yet melodic, much like their post-hardcore peers, Shudder to Think. Both bands developed legions of die hard fans that felt as though the bands were their own little secrets. However, both bands left Dischord Records for major labels in 1994, causing a massive outcry from their fans. Jawbox signed to Atlantic Records, and rather than conforming their sound to that of modern rock, they managed to create their unique masterpiece, For Your Own Special Sweetheart. This album yielded two singles, "Savory" and "Cooling Card," both of which received limited play from radio and MTV. After releasing a final self-titled album in 1997, Jawbox were dropped from Atlantic.

While Jawbox was still in its final stages, Robbins and Barbot had been playing on the side with former Government Issue drummer Peter Moffett. They briefly considered including him in Jawbox after Barocas left the band, but this lineup never quite worked out. Jawbox officially broke up, and Robbins, Barbot and Moffett created Burning Airlines, taking their name from a Brian Eno song.

Over the last few years of Jawbox's existence, Robbins started working as a producer for many bands, including Braid, The Promise Ring, and Jawbreaker, to name a few. With Burning Airlines, he worked on both sides of the studio, as the artist and producer. This allowed him to fully develop his songs, playing with different textures and effects as needed.

Burning Airlines recorded two albums on DeSoto Records: 1999's Mission:Control!, and 2001's Identikit. Though they never quite broke into the mainstream, both albums were extremely well received in the indie rock community, and remain highly influential. After the events of September 11, 2001, many venues refused to display the band's name on their marquees, and they considered changing their name. Despite their decision to keep the name, the band broke up within several months.

These days, Bill Barbot and Kim Coletta still run DeSoto Records, now home to such bands as Maritime and The Life and Times. The label has recently purchased the entire Jawbox catalog from Dischord and Atlantic, and released them on iTunes. J. Robbins has become an in-demand producer for indie and punk bands, having most recently worked with Clutch, Against Me!, and Yeasayer. He is also currently playing with two bands: Report Suspicious Activity, a political hardcore band in which he plays bass, and Channels, in which he trades off vocal duties with his wife, Janet Morgan. Even though his bands may dissolve and reform with different combinations of collaborators, J. Robbins will always push the bar higher for indie rock in one way or another.

Check out the video for "Savory" from For Your Own Special Sweetheart here:

Race Car Riot

2008-11-05T16:14:00.000-08:00

It is difficult for fans to deal with the loss of a dead band, but they usually have a catalog of multiple albums and/or EPs to remember them by. It is much harder to accept a band's death when they leave only a handful of scattered tracks behind them. Race Car Riot is perhaps the most tragic dead band of all, considering the fact that they professionally recorded only 5 songs during their entire career. This is made even worse by the fact that these songs appear on 3 different albums. Despite their confounding lack of studio material, the few tracks that Race Car Riot did manage to leave behind are absolutely stellar, and suprisingly influential.

The band's first appearance was in 1997, on the poorly named Deep Elm Records compilation, What's Mine Is Yours: The Emo Diaries - Chapter One. Their song "The Last in 4000" is an epic instrumental that instituted the sad yet triumphant sound that is currently selling out venues across the country in the form of fellow Texans, Explosions in the Sky. Deep Elm chose to pick the band up for the first in their split EP series, alongside Planes Mistaken For Stars and the Appleseed Cast. This EP accounted for the majority of their work, with 3 songs, only 1 of which utilized Jason Jordan's vocals. Their final release, the aptly named "Discontinued," did not surface until 2002, on Deep Elm Unreleased Vol. 2.

As a tragic epilogue to Race Car Riot's existence, Jason Jordan created a MySpace page for the band in 2005, announcing that they were regrouping to create a brand new full length. He even posted several new songs that he tracked himself under the alternate band name, The Secret Songs. However, through Jordan's few blog posts, it became clear that the band was not receiving the attention that they had hoped for. The final post, labeled "Musical Doom," reads like a suicide note, announcing that the last remaining member of the band was giving up, leaving him alone, and that if this happened, the band would surely die. There has been no word of any future productivity since.

Check out the band's MySpace page for 2 tracks, as well as their parting words to their fans:
http://www.myspace.com/racecarriot

Braid

2008-10-28T14:09:00.000-07:00

When a band finally decides to break up, it is usually unexpected, and often credited towards "personal differences." After the band's demise, their fans are left with the feeling that they should have appreciated them more during their existence. Illinois post-hardcore legends Braid did not abandon their fans in this way, but rather gave them every opportunity to experience their live show before they called it quits. Braid formed in 1993, when Friction drummer/singer Bob Nanna started a side project in which he would play guitar. He met drummer Roy Ewing at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, who recruited several friends from other bands that were looking for new people to play with.

Braid's lineup underwent many changes at the beginning. Bassist Jay Ryan left the band early on, and was replaced by Todd Bell, who played with Ewing in Lowercase N. They also briefly had a female singer, Kate Reuss, who quit after only their second show in 1993. In 1994, Friction broke up, and Nanna became much more serious about the Braid project. Chris Broach joined in 1994, and eventually took over as second guitarist as well. With their lineup finally set in place, Braid released their debut album, Frankie Welfare Boy Age Five. This record contained 26 tracks - one for each letter of the alphabet. Their sound was inititally very similar to Chicago's Cap'n Jazz, being very complex yet rough hardcore.

By 1996, Braid sounded like a completely different band. Their sophomore LP, The Age of Octeen, found them reaching for a much more pop-oriented sound, though still maintaining their dynamic instrumentation. Songs like "The Chandelier Swing" and "Eulalia, Eulalia" successfully found the right balance between Broach's caustic yelling and Nanna's sweet, sing-song crooning. In 1997, Ewing left the band, and they brought Figurehead drummer Damon Atkinson in to replace him. This incarnation of the band is primarily what they are remembered for. In 1998, they went into the studio with J. Robbins to record Frame & Canvas, which was not only a landmark album for the band, but for the entire genre.

From the opening drumbeat of "The New Nathan Detroits" to the closing goodbyes of "I Keep A Diary," Frame & Canvas is nearly perfect. Elements of pop, emo, hardcore, punk, and indie blended seamlessly into Braid's signature style, which finally realized its potential with this album. Despite the success of this record, Braid determined that they had accomplished far more than they ever had intended to, and decided to break up in 1999. However, rather than simply dropping the band then and there, they announced that they would be playing a final show in each of their hometowns. This gave both the band and their fans the sense of closure that they deserved. The tour was later documented for the film, Killing a Camera.

After breaking up, Nanna, Bell and Atkinson went on to form Hey Mercedes, who released 2 LPs and 3 EPs in the early 2000's. Odd-man out Chris Broach formed The Firebird Band, with whom he still plays today. Nanna and Bell currently play in The City on Film, which they have had as a side project since their days with Braid. In 2001, Polyvinyl Records released a 2-disc set of Braid B-sides called Movie Music Vol. 1 &2, which contained early demos and cover versions of Smiths and Pixies songs, among others. These releases, along with Frame & Canvas, built a posthumous following for the band. In 2004, they decided to cater to these new fans by doing a US/Canada/Japan summer reunion tour. All of these things make Braid's death one of the easiest to deal with, considering that their fans were able to celebrate them in their final hours, rather than mourn them, knowing that they never got to say goodbye.

Check out a live video of "First Day Back" from Frame & Canvas here:

Failure

2008-10-21T14:54:00.000-07:00

It would seem that in this forum, a band that refers to themselves as Failure would most likely be a case of tragic irony. The term would certainly be appropriate for the band's attempts at mainstream success, yet it is impossible to classify them this way, due to their technical innovation and overall impact on alternative music. Failure formed in 1990, when vocalist/guitarist Ken Andrews and guitarist/bassist Greg Edwards met through classified ads in Los Angeles. After several years of playing local shows and recording 4-track demos, they went into the studio with producer Steve Albini to record their debut album, Comfort, in 1992. This album was a bit rough around the edges, but firmly introduced their stoner rock sound, characterized by pummeling drums and sludgy basslines.

With the release of Comfort, Failure signed to Slash Records (a subsidiary of Warner Bros.) and went on their first tour with Tool. For their second album, the band decided that they wanted to handle the production themselves. Along with the addition of permanent drummer Kellii Scott, they recorded Magnified, which found the band experimenting with numerous guitar effects and sound layering. In fact, this record sounded so vast, that Ken Andrews became known as the alt-rock Phil Spector, for his virtual "wall of sound." The album gained them plenty of respect from critics and musicians, but only managed to receive very limited radio play.

For their third full-length, Failure decided to rent a house (Lita Ford's house to be precise), so that they could take all of the time that they needed to create what would be their masterpiece, Fantastic Planet. Their diligent attention to detail is evident on the album, as each element seems perfectly set in place to form an epic space rock record. However, during the recording sessions, Slash Records was dropped by Warner Bros., and the record was not released until nearly a year after its completion. The first single, "Stuck On You," reached #31 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart in 1996, but this was the pinnacle of their commercial success.

The band finally broke up in 1997, due to personal differences, but the members have managed to keep themselves busy. Kellii Scott went on to play with Blinker the Star, Campfire Girls and Veruca Salt. Greg Edwards formed Autolux, who since went on to collaborate with UNKLE and tour with Nine Inch Nails. Ken Andrews has been the most prolific in the wake of Failure, both as a musician and a producer. He has released two albums with new bands: ON, an electronic-based departure, and Year of the Rabbit, which brought him back to guitar rock. In 2007, he released his first album under his own name, Secrets of the Lost Satellite, getting help from his friends in Beck's backup band. He is now known better for his work as a producer, working with bands like Blink-182, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, and even Tenacious D.

Check out the video for "Stuck On You" from Fantastic Planet here:

The Promise Ring

2008-10-13T15:19:00.000-07:00

There is a great dilemma that nearly every band must face when their youth begins to fade. They can adjust the sound and subject matter of their music, at the risk of alienating their fans, or they can simply give up. Sometimes, they do both at once, as in the case of the Promise Ring. In 1995, Cap'n Jazz guitarist/vocalist Davey von Bohlen started the band as a side project with a few friends from his hometown of Milwaukee, WI. When Cap'n Jazz called it quits that same year, the Promise Ring became his primary focus. They released their first album, 30 Degrees Everywhere, in 1996 on Jade Tree Records. This record was severely underproduced, and although the music was certainly catchy, von Bohlen's vocals were nearly inaudible.

After a year of touring, the band entered the studio with producer/Jawbox singer J. Robbins, who was the premier post-hardcore producer at the time. The result was Nothing Feels Good, a flawless integration of indie rock and pop music. With von Bohlen's vocals mixed properly, audiences could finally hear his clever wordplay delivered through an endearing lisp. Despite the critical praise that the album received, the Promise Ring were the first band that was truly tormented by the term "emo." They were constantly referred to as the posterboys for the genre, even though they denied their affiliation at every press opportunity. After several EP's that expanded their sound a bit, they went back into the studio with Robbins to record Very Emergency in 1999.

Very Emergency found the Promise Ring leaving their indie/emo sound in the dust, focusing completely on the pop aspect of their music. In most cases, this would devastate the fanbase for an indie band, but the record was so upbeat and exuberant that it not only maintained current fans, but increased their commercial popularity exponentially. The band toured for 3 years on this record, and eventually released their final album, Wood/Water in 2002. It was clear at this point, with the band well into their 30's, that they were simply too old to write the joyous teenage anthems they once did. The record ended up sounding like a completely different band. The music had slowed down significantly, with the band attempting to introduce more dynamic elements, most of which were completely out of place, i.e. full church choir. It seemed that after this album, neither the band nor their fans were content with this new, "mature" identity.

The Promise Ring broke up in 2002 after the Wood/Water tour. Bassist Scott Schoenbeck began playing with Dashboard Confessional, the outfit where emo musicians go to die. Von Bohlen and drummer Dan Didier formed a new band with ex-Dismemberment Plan bassist Eric Axelson. They started out calling themselves English, but later changed their name to Maritime. Thankfully, their music sounds nothing like the latter days of the Promise Ring, but more like what one would have expected them to release off of the heels of Very Emergency. The Promise Ring played one reunion show in 2005 for the Flower 15 Festival at the Metro in Chicago. Just last month, rumors began circulating that they have been invited to play a forthcoming All Tomorrow's Parties festival in Milwaukee, curated by Compound Red guitarist Jim Minor.

Check out the video for "Emergency, Emergency" from Very Emergency here:

Glassjaw

2008-10-03T12:02:00.000-07:00

It is debatable whether or not they are technically "dead," but nonetheless, Long Island's Glassjaw are good example of how detrimental lack of structure can be to a band. The group, which constisted of only 4 members at a time, has had no less than 19 different people go in and out of its revolving doors over the course of their existence. Glassjaw began in 1993, when vocalist Daryl Palumbo and Justin Beck met at summer camp. Both had been playing in straight-edge hardcore bands, and decided to join forces to scale the NYHC scene. These two were the only constant members of the band until they released their first EP, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, on 2 Cents a Pop Records in 1997.

Although they were already huge in New York, Glassjaw still had practically no national exposure when they signed with Roadrunner Records in 1999. They were, for some reason, matched up with renowned butt-rock producer Ross Robinson (Korn, Limp Bizkit). Despite this bizarre choice, the resulting product was the stunning full-length, Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Silence. This is often cited as being a landmark post-hardcore album.

On EYEWTKAS, the band expanded the genre's typical loud/soft dynamic, with unusual time signatures and pummeling guitar riffs. However, the real focal point of the band was Palumbo, whose maniacal vocals sounded like an even more schizophrenic Mike Patton. His lyrics were unabashedly misogynistic, giving his ferocious screaming added bite with such lines as, "I only beat you when I'm drunk / You're only pretty when you're crying." However, this onstage persona directly reflected the fragile state of Palumbo's real life, due to his suffering from Crohn's disease. This pain was a major theme for the album, so much so that his daily pill box was the image on the cover.

Despite the critical success of their first album, Roadrunner Records failed to market it enough for them to gain any mainstream exposure. In 2001, they secretly recorded their follow up with Ross Robinson. Having lost two members on their previous tour, the band used studio musicians to create Worship & Tribute, which they eventually sold to Warner Bros. Records. This album displayed the band's versatility with songs like "Ape Dos Mil" and "The Gillette Cavalcade of Sports," which were considerably less venomous than their previous work, yet no less engaging. They toured extensively with this album, joining Ozzfest, Warped, and the Snocore Tour, before announcing their hiatus in 2004.

Glassjaw have not released an album since Worship & Tribute, but have been discussing the possibility of a 3rd LP off-and-on for the past few years, with no mention of who exactly would be involved. After the hiatus, Palumbo quickly began work on a side project with legendary hip-hop producer Dan the Automator (Gorillaz, Deltron 3030), to make the strictly pop group Head Automatica. After Automator moved onto other things, Palumbo recruited a full band to maintain the project, which has since seen greater commercial success than Glassjaw ever did. He also recently released an LP with United Nations, a metalcore group featuring Thursday vocalist, Geoff Rickley, as well as members of Converge and Made Out of Babies. Glassjaw have played several assorted shows with little advance notice since 2007, but have never fully regrouped. Until this next album materializes, it is relatively safe to say that Glassjaw is still a dead band.

Check out the music video for "Cosmopolitan Bloodloss" from Worship & Tribute, in which the entire band is murdered by Vincent Gallo, here:

The Anniversary

2008-09-22T14:56:00.000-07:00

Finding a niche can be one of the most difficult tasks that a band can face. Many bands struggle for a lifetime to find a sound that has wide enough appeal to reach a real audience. The Anniversary had to deal with this problem not once, but twice over the course of their very brief career. Hailing from Lawrence, KS, they started out with a huge obstacle, attempting to fit into an underdeveloped music scene. Having attracted the attention of Lawrence's biggest band, The Get Up Kids, in 1999, they signed to Vagrant Records. In 2000, they recorded their debut album, Designing a Nervous Breakdown.

With their boy-girl vocals and heavy moog synthesizer use, the band was unfairly dismissed by critics as a poor man's Rentals. However, despite these two similarities, The Anniversary went far beyond the range of The Rentals on this album. In place of fuzzed out bass, they used chiming guitars. The back-and-forth vocals of Josh Berwanger and Adrianne Verhoeven conveyed urgency rather than The Rentals' trademark apathy. Although Designing a Nervous Breakdown was a nearly perfect synth-rock record, they were bound to touring with their pop-punk/emo labelmates, such as Saves the Day and Dashboard Confessional. This instantly maligned the band in the indie-rock world.

It seemed that no matter how hard they tried, The Anniversary could not manage to be taken seriously. Releasing a split EP with Superdrag in 2001, the band did away with the synths entirely, trading them in for tambourines and harmonicas. In fact, by the time they released their sophomore album, Your Majesty, they sounded nothing like the band they were just 2 years earlier. This record found the band looking backward to the psychadelic, flower-power rock of the late 60's and early 70's. Although they had completely reinvented their sound, they successfully avoided coming off as cheesy or insincere. The change in direction did polarize some old fans, but they finally managed to avoid the wrath of the critics.

Ironically, despite The Anniversary's new, decidedly happier tone, the band itself was splintering under the constant grind of touring and recording. In early 2004, just as they started to gain some notoriety, they released a statement on their website announcing the band's breakup without any specific explanation. Since then, Berwanger has been playing with The Only Children, abandoning indie rock altogether for hippie jamouts. Verhoeven has found a place in Omaha' Saddle Creek family, recording under the name DRI. In 2008, Vagrant Records released a 2-disc B-side album, called Devil On Our Side. These songs are rather uneven on their own, but it allows the listener to follow their transition from one sound to another beat by beat. While certainly interesting, it is sad to hear such brilliant musicians struggling so hard to find an audience.

Check out the video for "All Things Ordinary" from Designing a Nervous Breakdown here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TaVoCPOnM9g

Sunny Day Real Estate

2008-09-04T12:32:00.000-07:00

When a great band dies once, it is tragic. When a great band continues to die over and over again, it is just plain frustrating. Seattle's Sunny Day Real Estate have returned from the grave several times, only to crawl right back in several months later. Starting as a 3-piece in 1992, the band originally consisted of guitarist/vocalist Dan Hoerner, bassist Nate Mendel and drummer William Goldsmith. This group went through several different names, including Empty Set, Chewbacca Kaboom, and One Day I Stopped Breathing, none of which gained them any attention.

While Mendel went on tour with another band, Hoerner took over bass duties, and Jeremy Enigk was recruited to fill in on guitar. In the following months, the band rearranged their positions, making Enigk the lead singer with Hoerner singing backup. With this lineup in place, they changed their name to Sunny Day Real Estate and released two 7"s, Flatland Spider and Thief, Steal Me a Peach. These EP's attracted the attention of local label Sub Pop records, who eventually signed the band and released their breakthrough album Diary in 1994.

Diary is the prototype for every emo album that came out during the 90's and is responsible for most melancholic indie rock that exists today. SDRE took the loud/soft dynamic that the Pixies invented and made the loud louder and the soft softer. The band recieved some play on the lesser-known MTV shows, including The Jon Stewart Show and 120 Minutes. However, aside from this, they made very little attempt at reaching larger audiences. For example, on their US tour with Shudder to Think and Soul Coughing, they inexplicably refused to play shows in California.

After the Diary tour, SDRE parted ways for unknown reasons. The most popular rumor is that Enigk's sudden conversion to Christianity tore the band apart. Mendel and Goldsmith went on to become the rhythm section for the Foo Fighters. It seemed that SDRE were dead, but before they broke up, they had recorded several songs in the studio. Sub Pop took these songs as well as some B-sides from the Diary sessions, and released them as LP2, also known as "The Pink Album." When Sub Pop approached them with the idea of releasing another rarities record, they decided to simply regroup and record another album. Mendel was still playing with the Foo Fighters, but Goldsmith was replaced by Taylor Hawkins in 1997.

The resulting album, How It Feels To Be Something On, was a considerable departure from their previous work. Enigk's once searing vocals had oddly transitioned into an entrancing falsetto, among other layered melodies. The rest of the band explored many different genres, only half of which actually worked. They went on to release another album, the virtually unlistenable The Rising Tide in 2000. While on tour for this album, their new label, Time Bomb Records, went under and they decided to break up as well. In 2002, Enigk, Mendel, and Goldsmith reunited for one album under the name The Fire Theft. Although not quite SDRE, it was certainly a step up from their last album. Dan Hoerner regrettably joined Dashboard Confessional. Enigk still plays as a solo artist, and has recently suggested the possibility of a SDRE reunion. It is hard to say whether or not this is a good thing.

Despite the shakiness of their later work, there is no good reason why you should not pick up Diary and LP2. Sunny Day Real Estate is a perfect example of the band that has already passed their prime by the time they gain any kind of recognition. Check out "In Circles" from Diary here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vDSsh7Ocv8o

American Football

2008-08-29T11:51:00.000-07:00

Sometimes, the best bands are those that spring up momentarily between more permanent outfits. Urbana, IL three-piece American Football rose from the ashes of Midwestern emo legends, Cap'n Jazz, among a series of side projects involving Mike Kinsella. Kinsella primarily played the drums in Cap'n Jazz, while his brother Tim screamed and hollered in his oft-out of key screech. After the demise of his brother's band, Kinsella decided to gather some of his fellow Chicago scenesters to form his own band, The One Up Downstairs, where he would play guitar and sing. They recorded 3 songs in 1997. However, the band broke up shortly thereafter, and the EP did not see the light of day until its digital release in 2006.

Mike Kinsella retained drummer Steve Lamos (formerly of the Firebird Band, a Braid side project) from the One Up Downstairs for a fuller version of the band, which they called American Football. Although they only existed for 2 years, yielding a self titled EP and full-length, American Football managed to single-handedly put Polyvinyl Records on the map, now home to such indie wonders as Architecture in Helsinki and Of Montreal. The EP was certainly a departure from the chaotic sound of Cap'n Jazz, focusing on chiming guitars, dynamic time signatures, and Mike's plaintive vocals, which stood in stark contrast to Tim's caustic melodies.

Although the EP introduced their fresh sound to the Chicago scene, it is the full-length that is their true masterpiece. The opening track, "Never Meant," is as close to perfect as a song can get. The first few seconds catch the band tuning up and calling out directions to each other, but right after the 4-count, it takes off running. Both guitars intertwine beautifully as Kinsella reasons with himself over a breakup in an obvious state of denial: "I just think it's best/ cause you can't miss what you forget." The rest of the album plays with this same formula, occasionally employing strings, trumpet, and even a wurlitzer, to illustrate the end of a relationship in symphonic fashion.

Despite the buzz that American Football had created for themselves, they were decidedly a studio band, and parted ways shortly after the release of the full-length. Since then, Kinsella has had a number of side projects. He has filled in on drums for his brother's band, Joan of Arc, on a number of their albums. Cap'n Jazz even reunited for one album under the name Owls. For the past 6 years, he has been playing under the moniker Owen, in which he plays all of the instruments and records the songs himself. Though these songs are good and often emotionally devastating, Kinsella has still yet to reach the classic heights of American Football. However, I suppose you can't miss what you forget.

Check out "Never Meant" here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdfhJXV5kgU

Hum

2008-08-27T15:40:00.000-07:00

The cruelest type of failure is that which occurs after a brief taste of success. Such was the case for Hum, whose single "Stars" received a fair amount of play on college radio stations in 1995. After recording their debut album, Electra 2000, with premier indie producer Steve Albini (Nirvana's In Utero), Hum signed a deal with RCA Records. Their next release, You'd Prefer an Astronaut, is a heavy, ethereal pop record, firmly establishing the space rock genre. The driving rhythm section pulses as effects-laden guitars alternatingly soar and shred. Singer/guitarist Matt Talbot's lyrics about spaceships and supernovas are delivered with assured reserve, causing the music to feel truly extraterrestrial.

Despite the minor success that Hum enjoyed based upon the sales of this record, once "Stars" slipped into obscurity, any media attention they still had began to fade. Hum recorded a follow-up record in 1998, Downward is Heavenward. Sadly, the album only sold 30,000 copies, and the band were dropped from RCA. The real irony here is that this was by far Hum's finest work. The opening track, "Isle of the Cheetah" opens with a lush acoustic guitar that explodes into one of the hugest riffs in history. The intended single "Green to Me" sounds like what Smashing Pumpkins should have sounded like in 1998. The entire album employs a wall of sound that immerses the listener in the detached, celestial world that Hum creates.

Hum broke up in 2000, and played two reunion shows in 2003 and 2005. The song "Stars" was featured this past year in a Cadillac commercial. Matt Talbott is currently playing with his band Centaur, in which he is able to indulge his tendency to draw songs out to over 8 minutes. Bassist Jeff Dimpsey resurrected a side project from before Hum called National Skyline. Neither band has come close to the commercial success of Hum, but these bands have such infrequent output that it seems that they have resumed their day jobs.

I recommend in particular: "I'd Like Your Hair Long" from You'd Prefer an Astronaut and "Dreamboat" from Downward is Heavenward.

Check out the video for "Stars" here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rfbn3ieVUYU

Dead, But Not Forgotten

2008-08-27T14:45:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone. Welcome to Dead Bands, a blog with the intention to resurrect great music that was never able to reach the audiences that it rightfully deserved. I will regularly present bands that have been criminally underlooked over the past few decades. Some of these groups only attained fanbases in the hundreds during their existence, and yet had tremendous influence on the state of indie rock today. Due to lack of publicity, many of these musicians simply could not endure the lifestyle of the obscure artist. My hope is that formal introductions to these bands will keep them from going unnoticed. Although these bands are no longer together, if our generation can appreciate the posthumous music of Joy Division, the Pixies, and the Smiths, surely it can appreciate other bands that did not quite find the success that they needed to survive.