Audiovent
Encyclopedia
Audiovent was an American
alternative rock
band from Calabasas
, California
. Audiovent was formed in the early 1990s under the name Vent, and broke up in 2004.
In 2001, the band renamed themselves Audiovent, signed with the major label Atlantic Records
. Audiovent then began recording their first major label album, Dirty Sexy Knights in Paris
, which was released in 2002. The first single released off of the album was entitled The Energy and received significant national airplay both on the radio and as a music video. However, since the group had strong ties to the band Incubus
, charges of nepotism
plagued the group.
Dirty Sexy Knights in Paris received average reviews from the press, with many labeling it too slick and over-produced, especially compared to the band's raw live sound. It peaked at 156 on the Billboard 200
in 2002. A second single, Looking Down was released with a video as well but it had little success. In late 2002, Audiovent toured with Saliva
and Theory of a Deadman
.
. In early 2004, the band was largely dormant, suggesting a breakup. The band did re-convene for a time, playing a bunch of small clubs around California under the name Nigel, suggesting they were having label problems with Atlantic. The new tracks were very different from the sound of their first album. Later in 2004 the band finally split, citing "creative differences," although it is largely believed they would have been dropped from Atlantic anyway for poor sales performance.
Benjamin Einziger and Paul Fried moved on to start another band named Agent Sparks
. They have released an EP entitled Not So Merry and a full length album called Red Rover. Since then, Benjamin has been working on solo material and streaming songs on his reverbnation page.
Jamin Wilcox joined Aaron Bruno and Drew Stewart of Home Town Hero to form Under the Influence of Giants
. They have since recruited bassist David Amezcua, signed to Island Records
, and released their self-titled debut album. Recently he has also been releasing new songs via the internet.
Jason Boyd currently runs the American Caveman clothing company. He still creates music, and is also a writer, actor, and photographer.
. Jason Boyd is the brother of vocalist Brandon Boyd
. Benjamin Einziger is brother of guitarist Mike Einziger
, and Paul Fried is their stepbrother.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
alternative rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
band from Calabasas
Calabasas, California
Calabasas is an affluent city in Los Angeles County, California in the western United States. It is located in the hills in the southwestern San Fernando Valley and the Santa Monica Mountains between Woodland Hills, Agoura Hills, West Hills, and Malibu, California. As of the 2010 census, the city...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. Audiovent was formed in the early 1990s under the name Vent, and broke up in 2004.
History
Audiovent was originally formed by Jason Boyd, Paul Fried, and Benjamin Einziger under the name Vent. Boyd and Fried met while attending A.E. Wright Middle School in Calabasas. After Fried introduced Boyd to his stepbrother Einziger, the three decided to form a band. When Fried was in tenth grade Jamin Wilcox joined Vent. Throughout their high school years, Vent played gigs around Calabasas and eventually played as far as Hollywood.Hoog Music Sampler
Their oldest recorded demos are also considered the "holy grail" of old Vent material. This demo featured the songs, When Will We Learn, For The Moment (which later became "Sweet Frustration"), Remedy & Back & Forth. Over time, this demo has become scarce due to the low volume of copies produced. Every once in a while you may see a copy online. The actual release date is unknown but surfaced sometime around 1997 or 1998.Papa's Dojo
In 1999, the band independently recorded and released their first CD, Papa's Dojo, under the name Vent. Papa's Dojo sold more than 3,000 copies and was only available online and at local gigs. Upon release of "DSKIP" Numb, Remedy, and Only Human were the only three tracks that didn't make it onto the album from Papa's Dojo, although Numb was reworked into 'Underwater Silence'.Dirty Sexy Knights in Paris
After Papa's Dojo, the band decided to undergo a few sessions of preventative group therapy to try to dispel any conflicts before they started. Boyd said about the sessions, "We don't want any kind of turmoil in our band. We don't want any egos getting in the way, or anything else that can cause a problem. We'd just rather not go there."In 2001, the band renamed themselves Audiovent, signed with the major label Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and jazz...
. Audiovent then began recording their first major label album, Dirty Sexy Knights in Paris
Dirty Sexy Knights in Paris
Dirty Sexy Knights in Paris is the only major label album by alternative rock band Audiovent. It was released in 2002 on Atlantic Records. The album had two singles, "The Energy" and "Looking Down," both of which had marginally successful music videos...
, which was released in 2002. The first single released off of the album was entitled The Energy and received significant national airplay both on the radio and as a music video. However, since the group had strong ties to the band Incubus
Incubus (band)
Incubus is an American rock band from Calabasas, California. The band was formed in 1991 by vocalist Brandon Boyd, lead guitarist Mike Einziger, and drummer Jose Pasillas while enrolled in high school and later expanded to include bassist Alex "Dirk Lance" Katunich, and Gavin "DJ Lyfe" Koppell;...
, charges of nepotism
Nepotism
Nepotism is favoritism granted to relatives regardless of merit. The word nepotism is from the Latin word nepos, nepotis , from which modern Romanian nepot and Italian nipote, "nephew" or "grandchild" are also descended....
plagued the group.
Dirty Sexy Knights in Paris received average reviews from the press, with many labeling it too slick and over-produced, especially compared to the band's raw live sound. It peaked at 156 on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
in 2002. A second single, Looking Down was released with a video as well but it had little success. In late 2002, Audiovent toured with Saliva
Saliva (band)
Saliva is an American rock band formed in Memphis, Tennessee, in September 1996 and currently under Island Records. Saliva released their self-titled debut album on August 26, 1997, under Rocking Chair Records....
and Theory of a Deadman
Theory of a Deadman
Theory of a Deadman is a Canadian rock band from Delta, British Columbia, formed in 2001. The band is currently signed to Roadrunner Records as well as Island Records. The band also includes traits of other music styles, such as country and acoustic, as well as their post-grunge and alternative...
.
Breakup
In 2003, Jamin left the band citing creative differences and was replaced by Ryland SteenRyland Steen
Ryland David-Burton Steen is the current drummer for the California-USA-based ska punk band, Reel Big Fish....
. In early 2004, the band was largely dormant, suggesting a breakup. The band did re-convene for a time, playing a bunch of small clubs around California under the name Nigel, suggesting they were having label problems with Atlantic. The new tracks were very different from the sound of their first album. Later in 2004 the band finally split, citing "creative differences," although it is largely believed they would have been dropped from Atlantic anyway for poor sales performance.
Benjamin Einziger and Paul Fried moved on to start another band named Agent Sparks
Agent Sparks
Agent Sparks was a band formed in early 2005 when two former band mates from Audiovent decided they wanted to continue making music. Members include Benjamin Einziger , Stephanie Eitel , Paul Fried , and George Purviance . They released their first EP entitled Not So Merry in September 2005...
. They have released an EP entitled Not So Merry and a full length album called Red Rover. Since then, Benjamin has been working on solo material and streaming songs on his reverbnation page.
Jamin Wilcox joined Aaron Bruno and Drew Stewart of Home Town Hero to form Under the Influence of Giants
Under the Influence of Giants
Under the Influence of Giants is a musical group from Los Angeles, California. They released their major label debut album in August 2006, which was a number one hit on the Top Heatseekers chart. Among their influences are the Beatles, The Who, Led Zeppelin, the Bee Gees, Prince, WHAM!, Chicago...
. They have since recruited bassist David Amezcua, signed to Island Records
Island Records
Island Records is a record label that was founded by Chris Blackwell in Jamaica. It was based in the United Kingdom for many years and is now owned by Universal Music Group...
, and released their self-titled debut album. Recently he has also been releasing new songs via the internet.
Jason Boyd currently runs the American Caveman clothing company. He still creates music, and is also a writer, actor, and photographer.
Ties to Incubus
Three out of four of the original members of Audiovent are related to members of the band IncubusIncubus (band)
Incubus is an American rock band from Calabasas, California. The band was formed in 1991 by vocalist Brandon Boyd, lead guitarist Mike Einziger, and drummer Jose Pasillas while enrolled in high school and later expanded to include bassist Alex "Dirk Lance" Katunich, and Gavin "DJ Lyfe" Koppell;...
. Jason Boyd is the brother of vocalist Brandon Boyd
Brandon Boyd
Brandon Charles Boyd is an American musician, author, and visual artist. He is best known as the lead vocalist of the American rock band Incubus.-Early Life and Incubus:...
. Benjamin Einziger is brother of guitarist Mike Einziger
Mike Einziger
Michael Aaron Einziger is a Grammy-nominated musician known as the co-writer and guitarist of the alternative rock band Incubus. Einziger is widely known as an innovator and enthusiast of the use of pedalboard guitar effects during live concerts, and was voted #41 in Total Guitar's top 100...
, and Paul Fried is their stepbrother.
Members
- Jason Boyd - Lead vocals (1993–2004)
- Benjamin Einziger - Guitar, vocals (1993–2004)
- Paul Fried - Bass (1993–2004)
- Jamin Wilcox - Drums, vocals (1993–2003)
- Ryland SteenRyland SteenRyland David-Burton Steen is the current drummer for the California-USA-based ska punk band, Reel Big Fish....
- Drums (2003–2004)
Albums
| Year | Album details | Peak chart positions | |
|---|---|---|---|
| US Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
US Heat. Top Heatseekers Top Heatseekers refers to either of two separate "Breaking and Entering" music charts issued weekly by Billboard Magazine: the Heatseekers Albums chart or the Heatseekers Songs chart. They were introduced by Billboard in 1993 with the purpose of highlighting the sales by new and developing musical... |
||
| 2002 | Dirty Sexy Knights in Paris Dirty Sexy Knights in Paris Dirty Sexy Knights in Paris is the only major label album by alternative rock band Audiovent. It was released in 2002 on Atlantic Records. The album had two singles, "The Energy" and "Looking Down," both of which had marginally successful music videos...
|
156 | 4 |
Singles
| Year | Single | Peak chart positions | Album | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Alt. |
US Main. |
UK UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
|||
| 2002 | "The Energy" | 17 | 9 | 167 | Dirty Sexy Knights in Paris |
| "Looking Down" | — | 29 | — | ||
| "—" denotes a release that did not chart. | |||||