Facing New York
Encyclopedia
Facing New York is a three-piece progressive
indie rock
band from the Bay Area, California
, formed in January 2004.
The band is currently on Five One Inc. Records and has released two full-length album
s, one EP
, two splits, and one single sampler.
Brandon Canchola was the first bass player auditioned and was soon added, completing the line up.
The band then immediately began to tour extensively over the next year, gaining a reputation for their inventive sound and style with intense and energetic live performances.
In early 2004, the group participated in the Vans
Warped Tour 2004 on select dates. There, they went on to sell more than 5000 copies of the self-released EP
, Swimming Not Treading
, pushing around 500 copies a day. The band not only gained a wide new fan base from amongst concert goers, but from also the headliners that they shared the stage with.http://www.fiveoneinc.com/facingnewyork.htm
After the final tours were over, the members returned to San Francisco in late 2004, out of work. So they immediately began to write their first full-length and self-titled
album, which was released on August 30, 2005.http://www.fiveoneinc.com/fny.htm
The band then set out on another tour to promote their new album. In March 2006, the band did a tour with fellow label mates, Eastern Youth
, and then with Taking Back Sunday
in the Western United States
in April of the same year. The tour then lead them traveling as far as Japan
, in early June 2006, to do a series of shows again with Eastern Youth
and the Japanese indie rock
group, toe. http://www.facingnewyork.com/japan/
Then in July 2006, Rene Carranza stated he would be leaving the band to go back to school:
Progressive rock
Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
indie rock
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
band from the Bay Area, 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...
, formed in January 2004.
The band is currently on Five One Inc. Records and has released two full-length album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
s, one EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
, two splits, and one single sampler.
Biography
The original five members formed from mutual bands from the Bay Area scene. Omar Cuellar and Matt Fazzi left their band, Tragedy Andy, to pursue a new musical direction, while Eric Frederic and Rene Carranza's band, Locale A.M., had recently disbanded. Eric continued to write music and along with Rene, the two began to jam with Matt Fazzi. Omar was then invited into the project and the four then began Facing New York.Brandon Canchola was the first bass player auditioned and was soon added, completing the line up.
The band then immediately began to tour extensively over the next year, gaining a reputation for their inventive sound and style with intense and energetic live performances.
In early 2004, the group participated in the Vans
Vans
Vans is an American based manufacturer of sneakers, skateboarding shoes, BMX shoes, snowboarding boots and other shoe types.- History :On March 16, 1966, at 704 E. Broadway, in Anaheim, California, brothers Paul Van Doren, James Van Doren, and three other partners opened up their first store...
Warped Tour 2004 on select dates. There, they went on to sell more than 5000 copies of the self-released EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
, Swimming Not Treading
Swimming Not Treading (EP)
Swimming Not Treading is the 2004 EP released by the progressive, indie rock group Facing New York.-Track listing:#"Claim/Subclaim"– 4:34#"No."– 4:14#"Tell Everyone"– 3:16#"A Tempest, A Dance"– 4:14#"This Hourglass"– 3:02...
, pushing around 500 copies a day. The band not only gained a wide new fan base from amongst concert goers, but from also the headliners that they shared the stage with.http://www.fiveoneinc.com/facingnewyork.htm
After the final tours were over, the members returned to San Francisco in late 2004, out of work. So they immediately began to write their first full-length and self-titled
Facing New York (album)
Facing New York is the first full-length release by San Francisco progressive, indie rock band Facing New York. It was produced and mixed by Facing New York and Scott Llamas. It was recorded in spring 2005 at PopSmear Studios in San Rafael, CA and harddrive analog and digital in North Hollywood, CA...
album, which was released on August 30, 2005.http://www.fiveoneinc.com/fny.htm
The band then set out on another tour to promote their new album. In March 2006, the band did a tour with fellow label mates, Eastern Youth
Eastern Youth
Eastern Youth is a Japanese indie rock trio. Despite being primarily punk rock-influenced, their sound blends many different styles, and is especially complex for a three-piece band. Their lyrics express the helplessness of Japanese youths...
, and then with Taking Back Sunday
Taking Back Sunday
Taking Back Sunday is a rock band from Long Island, NY, formed in 1999 by guitarist Eddie Reyes. Current members of the band are Adam Lazzara , John Nolan , Eddie Reyes , Shaun Cooper and Mark O'Connell ....
in the Western United States
Western United States
.The Western United States, commonly referred to as the American West or simply "the West," traditionally refers to the region comprising the westernmost states of the United States. Because the U.S. expanded westward after its founding, the meaning of the West has evolved over time...
in April of the same year. The tour then lead them traveling as far as Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, in early June 2006, to do a series of shows again with Eastern Youth
Eastern Youth
Eastern Youth is a Japanese indie rock trio. Despite being primarily punk rock-influenced, their sound blends many different styles, and is especially complex for a three-piece band. Their lyrics express the helplessness of Japanese youths...
and the Japanese indie rock
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
group, toe. http://www.facingnewyork.com/japan/
Then in July 2006, Rene Carranza stated he would be leaving the band to go back to school:
Rene Carranza played his last show on September 1 in San Francisco, and the remaining members finished off the remainder of 2006 with a headling tour throughout the U.S., with friend and label mate, Gavin Castleton
Gavin Castleton
Gavin Castleton is a musician/songwriter from Providence, Rhode Island. Originally known for his work with Gruvis Malt as keyboardist and singer, Castleton has also released seven full length albums and 5 EPs Gavin Castleton is a musician/songwriter from Providence, Rhode Island. Originally known...
filling in.
In March 2007, the band participated in the [South by Southwest] music festival and has begun to write new material which they debut at the festival.
Matthew Fazzi played his final show with the band on April 19, 2008 at San Francisco's Bottom of the Hill. The encore featured ex-bandmate Rene Carranza back again on keyboards for a dramatic finale. It was revealed on May 5 that Matt had joined Taking Back Sunday
Taking Back Sunday
Taking Back Sunday is a rock band from Long Island, NY, formed in 1999 by guitarist Eddie Reyes. Current members of the band are Adam Lazzara , John Nolan , Eddie Reyes , Shaun Cooper and Mark O'Connell ....
, after the departure of Fred Mascherino
Fred Mascherino
Frederick Paul Mascherino is an American musician best known for his work as lead guitarist and co-lead vocalist in alternative rock band Taking Back Sunday...
.
The band released their second full-length release "Get Hot" on October 14, 2008. They decided to stay as a three piece group during the process, however on March 1, 2009 it was announced the Brandon would be leaving Facing New York. The following is an excerpt from the announcement made via Myspace:
"Hello everyone,
I'm writing with the solemnest of news. Brandon is leaving Facing New York. We are canceling the UK tour in the wake of this. We decided that it wouldn't be right to make the journey with last minute replacement players. We want to offer the sincerest of apologies to our UK fans as well as the booking agency and other people that helped set this up.
You've all grown with us, and we want to continue that relationship. You know how you have some friends that you can not talk to for months or years at a time, and then you see them and it feels like not a minute has passed?
-Facing New York"
On April 6, 2009 the band announced that it is still working on new material and would be requesting the service of several musicians to collaborate on new material.
On August 5, 2009, Facing New York's Tumblr
Tumblr
Tumblr is a website and microblogging platform that allows users to post text, images, videos, links, quotes and audio to their tumblelog, a short-form blog. Users can follow other users, or choose to make their tumblelog private. The service emphasizes ease of use. The site ranks as the 10th...
page hinted at bassist Brandon Canchola's return:
"Hi,
Well, Facing New York played together last night for the first time in 9 months. Can you believe it? It’s been that long. The 3 of us haven’t played together since our record release shows last October. Yes, I said 3. No, it doesn’t mean anything . . ."
And in a December 29 Tumblr post, Eric casually mentioned Brandon's involvement with the band's writing process, and said of the band's future:
" . . . Reading more, appreciating the weather, and anticipating a fruitful 2010. Let’s play some shows.
Eric & FNY"http://facingnewyork.tumblr.com
The band has cited their influences as: Do Make Say Think
Do Make Say Think
Do Make Say Think is a Canadian instrumental post-rock band from Toronto, Ontario. Their music combines jazz style drums, distorted guitars and wind instruments, as well as a prominent use of the bass guitar.-Biography:...
, The Dismemberment Plan
The Dismemberment Plan
The Dismemberment Plan is a Washington D.C. based indie rock band formed on January 1, 1993. Also known as D-Plan or The Plan, the name comes from a stray phrase uttered by insurance salesman Ned Ryerson in the popular comedy Groundhog Day. The band members included Eric Axelson , Jason Caddell ,...
, Yes
Yes (band)
Yes are an English rock band who achieved worldwide success with their progressive, art, and symphonic style of rock music. Regarded as one of the pioneers of the progressive genre, Yes are known for their lengthy songs, mystical lyrics, elaborate album art, and live stage sets...
, Fela Kuti
Fela Kuti
Fela Anikulapo Kuti , or simply Fela , was a Nigerian multi-instrumentalist musician and composer, pioneer of Afrobeat music, human rights activist, and political maverick.-Biography:...
, The Police
The Police
The Police were an English rock band formed in London in 1977. For the vast majority of their history, the band consisted of Sting , Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland...
, Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham...
, Steely Dan
Steely Dan
Steely Dan is an American rock band; its core members are Donald Fagen and Walter Becker. The band's popularity peaked in the late 1970s, with the release of seven albums blending elements of jazz, rock, funk, R&B, and pop...
, The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
, Can
Can (band)
Can was an experimental rock band formed in Cologne, West Germany in 1968. Later labeled as one of the first "krautrock" groups, they transcended mainstream influences and incorporated strong minimalist and world music elements into their often psychedelic music.Can constructed their music largely...
, Gentle Giant
Gentle Giant
Gentle Giant were a British progressive rock band active between 1970 and 1980. The band was known for the complexity and sophistication of its music and for the varied musical skills of its members. All of the band members, except the first two drummers, were multi-instrumentalists...
, Sly and the Family Stone, Parliament
Parliament (band)
Parliament was a funk band most prominent during the 1970s. It and its sister act Funkadelic, both led by George Clinton, began the funk music culture of that decade.-History:...
/Funkadelic, anticon., The Neptunes
The Neptunes
The Neptunes are a record production duo consisting of Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo, who are credited with contributing the sound for many successful hip hop, R&B and pop artists in the late-1990s and 2000s...
, and My Morning Jacket
My Morning Jacket
My Morning Jacket is an American rock band from Louisville, Kentucky.The band consists of Jim James , Tom 'Two-Tone Tommy' Blankenship , Patrick Hallahan , Carl Broemel , and Bo Koster .-History:My Morning Jacket was...
.
Current members
- Eric Frederic - vocals/guitar/keyboard (2004–present)
- Omar Cuellar - drums (2004–present)
- Brandon Canchola - bass/vocals (2004–2009, 2009–present)
Past members
- Matthew Fazzi - guitar/vocals/keyboard/drums (2004–2008)
- Rene Carranza - keyboard (2004–2006)
Discography
- 2004 - Swimming Not Treading (EP)
- 2004 - Split: Facing New York/AmitySplit: Facing New York/AmitySplit: Facing New York/Amity is a 2004 split/EP release by San Francisco group Facing New York and the Los Angeles based Amity.-Track listing:#"Paper Shepherd"– 3:56 #"With a Grain of Salt"– 3:57...
- 2005 - Full TurnFull TurnThe Full Turn single is a 2005 release by the progressive, indie rock group Facing New York, featuring alternate versions of three tracks—two from their 2005 album, Facing New York, and the other from their 2004 Split: Facing New York/Amity EP....
(single) - 2005 - Facing New YorkFacing New York (album)Facing New York is the first full-length release by San Francisco progressive, indie rock band Facing New York. It was produced and mixed by Facing New York and Scott Llamas. It was recorded in spring 2005 at PopSmear Studios in San Rafael, CA and harddrive analog and digital in North Hollywood, CA...
- 2006 - North / South (split 7" with The Jade Shader, The Rum DiaryThe Rum Diary (band)The Rum Diary is a California-based indie rock band. Its members include Daniel McKenzie, Jon Fee, Joe Ryckebosh, and Schuyler Feekes.-History:...
, Years around the Sun) - 2007 - The Messenger (single)
- 2008 - FNY Live 4.19.08
- 2008 - Get HotGet HotGet Hot is the second full-length release by San Francisco progressive, indie rock band Facing New York. The album marks a change in style for the band, one influenced by the funk rock of such groups as Steely Dan and The Neptunes.-Track listing:...
External links
- Facing New York at TumblrTumblrTumblr is a website and microblogging platform that allows users to post text, images, videos, links, quotes and audio to their tumblelog, a short-form blog. Users can follow other users, or choose to make their tumblelog private. The service emphasizes ease of use. The site ranks as the 10th...
- Facing New York at MyspaceMyspaceMyspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
- Facing New York Story and Pics at The Grixer
- Facing New York at PurevolumePureVolumePureVolume was the first independently run website of its type, allowing for the upload and stream of music files. It was created in 2003 by Jennifer Welch , in conjunction with the Unborn Media team; Brett Woitunski, Nate Hudson, and Mitchell Pavao; all from the University of...
- FiveOneInc Records
- Facing New York Interview with REDEFINE Magazine, September 2005