For Against
Encyclopedia
For Against are a United States post-punk
/proto-shoegaze rock
band
from Lincoln, Nebraska
. Despite numerous lineup shuffles and some periods of dormancy, the band has produced material steadily from its 1984 inception to the present.
and 4AD
record labels.
Featuring members of underground Lincoln bands Cartoon Pupils and Hymn to Joy, the band first called itself Glue, and then D.B.L., finally settling on Four Against One, a name that reflected its status as a quintet at the time. Bassist Liz Panarelli's early departure gave way to keyboardist Jeffrey Runnings' shift to bass, as well as the band's truncation of its name to For Against; by 1985 singer Jon Fynbu had departed as well, leaving the core trio of guitarist Harry Dingman III, drummer Gregory Hill, and bassist Jeffrey Runnings, who would become (with very few exceptions) the band's sole vocalist and lyricist.
In 1985, For Against debuted on vinyl with the "Autocrat"/"It's a Lie" single, released in a limited run on the band's own Republic Issue label. This single has become highly collectible among the group's fanbase.
In 1987 the band signed to Independent Project Records (IPR), issuing its first full-length Echelons. That year the band undertook its only full tour to date, promoting Echelons at clubs across the U.S., including CBGB
, Maxwell's
, and Chicago's Cabaret Metro. Echelons received a Grammy nomination for its jacket design, by IPR head Bruce Licher; each LP in the initial pressing of 1000 came with an actual shaft of wheat
integrated into the cover illustration.
Having received favorable press for the melodic post-punk of Echelons, For Against released a follow-up titled December the next year to equally rave reception. The band lost considerable momentum, however, when Hill took his leave, followed shortly thereafter by Dingman after a brief attempt at a retooled, four-piece lineup. Hill and Dingman would soon form The Millions, a melodic alt-rock outfit with more mainstream leanings than For Against.
Jeffrey Runnings, who had by this time switched from bass to guitar, continued on with bassist Jeff Gaskins and drummer Steve Schultz, playing under the name Stahlversion for a time before returning to the For Against handle. The band next added second guitarist Stephen "Mave" Hinrichs to the lineup; Hinrichs' band The Gladstones (formerly Playground), a steady name on the Lincoln scene, had just broken up. By the end of 1990, Steve Schultz had been replaced with drummer Paul Engelhard. This lineup of For Against released two singles (1991 & 1993); all five songs from these singles found their way onto the band's '93 album Aperture. This album also featured six unheard tracks from '90-'91 recording sessions, all characterized by a more relaxed, repetitive songwriting style than that found on earlier For Against records, making full use of the layering capabilities of the new two-guitar lineup.
By the time of Apertures release (delayed due to IPR's distribution woes), Jeff Gaskins had left the group; the album credits thank Gaskins for his bass playing but do not list him as a band member. Runnings returned to bass, and For Against has remained a trio ever since.
For Against recorded two more albums, Mason's California Lunchroom (1995) and Shelf Life (1997).
They re-emerged on a new label in 2002 with the album Coalesced. Hinrichs soon left the band and moved to Virginia, leaving the group's existence in doubt.
In 2004 and 2005, the band's first two albums were remastered and reissued on CD, with modified cover art. Original guitarist Dingman rejoined the band, and in 2007 Nick Buller became the new permanent drummer. The band is currently recording an EP at Fuse Studios.
The band toured Greece and Spain in 2007 and Italy in March 2008.
Post-punk
Post-punk is a rock music movement with its roots in the late 1970s, following on the heels of the initial punk rock explosion of the mid-1970s. The genre retains its roots in the punk movement but is more introverted, complex and experimental...
/proto-shoegaze rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
from Lincoln, Nebraska
Lincoln, Nebraska
The City of Lincoln is the capital and the second-most populous city of the US state of Nebraska. Lincoln is also the county seat of Lancaster County and the home of the University of Nebraska. Lincoln's 2010 Census population was 258,379....
. Despite numerous lineup shuffles and some periods of dormancy, the band has produced material steadily from its 1984 inception to the present.
History
Something of an anomaly in Midwestern America, For Against—especially early in its career—has looked to a distinctly British aesthetic for inspiration, most obviously the post-punk scene exemplified by the early rosters of the FactoryFactory Records
Factory Records was a Manchester based British independent record label, started in 1978 by Tony Wilson and Alan Erasmus, which featured several prominent musical acts on its roster such as Joy Division, New Order, A Certain Ratio, The Durutti Column, Happy Mondays, Northside and James and...
and 4AD
4AD
4AD is a British independent record label that was started in 1979 by Ivo Watts-Russell and Peter Kent, funded by Beggars Banquet Records, and is still active today...
record labels.
Featuring members of underground Lincoln bands Cartoon Pupils and Hymn to Joy, the band first called itself Glue, and then D.B.L., finally settling on Four Against One, a name that reflected its status as a quintet at the time. Bassist Liz Panarelli's early departure gave way to keyboardist Jeffrey Runnings' shift to bass, as well as the band's truncation of its name to For Against; by 1985 singer Jon Fynbu had departed as well, leaving the core trio of guitarist Harry Dingman III, drummer Gregory Hill, and bassist Jeffrey Runnings, who would become (with very few exceptions) the band's sole vocalist and lyricist.
In 1985, For Against debuted on vinyl with the "Autocrat"/"It's a Lie" single, released in a limited run on the band's own Republic Issue label. This single has become highly collectible among the group's fanbase.
In 1987 the band signed to Independent Project Records (IPR), issuing its first full-length Echelons. That year the band undertook its only full tour to date, promoting Echelons at clubs across the U.S., including CBGB
CBGB
CBGB was a music club at 315 Bowery at Bleecker Street in the borough of Manhattan in New York City.Founded by Hilly Kristal in 1973, it was originally intended to feature its namesake musical styles, but became a forum for American punk and New Wave bands like Ramones, Misfits, Television, the...
, Maxwell's
Maxwell's
Maxwell's is a music club in Hoboken, New Jersey that also has a restaurant. The intimate venue often attracts a wide variety of acts looking for a change from the New York City concert spaces across the river.-History:...
, and Chicago's Cabaret Metro. Echelons received a Grammy nomination for its jacket design, by IPR head Bruce Licher; each LP in the initial pressing of 1000 came with an actual shaft of wheat
Wheat
Wheat is a cereal grain, originally from the Levant region of the Near East, but now cultivated worldwide. In 2007 world production of wheat was 607 million tons, making it the third most-produced cereal after maize and rice...
integrated into the cover illustration.
Having received favorable press for the melodic post-punk of Echelons, For Against released a follow-up titled December the next year to equally rave reception. The band lost considerable momentum, however, when Hill took his leave, followed shortly thereafter by Dingman after a brief attempt at a retooled, four-piece lineup. Hill and Dingman would soon form The Millions, a melodic alt-rock outfit with more mainstream leanings than For Against.
Jeffrey Runnings, who had by this time switched from bass to guitar, continued on with bassist Jeff Gaskins and drummer Steve Schultz, playing under the name Stahlversion for a time before returning to the For Against handle. The band next added second guitarist Stephen "Mave" Hinrichs to the lineup; Hinrichs' band The Gladstones (formerly Playground), a steady name on the Lincoln scene, had just broken up. By the end of 1990, Steve Schultz had been replaced with drummer Paul Engelhard. This lineup of For Against released two singles (1991 & 1993); all five songs from these singles found their way onto the band's '93 album Aperture. This album also featured six unheard tracks from '90-'91 recording sessions, all characterized by a more relaxed, repetitive songwriting style than that found on earlier For Against records, making full use of the layering capabilities of the new two-guitar lineup.
By the time of Apertures release (delayed due to IPR's distribution woes), Jeff Gaskins had left the group; the album credits thank Gaskins for his bass playing but do not list him as a band member. Runnings returned to bass, and For Against has remained a trio ever since.
For Against recorded two more albums, Mason's California Lunchroom (1995) and Shelf Life (1997).
They re-emerged on a new label in 2002 with the album Coalesced. Hinrichs soon left the band and moved to Virginia, leaving the group's existence in doubt.
In 2004 and 2005, the band's first two albums were remastered and reissued on CD, with modified cover art. Original guitarist Dingman rejoined the band, and in 2007 Nick Buller became the new permanent drummer. The band is currently recording an EP at Fuse Studios.
The band toured Greece and Spain in 2007 and Italy in March 2008.
Albums
- Echelons (1987, IPR) (recorded 1986) "Shine" mp3 (reissue: 2004, Words On Music)
- December (1988, IPR) "Sabres" mp3 (reissue: 2005, Words On Music)
- Aperture (1993, Rainbow Quartz/ IPR) (the two '93 singles/b-sides, + six songs from '90-91 sessions)
- Mason's California Lunchroom (1995, Rainbow Quartz/ Caroline)
- Shelf Life (1997, IPR/ World Domination)
- Coalesced (2002, Words On Music)
- Shade Side Sunny Side (2008, Words On Music)
- Never Been (2009, Words On Music)
EPs, singles
- "Autocrat" 7" (1985, Republic Issue) (co-release and/or reissue via IPR?) "Autocrat" mp3
- In The Marshes 10" EP (1990, IPR) (demo recordings circa '86)
- "You Only Live Twice" 7" (1991, Part Trance)
- "Don't Do Me Any Favors" 7" (1993, IPR)
Music videos
- Music videos were released for the songs "Autocrat" and "Echelons," and possibly others.
External links
- [ AllMusic Guide entry]
- Review of December at Crawdaddy!Crawdaddy!Crawdaddy! was the first U.S. magazine of rock and roll music criticism. Created in 1966 by college student Paul Williams in response to the increasing sophistication and cultural influence of popular music, Crawdaddy! was self-described as "the first magazine to take rock and roll...
- Trouser Press entry
- Official site