Masters of the Hemisphere
Encyclopedia
Masters of the Hemisphere are an American
indie pop
group, founded by Bren Mead and Sean Rawls. The two moved to Athens, Georgia, to attend college in 1996. There they met Ryan Lewis, co-founder of Kindercore Records, who played drums at the first Masters of the Hemisphere show. Jeff Griggs (also of The Mendoza Line
) soon replaced Lewis. In 1997 Kindercore releasd their debut seven-inch ep, Going on a Trek to Iceland. The group then recorded their first full length album, the eponymous Masters of the Hemisphere
, which was released on Kindercore Records
in 1998. The band soon expanded to a four-piece, adding multi-instrumentalist Adrian Finch. Several singles and compilation appearances followed, including a release on the Happy Happy Birthday To Me Records
singles club, before the band released their second full length, the concept album
, I Am Not a Freemdoom
, also on Kindercore. The record garnered mixed reviews, which in part was likely due to the album's rather complicated concept, regarding an island of reservoir-dwelling creatures being enslaved by an evil dog. The Permanent Stranger ep followed in 2002, on the dcBaltimore2012 label. The band split up after their next album, 2002's well received Protest a Dark Anniversary. A recording of their then-final show at Athens, Georgia
's 40 Watt Club
was later released as The Last Show Ever.
Rawls subsequently joined Je Suis France
and, upon his move to San Francisco, formed the reggae
-inspired band Still Flyin'
. Mead eventually joined Still Flyin'
, and in 2010 raised money through Kickstarter to release an album by his solo project Vetran. Finch released an album under the name Dances with Wolves
on dcBaltimore2012 in 2002, and currently plays in Atlanta band Night Moves Gold. Griggs currently plays in Je Suis France
, Murder Beach, Shitaake Knights (aka REN
, aka Transmitter
), and any number of other bands.
In 2006 the Masters of the Hemisphere briefly reunited to play shows in Athens, Georgia
; Lexington, Kentucky
; and San Francisco.
"Local Government", a song from Protest A Dark Anniversary, was prominently heard in an environmental PSA that debuted on Mtv
on August 31, 2006.
The Masters of the Hemisphere recorded a new album in 2010; released by Kindercore Records in 2011, the new album was entitled Maybe These Are the Breaks.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
indie pop
Indie pop
Indie pop is a genre of alternative rock music that originated in the United Kingdom in the mid 1980s, with its roots in the Scottish post-punk bands on the Postcard Records label in the early '80s, such as Orange Juice, Josef K and Aztec Camera, and the dominant UK independent band of the mid...
group, founded by Bren Mead and Sean Rawls. The two moved to Athens, Georgia, to attend college in 1996. There they met Ryan Lewis, co-founder of Kindercore Records, who played drums at the first Masters of the Hemisphere show. Jeff Griggs (also of The Mendoza Line
The Mendoza Line (band)
The Mendoza Line were a rock and roll band whose members began playing together while in college in the mid-1990s in Athens, Georgia, and who eventually settled in Brooklyn. Their name comes from the dismal .200 batting average of Mario Mendoza...
) soon replaced Lewis. In 1997 Kindercore releasd their debut seven-inch ep, Going on a Trek to Iceland. The group then recorded their first full length album, the eponymous Masters of the Hemisphere
Masters of the Hemisphere (album)
Masters of the Hemisphere is the first full album by the Athens, Georgia based indie pop band of the same name. Though it lacks the elaborateness of their followup, the heavily concept-based I Am Not A Freemdoom, it still maintains the essential element of the band's indie pop songcraft, drawing...
, which was released on Kindercore Records
Kindercore Records
Kindercore Records is an independent record label based in Athens, Georgia, which was founded in 1996 by Ryan Lewis and Daniel Geller to document the emerging music scene in Athens, Georgia....
in 1998. The band soon expanded to a four-piece, adding multi-instrumentalist Adrian Finch. Several singles and compilation appearances followed, including a release on the Happy Happy Birthday To Me Records
Happy Happy Birthday To Me Records
Happy Happy Birthday To Me Records is an American independent record label based in Athens, Georgia, whose catalogue is rather heavily weighted towards twee indie pop music, with several of its bands being related to or influenced by The Elephant 6 Recording Company...
singles club, before the band released their second full length, the concept album
Concept album
In music, a concept album is an album that is "unified by a theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, narrative, or lyrical." Commonly, concept albums tend to incorporate preconceived musical or lyrical ideas rather than being improvised or composed in the studio, with all songs contributing...
, I Am Not a Freemdoom
I Am Not a Freemdoom
I Am Not A Freemdoom is the second album by Masters of the Hemisphere, released in 2000 on Kindercore Records. It is a concept album containing a comic book, for which the songs provide the soundtrack.-Track listing:#So What About Freemdoom...
, also on Kindercore. The record garnered mixed reviews, which in part was likely due to the album's rather complicated concept, regarding an island of reservoir-dwelling creatures being enslaved by an evil dog. The Permanent Stranger ep followed in 2002, on the dcBaltimore2012 label. The band split up after their next album, 2002's well received Protest a Dark Anniversary. A recording of their then-final show at Athens, Georgia
Athens, Georgia
Athens-Clarke County is a consolidated city–county in U.S. state of Georgia, in the northeastern part of the state, comprising the former City of Athens proper and Clarke County. The University of Georgia is located in this college town and is responsible for the initial growth of the city...
's 40 Watt Club
40 Watt Club
The 40 Watt Club is a music venue in Athens, Georgia. Along with CBGB's, the Whisky a Go Go, and selected others, it was instrumental in launching American punk rock and "New Wave music."...
was later released as The Last Show Ever.
Rawls subsequently joined Je Suis France
Je Suis France
Je Suis France is an American indie rock group formed in Athens, GA, in 1997. Their albums have been released by David Lowery's Pitch-A-Tent Records, Elf Power's Orange Twin Records, and Antenna Farm Records. The band has also self-released a number of singles and CD-Rs.-History:Je Suis France...
and, upon his move to San Francisco, formed the reggae
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
-inspired band Still Flyin'
Still Flyin'
Still Flyin’ is an American Indie Pop band based in San Francisco, founded in 2004 by Sean Rawls.-Name of the Band:The band is based on the song “Never Gonna Touch the Ground”, a song that Rawls wrote and performed in a prior band, Je Suis France. After moving to San Francisco, Rawls recorded the...
. Mead eventually joined Still Flyin'
Still Flyin'
Still Flyin’ is an American Indie Pop band based in San Francisco, founded in 2004 by Sean Rawls.-Name of the Band:The band is based on the song “Never Gonna Touch the Ground”, a song that Rawls wrote and performed in a prior band, Je Suis France. After moving to San Francisco, Rawls recorded the...
, and in 2010 raised money through Kickstarter to release an album by his solo project Vetran. Finch released an album under the name Dances with Wolves
Dances with Wolves
Dances with Wolves is a 1990 epic western film directed by and starring Kevin Costner. It is a film adaptation of the 1988 book of the same name by Michael Blake and tells the story of a Union Army Lieutenant who travels to the American frontier to find a military post, and his dealings with a...
on dcBaltimore2012 in 2002, and currently plays in Atlanta band Night Moves Gold. Griggs currently plays in Je Suis France
Je Suis France
Je Suis France is an American indie rock group formed in Athens, GA, in 1997. Their albums have been released by David Lowery's Pitch-A-Tent Records, Elf Power's Orange Twin Records, and Antenna Farm Records. The band has also self-released a number of singles and CD-Rs.-History:Je Suis France...
, Murder Beach, Shitaake Knights (aka REN
Ren
Ren is a common nickname for the feminine given name Renee .Ren or REN may refer to:-Abbreviations:*Orenburg Tsentralny Airport, IATA code REN, civil airport in Russia*Rede Eléctrica Nacional , Portuguese company...
, aka Transmitter
Transmitter
In electronics and telecommunications a transmitter or radio transmitter is an electronic device which, with the aid of an antenna, produces radio waves. The transmitter itself generates a radio frequency alternating current, which is applied to the antenna. When excited by this alternating...
), and any number of other bands.
In 2006 the Masters of the Hemisphere briefly reunited to play shows in Athens, Georgia
Athens, Georgia
Athens-Clarke County is a consolidated city–county in U.S. state of Georgia, in the northeastern part of the state, comprising the former City of Athens proper and Clarke County. The University of Georgia is located in this college town and is responsible for the initial growth of the city...
; Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 63rd largest in the US. Known as the "Thoroughbred City" and the "Horse Capital of the World", it is located in the heart of Kentucky's Bluegrass region...
; and San Francisco.
"Local Government", a song from Protest A Dark Anniversary, was prominently heard in an environmental PSA that debuted on Mtv
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
on August 31, 2006.
The Masters of the Hemisphere recorded a new album in 2010; released by Kindercore Records in 2011, the new album was entitled Maybe These Are the Breaks.
Albums
- Masters of the HemisphereMasters of the Hemisphere (album)Masters of the Hemisphere is the first full album by the Athens, Georgia based indie pop band of the same name. Though it lacks the elaborateness of their followup, the heavily concept-based I Am Not A Freemdoom, it still maintains the essential element of the band's indie pop songcraft, drawing...
(Kindercore RecordsKindercore RecordsKindercore Records is an independent record label based in Athens, Georgia, which was founded in 1996 by Ryan Lewis and Daniel Geller to document the emerging music scene in Athens, Georgia....
, 1999) - I Am Not A FreemdoomI Am Not a FreemdoomI Am Not A Freemdoom is the second album by Masters of the Hemisphere, released in 2000 on Kindercore Records. It is a concept album containing a comic book, for which the songs provide the soundtrack.-Track listing:#So What About Freemdoom...
(Kindercore RecordsKindercore RecordsKindercore Records is an independent record label based in Athens, Georgia, which was founded in 1996 by Ryan Lewis and Daniel Geller to document the emerging music scene in Athens, Georgia....
, 2000) - Protest A Dark Anniversary (Kindercore RecordsKindercore RecordsKindercore Records is an independent record label based in Athens, Georgia, which was founded in 1996 by Ryan Lewis and Daniel Geller to document the emerging music scene in Athens, Georgia....
, 2002) - The Last Show Ever (Bumblebear Records, 2003)
- Maybe These Are the Breaks (Kindercore RecordsKindercore RecordsKindercore Records is an independent record label based in Athens, Georgia, which was founded in 1996 by Ryan Lewis and Daniel Geller to document the emerging music scene in Athens, Georgia....
, 2011)
Singles/E.P.s
- Permanent Stranger (dcBaltimore2012, 2002)
- Going On a Trek To Iceland (Kindercore RecordsKindercore RecordsKindercore Records is an independent record label based in Athens, Georgia, which was founded in 1996 by Ryan Lewis and Daniel Geller to document the emerging music scene in Athens, Georgia....
) - Silence (Happy Happy Birthday To Me RecordsHappy Happy Birthday To Me RecordsHappy Happy Birthday To Me Records is an American independent record label based in Athens, Georgia, whose catalogue is rather heavily weighted towards twee indie pop music, with several of its bands being related to or influenced by The Elephant 6 Recording Company...
- Singles Club release) - Better Things (Gentlemen Recordings)
- Second Hand News (Kindercore RecordsKindercore RecordsKindercore Records is an independent record label based in Athens, Georgia, which was founded in 1996 by Ryan Lewis and Daniel Geller to document the emerging music scene in Athens, Georgia....
- Singles Club release) - The Terminal E.P. (Bunch of Beatniks)
External links
- Official Website
- [ Allmusic entry]
- Recording of May 2010 reunion show