Obits
Encyclopedia
Obits are an American rock
band formed in 2006 in Brooklyn
, New York
. The band members are veterans of other independent rock bands: Guitarist
/vocalist
Rick Froberg
was previously a member of Pitchfork
, Drive Like Jehu
, and Hot Snakes
, and guitarist Sohrab Habibion was a member of Edsel
. The band has released two single
s and two albums, I Blame You
(2009) and Moody, Standard and Poor
(2011).
/guitarist
Rick Froberg
returned to New York in 2005 following the breakup of the Hot Snakes
. In 2006 he began writing new material and rehearsing with drummer
Scott Gursky of Shortstack and guitarist Sohrab Habibion, formerly of Edsel
. They rehearsed with a third guitar
player, but instead added bassist
Greg Simpson. Obits made their live debut on January 12, 2008 at a club on New York's Lower East Side
called the Cake Shop. A bootleg recording
of the show circulated on the internet
, and the band posted two of the songs from this recording on their MySpace
profile for listening. The recordings caught the attention of Sub Pop
A&R
representative Chris Jacobs, who invited them to perform at the label's twentieth anniversary festival in Seattle that summer. Obits signed to Sub Pop shortly after, but released their debut single "One Cross Apiece" / "Put It in Writing" on their own Stint Records imprint.
The band's debut album I Blame You
was released by Sub Pop on March 24, 2009. Explaining the length of time between the band's formation and recording, Froberg explained that "We wanted to take a, not a relaxed approach, but we wanted to take our time. We weren't in a hurry. We didn't know what would be the result. We didn't know if we were going to put records out. We just wanted to make something happen. We're pleased with what's gone on so far. It's been pretty cool. We try to keep things slow-paced." Critical reception to the album was generally positive, with Allmusic reviewer Mark Deming stating that "if I Blame You isn't going redefine the way we look at rock & roll, it confirms that the word on these guys wasn't wrong — the Obits are a very good band", but also noting that "the Obits might just have the stuff to save rock & roll, or at least keep it off life support for a while, but as good as I Blame You may be, they're going to have to get their songwriting chops in order before they can really finish the job." Jason Crock of Pitchfork Media
compared the album to Froberg's past bands, stating that "while there's evidence of growth here, there's not enough change to alienate fans. If they can appreciate a little less mania and a little more melody, I Blame You will be a comfortable fit" and calling it "probably Froberg's most melodic and diverse record."
A second single, "I Can't Lose" / "Military Madness", was released April 18, 2009 in conjunction with the Record Store Day
event. Obits toured North America
's east coast in April and west coast in May of that year. Obits' second album, Moody, Standard and Poor
, was released March 29, 2011, and the band toured the United States' Midwest
and East Coast
, including playing the 2011 South by Southwest
festival. Froberg hopes that, unlike his previous bands, Obits will have more longevity: "Since we're getting older maybe we can grow old into this music. We'll see." Scott Gursky left Obits in May 2011 and has been temporarily replaced on tour by Girls Against Boys
drummer Alexis Fleisig.
and garage punk
. Mark Deming of Allmusic describes their sound as "taut, straightforward rock & roll with sharply interwoven guitar lines, muscular rhythms, and a melodic sense that splits the difference between indie rock and garage-influenced punk":
Jason Crock of Pitchfork Media
describes the band's sound as "dueling guitars that have refined the echo and twang of surf and rockabilly into a sharp edge, basslines that are less walking than swaggering, drums too respectful and too evil for elaborate fills."
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 formed in 2006 in Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. The band members are veterans of other independent rock bands: Guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
/vocalist
Singing
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
Rick Froberg
Rick Froberg
Eric "Rick" Froberg is an American musician and artist. He was born in Los Angeles, lived in Encinitas, California, and currently resides in Brooklyn...
was previously a member of Pitchfork
Pitchfork (band)
Pitchfork was an American post-hardcore band formed in 1986 in San Diego, California and disbanded in 1990. They are most well known as the first "real" band of guitarist John Reis, who would later gain fame as the frontman in Rocket from the Crypt, and as the first collaboration between Reis and...
, Drive Like Jehu
Drive Like Jehu
Drive Like Jehu was an American post-hardcore and alternative rock band from San Diego active from 1990 to 1995. Formed by rhythm guitarist and vocalist Rick Froberg and lead guitarist John Reis following the breakup of their band Pitchfork, the band's lineup also included bassist Mike Kennedy and...
, and Hot Snakes
Hot Snakes
Hot Snakes were an American post-hardcore band led by Rick Froberg and John Reis, formed in 1999 in San Diego, California and disbanded in 2005. Reis and Froberg had previously performed together in Pitchfork and Drive Like Jehu, after which Reis had found international success with Rocket from the...
, and guitarist Sohrab Habibion was a member of Edsel
Edsel (band)
Edsel was an indie rock/post-hardcore band from Washington, DC. The band broke up in 1997, having released four full-length albums, numerous 7" singles and an EP....
. The band has released two single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
s and two albums, I Blame You
I Blame You
-Personnel:*Rick Froberg – guitar, vocals, album art*Sohrab Habibion – guitar, vocals*Greg Simpson – bass guitar*Scott Gursky – drum kit*Geoff Sanoff – producer, recording engineer*Eli Janney – producer, recording engineer...
(2009) and Moody, Standard and Poor
Moody, Standard and Poor
Moody, Standard and Poor is the second album by the New York City-based rock band Obits, released March 29, 2011 through Sub Pop.- Recording and composition :...
(2011).
History
Obits formed after singerSinging
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
/guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
Rick Froberg
Rick Froberg
Eric "Rick" Froberg is an American musician and artist. He was born in Los Angeles, lived in Encinitas, California, and currently resides in Brooklyn...
returned to New York in 2005 following the breakup of the Hot Snakes
Hot Snakes
Hot Snakes were an American post-hardcore band led by Rick Froberg and John Reis, formed in 1999 in San Diego, California and disbanded in 2005. Reis and Froberg had previously performed together in Pitchfork and Drive Like Jehu, after which Reis had found international success with Rocket from the...
. In 2006 he began writing new material and rehearsing with drummer
Drummer
A drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...
Scott Gursky of Shortstack and guitarist Sohrab Habibion, formerly of Edsel
Edsel (band)
Edsel was an indie rock/post-hardcore band from Washington, DC. The band broke up in 1997, having released four full-length albums, numerous 7" singles and an EP....
. They rehearsed with a third guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
player, but instead added bassist
Bassist
A bass player, or bassist is a musician who plays a bass instrument such as a double bass, bass guitar, keyboard bass or a low brass instrument such as a tuba or sousaphone. Different musical genres tend to be associated with one or more of these instruments...
Greg Simpson. Obits made their live debut on January 12, 2008 at a club on New York's Lower East Side
Lower East Side
The Lower East Side, LES, is a neighborhood in the southeastern part of the New York City borough of Manhattan. It is roughly bounded by Allen Street, East Houston Street, Essex Street, Canal Street, Eldridge Street, East Broadway, and Grand Street....
called the Cake Shop. A bootleg recording
Bootleg recording
A bootleg recording is an audio or video recording of a performance that was not officially released by the artist or under other legal authority. The process of making and distributing such recordings is known as bootlegging...
of the show circulated on the internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
, and the band posted two of the songs from this recording on their MySpace
MySpace
Myspace 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....
profile for listening. The recordings caught the attention of Sub Pop
Sub Pop
Sub Pop is a record label founded in 1986 by Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman in Seattle, Washington. Sub Pop achieved fame in the late 1980s for first signing Nirvana, Soundgarden, Mudhoney and many other bands from the Seattle music scene...
A&R
A&R
Artists and repertoire is the division of a record label that is responsible for talent scouting and overseeing the artistic development of recording artists. It also acts as a liaison between artists and the record label.- Finding talent :...
representative Chris Jacobs, who invited them to perform at the label's twentieth anniversary festival in Seattle that summer. Obits signed to Sub Pop shortly after, but released their debut single "One Cross Apiece" / "Put It in Writing" on their own Stint Records imprint.
The band's debut album I Blame You
I Blame You
-Personnel:*Rick Froberg – guitar, vocals, album art*Sohrab Habibion – guitar, vocals*Greg Simpson – bass guitar*Scott Gursky – drum kit*Geoff Sanoff – producer, recording engineer*Eli Janney – producer, recording engineer...
was released by Sub Pop on March 24, 2009. Explaining the length of time between the band's formation and recording, Froberg explained that "We wanted to take a, not a relaxed approach, but we wanted to take our time. We weren't in a hurry. We didn't know what would be the result. We didn't know if we were going to put records out. We just wanted to make something happen. We're pleased with what's gone on so far. It's been pretty cool. We try to keep things slow-paced." Critical reception to the album was generally positive, with Allmusic reviewer Mark Deming stating that "if I Blame You isn't going redefine the way we look at rock & roll, it confirms that the word on these guys wasn't wrong — the Obits are a very good band", but also noting that "the Obits might just have the stuff to save rock & roll, or at least keep it off life support for a while, but as good as I Blame You may be, they're going to have to get their songwriting chops in order before they can really finish the job." Jason Crock of Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork or P4k, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication established in 1995 that is devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on underground and independent music, especially indie rock...
compared the album to Froberg's past bands, stating that "while there's evidence of growth here, there's not enough change to alienate fans. If they can appreciate a little less mania and a little more melody, I Blame You will be a comfortable fit" and calling it "probably Froberg's most melodic and diverse record."
A second single, "I Can't Lose" / "Military Madness", was released April 18, 2009 in conjunction with the Record Store Day
Record Store Day
Record Store Day is an internationally celebrated day observed the third Saturday of April each year. Its purpose, as conceived by independent record store employee Chris Brown, is to celebrate the art of music...
event. Obits toured North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
's east coast in April and west coast in May of that year. Obits' second album, Moody, Standard and Poor
Moody, Standard and Poor
Moody, Standard and Poor is the second album by the New York City-based rock band Obits, released March 29, 2011 through Sub Pop.- Recording and composition :...
, was released March 29, 2011, and the band toured the United States' Midwest
Midwestern United States
The Midwestern United States is one of the four U.S. geographic regions defined by the United States Census Bureau, providing an official definition of the American Midwest....
and East Coast
East Coast of the United States
The East Coast of the United States, also known as the Eastern Seaboard, refers to the easternmost coastal states in the United States, which touch the Atlantic Ocean and stretch up to Canada. The term includes the U.S...
, including playing the 2011 South by Southwest
South by Southwest
South by Southwest is an Austin, Texas based company dedicated to planning conferences, trade shows, festivals and other events. Their current roster of annual events include: SXSW Music, SXSW Film, SXSW Interactive, SXSWedu, and SXSWeco and take place every spring in Austin, Texas, United States...
festival. Froberg hopes that, unlike his previous bands, Obits will have more longevity: "Since we're getting older maybe we can grow old into this music. We'll see." Scott Gursky left Obits in May 2011 and has been temporarily replaced on tour by Girls Against Boys
Girls Against Boys
Girls Against Boys are an indie rock/post-hardcore band, originally forming in Washington, D.C. in 1988 and currently based in New York City.-Career:...
drummer Alexis Fleisig.
Musical style
Obits' music is a blend of indie rockIndie 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...
and garage punk
Garage punk
Garage punk is a fusion of garage rock and punk rock. It is fast-paced lo-fi music characterized by a dirty, choppy guitar sound—usually played by bands who are on independent record labels or who are unsigned...
. Mark Deming of Allmusic describes their sound as "taut, straightforward rock & roll with sharply interwoven guitar lines, muscular rhythms, and a melodic sense that splits the difference between indie rock and garage-influenced punk":
Froberg and Habibion make an impressive tag-team combo on guitars, and their interwoven six-string patterns crackle with energy as they bounce thick, bluesy chording off lean, angular lines like a steak meeting a sharp knife. Bassist Greg Simpson and drummer Gursky are just the right rhythm section for this band, locking the songs into place with taut efficiency while leaving room to thoughtfully fill up the spaces when need be. Put 'em together and they run like a top, laying out music with the clean lines of the VenturesThe VenturesThe Ventures is an American instrumental rock band formed in 1958 in Tacoma, Washington. Founded by Don Wilson and Bob Bogle, the group in its various incarnations has had an enduring impact on the development of music worldwide. With over 100 million records sold, the group is the best-selling...
and the pure mania of Radio BirdmanRadio BirdmanRadio Birdman was one of the first punk bands in Australia along with The Saints. Deniz Tek and Rob Younger formed the group in Sydney, Australia in 1974...
.
Jason Crock of Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork or P4k, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication established in 1995 that is devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on underground and independent music, especially indie rock...
describes the band's sound as "dueling guitars that have refined the echo and twang of surf and rockabilly into a sharp edge, basslines that are less walking than swaggering, drums too respectful and too evil for elaborate fills."
Current members
- Rick FrobergRick FrobergEric "Rick" Froberg is an American musician and artist. He was born in Los Angeles, lived in Encinitas, California, and currently resides in Brooklyn...
– guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
(2006–present) - Greg Simpson – bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
(2006–present) - Sohrab Habibion – guitar, vocals (2006–present)
Singles
- "One Cross Apiece" / "Put It in Writing" (2008)
- "I Can't Lose" / "Military Madness" (2009)