The Secret History (band)
Encyclopedia
The Secret History is a New York based indie pop/art rock group formed in 2007 by cult songwriter Michael Grace Jr and members from his previous group My Favorite
, alongside vocalist Lisa Ronson (daughter of David Bowie guitarist and Glam legend Mick Ronson
.) Their first release was the "Desolation Town" e.p. in 2008, on the boutique indie label Le Grand Magistery
, which had previously been home to many artists Grace admired, including Momus
and Stars
.
Their debut LP, 2010's "The World That Never Was," (Le Grand Magistery) was an under-the-radar critical success, landing on best-of lists from Allmusic.com, Spectrum Culture, and taste-making public radio station KEXP (in addition to cracking the CMJ
Top 200 for college radio airplay overall.) It was also listed amongst the best records of the year by Kip Berman of The Pains of Being Pure at Heart
in the NME.
The Secret History music continues many of the themes which brought My Favorite acclaim amongst esoteric fans of indie pop
. Michael Grace Jr is among indie's most conceptual songwriters, and "The World That Never Was" is unified by variations on b-movie monster, pulp horror and ghost stories. Elements of Catholic mysticism (particularly on the track Our Lady Of Palermo) find an uneasy place beside them. Musically, some of the shambling synthpop and "twee" aspects of My Favorite are replaced by more confident references to glam and NYC art rock, but principle influences like The Smiths
, Prefab Sprout
, Bowie/Eno, The Velvet Underground and C86
remain. There is also the tangible influence of 60s girl groups in tracks like "Our Lady Of Stalingrad,' and "Johnny Nightmare."
A video for the single "Johnny Anorak," was directed by filmmaker and creative director Ben Hughes, and featured Jed Smith of the band My Teenage Stride
in the title role.
The bands lineup consists of: Michael Grace Jr (vocals, synthesizer), Lisa Ronson (vocals), Gilbert Abad (Bass), Todd Karasik (drums), Darren Amadio (guitar), Kurt Brondo (keyboards, accordian), Jamie Kozyra (vocals)
My favorite
My Favorite was an independent indiepop band formed in Long Island, New York in the early 1990s, who eventually migrated to the boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens in New York City. They released two full length CDs: Love at Absolute Zero and Happiest Days of Our Lives, three e.p.s, and a few limited...
, alongside vocalist Lisa Ronson (daughter of David Bowie guitarist and Glam legend Mick Ronson
Mick Ronson
Michael "Mick" Ronson was an English guitarist, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, arranger and producer. He is best known for his work with David Bowie, as one of The Spiders from Mars...
.) Their first release was the "Desolation Town" e.p. in 2008, on the boutique indie label Le Grand Magistery
Le Grand Magistery
Le Grand Magistery is an independent record label operating out of Bloomfield Hills, Michigan since 1996. They have been home to a number of artists including A Cuckoo, A Girl Called Eddy, Always, Baxendale, The Blood Group, Cinéma Vérité, Computer Perfection, Flare, Kahimi Karie, Le Concorde,...
, which had previously been home to many artists Grace admired, including Momus
Momus (artist)
Nick Currie , more popularly known under the artist name Momus , is a songwriter, blogger and former journalist for Wired...
and Stars
Stars (band)
Stars is an indie pop band from Canada. Originally formed in Toronto by vocalist Torquil Campbell and keyboardist Chris Seligman, the band relocated to New York City and then subsequently to Montreal, where they are currently based.-History:...
.
Their debut LP, 2010's "The World That Never Was," (Le Grand Magistery) was an under-the-radar critical success, landing on best-of lists from Allmusic.com, Spectrum Culture, and taste-making public radio station KEXP (in addition to cracking the CMJ
College Music Journal
College Music Journal, commonly known as CMJ, is a music events/publishing company which hosts an annual festival in New York City, the CMJ Music Marathon, as well as a weekly magazine of and for the music industry and college radio stations in the United States and Canada. It publishes top 30...
Top 200 for college radio airplay overall.) It was also listed amongst the best records of the year by Kip Berman of The Pains of Being Pure at Heart
The Pains of Being Pure at Heart
The Pains of Being Pure at Heart are an indie pop band from New York City. Their first album was a self-released EP which came out in 2007 through the Painbow label. Their debut self-titled full length album was released on February 3, 2009 via Slumberland Records. The band name comes from an...
in the NME.
The Secret History music continues many of the themes which brought My Favorite acclaim amongst esoteric fans of 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...
. Michael Grace Jr is among indie's most conceptual songwriters, and "The World That Never Was" is unified by variations on b-movie monster, pulp horror and ghost stories. Elements of Catholic mysticism (particularly on the track Our Lady Of Palermo) find an uneasy place beside them. Musically, some of the shambling synthpop and "twee" aspects of My Favorite are replaced by more confident references to glam and NYC art rock, but principle influences like The Smiths
The Smiths
The Smiths were an English alternative rock band, formed in Manchester in 1982. Based on the song writing partnership of Morrissey and Johnny Marr , the band also included Andy Rourke and Mike Joyce...
, Prefab Sprout
Prefab Sprout
Prefab Sprout are an alternative English pop rock band from Witton Gilbert, County Durham, England who rose to fame during the 1980s. Eight of their albums have reached the Top 40 in the UK Albums Chart, and one of their singles, "The King of Rock 'n' Roll", peaked at number seven in the UK...
, Bowie/Eno, The Velvet Underground and C86
C86 (music)
C86 is a cassette compilation released by the British music magazine NME in 1986, featuring new bands licensed from independent labels of the time. As a phrase, C86 quickly evolved into shorthand for a guitar-based musical genre characterised by "jangly" guitars and fey melodies, although other...
remain. There is also the tangible influence of 60s girl groups in tracks like "Our Lady Of Stalingrad,' and "Johnny Nightmare."
A video for the single "Johnny Anorak," was directed by filmmaker and creative director Ben Hughes, and featured Jed Smith of the band My Teenage Stride
My Teenage Stride
My Teenage Stride is band from Brooklyn, New York, with influences including The Smiths and The Jesus and Mary Chain. They have released four albums since 2004.-History:...
in the title role.
The bands lineup consists of: Michael Grace Jr (vocals, synthesizer), Lisa Ronson (vocals), Gilbert Abad (Bass), Todd Karasik (drums), Darren Amadio (guitar), Kurt Brondo (keyboards, accordian), Jamie Kozyra (vocals)
External links
- http://www.allmusic.com/artist/the-secret-history-p1084854 Allmusic blog
- http://www.nypress.com/article-21347-ive-got-something-to-tell-you.html NY Press interview with Michael Grace, Jr.
- http://nyc.thedelimagazine.com/node/1143 'The World That Never Was,' Named release of the month Deli Magazine 3/2010