Castor was an American

indie rock Indie rock is a Music subgenre, subgenre of rock music that originated in the United States, United Kingdom and New Zealand from the 1970s to the 1980s. Originally used to describe independent record labels, the term became associated with the mu ...

emo Emo is a rock music genre characterized by emotional, often confessional lyrics. It emerged as a style of and hardcore punk from the Washington D.C. hardcore punk scene, where it was known as emotional hardcore or emocore and pioneered b ...

band from

Champaign Champaign ( ) is a city in Champaign County, Illinois, United States. The population was 88,302 at the 2020 census. It is the tenth-most populous municipality in Illinois and the fourth most populous city in Illinois outside the Chicago metropo ...

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Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...

. Formed in 1994, they were known for their "fluid" sound, often changing time signatures several times in a song while maintaining the flow of the music. They released two albums, the first

self titled An eponym is a person, a place, or a thing after whom or which someone or something is, or is believed to be, named. The adjectives which are derived from the word eponym include ''eponymous'' and ''eponymic''. Usage of the word The term ''epon ...

in 1995, the second '' Tracking Sounds Alone'' in 1998. Both albums are now out of print and only available in digital format online. Singer and

guitarist A guitarist (or a guitar player) is a person who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of guitar family instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselv ...

Jeff Garber and

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Derek Niedringhaus recorded an album under the band name " Big Bright Lights" in 1997 which was not released until 2001. During their existence they toured with other influential Champaign-Urbana acts

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and

Hum Hum may refer to: Science * Hum (sound), a sound produced with closed lips, or by insects, or other periodic motion * Mains hum, an electric or electromagnetic phenomenon * The Hum, an acoustic phenomenon * Venous hum, a physiological sensation ...

amongst others. Garber went on to play in the bands

National Skyline National Skyline is an American alternative rock band formed in late 1996 by Jeff Dimpsey of Hum (band), Hum. Dimpsey originally formed the band in order to perform a 45-minute-long song that he had written. They were initially an indie rock supe ...

and

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. Niedringhaus also joined National Skyline, later forming

Centaur A centaur ( ; grc, κένταυρος, kéntauros; ), or occasionally hippocentaur, is a creature from Greek mythology with the upper body of a human and the lower body and legs of a horse. Centaurs are thought of in many Greek myths as being ...

with Hum singer/guitarist Matt Talbott, the producer of their only single. On February 24, 2018, Castor reunited for the first time in 20 years, opening for Hum at Delmar Hall in St. Louis, MO.

Former line-up

*Ben Eversmann *Jeff Garber *Derek Niedringhaus *Jason Vance

Discography

;Studio albums * ''Castor'' (1995) * ''Tracking Sounds Alone'' (1998) ;Singles * "Carnival/Miss Atlantic" (1997) ;Compilations * "Repousse" and "Silent Type" on the ''Cover The Earth: A Mud Records Compilation'' compilation CD (1996, Mud Records) * "Brand New Room" on ''The Basement Recordings: Live at Cicero's'' compilation CD (1997, On The Clock Records) - alternate lyrical version of "The Halo Befriends Me"

References

External links

* AMG - Castorbr>Tracking sounds alone review
Musical groups established in 1994 1994 establishments in Illinois {{US-alternative-rock-band-stub