Guerilla Toss is an American

rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...

band, formed in Boston in 2012. Now based in New York City,Johnston, Maur
"Guerilla Toss returns to Cambridge, chaos intact"
"

Boston Globe ''The Boston Globe'' is an American daily newspaper founded and based in Boston, Massachusetts. The newspaper has won a total of 27 Pulitzer Prizes, and has a total circulation of close to 300,000 print and digital subscribers. ''The Boston Glob ...

", Boston, 21 October 2015. Retrieved 4 June 2016. the group currently consists of singer Kassie Carlson, drummer Peter Negroponte, guitarist Arian Shafiee, keyboardist Katie McShane, and bassist Zach Lewellyn. Guerilla Toss has released five studio albums, seven

EPs EPS, EPs or Eps may refer to: Commerce and finance * Earnings per share * Electronic Payment Services, in Hong Kong, Macau, and Shenzhen, China * Express Payment System, in the Philippines Education * Edmonton Public Schools, in Edmonton, Al ...

, and three

remix albums A remix album is an album consisting of remixes or rerecorded versions of an artist's earlier released material. The first act who employed the format was American singer-songwriter Harry Nilsson ('' Aerial Pandemonium Ballet'', 1971). As of 20 ...

, on various underground labels,

DFA Records DFA Records is an American independent record label founded in 2001 by Mo' Wax co-founder Tim Goldsworthy, musician James Murphy, and manager Jonathan Galkin. They previously had a production team called The DFA, consisting of Goldsworthy and ...

and more recently on

Sub Pop Sub Pop is a record label founded in 1986 by Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman. Sub Pop achieved fame in the early 1990s for signing Seattle bands such as Nirvana, Soundgarden, and Mudhoney, central players in the grunge movement. They are often ...

. They were listed in ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...

'' magazine as one of the "10 Great Modern Punk Bands""10 Great Modern Punk Bands"
''

'', New York, 13 April 2016. Retrieved 22 May 2016. and

Henry Rollins Henry Lawrence Garfield (born February 13, 1961), known professionally as Henry Rollins, is an American singer, writer, spoken word artist, actor, and presenter. After performing in the short-lived hardcore punk band State of Alert in 1980, Rolli ...

has called them "one of the first great bands of the new century".

History

Formation and early years (2012–2014)

Guerilla Toss’ members consider the band to have truly started when singer Kassie Carlson joined in 2012.Ruiz, Matthew Ismae
"Flavorwire Video Premiere: Guerilla Toss’ Technicolor Acid Test Gets Doused in 'Perfume' "

Flavorwire ''Flavorwire'' is a New York City-based online culture magazine. The site includes original feature articles, interviews, reviews, as well as content recycled from other sources. ''Flavorwire'' describes themselves as "a network of culturally con ...

, 19 April 2016. Retrieved 20 May 2016.Levy, Mar
"Guerilla Toss performs tonight, and here are 10 things you might want to know"
"Cambridge Day", Cambridge, 5 December 2013. Retrieved 22 May 2016. Carlson first met Guerilla Toss when her former

hardcore Hardcore, hard core or hard-core may refer to: Arts and media Film * ''Hardcore'' (1977 film), a British comedy film * ''Hardcore'' (1979 film), an American crime drama film starring George C Scott * ''Hardcore'' (2001 film), a British documen ...

band, Western Syndrome, performed with the group at a house show.Price, Dillo
"Guerilla Toss- Eraser Stargazer"
"Sound Renaissance", 3 March 2016. Retrieved 4 June 2016. Guerilla toss gaygardens

Guerilla Toss toured extensively, nationally, and within Boston's DIY community by performing at many show houses such as Gay Gardens, where Carlson and Negroponte were both residents on separate occasions. Later that year Guerilla Toss released ''Jeffrey Johnson'', through Feeding Tube Records."Guerilla Toss is The Deli’s Best Emerging New England Band of 2012"
"

The Deli Magazine ''The Deli'' was a Brooklyn based independent music magazine, with both print and online editions, as well as a blog (still active) that covers local music scenes and their emerging artists. Magazine In its print version, ''The Deli'' was a quar ...

", Boston, 17 February 2013. Retrieved 21 May 2016. In May 2013, Guerilla Toss released an EP, ''GTOSS'', through

Tzadik Records Tzadik Records is a record label in New York City that specializes in avant-garde and experimental music. The label was established by composer and saxophonist John Zorn in 1995. He is the executive producer of all Tzadik releases. Tzadik is a n ...

, the record label owned by

avant-garde The avant-garde (; In 'advance guard' or ' vanguard', literally 'fore-guard') is a person or work that is experimental, radical, or unorthodox with respect to art, culture, or society.John Picchione, The New Avant-garde in Italy: Theoretical ...

composer

John Zorn John Zorn (born September 2, 1953) is an American composer, conductor, saxophonist, arranger and producer who "deliberately resists category". Zorn's avant-garde and experimental approaches to composition and improvisation are inclusive of jaz ...

.Parish, Mat
"A Boston indie-rock watch list"
"

", Boston, 3 January 2013. Retrieved 4 June 2016. The group then released an EP later that year—''Kicked Back into the Crypt'', a split LP with noise rock band The Sediment Club that was co-released through Sophomore Lounge Records and Feeding Tube RecordsBucciero, Jo
"Guerilla Toss: "(God Fearing) Sex Symbol""
Adhoc.fm, New York, 30 July 2013. Retrieved 4 June 2016. Guerilla Toss began to incorporate

disco Disco is a genre of dance music and a subculture that emerged in the 1970s from the United States' urban nightlife scene. Its sound is typified by four-on-the-floor beats, syncopated basslines, string sections, brass and horns, electric pia ...

and

funk Funk is a music genre that originated in African American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African Americans in the m ...

elements into their sound as shown with the release of their debut LP ''Gay Disco'' through NNA Tapes in December 2013."Guerilla Toss Gay Disco"
"

Pitchfork A pitchfork (also a hay fork) is an agricultural tool with a long handle and two to five tines used to lift and pitch or throw loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. The term is also applied colloquially, but inaccurately, to th ...

", Chicago, 20 January 2014. Retrieved 6 June 2016."Five Best New Artists"
"

Spin Spin or spinning most often refers to: * Spinning (textiles), the creation of yarn or thread by twisting fibers together, traditionally by hand spinning * Spin, the rotation of an object around a central axis * Spin (propaganda), an intentionally b ...

", New York, 26 November 2013. Retrieved 4 June 2016. In July 2014, they released their next EP, ''367 Equalizer'', through

Infinity Cat Recordings Infinity Cat Recordings is an independent record label founded in 2002 and based in Nashville, Tennessee. The label has released recordings from artists including JEFF the Brotherhood, Diarrhea Planet, Be Your Own Pet, Ed Schrader's Music Beat, ...

.Bowe, Mile
"Guerilla Toss – "367 Equalizer" (Stereogum Premiere)"
"

Stereogum ''Stereogum'' is a daily Internet publication that focuses on music news, reviews, interviews, and commentary. The site was created in January 2002 by Scott Lapatine. ''Stereogum'' was one of the first MP3 blogs and has received several award ...

", 4 June 2014. Retrieved 22 May 2016."10 New Artists You Need to Know: November 2016"
/ref> Towards the end of 2014 the band released the EP, ''Smack The Brick'', through NNA Tapes.Sugarman, Mik
"Guerilla Toss: "Be the Breeder""
Adhoc.fm, New York, 28 October 2014. Retrieved 22 May 2016. Guerilla Toss wrapped up the year by going on a US / Europe tour that included the fourth-to-last show at New York City warehouse venue

Death By Audio Death By Audio was a warehouse space on the first floor of an industrial building in the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York. The warehouse took its name from the boutique effects pedal company, Death By Audio, based in the space. Th ...

with

Thee Oh Sees Osees are an American rock band formed in San Francisco, California in 1997, now based in Los Angeles, California. The band currently consists of primary songwriter and core member John Dwyer (vocals, guitar), Tim Hellman (bass), Dan Rincon (d ...

Signing to DFA ''Eraser Stargazer'', ''GT Ultra, Twisted Crystal'' (2015–2019)

Guerilla Toss relocated to New York City during the summer of 2015.Klingman, Jef
"Guerilla Toss Is Brooklyn’s Best New Band (from Boston)"
"

Brooklyn Magazine ''Brooklyn Magazine'' is an online news magazine, focusing on "New York’s most populous borough through the lens of culture, community, commerce, arts and leisure." The company was bought by Michael Bassik and the website was launched in Decembe ...

", Brooklyn, 2 November 2015. Retrieved 22 May 2016. On June 24, 2015, Guerilla Toss opened for seminal Boston

post-punk Post-punk (originally called new musick) is a broad genre of punk music that emerged in the late 1970s as musicians departed from punk's traditional elements and raw simplicity, instead adopting a variety of avant-garde sensibilities and non-roc ...

band

Mission Of Burma Mission of Burma was an American post-punk band from Boston, Massachusetts. The group formed in 1979 with Roger Miller on guitar, Clint Conley on bass, Peter Prescott on drums, and Martin Swope contributing audiotape manipulation and acting as ...

Portsmouth, New Hampshire Portsmouth is a city in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. At the 2020 census it had a population of 21,956. A historic seaport and popular summer tourist destination on the Piscataqua River bordering the state of Maine, Portsmou ...

. The band's leader,

Roger Miller Roger Dean Miller Sr. (January 2, 1936 – October 25, 1992) was an American singer-songwriter, widely known for his honky-tonk-influenced novelty songs and his chart-topping Country music, country and pop hits "King of the Road (song), Ki ...

is a self proclaimed fan. Adding to Guerilla Toss’ growing popularity, Kris Petersen and Jonathan Galkin of

, the record label co-founded by James Murphy of

LCD Soundsystem LCD Soundsystem is an American rock band from Brooklyn, New York, formed in 2002 by James Murphy, co-founder of DFA Records. The band comprises Murphy (vocals, various instruments), Nancy Whang (synthesizer, keyboards, vocals), Pat Mahoney (dr ...

, signed Guerilla Toss to the label.Caldwell, Patric
"Guerilla Toss creates exuberant noise you want to dance to"
"My Statesman", Austin, 9 March 2016. Retrieved 22 May 2016. The band's first release through them was the EP ''Flood Dosed'' in October 2015, which was met with some acclaim.Rettig, Jame
"25 Great EPs from 2015"
"

", 2 December 2015. Retrieved 22 May 2016.Corcoran, Nin
"30 Best Local Albums of 2015"
"

DigBoston ''DigBoston''—formerly known as the ''Weekly Dig'' and known colloquially as ''The Dig''—is a free alternative newspaper in Boston, Massachusetts. It covers news in the Greater Boston area and offers commentary on music, arts, politics, busin ...

", Boston, 30 December 2015. Retrieved 22 May 2016.Clark, William
"Wydyde – "Body in the Sand""
"Boston Hassle", Boston, 24 March 2016. Retrieved 22 May 2016. Around this time, the band began varying their

setlists A set list, or setlist, is typically a handwritten or printed document created as an ordered list of songs, jokes, stories and other elements an artist intends to present during a specific performance. A setlist can be made of nearly any materi ...

and jamming during their live performances in addition to encouraging tapers to come and check out their shows, citing the

Grateful Dead The Grateful Dead was an American rock music, rock band formed in 1965 in Palo Alto, California. The band is known for its eclectic style, which fused elements of rock, Folk music, folk, country music, country, jazz, bluegrass music, bluegrass, ...

as an inspiration.Arroyo, Steve
"Guerilla Toss – Eraser Stargazer"
"

Consequence of Sound ''Consequence'' (previously ''Consequence of Sound'') is an independently owned New York-based online magazine featuring news, editorials, and reviews of music, movies, and television. In addition, the website also features the Festival Outlook ...

", Chicago, 4 March 2016. Retrieved 10 June 2016. In March 2016, Guerilla Toss released their album ''Eraser Stargazer'' through

. ''Eraser Stargazer'' was recorded during the winter of 2015 in Livingston Manor, NY. Guerilla Toss released two more recordings in 2016. One of them was a remix EP of ''Eraser Stargazer'' by Giant Claw—who did the artwork for ''Eraser Stargazer'', ''Live in Nashville'', and ''Gay Disco''—titled ''Giant Claw vs. Guerilla Toss'', which was released in May 2016 through

. The other release was their first live album, ''Live in Nashville'', which was recorded at The End in

Nashville, TN Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the List of muni ...

on March 11, 2016, during the Eraser Stargazer tour. The album was released in June 2016 on vinyl via Feeding Tube Records and digitally via

.Bowe, Mile
"Guerilla Toss get remixed by Giant Claw and destroy an audience with Live In Nashville"
"

Fact A fact is a datum about one or more aspects of a circumstance, which, if accepted as true and proven true, allows a logical conclusion to be reached on a true–false evaluation. Standard reference works are often used to check facts. Scient ...

", London, 27 May 2016. Retrieved 28 May 2016. In June 2017, Guerilla Toss released ''GT ULTRA'', their second full-length album release on

.Rettig, Jame
"Stream Guerilla Toss GT Ultra"
"

", 23 June 2017. Retrieved 4 July 2017. The LP received positive reviews. Popular

YouTuber A YouTuber is an online personality and/or influencer who produces videos on the video-sharing platform YouTube, typically posting to their personal YouTube channel. The term was first used in the English language in 2006. Influence Influent ...

and music critic

Anthony Fantano Anthony Fantano ( ; born October 28, 1985) is an American music critic and YouTuber who runs the YouTube channel The Needle Drop and its tie-in website. He discusses and reviews music from a variety of genres in his YouTube videos and on his we ...

gave the album an 8/10, saying "Thanks to some clearer production, more up-front performances, and a zany new wave influence, GT ULTRA is the most I've ever enjoyed a Guerilla Toss album" and included it on his "Loved List: 2017" On July 18, 2018, the band released a music video for the song "Meteorological", alongside an announcement on their official Facebook page. The video was produced by giraffestudio and directed by Nicky "Giraffe" and Juliana "Giraffe". Carlson was also part of the video editing process. On the official announcement, that was released alongside an article on Stereogum, where their sixth full-length album, ''Twisted Crystal'', was announced. The album was released on September 14, 2018, with artwork made by Jacob van Loon. An EP titled ''What Would The Odd Do?'' was released on NNA Tapes October 18, 2019.Aswad, Je
"EP Review - What Would The Odd Do?"
Variety", Nov 23, 2019. Retrieved 15 December 2022. The band continued to tour, opening for

Battles A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force ...

in Toronto, Chicago, Brooklyn, and Boston in December 2019.

Signing to Sub Pop, ''Famously Alive'' (2022–Present)

On June 15, 2020, the band released 2 songs as part of the

7" club, "Human Girl" and "Own Zone".Small-Samanth
"Guerilla Toss Share New Songs Human Girl and Own Zone"
"Under The Radar", 15 June 2020. Retrieved 15 Dec 2022. In January 2022, Guerilla Toss announced that they had signed to Sub Pop, and released their next album, ''Famously Alive'', through the label on March 25, 2022. They released the album's first single, "Cannibal Capital", on January 12, 2022.Rettig, Jame
"Guerilla Toss – "Cannibal Capital"
"

", 12 January 2022. Retrieved 15 Dec 2022. The LP received positive reviews.Reyes-Kulkarni, Sab
"Guerilla Toss Famously Alive Review"
op Matters", 25 March 2022. Retrieved 14 Dec 2022.Freedman, Ma
"Famously Alive Review"
"

", 28 March 2022. Retrieved 14 Dec 2022. Nick Forté, of the seminal

hardcore punk Hardcore punk (also known as simply hardcore) is a punk rock music genre and subculture that originated in the late 1970s. It is generally faster, harder, and more aggressive than other forms of punk rock. Its roots can be traced to earlier punk ...

band

Rorschach Rorschach may refer to: * Hermann Rorschach, a Swiss psychiatrist ** Rorschach test, his psychological evaluation method involving inkblots * Rorschach (character), a character from the comics ''Watchmen'' * Rorschach (comic book), a 2020 comic * ...

, is credited as co-writing two songs on the album."TP Mix #145 - Guerilla Toss"
"The Playground". Retrieved 15 Dec 2022 Shortly after Famously Alive was released,

Stephen Malkmus Stephen Joseph Malkmus (born May 30, 1966) is an American musician best known as the primary songwriter, lead singer and guitarist of the indie rock band Pavement. He currently performs with Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks and as a solo artist ...

, who had seen the band perform in 2019, personally asked Guerilla Toss to open for his band Pavement on their 2022 reunion tour. It was announced in May that they would open in San Francisco, Troutdale, and Seattle.Pearis, Bil
"Pavement Announce Tour Openers"
"

Brooklyn Vegan ''BrooklynVegan'' is an American online music magazine founded in 2004 by David Levine. The company is headquartered in Brooklyn, New York, United States and originally focused on vegan food and the music community in and around New York City, ...

", Brooklyn, 4 May 2022. Retrieved 14 Dec 2022. They were later added to the Toronto and Boston Pavement shows as well. In July 2022, Guerilla Toss released the single "Zum Herz" on the official tribute album to

Neu! Neu! (; German for "New!"; styled in block capitals) were a West German krautrock band formed in Düsseldorf in 1971 by Klaus Dinger and Michael Rother following their departure from Kraftwerk. The group's albums were produced by Conny Plank, w ...

, through

Grönland Records Grönland Records is a British–German independent record label founded in London, England, which relocated to Berlin in 2009. "Grönland" (German for Greenland) refers both to the country, the label's founder, Herbert Grönemeyer and the epo ...

. On October 28, 2022, Guerilla Toss released the single "Heathen Money" on a compilation called ''"The Eleventh Hour: Songs For Climate Justice"'', curated by

and film director Adam McKay. All of the proceeds from the compilation go to the Climate Emergency Fund. Guerilla Toss toured extensively throughout the year, playing festivals such as

Pickathon The Pickathon Music Festival (commonly called Pickathon or Pickathon Festival) is an annual three-day music festival located just outside Portland, Oregon on Pendarvis Farm. Occurring nearly every August since 1999, the festival has hosted a wide v ...

Berlin and Paris,"Announcing Pitchfork Music Festival Berlin Initial Lineup and Dates For Paris and London Festivals"

30 June 2022 and the Primavera Weekender. In 2023, keyboardist Sam Lisabeth left the band and was replaced by Katie McShane.

Artistry

Musical style

Guerilla Toss's earlier work has been labeled as

art rock Art rock is a subgenre of rock music that generally reflects a challenging or avant-garde approach to rock, or which makes use of modernist, experimental, or unconventional elements. Art rock aspires to elevate rock from entertainment to an art ...

,Hunter, Scot
"Dispelling the Misconceptions of Art Rock with Guerilla Toss"
"Impose Magazine", Brooklyn, 10 December 2013. Retrieved 20 May 2016. no wave,DeMerritt, Pau
"Guerilla Toss in transition"
"

Creative Loafing Creative Loafing is an Atlanta-based publisher of a monthly arts and culture newspaper/magazine. The company publishes a 60,000 circulation monthly publication which is distributed to in-town locations and neighborhoods on the first Thursday of ...

", Atlanta, 7 May 2015. Retrieved 22 May 2016.

noise rock Noise rock (sometimes called noise punk) is a noise music, noise-oriented style of experimental rock that spun off from punk rock in the 1980s. Drawing on movements such as minimal music, minimalism, industrial music, and New York hardcore, a ...

,Bowe, Mile
"Guerilla Toss get remixed by Giant Claw and destroy an audience with Live In Nashville"
"

", London, 27 May 2016. Retrieved 28 May 2016. and

punk Punk or punks may refer to: Genres, subculture, and related aspects * Punk rock, a music genre originating in the 1970s associated with various subgenres * Punk subculture, a subculture associated with punk rock, or aspects of the subculture s ...

,"10 Great Modern Punk Bands"
''

'', New York, 13 April 2016. Retrieved 22 May 2016. namely for their

odd time signatures The time signature (also known as meter signature, metre signature, or measure signature) is a notational convention used in Western musical notation to specify how many beats (pulses) are contained in each measure (bar), and which note value ...

and

dissonant In music, consonance and dissonance are categorizations of simultaneous or successive Sound, sounds. Within the Western tradition, some listeners associate consonance with sweetness, pleasantness, and acceptability, and dissonance with harshness ...

instrumentals. Throughout their DFA years, critics noted the addition of

psych ''Psych'' is an American detective comedy-drama television series created by Steve Franks for USA Network. The series stars James Roday as Shawn Spencer, a young crime consultant for the Santa Barbara Police Department whose "heightened observ ...

krautrock Krautrock (also called , German for ) is a broad genre of experimental rock Experimental rock, also called avant-rock, is a subgenre of rock music that pushes the boundaries of common composition and performance technique or which experiments ...

, new wave,Levinson, Leah B
"Twisted Crystal Review"
"Tiny Mixtapes", 2018. Retrieved 15 Dec 2022

and

dance music Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement. In terms of performance, the major categories are live dance music and recorded danc ...

elements to the bands sound, often being compared to artists like

Talking Heads Talking Heads were an American rock band formed in 1975 in New York City and active until 1991.Talkin ...

The B-52's The B-52's, also styled as The B-52s, are an American new wave band formed in Athens, Georgia, in 1976. The original lineup consisted of Fred Schneider (vocals, percussion), Kate Pierson (vocals, keyboards, synth bass), Cindy Wilson (vocals, p ...

,Seling, Mega
"Guerilla Toss Confronts Lingering Anxiety on Famously Alive"
"Nashville Scene", 14 April 2022. Retrieved 15 Dec 2022

Boredoms Boredoms () (later known as V∞redoms) is a rock band from Osaka, Japan formed in 1986. The band's sound is often referred to as noise rock, or sometimes Japanoise (Japan’s noise music scene), though their more recent records have moved towar ...

,Leitko, Aaro
"Eraser Stargazer Review"
"

", February 26, 2016. Retrieved 15 Dec 2022

Brian Eno Brian Peter George St John le Baptiste de la Salle Eno (; born Brian Peter George Eno, 15 May 1948) is a British musician, composer, record producer and visual artist best known for his contributions to ambient music and work in rock, pop an ...

, and

Grace Jones Grace Beverly Jones (born 19 May 1948) is a model, singer and actress. Born in Jamaica, she and her family moved to Syracuse, New York, when she was a teenager. Jones began her modelling career in New York state, then in Paris, working for ...

.Levinson, Leah B
"Twisted Crystal Review"
"Tiny Mixtapes", 2018. Retrieved 15 Dec 2022 Carlson's vocal style has been compared to that of

Lizzy Mercier Descloux Martine-Elisabeth "Lizzy" Mercier Descloux (16 December 1956 – 20 April 2004) was a French musician, singer-songwriter, composer, actress, writer and painter. Early life Mercier Descloux grew up in Lyon, France, but returned to her native Pari ...

Laurie Anderson Laurel Philips Anderson (born June 5, 1947), known as Laurie Anderson, is an American avant-garde artist, composer, musician, and film director whose work spans performance art, pop music, and multimedia projects. Initially trained in violin and ...

, and

Kathleen Hanna Kathleen Hanna (born November 12, 1968) is an American singer, musician, artist, feminist activist, pioneer of the feminist punk riot grrrl movement, and punk zine writer. In the early-to-mid-1990s she was the lead singer of feminist punk band ...

Influences

Early on in their career, Guerilla Toss considered no wave artists like

James Chance James Chance, also known as James White (born James Siegfried, April 20, 1953), is an American saxophonist, keyboard player, and singer. A key figure in no wave, Chance has been playing a combination of improvisational jazz-like music and pun ...

and

Lydia Lunch Lydia Lunch (born Lydia Anne Koch; June 2, 1959)Martin Charles Strong. ''The Great Indie Discography''. 2003, page 85 is an American singer, poet, writer, actress and self-empowerment speaker. Her career began during the 1970s New York City no ...

, experimental artists like

Captain Beefheart Don Van Vliet (; born Don Glen Vliet; January 15, 1941 – December 17, 2010) was an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and visual artist best known by the stage name Captain Beefheart. Conducting a rotating ensemble known as Th ...

, and

composers like

György Ligeti György Sándor Ligeti (; ; 28 May 1923 – 12 June 2006) was a Hungarian-Austrian composer of contemporary classical music. He has been described as "one of the most important avant-garde composers in the latter half of the twentieth century" ...

and

, to be major influences. They have cited artists such as

Charli XCX Charlotte Emma Aitchison (born 2 August 1992), known professionally as Charli XCX, is an English singer and songwriter. Born in Cambridge and raised in Start Hill, Essex, she began posting songs on Myspace in 2008, which led to her discovery ...

,Seling, Mega
"Guerilla Toss Confronts Lingering Anxiety on Famously Alive"
"Nashville Scene" 14 April 2022. Retrieved 15 Dec 2022

Andy Stott Andy Stott is a British electronic musician and producer, living in Manchester. Biography His debut album was ''Merciless'' in 2006, and was followed by ''Unknown Exception'' (2008) and ''Luxury Problems'' in 2012. ''Passed Me By'' (2011) mar ...

,"TP Mix #145 - Guerilla Toss"
"The Playground". Retrieved 15 Dec 2022

Caroline Polachek Caroline Elizabeth Polachek (born June 20, 1985) is an American singer, producer and songwriter. Raised in Connecticut, Polachek co-founded the indie pop band Chairlift while studying at the University of Colorado. The duo emerged from the late- ...

, Odgers, Eli
"Guerilla Toss: “I was so nervous I couldn’t even form words”"
Still Listening Magazine. Retrieved 15 Dec 2022 Arca,"TP Mix #145 - Guerilla Toss"
"The Playground". Retrieved 15 Dec 2022 Arthur Russell, and

Boards Of Canada Boards of Canada are a Scottish electronic music duo consisting of brothers Michael Sandison and Marcus Eoin, formed initially as a group in 1986 before becoming a duo in the 1990s.Hoffmann, Heiko.Pitchfork: Interviews: Boards of Canada (Septemb ...

as recent influences. The band dubbed the sound of ''Famously Alive'' as "Hyper Punk"Helfand, Raphae
"Guerilla Toss Go Bubblegum, Ballistic on Famously Alive"
"

The Fader ''The Fader'' (stylized as ''FADER'') is a magazine based in New York City that was launched in 1999 by Rob Stone and Jon Cohen. The magazine covers music, style and culture. It was the first print publication to be released on iTunes. It is o ...

" February 16, 2022. Retrieved 15 Dec 2022 (a play on the genre of

Hyperpop Hyperpop is a loosely-defined music movement and microgenre that predominantly originated in the United Kingdom during the early-to-mid 2010s. It is characterized by a maximalist or exaggerated take on popular music, and artists within the genre ...

), fusing elements of pop and electronic music into their sound with a

maximalist In the arts, maximalism, a reaction against minimalism, is an aesthetic of excess. The philosophy can be summarized as "more is more", contrasting with the minimalist motto "less is more". Literature The term ''maximalism'' is sometimes associat ...

approach.Segal, Dav
"Formerly Demonic Guerilla Toss Become Well Oiled Pleasure Machine on Debut Sub Pop Album"
"The Stranger" March 29, 2022. Retrieved 15 Dec 2022 Carlson's older brother is singer

Jonah Jenkins Jonah Jay Jenkins (born Jonah Moore, October 6, 1970) is an American vocalist, known for his work with bands such as Only Living Witness, Miltown (band), Miltown, Milligram (band), Milligram, The Northern Skulls and Raw Radar War. Biography Bor ...

Only Living Witness Only Living Witness was an American metal band from Boston, Massachusetts, formed in 1989 by members of dissolved thrash metal band Formicide. Across two studio albums, they developed a groove-oriented hardcore punk-influenced heavy metal sound ...

and

Milligram The kilogram (also kilogramme) is the unit of mass in the International System of Units (SI), having the unit symbol kg. It is a widely used measure in science, engineering and commerce worldwide, and is often simply called a kilo colloquially. ...

, as well as several other Boston based

underground Underground most commonly refers to: * Subterranea (geography), the regions beneath the surface of the Earth Underground may also refer to: Places * The Underground (Boston), a music club in the Allston neighborhood of Boston * The Underground (S ...

punk and hardcore bands throughout the 90's. He currently sings in the

sludge metal Sludge metal (also known as sludge or sludge doom) is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music that originated through combining elements of doom metal and hardcore punk. It is typically harsh and abrasive, often featuring shouted vocals, heavi ...

crust punk Crust punk (also known as crust or stenchcore) is a form of music influenced by English punk rock and extreme metal. The style, which evolved in the early 1980s in England, often has songs with dark and pessimistic lyrics that linger on politic ...

band

Raw Radar War Raw Radar War is an American hardcore punk band formed in Boston in 2002. Biography Raw Radar War, formerly called Septic Youth Command, was formed by Jonah Jenkins in 2002, after the Milligram's disbanding. The band title, Raw Radar War, is a ...

. She grew up watching her brother perform and has stated in several interviews that she considers him an early influence in her development as a musician. Several members of Guerilla Toss are avid fans of

The Grateful Dead The Grateful Dead was an American rock music, rock band formed in 1965 in Palo Alto, California. The band is known for its eclectic style, which fused elements of rock, Folk music, folk, country music, country, jazz, bluegrass music, bluegrass, ...

.Reyes, Jorda
"DIY rockers Guerilla Toss blend whimsy and profundity on Twisted Crystal"

Chicago Reader The ''Chicago Reader'', or ''Reader'' (stylized as ЯEADER), is an American alternative weekly newspaper in Chicago, Illinois, noted for its literary style of journalism and coverage of the arts, particularly film and theater. It was founded by a ...

, April 18, 2019. Retrieved 19 Dec 2022 Carlson is a DJ for WJFF Radio Catskill and curates a weekly show called ''Rare Pear Radio'', featuring fringe music mostly by

queer ''Queer'' is an umbrella term for people who are not heterosexual or cisgender. Originally meaning or , ''queer'' came to be used pejoratively against those with same-sex desires or relationships in the late 19th century. Beginning in the lat ...

and female artists.

Lyrical themes

Carlson's lyrics often deal with subject matter such as

substance abuse Substance abuse, also known as drug abuse, is the use of a drug in amounts or by methods which are harmful to the individual or others. It is a form of substance-related disorder. Differing definitions of drug abuse are used in public health, ...

and

recovery Recovery or Recover may refer to: Arts and entertainment Books * ''Recovery'' (novel), a Star Wars e-book * Recovery Version, a translation of the Bible with footnotes published by Living Stream Ministry Film and television * ''Recovery'' (fil ...

,Freedman, Ma
“What Would the Odd Do?” Guerilla Toss Bid Farewell to Addiction"

Bandcamp Bandcamp is an American online audio distribution platform founded in 2007 by Oddpost co-founder Ethan Diamond and programmers Shawn Grunberger, Joe Holt and Neal Tucker, with headquarters in Oakland, California, US. On March 2, 2022, Bandcamp ...

, October 30, 2019. Retrieved December 19, 2022 growing up in

poverty Poverty is the state of having few material possessions or little income. Poverty can have diverse social, economic, and political causes and effects. When evaluating poverty in ...

religious fanaticism Religious fanaticism, or religious extremism, is a pejorative designation used to indicate uncritical zeal or obsessive enthusiasm which is related to one's own, or one's group's, devotion to a religion – a form of human fanaticism which cou ...

, the

psychedelic experience A psychedelic experience (known colloquially as a trip) is a temporary altered state of consciousness induced by the consumption of a psychedelic substance (most commonly LSD, mescaline, psilocybin mushrooms, or DMT). For example, an acid tr ...

mental illness A mental disorder, also referred to as a mental illness or psychiatric disorder, is a behavioral or mental pattern that causes significant distress or impairment of personal functioning. Such features may be persistent, relapsing and remitti ...

technology Technology is the application of knowledge to reach practical goals in a specifiable and reproducible way. The word ''technology'' may also mean the product of such an endeavor. The use of technology is widely prevalent in medicine, science, ...

climate change In common usage, climate change describes global warming—the ongoing increase in global average temperature—and its effects on Earth's climate system. Climate change in a broader sense also includes previous long-term changes to E ...

self motivation The self is an individual as the object of that individual’s own reflective consciousness. Since the ''self'' is a reference by a subject to the same subject, this reference is necessarily subjective. The sense of having a self—or ''selfhood ...

, depression and

alien abduction Alien abduction (also called abduction phenomenon, alien abduction syndrome, or UFO abduction) refers to the phenomenon of people reporting their experience of being kidnapped by extraterrestrial beings and subjected to physical and psychological ...

. Carlson has said she draws inspiration from multitudes of subjects including

contemporary literature Contemporary literature is literature which is generally set after World War II in the English-speaking world. Subgenres of contemporary literature include contemporary romance. History Literary movements are always contemporary to the writer dis ...

like that of

Milan Kundera Milan Kundera (, ; born 1 April 1929) is a Czech writer who went into exile in France in 1975, becoming a naturalised French citizen in 1981. Kundera's Czechoslovak citizenship was revoked in 1979, then conferred again in 2019. He "sees himself ...

, existentialist literature like that of

Hermann Hesse Hermann Karl Hesse (; 2 July 1877 – 9 August 1962) was a German-Swiss poet, novelist, and painter. His best-known works include ''Demian'', ''Steppenwolf (novel), Steppenwolf'', ''Siddhartha (novel), Siddhartha'', and ''The Glass Bead Game'', ...

, and cognitive science. Cohn, Am
“Artist Profile: Kassie Carlson of Guerilla Toss”
“

Harvard Crimson The Harvard Crimson are the intercollegiate athletic teams of Harvard College. The school's teams compete in NCAA Division I. As of 2013, there were 42 Division I intercollegiate varsity sports teams for women and men at Harvard, more than at ...

”, Cambridge, 25 February 2016.

Members

Current * Kassie Carlson – vocals/violin (2012–present) * Peter Negroponte – drums (2012–present) * Arian Shafiee – guitar (2012–present) * Zach Lewelleyn - bass (2022–present) * Katie McShane – keyboards/vocals (2023–present) * William Dantzler – visuals * Matthew Mann - visuals * Watley – dog Former * Simon Hanes - bass (2012-2014) * Ian Kovac - keyboards (2012-2014) * Toby Aronson - keyboards (2014) * Pat Keuhn - bass (2014) * Phil Racz - bass (2015) * Ben Katzman - bass (2015) * Greg Albert - bass (2016-2018) * Stephe Cooper – bass (2018-2021) * Sam Lisabeth – keyboards (2015-2023)

Timeline

Discography

Studio albums * ''Gay Disco'' (2013) * ''Eraser Stargazer'' (2016) * '' GT Ultra'' (2017) * '' Twisted Crystal'' (2018) * ''Famously Alive'' (2022) EPs * ''Jeffery Johnson'' (2012) * ''Kicked Back into the Crypt'' (2013) * ''GTOSS'' (2013) * ''Guerilla Toss'' (2013)https://www.discogs.com/release/4566344-Guerilla-Toss-Gorilla-Toss * ''367 Equalizer'' (2014) * ''Smack the Brick'' (2014) * ''Flood Dosed'' (2015) * ''What Would The Odd Do?'' (2019) Live albums * ''Live in Nashville'' (2016) Singles * "Human Girl"/"Own Zone" (2020) Remixes * Giant Claw – "Giant Claw vs. Guerilla Toss" (2016) * Jay Glass Dubs – "Jay Glass Dubs vs Guerilla Toss" (2017) * Khotin and Yu Su – "Retwisted Crystal" (2019) Music videos * "367 Equalizer" (2014) * "Doll Face on the Calico Highway" (2016) * "Perfume" (2016) * "Color Picture" (2016) * "The String Game" (2017) * "Skull Pop" (2017) * "Betty Dreams of Green Men" (2017) * "Dose Rate" (2018) * "Meteorological" (2018) * "Plants" (2019) * "Cannibal Capital" (2022)

References

{{Authority control Musical groups from Boston Rock music groups from Massachusetts 2012 establishments in Massachusetts DFA Records artists