Pianos Become the Teeth are an American band from
Baltimore
Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic, and the 30th most populous city in the United States with a population of 585,708 in 2020. Baltimore was ...
,
Maryland
Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean t ...
, formed in 2006. Their early musical style has been inspired by
post-rock
Post-rock is a form of experimental rock characterized by a focus on exploring textures and timbre over traditional rock song structures, chords, or riffs. Post-rock artists are often instrumental, typically combining rock instrumentation w ...
and early
screamo acts, and they are a part of a post-hardcore music movement also represented by
Touché Amoré
Touché Amoré is an American post-hardcore band from Los Angeles, California, formed in 2007. The band consists of vocalist Jeremy Bolm, guitarists Clayton Stevens and Nick Steinhardt, bassist Tyler Kirby, and drummer Elliot Babin. Among othe ...
,
La Dispute :''This is for the Marivaux play, for the band, see La Dispute (band).''
''La Dispute'' is a prose comedy written by Pierre de Marivaux, shown for the first time on 19 October 1744 by the Théâtre-Italien in the Hôtel de Bourgogne. The story ...
,
Defeater, and
Make Do and Mend. The group reissued their well-received debut album ''Old Pride'' in 2010 through
Topshelf Records.
History
Early years and ''Old Pride'' (2006–2010)
Pianos Become The Teeth formed in late 2006 in
Baltimore
Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic, and the 30th most populous city in the United States with a population of 585,708 in 2020. Baltimore was ...
,
Maryland
Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean t ...
. Their first release, the ''Saltwater'' EP, was released in 2008 through Doomed by Dawn Records.
In early 2009 Pianos Become The Teeth released a split EP with Ezra Joyce. Their contributed track, "Creatures of Habit," was a darker song similar to the material that was recorded for their follow-up first full-length.
Pianos Become The Teeth released their debut album, ''Old Pride'' in 2009 through Blackjaw Records.
They subsequently signed to Topshelf Recordings in October 2009,
and reissued their debut album in January 2010 through digital media outlets and on CD.
The Topshelf version of ''Old Pride'' saw a much wider release that was met with much acclaim. Andrew Kelham of ''
Rock Sound
''Rock Sound'' is a British magazine that covers rock music. The magazine aims at being more " underground" and less commercial, while also giving coverage to better-known acts. It generally focuses on pop punk, post-hardcore, metalcore, punk ...
'' gave the album a nine out of ten, and wrote that "With a why-just-write-a-song-when-you-can-write-an-epic attitude, the eight songs on their second record are distinguished, articulate and immersive as their juddering post-hardcore clashes with moments of
Explosions in the Sky rivalling tenderness and
Mogwai
Mogwai () are a Scottish post-rock band, formed in 1995 in Glasgow. The band consists of Stuart Braithwaite (guitar, vocals), Barry Burns (guitar, piano, synthesizer, vocals), Dominic Aitchison (bass guitar), and Martin Bulloch (drums). Mog ...
-esque grandeur."
Writing for ''
Alternative Press'', Brian Shultz gave the album four out of five stars and said that the group has, "quietly refined their craft over the last few years into an incredibly cathartic and sporadically chilling mode. Their screamo peers--past ''or'' present--should be more than envious."
In January 2010, the band went on an East Coast tour with In the Hollows. ''Old Pride'' was released on vinyl in June 2010 as a joint release through Topshelf Records and Mayfly Records.
In support of the album, Pianos Become The Teeth toured the US with
Touché Amoré
Touché Amoré is an American post-hardcore band from Los Angeles, California, formed in 2007. The band consists of vocalist Jeremy Bolm, guitarists Clayton Stevens and Nick Steinhardt, bassist Tyler Kirby, and drummer Elliot Babin. Among othe ...
and
Lemuria
Lemuria (), or Limuria, was a continent proposed in 1864 by zoologist Philip Sclater, theorized to have sunk beneath the Indian Ocean, later appropriated by occultists in supposed accounts of human origins. The theory was discredited with the d ...
.
In October 2010, Pianos Become The Teeth released a split EP with
the Saddest Landscape through Just Say No! Records.
''The Lack Long After'' (2011–2013)
In January 2011, the Pianos Become The Teeth had begun writing a new album, and described the new songs as being "darker and heavier" than previous material, and that they would not become "''Old Pride'' part 2," alluding to new musical direction.
Recording began on August 1, 2011 at Developing Nations Studio with producer Kevin Bernsten.
In October and November, the group supported
Title Fight on their headlining US tour. Topshelf Records released the LP ''The Lack Long After'', a concept album about vocalist Kyle Durfey's father's death from multiple sclerosis, on November 1, 2011, with a supporting tour with Touché Amoré and Seahaven following shortly after.
Pianos Become the Teeth, in 2013, also released a split EP with friends Touché Amoré. Pianos' song "Hiding" was noted for its stylistic change from The Lack Long After which hinted toward their change which became apparent on Keep You released in late 2014.
Signing to Epitaph and ''Keep You'' (2014)
Pianos Become the Teeth signed with
Epitaph Records
Epitaph Records is an American independent record label owned by Bad Religion guitarist Brett Gurewitz. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, most acts signed to the label were punk and pop punk acts, while there are many post-hardcore and emo ba ...
in 2014, and released their third studio album, ''Keep You'', on October 28 of that year. The
Will Yip
Will may refer to:
Common meanings
* Will and testament, instructions for the disposition of one's property after death
* Will (philosophy), or willpower
* Will (sociology)
* Will, volition (psychology)
* Will, a modal verb - see Shall and wil ...
-produced album is noted for its stylistic departure from earlier releases, featuring a less aggressive sound and no screamed vocals from Kyle Durfey.
The band promoted the album with an online stream of "Repine" in August 2014.
''Wait for Love'' (2018)
On November 8, 2017 Pianos Become the Teeth announced that their new album would release on February 16, 2018. They also released the first single and music video off the album, "Charisma".
The band subsequently released music videos for "Bitter Red" and "Love On Repeat" ahead of the album release, completing a trilogy of music videos directed by Michael Parks Randa. After the album's release, Pianos Become The Teeth announced an August 2018 UK co-headline tour with
Foxing to celebrate the release and coincide with their appearance at ArcTanGent festival.
''Drift'' (2022)
On June 8, 2022 Pianos Become the Teeth announced their fifth studio album ''Drift'' set to be released on August 26, 2022 through
Epitaph Records
Epitaph Records is an American independent record label owned by Bad Religion guitarist Brett Gurewitz. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, most acts signed to the label were punk and pop punk acts, while there are many post-hardcore and emo ba ...
. They also released the first single and music video from the album "Genevieve."
Musical style and lyrics
Pianos Become The Teeth is a prominent band in "The Wave," a new generation of
post-hardcore
Post-hardcore is a punk rock music genre that maintains the aggression and intensity of hardcore punk but emphasizes a greater degree of creative expression. It was initially inspired by post-punk and noise rock. Like post-punk, the term has be ...
bands.
Other figures in The Wave include
La Dispute :''This is for the Marivaux play, for the band, see La Dispute (band).''
''La Dispute'' is a prose comedy written by Pierre de Marivaux, shown for the first time on 19 October 1744 by the Théâtre-Italien in the Hôtel de Bourgogne. The story ...
,
Touché Amoré
Touché Amoré is an American post-hardcore band from Los Angeles, California, formed in 2007. The band consists of vocalist Jeremy Bolm, guitarists Clayton Stevens and Nick Steinhardt, bassist Tyler Kirby, and drummer Elliot Babin. Among othe ...
,
Defeater and
Make Do and Mend.
The bands in this movement perform with "emotionally-centered lyrical content, dual musical emphasis on both melody and distorted intensity."
Musically, Pianos Become The Teeth write songs influenced by early
screamo acts such as
Envy,
City of Caterpillar
City of Caterpillar is an American post-hardcore band from Richmond, Virginia, formed in 2000. They released a split with Pg. 99, one studio album, and a full-length compilation of demos and live tracks. Their songs, some of which are over 10 m ...
and
Funeral Diner, and also
post-rock
Post-rock is a form of experimental rock characterized by a focus on exploring textures and timbre over traditional rock song structures, chords, or riffs. Post-rock artists are often instrumental, typically combining rock instrumentation w ...
bands like
This Will Destroy You
This Will Destroy You (abbreviated as TWDY) is an American post-rock band from San Marcos, Texas, formed in 2004. They typically compose lengthy atmospheric instrumental pieces, featuring layers of effects-laden guitar and a heavy usage of dy ...
.
In an interview with Staircase Thoughts, the band described being labeled as screamo as "flattering in some respects," but ultimately didn't want to be pigeonholed as a "screamo band."
Vocalist Kyle Durfey writes very personal lyrics that often discuss events in his life, or about dwelling on the future and growing up.
Specifically on their album ''Old Pride'', Durfey wrote about, "how you have this 'young fire' when you're younger and you have to have an 'old pride' to feel right about your life."
The track "Cripples Can't Shiver" outlines Durfey's father, and how his struggles with
multiple sclerosis
Multiple (cerebral) sclerosis (MS), also known as encephalomyelitis disseminata or disseminated sclerosis, is the most common demyelinating disease, in which the insulating covers of nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord are damaged. This ...
impacted his life.
In an interview with Hearwax, Kyle Durfey commented on writing dark lyrics, stating "I feel like most of us and most bands we are into tend to write about darker things. It's hard to write when you're happy. This doesn't mean we aren't happy as people."
Members
Current members
* Kyle Durfey –
lead vocals
The lead vocalist in popular music is typically the member of a group or band whose voice is the most prominent melody in a performance where multiple voices may be heard. The lead singer sets their voice against the accompaniment parts of the ...
,
lyrics
Lyrics are words that make up a song, usually consisting of verses and choruses. The writer of lyrics is a lyricist. The words to an extended musical composition such as an opera are, however, usually known as a " libretto" and their writer, ...
,
piano
The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a keyboa ...
,
programming
* Chad McDonald –
guitar
The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected string ...
s
* Mike York – guitars
** York also produces and DJs electronic music under the name SUAHN.
* Zac Sewell –
bass
Bass or Basses may refer to:
Fish
* Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species
Music
* Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in the bass range:
** Bass (instrument), including:
** Acoustic bass gui ...
,
backing vocals
A backing vocalist is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists. A backing vocalist may also sing alone as a lead-in to the main vocalist's entry or to sing a counter-melody. Backing vocalists are ...
* David Haik –
drums
A drum kit (also called a drum set, trap set, or simply drums) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and other auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one person. The player (drummer) typically holds a pair of matching drumsticks ...
,
percussion
A percussion instrument is a musical instrument that is sounded by being struck or scraped by a beater including attached or enclosed beaters or rattles struck, scraped or rubbed by hand or struck against another similar instrument. Exc ...
Former members
* Josh Regensburg – bass
* Matt Williams –
keyboards,
synthesizers
A synthesizer (also spelled synthesiser) is an electronic musical instrument that generates audio signals. Synthesizers typically create sounds by generating waveforms through methods including subtractive synthesis, additive synthesis a ...
, backing vocals
* Brian Bukszar – drums
* Matt Gardner – bass
* Jay Kapadia – guitar
Discography
Studio albums
* ''
Old Pride'' (2009)
* ''
The Lack Long After'' (2011)
* ''
Keep You'' (2014)
* ''
Wait for Love
"Wait for Love" is a 1985 song by American recording artist Luther Vandross released in 1985. The song was released as a single to support his album '' The Night I Fell in Love''. The single peaked to eleven on ''Billboards'' Hot R&B Singles cha ...
'' (2018)
* ''
Drift
Drift or Drifts may refer to:
Geography
* Drift or ford (crossing) of a river
* Drift, Kentucky, unincorporated community in the United States
* In Cornwall, England:
** Drift, Cornwall, village
** Drift Reservoir, associated with the village
...
'' (2022)
Demos/EPs
* Demo (2007)
* ''Saltwater'' (2008)
* ''Close'' (2015)
Split EPs
* ''Pianos Become The Teeth / Ezra Joyce'' (2009)
* ''Pianos Become The Teeth / The Saddest Landscape'' (2010)
* ''
Touché Amoré / Pianos Become the Teeth'' (2013)
Music videos
* "Houses We Die In" (2009)
* "I'll Be Damned" (2011)
* "I'll Get By" (2012)
* "Repine" (2014)
* "Late Lives" (2014)
* "895" (2015)
* "Ripple Water Shine" (2015)
* "Charisma" (2017)
* "Bitter Red" (2018)
* "Love On Repeat" (2018)
* "Genevieve" (2022)
* “Skiv” (2022)
* “Buckley” (2022)
References
External links
Pianos Become the Teethon
MyspacePianos Become The Teethat Topshelf Records
Pianos Become the Teeth discographyat
Discogs
Discogs (short for discographies) is a database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. While the site was originally created with a goal of becoming the ...
Pianos Become the Teeth discographyat
Rate Your Music
Rate Your Music (often abbreviated to RYM) is an online collaborative database of music releases and films. Users can catalog items from their personal collection, review them, and assign ratings in a five-star rating system. The site also fea ...
{{Authority control
American post-hardcore musical groups
Emo revival groups
American screamo musical groups
Musical groups established in 2006
Musical groups from Maryland
Topshelf Records artists