Royal Bangs are an

indie rock Indie rock is a 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 music they produc ...

group from

Knoxville, Tennessee Knoxville is a city in and the county seat of Knox County in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 United States census, Knoxville's population was 190,740, making it the largest city in the East Tennessee Grand Division and the state' ...

. The band is composed of drummer Chris Rusk, singer and

multi-instrumentalist A multi-instrumentalist is a musician who plays two or more musical instruments at a professional level of proficiency. Also known as doubling, the practice allows greater ensemble flexibility and more efficient employment of musicians, where ...

Ryan Schaefer, and guitarist Sam Stratton.

History

While attending high school in 2001, Schaefer and Rusk began performing together and using the moniker Royal Bangs when Stratton joined in 2005. The band recorded '' We Breed Champions'' in their basement preceding Schaefer's departure to France and an indefinite hiatus. During the time apart, Patrick Carney of

The Black Keys The Black Keys are an American rock duo formed in Akron, Ohio, in 2001. The group consists of Dan Auerbach (guitar, vocals) and Patrick Carney (drums). The duo began as an independent act, recording music in basements and self-producing their ...

discovered the band on Myspace and signed them. Royal Bangs released their debut LP ''We Breed Champions'' in 2008 through Carney's independent Audio Eagle Records. The following year, German label City Slang released the album in Europe where British music publication ''

Uncut Uncut may refer to: * ''Uncut'' (film), a 1997 Canadian docudrama film by John Greyson about censorship * ''Uncut'' (magazine), a monthly British magazine with a focus on music, which began publishing in May 1997 * '' BET: Uncut'', a Black Enter ...

'' described the record as "one smart and super-confident package, rather like a chirpier, younger, less navel-gazing Radiohead." Their second LP, '' Let It Beep'', was released in late 2009 by both Audio Eagle Records and City Slang.

BBC Music BBC Music is responsible for the music played across the BBC. The current director of music is Bob Shennan, who is also the controller of BBC Radio 2, BBC Radio 6 Music, and the BBC Asian Network. Officially it is a part of the BBC's Radio ...

editor Mike Diver reviewed the record, describing it as "varied but never lacking cohesion, Let It Beep is a charming and entirely unforeseen hit for tastes demanding their rock a little rough-hewn and happily unaffected. That it makes KoL (

Kings of Leon Kings of Leon is an American rock band formed in Nashville, Tennessee, in 1999. The band is composed of brothers Caleb, Nathan and Jared Followill, and their cousin Matthew Followill. The band's early music was a blend of Southern rock and ga ...

) sound as sonically redundant as U2 and Oasis is merely an accidental bonus." The band signed to

Glassnote Records Glassnote Records (also known as Glassnote Entertainment Group LLC) is a record label that was launched by American music executive Daniel Glass in 2007. The label primarily has a lineup of indie rock and alternative rock artists, most notably M ...

in September 2010 and released their third album, ''Flux Outside'', on March 29, 2011. Royal Bangs played at

Bonnaroo The Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival is an American annual four-day music festival developed and founded by Superfly Presents and AC Entertainment. Since its first year in 2002, it has been held at what is now Great Stage Park on a farm in M ...

in 2008 and in 2010 they played the

and Lollapalooza festivals. Royal Bangs made their TV network debut on '' Late Show with David Letterman'' on April 1, 2011. In early 2012, Royal Bangs made an addition to their lineup by bringing Dylan Dawkins to play bass guitar. On June 24, 2013, ''

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

'' premiered the video for "Better Run", a song from the upcoming LP ''Brass'', recorded with Carney in May 2012 and set for a September 17 release.

Discography

Albums

*''We Breed Champions'' (2008) *'' Let It Beep'' (2009) *'' Flux Outside'' (2011) *''Brass'' (2013)

Singles

*Better Run (2013)

References

External links

Myspace profileFacebook profileRolling Stone magazine featureSpin Magazine feature

Nashville Scene alt-weekly feature
{{Authority control 2005 establishments in Tennessee Indie rock musical groups from Tennessee Musical groups from Knoxville, Tennessee Musical groups established in 2005 American musical trios Glassnote Records artists City Slang artists