The Extra Lens, formerly known as The Extra Glenns, is a band made up of
Franklin Bruno
Franklin Bruno (born December 29, 1968) is an American singer-songwriter, academic and writer originally from Upland, California. He has been a member of Nothing Painted Blue since its inception in 1986.
Bruno has written music criticism for on ...
(of
Nothing Painted Blue
Nothing Painted Blue was an American indie rock band led by songwriter Franklin Bruno since the 1990s. Bruno and drummer Kyle Brodie have been the only constant members as the remainder of the line-up has undergone a number of changes throughout ...
and The Human Hearts) and
John Darnielle
John Darnielle (; born March 16, 1967) is an American musician and novelist best known as the primary, and originally sole, member of the American band the Mountain Goats, for which he is the writer, composer, guitarist, pianist, and vocalist.
...
(of
the Mountain Goats
The Mountain Goats are an American band formed in Claremont, California, by singer-songwriter John Darnielle. The band is currently based in Durham, North Carolina. For many years, the sole member of the Mountain Goats was Darnielle, despite the ...
). The band acts as a side project for both artists, and stayed underground throughout the 1990s, recording tracks for singles and some compilations. Both artists primarily concentrate on their own solo work, though as their popularity has grown, they have continued to work together.
In the early 2000s, the duo decided to keep the project going, and in 2002
Absolutely Kosher Records
Absolutely Kosher Records is an independent California-based record label founded in 1998 in San Francisco by Cory Brown. The label moved to Berkeley in 2002 and then to Emeryville in October 2006 when it partnered with Misra Records. The two la ...
released ''
Martial Arts Weekend
''Martial Arts Weekend'' is an album by indie-rock band The Extra Glenns, a band made up John Darnielle and Franklin Bruno. The album was released in 2002.
Critical reception
''Pitchfork'' wrote that "after the initial novelty of hearing more ...
'', their first full-length album.
In August 2010, it was announced that The Extra Glenns had signed to
Merge Records
Merge Records is an independent record label based in Durham, North Carolina. It was founded in 1989 by Laura Ballance and Mac McCaughan. It began as an outlet for music from their band Superchunk and music created by friends, and has expande ...
and changed their name to The Extra Lens. The new album, ''
Undercard
In sports, a card lists the matches taking place in a title match combat-sport event. Cards include a main event match and the undercard listing the rest of the matches. The undercard may be divided into a midcard and a lower card, according to ...
'', was released on October 19, 2010. ''
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 ...
'' Magazine gave the record 7 out of 10 stars, calling it "vivid" and "haunting."
Discography
Compilation appearances
* "Badger Song" and "That" - ''High Fly Graveyard'' cassette (
Shrimper, 1992)
* "Badger Song" - ''Abridged Perversion'' CD (Shrimper, 1994)
* "I Hear the Planets" - ''Fantasy Band'' 7" EP (Shrimper, 1994)
* "Process of Elimination" - ''The Long Secret'' CD (
Harriet, 1995)
* "Sure" - ''Sidereal Rest'' CD (Scratch, 1996)
* "Gravedigger" - ''Extra Walt'' 2x7" (Walt, 1996)
References
External links
Pitchfork Media on Martial Arts Weekend*
Indie rock musical groups from California
Merge Records artists
Shrimper Records artists
{{US-rock-band-stub