Extra Life is an American experimental band from

Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

, United States. They are known for using unusual rhythms and time signatures, and for frontman

Charlie Looker Charlie Looker (born May 23, 1980) is an American composer, improviser, vocalist, and guitarist known for his work in experimental metal, contemporary classical, avant-jazz, and Renaissance and Medieval musical forms. Education and career Loo ...

's unique singing style, which often uses

melisma Melisma ( grc-gre, μέλισμα, , ; from grc, , melos, song, melody, label=none, plural: ''melismata'') is the singing of a single syllable of text while moving between several different notes in succession. Music sung in this style is referr ...

and is reminiscent of medieval and

Renaissance music Renaissance music is traditionally understood to cover European music of the 15th and 16th centuries, later than the Renaissance era as it is understood in other disciplines. Rather than starting from the early 14th-century '' ars nova'', the Tr ...

. The band straddle genres, regularly collaborating live with avant-garde jazz saxophonist Travis Laplante, having songs remixed by

Xiu Xiu Xiu Xiu ( ) is an American experimental band, formed in 2002 by singer-songwriter Jamie Stewart in San Jose, California. Currently, the line-up consists of Stewart (the only constant member since formation) and Angela Seo. The band's name co ...

, and playing alongside black metal band

Liturgy Liturgy is the customary public ritual of worship performed by a religious group. ''Liturgy'' can also be used to refer specifically to public worship by Christians. As a religious phenomenon, liturgy represents a communal response to and partic ...

during the release show for their 2012 album ''Dream Seeds''. The band was named for its original line-up: Looker, along with back-up musicians. Eventually this evolved into a consistent line-up, with Looker as the lead singer, guitarist and songwriter, guitarist Caley Monahon-Ward and drummer Nick Podgurski. Looker was previously a member of Zs and

Dirty Projectors Dirty Projectors is an American indie rock band from Brooklyn, New York, formed in 2002. The band is the project of singer-songwriter David Longstreth, who has served as the band's sole constant member throughout numerous line-up changes. The b ...

, while Podgurski also played drums in

Yukon Yukon (; ; formerly called Yukon Territory and also referred to as the Yukon) is the smallest and westernmost of Canada's three territories. It also is the second-least populated province or territory in Canada, with a population of 43,964 as ...

, and Caley Monahon-Ward violin in

Snowblink Snowblink is an indie pop band based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

. Their second album, '' Made Flesh'', was named one of the best albums of 2010 by ''

The Quietus ''The Quietus'' is a British online music and pop culture magazine founded by John Doran and Luke Turner. The site is an editorially independent publication led by Doran with a group of freelance journalists and critics. Content ''The Quiet ...

''. On November 13, 2012, Extra Life officially disbanded. According to a statement, this was because "the inner creative momentum driving the band...stalled." The band reunited in 2022 to self-release the album ''Secular Works Vol. 2'', featuring a lineup consisting of Looker on voice and guitars, Monahon-Ward on violin and viola,

Toby Driver Toby Driver is a multi-instrumentalist, composer, songwriter, producer, label owner, and artist, best known for his work as the leader of the experimental bands Kayo Dot and maudlin of the Well. Driver creates the majority of the album artwork ...

of Kayo Dot on electric bass and Gil Chevigné on drums and percussion.

Discography

*''Extra Life'' (EP) (2008) *''Secular Works'' (2008) *''A Split'' (split EP with

Nat Baldwin Nat Baldwin (born February 21, 1980 in Rochester, New Hampshire) is an American bassist, improvisor, and songwriter. He's released several solo albums since 2003 and is also known for being a former member of Dirty Projectors. In 2020 he released ...

) (2008) *'' Made Flesh'' (2010) *''Larkin Grimm / Extra Life 12"'' (split single with

Larkin Grimm Larkin Grimm (born September 18, 1981) is an American singer-songwriter and musician based in New York City. She was born in Memphis, Tennessee. Early life and career At age 20 Grimm dropped out of Yale University and moved to Alaska, where sh ...

) (2011) *''Ripped Heart'' (EP) (2011) *''Dream Seeds'' (2012) *''Secular Works Vol. 2'' (2022)

References

External links

* Allmusic biography: Extra Lifebr>Interview with Charlie Looker in Impose Magazine
on

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 ...

Northern Spy Records artists American experimental musical groups Musical groups from Brooklyn {{US-experimental-band-stub