Ducktails (music)

Last updated

Ducktails
Jerseydevil.tif
Mondanile in Paramus, New Jersey 2017
Background information
Origin New Jersey, United States
Genres
Years active2006 (2006)–present
Labels
Associated actsBig Troubles
Members
Past members
  • Luka Usmiani
  • Samuel Franklin
  • Alex Craig
  • Josh da Costa
  • Malcolm Perkins
  • Ross Chait
  • Dale Simmons
  • Ian Drennan

Ducktails is a music project led by American songwriter and guitarist Matt Mondanile, started in 2006. [7] [8] From 2013 to 2016, it was expanded as a band.

Contents

Following a number of limited-run cassette releases, the 2009 albums Ducktails and Landscapes brought Ducktails critical recognition. The project was associated with the mid-2000s hypnagogic pop scene. [1] [2] six studio albums have been released since then. [9]

In late 2017 Matt Mondanile's former bandmates claimed that he had been fired from the band in early 2016 due to allegations of sexual misconduct.

History

Origins and early recordings

Mondanile started Ducktails in a tool shed in Northampton, Massachusetts the summer before his last year at Hampshire College. [10] [11] [12] The band name is a play on the title of the animated television series, DuckTales , from the late 1980s and early 1990s. [13] He recorded his first release, 1992 Demo, on a 4-track with cheap multi effects pedals and a guitar. After leaving college he moved back to his parents' home in Ridgewood, New Jersey, where he recorded in the basement. [12] Between 2007 and 2012 he recorded several albums, singles, cassettes, and split releases, mostly recorded on cassette tape. [14] [15] [16] [17]

Ducktails' self-titled debut album proper was released in 2009 on the Not Not Fun label, followed later that year with Landscapes . Third studio album Ducktails III: Arcade Dynamics was released in 2011 on the Woodsist label, and saw a move away from improvised experiments towards pop. [18] [19] Ducktails releases have received significant critical acclaim, most notably from Pitchfork Media who have favourably reviewed the albums, [20] and produced two video features on the band. [21] The band were associated with the mid-2000s hypnagogic pop scene by critics. [1] [2]

The Flower Lane – Jersey Devil

In 2012 Mondanile signed to Domino Records and released The Flower Lane . In contrast to his earlier work, it was recorded in a studio and mixed over the summer of 2012 with Al Carlson (Peaking Lights) and co-written by New Jersey band Big Troubles, who had backed Mondanile in live shows for some time. [16] [22] The ten-track album was released January 28, 2013, preceded by the single "Letter of Intent", which featured vocals from Jessa Farkas of Future Shuttle and bass from Joel Ford of Ford & Lopatin. [23] [24] [25] [26] On January 23, 2013, Pitchfork TV broadcast a live stream of the band's album release show at Manhattan's (Le) Poisson Rouge with guest appearances from Big Troubles, Joel Ford, Jessa Farkas, and Real Estate's Martin Courtney. [27]

Ducktails have played many international festivals including Primavera Sound [28] and Field Day. As Ducktails, Mondanile has toured the world solo as well as with a band performing extensively in Australia, Japan, Europe, United States and Canada. [24] [29] Mondanile has also collaborated with Panda Bear of Animal Collective as well as Madeline Follin of Cults and Dan Lopatin of Oneohtrix Point Never.

On July 25, 2013 Ducktails performed in the courtyard of the Museum of Modern Art as part of PopRally's MoMa Nights series. [24] [30] [31] [32]

Their music has been positively reviewed by the BBC [33] and is regularly played on BBC 6Music by the likes of Gideon Coe, Marc Riley and Don Letts. [34] [35] [36]

As of 2017, Mondanile runs the New Images record label, [32] through which he released the 2017 Ducktails album Jersey Devil after Domino — who had released the previous two Ducktails albums — "didn't want to put it out," Mondanile said. [37]

On October 14, 2017, it was reported that Mondanile's departure from Real Estate was due to allegations made against Mondanile regarding his "unacceptable treatment of women." [38] Prior to the band's statement, Mondanile had denied the allegations. [39] As a result of the allegations, Ducktails tour dates in Asia and the U.S. were cancelled by the promoters, [40] publicist Daniel Gill and former label Woodsist ceased working with Ducktails, [41] , and Ducktails was dropped by the Japanese label Plancha. [42] Most of Ducktails' albums were also briefly removed from streaming services. [43]

Musical style

The band's music has been alternately characterized as "hypnagogic pop", "woozy, horizontal pop" and "lo-fi". [44] [45] AllMusic described their work as "all burbling analog synths, bedroom processing, and sunburnt soundscapes." [5] Jason Lymangrover in The List described Ducktails releases as having "a sketchpad feel to them" described as "a typically giddy blend of psych, drone, summer jams, tropical riffs and hazy vocalisms". [11] [18] Early recordings were freeform jams, once described as "bizarre, krautrock-influenced sound collages", but later material has more conventional song structures, more akin to his work in Real Estate. [17] [22] [46] [47] [48] Liz Pelly, reviewing The Flower Lane for the Providence Phoenix described his earlier work as "collaged pop ideas with kaleidoscopic filters and home-recorded hiss". [10]

In a 2009 interview, Mondanile described his live performances as "improvised and more like drone music". [12] He explained his preference for recording on cassette: "I like the idea of everything being as raw-sounding as possible, with nothing covering up the sound. It's like the only thing covering it up might be the quality of the recording. [12]

Band members

Timeline

Ducktails (music)

Discography

Studio albums

EPs

Compilations

Singles

Remixes

Live recordings

Split releases

Cassette-only releases

Related Research Articles

Max Tundra British musician

Ben Jacobs, more commonly known by the stage name Max Tundra, is an English multi-instrumental musician, singer and music producer. His work is predominantly electronic music but incorporates non-electronic styles and instruments.

Panda Bear (musician) American musician

Noah Benjamin Lennox, also known by his moniker Panda Bear, is an American musician, singer-songwriter and co-founding member of the experimental pop band Animal Collective. In addition to his work with that group, Lennox has released six solo LPs since 1999. His third, Person Pitch (2007), is noted for influencing a wide range of subsequent indie music in addition to inspiring the chillwave genre and numerous soundalike acts.

Psychedelic Horseshit is an American band from Columbus, Ohio, that plays a microgenre of lo-fi noise pop that they christened "shitgaze".

Woods (band) American folk rock band

Woods is an American folk rock band from Brooklyn, New York, formed in 2005. The band consists of Jeremy Earl, Jarvis Taveniere, Aaron Neveu (drums), Chuck Van Dyck (bass), and Kyle Forester. The band's former bassist, Kevin Morby, left the band in 2013.

Real Estate (band) American indie rock band

Real Estate is an American rock band from Ridgewood, New Jersey, United States, formed in 2009. The band is currently based in Brooklyn, New York, and currently consists of Martin Courtney, IV, Alex Bleeker, Jackson Pollis (drums), Matt Kallman (keyboards) and Julian Lynch (guitar).

<i>Real Estate</i> (album) 2009 studio album by Real Estate

Real Estate is the debut album by American indie rock band Real Estate, released on November 17, 2009 on Woodsist.

Julia Holter singer-songwriter

Julia Shammas Holter is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, composer and artist, based in Los Angeles. A CalArts graduate, following three independent album productions, Holter released Tragedy as her first official studio album in 2011. Ekstasis, followed in 2012. After signing with Domino Records in 2013, she released the albums Loud City Song (2013), Have You in My Wilderness (2015) and the live-in-the-studio album In the Same Room (2017). Most recently, her double album Aviary was released in 2018.

<i>Atlas</i> (Real Estate album) 2014 studio album by Real Estate

Atlas is the third studio album by the American indie rock band Real Estate, released on March 4, 2014, on Domino Records. It was their first album recorded with the drummer Jackson Pollis and keyboard player Matt Kallman, and the last with the lead guitarist and founding member Matt Mondanile.

The Orwells American rock band

The Orwells were an American rock band from Elmhurst, a suburb west of Chicago. The members included Mario Cuomo (vocals), Dominic Corso (guitar), Matt O'Keefe (guitar), Grant Brinner (bass), and Henry Brinner (drums). Their debut album Remember When was released in August 2012. Their first EP, Other Voices, was released in June 2013, followed by Who Needs You in September 2013. The group disbanded as a result of accusations of sexual misconduct by members.

Matt Mondanile

Matthew A. Mondanile is an American guitarist, sexual predator, singer and songwriter. He is best known as the former lead guitarist of the American indie rock band Real Estate, with whom he recorded three studio albums, and for his solo music project Ducktails.

Kevin Morby American musician

Kevin Robert Morby is an American musician, singer, and songwriter. He has released five studio albums: Harlem River (2013), Still Life (2014), Singing Saw (2016), City Music (2017), and Oh My God (2019). During live performances, Morby is accompanied by his backing band consisting of Meg Duffy on guitar, Cyrus Gengras on bass, and Nick Kinsey on drums.

<i>St. Catherine</i> (album) 2015 studio album by Ducktails

St. Catherine is the fifth studio album by the American indie rock act Ducktails, released on July 24, 2015 on Domino. Co-produced by primary recording artist Matt Mondanile and Rob Schnapf, the album features contributions from Julia Holter and her bandmates, Chris Votek and Andrew Tholl.

<i>The Flower Lane</i> 2013 studio album by Ducktails

The Flower Lane is the fourth studio album by the American indie rock project Ducktails, released on January 28, 2013 on Domino. Co-produced by Matt Mondanile and Al Carlson, The Flower Lane was the first Ducktails album to be recorded in a full studio environment.

<i>Ducktails III: Arcade Dynamics</i> 2011 studio album by Ducktails

Ducktails III: Arcade Dynamics is the third studio album by the American psychedelic pop act Ducktails, released on January 18, 2011 on Woodsist. The album was recorded at primary recording artist Matt Mondanile's parents' home.

<i>Killin the Vibe</i> 2011 EP by Ducktails

Killin the Vibe is a limited edition EP by American psychedelic pop act Ducktails, released in 2011 on primary recording artist Matt Mondanile's own label, New Images. The original version of the title track appears on the project's third studio album, Ducktails III: Arcade Dynamics (2011).

<i>Landscapes</i> (Ducktails album) 2009 studio album by Ducktails

Landscapes is the second studio album by the American recording act Ducktails, released on August 6, 2009 on Olde English Spelling Bee. The album was recorded entirely by Matt Mondanile, and was the second full-length Ducktails album to be released in 2009.

<i>Ducktails</i> (album) 2009 studio album by Ducktails

Ducktails is the self-titled debut studio album by American recording project Ducktails, released on May 11, 2009 on Not Not Fun. The album is the first of two full-length albums released in 2009, with Landscapes following three months later.

<i>In Mind</i> 2017 studio album by Real Estate

In Mind is the fourth studio album by American indie rock band Real Estate, released on March 17, 2017 on Domino Records. It is the band's first album since founding member Matt Mondanile's departure, and the first with his replacement as lead guitarist, Julian Lynch.

Jersey Devil is the sixth studio album by American musician Matt Mondanile under his pseudonym Ducktails. It was released on October 6, 2017 through New Images.

<i>Watercolors</i> (Ducktails album) 2019 studio album by Ducktails

Watercolors is the seventh studio album by American indie solo project Ducktails, released on June 21, 2019.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Blackwell, Matthew (June 23, 2010). "Oneohtrix Point Never - Returnal album review". Prefix Mag .
  2. 1 2 3 Whiteley, Sheila; Rambarran, Shara (January 22, 2016). The Oxford Handbook of Music and Virtuality. Oxford University Press. p. 412.
  3. ↑ Goble, Corban (April 1, 2011). "R.I.P., chillwave: the top 10 chillwave artists, and where they are now". The Pitch .
  4. ↑ Bevan, David. "Ducktails: Landscapes Album Review". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved 14 May 2017.
  5. 1 2 "Biography". AllMusic . Retrieved 29 April 2017.
  6. ↑ Cumbie, Jansen (October 15, 2010). "Road Trip Review: Ducktails and more". Charleston City Paper .
  7. ↑ Hann, Michael (2013) "Ducktails: The Flower Lane – review", The Guardian , January 24, 2013. Retrieved May 11, 2013
  8. ↑ Martins, Chris (2013) "See Ducktails Freeze in Central Park for 'Letter of Intent' Video", Spin , February 22, 2013. Retrieved May 11, 2013
  9. ↑ "Listen to Ducktails". Rdio.com. Retrieved 2015-08-13.
  10. 1 2 Pelly, Liz (2013) "Ducktails The Flower Lane Archived December 13, 2013, at the Wayback Machine ", Providence Phoenix , January 23, 2013. Retrieved May 11, 2013
  11. 1 2 Meighan, Nicola (2011) "Interview - Ducktails set for UK tour", The List , May 24, 2011. Retrieved May 11, 2013
  12. 1 2 3 4 Steeply, Hugh (2009) "Ducktails: Interview", Tiny Mix Tapes, February 2009. Retrieved May 11, 2013
  13. ↑ Truss, Si (2011) "DUCKTAILS: DUCKTAILS III – ARCADE DYNAMICS", FACT , January 24, 2011. Retrieved May 11, 2013
  14. ↑ Rathe, Adam (2013) "Ducktails’ Matt Mondanile Reveals His Top Five Flora", mtvhive.com, January 24, 2013. Retrieved May 11, 2013
  15. ↑ Powell, Christopher (2013) "Ducktails The Flower Lane", CMJ, January 29, 2013. Retrieved May 11, 2013
  16. 1 2 Beta, Andy (2013) "How A Studio Changes Your Sound", NPR, February 28, 2013. Retrieved May 11, 2013
  17. 1 2 Prado, Ryan J. (2013) "Life in the Flower Lane: Ducktails Blooms in the Big Apple", Portland Mercury , March 20, 2013. Retrieved May 11, 2013
  18. 1 2 Lymangrover, Jason "Ducktails III: Arcade Dynamics Review", Allmusic. Retrieved May 11, 2013
  19. ↑ Beta, Andy (2011) "Ducktails III: Arcade Dynamics", Spin , March 2011, pp. 78-9. Retrieved May 11, 2013
  20. ↑ Hyden, Steven (2013) "Ducktails The Flower Lane", Pitchfork Media, January 29, 2013. Retrieved May 11, 2013
  21. ↑ "Ducktails", Pitchfork Media. Retrieved May 11, 2013
  22. 1 2 Clay, Joe (2013) "Ducktails The Flower Lane", The Quietus, February 1, 2013. Retrieved May 11, 2013
  23. ↑ Deziel, Melanie (2013) "Ducktails Deliver Their 'Letter of Intent' - Premiere", rollingstone.com, February 22, 2013. Retrieved May 11, 2013
  24. 1 2 3 Brackbill, Shawn (2012) "Ducktails Announce New Album, Share Track", Pitchfork Media, October 10, 2012. Retrieved May 11, 2013
  25. ↑ Brown, Jacob (2012) "Song Debut: Ducktails' "Letter of Intent" Featuring Jessa Farkas Archived 2013-04-19 at the Wayback Machine ", Vogue , December 4, 2012. Retrieved May 11, 2013
  26. ↑ Murray, Robin (2013) "Letter of Intent: Ducktails", Clash , March 12, 2013. Retrieved May 11, 2013
  27. ↑ Pelly, Jenn (2013) "Ducktails' Flower Lane Release Show to Stream Live via Pitchfork.tv, Featuring LP's Many Collaborators", Pitchfork Media, January 18, 2013. Retrieved May 11, 2013
  28. ↑ "Live at Primavera Sound, Day 1: Playlist from May 27, 2011", wfmu.org. Retrieved May 11, 2013
  29. ↑ Pelly, Jenn (2012) "Listen to Ducktails' "Letter of Intent", Featuring Oneohtrix Point Never on Synths", Pitchfork Media, December 4, 2012. Retrieved May 11, 2013
  30. ↑ Matthew Levine. "Live Review: Ducktails @ MoMA: July 25, 2013". Cmj.com. Retrieved 2015-08-13.
  31. ↑ Thomas, Fred (2013) "Ducktails The Flower Lane Review", Allmusic. Retrieved May 11, 2013
  32. 1 2 Carew, Anthony (2011) "Interview: Matt Mondanile of Real Estate and Ducktails", About.com, October 11, 2011. Retrieved May 11, 2013
  33. ↑ Clarke, Jude (2013) "Ducktails The Flower Lane Review", BBC, January 17, 2013. Retrieved May 11, 2013
  34. ↑ "Gideon Coe, 12/03/2013", BBC. Retrieved May 11, 2013
  35. ↑ "Marc Riley Wed 13 Feb 2013", BBC. Retrieved May 11, 2013
  36. ↑ "Don Letts 11/03/2013", BBC. Retrieved May 11, 2013
  37. ↑ Cush, Andy (2017-10-13). "Matt Mondanile aka Ducktails Departed Real Estate Amid Sexual Misconduct Allegations". Spin. Retrieved 2017-10-20.
  38. ↑ "Real Estate Fired Guitarist Matt Mondanile in 2016 Because He Allegedly Mistreated Women | Pitchfork". pitchfork.com. Retrieved 2017-10-14.
  39. ↑ Hogan, Marc (2017-10-16). "Matt Mondanile Accused of Sexual Misconduct by Multiple Women". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2017-10-18.
  40. ↑ "Ducktails shows cancelled amid sexual assault allegations". The Guardian. 2017-10-18. Retrieved 2017-10-18.
  41. ↑ Yakas, Ben (2017-10-18). "Ducktails Shows Cancelled After Ex-Real Estate Guitarist Accused Of Sexual Misconduct". Gothamist. Archived from the original on 2017-10-20. Retrieved 2017-10-20.
  42. ↑ Gordon, Jeremy (2017-10-18). "Ducktails Dropped by Japanese Label, Tour Canceled". Spin. Retrieved 2017-10-20.
  43. ↑ Payne, Chris (2017-10-31). "Ducktails Albums Removed From Streaming Services After Matt Mondanile's Sexual Misconduct Allegations". Billboard. Retrieved 2017-11-03.
  44. ↑ "FACT mix 369: Ducktails", FACT , February 11, 2013. Retrieved May 11, 2013
  45. ↑ Howells, Tom "Ducktails The Flower Lane", Crack. Retrieved May 11, 2013
  46. ↑ Neyland, Nick (2012) "Ducktails "The Flower Lane"", Pitchfork Media, October 10, 2012. Retrieved May 11, 2013
  47. ↑ Jack, Malcolm (2013) "Ducktails - The Flower Lane", The List , January 17, 2013. Retrieved May 11, 2013
  48. ↑ Mincher, Chris (2013) "Ducktails The Flower Lane", The A.V. Club, January 29, 2013. Retrieved May 11, 2013

Commons-logo.svg Media related to Matt Mondanile at Wikimedia Commons

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.