Extra Life | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Brooklyn, New York, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Years active |
|
| Labels |
|
| Members |
|
| Past members |
|
| Website | charlielooker |
Extra Life is an American experimental band from Brooklyn, New York. [1] [2] Extra Life is known for their unusual rhythms and time signatures and for frontman and composer Charlie Looker's unique singing style, which often uses melisma and is inspired by Medieval and Renaissance music. [3] [4] [5]
Extra Life was initially a project name for Charlie Looker (previously of Zs, Dirty Projectors) and any accompanying artists. [2] Looker composed all of the music for Extra Life's 2008 debut Secular Works, [4] which featured Looker alongside drummer Ian Antonio, violist Karen Waltuch, and bassist Tony Gedrich. [6] Looker composed most parts on 2010's Made Flesh [7] and 2011's Ripped Heart EP, but the recordings included more collaborative work; [4] by 2012's Dream Seeds, Extra Life had become a trio project, with Caley Monahon-Ward and Nick Podgurski contributing to arrangements and writing their own parts. [4]
Extra Life became known for straddling genres, regularly collaborating live with avant-garde jazz saxophonist Travis Laplante, having songs remixed by Xiu Xiu, and playing alongside bands like black metal project Liturgy. [2] Their second album, Made Flesh , was named one of the best albums of 2010 by The Quietus . [4]
On November 13, 2012, Extra Life officially disbanded, with a statement saying "the inner creative momentum driving the band has stalled." [3]
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 of Kayo Dot on electric bass, and Gil Chevigné on drums and percussion. [8]
In 2024, Extra Life announced their fifth full-length, The Sacred Vowel, with Looker and Driver joined by drummer David Bodie and Timba Harris on violin and viola. [9]
| Year | Title | Label | Personnel |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Three-Song EP | FuckingA | Charlie Looker, Ian Antonio, Joanne Lin, Nat Baldwin, Sam Hillmer |
| 2008 | Extra Life / Nat Baldwin: A Split | Shatter Your Leaves | Looker, Caley Monahon-Ward [3] |
| 2008 | Secular Works | Planaria / I & Ear / LoAF | Looker, Antonio, Karen Waltuch, Tony Gedrich [6] |
| 2010 | Made Flesh | LoAF / Africantape | Looker, Monahon-Ward, Gedrich, Nick Podgurski, Travis Laplante (ft. Antonio, Larkin Grimm) [10] [11] |
| 2011 | Ripped Heart (EP) | Last Things | Looker, Monahon-Ward, Gedrich, Podgurski, Laplante [12] |
| 2012 | Dream Seeds | Northern Spy | Looker, Monahon-Ward, Podgurski [3] |
| 2022 | Secular Works, Vol. 2 [13] | Last Things | Looker, Monahon-Ward, Toby Driver, Gil Chevigné (ft. Nate Wooley, Michael Atkinson) |
| 2024 | The Sacred Vowel | Last Things | Looker, Timba Harris, Toby Driver, David Bodie |
Xiu Xiu is an American experimental rock band, formed in 2002 by singer-songwriter Jamie Stewart in San Jose, California. Currently, the line-up consists of multi-instrumentalists Stewart, Angela Seo, and percussionist David Kendrick. The band's name comes from the Chinese film Xiu Xiu: The Sent Down Girl, which has influenced the sound of their music, according to Stewart.
Fabulous Muscles is the third studio album by American experimental band Xiu Xiu, released on February 17, 2004 on 5 Rue Christine. The album marked a change in the band's sound, described as a depressive mix between experimental rock and synth-pop. It is considered to be more accessible than Xiu Xiu's previous two studio albums, A Promise and Knife Play. Fabulous Muscles has received mostly positive reviews from critics.
Weasels Ripped My Flesh is the eighth album by the American rock group the Mothers of Invention, and the tenth overall by Frank Zappa, released in 1970. Following the Mothers' late 1969 split, Zappa assembled two albums - Burnt Weeny Sandwich and Weasels Ripped My Flesh - from unreleased studio and live recordings by the band, as well as some outtakes/leftovers from his 1969 solo album Hot Rats. While Burnt Weeny Sandwich focuses mostly on studio recordings and tightly arranged compositions, Weasels Ripped My Flesh focuses mostly on live recordings and loose/improvisational pieces.
Charles Hayward is an English drummer and was a founding member of the experimental rock groups This Heat and Camberwell Now. He also played with Mal Dean's Amazing Band, Dolphin Logic, and gigged and recorded with Phil Manzanera in the group Quiet Sun project as well as a short stint with Gong. He was a session musician on The Raincoats' second album, Odyshape, and on one occasion played drums for the anarchist punk band Crass. Since the late 1980s, Hayward has released several solo projects and participated in various collaborations, most notably Massacre with Bill Laswell and Fred Frith.
Pure is the second studio album by English industrial metal band Godflesh. It was released on 13 April 1992 through Earache Records. Though originally labeled only as industrial metal, the album has since been recognised as one of the earliest post-metal releases. Musically, Pure is rhythmically mechanical and features harsh guitars, with protracted songs and an abundance of deliberate repetition. Like much of Godflesh's music, it is regarded as particularly heavy and aggressive, and these elements helped it gain critical acclaim.
Simon Scott is an English musician, mastering engineer and sound artist, best known as the drummer in Slowdive and formerly of Lowgold and The Charlottes. He also fronted Inner Sleeve/Televise, and has released ambient music as a solo artist.
Grinderman was an Australian-American rock band that formed in London, England, in 2006. The band included Nick Cave, Warren Ellis, Martyn P. Casey and Jim Sclavunos.
Zs is a Brooklyn, New York-based experimental band. Since the band's inception, Zs has incarnated as everything from a sextet to a duo, now solidified into the quartet of Patrick Higgins, Greg Fox (percussion), Sam Hillmer and Michael Beharie (electronics). While Zs' music has been variously categorized as no wave, noise, post-minimalist, drone, and psych, it is primarily concerned with making music that challenges the physical and mental limitations of both performer and listener. The band has been heralded by The New York Times as "one of the strongest avant-garde bands in New York."
Charles A. Looker 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.
Romance Is Boring is the third studio album by Welsh indie pop band Los Campesinos!, released on 26 January 2010 via Wichita and Arts & Crafts. Produced by John Goodmanson, the album's maximalist production, unconventional structure and particularly demoralising themes marked a departure from the band's previous twee pop sound.
The Irrepressibles is the creative guise of British musician Jamie McDermott.
Made Flesh is the second album by the experimental rock band Extra Life.
Cold World is the third EP by English industrial metal band Godflesh, released in late 1991 through Relativity Records. It was recorded and mixed during September 1991 as part of the Pure (1992) sessions.
Upset The Rhythm is an independent record label based in London with a varied roster of leftfield artists and bands; they also operate as a diverse DIY live music promoter. Huw Stephens featured Upset The Rhythm as "purveyors of interesting indie" on his BBC Radio 1 show as part of his ongoing 'Label Of Love' feature. As of 2015, Upset The Rhythm had 85 releases.
10:20 is a compilation album by English art punk band Wire, released on 19 June 2020 through their own Pinkflag label.
Oh No is the twelfth studio album by American experimental band Xiu Xiu. It was released on March 26, 2021, via Polyvinyl. It is described as a "duets album". Its lead single, "A Bottle of Rum" featuring Liz Harris was released on January 27, 2021.
Going Places is an album by the American experimental music band Yellow Swans, released on March 2, 2010, by Type Records. It is the final album by the band, released after the band's 2008 breakup. Following the decision to disband in late 2007, the duo decided that making the final album was a priority. Yellow Swans spent a total of 18 months working on the album, first recording 80–100 hours of material during the rehearsals for their final shows, and then progressively editing the recordings down to the album's final runtime.
Ignore Grief is the thirteenth studio album by American experimental band Xiu Xiu, released on March 3, 2023, by Polyvinyl. It was written by band leader Jamie Stewart and new member David Kendrick. It was produced by fellow member Angela Seo, and recorded by Stewart at their home studio in Los Angeles, alongside a wide array of guest musicians including Charlie Looker, Ben Chisholm, Ezra Buchla, Patrick Shiroishi and Ian Wellman. The album artwork was designed by Janelle Abad, and depicts a white bat over a black background.
Quarter Turns over a Living Line is the debut studio album by the London-based duo Raime, consisting of Joe Andrews and Tom Halstead. The album was released on November 19, 2012, by the British label Blackest Ever Black.
Charles Baker Stern was an American composer, musician, writer, and visual artist known for his work in experimental music. He was frontman and composer of Time of Orchids, played in Sculptress, and released solo and band works under the name Stern. He was born and lived in New York City. He died on December 10, 2023, at the age of 44.
| International | |
|---|---|
| Artists | |
