LoveLikeFire

Last updated
LoveLikeFire
LoveLikeFire 2009.jpg
LoveLikeFire, 2009. Left to right: Eric Amerman, David Farrell, Ann Yu, Marty Mattern
Background information
Origin Flag of the United States.svg San Francisco, California, United States
Genres Indie rock [1]
Years active2006-present
Labels Heist Or Hit Records [2]
MembersAnn Yu (vocals, guitar)
David Farrell (drums)
Marty Mattern (guitar, keyboards, backing vocals)
Eric Amerman (bass, guitar, backing vocals) [3]
Past membersJesse Hayes (bass) [4]
Ted Parker (guitar)
Robert Kissinger (bass)
Website lovelikefire.com

LoveLikeFire is a San Francisco-based indie rock band. The group was formed in 2006 and whilst an unsigned artist they independently released two EPs, Bed of Gold (2006) and An Ocean in the Air (2007), as well as mounted a self-organized national tour to promote the latter release. The band then signed to Heist Or Hit Records and a full-length album was released in the UK in Autumn 2009. This album Tear Ourselves Away was released in the US in early 2010.[ needs update ] LoveLikeFire has received significant media and critical coverage in San Francisco Bay Area publications ( San Francisco magazine, [5] East Bay Express , [6] SFist , [7] SF Weekly , [8] Palo Alto Daily News , [9] San Francisco Chronicle [10] ) as well as in the national and out-of-town media ( Spin , [11] [12] The A.V. Club , [13] LimeWire Music Blog, [14] WOXY.com, [15] LA Weekly [16] ), and has stylistically been identified as exhibiting Britpop, dream pop, indie pop, and shoegazing influences.

Contents

Career

The group considers itself to have officially formed in January 2006, when its first lineup came together. [17] Vocalist Ann Yu and drummer/keyboardist David Farrell, who had previously played together in several bands, were preparing to relocate to Los Angeles, California because, according to Yu, "it's a lot easier to find other musicians that are serious about making a career out of [music]" there. [18] The move was abruptly canceled as the band began to form. Bassist and friend Jesse Hayes became available when his punk rock band Time in Malta split up; [17] then, in January, Yu and Farrell met guitarist Ted Parker through a Craigslist classified advertisement. [12] [15] A few weeks later, the band played its first gig in Los Angeles. [18]

The group released its first recording on August 15, 2006, [19] only seven months after having formed. According to Yu, the six-track EP Bed of Gold was recorded before LoveLikeFire had "fully developed its identity as a band." [18] Nevertheless, the album received critical praise from The A.V. Club San Francisco, [13] LA Weekly , [16] and the East Bay Express . [6] The group continued touring, performing alongside bands such as Morningwood, The Brian Jonestown Massacre, [20] and Favourite Sons. [6]

LoveLikeFire live in Portland, Oregon, March 27, 2008. LoveLikeFire live 2008-03-27.jpg
LoveLikeFire live in Portland, Oregon, March 27, 2008.

The band followed its debut album with the seven-track sophomore effort An Ocean in the Air , which was released on August 28, 2007. [21] The record brought further critical praise from publications such as Spin [11] [12] and SF Weekly , [8] and made several best-of-2007 album or single lists, including associate producer Andrew Ross Rowe at MTV News [22] and Muhammad Asranur at Ground Control Mag. [23] The band recorded music videos for three of the album's tracks, "Wish You Dead," [24] "From a Tower," [25] and "I Will". [26] The latter, a carnival-themed music video shot on 16 mm film and produced by Thomas Barndt and Samara St. Croix (Tom and Samara), was chosen as an Official Selection of SXSW 2008 Film Festival. [7]

Robert Kissinger replaced original bassist Jesse Hayes in mid-2007. [27] [28] [29] The group followed up the release of An Ocean in the Air with a self-organized and self-financed national tour. [3] In October 2008, Kissinger and guitarist Ted Parker were replaced by Eric Amerman and Marty Mattern, respectively.

The band released a full-length album Tear Ourselves Away on August 10, 2009 on Heist Or Hit Records (The Answering Machine, Pomegranates) in the UK to some good press Two rough demos, "Signs" and "William", were released in May 2008 on the band's MySpace profile as an indication of "songs we'll be working on for the full length". [30] A single for the song "William" was released on April 6, 2009 in the UK. Following this the tracks Stand In Your Shoes and Boredom were released in the UK. The band have toured twice in the UK playing all over the country. The latest album was promoted on another nationwide tour. [31] The album was released in America in early 2010 [32] and promoted with a full tour.

Style and influences

Gnome-mime-sound-openclipart.svg
"From a Tower"
A sample of "From a Tower", the second track from the band's 2007 An Ocean in the Air .
Problems playing this file? See media help.

The band's style has been described as indie rock [1] [33] [34] as well as shoegazing, [6] [8] Britpop, [6] [17] power pop, [33] alternative rock, [6] indie pop, [35] and dream pop. [34] Ann Yu's singing style has invited comparisons to Bianca Leilani Casady (CocoRosie), [11] Beth Gibbons (Portishead), [11] Shirley Manson (Garbage), [36] Karen O (Yeah Yeah Yeahs), [11] [36] Emily Haines (Metric), [13] Dolores O'Riordan (The Cranberries), [37] and PJ Harvey. [37]

The band members' stated influences include Curve, Radiohead, Ride, Blonde Redhead, The Beatles, Siouxsie and the Banshees, [17] U2, Echo & the Bunnymen, New Order, My Bloody Valentine, and Arcade Fire. [15] Other suggestions of stylistic similarity have included Pixies ( Bossanova and Trompe le Monde ), The Cure, [38] Rilo Kiley, [33] Lush, [17] [37] Echobelly, [17] Giant Drag, Land of Talk, [39] Muse, [8] The Stills, The National, [35] Pink Floyd, The Dandy Warhols, and Dinosaur Jr. [37]

Discography

Side projects

Ann Yu is in a band called Silver Swans with Jon Waters which released an album called Realize The Ghost in 2010 on San Francisco Independent Label, Tricycle Records. [40]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Modest Mouse</span> American rock band

Modest Mouse is an American rock band formed in 1993 in Issaquah, Washington, and currently based in Portland, Oregon. The founding members were lead singer/guitarist Isaac Brock, drummer Jeremiah Green and bassist Eric Judy. Strongly influenced by Pavement, Pixies, XTC, and Talking Heads, they rehearsed, rearranged, and recorded demos for almost two years before finally signing with small-town indie label K Records and releasing numerous singles. The band achieved mainstream success with their fourth album, Good News for People Who Love Bad News (2004), and its singles "Float On" and "Ocean Breathes Salty".

J-pop, natively also known simply as pops, is the name for a form of popular music that entered the musical mainstream of Japan in the 1990s. Modern J-pop has its roots in traditional music of Japan, and significantly in 1960s pop and rock music. J-pop replaced kayōkyoku in the Japanese music scene.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">DNA Lounge</span> Nightclub and pizza restaurant in San Francisco, California

DNA Lounge is an all-ages nightclub and restaurant/cafe in the SoMa district of San Francisco owned by Jamie Zawinski, a former Netscape programmer and open-source software hacker. The club features DJ dancing, live music, burlesque performances, and occasionally conferences, private parties, and film premieres.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Big Brother and the Holding Company</span> American rock band

Big Brother and the Holding Company is an American rock band that formed in San Francisco in 1965 as part of the same psychedelic music scene that produced the Grateful Dead, Quicksilver Messenger Service, and Jefferson Airplane. After some initial personnel changes, the band became well known with the lineup of vocalist Janis Joplin, guitarists Sam Andrew and James Gurley, bassist Peter Albin, and drummer Dave Getz. Their second album Cheap Thrills, released in 1968, is considered one of the masterpieces of the psychedelic sound of San Francisco; it reached number one on the Billboard charts, and was ranked number 338 in Rolling Stone's the 500 greatest albums of all time. The album is also listed in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Rapture (band)</span> American rock band

The Rapture is an American rock band from New York City, formed in 1998. The band currently consists of Luke Jenner, Vito Roccoforte, and Gabriel Andruzzi. The classic lineup (1999-2009) added Mattie Safer playing bass and sharing lead vocal duties with Jenner. Safer and Jenner's harmonized choruses became part of the signature sound of the band, featuring on several of the band’s more well known songs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kings of Leon</span> American rock band

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.

Symphonic metal is a cross-generic style designation for the symphonic subsets of heavy metal music subgenres. It is used to denote any metal band that makes use of symphonic or orchestral elements. The style features the heavy drums and guitars of metal with different elements of orchestral classical music, such as symphonic instruments, choirs and sometimes a full orchestra, or just keyboard orchestration.

<i>Strangers Almanac</i> 1997 studio album by Whiskeytown

Strangers Almanac is the second studio album by American alternative country band Whiskeytown, released on July 29, 1997, on Geffen and Outpost Records. The album was reissued as a deluxe edition with bonus tracks and an additional disc of previously unreleased material on March 4, 2008.

Mitch Andrew Clem is an American cartoonist best known for his web comics Nothing Nice To Say, San Antonio Rock City, and My Stupid Life.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Lovemakers (band)</span> American electropop/new wave band

The Lovemakers is an electropop/new wave band from Oakland, California. The band was formed in the spring of 2002 by Scott Blonde and Lisa Light who are the two core members. Light and Blonde met in 2002 via Blonde's manager, whom Light was dating at the time. Shortly afterward Light left her boyfriend, and she began dating Blonde and joined his band Applesaucer. They were forced out of the band, reportedly for making out during practice. Afterward they formed their own band naming themselves The Lovemakers after the Japanese sexploitation film The Weird Lovemakers. They joined with Jason Proctor on keyboards to form the initial lineup.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KUSF (University of San Francisco)</span> Radio station at the University of San Francisco

KUSF is an online-only radio station owned by the University of San Francisco and operated by its students. From 1963 until 2011, the station was a non-commercial radio station licensed to San Francisco, California, broadcast at 90.3 FM MHz.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WarCry (band)</span> Spanish power metal band

WarCry is a Spanish power metal band led by founder, singer, and songwriter Víctor García. Formed in 2001 when García and drummer Alberto Ardines were ejected from Avalanch, the band has since released seven studio albums and two live albums, with an eighth studio album currently in progress. WarCry has had a fluctuating lineup with García as the sole constant member. The band has been acclaimed as one of Spain's most famous heavy metal acts and has won numerous awards in both Spain and Latin America.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rademacher (band)</span>

Rademacher is an indie rock band from Fresno, California. They have toured the West Coast with bands including Silversun Pickups, The Joggers, Earlimart, and Man Man. They released three EPs between 2004 and 2006, as well as their first full-length album in December 2007. The final disc of their three-album Baby Hawk trilogy was released on March 6, 2012.

<i>The Bedlam in Goliath</i> 2008 studio album by The Mars Volta

The Bedlam in Goliath is the fourth studio album by American progressive rock band the Mars Volta, released on January 29, 2008, on Gold Standard Laboratories and Universal Motown Records. Produced by guitarist and songwriter Omar Rodríguez-López, the album's creation was fraught with strange occurrences after an experience with a ouija that Rodriguez-Lopez bought as a gift for vocalist Cedric Bixler-Zavala. The album is their first to feature drummer Thomas Pridgen, and the last to include guitarist and sound manipulator Paul Hinojos, wind multi-instrumentalist Adrián Terrazas-González, and keyboardist Isaiah "Ikey" Owens.

<i>An Ocean in the Air</i> 2007 EP by LoveLikeFire

An Ocean in the Air is the second EP of San Francisco-based indie rock band LoveLikeFire. It was released in 2007. The album received critical praise from Spin magazine.

<i>Bed of Gold</i> 2006 EP by LoveLikeFire

Bed of Gold is the debut EP of San Francisco-based indie rock band LoveLikeFire. It was released in 2006, the same year that the band formed. The album received critical praise from The A.V. Club, LA Weekly, and the East Bay Express.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Airborne Toxic Event</span> American indie band

The Airborne Toxic Event is an American rock band from Los Angeles, California, formed in 2006. It consists of Mikel Jollett, Steven Chen, Adrian Rodriguez, Daren Taylor (drums), and Miriam "Mimi" Peschet. Anna Bulbrook and Noah Harmon were formerly members of the band.

<i>Last Look at Eden</i> 2009 studio album by Europe

Last Look at Eden is the eighth studio album by the Swedish rock band Europe. It was released on September 9, 2009 in Sweden by Universal and was released on September 14, 2009 in the UK, by Edel Music's international rock music label earMUSIC.

The Bye Bye Blackbirds

The Bye Bye Blackbirds are an Oakland, California-based indie rock and power pop band, fronted by guitarist and vocalist Bradley Skaught. The San Francisco Chronicle described their work as "British Invasion guitar-pop with a twinge of country and roots," in which "disparate rock influences – '60s rock, '70s power pop, '80s college radio and indie rock – come together for catchy, harmony-laden songs."

Wildling is an indie rock band from Los Angeles, California signed to Warner Bros. Records. The band was formed in 2014 by members Ryan Levine and Andrew Ampaya, who were originally signed to RCA Records as the band Test Your Reflex from 2004-2009, and also recorded music under the name No Country as well as Low Shoulder (2009-2014).

References

  1. 1 2 Hopkin, Kenyon. "LoveLikeFire: Biography". Allmusic . Retrieved 2008-05-07.
  2. ↑ "LoveLikeFire". MySpace . Retrieved 2008-12-20.
  3. 1 2 "Bio". LoveLikeFire.com. Archived from the original on 2007-10-21. Retrieved 2009-04-19.
  4. ↑ Garin, Nina (2007-08-29). "LoveLikeFire". Entertainment Guide. The San Diego Union-Tribune. Archived from the original on October 18, 2007. Retrieved 2008-07-01.
  5. ↑ Bethurem, Allison; Pamela Feinsilber; Scott Hocker; Naiomi Kaufman; Jonathon Keats; James Levy; Sarah (March 2007). "10. Discovery: Band about to blow". San Francisco . Retrieved 2008-05-07.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 poet, j.; David Downs; Kathleen Richards; Jesse Varela; Larry Kelp (2006-09-13). "Critic's Choice for the week of September 13–19, 2006: Jungle screaming, country guitar, and hieroglyphic jazz". East Bay Express . Archived from the original on 2012-07-28. Retrieved 2008-05-07.
  7. 1 2 "This Week in Le Rock: April 21–27". SFist . 2008-04-21. Archived from the original on 2008-06-10. Retrieved 2008-05-07.
  8. 1 2 3 4 Downs, David (2007-10-03). "LoveLikeFire: An Ocean in the Air (Black Ludella)". SF Weekly. Retrieved 2008-05-07.
  9. ↑ Freeman, Paul (2008-05-23). "Web hotbed of intriguing new music: Acts burn for your love, online". Palo Alto Daily News . Archived from the original on 2012-09-06. Retrieved 2008-07-02.
  10. ↑ Vigil, Delfin (2008-06-19). "Bandwidth: LoveLikeFire". San Francisco Chronicle . Archived from the original on 2012-09-10. Retrieved 2008-07-02.
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 Balderston, Adele (2007-11-13). "LoveLikeFire's Dizzying Carnival Trip". Spin . Retrieved 2008-05-07.
  12. 1 2 3 Lamey, Miriam (2007-09-20). "Artist of the Day: LoveLikeFire". Spin . Retrieved 2008-07-02.
  13. 1 2 3 "Press". LoveLikeFire.com. Archived from the original on 2008-05-12. Retrieved 2008-05-07.
  14. ↑ Frankel, Mike (2008-02-07). "SXSW Band: LoveLikeFire". LimeWire Music Blog. Archived from the original on April 18, 2008. Retrieved 2008-05-07.
  15. 1 2 3 "LoveLikeFire". WOXY.com. 2007-03-03. Archived from the original on 2007-03-26. Retrieved 2008-05-07.
  16. 1 2 Molyneaux, Libby (2007-05-09). "Rock Picks". LA Weekly . Archived from the original on 2007-09-22. Retrieved 2008-05-07.
  17. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Kao, Larry (2006-12-20). "Fanning the Flames". Asia Pacific Arts. UCLA Asia Institute. Archived from the original on 2007-02-18. Retrieved 2008-07-01.
  18. 1 2 3 Ng, Philiana (2007-10-08). "Fiery San Francisco band is worth loving". Daily Trojan . Archived from the original on 2008-02-24. Retrieved 2008-05-07.
  19. ↑ "Bed of Gold by LoveLikeFire". Amazon. Retrieved 2008-07-01.
  20. ↑ Fortes, Michael (January 2007). "LoveLikeFire - Bed of Gold". Performer Mag: West Coast Performer. Archived from the original on October 15, 2007. Retrieved 2008-07-01.
  21. ↑ "An Ocean in the Air by LoveLikeFire". Amazon. Retrieved 2008-07-01.
  22. ↑ "Kanye West, Radiohead, LCD Soundsystem Shine On MTV News Staffers' Top Albums Lists: Members of the news team pick their 10 (or 11 or seven) favorite albums of 2007". MTV News . 2007-12-03. Retrieved 2008-07-02.
  23. ↑ "Features: 2007 Year-End Mix Tape". Ground Control Mag. 2007-12-11. Archived from the original on 2008-05-24. Retrieved 2008-07-02.
  24. ↑ "lovelikefire "wish you dead"". YouTube. 2007-12-18. Retrieved 2008-07-02.
  25. ↑ "From A Tower". YouTube. 2007-10-04. Retrieved 2008-07-02.
  26. ↑ "Love Like Fire "I Will"". YouTube. 2007-11-02. Retrieved 2008-07-02.
  27. ↑ Miehls, Jackie. "LoveLikeFire". Performer Mag. Archived from the original on December 5, 2008. Retrieved 2008-07-01.
  28. ↑ LoveLikeFire (2007-05-19). "Blog: LA Weekly Rock Picks". MySpace.
  29. ↑ LoveLikeFire (2007-11-06). "Blog: Review of our New York show". MySpace.
  30. ↑ LoveLikeFire (2008-05-31). "Blog: New Demos!!!". MySpace.
  31. ↑ "News: Until We Meet Again". LoveLikeFire.com. 2008-06-22. Archived from the original on 2008-07-09. Retrieved 2008-06-27. We'll be at Tiny Telephone Studios for 36 days beginning August 1st with our most awesome producer Bill Racine... When we are done, we'll have our debut full length for you and we'll be hitting the road hard beginning in September.
  32. ↑ LoveLikeFire New Album Launch Show March 10, 2010
  33. 1 2 3 Taylor (2007-11-12). "Love Like Fire / Facebook Music Blogs App". Music for Kids Who Can't Read Good. Archived from the original on 2008-03-16. Retrieved 2008-07-01.
  34. 1 2 JAX (2007-11-19). "Video: LoveLikeFire - I Will". Rock Insider. Retrieved 2008-07-01.
  35. 1 2 Taylor, James (2007-12-14). "Love Like Fire". The Other James Taylor. Retrieved 2008-07-01.[ dead link ]
  36. 1 2 Rox, Aidan (2007-08-31). "Love Like Fire: An Ocean In The Air EP". The Fire Note. Retrieved 2008-07-01.
  37. 1 2 3 4 Columbine, Will. "Singles - November 2006 LoveLikeFire – "Bed of Gold EP"". Tasty Fanzine. Retrieved 2008-07-01.
  38. ↑ "LoveLikeFire". 3hive. 2007-08-11. Archived from the original on 2008-05-16. Retrieved 2008-07-01.
  39. ↑ "LoveLikeFire: Overview". Allmusic . Retrieved 2008-07-01.
  40. ↑ "Tricycle Records Artist: Silver Swans". Tricycle Records. 6 July 2010.
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.