Mansions (band)

Last updated
Mansions
Origin Louisville, Kentucky
Genres Indie rock, alternative rock, emo
Labels Sophomore Lounge Records, Doghouse Records, King Bones Recordings, Burning House Records, Clifton Motel Records, Bad Timing Records
MembersChristopher Browder
Robin Dove

Mansions is an American indie rock band from Louisville, Kentucky, currently residing in Seattle, Washington. [1]

Contents

The group has performed and toured with Hellogoodbye, William Beckett, A Great Big Pile of Leaves, The Honorary Title, The Front Bottoms, I Can Make a Mess Like Nobody's Business, Look Mexico, Bayside, Now, Now, Paper Rival, Taking Back Sunday, The Get Up Kids, Pianos Become the Teeth, and La Dispute (band).

History

Early years (2007-2008)

In 2007, they released their first full-length, eponymous album through Sophomore Lounge Records. It was completely self-produced, and includes early versions of several songs which were rerecorded for later releases. [2]

In 2008, they released their eponymous EP which was their first release on Doghouse Records. The EP was intended as a teaser for their 2009 album, New Best Friends, as it included two tracks and two b-sides from the following album. [3] Throughout 2008, Mansions released seven various EP's, remixes and acoustic versions of songs through many outlets. The first one they released was Remixed Best Pals, which included remixed versions of songs from New Best Friends, and it was released digitally through TheDailyChorus.com. The second EP they released was Acoustic Soft Ones, which contained many acoustic versions of previously recorded songs;also, they only released fifty copies of it on cassette. Following that release was Mr. Boddy, which included many new songs. The fourth release was The Original Demos, released as a MiniDisc and limited to twenty-five copies. Their fifth EP, Black Sheep, consisted of new tracks and was released digitally through StrikeGently.com. Their sixth release, When I Sleep, also contained various non-album tracks, but it was released on a MiniDisc and limited to fifty copies. The final release of 2008 was a single EP for Talk Talk Talk, which they released digitally through popwreckoning.com. [4]

Record deal with Doghouse Records, Manbox, and New Best Friends (2009)

New Best Friends is considered to be the first "official Mansions" album. The record was produced, recorded, and mixed by Mike Sapone, [5] who is most commonly known for his work with Taking Back Sunday, Brand New, and Straylight Run. The physical album includes a bonus disc titled The EP Initiative, which contains all of the songs from the mini-EP's released throughout 2008. [6]

Also in 2009, Mansions and Brian Warren of Weatherbox released an eponymous EP under the moniker "Manbox". The release was limited to only 200 hand-painted copies. [7] Also in 2009, Mansions released an EP titled Thyme Travel on cassette, limited to 100 copies. [8]

Departure from Doghouse and Dig Up The Dead (2010-2011)

After the release of New Best Friends, the band parted ways with Doghouse Records. In an interview with Alternative Press, Browder concedes that "there was kind of a slow year while we were getting off of Doghouse. And even that first self-titled EP had more of a push than [New Best Friends] did, so it's kind of weird that more people have heard that EP than have heard that last album, probably." [9] When the album was released, it received generally favorable reviews.

The band began demoing their second album in the early winter of 2009 through the early spring of 2010 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. In April 2010, ten days were spent recording the majority of the record in Browder's parent's home in Louisville, Kentucky. [10] Dig Up The Dead, Mansions' sophomore album, is the result of these sessions. The album was entirely self-produced, recorded, and mixed. The record was co-released by King Bones Recordings and Burning House Records. [11] In an issue of Alternative Press, Browder stated that "if [the album] wasn't any good, then it probably just wouldn't even come out and no one would hear it." [9] When the album was released, it received generally favorable reviews.

2011-2012

Mansions recorded a new song for a split 7-inch record with John Nolan of the band Taking Back Sunday. [12]

Mansions also joined Taking Back Sunday on the ten-year anniversary of their debut album Tell All Your Friends. [13]

Doom Loop (2013)

On November 12, 2013, Mansions released a new record entitled 'Doom Loop' on Clifton Motel Records. [14] Written and recorded primarily in Browder's Capitol Hill apartment, the sound of Doom Loop was influenced by the constraints of the environment. Although it was technically flawed, the band's creative solutions led to the creation of one very loud record. After the basic tracking was completed, the band recruited John Momberg (Appleseed Cast, Koufax) to record the drums and Jim Vollentine (Spoon) to engineer them. Once the drums were recorded, Steve McDonald (Redd Kross, OFF!) finished the final mix.

While Christopher Browder was speaking of Doom Loop to Clifton Motel, he said the following: "I want this record to be a kick in the teeth. I want people to go listen to some other rock record they think is cool, and now that record sounds tame and turned down in comparison." [15]

Deserter (2017)

After being out of the spotlight for some time the band released a single "Heel Theme." Soon after an EP called Deserter was released featuring this single as the first track.

Big Bad (2020)

On May 29, 2020, the band released their first single in three years, called "Black & White" for their forthcoming studio album, Big Bad . The full album was released on June 26, 2020, by Bad Timing Records.

Old Best Friends (2021)

Released on October 29, 2021, on Bad Timing Records. Old Best Friends is a career-spanning acoustic reimagining of twelve songs, picked from 2009's New Best Friends , 2010's Best of the Bees, 2011's Dig Up The Dead , 2013's Doom Loop, 2017's Deserter and 2020's Big Bad. [16]

Tuff Luff (2023)

In August 2023 Mansions announced Tuff Luff, their first proper album since 2020's Big Bad. It will be released October 6 via Bad Timing Records.

Discography

Studio albums

Compilations

Extended plays

Singles

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mercury Rev</span> American indie rock band

Mercury Rev is an American rock band formed in 1989 in Buffalo, New York, with singer/guitarist Jonathan Donahue and guitarist/clarinetist/sound generator operator Sean "Grasshopper" Mackowiak as the only constant members. The band's music has incorporated indie rock, psychedelic rock and American roots, amongst other forms. Mercury Rev have been closely associated with The Flaming Lips, and the two bands have shared historical ties.

Doghouse Records is an American record label currently based in New York City. The company was founded by Dirk Hemsath in late 1987 while living in Toledo, Ohio, in order to release the recordings of his hardcore band, Majority of One. The label originally specialized in midwest emo and melodic hardcore, though it eventually incorporated punk rock, pop punk, indie rock and alternative rock artists.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Metric (band)</span> Canadian indie rock band

Metric is a Canadian indie rock band founded in 1998 in Toronto, Ontario. The band consists of Emily Haines, James Shaw, Joshua Winstead and Joules Scott-Key. The band started in 1998 as a duo formed by Haines and Shaw with the name "Mainstream". After releasing an EP titled Mainstream EP, they changed the band's name to Metric.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">TV on the Radio</span> American rock band

TV on the Radio (TVOTR) is an American rock band from Brooklyn, New York, formed in 2001. The band consists of Tunde Adebimpe, David Andrew Sitek, Kyp Malone, and Jaleel Bunton. Gerard Smith was a member of the band from 2005 until his death in 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Daniel Powter</span> Canadian musician (born 1971)

Daniel Richard Powter is a Canadian musician. He is best known for his self-penned hit song "Bad Day" (2005), which was at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 for five weeks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rob Crow</span> American musician

Robertdale Rulon Crow Jr. is an American singer and musician from San Diego, California, known for his involvement with the bands Pinback, Heavy Vegetable, Physics, Optiganally Yours, Goblin Cock, and Thingy. He has also led the bands Advertising, Alpha Males, Altron Tube, Byre, Cthugha, Fantasy Mission Force, Holy Smokes, the Ladies, Other Men, and Remote Action Sequence Project, as well as performing and releasing solo records under his own name and under the name Snotnose.

The Honorary Title was an American alternative indie rock band from Brooklyn, New York, United States. The band released their first self-titled EP "The Honorary Title" in 2003 and then their first album in 2004, Anything Else but the Truth, which was later re-released with five additional songs and two bonus videos. In early 2007 the EP, "Untouched and Intact" arrived introducing four songs, three of which were re-released in the group's latest album, Scream & Light Up the Sky, which was released on August 28, 2007.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Family Force 5</span> American crunkcore group

FF5 is an American Christian rock band from Atlanta, Georgia. The band formed in 2004 by brothers Solomon "Soul Glow Activatur" Olds, Joshua "Fatty" Olds, and Jacob "Crouton" Olds along with their two friends, Nathan "Nadaddy" Currin and Brad "20 Cent" Allen, who was later replaced by Derek "Chapstique" Mount. The group has released five studio albums, nine EPs, and two remix albums. They are often noted for their raucous, party-centric personae and eclectic mix of genres, ranging from rap metal to dance-pop.

Army of Me is a band formed in Washington, D.C.

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

Say Anything is an American rock band from Los Angeles, California. The band was formed in 2000 by Max Bemis and his friends, and within two years, they had self-released two EPs and a full-length album.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Damien Moyal</span> American musician (born 1976)

Damien Zev Moyal is an American vocalist, lyricist, musician, songwriter and designer. Originally from Amstelveen, North Holland, Netherlands, he moved to the United States as a child and grew up in Miami, Florida, where he notably fronted such hardcore punk, metallic hardcore and melodic hardcore bands as Shai Hulud, As Friends Rust, Morning Again, Culture, Bird of Ill Omen and Bridgeburne R. Moyal has been based in Ann Arbor, Michigan since 2006 and is the founding member of the semi-eponymously named gothic rock/post-punk band Damien Done.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Weatherbox</span>

Weatherbox is an American indie rock band from San Diego, California, United States, led by singer/songwriter Brian Warren and currently composed of Warren and varied touring members.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Johnny Foreigner</span> British indie rock band

Johnny Foreigner are an indie rock four-piece from Birmingham, UK, consisting of guitarist and lead vocalist Alexei Berrow, bassist and vocalist Kelly Parker, drummer Junior Elvis Washington Laidley, and guitarist and visual artist Lewes Herriot.

<i>Mansions</i> (EP) 2008 EP by Mansions

Mansions EP is the second release from the band Mansions, released by Doghouse Records in 2008. The EP was intended as a teaser for the full-length album, New Best Friends, as it contains two tracks from the album, as well as two b-sides.

<i>New Best Friends</i> (album) 2009 studio album by Mansions

New Best Friends is the official debut album by Mansions.

<i>Manbox</i> 2009 EP by Mansions & Weatherbox

Manbox is the collaborative efforts of both Christopher Browder of Mansions and Brian Warren of Weatherbox. The EP was recorded over the internet between the two musicians. There were 200 hand-painted CD-R copies made of the release. Manbox was released through Doghouse Records.

<i>Thyme Travel</i> 2009 EP by Mansions

Thyme Travel is a rare EP released by Mansions in 2009. The music is performed primarily solo, with just vocals and an acoustic guitar. Only 190 copies were made.

<i>Best of the Bees</i> 2010 compilation album by Mansions

Best of the Bees is a compilation album by Mansions. The tracks on the album are all from The EP Initiative, a collection of seven EPs released throughout 2008. Christopher Browder of Mansions picked each song to appear on the compilation.

The Obsessives is an American rock band from Washington, D.C.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">As Friends Rust discography</span> Band discography

The discography of American melodic hardcore band As Friends Rust includes two studio albums, three compilation albums, four extended plays, four singles, one live video album, and two music videos. The original line-up recorded a demo tape in November 1996, but failing to secure a record deal, the band parted ways in February 1997. After reforming later that same year, but with a new line-up, the band recorded one new song and combined it with some of the demo's songs to create its debut EP, The Fists of Time, for Belgium's Good Life Recordings in July 1998. In December 1998, As Friends Rust released a split with Discount, also on Good Life.

References

  1. https://www.facebook.com/thisismansions/info [ user-generated source ]
  2. "Discography". www.mansionsmusic.com. Archived from the original on 2012-09-09.
  3. "Discography". www.mansionsmusic.com. Archived from the original on 2012-09-09.
  4. "Discography". www.mansionsmusic.com. Archived from the original on 2012-09-09.
  5. "Work | Mike Sapone". 20 October 2011.
  6. "Discography". www.mansionsmusic.com. Archived from the original on 2012-09-09.
  7. "Discography". www.mansionsmusic.com. Archived from the original on 2012-09-09.
  8. "Discography". www.mansionsmusic.com. Archived from the original on 2012-09-09.
  9. 1 2 "AP Recommends: Mansions" Alternative Press #276 (July 2011), p. 62.
  10. "Inicia la sessió a Facebook".
  11. "Discography". www.mansionsmusic.com. Archived from the original on 2012-09-09.
  12. "Hello Merch — Nolan/Mansions Split 7 Inch Vinyl". Archived from the original on 2013-01-22. Retrieved 2012-10-17.
  13. "Taking Back Sunday Announce TAYF Tour with Bayside, MOB, Transit, Mansions, Menzingers".
  14. "Clifton Motel". Archived from the original on 2013-09-02. Retrieved 2013-11-14.
  15. "Maintenance".
  16. "Mansions - Old Best Friends". Bad Timing Records. Retrieved 2021-11-02.