Reptar | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Athens, Georgia, United States |
| Genres | Alternative rock |
| Years active | 2009-present |
| Labels | Joyful Noise Recordings, Vagrant Records, Lucky Number Music |
| Members | Graham Ulicny Ryan Engelberger William Kennedy Andrew McFarland |
| Website | reptarmusic |
Reptar is an American band from Athens, Georgia founded by members Graham Ulicny (guitar, vocals), Ryan Engelberger (bass), William Kennedy (keyboards) and Andrew McFarland (drums).
Reptar was formed in 2008 in Athens, Georgia by vocalist Graham Ulicny, bassist Ryan Engelberger, keyboardist William Kennedy, and drummer Andrew McFarland. Local alt-weekly Flagpole described Reptar as "a staple of the local house-party scene at the turn of the decade". The four-piece toured heavily during their initial years, with comparisons to indietronica acts such as Passion Pit. AllMusic contributor Gregory Heaney described Reptar's sound as "exuberant indie rock [...] distinguished by punchy rhythms, shimmering synths, brass, and Graham Ulicny's idiosyncratic vocals." [1] The band's name is taken from the Rugrats character Reptar, which singer/guitarist Graham Ulicny explained "I first tried to name the band Invisible Boyfriend, and everybody goes, 'that is the stupidest name I have ever heard in my life.'" Said Ulicny: "[Reptar] is the second stupidest band name we have ever heard." [2]
The band's performance at the 2011 edition of South by Southwest increased their profile. That July, the band released their debut extended play, Oblangle Fizz Y'all, released through Vagrant Records and Make Records not Bombs. Both Oblangle and the band's debut studio album, Body Faucet , were produced by Ben H. Allen, known for his work with Animal Collective and Matt & Kim. Body Faucet was released in May 2012, [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] and reached number seven on the Billboard Heatseekers chart. [9] Online publication Pitchfork notably panned the album, with reviewer Ian Cohen deriding it as an amalgamation of "the past five years of top-shelf indie into some kind of frat party-stoking jungle juice." [10] Jace Bartlet (guitar) joined in 2012, playing his first show at the Georgia Theater for New Year's Eve 2011-2012.
During the exhaustive touring schedule for Body Faucet, the group's relationship with their record label and management grew poor. The band took a hiatus; frontman Ulicny briefly moved to California before returning to Athens to develop their second full-length. [11]
In 2014, the band began recording their second studio effort, Lurid Glow. Produced by local stalwart Andy LeMaster, known for his work with Conor Oberst and Drive-By Truckers, [1] the LP was recorded and funded during breaks in their touring schedule. For the release, the now quartet partnered with Joyful Noise Recordings for distribution. [11] As the album cycle for Lurid Glow drew to a close, Ulicny again relocated, this time to Nebraska, where he began to perform keyboards in the dance-punk act The Faint. In addition, the rest of the band's members pursued other projects as well: McFarland and Engelberger continued operating under the name Semicircle, [12] and Engelberger released solo material under the moniker Curt Castle. McFarland also joined the alt-country band Neighbor Lady, [13] while Jace Bartlet formed the metal outfit Double Ferrari.
In the interim years, the band has largely stayed inactive, regrouping on occasion for one-off concerts. In 2018, the quartet celebrated their tenth anniversary as a band with two shows in Athens and Atlanta. [14]
| Title | Album details |
|---|---|
| Body Faucet |
|
| Lurid Glow |
|
| Title | EP details |
|---|---|
| Oblangle Fizz Y'all (EP) |
|
| Year | Title | Label | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | "Houseboat Babies" / "Cannabis Canyon" (Radio Edit) | Make Records Not Bombs | Non-Album Tracks |
| 2012 | "Stuck In My Id" | Lucky Number Music | Oblangle Fizz Y'all (EP) |
| 2015 | "In Through The Eyelids" / "Delusional" | Joyful Noise Recordings | Non-Album Single |
The Faint is an American indie rock band. Formed in Omaha, Nebraska, the band consists of Todd Fink, Graham Ulicny, Dapose and Clark Baechle. The Faint was originally known as Norman Bailer and included Conor Oberst. He quit shortly after the band was formed, though the Faint continued to share a spot with Bright Eyes on Saddle Creek Records.
Rugrats is an American animated television series created by Arlene Klasky, Gábor Csupó, and Paul Germain for Nickelodeon. The series focuses on a group of toddlers, most prominently—Tommy, Chuckie, Angelica, and the twins Phil and Lil, and their day-to-day lives, usually involving life experiences that become much greater adventures in the imaginations of the main characters.
Heartbreaker is the debut solo studio album by American singer-songwriter Ryan Adams, released September 5, 2000, by Bloodshot Records. The album was recorded over fourteen days at Woodland Studios in Nashville, Tennessee. It was nominated for the 2001 Shortlist Music Prize. The album is said to be inspired by Adams' break-up with music industry publicist Amy Lombardi.
Sun Kil Moon is an American folk rock act from San Francisco, California, founded in 2002. Initially a continuation of the defunct indie rock band Red House Painters, Sun Kil Moon is now the primary recording moniker of vocalist and guitarist Mark Kozelek. The project is named after the Korean super flyweight boxer Sung-Kil Moon.
Why? is an American alternative hip hop and indie rock band. The band was founded in 2004 by Cincinnati rapper and singer Yoni Wolf, who had been using Why? as his stage name since 1997. In addition to Wolf, who serves as lead vocalist and multi-instrumentalist, the band consists of multi-instrumentalists and backing vocalists Doug McDiarmid and Matt Meldon, and drummer and backing vocalist Josiah Wolf, who is Yoni Wolf's older brother.
Kindercore Vinyl is a vinyl record pressing plant based in Athens, Georgia. It began as an independent record label, founded in 1996 by Ryan Lewis and Daniel Geller to help create a unified music scene of Athens. After the dissolution of the record label, Lewis and Geller partnered with Cash Carter and Bill Fortenberry to revive Kindercore as a vinyl pressing plant. Kindercore Vinyl is the only vinyl pressing plant in the state of Georgia.
The music of Athens, Georgia includes a wide variety of popular music and was an important part of the early evolution of alternative rock and new wave. The city is well known as the home of chart-topping bands like R.E.M., Widespread Panic, The B-52's and the Indigo Girls. and several long-time indie rock groups. Athens hosts the Athens Symphony Orchestra and other music institutions, as well as prominent local music media, such as the college radio station WUOG. Much of the modern Athens music scene relies on students from the large University of Georgia campus in the city. The University sponsors Western classical performances and groups specializing in other styles.
Benjamin Bridwell is an American singer, songwriter, record producer and musician. He is best known as the lead singer of the American rock band Band of Horses and a former member of the band Carissa's Wierd.
Dowsing Anemone with Copper Tongue is the second studio album by American avant-garde metal band Kayo Dot, released on Robotic Empire in 2006. The album received high praise from Pitchfork, Lambgoat, and Sputnikmusic, the last of whom named it the #2 album of 2006.
Dead Confederate was an American alternative rock band, formed in Augusta, Georgia and based in Athens, Georgia. The band's sound was described as a mix of alternative country, psychedelic rock and grunge, and has drawn comparisons to Nirvana and My Morning Jacket.
Wavves is an American rock band based in San Diego, California. Formed in 2008 by singer-songwriter Nathan Williams, the band also features Alex Gates, Stephen Pope and Ross Traver.
Dead Man's Bones is a rock duo consisting of Ryan Gosling and Zach Shields. Their first album, Dead Man's Bones, was released on October 6, 2009, through ANTI- records. The entire album is a collaboration with the Silverlake Conservatory Children's Choir — started by Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea — from Los Angeles, California. Gosling performs under the alias "Baby Goose".
Kevin Dunn, born 10 October 1951 in Jacksonville, Florida, is a guitarist, producer, and songwriter who first came to public notice in context of the fertile new wave scene that arose in Athens and Atlanta, GA, in the late 1970s. In 1975 he and collaborator Alfredo Villar formed the Fans, one of the first Southeastern bands for whom the influence of blues or country music was not primary, their chief inspiration lying instead in the British art rock of the era. The band issued three singles — the second of which, "Cars and Explosions", was produced by Mark Miller-Mundy and released on Dai Davies' Albion label, they disbanded in 1979.
Body Faucet is the debut studio album by Georgia-based alternative band Reptar, released on May 1, 2012.
The Hotelier is an American indie rock band from Worcester, Massachusetts, currently signed with Dreams of Field Recordings. The band's second album, Home, Like Noplace Is There, has been featured on Spin's "The 101 Best Albums of the 2010s" list and is considered an "essential emo album" by AltPress. The group has performed at the Pirate Satellite Festival, the Pitchfork Music Festival, and the Primavera Sound festival.
Yonatan Gat is an Israeli producer, guitarist, and composer based in New York City. His cross-genre work has been called "a vital new music form" by a "legendary live performer" by Magnet magazine, "melding punk, improvisation, world music, and avant garde".
Mothers was an American band from Athens, Georgia, United States, composed of Kristine Leschper, Matthew Anderegg, Chris Taylor, and Garrett Burke. They released their debut album When You Walk a Long Distance You Are Tired, on February 26, 2016. Their sophomore album, Render Another Ugly Method, released September 7, 2018.
Wuxtry Records is an independent record store in Athens, Georgia, that has operated since 1976. Its flagship shop is located at the corner of College Avenue and Clayton Street in downtown Athens, and is the oldest continuously operating record store in the state. The company was founded by Dan Wall and Mark Methe, and has operated several locations over the course of its history. Methe operates a shop under the Wuxtry name in Decatur, Georgia, which opened in 1978. The name also extends to Bizarro-Wuxtry, a comic shop that operates on the top floor of the Athens location, that focuses on rare comics, unusual toys and other novelties.
Claire Cronin is a singer-songwriter and author. She has released four albums: Over and Through (2015), Came Down a Storm (2016), Big Dread Moon (2019) and Bloodless (2021).
There are four boys who make up Reptar. They have offered twice as many (if not more) explanations for why they chose to name their band after a Rugrats character. But these days, the Athens, GA based group is sticking to this one: "I first tried to name the band Invisible Boyfriend," giggles singer-guitarist Graham Ulicny. "And everybody goes, 'that is the stupidest name I have ever heard in my life.'" So why Reptar? "It is the second stupidest band name we have ever heard."
| Authority control: Artists |
|---|
