Secret Machines | |
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![]() Secret Machines, performing at Metro, on October 24, 2008. Left to right: Josh Garza, Phil Karnats, Brandon Curtis. | |
Background information | |
Origin | Dallas, Texas, United States |
Genres | Alternative rock, space rock, new prog |
Years active | 2000–2010; 2020-present |
Labels | Reprise |
Members | |
Past members | |
Website | thesecretmachinesofficial |
Secret Machines are an American alternative rock band, originally from Dallas, Texas, United States, before moving to New York City. The original lineup consisted of two brothers, Brandon (vocals, bass guitar and keyboards) and Benjamin Curtis (guitar and backing vocals), and Josh Garza (drums). Benjamin left the band in March 2007 to focus on his work with School of Seven Bells, and was replaced on guitar by Phil Karnats. The re-activated band is a two-piece, with the remaining members being Brandon Curtis and Josh Garza. [1]
Before forming Secret Machines, the members played in various Dallas bands such as UFOFU, Captain Audio, Comet, When Babies Eat Pennies, and Tripping Daisy. Captain Audio was formed by Garza and vocalist/guitarist/chief songwriter Regina Chellew in the late Nineties as a two-piece noise duo. [2] Brandon—and occasionally Ben—Curtis joined soon after as the original duo began to develop a more standard rock sound. In a little over a year they had recorded and released the EP My Ears Are Ringing But My Heart's OK and the full-length Luxury Or Whether It Is Better To Be Loved Than Feared. Shortly after the release of Luxury the band went on extended hiatus and eventually disbanded when Garza and the Curtis brothers moved to New York, leaving Chellew in Dallas to form the band Chao and later join indie pop outfit The Happy Bullets.
The band first recorded their EP September 000 in Chicago, six weeks after forming. Upon moving to New York the band further developed their sound and signed to Warner Brothers. [3] In 2004, Secret Machines released their debut album, Now Here Is Nowhere . The song "Nowhere Again" was used in promotional spots during its launch and appeared in the 2006 video game Driver: Parallel Lines . [4] Contemporary reviews for the album were favourable. [5] The band's second EP, The Road Leads Where It's Led, was released on June 7, 2005. During this time, the band opened for Interpol during their 2004 tour [6] before supporting Oasis in Europe in 2005 [7] and co-headlining a US tour with Kings of Leon. [8]
French director Charles De Meaux teamed up with the band for a film set in the Texas town of Marfa and included footage of the band recording new material and included an outdoor "concert" at night. [9] The new "Marfa Song" was exclusively available in the film. [10]
In 2006, Ten Silver Drops , their second album, leaked onto file-sharing websites following the release of their lead single "Alone, Jealous and Stoned" in the UK. The album was critically-acclaimed by many publications. [11] They embarked on a series of tours in support of the album, including opening for U2 for three dates in Mexico. [12] Following the album's release, the band were interviewed for radio by David Bowie – a fan of the band. [13]
On March 3 2007, Benjamin Curtis announced his departure in order to focus full-time on his new band, School of Seven Bells. On December 29, 2013, Curtis died of lymphoma in New York City at age 35. [14]
After Ben's departure from the band, Secret Machines played two shows in New York, one at the Annex, [15] and the other at the newly opened Highline Ballroom. [15] At these shows, the band played mostly new material off of their next album. They included two new members: Blasco (Interpol's touring keyboardist) on guitar, keyboards, and bass, and ex-Tripping Daisy member Phil E. Karnats on guitar. Since these shows, Karnats has become the official guitarist of the band, replacing Ben.
The band finished recording quickly during May 2007 and released a new, self-titled album in the United States on October 14, 2008, [16] on their newly formed TSM recording and distributed by Worlds Fair Records. [17] Karnats announced on his MySpace blog that he recorded guitar parts for the album and would continue to play live with the band.
In 2010, a new single "Like I Can" along with "A terrible light" was released digitally, and Brandon announced plans for a new Secret Machines album, to be titled The Moth, The Lizard and The Secret Machines . While no official announcement was made, the band was inactive since 2010.
In 2016, Run Out Groove Records, a subsidiary of Warner Brothers, announced that fans had voted Now Here is Nowhere as the new label's third project for vinyl re-issue. [18] This marked the first release of the title in the U.S. on vinyl, limited to 1,625 copies. On September 10, 2018, the label announced that the band's album Ten Silver Drops had been voted by fans as the next ROG re-release and would include a six-song bonus disc containing B-sides and unreleased alternate versions of songs. [19] Subsequently, Run Out Groove announced the release of a double live album culled from a show on January 18, 2006 at the London nightclub The Garage. [20]
In January 2018 Brandon published on his twitter account a video of himself and drummer Josh Garza in the studio recording drums, leading to speculation of a return to activity for the band. On June 26 the band announced the availability of Awake in the Brain Chamber , to be released digitally and in a limited 500 copy vinyl release of August 21, 2020 via TSM Recordings. [21] The band addressed the long period of inactivity and the rebirth of the band in press coverage of the release. A single, "Talos' Corpse", was released simultaneously. [21] "Awake in the Brain Chamber" is performed by Brandon Curtis and Josh Garza, featuring musicians Benjamin Curtis, Chris Kyle, Brian Bisordi and Sarah Pedinotti (of Okkervil River and LipTalk). Songs were mixed by Claudius Mittendorfer [22] and mastered by Joe Lambert. Original album artwork was by Danny Scales. [23] In promotional interviews the band indicated the shelved album from 2010, "the Moth, The Lizard and the Secret Machines" would be released. [24]
The Secret Machines released two companion EP's digitally and on cassette tape, Day 21 and dreaming of dreaming, in July 2022. Day 21 consisted of previously un-released material. Dreaming of Dreaming contains a re-mixed version of the 2008 EP as well as an alternate version recorded with Peter Mavrogeorgis on guitar and Jim Sclavunos contributing percussions. [25]
In September it was announced that The Secret Machines would accompany Metric on the US leg of their Doomscroller tour with Phil Karnats re-joining on guitar for the tour.
Secret Machines has been described as progressive rock with some krautrock influences. They describe themselves as space rock. Many have also cited Secret Machines as a style of shoegaze.
The band described Ten Silver Drops as "being influenced by our love for Brian Eno and all things experimental, on the other hand was our love for The Beatles." [26]
They have toured with U2, [27] Foo Fighters, Spiritualized, Oasis, [28] Interpol, [29] M83, Kings of Leon, [30] among others. Secret Machines supported the British rock trio Muse at London's Earls Court in December 2004. They appeared at Lollapalooza 2006 in Chicago and the Carling Reading and Leeds Festivals in England in the same year, as well as the Austin City Limits Music Festival in Texas. On September 7, 2022, Emily Haines of Metric announced that Secret Machines will be supporting Metric on the U.S. leg of their Doomscroller tour.
The band contributed three tracks to the soundtrack for the 2007 film Across the Universe : a duet of "I Am the Walrus" with Bono on lead vocals, and the instrumentals "Flying", and "Blue Jay Way".
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Now Here is Nowhere is the debut studio album by American rock band Secret Machines. It was released on May 18, 2004. The songs on the album are reminiscent of Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin, with krautrock and shoegazing influences.
The Road Leads Where It's Led is The Secret Machines' second EP, released in 2005. In addition to the title-track, a single from their first album, Now Here Is Nowhere, the EP includes several cover versions, including Van Morrison's "Astral Weeks" and Bob Dylan's "Girl From the North Country," and a new song called "Better Bring Your Friends."
Ten Silver Drops is the second full-length album by the American rock band The Secret Machines. It was released exclusively through the iTunes Music Store on February 28, 2006, while the street date for the CD was April 25, 2006. The first single from the album, "Alone, Jealous and Stoned", was released in the United Kingdom on January 16, 2006, and in the US shortly thereafter. On January 29, 2006, Ten Silver Drops leaked onto file sharing websites following the release of the album's lead single in the UK.
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Brandon Curtis is the vocalist, bassist, and keyboardist in the space rock band The Secret Machines. Originally from Norman, Oklahoma, he was friends with members of The Flaming Lips, The Chainsaw Kittens and Tripping Daisy. Brandon and his brother Benjamin moved to Dallas and formed The Secret Machines in the early 2000s with drummer Josh Garza. The trio later moved to New York City, where Benjamin eventually left the band to pursue a career in his previous side project, School of Seven Bells.
Josh Garza is an American musician and drummer for the New York City–based rock band The Secret Machines, as well as the Los Angeles–based rock band EFG. Originally from the Dallas, Texas area, Garza formed the Secret Machines with brothers Ben and Brandon Curtis, and EFG with guitarist and vocalist, Imaad Wasif, later joined by bassist and engineer, Tom Biller.[1] He was part of the original lineup for the noise pop band COMET, and in the late 1990s, Captain Audio.[2]
School of Seven Bells was an American indie rock band from New York City, formed in 2007. It originally consisted of Alejandra Deheza, her sister Claudia Deheza and Benjamin Curtis. Claudia left the group in 2010, and Curtis died of lymphoma in 2013. Using demos of songs Curtis had written prior to and during his illness, the band's fourth and final album, SVIIB, was completed posthumously and released in February 2016.
Secret Machines is the third album by the alternative group The Secret Machines. The band self-released the follow-up to 2006's Ten Silver Drops in the US on October 14 and it was scheduled for release in Europe in mid-January 2009. The album was recorded in New York City and produced by the band and Brandon Mason. It is their first album with the band's new guitarist Phil Karnats, who replaced Benjamin Curtis after he left the group in March 2007.
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Awake in the Brain Chamber is the fourth full-length studio album by American indie rock band Secret Machines, released by TSM Recordings on August 8, 2020. The album has received positive reviews from critics and is a comeback recording after the band had been dormant for several years and features some posthumous recordings from former frontman Benjamin Curtis.
The Moth, the Lizard, and the Secret Machines is the fifth full-length studio album by American indie rock band Secret Machines, released by TSM Recordings on February 17, 2023. It is the second release after the death of former guitarist Benjamin Curtis and includes recordings finalized from his lifetime.
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