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The Sound of Animals Fighting | |
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Origin | Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
Genres | Experimental rock, art rock, progressive rock, post-hardcore, math rock, ambient |
Years active | 2004-2009, 2014, 2019, 2022 |
Labels | Stars & Satellites, Equal Vision, Epitaph |
Members | Rich Balling Anthony Green Matt Embree Chris Tsagakis Steve Choi |
Website | thesoundofanimalsfighting |
The Sound of Animals Fighting is an American rock supergroup founded by Rich Balling of Rx Bandits. In the band's initial run, they released a trilogy of records between 2004 and 2008, and performed only four live shows, following their second release in 2006. The band's live lineup consisted of 12 different musicians. The band often employed the use of animal masks to conceal their identity. The group was inactive after 2009, with brief spurts of touring in 2014 and 2019, before announcing a new extended play and nationwide US tour in 2022.
The group performed only one small run of shows in Southern California and Las Vegas from August 24 to August 27, 2006. Matt Embree (Rx Bandits), Anthony Green (Circa Survive), Craig Owens (Chiodos), and Technology (Rx Bandits' Chris Tsagakis' side project) were the opening acts. Prior to the shows, it was difficult to envision which members would be performing at the live shows; Rx Bandits members Matt Embree, Steve Choi, Chris Tsagakis, and bassist Joe Troy were a few of the confirmed musicians. The band released a DVD documenting the shows entitled "We Must Become The Change We Want To See."
Aaron Nagel and Norton Wisdom (see Banyan) did live paintings on stage during the band's set..
On October 15, 2007, Balling stated in a bulletin and blog post on the group's Myspace page [1] that there would be a new album released on Epitaph Records in the future.
Vocal credits include Embree making his first vocal appearance on "Blessings..." and Green returning for the title track,"I, the Swan," "Another Leather Lung," and "The Heraldic Beak of the Manufacturer's Medallion," and Balling returning on "I, the Swan," "Cellophane," and "On the Occasion.." Matthew Kelly appears on "On the Occasion." Other vocalists include Jessica Mcwhirter (The Lings) on "On the Occasion," and Lauren Coleman on "Uzbekistan" and spoken word on the title track. Charlene Rogers appears performing spoken word on "Ahab" and Mark Bush appears playing trumpet during "Cellophane."
The band issued a series of 400 masks, 100 of each of four designs, paired with a 7" for a limited preorder of the album.
On July 8, 2009, the band posted a MySpace blog entry [2] with links to official music videos for "I, the Swan" and "Another Leather Lung."
On December 29, 2009, at an Anthony Green show at the Roxy, Matt Embree joined Green on stage and performed combined versions of "Skullflower" and "Stockhausen, Es Ist Ihr Gehirn, Das Ich Suche." [3]
Guitarist Matt Embree and drummer Chris Tsagakis played abridged versions of several songs by the group under the name "Biceratops" at Alex's Bar in Long Beach, CA on January 15, 2010.
It was announced on November 12, 2013, that the band would be playing seven shows in March 2014. [4]
In December 2018, the band announced they would be playing 8 shows in February–March 2019. [5] The Sound of Animals Fighting had been "almost silent" since their tour in 2014.
In October 2022, it was announced that the band would be playing 13 shows in January 2023. [6]
On December 8, 2022, TSOAF released a four-track EP Apeshit via Born Losers Records, marking their first studio material released in 14 years. [7] In October 2023, the group released a live album on VHS & vinyl titled, Live In Philadelphia, that was recorded at Franklin Music Hall during the band's 2023 tour.
The band's live lineup consisted of 12 musicians in 2006, most of whom contributed to at least one studio album. At the time, every member of Rich Balling's former band, the RX Bandits, were members of the live lineup .
2006 Live Lineup
The samples that Ryan Baker supplied via laptop were female vocals and additional instruments such as turntables and horns that Rich Balling provided on record but chose not to physically play live.
In 2014, the live lineup consisted of only seven musicians, "the core four and guests" as Rich Balling said in a 2014 interview.
2014 Live Lineup
2019 and 2023 Live Lineup
Rx Bandits are a band based in Seal Beach, California, United States. The band formed in 1995 in Orange County, California. They have appeared on the Vans Warped Tour, at the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival, Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, and The Bamboozle. In the UK they have appeared at Reading/Leeds Fesitval & Slam Dunk Festival.
Outlaws is an American Southern rock band from Tampa, Florida. They are best known for their 1975 hit "There Goes Another Love Song" and extended guitar jam "Green Grass and High Tides" from their 1975 debut album, plus their 1980 cover of the Stan Jones classic "(Ghost) Riders in the Sky".
BMX Bandits are a Scottish guitar pop band formed in Bellshill in 1986. Led by songwriter and lead vocalist Duglas T. Stewart, their music is heavily influenced by 1960s pop. They have shared members with numerous other local bands, including Teenage Fanclub and the Soup Dragons. BMX Bandits were a favourite band of Kurt Cobain, who said "If I could be in any other band, it would be BMX Bandits". In 2011, they were the subject of the documentary Serious Drugs: A Film About BMX Bandits.
Tyketto is an American hard rock band, based in New York City, New York, United States. The group was put together in 1987 by the former Waysted vocalist Danny Vaughn, with Brooke St. James (guitar), Jimi Kennedy (bass), and Michael Clayton (drums).
Anthony Green is an American singer from Doylestown, Pennsylvania. He is currently the lead singer of Circa Survive, Saosin, The Sound of Animals Fighting, and L.S. Dunes, while also maintaining a solo career. He was previously in the bands Audience of One, Jeer at Rome, High and Driving, and Zolof the Rock & Roll Destroyer. Green is known for his distinctive, high vocal timbre.
Progress is an album released by Rx Bandits on July 17, 2001 through Drive-Thru Records.
Zappa Plays Zappa is an American tribute act led by Dweezil Zappa, the elder son of late American composer and musician Frank Zappa, devoted to performing the music of Frank Zappa.
The Resignation is the fourth full-length release from American ska punk band Rx Bandits. It peaked at #148 on the Billboard 200 and #5 on Top Heatseekers.
...And the Battle Begun is an album by the Rx Bandits. It is the band's first album released by Matt Embree's label Mash Down Babylon. The album was released in stores on October 10, 2006, but was first made available in late June both directly from the band whilst on their 2006 summer tour and online via their website.
Satori started in 2005 as a side project for Steve Borth, former saxophonist for Rx Bandits. The band released Savor Every Moment in 2005 on Asian Man Records. Other musicians on the album included other Rx Bandits members Matt Embree, Chris Tsagakis (drums), Chris Sheets (trombone), and Steve Choi (keyboards) with Borth taking saxophone and lead vocal duties. In June 2006, Borth left Rx Bandits to focus his attention to Satori.
Facing New York is a three-piece progressive indie rock band from the Bay Area, California, formed in January 2004. The band is signed to Nice Life Recording Company and has released three full-length albums.
Joseph Troy was the bassist and backing vocalist for the band Rx Bandits and sings and plays bass in the garage-punk duo Coke vs. Bills along with childhood friend Matthew Embree, the lead singer and guitarist of Rx Bandits. He also plays bass in Chiodos and for The Sound of Animals Fighting during their live shows.
Christopher Tsagakis is one of the founding members and current drummer for the band Rx Bandits. He is also a member of The Sound of Animals Fighting, with former bandmates Rich Balling and Matt Embree. Tsagakis' also has an electronic side project entitled Technology.
Rich Balling is an American musician, producer, and curator. He is best known for being a former member of Rx Bandits. He is also known for his work in Pyramids, The Sound of Animals Fighting, and being the editor of two books Revolution on Canvas and its sequel Revolution on Canvas 2.
The Ocean and the Sun is the third album by experimental rock band The Sound of Animals Fighting. The album features only the four core members that had appeared on both the first and second albums: the Nightingale, the Walrus, the Lynx and The Skunk.
Mandala is the sixth full-length studio album from Rx Bandits. Released on July 28, 2009, it is the band's second album released through Sargent House, and their first as a 4-piece band.
Matthew Embree is an American singer and guitarist best known as the frontman of Rx Bandits. He also plays guitar and provides occasional vocals for The Sound of Animals Fighting, in which he is known as "The Walrus". He produced their last album The Ocean and the Sun. Since 2016, Embree has been a touring member of Dispatch (band).
Zechs Marquise was an American psychedelic rock band, formed in El Paso, Texas in 2003.
Before Gardens After Gardens is the third album by Big Sir. The album features contributions by The Mars Volta’s Cedric Bixler-Zavala and Deantoni Parks, Rx Bandits’ Matt Embree and Steve Choi, bassist Jonathan Hischke and Beastie Boys producer Money Mark.
Gemini, Her Majesty is the 7th studio album released by the Rx Bandits released on July 22, 2014 through MDB Records. The album was preceded by two singles, "Stargazer" and "Meow! Meow! Space Tiger". For this record, the band were less concerned about replicating their on-stage sound, as guitarist Steve Choi explained: "The main difference is that this time around, we didn't write with being live in mind". This album peaked #39 on the Billboard 200, but was only on chart for a week.