Whirr | |
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Background information | |
Also known as | Whirl |
Origin | Modesto, California, U.S. |
Genres | |
Years active | 2010 | –present
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Spinoffs |
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Members |
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Past members |
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Website | freewhirlrecords |
Whirr is an American shoegaze band, formed in 2010 in Modesto, California. The band currently consists of vocalist/guitarist Loren Rivera, guitarist Nick Bassett, guitarist Joseph Bautista, bassist Eddie Salgado, and drummer Devin Nunes. The band underwent numerous lineups changes early in their history, including a rotating lineup of female vocalists and keyboardists and the departure of founding drummer Sergio Miranda, before settling on their current lineup in 2013.
As of 2024, Whirr has released three studio albums, two EPs, and two live albums. The band has seen a increased popularity amongst Generation Z listeners, and are considered to be one of the leading shoegaze bands of the 2010s.
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Originally known as Whirl, the band had to legally change its name after a woman performing acoustic covers of Black Sabbath songs trademarked the name and threatened a lawsuit. [1] Whirr's shoegaze sound is often compared to My Bloody Valentine and Slowdive. [1] [2]
Whirr self-released a demo cassette and the EP Distressor before signing to Tee Pee Records in 2011. The band released June that year, followed by their 2012 debut album, Pipe Dreams. The latter was met with a generally positive reception from music critics. [3] [4] [5] On October 16 of the same year, the band released a split with Anne on Run for Cover Records. [6]
Whirr released the Around EP on July 9, 2013, and toured to support it that August with the band Nothing. [7] [8] As a result of touring together, members of Nothing and Whirr formed a side project called Death of Lovers, [9] and Whirr and Nothing released a split EP. Bassett then joined Nothing on bass and toured with them. [10] Bassett also started a new indie pop project with former Whirr vocalist Alexandra Morte called Camera Shy, [11] while guitarist Joseph Bautista joined Best Coast as a touring member.
On September 23, 2014, Whirr released their second studio album, Sway, on Graveface Records. [12]
On October 25, 2019, Time Well Recordings announced that Whirr would be releasing their third studio album, Feels Like You. [13] Initially intended as a vinyl only release, the album was made available through the band's website as a limited pressing of 650 copies which sold out within the first day. Following this, the album was leaked online and the band opted to do an official digital release made available on Bandcamp. [14]
On February 14, 2023, Whirr announced the release of a live album – titled Live In Los Angeles. Orders of the album came with two new songs recorded in January 2023 at Earth Analog Studios Muta and Blue Sugar. [15]
Whirr became notorious for being inflammatory toward its own fans on social media, an action that the band described in a 2014 interview as "weeding out the pussies". [16] [17] After Pitchfork writer Ian Cohen gave Bassett's other band Nothing a mixed review, the band wrote on Facebook, "Ian Cohen is still a retarded pussy and pitchfork still don't know what they're talking about". [18] A fan-created Tumblr page documented Whirr's instances of insulting its fans. When given an offer to apologize, Bassett refused and said that if Whirr alienated its entire fanbase, he would "be stoked that we didn't suck anyone's dick as a band and were just real dudes being real." [17] On October 19, 2015, a series of derogatory remarks towards the transgender band G.L.O.S.S. were posted on Whirr's Twitter account, including one that read: "[G.L.O.S.S. is] just a bunch of boys running around in panties making shitty music". [19] These tweets resulted in a backlash on social media; Graveface, who released the band's Sway, and Run for Cover Records, who released three of their EPs, severed ties with the band. [16] In a 2024 interview, Nick Bassett expressed remorse over the band's past social media posts. [20]
Current members
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Slowdive are an English rock band that formed in Reading, Berkshire, in 1989. The band consists of Rachel Goswell, Neil Halstead, Christian Savill (guitars), Nick Chaplin (bass), and Simon Scott, all of whom played on the band's early records. Halstead is the band's primary songwriter.
Title Fight was an American rock band from Kingston, Pennsylvania, formed in 2003. They released three studio albums – Shed (2011), Floral Green (2012) and Hyperview (2015) – gradually shifting from a hardcore punk-oriented sound towards shoegaze and indie rock. Hyperview was released through Anti-, a record label to which the band signed in July 2014.
Deafheaven is an American post-metal band formed in 2010. Originally based in San Francisco, the group began as a two-piece with singer George Clarke and guitarist Kerry McCoy, who recorded and self-released a demo album together. Following its release, Deafheaven recruited three new members and began to tour. Before the end of 2010, the band signed to Deathwish Inc. and later released their debut album Roads to Judah, in April 2011. They popularized a unique style blending black metal, shoegaze, and post-rock, among other influences, later called "blackgaze" by reviewers.
Monster Movie is a British dream pop band originally formed by Christian Savill and Sean Hewson in 1989.
Kerry Dylan McCoy is an American musician, best known as the guitarist of San Francisco–based blackgaze band Deafheaven.
Nothing is an American shoegaze band formed in 2010 by vocalist-guitarist Domenic "Nicky" Palermo. The band has had a revolving lineup throughout its career, with Palermo being the sole constant member following the departure of longtime guitarist-vocalist Brandon Setta in 2019. The two guitarists shared songwriting duties during Setta's tenure in Nothing.
Perfect Pussy was an American rock band from Syracuse, New York. The band consisted of vocalist Meredith Graves, guitarist Ray McAndrew, drummer Garrett Koloski, bass guitarist Greg Ambler and keyboardist Shaun Sutkus. The band was known for its "frenetic brand of punk and raucous live shows" and has been described as "the most important punk band to come out of Syracuse since Earth Crisis."
Pity Sex are an American alternative rock band from Ann Arbor, Michigan. The band formed in 2011, and released two studio albums – Feast of Love (2013) and White Hot Moon (2016) – prior to their split. The band combined elements of indie rock, shoegaze, dream pop and noise rock in their music, and were described by Pitchfork as "post-coital pop-punk". The band announced its reunion in 2022, as part of the Sound & Fury festival line-up.
Camera Shy was an American indie pop band from Oakland, California. The duo consisted of instrumentalist Nick Bassett and vocalist Alexandra Morte. They released two EPs and one full-length album.
Whirr / Nothing is a split EP by the American shoegaze bands Whirr and Nothing, released on November 17, 2014 by Run for Cover. The EP was released digitally as well as in 12-inch vinyl format with an etched B-side packaged with a documentary DVD. Nothing announced the EP in February 2014, prior to the release of its debut album Guilty of Everything, describing the split release as "very accessible" and noting a tentative release date of early 2014.
Pipe Dreams is the debut studio album by alternative rock band Whirr, released on March 13, 2012 by Tee Pee Records. The album served as a follow-up to Distressor, the bands critically acclaimed debut EP.
Turnover is an American rock band from Virginia Beach, Virginia. Formed in 2009, the band is signed with the Run for Cover Records label. Turnover has released five albums, two EPs and two singles
Sway is the second studio album by American alternative rock band Whirr, released on September 23, 2014 by Graveface Records. The album marked the departure of previous lead singer Alexandra Morte, as well as the first release with Devin Nunes who replaced Sergio Miranda on drums. It was produced by Jack Shirley.
Youth Code is an American EBM duo, formed in 2012 by Sara Taylor and Ryan George in Los Angeles, California. The duo's musical style, following the model of early Wax Trax! Records, has been described as industrial music infused with "hardcore angst." Following their self-released Demonstrational Cassette in 2012 and a chance meeting with Psychic TV, Youth Code were invited to release their first single, "Keep Falling Apart", through Angry Love Productions. Since then, they have released two full-length studio albums, an EP, and two additional singles.
Tired of Tomorrow is the second studio album by American shoegaze band Nothing. It was released on May 13, 2016, by Relapse Records. It is the first Nothing album to feature bassist Nick Bassett, the guitarist of Whirr.
Mannequin Pussy is an American punk and indie rock band from Philadelphia, formed in 2010. The band currently consists of Marisa "Missy" Dabice, Kaleen Reading (drums), Colins "Bear" Regisford and Maxine Steen (guitar). During live performances, the band are joined by multi-instrumentalist Carolyn Haynes.
Nick Bassett is an American musician, producer and composer from Modesto, California. He was the bassist of shoegaze band Nothing and is the lead guitarist of shoegaze band Whirr. He also played guitar in the original lineup of blackgaze band Deafheaven.
Kristina Esfandiari is an American singer-songwriter and producer who writes music and performs under the monikers Dalmatian, Miserable, and NGHTCRWLR, and with the bands King Woman and Sugar High.
Dance on the Blacktop is the third studio album by American shoegaze band Nothing. It is the last album to feature bassist Nick Bassett and longtime guitarist-vocalist Brandon Setta before both departed the band between 2018 and 2019, respectively. The album was released on August 24, 2018 by Relapse Records.