Shy Child

Last updated
Shy Child
Shy-child1.jpg
Shy Child at the Oxygen Festival in London 2007
Background information
Origin New York City, New York, United States
Genres Indietronica, synthpop, alternative dance
Years active2000–2010
LabelsCurrent: Gigantic Music, Wall of Sound
Former: Kill Rock Stars, Say Hey Records, Romz Record, Grenadine Records
MembersPete Cafarella
Nate Smith
Website www.shychild.com

Shy Child were an American electronic music duo from New York City, United States, consisting of Pete Cafarella on vocals and synthesizers and Nate Smith on drums. [1]

Contents

History

Shy Child formed in the summer of 2000, when former college friends Pete Cafarella and Nate Smith separately moved to New York City. The duo shared a love for progressive rock and electronic music, and started playing music together in an attempt to create a fusion of the genres. Shy Child recorded their debut album, Please Consider Our Time , in 2001. Originally sold through local record shops, Grenadine Records signed the band [2] and re-released it proper in 2002, followed by the Humanity EP in 2003.

In 2004 the band released their second album, One with the Sun , on New York label Say Hey Records. Two singles were later released in the UK from the album, "The Noise Won't Stop" and "Technicrats", though the album itself was only released in North America.

Shy Child began playing steadily in the UK in 2006, and they also started working on their next album with producers Chris Zane and Paul Epworth. In the summer of 2006, they signed with UK label Wall of Sound. A U.S. tour supporting Hot Chip [3] followed in the fall.

In early 2007, Shy Child released the singles "Drop the Phone" and "Noise Won't Stop" in the UK. They supported Klaxons on their tour of England in May, the same month that they released their third album, Noise Won't Stop . The band toured extensively in the UK and Europe in the summer of 2007, playing at Barcelona Acció Musical, London's O2 Wireless Festival, the Reading and Leeds Festivals, and Bestival, among others. They also supported Muse at Wembley Stadium on June 17, 2007, becoming the first American act to play the new Wembley Stadium. The group released the single "Summer" in September 2007, followed by an October headline tour around the UK. "Drop the Phone" was re-released in November.

Shy Child toured New Zealand and Australia as part of the Big Day Out Festival in January and February 2008, and opened for Björk at the forecourt of the Sydney Opera House as well. "Noise Won't Stop" was released in the US by Kill Rock Stars in May 2008.

In March 2010, Shy Child released a new single, "Disconnected" and their fourth studio album, Liquid Love . A UK tour to support the album had to be rescheduled due to Cafarella suffering concussion. A second single, "Open Up the Sky", was released later in the year. In September 2010, Liquid Love was released in North America by Gigantic Music. This would be the duo's final project before becoming inactive, and they have not released any new material for over a decade after Liquid Love.

Side projects

Before Shy Child, Pete Cafarella had been playing synthesizer in El Guapo, later known as Supersystem. Nate Smith was drumming for another New York duo, Touchdown.

Instrumentation

Cafarella is well known for playing entire songs using only a keytar. The keytar in question, a Roland AX-7, accompanied the band through all of their tours until 2010, when it was replaced by two regular synthesizers. When asked about this, Cafarella responded with "[the keytar is] kinda broken", and also that he felt people were not taking the band seriously because of it.

Television

Shy Child performed "The Noise Won't Stop" on Channel 4's Transmission in May 2007. In June of the same year, they performed "Drop the Phone" on the BBC television show, Later... with Jools Holland . In October 2007, Shy Child performed the same song for Stella McCartney during the Swarovski Fashion Rocks event at Royal Albert Hall in London, which was broadcast worldwide. They have also appeared on the UK television shows The Culture Show , and Death Disco.

Discography

Studio albums

EPs

Singles

Remixes

Shy Child has remixed songs for Midnight Juggernauts, The Futureheads, Tokyo Police Club, Editors, and many others; their remixed version of The Boggs' "Arm in Arm" was featured in a trailer for Grand Theft Auto IV and appeared in the game. Artists and bands that have remixed Shy Child include Buraka Som Sistema, Busy P, Infadels, and others.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Chemical Brothers</span> British electronic music duo

The Chemical Brothers are an English electronic music duo formed by Ed Simons and Tom Rowlands in Manchester in 1989. They were pioneers in bringing the big beat genre to the forefront of pop culture.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bananarama</span> British and Irish pop group

Bananarama are a British and Irish pop group, formed as a trio in 1980 by friends Sara Dallin, Siobhan Fahey, and Keren Woodward. Fahey left the group in 1988 and was replaced by Jacquie O'Sullivan until 1991, when the trio became a duo. Their success on both pop and dance charts saw them listed in the Guinness World Records for achieving the world's highest number of chart entries by an all-female group. Between 1982 and 2009, they had 30 singles reach the Top 50 of the UK Singles Chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Erasure (duo)</span> English synth-pop duo

Erasure are an English synth-pop duo formed in London in 1985, consisting of lead vocalist and songwriter Andy Bell with songwriter, producer and keyboardist Vince Clarke, previously known as co-founder of the band Depeche Mode and a member of synth-pop duo Yazoo. From their fourth single, "Sometimes" (1986), Erasure established themselves on the UK Singles Chart, becoming one of the most successful acts of the mid-1980s to the mid-1990s. From 1986 to 2007, the pair achieved 24 consecutive top-40 entries in the UK singles chart. By 2009, 34 of their 37 chart-eligible singles and EPs had made the UK top 40, including 17 climbing into the top 10. At the 1989 Brit Awards, Erasure won the Brit Award for Best British Group.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yazoo (band)</span> British synthpop duo

Yazoo were an English synth-pop duo from Basildon, Essex, consisting of former Depeche Mode member Vince Clarke (keyboards) and Alison Moyet (vocals). The duo formed in late 1981 after Clarke responded to an advertisement Moyet placed in a British music magazine, although the pair had known each other since their school days.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ABC (band)</span> English pop band

ABC are an English pop band formed in Sheffield in 1980. Their classic line-up consisted of lead vocalist Martin Fry, guitarist and keyboardist Mark White, saxophonist Stephen Singleton, and drummer David Palmer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Utah Saints</span> English electronic music group

Utah Saints are an English electronic music duo consisting of members Jez Willis and Tim Garbutt. The band had three top-ten and another five top-40 singles on the UK Singles Chart in the 1990s, as well as number-one dance tracks in the UK and US. They were notable for pioneering use of sampling technology, in particular, their practice of manipulating samples from mainstream pop, rock, R&B and soul songs and combining them with contrasting dance beats, using the samples in a new context. The band wrote, produced and mixed all of their own music. The duo were joined on stage by additional musicians when they played live from 1991 to 2001. They were one of the first electronic groups to play as a live collective and supported both the Shamen and U2 live at 10 stadium shows. Since then the duo have performed live sets themselves.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jordan Rudess</span> American keyboardist

Jordan Rudess is an American keyboardist, composer, and software developer best known as a member of the progressive metal band Dream Theater and the progressive metal supergroup Liquid Tension Experiment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Supersystem (band)</span>

Supersystem was a band from Washington, D.C. described as a mix of rock, punk, pop and dance music. Originally El Guapo, the group changed their name after adding a new drummer and because of a general dislike of the original name. El Guapo consisted of keyboardist Pete Cafarella, guitarist Rafael Cohen, bassist "Justin Destroyer", and drummer Nate Smith; Smith left the band before they signed to Dischord. Supersystem consisted of Cafarella, Cohen, Moyer, and drummer Joshua Blair.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spank Rock</span> American rapper

Naeem Juwan Hanks, better known by his stage name Spank Rock, is an American rapper and songwriter from Baltimore. He rose to fame with his 2006 album YoYoYoYoYo, which was produced by former group member Alex Epton (XXXChange). A harbinger of post-millennial alternative rap, the duo became known for its mixing of disparate hip hop and club genres, including Baltimore club, Miami bass, electro music and rock.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cobra Starship</span> American band

Cobra Starship was an American dance-rock band from New York City, New York, formed in 2005 by Gabe Saporta. He recorded the first album as a solo project, While the City Sleeps, We Rule the Streets. Saporta later enlisted guitarist Ryland Blackinton, bassist Alex Suarez, drummer Nate Novarro, and keytarist Victoria Asher, all of whom provide backing vocals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chase & Status</span> English music duo

Chase & Status are an English electronic music duo composed of Saul Milton (Chase) and Will Kennard (Status). In addition, Andy Gangadeen is the drummer when the band performs live. MC Rage formerly performed as MC with the group, but left in July 2021 to focus on solo ventures. The duo are from London, and formed in 2003 after meeting at university in Manchester. The duo have since released six studio albums and collaborated with major artists such as Plan B, CeeLo Green, Rihanna, Example, and Tinie Tempah. They run the independent record label MTA Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Innerpartysystem</span> American electronic rock band

Innerpartysystem is an American electronic rock band. The group consists of Patrick Nissley, Jared Piccone and Kris Barman. The band is well known for their live performance lighting largely by Andrew Nissley and videos directed by Stephen Penta.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Passion Pit</span> American electropop band

Passion Pit is an American indie pop band from Cambridge, Massachusetts, formed in 2007 by band members Michael Angelakos, Ian Hultquist (Guitar/Synth), Ayad Al Adhamy (synth), Thom Plasse (bass), and Adam Levinsky (drums).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gaudi (musician)</span> Anglo-Italian musician

Daniele Gaudi, better known simply as Gaudi, is an Anglo-Italian musician, solo artist and record producer based in London, who specialises in dub music, electronica, reggae and worldbeat. His distinctive production sound appears in a number of albums nominated for Awards and prizes such as Grammy Award 2019 -Best Reggae Album Of The Year- for Mass Manipulation by Steel Pulse and BBC Radio 3 Awards for World Music 2008 for the album Dub Qawwali by Gaudi & Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. His music works and contributions have topped international charts such as: Billboard Reggae Chart no.1 with the album Heavy Rain by Lee "Scratch" Perry, Billboard Reggae Chart no.1 with the album Mass Manipulation by Steel Pulse, Billboard Reggae Chart no.1 with the album Vessel of Love by Hollie Cook, Billboard Reggae Chart no.2 with "Rainford" by Lee "Scratch" Perry, UK Dance Chart no.1 with of "Jus' Come ".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Aston Shuffle</span>

The Aston Shuffle is the name of Australian electronic music producer and DJ Vance Musgrove. They were initially a group until Mikah Freeman left in 2021, with Musgrove continuing on as a solo artist. In addition to DJ gigs and a recording career, the group hosted a weekly radio show on the ABC's Triple J on Friday nights called Friday Night Shuffle.

<i>One with the Sun</i> 2004 studio album by Shy Child

One with the Sun is the second studio album by New York City electronica duo Shy Child. The album is centered on the sun, with many songs containing lyrical themes about summer and sunshine.

<i>Noise Wont Stop</i> 2007 studio album by Shy Child

Noise Won't Stop is the third studio album by New York City electronica duo Shy Child.

<i>Liquid Love</i> (Shy Child album) 2010 studio album by Shy Child

Liquid Love is the fourth studio album by New York City synthpop duo Shy Child.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black Cards</span> American electronic band (2010–2012)

Black Cards was an American electronic music band that formed in July 2010 as Fall Out Boy bassist Pete Wentz's new main project following the band's indefinite hiatus. Originally conceived as a four-piece electropop band, Wentz played bass guitar and wrote the band's lyrics, while singer Bebe Rexha filled in on vocals. The pair met when Wentz and producer Sam Hollander overheard Rexha recording demos at their studio. Nate Patterson and Spencer Peterson completed the lineup with guitar and drums respectively.

Dynasty Electrik (aka Dynasty Electric) is an electronic rock and new age duo from Brooklyn, New York, and Los Angeles, California consisting of vocalist Jenny Electrik (Jennifer Deveau) and multi-instrumentalist Seth Misterka.

References

  1. "Shy Child". BBC Music. Retrieved 1 October 2019.
  2. "Shy Child". Grenadinerecords.com. Retrieved 4 October 2020.
  3. "Shy Child". The Guardian .