Extra Life is an experimental band from Brooklyn

Brooklyn

Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...

. They are known for using unusual rhythms and time signatures, and for Charlie Looker's (ex Zs

Zs (band)

Zs is a Brooklyn, New York based experimental/avant-garde band.Zs was founded in 2000 by tenor saxophonist and composer Sam Hillmer. Since the band’s inception ZS has incarnated as everything from a sextet to a duo, most recently featuring Ben Greenberg , Tony Lowe , and Ian Antonio , in addition...

 and Dirty Projectors

Dirty Projectors

The Dirty Projectors aka David Longstreth includes Amber Coffman , Angel Deradoorian , Brian McOmber , Nat Baldwin , and Haley Dekle during live performances...

) unique singing style, which often uses melisma

Melisma

Melisma, in music, is the singing of a single syllable of text while moving between several different notes in succession. Music sung in this style is referred to as melismatic, as opposed to syllabic, where each syllable of text is matched to a single note.-History:Music of ancient cultures used...

 and is reminiscent of medieval and Renaissance music

Renaissance music

Renaissance music is European music written during the Renaissance. Defining the beginning of the musical era is difficult, given that its defining characteristics were adopted only gradually; musicologists have placed its beginnings from as early as 1300 to as late as the 1470s.Literally meaning...

.

Other members of Extra Life also play in a number of other bands. Nick Podgurski plays drums in Yukon

Yukon (band)

Yukon is a three-piece experimental band from Baltimore, MD.The band consists of Nick Podgurski , Sam Garrett and Brad Smith . Members of Yukon are involved in/have been involved with Brooklyn's Extra Life, Hex Screw and Charm City Suicides...

. Caley Monahon-Ward plays violin in Snowblink.

Math rock

Math rock

Math rock is a rhythmically complex guitar-based style of experimental rock that emerged in the 1980s and that was very influenced by progressive rock like King Crimson, Frank Zappa, Henry Cow - and 20th century composers such as Steve Reich and John Cage...

 artist Tyondai Braxton

Tyondai Braxton

Tyondai Braxton is an American composer and performer, largely known as the former guitarist/singer of Battles, and as a prominently featured artist on record label Warp Records...

 of Battles

Battles (band)

Battles is an American experimental rock group, founded in 2002 in New York City, comprising guitarists Ian Williams and Dave Konopka , and drummer John Stanier .-Biography:...

 recommended the band on their myspace, saying "Totally scored out. Awkward rhythm. Amazing".

Discography

• Extra Life (EP) (EP) (2008)
• Secular Works
  Secular Works
  -Track listing:#"Blackmail Blues" - 8:54#"I Don't See It That Way" - 8:02#"I'll Burn" - 10:22#"The Refrain" - 2:55#"This Time" - 10:04#"See You At The Show" - 7:52#"Bled White" - 2:23-Personnel:Charlie Looker: Guitar, Vocals...
  
   (2008)
• A Split (split EP with Nat Baldwin
  Dirty Projectors
  The Dirty Projectors aka David Longstreth includes Amber Coffman , Angel Deradoorian , Brian McOmber , Nat Baldwin , and Haley Dekle during live performances...
  
  ) (2008)
• Made Flesh
  Made Flesh
  Made Flesh is the second album by Extra Life. According to Rock-A-Rolla magazine, the album is "darker, harder and bleaker" than its predecessor Secular Works...
  
   (2010)
• Larkin Grimm / Extra Life 12" (split single with Larkin Grimm
  Larkin Grimm
  Larkin Grimm is an American singer-songwriter and musician born in Memphis, Tennessee.She was born into a monastic order called Holy Order of MANS...
  
  ) (2011)
• Ripped Heart (EP) (2011)

External links

• [ Allmusic biography: Extra Life]
• Interview with Charlie Looker in Impose Magazine
• http://stereogum.com/archives/band-to-watch/new-extra-life-blackmail-blues-the-refrain_009654.html"Band to watch: Extra Life" on Stereogum
  Stereogum
  Stereogum was one of the first MP3 blogs. It was created by Scott Lapatine in January 2002 with a focus on independent and alternative music news, downloads, videos, and gossip. Stereogum has received several awards and citations, including the 2008 Plug Award for best music blog, Blender's...
  
  ]