Flashlight Brown
Encyclopedia
Flashlight Brown is a Canadian punk rock
band, originally from Guelph, Ontario
, who formed in 1996.
, Ontario
. At first, they were unable to get the attention of nightclub owners, so they devised a fictitious talent agency, called the Harry Wells Booking Agency, which would "represent" them. With the agency as their intermediate, they quickly gained enough recognition to go on tour.
They began touring across Canada in a van. In 1997, they managed to release a self-titled debut album through the Quebec
-based Stomp Records, which they would follow up with the Running Season LP two years later. During this time they also managed to film a video for their song "Sonia Bianchi", which received air time on Much Music.
By 2001, the band had established a national touring schedule and had added the word "Brown" to their name, after some pressure from a 1970s funk band called "Flashlight". They then released another self-titled album (under the new name) through Union 2112 (the new version of Stomp, which had recently merged with 2112 Records).
Midway through their 2002 tour, the band was contacted by Rob Cavallo
(of Green Day
fame), a man who was admired by the band members. Cavallo flew the band to Los Angeles
, originally to record a two-song demo, but this quickly turned into a record deal with Hollywood Records
. In April 2003, the band released their major label debut, My Degeneration
, an album they deemed to be a "culmination of a 6 year career of living on the edge between a dream and despair". The album featured many re-recorded, old favourites along with some new material.
In 2003, the band played over 200 dates in North America. They played various popular festivals such as Warped Tour
, Lollapalooza
and Snow Jam. In early 2004, they appeared on The Toronto Show
.
In 2005, it was announced that they would be recording a new album with Hollywood Records called Blue
. The album was completed in early 2006 and the band released two songs, "Save it for Later" and "I'm a Human", on their website. In April, the album was then released in advance on iTunes
. The album's release date was then set for June 6.
Also in April 2006, it was announced by Matt Hughes on the Flashlight Brown forums that Mike Conroy would be leaving the band for personal reasons http://www.flashlightbrown.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?board=565;action=display;num=1144902525. Bart Doroz, formerly of The Getaway, was brought in to replace him on guitar.
When June came around, Blue's release was delayed for undisclosed reasons. The nature of the delay has still been left to speculation, however, in early July the band's website went down and their myspace account had the following message posted:
In January 2007, a video for the Blue single Sicker was released, followed by the full album. In a generally favourable review, Chart magazine
wrote, "It's the kind of pop-rock that isn't merely catchy, it's rewarding after repeated listens." Exclaim!
s review was more negative, saying, "While the energy and enthusiasm put forth on tracks such as "Sicker,” "Get Out Of My Car” and "Party By Myself” is admirable, there’s a distinct stench of immaturity here that detracts from the overall product."
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
band, originally from Guelph, Ontario
Guelph, Ontario
Guelph is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada. Known as "The Royal City", Guelph is roughly east of Waterloo and west of downtown Toronto at the intersection of Highway 6 and Highway 7. It is the seat of Wellington County, but is politically independent of it...
, who formed in 1996.
Biography
Fil, Mike, Matt and Tim formed a band, then simply called "Flashlight", out of boredom and frustration and quickly moved from the small college town of Guelph to the much larger TorontoToronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
. At first, they were unable to get the attention of nightclub owners, so they devised a fictitious talent agency, called the Harry Wells Booking Agency, which would "represent" them. With the agency as their intermediate, they quickly gained enough recognition to go on tour.
They began touring across Canada in a van. In 1997, they managed to release a self-titled debut album through the Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
-based Stomp Records, which they would follow up with the Running Season LP two years later. During this time they also managed to film a video for their song "Sonia Bianchi", which received air time on Much Music.
By 2001, the band had established a national touring schedule and had added the word "Brown" to their name, after some pressure from a 1970s funk band called "Flashlight". They then released another self-titled album (under the new name) through Union 2112 (the new version of Stomp, which had recently merged with 2112 Records).
Midway through their 2002 tour, the band was contacted by Rob Cavallo
Rob Cavallo
Rob Cavallo is a record producer and A&R, most famous for signing and producing Green Day. He is currently Chairman of Warner Bros. Records.- History :...
(of Green Day
Green Day
Green Day is an American punk rock band formed in 1987. The band consists of lead vocalist and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong, bassist and backing vocalist Mike Dirnt, and drummer Tre Cool...
fame), a man who was admired by the band members. Cavallo flew the band to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, originally to record a two-song demo, but this quickly turned into a record deal with Hollywood Records
Hollywood Records
Hollywood Records is an American record label owned by Disney Music Group, a subsidiary of the Walt Disney Company.-History:Hollywood Records was founded in 1989 by then-Disney CEO Michael Eisner with the idea of expanding the music operations of the company and to develop and promote...
. In April 2003, the band released their major label debut, My Degeneration
My Degeneration
My Degeneration is the fourth release from Flashlight Brown and is their major-label debut.This album came to be after Rob Cavallo contacted the band during one of their many tours of Canada. Cavallo was interested in recording two songs with the band, but this quickly turned into an entire album...
, an album they deemed to be a "culmination of a 6 year career of living on the edge between a dream and despair". The album featured many re-recorded, old favourites along with some new material.
In 2003, the band played over 200 dates in North America. They played various popular festivals such as Warped Tour
Warped Tour
The Warped Tour is a touring music and extreme sports festival. The tour is held in venues such as parking lots or fields upon which the stages and other structures are erected. The BMX/skateboarding shoe manufacturer Vans, among others, has sponsored the tour every year since 1995, and it is...
, Lollapalooza
Lollapalooza
Lollapalooza is an annual music festival featuring popular alternative rock, heavy metal, punk rock and hip hop bands, dance and comedy performances, and craft booths. It has also provided a platform for non-profit and political groups. The music festival hosts more than 160,000 people over a...
and Snow Jam. In early 2004, they appeared on The Toronto Show
The Toronto Show
The Toronto Show was a Canadian television variety show, which aired from 2003 to 2005 on Toronto's independent station Toronto 1.The show was hosted by Enis Esmer, except for a series of specials hosted by Alan Park, Sean Cullen and others....
.
In 2005, it was announced that they would be recording a new album with Hollywood Records called Blue
Blue (Flashlight Brown album)
Blue is the fifth release from Flashlight Brown. The album was intended to be their second release from Hollywood Records but weeks before the release of the album, the band left the label for undisclosed reasons...
. The album was completed in early 2006 and the band released two songs, "Save it for Later" and "I'm a Human", on their website. In April, the album was then released in advance on iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
. The album's release date was then set for June 6.
Also in April 2006, it was announced by Matt Hughes on the Flashlight Brown forums that Mike Conroy would be leaving the band for personal reasons http://www.flashlightbrown.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?board=565;action=display;num=1144902525. Bart Doroz, formerly of The Getaway, was brought in to replace him on guitar.
When June came around, Blue's release was delayed for undisclosed reasons. The nature of the delay has still been left to speculation, however, in early July the band's website went down and their myspace account had the following message posted:
- "Hi all. Due to extreme differences of opinion, we are no longer with Hollywood Records. These circumstances have forced us to cancel all our summer touring. Apologies to all, especially to those who have been patiently waiting for the release of a record that is 3 years overdue. The record will come out soon and we will let you know when it becomes available in your country. Thanks for being there for us and we can't wait to play again in your hometown."
In January 2007, a video for the Blue single Sicker was released, followed by the full album. In a generally favourable review, Chart magazine
Chart (magazine)
ChartAttack is a Canadian online music publication. Formerly a monthly print magazine called Chart, which was published from 1991 to 2009, the web version continues operation....
wrote, "It's the kind of pop-rock that isn't merely catchy, it's rewarding after repeated listens." Exclaim!
Exclaim!
Exclaim! is a monthly Canadian music magazine that features in-depth coverage of new music across all genres with special focus on Canadian and cutting-edge artists...
s review was more negative, saying, "While the energy and enthusiasm put forth on tracks such as "Sicker,” "Get Out Of My Car” and "Party By Myself” is admirable, there’s a distinct stench of immaturity here that detracts from the overall product."
Discography
- Flashlight (1997, Stomp Records)
- Running Season (1999, Stomp Records)
- Flashlight Brown (2001, Union 2112)
- FlashlightBrown MadCaddies (Split EP) (2002, Union 2112)
- My DegenerationMy DegenerationMy Degeneration is the fourth release from Flashlight Brown and is their major-label debut.This album came to be after Rob Cavallo contacted the band during one of their many tours of Canada. Cavallo was interested in recording two songs with the band, but this quickly turned into an entire album...
(2003, Hollywood RecordsHollywood RecordsHollywood Records is an American record label owned by Disney Music Group, a subsidiary of the Walt Disney Company.-History:Hollywood Records was founded in 1989 by then-Disney CEO Michael Eisner with the idea of expanding the music operations of the company and to develop and promote...
) - BlueBlue (Flashlight Brown album)Blue is the fifth release from Flashlight Brown. The album was intended to be their second release from Hollywood Records but weeks before the release of the album, the band left the label for undisclosed reasons...
(2006, Hollywood Records)
Band members
- Fil Bucchino – bass, vocals
- Bart Doroz – lead guitar
- Matt Hughes – lead vocals, guitar
- Tim Thomson – drums
Former members
- Marky Buffone – lead guitar
- Mike Conroy – lead guitar
- Tristan O'Malley – lead guitar
- Andrew McMullen - drums
Trivia
- When playing Dungeons and Dragons earlier in his life, Matt Hughes was always partial to playing a paladinPaladinThe paladins, sometimes known as the Twelve Peers, were the foremost warriors of Charlemagne's court, according to the literary cycle known as the Matter of France. They first appear in the early chansons de geste such as The Song of Roland, where they represent Christian martial valor against the...
character http://www.flashlightbrown.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?board=444;action=display;num=1081600829. - The band recorded a cover of The ClashThe ClashThe Clash were an English punk rock band that formed in 1976 as part of the original wave of British punk. Along with punk, their music incorporated elements of reggae, ska, dub, funk, rap, dance, and rockabilly...
's "Should I Stay or Should I GoShould I Stay or Should I Go"Should I Stay or Should I Go" is a song by the English punk rock band The Clash, from their album Combat Rock. It was written in 1981 and featured Mick Jones on lead vocals. It became the band's only number-one single on the UK Singles Chart, a decade after it was originally released. In November...
" for the Rugrats Go Wild!Rugrats Go Wild!Rugrats Go Wild is a 2003 crossover animated film, with two animated Nickelodeon television series Rugrats and The Wild Thornberrys. The film was produced by Klasky Csupo and released in theaters on June 13, 2003 by Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon Movies.It also makes this the Rugrats series...
soundtrackSoundtrackA soundtrack can be recorded music accompanying and synchronized to the images of a motion picture, book, television program or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack of a film or TV show; or the physical area of a film that contains the...
, but the track was replaced with "Ready To Roll" instead. The band then released this song online on a secret page of their website. http://www.flashlightbrown.com/clash.htm - The band recorded a cover of The Beat's "Save It For Later". This cover is part of the Sky HighSky High (2005 film)Sky High is a 2005 American comedic superhero family film about an airborne school for teenage superheroes. It was directed by Mike Mitchell and written by Paul Hernandez, Robert Schooley, and Mark McCorkle...
soundtrack and was later included on their album BlueBlue (Flashlight Brown album)Blue is the fifth release from Flashlight Brown. The album was intended to be their second release from Hollywood Records but weeks before the release of the album, the band left the label for undisclosed reasons...
.
External links
- Official Flashlight Brown Website
- Flashlight Brown on PureVolumePureVolumePureVolume was the first independently run website of its type, allowing for the upload and stream of music files. It was created in 2003 by Jennifer Welch , in conjunction with the Unborn Media team; Brett Woitunski, Nate Hudson, and Mitchell Pavao; all from the University of...