Gayngs
Encyclopedia
Gayngs is a Midwest indie band with a 1980s soft rock
-inspired sound. Founded by Ryan Olson, the group consists of over 25 musicians, including Justin Vernon of Bon Iver
, Rhymesayers
rapper P.O.S, Har Mar Superstar
and members of Solid Gold and The Rosebuds
.
Their first album, Relayted, was released by Jagjaguwar
and garnered positive reviews for its unique vocal stylings and retro-but-contemporary sound. It has been described as walking the "line between schmaltz and sincerity, between parody and earnestness." The songs, inspired by 10cc
's "I'm Not In Love
", were written at 69 BPM
and recorded over the course of a year. The Guardian
called the album "a triumph" and listed it as "the album of the year". The Onion
s The A.V. Club
called the album "big and beautiful".
On March 4, 2011 Doomtree released a free 7 track remix album entitled "Affiliyated" through Bandcamp. Among the artists involved were Cecil Otter, Paper Tiger, Mike Mictlan, P.O.S., and Lazerbeak.
One of the tracks on Relayted is a cover of the 1985 Godley & Creme
hit "Cry
". The video for the song is a remake of the original video, featuring a cameo by Kevin Godley
himself.
In May 2010 the band played their first show at First Avenue in Minneapolis. Billed as "The Last Prom on Earth", the concert featured all 23 members of the band, prom
-themed decorations, a balloon drop, and almost a surprise appearance by audience member Prince
.
The band played a ten-show tour in September and October 2010, scheduled to culminate with a performance at Austin City Limits
. However, due to a misunderstanding with the rental company providing their tour bus, their equipment was taken back to Nashville in the early morning of October 10, 2010. This forced them to cancel what Justin Vernon referred to as "possibly our last show ever." On October 4, they were featured as the musical guests on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon
.
On April 15, 2011 the band played a late-night set in the Mojave Tent on the opening night of Coachella
. The performance was broadcast live on YouTube
.
Soft rock
Soft rock is a style of music which uses the techniques of rock music to compose a softer, more toned-down sound. Soft rock songs generally tend to focus on themes like love, everyday life and relationships. The genre tends to make heavy use of acoustic guitars, pianos, synthesizers and sometimes...
-inspired sound. Founded by Ryan Olson, the group consists of over 25 musicians, including Justin Vernon of Bon Iver
Bon Iver
Bon Iver is a Grammy nominated folk band founded in 2007 by American indie folk singer-songwriter Justin Vernon. It includes Michael Noyce, Sean Carey, and Matthew McCaughan. Vernon released Bon Iver's debut album, For Emma, Forever Ago independently in July 2007. The majority of that album was...
, Rhymesayers
Rhymesayers Entertainment
Rhymesayers Entertainment is an independent hip hop record label based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, co-founded in 1995 by Sean Daley, Anthony Davis, Brent Sayers and Musab Saad....
rapper P.O.S, Har Mar Superstar
Har Mar Superstar
Sean Matthew Tillmann , better known by his stage names of Har Mar Superstar and Sean Na Na, is an American singer.-Life and career:...
and members of Solid Gold and The Rosebuds
The Rosebuds
The Rosebuds are an indie rock band from Raleigh, North Carolina, United States. Its current members are Ivan Howard and Kelly Crisp...
.
Their first album, Relayted, was released by Jagjaguwar
Jagjaguwar
Jagjaguwar is an indie rock record label based in Bloomington, Indiana.-History:In 1996, in Charlottesville, Virginia, friends of Darius Van Arman who performed in a band under the moniker The Curious Digit had just recorded a new album, but they were signed to no label...
and garnered positive reviews for its unique vocal stylings and retro-but-contemporary sound. It has been described as walking the "line between schmaltz and sincerity, between parody and earnestness." The songs, inspired by 10cc
10cc
10cc are an English art rock band who achieved their greatest commercial success in the 1970s. The band initially consisted of four musicians -- Graham Gouldman, Eric Stewart, Kevin Godley, and Lol Creme -- who had written and recorded together for some three years, before assuming the "10cc" name...
's "I'm Not In Love
I'm Not in Love
"I'm Not in Love" is a song written by Eric Stewart and Graham Gouldman of the English group 10cc, from the album The Original Soundtrack. The lyric reveals a narrator in denial about the title's ostensible theme.-The 10cc version:...
", were written at 69 BPM
Tempo
In musical terminology, tempo is the speed or pace of a given piece. Tempo is a crucial element of any musical composition, as it can affect the mood and difficulty of a piece.-Measuring tempo:...
and recorded over the course of a year. The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
called the album "a triumph" and listed it as "the album of the year". The Onion
The Onion
The Onion is an American news satire organization. It is an entertainment newspaper and a website featuring satirical articles reporting on international, national, and local news, in addition to a non-satirical entertainment section known as The A.V. Club...
s The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club is an entertainment newspaper and website published by The Onion. Its features include reviews of new films, music, television, books, games and DVDs, as well as interviews and other regular offerings examining both new and classic media and other elements of pop culture. Unlike its...
called the album "big and beautiful".
On March 4, 2011 Doomtree released a free 7 track remix album entitled "Affiliyated" through Bandcamp. Among the artists involved were Cecil Otter, Paper Tiger, Mike Mictlan, P.O.S., and Lazerbeak.
One of the tracks on Relayted is a cover of the 1985 Godley & Creme
Godley & Creme
Godley & Creme were an English pop music duo composed of Kevin Godley and Lol Creme. The pair began releasing albums as a duo after splitting from the pop band 10cc. In 1979 they directed their first music video for their own single "An Englishman in New York"...
hit "Cry
Cry (Godley & Creme song)
"Cry" is a song released by the British music duo Godley & Creme in 1985. It was included on the duo's album The History Mix Volume 1.The song peaked at #16 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, becoming Godley & Creme's lone Top 40 hit in the US apart from their former band, 10cc...
". The video for the song is a remake of the original video, featuring a cameo by Kevin Godley
Kevin Godley
Kevin Godley is a British musician and music video director.He was born in a family of Jewish descent, and went to North Cestrian Grammar School in Altrincham....
himself.
In May 2010 the band played their first show at First Avenue in Minneapolis. Billed as "The Last Prom on Earth", the concert featured all 23 members of the band, prom
Prom
In the United States and Canada, a prom, short for promenade, is a formal dance, or gathering of high school students. It is typically held near the end of the senior year. It figures greatly in popular culture and is a major event among high school students...
-themed decorations, a balloon drop, and almost a surprise appearance by audience member Prince
Prince (musician)
Prince Rogers Nelson , often known simply as Prince, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Prince has produced ten platinum albums and thirty Top 40 singles during his career. Prince founded his own recording studio and label; writing, self-producing and playing most, or all, of...
.
The band played a ten-show tour in September and October 2010, scheduled to culminate with a performance at Austin City Limits
Austin City Limits Music Festival
The Austin City Limits Music Festival is an annual three-day American music festival that takes place in Austin, Texas at the city's central public park, Zilker Park...
. However, due to a misunderstanding with the rental company providing their tour bus, their equipment was taken back to Nashville in the early morning of October 10, 2010. This forced them to cancel what Justin Vernon referred to as "possibly our last show ever." On October 4, they were featured as the musical guests on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon
Late Night with Jimmy Fallon
Late Night with Jimmy Fallon is an American late-night talk show hosted by Jimmy Fallon on NBC. The show premiered on March 2, 2009, as the third incarnation of the Late Night franchise originated by David Letterman....
.
On April 15, 2011 the band played a late-night set in the Mojave Tent on the opening night of Coachella
Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival
The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival is a three-day annual music and arts festival, organized by Goldenvoice and held at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, in the Inland Empire's Coachella Valley...
. The performance was broadcast live on YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
.
Members of Gayngs
- Justin Vernon and Mike Noyce (Bon IverBon IverBon Iver is a Grammy nominated folk band founded in 2007 by American indie folk singer-songwriter Justin Vernon. It includes Michael Noyce, Sean Carey, and Matthew McCaughan. Vernon released Bon Iver's debut album, For Emma, Forever Ago independently in July 2007. The majority of that album was...
) - Har Mar SuperstarHar Mar SuperstarSean Matthew Tillmann , better known by his stage names of Har Mar Superstar and Sean Na Na, is an American singer.-Life and career:...
- DessaDessaDessa is a spoken word artist, author, and MC from Minneapolis, MN. She is best known as a member of the Doomtree Hip-Hop Collective.-Education:...
and P.O.S (DoomtreeDoomtreeDoomtree is a hip hop collective based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Members of Doomtree bring various bases of knowledge and musical backgrounds together to create alternative-influenced rap and hip-hop music. Nearly as prominent as the influence of hip-hop in their music is that of punk, and their...
) - Michael LewisMichael Lewis (musician)Mike Lewis is a Minnesota saxophonist and bassist. He is currently playing saxophone in Fat Kid Wednesdays and Happy Apple.Lewis also plays electric bass in Alpha Consumer and Red Start. He has also contributed to other projects, such as Dosh's 2006 LP The Lost Take, 2008's Wolves and Wishes, and...
(Andrew BirdAndrew BirdAndrew Bird is an American musician, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist.- Early life and the Bowl of Fire :...
, Bon IverBon IverBon Iver is a Grammy nominated folk band founded in 2007 by American indie folk singer-songwriter Justin Vernon. It includes Michael Noyce, Sean Carey, and Matthew McCaughan. Vernon released Bon Iver's debut album, For Emma, Forever Ago independently in July 2007. The majority of that album was...
) - Ivan Howard (The RosebudsThe RosebudsThe Rosebuds are an indie rock band from Raleigh, North Carolina, United States. Its current members are Ivan Howard and Kelly Crisp...
) - Ryan Olson (Marijuana Deathsquads, Totally Gross National Product)
- Zach Coulter, Adam Hurlburt, and Shön Troth (Solid Gold)
- Joe Westerlund, Brad Cook, and Phil Cook (Megafaun)
- Maggie Morrison (Lookbook, Digitata)
- James Buckley (Mystery Palace, Ponch and the Vandals)
- Jake Luck and Nick Ryan (Leisure Birds)
- Channy Moon-Casselle (Roma di Luna)
- Katy Morley
- Danny Krzykowski