Ho-Ag is an experimental "noise rock

Noise rock

Noise rock describes a style of post-punk rock music that became prominent in the 1980s. Noise rock makes use of the traditional instrumentation and iconography of rock, but incorporates atonality and especially dissonance, and also frequently discards usual songwriting conventions.-Style:Noise...

" band based in Boston, Massachusetts. Known for melding the creaky musical worlds of 50s and 60s sci-fi films

Science fiction film

Science fiction film is a film genre that uses science fiction: speculative, science-based depictions of phenomena that are not necessarily accepted by mainstream science, such as extraterrestrial life forms, alien worlds, extrasensory perception, and time travel, often along with futuristic...

, Waitsian

Tom Waits

Thomas Alan "Tom" Waits is an American singer-songwriter, composer, and actor. Waits has a distinctive voice, described by critic Daniel Durchholz as sounding "like it was soaked in a vat of bourbon, left hanging in the smokehouse for a few months, and then taken outside and run over with a car."...

 dissonant underworld, and fast-paced math-punk, Ho-Ag has adapted through several line-up changes, guest collaborations, experimental one-off shows, and infrequent Devo

Devo

Devo is an American band formed in 1973 consisting of members from Kent and Akron, Ohio. The classic line-up of the band includes two sets of brothers, the Mothersbaughs and the Casales . The band had a #14 Billboard chart hit in 1980 with the single "Whip It", and has maintained a cult...

 cover sets to evolve into a consistently unpredictable band that has earned them comparisons to acts like Six Finger Satellite

Six Finger Satellite

Six Finger Satellite are an American synthesizer-based post-hardcore band, based in Providence, Rhode Island.- History :The band formed in 1990 around a line-up of J. Ryan , John MacLean , Peter Phillips , Chris Dixon , and Rick Pelletier...

, The Dismemberment Plan

The Dismemberment Plan

The Dismemberment Plan is a Washington D.C. based indie rock band formed on January 1, 1993. Also known as D-Plan or The Plan, the name comes from a stray phrase uttered by insurance salesman Ned Ryerson in the popular comedy Groundhog Day. The band members included Eric Axelson , Jason Caddell ,...

, Brainiac

Brainiac (band)

Brainiac was an American synthpunk band formed in 1992, and disbanded after the sudden death of lead singer Tim Taylor in 1997.-Biography:...

 and The Melvins

The Melvins

The Melvins are an American band that formed in 1983. They usually perform as a trio, but in recent years have performed as a four piece with two drummers. Since 1984, singer and guitarist Buzz Osborne and drummer Dale Crover have been the band's constant members...

.

History

Ho-Ag was officially formed over the summer of 2001 after a few years of collaboration by founding members Matt Parish, Patrick Kim, Dave Dines and Jonathan Ruhe (The Gersch

The Gersch

The Gersch was founded in Boston, Massachusetts in 1995, though their members now reside all across the United States in the cities of Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco and Chicago. They have been on extended hiatus since 1999.-Biography:...

, Cokedealer, Justine, Isle of Citadel). The group's first show came at The Midway Cafe in May 2002 with Young Sexy Assassins (their 2nd show), Tunnel of Love, and USAISAMONSTER.

"Ho Ag Equals Go At," engineered and mixed by Parish on an 8-track machine

Multitrack recording

Multitrack recording is a method of sound recording that allows for the separate recording of multiple sound sources to create a cohesive whole...

, was released by Mister Records in May 2003. Drummer Eric Meyer recorded drums with the group in January 2004 for a 7" record

Gramophone record

A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...

 to be released by Mister Records and soon became a full-time member.

2005 saw the release of EP

Extended play

An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...

 Pray for the Worms, again recorded at the practice space on Parish's 8-track

Multitrack recording

Multitrack recording is a method of sound recording that allows for the separate recording of multiple sound sources to create a cohesive whole...

. Self-released under the moniker "Hive 35", the CD was the band's first to receive consistent national press and radio airplay. Two national tours followed that year.

The band spent the winter recording their first full-length together at Machines With Magnets, a Providence, Rhode Island

Providence, Rhode Island

Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...

 studio run by Keith Souza. The album, The Word from Pluto, was completed in January 2006 and released in September 2006 by Hello Sir Records.

Ward and Kim both left the band in early 2007. Kristina Johnson (Roh Delikat, Red and Rescue, Slow Fore, and Certainly, Sir) joined on guitar and Ryan Brown joined on bass. The next year, they recorded Doctor Cowboy with Boston engineer Kevin Micka (Animal Hospital, The Common Cold). That album was released in July 2008 on Hello Sir Records.

Discography

• The Meteor Is a Decoy (Demo, 2002)
• People Coming Back In Time for Me (Self-Released, 2002)
• Mister Records Comp 2003 (Mister Records, 2003)
• Ho Ag Equals Go At (Mister Records, 2003)
• Mister Records Comp 3.0 (Mister Records, 2005)
• Ho-Ag/Laughing Light Split 7" (Mister Records, 2005)
• Pray for the Worms (Hive 35, 2005)
• The Word from Pluto (Hello Sir Records, 2006)
• Elektra/Elektro EP (Hive 35, 2007)
• Doctor Cowboy (Hello Sir Records, 2008)

Live collaborations

Donna Parker (electronics), Eric Dill (electronics, guitar), Amit Dave (guitar), Tyler Derryberry (keyboards)(pre-membership), Mike Kania (saxophone), Ryan Walsh (guitar, vocals), Matt Brown (guitar, percussion), David Bentley (guitar, cello), Brian Rutledge (trumpet), Joe Marret (bass, percussion), MC Mac Swell (vocals), TD Sidell (vocals), Karen Tsiakals (vocals, keyboards), Brian Church (bass).

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