Maps And Atlases
Encyclopedia
Maps & Atlases is a indie rock group from Chicago, Illinois USA, equally influenced by folk and experimental music. They have often been labeled as a math rock
band though their music has developed a slightly more pop-oriented style over time.
The band has released two official EPs, one full length LP and played several festivals including SXSW and CMJ, as well as national tours with RX Bandits
, These Arms Are Snakes
, mewithoutYou
, Foals, So Many Dynamos
, Ra Ra Riot
, Minus the Bear
, Princeton
, The Fall of Troy
, Nurses
, Pattern Is Movement
, Good Old War
, Portugal. The Man
, Tera Melos
, and more.
. Shiraz Dada (bass), Chris Hainey (drums), Dave Davison (guitar/vocals), and Erin Elders (guitar) first came together trying to find a sound that was both technical and organic, in the same vein as their influences Don Caballero
and Hella
.
Shiraz Dada is the only member of the group who is born and raised in the Chicago area. Chris Hainey is originally from Texas, Dave Davison from Philadelphia, and Erin Elders grew up in Pewaukee, Wisconsin.
The group recorded several songs during their early period which were more aggressive than their later material would become. A couple early songs even include Hainey screaming back-up vocals. Several of these songs appeared on an unofficially named EP, "Bird Barnyard" which the band never actually released themselves. Others appeared on a split EP with suburban Chicago band The Antenora. These songs are very rare, and the band chooses not to play them live.
Dada is a sound engineer and recorded all of the band's early material at their own studio/practice space.
Maps & Atlases gained critical attention from an article in Guitar Player magazine in their October 2006 issue. In that interview, guitar player Elders says "Our goal was to put existing technical elements in a new context, and create something artistically unique, but still accessible."
They gained a sizable local following through playing many shows around nearby Midwest states, as well as many underground basement shows in Chicago with similarly minded acts like Russian Circles
, Matt & Kim, Karma with a K, and Rahim. Much attention was attributed to each member's dynamic playing styles, notably Hainey's impressively athletic drumming.
The group was also featured in a Pabst Blue Ribbon
advertisement in The Onion
, which was at the time strictly a management company. After the initial pressings of "Tree Swallows Houses" sold out, Sargent House
issued a re-release in 2007. This release would lead to Sargent House
officially releasing many more records from other unsigned bands that it managed, later becoming the de facto record label for many of them.
In December 2006, Maps & Atlases were the hosts of cable and satellite music video station Refused TV.
In 2007 the band began to tour nationally, and members also began work on new material for an album, as well as side projects. The band filmed a segment at that year's SXSW for MTV2
"On the Rise".
Towards the end of the year tensions began to grow within the band and new material was coming slowly, so the decision was made to simply release a new EP rather than full-length album and take some time off.
In July 2008 Sargent House released the EP "You and Me and the Mountain" (again recorded by Dada) which took many fans by surprise due to its slower pacing and more folk-oriented songwriting. It was still, however, warmly received by fans and critics and applauded for its original songwriting style. This would later be issued on vinyl by Sargent House
, with special etching artwork.
During a cross-country summer tour with mewithoutYou
, Shiraz Dada pulled double-duty as he also filled in on bass for mewithoutYou as their bassist was unable to tour at the time.
In July, 2009, the band was listed as the best new band in Illinois as part of The Boston Phoenix's 50 Bands, 50 States supplement.
In late 2009 Maps & Atlases decided to part ways with Sargent House.
, Nurses
, Good Old War
) at various studio locations. In March 2010 the band signed with Barsuk Records
, who released their debut album entitled "Perch Patchwork" on June 29, 2010. The album was released to critical acclaim, and achieved an ADM Rating of 7.8 on UK-based review aggregator
website, AnyDecentMusic?
Dave Davison created a solo outlet known as Cast Spells, featuring Good Old War
, which has released music through Sargent House
. Davison also contributes and tours with the collective Hey! Tonal.
Davison and Chris Hainey created an art-rock project known as Mountain Lion Mountain.
Erin Elders is a filmmaker. In addition he created a thrash-metal band called Skullzone, along with Johnny Miller and Ryan Duggan. Duggan is a Chicago artist who owns Hated Skateboards and Drug Factory Press and does much of Maps & Atlases poster and t-shirt artwork. Skullzone is currently on hiatus.
Dada has engineered several records for bands including The Street Brats, and The Skies We Built.
Dada and Elders have also been known to DJ at Chicago bar The Burlington on occasion. Elders has a strong obsession with spinning songs by Electric Light Orchestra
.
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...
band though their music has developed a slightly more pop-oriented style over time.
The band has released two official EPs, one full length LP and played several festivals including SXSW and CMJ, as well as national tours with RX Bandits
Rx Bandits
RX Bandits is a four-piece band based in Seal Beach, California. The band formed in 1995 in Orange County, California. They have appeared on the Vans Warped Tour, at the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival, Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival and at The Bamboozle.-Early years :Originally known as...
, These Arms Are Snakes
These Arms Are Snakes
These Arms Are Snakes was an American post-hardcore band that formed in 2002 and featured former members of Botch and Kill Sadie. The band was known for their intense live shows, which often feature vocalist Steve Snere crowd surfing and spending a large portion of the live performance in the...
, mewithoutYou
MewithoutYou
Me Without You, stylized as mewithoutYou and abbreviated as mwY, is an American rock band from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The band consists of vocalist Aaron Weiss, guitarist Michael Weiss, bassist Greg Jehanian and drummer Rickie Mazzotta. MewithoutYou's music is generally dominated by...
, Foals, So Many Dynamos
So Many Dynamos
So Many Dynamos is a rock band from St Louis, Missouri, USA. Their music is generally classified as indie rock, combining aspects of pop, dance-punk, and math rock. They take their name from a famous palindrome. The band signed a contract with Vagrant Records in late 2008.-History:So Many Dynamos...
, Ra Ra Riot
Ra Ra Riot
Ra Ra Riot is an American indie rock band from Syracuse, New York, consisting of vocalist Wes Miles, bassist Mathieu Santos, guitarist Milo Bonacci, cellist Alexandra Lawn , violinist Rebecca Zeller, and drummer Kenny Bernard.-History:...
, Minus the Bear
Minus the Bear
Minus the Bear is an American indie rock band from Seattle, Washington. Founded in 2001, the group features current and former members of Botch, Kill Sadie, and Sharks Keep Moving...
, Princeton
Princeton (band)
Princeton is an indie pop band from Los Angeles, United States. The band consists of twin brothers Jesse and Matt Kivel , Ben Usen and David Kitz...
, The Fall of Troy
The Fall of Troy
The Fall of Troy was an American progressive math rock trio from Mukilteo, Washington. The trio consisted of Thomas Erak , Andrew Forsman and Frank Ene...
, Nurses
Nurses (band)
Nurses is a Portland-based indie rock trio composed of Aaron Chapman , John Bowers , and James Mitchell . Their sound is often categorized as psychedelic pop, folk rock, and experimental. Nurses started as a quartet from Idaho which moved to Portland, Oregon where they met James Mitchell...
, Pattern Is Movement
Pattern is Movement
Pattern is Movement is an American indie rock band from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and established in 2001. They have been categorized by some reviewers as a math rock group, and compared to groups such as Don Caballero, Sunny Day Real Estate, and Pinback...
, Good Old War
Good Old War
Good Old War is an indie band from Philadelphia, PA featuring former members of Days Away.-Biography:Good Old War is made up of Keith Goodwin, Daniel Schwartz, and Tim Arnold. The band's name comes from the last names of the three members; Goodwin for Good, Arnold for Old, and Schwartz for War...
, Portugal. The Man
Portugal. The Man
Portugal. The Man is an American psychedelic rock band based in Portland, Oregon, but originally from Wasilla, Alaska. The group released their first two albums with Fearless Records. They also released material on their own imprint Approaching AIRballoons through indie label Equal Vision Records...
, Tera Melos
Tera Melos
Tera Melos is a band from Sacramento, California, that incorporates many styles of rock, jazz, ambient electronics and unconventional song structure. They are currently a three-piece , consisting of a guitarist/keyboardist/vocalist, bassist, and a drummer...
, and more.
Beginning
Maps & Atlases formed in the fall of 2004 when the founding members met in art school at Columbia College ChicagoColumbia College Chicago
Columbia College Chicago is one of the largest art colleges in the United States with nearly 12,000 students pursuing degrees within 120 undergraduate and graduate programs...
. Shiraz Dada (bass), Chris Hainey (drums), Dave Davison (guitar/vocals), and Erin Elders (guitar) first came together trying to find a sound that was both technical and organic, in the same vein as their influences Don Caballero
Don Caballero
Don Caballero are an American rock group from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The group took their name from the character Guy Caballero, portrayed by Joe Flaherty, on the sketch comedy show Second City Television...
and Hella
Hella (band)
Hella is an American band from Sacramento, California. They play a technical blend of math rock, noise rock, and experimental rock. The primary members of the band are Spencer Seim on electric guitar and Zach Hill on drums...
.
Shiraz Dada is the only member of the group who is born and raised in the Chicago area. Chris Hainey is originally from Texas, Dave Davison from Philadelphia, and Erin Elders grew up in Pewaukee, Wisconsin.
The group recorded several songs during their early period which were more aggressive than their later material would become. A couple early songs even include Hainey screaming back-up vocals. Several of these songs appeared on an unofficially named EP, "Bird Barnyard" which the band never actually released themselves. Others appeared on a split EP with suburban Chicago band The Antenora. These songs are very rare, and the band chooses not to play them live.
Dada is a sound engineer and recorded all of the band's early material at their own studio/practice space.
Maps & Atlases gained critical attention from an article in Guitar Player magazine in their October 2006 issue. In that interview, guitar player Elders says "Our goal was to put existing technical elements in a new context, and create something artistically unique, but still accessible."
They gained a sizable local following through playing many shows around nearby Midwest states, as well as many underground basement shows in Chicago with similarly minded acts like Russian Circles
Russian Circles
Russian Circles is a three piece instrumental rock/metal band from Chicago. Russian Circles play instrumental, sprawling music which runs the gamut of heavy discordant metal, to soft delicate passages...
, Matt & Kim, Karma with a K, and Rahim. Much attention was attributed to each member's dynamic playing styles, notably Hainey's impressively athletic drumming.
The group was also featured in a Pabst Blue Ribbon
Pabst Blue Ribbon
Pabst Blue Ribbon is a brand of beer sold by Pabst Brewing Company, originally established in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, but now based in Los Angeles. Pabst Blue Ribbon is contract-brewed in six different breweries around the U.S...
advertisement in 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...
"Tree, Swallows, Houses"
In 2006 the band self-released the EP "Tree, Swallows, Houses" (recorded by Dada) to overwhelmingly positive reviews by critics and fans. It was hailed as a brilliant combination of technical musicianship and pop-friendly songwriting. The band toured this EP for nearly two years and sold out of two pressings. The album would later be released on vinyl by Friction Records with exclusive artwork. Several pressings were made, and would eventually also sell out.Sargent House and "You and Me and the Mountain"
In late 2006 the band signed on with Sargent HouseSargent House
Sargent House is a Los Angeles based management company and record label. It was founded in June 2006 by Cathy Pellow, who is a music video commissioner for Atlantic Records and who also owns a music video production company called Refused TV. Pellow began managing the rock outfit RX Bandits in 2006...
, which was at the time strictly a management company. After the initial pressings of "Tree Swallows Houses" sold out, Sargent House
Sargent House
Sargent House is a Los Angeles based management company and record label. It was founded in June 2006 by Cathy Pellow, who is a music video commissioner for Atlantic Records and who also owns a music video production company called Refused TV. Pellow began managing the rock outfit RX Bandits in 2006...
issued a re-release in 2007. This release would lead to Sargent House
Sargent House
Sargent House is a Los Angeles based management company and record label. It was founded in June 2006 by Cathy Pellow, who is a music video commissioner for Atlantic Records and who also owns a music video production company called Refused TV. Pellow began managing the rock outfit RX Bandits in 2006...
officially releasing many more records from other unsigned bands that it managed, later becoming the de facto record label for many of them.
In December 2006, Maps & Atlases were the hosts of cable and satellite music video station Refused TV.
In 2007 the band began to tour nationally, and members also began work on new material for an album, as well as side projects. The band filmed a segment at that year's SXSW for MTV2
MTV2
MTV2 is a cable network that is widely available in the United States on digital cable and satellite television, and is progressively being added to analogue cable lineups across the nation...
"On the Rise".
Towards the end of the year tensions began to grow within the band and new material was coming slowly, so the decision was made to simply release a new EP rather than full-length album and take some time off.
In July 2008 Sargent House released the EP "You and Me and the Mountain" (again recorded by Dada) which took many fans by surprise due to its slower pacing and more folk-oriented songwriting. It was still, however, warmly received by fans and critics and applauded for its original songwriting style. This would later be issued on vinyl by Sargent House
Sargent House
Sargent House is a Los Angeles based management company and record label. It was founded in June 2006 by Cathy Pellow, who is a music video commissioner for Atlantic Records and who also owns a music video production company called Refused TV. Pellow began managing the rock outfit RX Bandits in 2006...
, with special etching artwork.
During a cross-country summer tour with mewithoutYou
MewithoutYou
Me Without You, stylized as mewithoutYou and abbreviated as mwY, is an American rock band from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The band consists of vocalist Aaron Weiss, guitarist Michael Weiss, bassist Greg Jehanian and drummer Rickie Mazzotta. MewithoutYou's music is generally dominated by...
, Shiraz Dada pulled double-duty as he also filled in on bass for mewithoutYou as their bassist was unable to tour at the time.
In July, 2009, the band was listed as the best new band in Illinois as part of The Boston Phoenix's 50 Bands, 50 States supplement.
In late 2009 Maps & Atlases decided to part ways with Sargent House.
"Perch Patchwork"
The band spent the majority of 2009 writing and recording songs for their long-awaited full-length album. These songs have all been recorded by producer Jason Cupp (FinchFinch (American band)
Finch was an American rock band from Temecula, California. The band released an EP Falling Into Place and two full-length albums, What It Is to Burn and Say Hello to Sunshine before declaring a hiatus in 2006. Finch reformed in 2007, playing a reunion show on November 23 at the Glasshouse in...
, Nurses
Nurses (band)
Nurses is a Portland-based indie rock trio composed of Aaron Chapman , John Bowers , and James Mitchell . Their sound is often categorized as psychedelic pop, folk rock, and experimental. Nurses started as a quartet from Idaho which moved to Portland, Oregon where they met James Mitchell...
, Good Old War
Good Old War
Good Old War is an indie band from Philadelphia, PA featuring former members of Days Away.-Biography:Good Old War is made up of Keith Goodwin, Daniel Schwartz, and Tim Arnold. The band's name comes from the last names of the three members; Goodwin for Good, Arnold for Old, and Schwartz for War...
) at various studio locations. In March 2010 the band signed with Barsuk Records
Barsuk Records
Barsuk Records is an independent record label based in Seattle, Washington, started and still managed by the members of the band This Busy Monster, Christopher Possanza and Josh Rosenfeld, who created the label in 1994 to release their band's material. Its logo is a drawing of a dog holding a...
, who released their debut album entitled "Perch Patchwork" on June 29, 2010. The album was released to critical acclaim, and achieved an ADM Rating of 7.8 on UK-based review aggregator
Review aggregator
A review aggregator is a system that collects reviews of products and services . This system stores the reviews and then uses them for purposes such as: creating a website for users to view the reviews, selling information to third parties about consumer tendencies and creating databases for...
website, AnyDecentMusic?
AnyDecentMusic?
AnyDecentMusic? is a website that collates reviews of contemporary music albums, covering rock, pop, electronic, dance, folk, country, roots and urban...
Side projects
In addition to the band, the members of Maps & Atlases have had various side projects.Dave Davison created a solo outlet known as Cast Spells, featuring Good Old War
Good Old War
Good Old War is an indie band from Philadelphia, PA featuring former members of Days Away.-Biography:Good Old War is made up of Keith Goodwin, Daniel Schwartz, and Tim Arnold. The band's name comes from the last names of the three members; Goodwin for Good, Arnold for Old, and Schwartz for War...
, which has released music through Sargent House
Sargent House
Sargent House is a Los Angeles based management company and record label. It was founded in June 2006 by Cathy Pellow, who is a music video commissioner for Atlantic Records and who also owns a music video production company called Refused TV. Pellow began managing the rock outfit RX Bandits in 2006...
. Davison also contributes and tours with the collective Hey! Tonal.
Davison and Chris Hainey created an art-rock project known as Mountain Lion Mountain.
Erin Elders is a filmmaker. In addition he created a thrash-metal band called Skullzone, along with Johnny Miller and Ryan Duggan. Duggan is a Chicago artist who owns Hated Skateboards and Drug Factory Press and does much of Maps & Atlases poster and t-shirt artwork. Skullzone is currently on hiatus.
Dada has engineered several records for bands including The Street Brats, and The Skies We Built.
Dada and Elders have also been known to DJ at Chicago bar The Burlington on occasion. Elders has a strong obsession with spinning songs by Electric Light Orchestra
Electric Light Orchestra
Electric Light Orchestra were a British rock group from Birmingham who released eleven studio albums between 1971 and 1986 and another album in 2001. ELO were formed to accommodate Roy Wood and Jeff Lynne's desire to create modern rock and pop songs with classical overtones...
.
Discography
| Date of Release | Title | Label | US Billboard Peak | US Sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Bird Barnyard EP | Unofficially Released | - | - |
| 2005 | Split EP with The Antenora | Self-Released | - | - |
| 2006 | Tree, Swallows, Houses EP | Self-Released (SOLD OUT), Re-released January 10, 2007 by Sargent House | - | - |
| 2008 | You and Me and the Mountain EP | Sargent House - Released July 16, 2008 | - | - |
| 2010 | Perch Patchwork Perch Patchwork Perch Patchwork is the debut album by rock band Maps & Atlases. It was released by Barsuk Records on June 29, 2010.-Track listing:... LP |
Barsuk Records - Released June 29, 2010 | - | - |
External links
- Guitar Player Magazine Article: Maps & Atlases by Vincent DeMasi
- The Boston Phoenix 50 Bands, 50 States 2009 Supplement
- NewCityChicago: Maps & Atlases Review by Tom Lynch
- Cincinnati CityBeat: Maps & Atlases Review by Mike Breen
- MySpace: Maps & Atlases
- [ AllMusicGuide Biography by MacKenzie Wilson]
- College Music Journal Monthly #139, Print Edition list of upcoming bands
- Pulse Weekly Article
- Indiana Statesman Article
- http://www.digbmx.com/unsound.htm
- Illinois Entertainer Article
- http://www.looserecord.com/LiveReview_Indv/LiveReview_Indv.php?docid=233
- http://www.redruin.com/2006/08/18/maps-atlases-every-place-is-a-house
- RWS Magazine Review
- MTV2 On The Rise
- Maps and Atlases on The Belmont SessionsThe Belmont SessionsThe Belmont Sessions is an independent production collective based out of Chicago. They have produced live concert videos for a variety of artists, including RJD2, Maps and Atlases, and Murs. The group focuses on creating and distributing HD content for online audiences...