Piebald (band)
Encyclopedia
Piebald is an American alternative rock
band. Piebald started as a hardcore band in Andover
, Massachusetts
, out of the same scene that produced legends Converge
. They later moved to the Boston
suburb of Somerville
and became a staple of the Greater Boston
indie rock
scene. Two members still live in the Boston
area, while two others now live in Los Angeles
. Piebald's last show was on April 19, 2008 at Cambridge, MA's Middle East Downstairs, though the band reunited for a set at The Bamboozle
in East Rutherford, New Jersey
on May 2, 2010.
From there on, they recorded and played shows together semi-seriously. Shortly thereafter in 1995, Piebald started recording, which amounted to a 4-track demo, and a 2 track split. The driving hardcore sound exhibited during these years was highlighted by the technical playing of drummer Jon Sullivan, and the deep screams of vocalist and guitarist Travis Shettel.
Eleven tracks recorded at Salad Days became the first record to showcase Piebald's signature sound and wry jokes. Traditionally the most sought-after Piebald recording (before it was immortalized in its entirety on All Ages), When Life Hands You Lemons was considered to be Piebald's best music yet. This release furthered the lyrical style that had been growing within the band, and also showcased the first lead vocals by lead guitarist Aaron Stuart, and a piano track by Shettel.
The following album, "All Ears, All Eyes, All the Time", the band's first release on Side One Dummy Records, continued their evolutionary progress toward the piano-driven fare they've tended towards over the last couple of releases, and features such additions as horn sections, increased use of vocal harmonies, and hand-claps.
Piebald's final album, "Accidental Gentleman," was released in 2007.
page as well as in the "News" section of their official website, announcing the dissolution of Piebald.
The band played three final farewell shows in April 2008: April 17 at the Bowery Ballroom
in New York City, and April 18 and 19 at The Middle East (nightclub)
in Cambridge, MA.
Their final release is a Live DVD / Documentary called "Nobody’s Robots : A Farewell To Piebald." It includes the entire farewell show in 5.1 surround sound, a retrospective documentary and an anthology of the band's several music videos. Audio from the show is exclusively available through iTunes
. The DVD was released nationwide July 13, 2010 on Sidehatch Entertainment Group
.
In April 2010, Rise Records
released a three-volume set containing out-of-print releases from the band. The set contains material recorded and released by Piebald while signed with Big Wheel Recreation from 1999 to 2002. Each disc also includes various B-Sides and rarities.
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
band. Piebald started as a hardcore band in Andover
Andover, Massachusetts
Andover is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. It was incorporated in 1646 and as of the 2010 census, the population was 33,201...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, out of the same scene that produced legends Converge
Converge (band)
Converge is an American band from Salem, Massachusetts. Playing a blend of hardcore punk and metal since 1990, Converge has helped to define many of the elements of the metalcore genre.-Description:...
. They later moved to the Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
suburb of Somerville
Somerville, Massachusetts
Somerville is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, located just north of Boston. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 75,754 and was the most densely populated municipality in New England. It is also the 17th most densely populated incorporated place in...
and became a staple of the Greater Boston
Greater Boston
Greater Boston is the area of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts surrounding the city of Boston. Due to ambiguity in usage, the size of the area referred to can be anywhere between that of the metropolitan statistical area of Boston and that of the city's combined statistical area which includes...
indie rock
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
scene. Two members still live in the Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
area, while two others now live in 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...
. Piebald's last show was on April 19, 2008 at Cambridge, MA's Middle East Downstairs, though the band reunited for a set at The Bamboozle
The Bamboozle
The Bamboozle is an annual rain-or-shine, three-day music festival held in New Jersey. Every year, new bands compete for spots during the two days. The event evolved out of the Skate and Surf Festival.- The Characters:...
in East Rutherford, New Jersey
East Rutherford, New Jersey
East Rutherford is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 8,913. It is an inner-ring suburb of New York City, located west of Midtown Manhattan....
on May 2, 2010.
History
Their first gig, a "Battle of the Bands", is chronicled on their two-CD set Barely Legal/All Ages. From the liner notes: ".. from the sound board (sic) 1994 battle of the bands, Piebald lost."From there on, they recorded and played shows together semi-seriously. Shortly thereafter in 1995, Piebald started recording, which amounted to a 4-track demo, and a 2 track split. The driving hardcore sound exhibited during these years was highlighted by the technical playing of drummer Jon Sullivan, and the deep screams of vocalist and guitarist Travis Shettel.
Post hardcore
A turning point in Piebald's career came when they recorded seven tracks, and put them on the CD that came to be known as Sometimes Friends Fight. Their musical sound had greatly matured, and Travis' lyrical ability was finally brought to the forefront of the band's music. Another two seven-inches later, Piebald was ready for another metamorphosis.Eleven tracks recorded at Salad Days became the first record to showcase Piebald's signature sound and wry jokes. Traditionally the most sought-after Piebald recording (before it was immortalized in its entirety on All Ages), When Life Hands You Lemons was considered to be Piebald's best music yet. This release furthered the lyrical style that had been growing within the band, and also showcased the first lead vocals by lead guitarist Aaron Stuart, and a piano track by Shettel.
The breakthrough
Following If it Weren't for Venetian Blinds, It Would Be Curtains for Us All, Piebald released their most popular album to date, We Are the Only Friends We Have. It featured the single "American Hearts" which achieved a modicum of success, garnering some mention on MTV and college radio. This, together with the band's signing to respected indie label Big Wheel Recreation brought Piebald their most mainstream attention to that date. This trend was continued when the band signed to the very popular Side One Dummy label and released their next album, and when Piebald was chosen to play 2004's Warped Tour.The following album, "All Ears, All Eyes, All the Time", the band's first release on Side One Dummy Records, continued their evolutionary progress toward the piano-driven fare they've tended towards over the last couple of releases, and features such additions as horn sections, increased use of vocal harmonies, and hand-claps.
Piebald's final album, "Accidental Gentleman," was released in 2007.
The breakup
On August 19, 2007, a bulletin was posted from the band's official MySpaceMySpace
Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
page as well as in the "News" section of their official website, announcing the dissolution of Piebald.
"Friends, friends, friends…we have not posted anything anywhere in quite some time and our word on the street is that this is our last tour. All the preceding words are true and we have decided to put Piebald to rest. The past fifteen years or so have been nothing short of extremely incredible. We have met lots of people, been to lots of places and experienced a whole lot of life. In 1994 we started making music, screenprinting our own seven inch covers and borrowing our parents cars to get to shows. Since then, we have traveled the globe, released many records, and played thousands of shows; pedaling the righteous name of piebald to all whose paths we crossed. In celebration of the many years of good times and incredible accomplishments, we have decided to dedicate this tour to us; Piebald. Thanks to all who have helped in any and every way…families, friends, girlfriends, vans, bands, fans, promoters, labels, booking agent, lawyer, clubs, engineers, producers, and those who we forgot to mention. Now, this is not a teary eyed time, people. This is a time of new beginnings, positive vibes, and a congratulatory nod to the past. There has been talk of a few shows to give the band an official sendoff, but as of yet, those shows are not booked and unknown. Thanks for all the undying support. We love you."
The band played three final farewell shows in April 2008: April 17 at the Bowery Ballroom
Bowery Ballroom
The Bowery Ballroom is a music venue in the Bowery section of New York City. The structure, at 6 Delancey Street, was built just before the Stock Market Crash of 1929. It stood vacant until the end of WWII, when it became a high-end retail store. The neighborhood subsequently went into decline...
in New York City, and April 18 and 19 at The Middle East (nightclub)
The Middle East (nightclub)
The Middle East is a live music venue, bar and restaurant in the Central Square area of Cambridge, Massachusetts. Having featured a huge variety of musicians since 1987, the establishment, with its upstairs and downstairs rooms, "is the nexus of metro Boston's rock-club scene for local and touring...
in Cambridge, MA.
Their final release is a Live DVD / Documentary called "Nobody’s Robots : A Farewell To Piebald." It includes the entire farewell show in 5.1 surround sound, a retrospective documentary and an anthology of the band's several music videos. Audio from the show is exclusively available through 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 DVD was released nationwide July 13, 2010 on Sidehatch Entertainment Group
Sidehatch Entertainment Group
Sidehatch Entertainment Group is a Boston-based music company with brands in concert and festival promotion, marketing, industry consulting, tour bus rentals, software development and client-based services including presentation, performance, and organization.- History :SEG was founded in 2004 by...
.
Reunion
Piebald reunited at the Bamboozle music festivals in Anaheim, California on March 28, 2010 and in East Rutherford, New Jersey on May 2, 2010.In April 2010, Rise Records
Rise Records
-History:Rise was founded in 1991 by Craig Ericson in Roseburg, Oregon. He released a small number of 7" records before putting the label on hiatus to attend college. Ericson didn't release anything further until 1999, after moving to Portland, Oregon. He began issuing small-print 7" records, and...
released a three-volume set containing out-of-print releases from the band. The set contains material recorded and released by Piebald while signed with Big Wheel Recreation from 1999 to 2002. Each disc also includes various B-Sides and rarities.
Other Projects
Since Piebald, Travis Shettel has performed in The Was, TS and The Past haunts, and The Hunting Accident with Aaron Stuart.Discography
- Geek of the Week, Salad Days, 1995
- split 7-inch with Seven Percent Solution, Salad Days, Vegan Records, 1995
- Sometimes Friends Fight, Salad Days, Self-released, 1995/Re-released on Point The Blame Records, 1996
- Even After Thirteen Years, Emerson College, Hydra Head RecordsHydra Head RecordsHydra Head Records is an independent record label which specializes in heavy metal music, founded in New Mexico by Aaron Turner in 1993...
, 1996 - split 7-inch with Cave In, Emerson College, Moo Cow RecordsMoo Cow RecordsMoo Cow Records is an independent record label that was formed in 1992 releasing largely, but not solely, hardcore and punk vinyl. It has been based over the years in Burlington, VT , Boston, MA , and Madison, WI...
, 1996 - When Life Hands You LemonsWhen Life Hands You LemonsWhen Life Hands You Lemons is the debut full-length album by American alternative rock group Piebald, released on Boston, Massachusetts-based independent label Hydra Head Records in 1997 .-Track listing:#"Two Rocking Chairs on a Porch"...
, Salad Days, Hydra Head Records, 1997 - If It Weren't For Venetian Blinds, It Would Be Curtains For Us All, ?, PiebaldPiebaldA piebald or pied animal is one that has a spotting pattern of large unpigmented, usually white, areas of hair, feathers, or scales and normally pigmented patches, generally black. The colour of the animal's skin underneath its coat is also pigmented under the dark patches and unpigmented under...
, 1999 - The Rock Revolution Will Not Be Televised, ?, Piebald, 2000
- Barely Legal/All Ages, ?, Big Wheel Recreation, 2001
- We Are the Only Friends We HaveWe Are the Only Friends We HaveWe Are the Only Friends We Have is a studio album released by the North American rock band Piebald.-Track listing:...
, Q Division, Piebald, 2002 - All Ears, All Eyes, All the Time, ?, Side One Dummy, 2004
- "Killa Bros and Killa Bees" (DVD/CD), Side One Dummy, 2005
- Accidental Gentlemen, 2007
- Piebald: First Ten Years Vol.1 Rise RecordsRise Records-History:Rise was founded in 1991 by Craig Ericson in Roseburg, Oregon. He released a small number of 7" records before putting the label on hiatus to attend college. Ericson didn't release anything further until 1999, after moving to Portland, Oregon. He began issuing small-print 7" records, and...
, 2010 - Piebald: First Ten Years Vol.2 Rise RecordsRise Records-History:Rise was founded in 1991 by Craig Ericson in Roseburg, Oregon. He released a small number of 7" records before putting the label on hiatus to attend college. Ericson didn't release anything further until 1999, after moving to Portland, Oregon. He began issuing small-print 7" records, and...
, 2010 - Piebald: First Ten Years Vol.3 Rise RecordsRise Records-History:Rise was founded in 1991 by Craig Ericson in Roseburg, Oregon. He released a small number of 7" records before putting the label on hiatus to attend college. Ericson didn't release anything further until 1999, after moving to Portland, Oregon. He began issuing small-print 7" records, and...
, 2010 - Piebald: Nobody's Robots: A Farewell to Piebald (DVD) Sidehatch Entertainment GroupSidehatch Entertainment GroupSidehatch Entertainment Group is a Boston-based music company with brands in concert and festival promotion, marketing, industry consulting, tour bus rentals, software development and client-based services including presentation, performance, and organization.- History :SEG was founded in 2004 by...
, 2010
Trivia
- The original album title for We Are the Only Friends We HaveWe Are the Only Friends We HaveWe Are the Only Friends We Have is a studio album released by the North American rock band Piebald.-Track listing:...
was "Piebald Feeds The Horse." - Travis Shettel is a playable character in the popular flash game Emogame 2.
- The song "American Hearts" was sampled by MC LarsMC LarsAndrew Robert MacFarlane Nielsen is an American rapper, known by his stage name MC Lars. He is the self-proclaimed originator of "post-punk laptop rap". He was one of the first underground rappers to sample and reference post-punk and emo bands...
for his song iGenerationIGenerationiGeneration may refer to:* i-Generation Superstars of Wrestling, a former professional wrestling promotion* A song by American rap artist MC Lars.* The internet generation, also known as Generation Z...
. - During Piebald downtime, Travis Shettel plays in a Los Angeles based band called Tricky Sizzler, after the breakup of his other band The Was.
- If it Weren't for Venetian Blinds, It Would Be Curtains for Us All is a quote from the Billy Wilder movie Kiss Me, Stupid.