Rainer Maria
Encyclopedia
Rainer Maria was an indie rock
/emo
band originally from Madison
, Wisconsin
, later residing in Brooklyn, New York
. Named after the German-language poet Rainer Maria Rilke
, they formed in the late summer of 1995 and released five full length albums, a live DVD, numerous live recordings, and EP
s. In its earlier days, the band had a dual male and female vocal line-up; later, Caithlin De Marrais took over most singing. The gender ambiguity of the name Rainer Maria paralleled this and was one of the reasons it was selected as the band's name.
The band's many tours and intimate live shows at venues such as Brooklyn's North Six (which lead singer Caithlin De Marrais referred to as "home" during her final show because it also served as the band's rehearsal space), Washington, D.C.
's The Black Cat, the Bowery Ballroom
in NYC, and Chapel Hill's Cat's Cradle helped to grow its fan base and fuel album sales.
On November 6, 2006, the band announced, through Pitchfork Media
, that the December 16th show at New York City's Bowery Ballroom would be their last. It was accompanied by this statement:
The band played their last show on December 17, 2006, at North Six in Brooklyn. They opened with "Artificial Light" and closed with a lengthy version of "Rise." Referring to the intensity of the show and the enthusiasm of the crowd, guitarist Kyle Fischer at one point remarked jokingly in-between songs "we should break up every night."
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...
/emo
Emo
Emo is a style of rock music and its associated subcultureEmo may also refer to:- Businesses :* Emo , an Irish oil company and filling station chain* Emo Speedway, a racetrack in Emo, Ontario...
band originally from Madison
Madison, Wisconsin
Madison is the capital of the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Dane County. It is also home to the University of Wisconsin–Madison....
, Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
, later residing in Brooklyn, New York
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
. Named after the German-language poet Rainer Maria Rilke
Rainer Maria Rilke
René Karl Wilhelm Johann Josef Maria Rilke , better known as Rainer Maria Rilke, was a Bohemian–Austrian poet. He is considered one of the most significant poets in the German language...
, they formed in the late summer of 1995 and released five full length albums, a live DVD, numerous live recordings, and 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...
s. In its earlier days, the band had a dual male and female vocal line-up; later, Caithlin De Marrais took over most singing. The gender ambiguity of the name Rainer Maria paralleled this and was one of the reasons it was selected as the band's name.
The band's many tours and intimate live shows at venues such as Brooklyn's North Six (which lead singer Caithlin De Marrais referred to as "home" during her final show because it also served as the band's rehearsal space), Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
's The Black Cat, 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 NYC, and Chapel Hill's Cat's Cradle helped to grow its fan base and fuel album sales.
On November 6, 2006, the band announced, through Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork or P4k, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication established in 1995 that is devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on underground and independent music, especially indie rock...
, that the December 16th show at New York City's Bowery Ballroom would be their last. It was accompanied by this statement:
- "We are grateful to our new listeners and especially our longtime fans for their endless support and attention. We feel incredibly fortunate to have come up during a unique time in rock music, in a community that grew with us from the Midwest to Brooklyn and beyond. Making records has always been a revelation, and walking onto stage together we found a vision we could share.
- "For us, this transition can be nothing short of heartbreaking. But for reasons both musical and personal, the three of us have chosen this time to move on."
The band played their last show on December 17, 2006, at North Six in Brooklyn. They opened with "Artificial Light" and closed with a lengthy version of "Rise." Referring to the intensity of the show and the enthusiasm of the crowd, guitarist Kyle Fischer at one point remarked jokingly in-between songs "we should break up every night."
Band members
- Caithlin De Marrais — bass, vocals
- Kyle Fischer — guitar, vocals, synths
- William Kuehn — drums, percussion
Albums
- Rainer Maria (EP)Rainer Maria (EP)Rainer Maria is the first CD release by indie rock band Rainer Maria. It was followed by the full-length album, Past Worn Searching.# Summer & Longer# I Love You Too# Rain Your Hand# Portland# Ian# Made in Secret...
(1996) - Past Worn SearchingPast Worn Searching-Track listing:All songs by Rainer Maria.#"Tinfoil" – 4:55#"Half Past April" – 4:22#"Viva Anger, Viva Hate" – 3:12#"Always More Often" – 5:33#"Sickbed" – 5:49#"Never In Anger" – 4:58#"New York, 1955" – 4:18...
(1997) (PolyvinylPolyvinyl Record Co.Polyvinyl Record Co. is an American independent record label based in Champaign, Illinois. It has released notable records by of Montreal, Japandroids, Braid, Mates of State and many others.-History:...
) - Look Now Look AgainLook Now Look Again-Track listing:All songs by Rainer Maria.#"Rise" – 4:18#"Planetary" – 5:21#"Broken Radio" – 3:11#"Feeling Neglected" – 4:43#"Breakfast of Champions" – 3:37#"The Reason The Night Is Long" – 3:48...
(1999) (Polyvinyl) - Atlantic (EP) (1999) (Polyvinyl)
- A Better Version of MeA Better Version of MeA Better Version of Me is the third studio CD by the indie rock band Rainer Maria.- Reception :"Matured vocal power and solid song structure have replaced the cacophonous ways of their youth." - PopMatters...
(2001) (Polyvinyl) - Ears Ring (EP)Ears Ring (EP)Ears Ring is a 2002 EP by the indie rock band Rainer Maria.- Track listing:All tracks composed by Rainer Maria.#"Ears Ring" – 3:44#"Alchemy" – 2:16#"Automatic" – 3:32-Personnel:*Caithlin De Marrais – bass, vocals...
(2002) (Polyvinyl) - Long Knives DrawnLong Knives Drawn- Track listing:All tracks composed by Rainer Maria.#"Mystery and Misery" – 4:43#"Long Knives" – 3:08#"Ears Ring" – 3:43#"The Double Life" – 3:29#"The Awful Truth of Loving" – 4:57#"The Imperatives" – 4:29...
(2003) (Polyvinyl) - Anyone in Love With You (Already Knows) (2004) CD/DVD (Polyvinyl)
- Catastrophe Keeps Us TogetherCatastrophe Keeps Us Together-Track listing:All songs by Rainer Maria, except where noted.#"Catastrophe" - 5:33#"Life of Leisure" - 3:26#"Burn" - 4:16#"Bottle" - 2:26#"Terrified" - 2:50#"Cities Above" - 2:21#"Already Lost" - 4:08#"Clear and True" - 2:40#"I'll Make You Mine" - 3:28...
(2006) (Grunion Records)
Other releases
- Demo tape (1995)
- The Argument From Simplicity
- E-mail to K M Ley
- Song Without Words
- Battery Pack
- Todd Haynes
- I Love You Too
- New York, 1955 b/w Up Until This Time 7" (Polyvinyl, 1997)
- Hell or High Water b/w Paper Sack 7" (Polyvinyl, 2000)
- Life of Leisure (LP version/acoustic version) CD single (Grunion, 2006)
- VA - Ooh Do I Love You (Core for Care Records, 1996). Track: "I Love You, Too"
- VA - Direction (Polyvinyl, 1996). Track: "Sooyoung"
- VA - Post Marked Stamps (Tree Records, 1997). Track: "Pincushion"
- VA - ReDirection (Polyvinyl, 2001). Tracks: Breakfast of Champions, Artificial Light
- VA - This Is Next Year: A Brooklyn-Based CompilationThis Is Next Year: A Brooklyn-Based CompilationThis is Next Year is a compilation album released July 17, 2001 by Arena Rock Recording Co.-Disc 1:#"Radio" – The Walkmen#"I've Got A Fang " – They Might Be Giants#"Wasting In The Sun" – #"Keep Your Feelings To Yourself" – Clem Snide...
(Arena Rock Recording Co.Arena Rock Recording Co.The Arena Rock Recording Company is an independent record label based in Portland, Oregon, United States. Albums are distributed by Redeye in the United States and Koch in Canada.-History:...
, 2001). Track: Artificial Light
Music videos
- "Catastrophe" (2006, directed by David Ahuja & Claire Carré)
- "Ears Ring" (2003, directed by David Ahuja)