The Boggs
Encyclopedia
The Boggs is an independent rock band
from New York City
that formed in 2001 and quickly became a part of the then burgeoning "New New York" scene that included groups like The Rapture
, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Calla, Interpol, and The Walkmen.
Their debut album We Are The Boggs We Are (Arena Rock Recording Co.
) was a re-telling of Harry Smith
’s Anthology of American Folk Music
that the band mockingly dubbed ‘Archival no-wave’. The Boggs also contributed a compilation
track for This Is Next Year: A Brooklyn-Based Compilation
in 2001 (Arena Rock Recording Co.
).
The follow-up, Stitches, recast the band’s sound as a type of acoustic
post-punk. Some reviews compared the record to a more artsy Pogues or more country
-blues
based Echo & the Bunnymen
.
Their third album "Forts", once again recast the sound of the band which has now been compared to Talking Heads, Adam And The Ants, and Arcade Fire. The band's official biography found on their myspace page describes it as, "proto post folk garage punk folk punk blues and disco."
, singer, and songwriter
Jason Friedman is the only constant member of The Boggs.
Some former members of the band include Ezekiel Healy (guitarist), Brad Conroy (drums), Matt Schulz
(drums
) of Enon
, Sam Jayne (guitar
) of Love As Laughter
, David Lloyd (bass) of Cause for Applause, Heather D’Angelo (vocals
/keyboards
) of Au Revoir Simone
, keyboardist/vocalist Ellie Everdell, drummer/guitarist Alex Luther, drummer Peter Hale, and bass player/vocalist Leif Huckman. .
) Brad Conroy (drums
) and Phillip Roebuck (banjo
) while busking
in the New York City Subway
. The four recorded the debut record three months later. David Lloyd (bass
) replaced Roebuck immediately following the recording of We Are The Boggs We Are and was present for the recording of Stitches released in the UK in 2003. Stitches again received critical attention, but The Boggs’ record label
City Rockers was in financial trouble and soon went out of business. Following the collapse of City Rockers, Friedman parted ways with Healy and Conroy and relocated to Berlin
where he spent the next two years recording a new album entitled Forts
. Forts was released in the U.S. May 8, 2007 on Gigantic Music.
The Shy Child
remix of "Arm in Arm" is featured in Grand Theft Auto IV
.
Rock Band
Rock Band is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems, published by MTV Games and Electronic Arts. It is the first title in the Rock Band series. The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions were released in the United States on November 20, 2007, while the PlayStation 2 version was...
from New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
that formed in 2001 and quickly became a part of the then burgeoning "New New York" scene that included groups like The Rapture
The Rapture (band)
The Rapture is an Indie rock band based in New York City. The band mixes influences from many genres including post-punk, acid house, disco, electronica and rock, pioneering the post-punk revival genre...
, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Calla, Interpol, and The Walkmen.
Their debut album We Are The Boggs We Are (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:...
) was a re-telling of Harry Smith
Harry Everett Smith
Harry Everett Smith was an American archivist, ethnomusicologist, student of anthropology, record collector, experimental filmmaker, artist, bohemian and mystic...
’s Anthology of American Folk Music
Anthology of American Folk Music
The Anthology of American Folk Music is a six-album compilation released in 1952 by Folkways Records , comprising eighty-four American folk, blues and country music recordings that were originally issued from 1927 to 1932.Experimental filmmaker and notable eccentric Harry Smith compiled the music...
that the band mockingly dubbed ‘Archival no-wave’. The Boggs also contributed a compilation
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
track for This Is Next Year: A Brooklyn-Based Compilation
This Is Next Year: A Brooklyn-Based Compilation
This 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...
in 2001 (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:...
).
The follow-up, Stitches, recast the band’s sound as a type of acoustic
Acoustic music
Acoustic music comprises music that solely or primarily uses instruments which produce sound through entirely acoustic means, as opposed to electric or electronic means...
post-punk. Some reviews compared the record to a more artsy Pogues or more country
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
-blues
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
based Echo & the Bunnymen
Echo & the Bunnymen
Echo & the Bunnymen are an English post-punk band, formed in Liverpool in 1978. The original line-up consisted of vocalist Ian McCulloch, guitarist Will Sergeant and bass player Les Pattinson, supplemented by a drum machine. By 1980, Pete de Freitas had joined as the band's drummer, and their debut...
.
Their third album "Forts", once again recast the sound of the band which has now been compared to Talking Heads, Adam And The Ants, and Arcade Fire. The band's official biography found on their myspace page describes it as, "proto post folk garage punk folk punk blues and disco."
Current members
The Boggs have a constantly rotating live line up that sometimes includes members of other established independent rock bands. GuitaristGuitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
, singer, and songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
Jason Friedman is the only constant member of The Boggs.
Some former members of the band include Ezekiel Healy (guitarist), Brad Conroy (drums), Matt Schulz
Matt Schulz
Matt Schulz is an American drummer in the past member of Enon, Lab Partners, Let's Crash, and currently active as a member of Holy Fuck, STOCH, and Aperiodic....
(drums
Drum kit
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
) of Enon
Enon
Enon was an indie rock band founded by John Schmersal, Rick Lee and Steve Calhoon. Currently, Enon is situated in Philadelphia, though the band is known for being part of the New York music scene.-Biography:...
, Sam Jayne (guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
) of Love As Laughter
Love as Laughter
Love as Laughter is an American indie band. The band was formed in 1994 by vocalist and guitarist Sam Jayne as a solo project following the break-up of his previous band, Lync. The band currently features Ivan Berko on bass, Nic Gonzales on drums, Andy Macleod on guitar and Robbie Lee on keyboards...
, David Lloyd (bass) of Cause for Applause, Heather D’Angelo (vocals
Singing
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
/keyboards
Keyboard instrument
A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
) of Au Revoir Simone
Au Revoir Simone
Au Revoir Simone is an electronic dream pop band from Williamsburg, Brooklyn, New York, formed in late 2003. The group is composed of Erika Forster , Annie Hart , and Heather D'Angelo...
, keyboardist/vocalist Ellie Everdell, drummer/guitarist Alex Luther, drummer Peter Hale, and bass player/vocalist Leif Huckman. .
History
The first Boggs' recordings were made by Friedman in his bedroom using a tape to tape deck and a pair of headphones as a microphone. Friedman was looking for people to help record and perform this material when he met Ezekiel Healy (slide guitarSlide guitar
Slide guitar or bottleneck guitar is a particular method or technique for playing the guitar. The term slide refers to the motion of the slide against the strings, while bottleneck refers to the original material of choice for such slides: the necks of glass bottles...
) Brad Conroy (drums
Drum kit
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
) and Phillip Roebuck (banjo
Banjo
In the 1830s Sweeney became the first white man to play the banjo on stage. His version of the instrument replaced the gourd with a drum-like sound box and included four full-length strings alongside a short fifth-string. There is no proof, however, that Sweeney invented either innovation. This new...
) while busking
Busking
Street performance or busking is the practice of performing in public places, for gratuities, which are generally in the form of money and edibles...
in the New York City Subway
New York City Subway
The New York City Subway is a rapid transit system owned by the City of New York and leased to the New York City Transit Authority, a subsidiary agency of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and also known as MTA New York City Transit...
. The four recorded the debut record three months later. David Lloyd (bass
Bass (instrument)
Bass describes musical instruments that produce tones in the low-pitched range. They belong to different families of instruments and can cover a wide range of musical roles...
) replaced Roebuck immediately following the recording of We Are The Boggs We Are and was present for the recording of Stitches released in the UK in 2003. Stitches again received critical attention, but The Boggs’ record label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
City Rockers was in financial trouble and soon went out of business. Following the collapse of City Rockers, Friedman parted ways with Healy and Conroy and relocated to Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
where he spent the next two years recording a new album entitled Forts
Forts (album)
Forts is the third and most recent studio album by New York band The Boggs.- Track listing :# "Forts" – 2:57# "Remember the Orphans" – 2:59# "Little Windows" – 3:45# "One Year On" – 2:50# "Arm In Arm" – 3:46# "Bookends" – 3:54...
. Forts was released in the U.S. May 8, 2007 on Gigantic Music.
The Shy Child
Shy Child
Shy Child are an electronic music duo from New York consisting of Pete Cafarella on vocals and synthesizers and Nate Smith on drums.-History:Shy Child formed in the summer of 2000, when former college friends Pete Cafarella and Nate Smith separately moved to New York...
remix of "Arm in Arm" is featured in Grand Theft Auto IV
Grand Theft Auto IV
Grand Theft Auto IV is a 2008 open world action video game published by Rockstar Games, and developed by British games developer Rockstar North. It has been released for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 video game consoles, and for the Windows operating system...
.
Discography
- We Are The Boggs We AreWe Are The Boggs We AreWe Are The Boggs We Are is the debut album by New York band The Boggs.-Track listing:# "Whiskey and Rye" # "How Long?" # "On North Wood Ground" # # "Beside the Windowsill" #...
(2002) - StitchesStitches (album)-Track listing:# "Down Below" # "The Ark" # "However" # "Low Light Hour" # "Stitches" # "Up from Under" # "Astray" # "Yes, Darling" # "One by One" # "Why Don't We?" # "Brown Eyes"...
(2003) - FortsForts (album)Forts is the third and most recent studio album by New York band The Boggs.- Track listing :# "Forts" – 2:57# "Remember the Orphans" – 2:59# "Little Windows" – 3:45# "One Year On" – 2:50# "Arm In Arm" – 3:46# "Bookends" – 3:54...
(2007)
External links
- The Boggs at MySpaceMySpaceMyspace 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....
- The Boggs at Gigantic Music
- The Boggs at 2:30 Publicity
- [ The Boggs] on Allmusic