The world is divided into two types of people. Those who have failed to come to terms with the fact that the 90’s rock era has ended (you will be avenged one day, 90’s gods), and those that choose to channel this deep-rooted anxiety and yearning and develop it into something productive. Something beautiful. Cymbals Eat Guitars is one such band.
Why do Keys cry? Because Cymbals Eat Guitars.
Whether it’s traversing through the realm of indie rock with blaring drums and vocals or softly floating alongside their own haunting riffs and amplified guitar chords, the sound the Staten Island (New York, New Yorkkk) based band Cymbals Eat Guitars creates is easily comparable to many of the classic rock bands like The Pixies, Pavement, and Radiohead, and yet cannot be completely pigeon holed with them.
Their indie rock style with a garage band twist is addictive, add in a thoughtful and well developed song construction with instrumental variation to boot. You’ve got yourself a unique band whose power lies in deliberate intricacy as much as it does in drowning its listeners with beautiful blaring goodness.
Inspired by the Lou Reed quote (when asked to describe his own band at the time of The Velvet Underground) Cymbals Eat Guitars formed in 2007 when high school friends Joseph D’Agostino and Matthew Miller joined forces in their home town of Manahawkin after graduating Southern Regional High School in 2006.
Under the tutelage of The Wrens with lead vocalist and guitarist Charles Bissel, the band initially produced their own debut album under their very own label Sister’s Den Records before being recognised and signed on with Barsuk Records. There have been many fallouts with band members in the past, but regardless the band now stands at four with D’Agostino on lead vocals and guitar, Andrew Dole on the drums, Matt Whipple playing bass and Brian Hamilton on keyboards.
Cymbals Eat Guitars are currently two albums strong with Why There Are Mountains (2009) and Lenses Alien (2011) acting as proud testaments to the bands unconventional but never the less fulfilling music style, with Pitchfork Media claiming them ‘Best New Music’ in 2009. The band have also procured opening spots for the Flaming Lips on multiple shows, as well as appearances in various festivals including the College Music Journal Festival and the Pitchfork Music Festival.
Cymbals Eat Guitars’ latest album LOSE (2014) is set to be released on August 26th and focuses on songwriter D’Agostino’s anxieties of change, aging family members, and past nostalgias. It would seem that we are in for some delicious musical expression, and if the pre released singles Jackson and Chambers are anything to go by this album is definitely something to get excited for!
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