Boston-based Faces in the Floor (FIF) said its new album “Bones” sports a stripped-down sound that takes a pass on the endless layers of instrumentation and effects, and aims at reproducing the experience of a true live performance.
The new full-length CD was recorded at Lionsgate Studios in LaFayette, Colo., owned and operated by Steve Turney, longtime friend and former bandmate of drummer Jason Frantz. What used to be a 100-year-old barn was converted into a full-service studio, and the band was given complete creative freedom and all the time they needed to complete the album. The foursome spent months preparing for the recording process, and set a goal of producing two songs per day with a maximum of five takes per song. “Bones” was finished after four days, with three songs completed on the first day. In addition to the new music, old tunes are being re-edited with new ideas and input.
“Some of these songs have been floating around in our repertoire for a while now, and others are brand spanking new,” said Frantz. “Some were slaved over for months, while others like ‘Lucy’ fell together in 30 minutes. The recording was fast and furious, but was a breath of fresh air and a vacation at the same time.”
FIF will release “Bones” on March 16 at McGann’s, located at 197 Portland St., near the TD BankNorth Garden. The show is presented by the Boston-based radio program Citywide Blackout, which airs on Saturday, 6-8 p.m. on UNregularradio.com. Joining FIF are the hardworking and dedicated rock band, The Last of the Independents and progressive rock/metal artists Protean Collective. Frantz said he was especially excited for the show since Protean Collective, who are good friends of FIF, recently released its new EP “Exposed” at the Magic Room Gallery two weeks ago.
“This show is going to be a crazy party,” said guitarist Eddie Konopasek. “Protean Collective is one of my favorite bands around, and it’ll be great to celebrate our release with them. There will be a lot of ‘Zappa moshing,’ and if you don't know what that is, you'll find out on March 16.”
“Bones” is the second musical offering from FIF. 2010 saw the release of the five-song EP “A Conflict in Time,” and since then, the band’s sound has undergone some intense development with the addition of Chris Eckert as the new vocalist. Eckert, Konopasek’s best friend from Chicago, quit his job, sold his car and moved to Boston, all after one phone call.
“We have a great time making music in this band, and it is great to be in a band with people that all respect each other and work together so nicely.” Konopasek said.
A bare-bones approach was the theme of this album, and primary the goal of the band during the recording process. Rather than layer the music with the best bells and whistles that Auto-Tune has to offer, FIF took a different approach, opting for a straightforward sound that brought all the passion and energy of a live performance. Konopasek said he and his bandmates don’t want to hide anything behind layers of instrumentation and sought to capture the sound of real people playing the music that they love.
“The sound matches perfectly with our live show,” Konopasek said. “It’s our sound with all the energy that we have when we play live.”
Frantz put it best, recalling a friend’s advice that good music is like a good woman–naturally beautiful.
“We are not Auto-Tune,” said Frantz. “We’re not a thousand layers of guitars. We are four guys who play our single instruments and sing our single voices. Here we are, live or on record.”
Artist Information
Faces in the Floor
http://www.facebook.com/facesinthefloor
http://www.myspace.com/facesinthefloor
http://www.purevolume.com/facesinthefloor
Protean Collective
http://www.proteancollective.com
http://www.reverbnation.com/proteancollective
http://www.twitter.com/procollective
The Last of The Independents
http://www.thelastoftheindependents.com
Contact Information
Max Bowen-Citywide Blackout
max@citywideblackout.com
citywideblackout.blogspot.com
www.citywideblackout.com
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