Aphasia (band)
Encyclopedia
Aphasia is a California based alternative rock band.
-based alternative rock
band
. Forming in 1999, the band solidified their sound and lineup in high school, and began playing shows around the Bay Area
, their local area. They are from Burlingame, CA.
The band cited their main influences to be Deftones
, Foo Fighters
, Green Day
, Refused
, Incubus
, Blindside
, Hoobastank
and Cursive
.
Aphasia's music and style was directly influenced by their collaborative approach to writing, its members being proficient in several forms of instrumentation and contributing to all aspects of the creative process.
The band earned their first studio time after winning a local battle of the bands. In 2001, they recorded and released their first three song demo in Oakland, Ca. After that, the band continued the writing and recording independently using a portable, makeshift recording studio that Harber had slowly begun to accumulate.
By 2002 they had come to the attention of Trapt
, another Northern Californian post-grunge
band. Trapt's management, Zig-Zag Communications, mentored Aphasia and provided them with industry and record-release assistance. Their first release was a three-song teaser EP
; shortly thereafter, in 2004, they released their first self-titled album
. In 2005, DRT Entertainment
re-sequenced, re-titled, and re-released the album as Fact & Fiction.
In 2005, the band toured as an opener for Trapt, alongside Blindside
. Eventually going on to tour throughout the United States with various independent acts spanning a broad range genres. Later that year, their single "Flatline" was featured in the movie War of the Worlds (2005 film)
.
In early 2006, Aphasia wrote, recorded and released their final EP, "Make Out Like Bandits," which many cited as being the beginning of a drastic stylistic shift. The four-song EP contained major and minor counterpoint tonality, atypical instrumentation, and pop vocal hooks. The reaction of their listeners was ultimately mixed, acclaimed by some while being criticized by others due to their hard rock following.
In mid 2007, the band announced they had parted ways with Will Peng and would disband as "Aphasia." It has been verified and confirmed by the entire band that parting ways was a mutual decision. Admittedly, there were differences that went unresolved for several years but eventually maintaining the relationship that originally brought them together far outweighed perpetuating a collaboration performing music that its members had long since outgrown. Their differences have since been resolved.
Aphasia has changed their music style and name to DownDownDown.
History
Aphasia was a CaliforniaCalifornia
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
-based alternative rock
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
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...
. Forming in 1999, the band solidified their sound and lineup in high school, and began playing shows around the Bay Area
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
, their local area. They are from Burlingame, CA.
The band cited their main influences to be Deftones
Deftones
Deftones are an American alternative metal band from Sacramento, California, founded in 1988. The band consists of Chino Moreno , Stephen Carpenter , Chi Cheng , Frank Delgado , and Abe Cunningham . Currently Sergio Vega is standing in on bass while Cheng recovers from a car accident...
, Foo Fighters
Foo Fighters
Foo Fighters is an American alternative rock band originally formed in 1994 by Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl as a one-man project following the dissolution of his previous band. The band got its name from the UFOs and various aerial phenomena that were reported by Allied aircraft pilots in World War...
, Green Day
Green Day
Green Day is an American punk rock band formed in 1987. The band consists of lead vocalist and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong, bassist and backing vocalist Mike Dirnt, and drummer Tre Cool...
, Refused
Refused
Refused was a Swedish hardcore punk band originating from Umeå, Sweden, formed in 1991. In total the band released five EPs and three albums, before splitting up in 1998...
, Incubus
Incubus (band)
Incubus is an American rock band from Calabasas, California. The band was formed in 1991 by vocalist Brandon Boyd, lead guitarist Mike Einziger, and drummer Jose Pasillas while enrolled in high school and later expanded to include bassist Alex "Dirk Lance" Katunich, and Gavin "DJ Lyfe" Koppell;...
, Blindside
Blindside
Blindside is a post-hardcore band from Tumba, Sweden. They formed in 1994 as Underfree and kept that name for two years before releasing their debut EP in 1996.-A Thought Crushed My Mind:...
, Hoobastank
Hoobastank
Hoobastank is an American rock band, best known for their 2004 hit "The Reason" and other hits "Crawling in the Dark" and "Running Away". They formed in 1994 in Agoura Hills, California, with singer Doug Robb, guitarist Dan Estrin, drummer Chris Hesse, and original bassist Markku Lappalainen. They...
and Cursive
Cursive (band)
Cursive is an American indie rock band from Omaha, Nebraska, on Saddle Creek Records.-History:The band was formed in 1995 by Tim Kasher, Matt Maginn, Steve Pedersen , and drummer Clint Schnase. In 1997, they released Such Blinding Stars for Starving Eyes. After a couple years of touring, the band...
.
Aphasia's music and style was directly influenced by their collaborative approach to writing, its members being proficient in several forms of instrumentation and contributing to all aspects of the creative process.
The band earned their first studio time after winning a local battle of the bands. In 2001, they recorded and released their first three song demo in Oakland, Ca. After that, the band continued the writing and recording independently using a portable, makeshift recording studio that Harber had slowly begun to accumulate.
By 2002 they had come to the attention of Trapt
Trapt
Trapt is an American rock band that formed in Los Gatos, California in August 1997. The group is composed of lead singer Chris Taylor Brown, lead guitarist Robb Torres, bass guitarist Peter Charell, and drummer Aaron "Monty" Montgomery...
, another Northern Californian post-grunge
Post-grunge
Post-grunge is a subgenre of alternative rock that emerged in the mid-1990s as a derivative of grunge, using the sounds and aesthetic of grunge, but with a more commercially acceptable tone...
band. Trapt's management, Zig-Zag Communications, mentored Aphasia and provided them with industry and record-release assistance. Their first release was a three-song teaser 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...
; shortly thereafter, in 2004, they released their first self-titled album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
. In 2005, DRT Entertainment
DRT Entertainment
DRT Entertainment is a New York City based independent record label founded in 2003 by Derek Shulman, Ron Urban and Theodore "Ted" Green. It is now solely owned by Derek Shulman....
re-sequenced, re-titled, and re-released the album as Fact & Fiction.
In 2005, the band toured as an opener for Trapt, alongside Blindside
Blindside
Blindside is a post-hardcore band from Tumba, Sweden. They formed in 1994 as Underfree and kept that name for two years before releasing their debut EP in 1996.-A Thought Crushed My Mind:...
. Eventually going on to tour throughout the United States with various independent acts spanning a broad range genres. Later that year, their single "Flatline" was featured in the movie War of the Worlds (2005 film)
War of the Worlds (2005 film)
War of the Worlds is a 2005 American science fiction film adaptation of H. G. Wells' novel of the same name, directed by Steven Spielberg and written by Josh Friedman and David Koepp. It is one of three film adaptations of War of the Worlds released that year, alongside The Asylum's version and...
.
In early 2006, Aphasia wrote, recorded and released their final EP, "Make Out Like Bandits," which many cited as being the beginning of a drastic stylistic shift. The four-song EP contained major and minor counterpoint tonality, atypical instrumentation, and pop vocal hooks. The reaction of their listeners was ultimately mixed, acclaimed by some while being criticized by others due to their hard rock following.
In mid 2007, the band announced they had parted ways with Will Peng and would disband as "Aphasia." It has been verified and confirmed by the entire band that parting ways was a mutual decision. Admittedly, there were differences that went unresolved for several years but eventually maintaining the relationship that originally brought them together far outweighed perpetuating a collaboration performing music that its members had long since outgrown. Their differences have since been resolved.
Aphasia has changed their music style and name to DownDownDown.
Band members
- Jeff Harber (vocals)
- Drew DeHaven (guitar)-- replaced by: Aaron Prim
- Jayce Basques (bass)
- Nick Allen (drums) -- replaced by: Will Peng
Albums
- Debut S/T (released in 2001, self produced)
- Industry Sampler (released in 2003)
- Aphasia S/T (released in 2004, under Joint Venture)
- Fact & Fiction (released in 2005, under DRT entertainment)
- Make Out Like Bandits (released in 2006)