Bear vs. Shark
Encyclopedia
Bear vs. Shark was an American post-hardcore
band from Highland, Michigan
. They were founded in 2001 and disbanded in 2005 after releasing one EP and two full-length studio albums while signed to Equal Vision Records
.
and punk as well as The Clash
, Fugazi, and Motown as influences to the group's sound.
The group initially sent a demo to Equal Vision Records
and a representative from the label flew out immediately to sign the group. Since the release of Right Now You're in the Best of Hands... the band has toured the United States
extensively headlining & opening for other major acts such as Coheed and Cambria
. The group quickly gained attention from fans and fellow musicians as well. The group is also known for their high-energy stage show most notably by Marc Paffi, who is known to move around the stage frantically during performances. Most of the band members also switched playing instruments during their sets, which was a regular occasion. Though it has been circulated that the band's name comes from the shape of Michigan
, Gaviglio has said in an interview that they believed it was "super badass and sounded interesting."
where he did an op-ed
piece on the hardships of touring extensively. The band has also been very vocal that they didn't like their touring conditions.
.
Mike Muldoon and John Gaviglio together with help of Mark Maynard have started a new band project called Cannons, centralized in Brooklyn.
Right Now, You're in the Best of Hands... and Terrorhawk
were released on vinyl by Friction Records, with Right Now, You're in the Best of Hands included two previously unreleased tracks, California Hot Seat (originally heard on the (1653 EP
) and June 7. Also, a special picture disc version of Terrorhawk was released, with artwork by Jeff VandenBerg.
Marc Paffi recorded vocals for the song 1999 on the band If He Dies He Dies
release Conquistador on Friction Records.
Marc Paffi, Mike Muldoon, and Brandon Moss have started a new band together called Champions of History.
Brandon Moss is also a member of the band Bars of Gold And Wildcatting. In addition to Wildcatting, Brandon Moss also plays horns in Don't Stand So Close To Me, a jazz/fusion ensemble that mixes solid hits from The Police
.
John Gaviglio currently plays in Matthew Dear's Big Hands
Marc Paffi is also lead singer of Bars of Gold
Past members
Post-hardcore
Post-hardcore is a genre of music that developed from hardcore punk, itself an offshoot of the broader punk rock movement. Like post-punk, post-hardcore is a term for a broad constellation of groups...
band from Highland, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
. They were founded in 2001 and disbanded in 2005 after releasing one EP and two full-length studio albums while signed to Equal Vision Records
Equal Vision Records
Equal Vision Records is a record label based in Albany, New York, which has a focus in metal or punk-based rock genres. Equal Vision Records was founded in the early 1990s by Ray Cappo ....
.
Formation
The members of the group have known each other all their lives with some members forming friendships as early as pre-school. The band actually formed during their college years when the members were playing in separate projects. The group's original drummer Brandon Moss left the group and was replaced by Ashley Horak. The group has cited classic rockClassic rock
Classic rock is a radio format which developed from the album-oriented rock format in the early 1980s. In the United States, the classic rock format features music ranging generally from the late 1960s to the late 1980s, primarily focusing on the hard rock genre that peaked in popularity in the...
and punk as well as The Clash
The Clash
The Clash were an English punk rock band that formed in 1976 as part of the original wave of British punk. Along with punk, their music incorporated elements of reggae, ska, dub, funk, rap, dance, and rockabilly...
, Fugazi, and Motown as influences to the group's sound.
The group initially sent a demo to Equal Vision Records
Equal Vision Records
Equal Vision Records is a record label based in Albany, New York, which has a focus in metal or punk-based rock genres. Equal Vision Records was founded in the early 1990s by Ray Cappo ....
and a representative from the label flew out immediately to sign the group. Since the release of Right Now You're in the Best of Hands... the band has toured the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
extensively headlining & opening for other major acts such as Coheed and Cambria
Coheed and Cambria
Coheed and Cambria is an American progressive rock band from Nyack, New York. Formed in 1995, the group incorporates aspects of progressive rock, punk rock, metal and post-hardcore....
. The group quickly gained attention from fans and fellow musicians as well. The group is also known for their high-energy stage show most notably by Marc Paffi, who is known to move around the stage frantically during performances. Most of the band members also switched playing instruments during their sets, which was a regular occasion. Though it has been circulated that the band's name comes from the shape of Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
, Gaviglio has said in an interview that they believed it was "super badass and sounded interesting."
Break-up
On December 21, 2005 the band posted on their website that they decided to call it quits. Although the band didn't cite any specific reason for the breakup John Gaviglio was featured in the December issue of Alternative PressAlternative Press (music magazine)
Alternative Press is an American music magazine based in Cleveland, Ohio. It generally provides readers with band interviews, photos, information on upcoming releases, and music charts. It was founded in 1985 by Mike Shea, who is the current president....
where he did an op-ed
Editorial
An opinion piece is an article, published in a newspaper or magazine, that mainly reflects the author's opinion about the subject. Opinion pieces are featured in many periodicals.-Editorials:...
piece on the hardships of touring extensively. The band has also been very vocal that they didn't like their touring conditions.
Post Bear vs. Shark
The band contributed a track called "Victoria Iceberg" to the Masters of Horror SoundtrackMasters of Horror (Soundtrack)
Masters of Horror is the soundtrack accompanying the television series Masters of Horror. Volume 1 sold over 50,000 copies.-Volume 2 Track listing:...
.
Mike Muldoon and John Gaviglio together with help of Mark Maynard have started a new band project called Cannons, centralized in Brooklyn.
Right Now, You're in the Best of Hands... and Terrorhawk
Terrorhawk
Terrorhawk is the second and final album by the post-hardcore band Bear vs. Shark, released in 2005 by Equal Vision Records. The Clash, Black Sabbath, and Hüsker Dü were all cited by the group as influences on the album...
were released on vinyl by Friction Records, with Right Now, You're in the Best of Hands included two previously unreleased tracks, California Hot Seat (originally heard on the (1653 EP
1653 (album)
1653 is the debut EP released by the Post-hardcore band, Bear vs. Shark.-Track listing:-Personnel:*Marc Paffi – vocals, guitar, keyboards*Derek Kiesgen – guitar, bass*Mike Muldoon – guitar, bass, keyboards...
) and June 7. Also, a special picture disc version of Terrorhawk was released, with artwork by Jeff VandenBerg.
Marc Paffi recorded vocals for the song 1999 on the band If He Dies He Dies
If He Dies He Dies
If He Dies He Dies was a heavy metal band with origins from the western portion of the U.S. state of Michigan. The band members of the band were; Daine Hammerle , Brent Eckhardt , and Ephraim Rosalez . Harley Obzut, Tommy Eilers, Addison Eilers Electric guitar...
release Conquistador on Friction Records.
Marc Paffi, Mike Muldoon, and Brandon Moss have started a new band together called Champions of History.
Brandon Moss is also a member of the band Bars of Gold And Wildcatting. In addition to Wildcatting, Brandon Moss also plays horns in Don't Stand So Close To Me, a jazz/fusion ensemble that mixes solid hits from The Police
The Police
The Police were an English rock band formed in London in 1977. For the vast majority of their history, the band consisted of Sting , Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland...
.
John Gaviglio currently plays in Matthew Dear's Big Hands
Marc Paffi is also lead singer of Bars of Gold
Band members
Final line-up- Marc Paffi – vocals, guitarGuitarThe 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...
, keyboardsMusical keyboardA musical keyboard is the set of adjacent depressible levers or keys on a musical instrument, particularly the piano. Keyboards typically contain keys for playing the twelve notes of the Western musical scale, with a combination of larger, longer keys and smaller, shorter keys that repeats at the... - Derek Kiesgen – guitarGuitarThe 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...
, bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick.... - Mike Muldoon – guitarGuitarThe 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...
, bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, keyboardsMusical keyboardA musical keyboard is the set of adjacent depressible levers or keys on a musical instrument, particularly the piano. Keyboards typically contain keys for playing the twelve notes of the Western musical scale, with a combination of larger, longer keys and smaller, shorter keys that repeats at the... - John Gaviglio – guitarGuitarThe 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...
, bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, vocals - Ashley Horak – drumsDrum kitA 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 ....
Past members
- Brandon Moss – drumsDrum kitA 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 ....
Discography
| Title | Release date | Label |
|---|---|---|
| 1653 1653 (album) 1653 is the debut EP released by the Post-hardcore band, Bear vs. Shark.-Track listing:-Personnel:*Marc Paffi – vocals, guitar, keyboards*Derek Kiesgen – guitar, bass*Mike Muldoon – guitar, bass, keyboards... (EP) |
2001 | Self-released |
| Right Now, You're in the Best of Hands. And If Something Isn't Quite Right, Your Doctor Will Know in a Hurry | July 22, 2003 | Equal Vision Records Equal Vision Records Equal Vision Records is a record label based in Albany, New York, which has a focus in metal or punk-based rock genres. Equal Vision Records was founded in the early 1990s by Ray Cappo .... |
| Terrorhawk Terrorhawk Terrorhawk is the second and final album by the post-hardcore band Bear vs. Shark, released in 2005 by Equal Vision Records. The Clash, Black Sabbath, and Hüsker Dü were all cited by the group as influences on the album... |
June 14, 2005 | Equal Vision Records Equal Vision Records Equal Vision Records is a record label based in Albany, New York, which has a focus in metal or punk-based rock genres. Equal Vision Records was founded in the early 1990s by Ray Cappo .... |