Murder by Death (band)
Encyclopedia
Murder by Death is an American five-piece indie rock
band from Bloomington, Indiana
. Their name is derived from the 1976 Robert Moore
film of the same name
.
drummer Steve Lamos' solo project DMS. After the show, the head of the TEAM AV record label with which Lamos was working offered to help Turla and his bandmates secure additional shows. Around the same time the band met Thursday
vocalist, Geoff Rickly
, when the two bands played on the same bill at a gig in their hometown of Bloomington. Rickly introduced the band, known at the time as Little Joe Gould, to his friend Alex Saavedra (owner of Eyeball Records
), who also took an interest in the band.
In 2001 the band self-released the eponymous Little Joe Gould EP and early the next year contributed the song "I'm Afraid of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf" to the TEAM AV compilation Foreign Nationals. A short time later the group changed their name to Murder By Death, which they felt better represented their sound.
, Interpol
, and The American Analog Set
. In July 2003 the band released a split album with Volta Do Mar entitled Konrad Friedrich Wilhelm Zimmer in honor of the grandfather of the TEAM AV label owner who appears on the cover. Along with the song "Canyon Inn, Room 16" from the Little Joe Gould EP, Murder By Death also contributed "Knife Goes In, Guts Come Out" and the instrumental track "We Watch a Lot of Movies" alongside an alternate version of "A Masters in Reverse Psychology". Konrad Friedrich Wilhelm Zimmer was recorded with producer D. James Goodwin
during sessions that would ultimately bear the release of Who Will Survive, and What Will Be Left of Them?
in October. In December the band released a tribute 7" single for friend and musician Matt Davis of the band Ten Grand who had died earlier that year, before continuing to tour nationwide with Lucero
, The Weakerthans
, William Elliott Whitmore
, and Rasputina
.
"Those Who Left", from Like The Exorcist..., is an eight-minute instrumental, often played live in total darkness. This song is often paired with "Those Who Stayed," a shorter instrumental from the same album. This pairing, played during encores, is seen on setlists as "The Two Evils" or "Medley of Evil."
My Chemical Romance
frontman Gerard Way
provides guest vocals on Who Will Survive... track "The Devil in Mexico."
Thursday
frontman Geoff Rickly
provides guest vocals on the Who Will Survive... track "Killbot 2000."
William Elliott Whitmore provides guest vocals on the Who Will Survive... track "Until Morale Improves, The Beatings Will Continue." According to the bands website he sang to them through a telephone while he was on the side of the road in Texas.
. Cellist Sarah Balliet added keyboard duties to her cello playing. More touring was followed by a stint back at school, during which time the band wrote their third album, In Bocca Al Lupo
, which was released in May 2006 on their own label Tent Show Records
, an imprint of East West Records
. Vocalist/guitarist Adam Turla described the records's inspiration as coming from "a basic idea—sin, in the Dante/Divine Comedy sense—and doing 12 songs that were very unique and about different people." The title is an Italian good luck wish, literally translating as "in the mouth of the wolf" and therefore a likely nod to the language and subject matter of Dante's epic poem, which Turla was reading during the writing of the album. The record also resembles the 1976 murder mystery from which the band takes its name - a pastiche of bad deeds and of good intentions, heroism and forgiveness. Like its predecessor, In Bocca Al Lupo is a concept album, which also builds on the band's previous experimentations with unusual musical styles to include waltzes
, jig
s and gospel music
. The songs are presented in the same spaghetti western theme as previous works, but Turla's vocals are sung in a new baritone range, which has been likened by many to that of country singer Johnny Cash
. The album was well received and touring continued through the summer of 2006, including headlining shows supported by Langhorne Slim
.
, Murder By Death's fourth album, and first with Vagrant Records
, was released in March 2008. Produced by Trina Shoemaker
Recorded at Dark Horse Studios and Mixed at House Of Blues Studios in Nashville, Tennessee
, the record features former keyboardist Vincent Edwards on the song "Ball & Chain" and is also the first album to feature new drummer Dagan Thogerson, who replaced founding member Alex Schrodt. It continues with the band's trademark themes: "lust, betrayal, and classical archetypes of good and evil." In Turla's words, the record is an "Homer’s Odyssey of revenge, only without the honorable character at the center." The vocals are again sung in the same low, baritone range as In Bocca Al Lupo causing a few critics to speculate that Red of Tooth and Claw breaks less new ground than previous efforts, although in general the album has been well received. As described by allmusic.com the album "carries over some of the Old West outlaw feel of its predecessor, but it's more aggressive and freewheeling here. [...] [The album] isn't a departure for Murder By Death, but their ability to keep their sound fresh and vibrant speaks well of their musical abilities." To celebrate the album's release, Murder By Death played two shows on the same night in their hometown of Bloomington.
The song "Comin' Home" from Red of Tooth and Claw was featured in a trailer for Quentin Tarantino's award-winning film Inglorious Basterds.
, due on April 6 of the same year.
After having been a touring member in the fall of 2010, multi-instrumentalist Scott Brackett (of Okkervil River fame) joined as a permanent member in May 2011.
s, rock
and alt-country. The band uses electric cello
to create a southern American
, and gothic
sound with occasional western references.
The band occasionally arranges themes such as whiskey and the Devil
into concept album
s. For example, the band's second album, Who Will Survive, and What Will Be Left of Them?
, describes a story in which the Devil wages war against a small village in Mexico
.
Former
EPs
Singles
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
band from Bloomington, Indiana
Bloomington, Indiana
Bloomington is a city in and the county seat of Monroe County in the southern region of the U.S. state of Indiana. The population was 80,405 at the 2010 census....
. Their name is derived from the 1976 Robert Moore
Robert Moore (director)
Robert Moore was an American stage, film and television director.-Biography:Born in Detroit, Michigan, Moore is best known for his direction of the ground-breaking play The Boys in the Band, his Broadway productions , and his collaborations - three plays and three films - with Neil Simon,...
film of the same name
Murder by Death
Murder by Death is a 1976 comedy film with a cast featuring Eileen Brennan, Truman Capote, James Coco, Peter Falk, Alec Guinness, Elsa Lanchester, David Niven, Peter Sellers, Maggie Smith, Nancy Walker, and Estelle Winwood, written by Neil Simon and directed by Robert Moore.The plot is a spoof of...
.
Early years (2000-2002)
Murder by Death was formed in 2000 in Bloomington, Indiana, by guitarist Adam Turla, cellist Sarah Balliet, percussionist Alexander Schrodt, keyboardist Vincent Edwards, and bassist Matt Armstrong. One of the group's first shows was at the Channing-Murray Foundation's cafe The Red Herring in Urbana, Illinois, with former American FootballAmerican Football (band)
American Football was an indie rock band from Champaign-Urbana, Illinois, active from 1997 to 2000. The band was formed by guitarist/bassist and singer Mike Kinsella and drummer Steve Lamos American Football was an indie rock band from Champaign-Urbana, Illinois, active from 1997 to 2000. The band...
drummer Steve Lamos' solo project DMS. After the show, the head of the TEAM AV record label with which Lamos was working offered to help Turla and his bandmates secure additional shows. Around the same time the band met Thursday
Thursday (band)
Thursday were an American rock band from New Brunswick, New Jersey. Formed in 1997, the group has released six full-length albums, their most recent being No Devolución, which was released in April 2011 on Epitaph Records...
vocalist, Geoff Rickly
Geoff Rickly
Geoffrey William Rickly Geoffrey William Rickly Geoffrey William Rickly (born March 8, 1979 is the lead singer and songwriter of Thursday, an American rock band from New Brunswick, New Jersey. They have released six studio albums. Rickly grew up in Dumont, New Jersey...
, when the two bands played on the same bill at a gig in their hometown of Bloomington. Rickly introduced the band, known at the time as Little Joe Gould, to his friend Alex Saavedra (owner of Eyeball Records
Eyeball Records
Eyeball Records is an independent record label based in Northern New Jersey, formed in 1995 by Alex Saavedra. They have released albums by artists such as Thursday, My Chemical Romance and Murder by Death....
), who also took an interest in the band.
In 2001 the band self-released the eponymous Little Joe Gould EP and early the next year contributed the song "I'm Afraid of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf" to the TEAM AV compilation Foreign Nationals. A short time later the group changed their name to Murder By Death, which they felt better represented their sound.
First works (2002-2006)
While still performing under the name Little Joe Gould, the band headed out on an 11-date tour stretching from California to Louisiana with the Chicago-based band Volta Do Mar. On this tour the band honed the songs for their debut album, which was recorded in several Chicago studios with Tim Iseler, then a guitarist with the TEAM AV-affiliated band Re:Rec. Both the tour and the recording engineer were arranged by the TEAM AV label, and the resulting Like The Exorcist, But More Breakdancing was released on Eyeball in August 2002. The band extensively toured behind the album with bands such as CursiveCursive (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...
, Interpol
Interpol (band)
Interpol is an American indie rock and post-punk revival band from New York City. Formed in 1997, the band's original line-up consisted of Paul Banks , Daniel Kessler , Carlos Dengler and Greg Drudy . Drudy left the band in 2000 and was replaced by Sam Fogarino...
, and The American Analog Set
The American Analog Set
The American Analog Set is an Austin-based indie rock band. They have released six studio albums, on the record labels Emperor Jones and Tiger Style, with their latest on Arts & Crafts.-History:...
. In July 2003 the band released a split album with Volta Do Mar entitled Konrad Friedrich Wilhelm Zimmer in honor of the grandfather of the TEAM AV label owner who appears on the cover. Along with the song "Canyon Inn, Room 16" from the Little Joe Gould EP, Murder By Death also contributed "Knife Goes In, Guts Come Out" and the instrumental track "We Watch a Lot of Movies" alongside an alternate version of "A Masters in Reverse Psychology". Konrad Friedrich Wilhelm Zimmer was recorded with producer D. James Goodwin
D. James Goodwin
D. James Goodwin is a music producer, recording engineer, and musician, based in Woodstock, New York. Goodwin is known for his experimental and irreverent approach to recording...
during sessions that would ultimately bear the release of Who Will Survive, and What Will Be Left of Them?
Who Will Survive, and What Will Be Left of Them?
-External links:*...
in October. In December the band released a tribute 7" single for friend and musician Matt Davis of the band Ten Grand who had died earlier that year, before continuing to tour nationwide with Lucero
Lucero (band)
Lucero is an American punk/Texas Country infused rock band that is based in Memphis, Tennessee.-Biography:Lucero's punk rock roots flavor their now "country-ish" music, while their Southern roots give them the twang that they have come to be known by. They had their start in Memphis, TN. The band...
, The Weakerthans
The Weakerthans
The Weakerthans are a four-piece Canadian indie rock band.-History:The band was formed in 1997 in Winnipeg, Manitoba by John K. Samson, after he left the punk band Propagandhi to start a publishing company. Samson joined forces with bassist John P...
, William Elliott Whitmore
William Elliott Whitmore
William Elliott Whitmore is an American blues singer and musician from Lee County, Iowa. He has recorded a number of albums released on Southern Records, and now is a member of the Anti Records family. His act consists mostly of playing the banjo or guitar while singing, though on occasion he...
, and Rasputina
Rasputina
Rasputina is a cello-driven band based in New York that is renowned for their unconventional and quirky music style as well as their fascination with historical allegories and fashion, especially those pertaining to the Victorian era....
.
"Those Who Left", from Like The Exorcist..., is an eight-minute instrumental, often played live in total darkness. This song is often paired with "Those Who Stayed," a shorter instrumental from the same album. This pairing, played during encores, is seen on setlists as "The Two Evils" or "Medley of Evil."
My Chemical Romance
My Chemical Romance
My Chemical Romance is an American alternative rock band from New Jersey, formed in 2001. The band consists of lead vocalist Gerard Way, guitarists Ray Toro and Frank Iero, and bassist Mikey Way and have a diverse sound incorporating elements of punk, emo, glam metal, and progressive rock...
frontman Gerard Way
Gerard Way
Gerard Arthur Way is an American musician and comic book writer who has served as lead vocalist and co-founder of the band My Chemical Romance since its formation in 2001...
provides guest vocals on Who Will Survive... track "The Devil in Mexico."
Thursday
Thursday (band)
Thursday were an American rock band from New Brunswick, New Jersey. Formed in 1997, the group has released six full-length albums, their most recent being No Devolución, which was released in April 2011 on Epitaph Records...
frontman Geoff Rickly
Geoff Rickly
Geoffrey William Rickly Geoffrey William Rickly Geoffrey William Rickly (born March 8, 1979 is the lead singer and songwriter of Thursday, an American rock band from New Brunswick, New Jersey. They have released six studio albums. Rickly grew up in Dumont, New Jersey...
provides guest vocals on the Who Will Survive... track "Killbot 2000."
William Elliott Whitmore provides guest vocals on the Who Will Survive... track "Until Morale Improves, The Beatings Will Continue." According to the bands website he sang to them through a telephone while he was on the side of the road in Texas.
In Bocca Al Lupo (2006-2008)
Pianist Vincent Edwards left the band in 2004 in order to return to academiaAcademia
Academia is the community of students and scholars engaged in higher education and research.-Etymology:The word comes from the akademeia in ancient Greece. Outside the city walls of Athens, the gymnasium was made famous by Plato as a center of learning...
. Cellist Sarah Balliet added keyboard duties to her cello playing. More touring was followed by a stint back at school, during which time the band wrote their third album, In Bocca Al Lupo
In Bocca al Lupo
-Further Details:*Produced by J. Robbins and Murder By Death*Engineered and mixed by J. Robbins at The Magpie Cage.*Mastered by Alan Douches and J. Robbins.*Cover art and rings of fire by Mike Pappa.*Portrait Lithographs by Ben Bussell....
, which was released in May 2006 on their own label Tent Show Records
Tent Show Records
Tent Show Records is Murder by Death's record label in the EastWest family of labels....
, an imprint of East West Records
East West Records
East West Records is an American record label, owned by Warner Music Group, and operates under WMG's Independent Label Group.-History:...
. Vocalist/guitarist Adam Turla described the records's inspiration as coming from "a basic idea—sin, in the Dante/Divine Comedy sense—and doing 12 songs that were very unique and about different people." The title is an Italian good luck wish, literally translating as "in the mouth of the wolf" and therefore a likely nod to the language and subject matter of Dante's epic poem, which Turla was reading during the writing of the album. The record also resembles the 1976 murder mystery from which the band takes its name - a pastiche of bad deeds and of good intentions, heroism and forgiveness. Like its predecessor, In Bocca Al Lupo is a concept album, which also builds on the band's previous experimentations with unusual musical styles to include waltzes
Waltz (music)
A waltz, or valse from the French term, is a piece of music in triple meter, most often written in time signature but sometimes in 3/8 or 3/2...
, jig
Jig
The Jig is a form of lively folk dance, as well as the accompanying dance tune, originating in England in the 16th century and today most associated with Irish dance music and Scottish country dance music...
s and gospel music
Gospel music
Gospel music is music that is written to express either personal, spiritual or a communal belief regarding Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music....
. The songs are presented in the same spaghetti western theme as previous works, but Turla's vocals are sung in a new baritone range, which has been likened by many to that of country singer Johnny Cash
Johnny Cash
John R. "Johnny" Cash was an American singer-songwriter, actor, and author, who has been called one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century...
. The album was well received and touring continued through the summer of 2006, including headlining shows supported by Langhorne Slim
Langhorne Slim
Langhorne Slim is an American singer-songwriter, . Scolnick attended high school at Solebury School in New Hope, Pennsylvania, and graduated from the Conservatory of Music at Purchase College, part of the SUNY system.He began to gain public notice through several years of touring with the...
.
Red of Tooth and Claw (2008-2010)
Red of Tooth and ClawRed of Tooth and Claw
Red of Tooth and Claw is the fourth full-length album release by American five-piece indie rock band Murder by Death and marks the first record the band has released on the Vagrant record label...
, Murder By Death's fourth album, and first with Vagrant Records
Vagrant Records
Vagrant Records is an indie rock label based in Los Angeles, California and is home to such artists as The Hold Steady, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes, Active Child, PJ Harvey, Reptar, School of Seven Bells, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Thrice, James Vincent McMorrow, Placebo, and many...
, was released in March 2008. Produced by Trina Shoemaker
Trina Shoemaker
Trina Shoemaker is a mixer, record producer and sound engineer responsible for producing/engineering and/or mixing records for popular bands such as Queens of the Stone Age, Sheryl Crow, Emmylou Harris, Something for Kate, Nanci Griffith and many more....
Recorded at Dark Horse Studios and Mixed at House Of Blues Studios in Nashville, Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
, the record features former keyboardist Vincent Edwards on the song "Ball & Chain" and is also the first album to feature new drummer Dagan Thogerson, who replaced founding member Alex Schrodt. It continues with the band's trademark themes: "lust, betrayal, and classical archetypes of good and evil." In Turla's words, the record is an "Homer’s Odyssey of revenge, only without the honorable character at the center." The vocals are again sung in the same low, baritone range as In Bocca Al Lupo causing a few critics to speculate that Red of Tooth and Claw breaks less new ground than previous efforts, although in general the album has been well received. As described by allmusic.com the album "carries over some of the Old West outlaw feel of its predecessor, but it's more aggressive and freewheeling here. [...] [The album] isn't a departure for Murder By Death, but their ability to keep their sound fresh and vibrant speaks well of their musical abilities." To celebrate the album's release, Murder By Death played two shows on the same night in their hometown of Bloomington.
The song "Comin' Home" from Red of Tooth and Claw was featured in a trailer for Quentin Tarantino's award-winning film Inglorious Basterds.
Good Morning, Magpie (2010-present)
On January 19, 2010, Murder by Death announced the pending release of their fifth full-length album, Good Morning, MagpieGood Morning, Magpie
Good Morning, Magpie is the fifth full-length album by the band Murder By Death released on April 6th, 2010. It is their second release through Vagrant Records.-Track listing:-Personnel:* Adam Turla - lead vocals, guitars, keyboards* Sarah Balliet - cello...
, due on April 6 of the same year.
After having been a touring member in the fall of 2010, multi-instrumentalist Scott Brackett (of Okkervil River fame) joined as a permanent member in May 2011.
Style
Murder by Death plays a range of music including instrumentalInstrumental
An instrumental is a musical composition or recording without lyrics or singing, although it might include some non-articulate vocal input; the music is primarily or exclusively produced by musical instruments....
s, rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
and alt-country. The band uses electric cello
Electric cello
The electric cello is a type of cello that relies on electronic amplification to produce sound. An acoustic cello can be fitted with a bridge or body mounted contact pickup providing an electric signal, or a built-in pickup can be installed...
to create a southern American
Southern United States
The Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive area in the southeastern and south-central United States...
, and gothic
Gothic rock
Gothic rock is a musical subgenre of post-punk and alternative rock that formed during the late 1970s. Gothic rock bands grew from the strong ties they had to the English punk rock and emerging post-punk scenes...
sound with occasional western references.
The band occasionally arranges themes such as whiskey and the Devil
Devil
The Devil is believed in many religions and cultures to be a powerful, supernatural entity that is the personification of evil and the enemy of God and humankind. The nature of the role varies greatly...
into concept album
Concept album
In music, a concept album is an album that is "unified by a theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, narrative, or lyrical." Commonly, concept albums tend to incorporate preconceived musical or lyrical ideas rather than being improvised or composed in the studio, with all songs contributing...
s. For example, the band's second album, Who Will Survive, and What Will Be Left of Them?
Who Will Survive, and What Will Be Left of Them?
-External links:*...
, describes a story in which the Devil wages war against a small village in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
.
Members
Current- Adam Turla – lead vocals, lead guitar, rhythm guitar, keyboards (since 2000)
- Matt Armstrong – bass (since 2000)
- Sarah Balliet – cello, keyboards (since 2000)
- Dagan Thogerson – drums, percussion (since 2007)
- Scott Brackett – keyboards, accordion, cornet, theremin (since 2011)
Former
- Vincent Edwards – keyboards (2000–2004)
- Alex Schrodt – drums, percussion (2000–2007)
Discography
Studio albums| Release date | Title | Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... Peak |
|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Like The Exorcist, But More Breakdancing | - |
| 2003 | Who Will Survive, and What Will Be Left of Them? Who Will Survive, and What Will Be Left of Them? -External links:*... |
- |
| 2006 | In Bocca Al Lupo In Bocca al Lupo -Further Details:*Produced by J. Robbins and Murder By Death*Engineered and mixed by J. Robbins at The Magpie Cage.*Mastered by Alan Douches and J. Robbins.*Cover art and rings of fire by Mike Pappa.*Portrait Lithographs by Ben Bussell.... |
- |
| 2008 | Red of Tooth and Claw Red of Tooth and Claw Red of Tooth and Claw is the fourth full-length album release by American five-piece indie rock band Murder by Death and marks the first record the band has released on the Vagrant record label... |
- |
| 2010 | Good Morning, Magpie Good Morning, Magpie Good Morning, Magpie is the fifth full-length album by the band Murder By Death released on April 6th, 2010. It is their second release through Vagrant Records.-Track listing:-Personnel:* Adam Turla - lead vocals, guitars, keyboards* Sarah Balliet - cello... |
#200 |
EPs
| Release date | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Little Joe Gould | As Little Joe Gould |
| 2003 | Konrad Friedrich Wilhelm Zimmer | Split album Split album A split album is a music album which includes tracks by two or more separate artists. There have been singles and EPs released in the same nature, which can be referred to as split singles and split EPs respectively... with Volta Do Mar |
| 2003 | Tribute for Matt Davis | |
| 2008 | Fuego! | |
| 2009 | Finch Instrumental Soundtrack Finch (Murder By Death album) Finch is the fifth full-length album release by American five-piece indie rock band Murder by Death. Although the band's fourth album, 2008's Red of Tooth and Claw, was released on the Vagrant label, Finchs October 7, 2009 release was on Tent Show Records, Murder by Death's record label in the... |
Singles
- Boy Decide (2006)
b-sides: Boy Decide (Alternate), One More Notch (acoustic) - Brother (2007)
b-sides: Moon is Up, Brother (Live), Don't Cry (Guns N' Roses cover, on 7") - Sometimes the Line Walks You (2007)
b-sides: Dynamite Mine (Demo), Bang Bang (Sonny Bono cover), American Carny Theme
External links
- Murder By Death's official website
- Brother artist commentary at roxwel.com
- Interview feature about Murder By Death's Finch soundtrack at InDigest Magazine