STNNNG
Encyclopedia
STNNNG is an indie rock
band from Minneapolis, Minnesota
. Formed in 2003, they have played over 200 live shows, and have released three full-length albums on the Twin Cities-based Modern Radio Record Label, who has put out releases by other notable acts, such as Deerhoof
, William Elliott Whitmore
, Yellow Swans
, and The Plastic Constellations
.
STNNNG's profile began to rise in 2005 as they began to tour around the Midwest. Dignified Sissy achieved critical acclaim in the media, including positive reviews from independent zines like Punk Planet
and Maximumrocknroll. The Minneapolis Star Tribune
voted them the #1 live act in the Twin Cities, and their album placed sixth on a list of best local records that included output from Atmosphere
, Low
, and Tapes 'n Tapes
. In September 2005, STNNNG placed first in the Minneapolis City Pages
' annual "Picked to Click" music poll.
The cover of Dignified Sissy features "Bear Attack", a painting by historical artist Mort Kunstler
.
In 2006, STNNNG began playing higher-profile shows, playing with such acts as The Fall, The Ex, and Shellac
, the latter of which helped them celebrate the release of their second album, Fake Fake, by playing a surprise opening set at Minneapolis' 7th Street Entry. Shellac
bass player Bob Weston
called STNNNG's debut, Dignified Sissy, one of "a few recent records that sound amazing to me" in 2006.
Fake Fake was the first STNNNG album to feature bassist Jesse Kwakenat (later of Heroine Sheiks
, who joined the band in January 2005. The album received wider recognition in the form of more reviews from websites and publications such as Delusions of Adequacy, Foxy Digitalis, and The Big Takeover
.
The San Antonio Express-News
described them as the "post-punk band that wreaks havoc with a twin-guitar attack and lyrics that run the gamut from annoyingly repetitive to as clever as lyrics get." The Chicago Reader stated simply that STNNNG "have earned their reputation as an endorphin rush of a live act."
Acclaimed music critic Mark Prindle took notice of the band in 2009, highlighting them in his "Micro-Reviews of Hip New Bands That The Kids Dig".
Modern Radio Record Label released STNNNG's 3rd full-length LP, The Smoke of My Will, in October 2010, after four years of writing and recording. The album was the band's first after the departure of original drummer J. Michael Ward in August 2009. He was replaced by Ben Ivascu, who is perhaps best known as the drummer for hip-hop artist P.O.S.
The Smoke of My Will was profiled on Minnesota Public Radio
's "All Things Considered" in October 2010.
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 Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis , nicknamed "City of Lakes" and the "Mill City," is the county seat of Hennepin County, the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota, and the 48th largest in the United States...
. Formed in 2003, they have played over 200 live shows, and have released three full-length albums on the Twin Cities-based Modern Radio Record Label, who has put out releases by other notable acts, such as Deerhoof
Deerhoof
Deerhoof is a musical group consisting of Satomi Matsuzaki, John Dieterich, Ed Rodriguez and Greg Saunier.-Origins:In 1992, Greg Saunier, having recently graduated with a degree in music composition from Oberlin Conservatory of Music, joined a short-lived San Francisco quartet called Nitre Pit, on...
, 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...
, Yellow Swans
Yellow Swans
Yellow Swans were an American experimental electronic noise band from Portland, Oregon. The duo are renowned for their improvisional approach to music, creating a unique experience for each live performance. They describe their music as "a constantly evolving mass of psychedelic noise that is both...
, and The Plastic Constellations
The Plastic Constellations
The Plastic Constellations were a Minneapolis-based band. Formed in 1995 when they met as students at Hopkins High School, they played their first shows in 1996 at the well-known First Avenue venue when they were just 15 years old...
.
History
From their inception until 2005, the band performed as a quartet, featuring two guitars, drums and vocals. Their first releases, 2004's split 7" with Chicago's The Means and 2005's debut full-length CD/LP, Dignified Sissy, were recorded with this lineup.STNNNG's profile began to rise in 2005 as they began to tour around the Midwest. Dignified Sissy achieved critical acclaim in the media, including positive reviews from independent zines like Punk Planet
Punk Planet
Punk Planet was a 16,000 print run punk zine, based in Chicago, Illinois, that focused most of its energy on looking at punk subculture rather than punk as simply another genre of music to which teenagers listen. In addition to covering music, Punk Planet also covered visual arts and a wide...
and Maximumrocknroll. The Minneapolis Star Tribune
Star Tribune
The Star Tribune is the largest newspaper in the U.S. state of Minnesota and is published seven days each week in an edition for the Minneapolis-Saint Paul metropolitan area. A statewide version is also available across Minnesota and parts of Wisconsin, Iowa, South Dakota, and North Dakota. The...
voted them the #1 live act in the Twin Cities, and their album placed sixth on a list of best local records that included output from Atmosphere
Atmosphere
An atmosphere is a layer of gases that may surround a material body of sufficient mass, and that is held in place by the gravity of the body. An atmosphere may be retained for a longer duration, if the gravity is high and the atmosphere's temperature is low...
, Low
Low (band)
Low is an American indie rock group from Duluth, Minnesota, formed in 1993. As of 2010, the group is composed of Alan Sparhawk and Mimi Parker , both founding members, and Steve Garrington ....
, and Tapes 'n Tapes
Tapes 'n Tapes
-History:Formed in the winter of 2003 at Carleton College, the band has released four albums. First came the self-released Tapes 'n Tapes EP in 2004, followed by the full-length release, The Loon, on Ibid Records in 2005. The band signed to XL Recordings and re-released The Loon on July 25, 2006...
. In September 2005, STNNNG placed first in the Minneapolis City Pages
City Pages
City Pages is an alternative weekly newspaper serving the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area. It features news, film, theatre and restaurant reviews, and music criticism. It is printed in a tabloid format, and is available free every Wednesday...
' annual "Picked to Click" music poll.
The cover of Dignified Sissy features "Bear Attack", a painting by historical artist Mort Kunstler
Mort Künstler
Mort Künstler is a historical artist in the United States of America whose work now focuses mainly on the American Civil War. Before he turned to the Civil War in the early 1980s, he had built a body of work that dealt with America's national story: from portraits of prehistoric American life to...
.
In 2006, STNNNG began playing higher-profile shows, playing with such acts as The Fall, The Ex, and Shellac
Shellac (band)
Shellac is an American group composed of Steve Albini , Bob Weston and Todd Trainer...
, the latter of which helped them celebrate the release of their second album, Fake Fake, by playing a surprise opening set at Minneapolis' 7th Street Entry. Shellac
Shellac (band)
Shellac is an American group composed of Steve Albini , Bob Weston and Todd Trainer...
bass player Bob Weston
Bob Weston
Bob Weston is an American musician, producer, recording engineer, and record mastering engineer. Critic Jason Ankeny declares that "Weston's name and fingerprints are all over the American underground rock of the post-punk era, producing and engineering dates for a seemingly endless number of...
called STNNNG's debut, Dignified Sissy, one of "a few recent records that sound amazing to me" in 2006.
Fake Fake was the first STNNNG album to feature bassist Jesse Kwakenat (later of Heroine Sheiks
Heroine Sheiks
The Heroine Sheiks were originally a New York-based Noise Rock band until early 2006, when the band called it quits. In 2008 the band was reformed in Minneapolis, and then only lasting another year. It began in 1999 as a collaboration of Shannon Selberg, George Porfiris, Norman Westberg and John Fell...
, who joined the band in January 2005. The album received wider recognition in the form of more reviews from websites and publications such as Delusions of Adequacy, Foxy Digitalis, and The Big Takeover
The Big Takeover
The Big Takeover is a bi-annual music magazine published out of New York City since 1980 by critic Jack Rabid.-Overview:The Big T usually appears in June and December, with most recent issues coming in around 200 pages. The review section, featuring Jack’s Top 40 for the issue, is regularly 60-80...
.
The San Antonio Express-News
San Antonio Express-News
The San Antonio Express-News is the daily newspaper of San Antonio, Texas. It is ranked as the third-largest daily newspaper in the state of Texas in terms of circulation, and is one of the leading news sources of South Texas, with offices in Austin, Brownsville, Laredo, and Mexico City...
described them as the "post-punk band that wreaks havoc with a twin-guitar attack and lyrics that run the gamut from annoyingly repetitive to as clever as lyrics get." The Chicago Reader stated simply that STNNNG "have earned their reputation as an endorphin rush of a live act."
Acclaimed music critic Mark Prindle took notice of the band in 2009, highlighting them in his "Micro-Reviews of Hip New Bands That The Kids Dig".
Modern Radio Record Label released STNNNG's 3rd full-length LP, The Smoke of My Will, in October 2010, after four years of writing and recording. The album was the band's first after the departure of original drummer J. Michael Ward in August 2009. He was replaced by Ben Ivascu, who is perhaps best known as the drummer for hip-hop artist P.O.S.
The Smoke of My Will was profiled on Minnesota Public Radio
Minnesota Public Radio
Minnesota Public Radio , is the flagship National Public Radio member network for the state of Minnesota. With its three services, News & Information, Classical Music and The Current, MPR operates a 42-station regional radio network in the upper Midwest serving over 8 million people...
's "All Things Considered" in October 2010.
Full Length Albums
- The Smoke of My Will LP (2010 · Modern Radio Record Label)
- Fake Fake CD/LP (2006 · Modern Radio Record Label)
- Dignified Sissy CD/LP (2005 · Modern Radio Record Label)
Singles & Compilations
- STNNNG/Signal to Trust Split 7" (2007) · Modern Radio
- Stuck on AMStuck on AMStuck on AM is the name used for a series of music compilations made from live recordings at Radio K at the University of Minnesota.-Disc 1: Amplitude:#Rex Daisy "Stuck on AM" #Big Red Ball "Drown"...
Vol. 6 (2008 · Radio K) - compilation CD - Stuck on AMStuck on AMStuck on AM is the name used for a series of music compilations made from live recordings at Radio K at the University of Minnesota.-Disc 1: Amplitude:#Rex Daisy "Stuck on AM" #Big Red Ball "Drown"...
Vol. 5 (2006 · Radio K) - compilation CD - Ladies & Gentlemen#2 (2006 · Ladies & Gentlemen Magazine) - compilation LP
- Means/STNNNG Split 7" (2004 · Nodak Records)