The Boxing Lesson
Encyclopedia
The Boxing Lesson is a group of psychedelic progressive rock musicians based in Austin, TX. Currently a power trio with synthesizers performing the bass players role, they create a layered sound that usually starts minimally and builds into grand orchestrations. The band consists of songwriter Paul Waclawsky, synthesizer player Jaylinn Davidson and drummer Matt Bongirno.
by Paul Waclawsky in 2002, where they recorded and released their first two EPs on their own label, Send Me Your Head Records. The first, self-titled effort gained strong local buzz
and earned the band many shows supporting touring national bands. The EP was described by the LA Weekly
as one that "tests your patience and then rewards it." Joseph Kyle from MundaneSounds wrote that, "The promise on The Boxing Lesson is so great, that you'd probably want to hold them to their potential in a court of law." Some international acclaim was received as well. Noise Theory Australia gave it 5-stars, and wrote that, "Each of the four tracks on this debut self-titled EP gracefully drift through the dark night, and with every intricate guitar melody there is a star that lights the way," and "The Boxing Lesson have addressed every issue that has ever plagued atmospheric rock and mended them in what seems like a manner that seems to simple to be true."
s, ambient effects and a new bass player. The EP also included a woozy live version of the Acetone
song, "Don't Cry", that was recorded at Reservoir Tip Studios by Anthony Arvizu. "Radiation", received more impressive national and international reviews, with Splendid Magazine describing it as "promising, if imperfect". Australian blog, Halo-17, gave the record a favorable 8.5/10 rating and said,"If you only take a chance on one new rock album this month, make it this one," and "The Boxing Lesson cut all the fat from their music, and produced a record which shows that they're a band that should be taken seriously, in addition to providing some of the best music I've heard so far in 2004."
, where he assembled a new lineup including Jaylinn Davidson on synthesizers and Jake Mitchell on drums. Practicing and writing songs for a full year before playing live, the band recorded "Songs in the Key of C" with Tim Gerron at Music Lab in Austin, TX. The sound was a wild departure from the two previous EPs. The Onion's Los Angeles Calendar Section wrote, "Gone are the laid-back vocals and gauzy guitars, replaced by passionate singing, frenzied power chords, and tons of gurgling analog synthesizers." The Austin Chronicle
gave the release 3 stars and wrote, "Though claiming "Indie Rock Is Dead," the Boxing Lesson's Songs in the Key of C provides enough lo-fi life support in its tales of criminals and crackheads to stay the reaper." Meanwhile, Smother Magazine wrote, "The Boxing Lesson are an indie rock band on a mission to the moon."
's Sën magazine compared the sound of the album to that of other space rock acts like Pink Floyd and David Bowie, while LA Cityzine praised its "rich lyrical offerings and strong musicianship". The Lemur Blog in Sweden wrote, ""The result is spaced out, it's probably the best space rock album you can find within the scrutinized confines of 2008.". The Music Reviewer gave the album a 9.0/10 and said, "It's an amazing mix of the past and the present, without being too much of either. It's a group that you'll hear more of in the future, and it's a group that knows how to pay homage to – and not just copy – their idols from the past." Indiecision blog from India described The Boxing Lesson's sound as, "if Failure and Pink Floyd got together to drink mushroom tea out of fancy little teacups and chase the white rabbit with Brian Eno and Robert Smith".
The band released a music video for Dark Side of the Moog from Wild Streaks and Windy Days, directed by Eric Power, which features an animated version of the band exploring an alien planet. A stop motion
music video
for the track "Brighter' was released as well. The video, directed by Victor Yiu, was constructed from over 6000 still images. Additionally, the band released a guerrilla-cam-style video for Dance with Meow shot by Matt Robertson which featured the band dressed in furry cat masks, chasing the White Rabbit
, doing cat-nip and visiting local-haunts in Austin's nightlife.
On February 14, 2009, Daytrotter
posted a session recorded live in Rock Island, IL, featuring an unreleased song, "Room 17," that was written as a tribute to Mitchell.
/electronic
instrumental
album recorded on a 4-track
by Waclawsky and Davidson in 2004. The album heavily features synthesizers and drum loops and marks a turning point in the evolution
of the band. The album name is a play on words for the "first eight" songs recorded in Austin. Self-released on homemade cassette tapes, the album cover depicts the State of Texas in a tiger fur pattern. Some of these songs are instrumental stripped down versions of songs that appeared on Songs in the Key of C and Wild Streaks & Windy Days. Cassette restoration and Mastering by Danny Reisch at Good Danny's, Austin, TX.
An animated music video
by Jeanne Hospod was released for the opening track, "One". It features a ghost
-rodeo, space
-travel, feminine beauty, psychedelic felines
, art and enlightenment
from the far reaches of Austin, TX. Hospod released an erotic animated video for the track "Four" in early 2011. The artist's description was, "Alien woman seduces hapless human male involving a very unusual flower." Nathan Guy directed a non-animated cat-themed video for the track "Three" that was released at SXSW 2011. The director described the video as "Morphing cats' psychedelic journey through the Fur State," and video blended live performance shots with warped smoky images showing the band in costume hanging at local Austin haunts.
during this time period and are an expansion of their space rock
sound. Vivogig reviewer Jim Sells says, "Well, the Boxing Lesson nails it on “Muerta.” Pink Floyd
influences the music but there is more to their sound than a Floyd fixation. Elements of M83
, the “Northern Soul”-period of The Verve
, and the adventurousness of Ponytail
all are present here. The effects-laden guitar weaves in and out of the soaring Moog
parts, creating a sonic landscape that draws the listener in from the first sound. Sells goes on to note that "“Muerta” has to be in my Top 10 for the year. There is just nothing like it out there."
A music video for the title track "Muerta" was released in the summer of 2011 that was started in 2009 by Director Jonathan London and animator Will Kistler. The CGI
enhanced video depicts the band drowning to the depths of the sea.
effects, and Jaylinn Davidson's heavy use of Moog synthesizer
s. The band has not had a stringed bass player since relocating to Austin, the rhythmic function of the bassline is instead performed on the synth. Haunting vocals and moody melodies are punctuated by mesmerizing guitars, droney beats and expressive electronica. The Boxing Lesson plays "space" rock that can transport the listener to another dimension and beyond. Culturespill blog said, "An up-and-coming threesome out of Austin, Texas, The Boxing Lesson betray a rather thinly veiled affinity for Pink Floyd but they roughen the edges of that influence with an open-armed embrace of Spacemen 3, The Cure, Radiohead and Broken Social Scene. Craig Franklin from Halo-17 Australia wrote, "Not enough bands make music like The Boxing Lesson any more. Over the course of three EPs, they've managed to create some truly breathtaking and epic music that draw the dots between such seemingly disparate bands as Pink Floyd, My Bloody Valentine and David Bowie. They're equally at home writing short, concise pop songs, and kicking out the jams. They use a Moog synth extensively. In short, unlike a lot of bands, they're consistently interesting.
The Boxing Lesson EP
The Boxing Lesson was formed in Los AngelesLos Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
by Paul Waclawsky in 2002, where they recorded and released their first two EPs on their own label, Send Me Your Head Records. The first, self-titled effort gained strong local buzz
Marketing buzz
Marketing buzz or simply buzz — a term used in word-of-mouth marketing — is the interaction of consumers and users of a product or service which serves to amplify the original marketing message. a vague but positive association, excitement, or anticipation about a product or service...
and earned the band many shows supporting touring national bands. The EP was described by the LA Weekly
LA Weekly
LA Weekly is a free weekly tabloid-sized "alternative weekly" in Los Angeles, California. It was founded in 1978 by Editor/Publisher Jay Levin and a board of directors that included actor-producer Michael Douglas...
as one that "tests your patience and then rewards it." Joseph Kyle from MundaneSounds wrote that, "The promise on The Boxing Lesson is so great, that you'd probably want to hold them to their potential in a court of law." Some international acclaim was received as well. Noise Theory Australia gave it 5-stars, and wrote that, "Each of the four tracks on this debut self-titled EP gracefully drift through the dark night, and with every intricate guitar melody there is a star that lights the way," and "The Boxing Lesson have addressed every issue that has ever plagued atmospheric rock and mended them in what seems like a manner that seems to simple to be true."
Radiation
The band quickly recorded a follow up with Matt Brown and Chris Pearson at Sonikwire Studios in Irvine, CA. Expanding on the sound of the debut EP, the band incorporated more Moog synthesizerMoog synthesizer
Moog synthesizer may refer to any number of analog synthesizers designed by Dr. Robert Moog or manufactured by Moog Music, and is commonly used as a generic term for older-generation analog music synthesizers. The Moog company pioneered the commercial manufacture of modular voltage-controlled...
s, ambient effects and a new bass player. The EP also included a woozy live version of the Acetone
Acetone
Acetone is the organic compound with the formula 2CO, a colorless, mobile, flammable liquid, the simplest example of the ketones.Acetone is miscible with water and serves as an important solvent in its own right, typically as the solvent of choice for cleaning purposes in the laboratory...
song, "Don't Cry", that was recorded at Reservoir Tip Studios by Anthony Arvizu. "Radiation", received more impressive national and international reviews, with Splendid Magazine describing it as "promising, if imperfect". Australian blog, Halo-17, gave the record a favorable 8.5/10 rating and said,"If you only take a chance on one new rock album this month, make it this one," and "The Boxing Lesson cut all the fat from their music, and produced a record which shows that they're a band that should be taken seriously, in addition to providing some of the best music I've heard so far in 2004."
Songs in the Key of C
In late-2004, Waclawsky relocated from California to TexasTexas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, where he assembled a new lineup including Jaylinn Davidson on synthesizers and Jake Mitchell on drums. Practicing and writing songs for a full year before playing live, the band recorded "Songs in the Key of C" with Tim Gerron at Music Lab in Austin, TX. The sound was a wild departure from the two previous EPs. The Onion's Los Angeles Calendar Section wrote, "Gone are the laid-back vocals and gauzy guitars, replaced by passionate singing, frenzied power chords, and tons of gurgling analog synthesizers." The Austin Chronicle
Austin Chronicle
The Austin Chronicle is an alternative weekly, tabloid-style newspaper published every Thursday in Austin, Texas, United States. The paper is distributed through free news-stands, often at local eateries or coffee houses frequented by its targeted demographic...
gave the release 3 stars and wrote, "Though claiming "Indie Rock Is Dead," the Boxing Lesson's Songs in the Key of C provides enough lo-fi life support in its tales of criminals and crackheads to stay the reaper." Meanwhile, Smother Magazine wrote, "The Boxing Lesson are an indie rock band on a mission to the moon."
Wild Streaks & Windy Days
After doing several tours promoting "Songs in the Key of C", the band quickly went back to Tim Gerron in 2007 to record their debut full length album. Focusing on more atmospheric textures and varied styles of songwriting, the 12-song album, Wild Streaks & Windy Days, took 8 months to record and was eventually self-released at SXSW 2008 to positive reviews. Barrett King of BaltimoreBaltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
's Sën magazine compared the sound of the album to that of other space rock acts like Pink Floyd and David Bowie, while LA Cityzine praised its "rich lyrical offerings and strong musicianship". The Lemur Blog in Sweden wrote, ""The result is spaced out, it's probably the best space rock album you can find within the scrutinized confines of 2008.". The Music Reviewer gave the album a 9.0/10 and said, "It's an amazing mix of the past and the present, without being too much of either. It's a group that you'll hear more of in the future, and it's a group that knows how to pay homage to – and not just copy – their idols from the past." Indiecision blog from India described The Boxing Lesson's sound as, "if Failure and Pink Floyd got together to drink mushroom tea out of fancy little teacups and chase the white rabbit with Brian Eno and Robert Smith".
The band released a music video for Dark Side of the Moog from Wild Streaks and Windy Days, directed by Eric Power, which features an animated version of the band exploring an alien planet. A stop motion
Stop motion
Stop motion is an animation technique to make a physically manipulated object appear to move on its own. The object is moved in small increments between individually photographed frames, creating the illusion of movement when the series of frames is played as a continuous sequence...
music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
for the track "Brighter' was released as well. The video, directed by Victor Yiu, was constructed from over 6000 still images. Additionally, the band released a guerrilla-cam-style video for Dance with Meow shot by Matt Robertson which featured the band dressed in furry cat masks, chasing the White Rabbit
White Rabbit
The White Rabbit works for the Red Queen, but is also a secret member of the Underland Underground Resistance, and was sent by the Hatter to search for Alice...
, doing cat-nip and visiting local-haunts in Austin's nightlife.
Jake Mitchell
In August 2008, the band's drummer, Jake Mitchell, was sentenced to five years of prison after being charged by the Austin police for "conspiracy to manufacture marijuana". Before Mitchell went to prison, the band went into the studio to record a number of tracks that could become the foundation of a new EP.On February 14, 2009, Daytrotter
Daytrotter
Daytrotter is a website for the recording studio Horseshack, which hosts recording sessions with many popular and typically upcoming indie music acts, although it works with local bands in the Illinois area as well. The sessions can be compared to that of a radio station's lounge recordings, where...
posted a session recorded live in Rock Island, IL, featuring an unreleased song, "Room 17," that was written as a tribute to Mitchell.
Fur State
On October 26, 2010, The Boxing Lesson released "Fur State," a lo-fi acousticAcoustic music
Acoustic music comprises music that solely or primarily uses instruments which produce sound through entirely acoustic means, as opposed to electric or electronic means...
/electronic
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
instrumental
Instrumental
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....
album recorded on a 4-track
Multitrack recording
Multitrack recording is a method of sound recording that allows for the separate recording of multiple sound sources to create a cohesive whole...
by Waclawsky and Davidson in 2004. The album heavily features synthesizers and drum loops and marks a turning point in the evolution
Evolution
Evolution is any change across successive generations in the heritable characteristics of biological populations. Evolutionary processes give rise to diversity at every level of biological organisation, including species, individual organisms and molecules such as DNA and proteins.Life on Earth...
of the band. The album name is a play on words for the "first eight" songs recorded in Austin. Self-released on homemade cassette tapes, the album cover depicts the State of Texas in a tiger fur pattern. Some of these songs are instrumental stripped down versions of songs that appeared on Songs in the Key of C and Wild Streaks & Windy Days. Cassette restoration and Mastering by Danny Reisch at Good Danny's, Austin, TX.
An animated music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
by Jeanne Hospod was released for the opening track, "One". It features a ghost
Ghost
In traditional belief and fiction, a ghost is the soul or spirit of a deceased person or animal that can appear, in visible form or other manifestation, to the living. Descriptions of the apparition of ghosts vary widely from an invisible presence to translucent or barely visible wispy shapes, to...
-rodeo, space
Space
Space is the boundless, three-dimensional extent in which objects and events occur and have relative position and direction. Physical space is often conceived in three linear dimensions, although modern physicists usually consider it, with time, to be part of a boundless four-dimensional continuum...
-travel, feminine beauty, psychedelic felines
Félines
Félines may refer to the following places in France:* Félines, Ardèche, a commune in the department of Ardèche* Félines, Haute-Loire, a commune in the department of Hérault* Félines-Minervois, a commune in the department of Hérault...
, art and enlightenment
Enlightenment (spiritual)
Enlightenment in a secular context often means the "full comprehension of a situation", but in spiritual terms the word alludes to a spiritual revelation or deep insight into the meaning and purpose of all things, communication with or understanding of the mind of God, profound spiritual...
from the far reaches of Austin, TX. Hospod released an erotic animated video for the track "Four" in early 2011. The artist's description was, "Alien woman seduces hapless human male involving a very unusual flower." Nathan Guy directed a non-animated cat-themed video for the track "Three" that was released at SXSW 2011. The director described the video as "Morphing cats' psychedelic journey through the Fur State," and video blended live performance shots with warped smoky images showing the band in costume hanging at local Austin haunts.
Muerta EP
The Boxing Lesson released a collection of four slow-tempo psychedelic tracks entitled "Muerta EP" in the summer of 2011. These songs were recorded over several years in Austin, TX with several drummers. These four recordings chronicle the band's evolutionEvolution
Evolution is any change across successive generations in the heritable characteristics of biological populations. Evolutionary processes give rise to diversity at every level of biological organisation, including species, individual organisms and molecules such as DNA and proteins.Life on Earth...
during this time period and are an expansion of their space rock
Space rock
Space rock is a subgenre of rock music; the term originally referred to a group of early, mostly British, 1970s progressive and psychedelic rock bands such as Hawkwind and Pink Floyd, characterised by slow, lengthy instrumental passages dominated by electric organs, synthesizers, experimental...
sound. Vivogig reviewer Jim Sells says, "Well, the Boxing Lesson nails it on “Muerta.” Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd were an English rock band that achieved worldwide success with their progressive and psychedelic rock music. Their work is marked by the use of philosophical lyrics, sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows. Pink Floyd are one of the most commercially...
influences the music but there is more to their sound than a Floyd fixation. Elements of M83
M83
M83 or M-83 may refer to:* Messier 83, a spiral galaxy in the constellation Hydra* M83 , an electronic or shoegazing music group named after the galaxy** M83 , the debut album of the M83 music group...
, the “Northern Soul”-period of The Verve
The Verve
The Verve were an English rock band formed in 1989 in Wigan by lead vocalist Richard Ashcroft, guitarist Nick McCabe, bassist Simon Jones, and drummer Peter Salisbury. Guitarist and keyboardist Simon Tong later became a member. Beginning with a psychedelic sound indebted to shoegazing and space...
, and the adventurousness of Ponytail
Ponytail
A ponytail is a hairstyle in which most or all of the hair on the head is pulled away from the face, gathered and secured at the back of the head with a hair tie, clip or similar device, and allowed to hang freely from that point. It gets its name from its resemblance to the undocked tail of a...
all are present here. The effects-laden guitar weaves in and out of the soaring Moog
Moog synthesizer
Moog synthesizer may refer to any number of analog synthesizers designed by Dr. Robert Moog or manufactured by Moog Music, and is commonly used as a generic term for older-generation analog music synthesizers. The Moog company pioneered the commercial manufacture of modular voltage-controlled...
parts, creating a sonic landscape that draws the listener in from the first sound. Sells goes on to note that "“Muerta” has to be in my Top 10 for the year. There is just nothing like it out there."
A music video for the title track "Muerta" was released in the summer of 2011 that was started in 2009 by Director Jonathan London and animator Will Kistler. The CGI
Computer-generated imagery
Computer-generated imagery is the application of the field of computer graphics or, more specifically, 3D computer graphics to special effects in art, video games, films, television programs, commercials, simulators and simulation generally, and printed media...
enhanced video depicts the band drowning to the depths of the sea.
Musical style
The band's sound primarily is built around a psychedelic space rock ethos, with Paul Waclawsky's dark melodic guitar work using reverb, fuzz, and tape delayDelay (audio effect)
Delay is an audio effect which records an input signal to an audio storage medium, and then plays it back after a period of time. The delayed signal may either be played back multiple times, or played back into the recording again, to create the sound of a repeating, decaying echo.-Early delay...
effects, and Jaylinn Davidson's heavy use of Moog synthesizer
Moog synthesizer
Moog synthesizer may refer to any number of analog synthesizers designed by Dr. Robert Moog or manufactured by Moog Music, and is commonly used as a generic term for older-generation analog music synthesizers. The Moog company pioneered the commercial manufacture of modular voltage-controlled...
s. The band has not had a stringed bass player since relocating to Austin, the rhythmic function of the bassline is instead performed on the synth. Haunting vocals and moody melodies are punctuated by mesmerizing guitars, droney beats and expressive electronica. The Boxing Lesson plays "space" rock that can transport the listener to another dimension and beyond. Culturespill blog said, "An up-and-coming threesome out of Austin, Texas, The Boxing Lesson betray a rather thinly veiled affinity for Pink Floyd but they roughen the edges of that influence with an open-armed embrace of Spacemen 3, The Cure, Radiohead and Broken Social Scene. Craig Franklin from Halo-17 Australia wrote, "Not enough bands make music like The Boxing Lesson any more. Over the course of three EPs, they've managed to create some truly breathtaking and epic music that draw the dots between such seemingly disparate bands as Pink Floyd, My Bloody Valentine and David Bowie. They're equally at home writing short, concise pop songs, and kicking out the jams. They use a Moog synth extensively. In short, unlike a lot of bands, they're consistently interesting.
Discography
- Possibilities (unreleased)
- Muerta EP (2011)
- Fur State (2010)
- Wild Streaks and Windy Days (2008)
- Songs in the Key of C (2006)
- Radiation (2004)
- The Boxing Lesson (2003)