This Will Destroy You
Encyclopedia
This Will Destroy You, often abbreviated to TWDY, is an American post-rock
band from San Marcos, Texas
, formed in 2005. The band consists of guitarists Jeremy Galindo and Chris King, bass player and keyboardist Donovan Jones and drummer Alex Bhore. They typically compose lengthy atmospheric instrumental pieces, featuring layers of effects
-laden guitar and a heavy usage of dynamics
.
Their latest album, Tunnel Blanket
, was released in May 2011. It entered the Billboard
Heatseekers Album Chart
at number 25.
before the line-up was finalized by around 2002.
Early iterations of the band featured Galindo on vocals and sounded like Radiohead
, but after recording some tracks they decided the results were "awful" and didn't fit in with the rest of their music. After composing their next song "The World Is Our___", the band decided to write instrumental music instead. Chris King said in an interview with BBC Radio Foyle
, "we were ... writing different kinds of songs and we wrote one [instrumental] song, and we were like, that works, lets go for it!"
The bands name originated from a song that was to be called "This Will Destroy You", but this was rejected for being too pretentious. The band found it "hilarious." When asked whether he wished the band had chosen a different name, King said to Rock Sound
, “It’s supposed to be a little bit obnoxious. There’s something about people automatically hating you before you play that’s kind of endearing. It gets to the point where it’s over-the-top obnoxious. It’s an attention-grabber and people will check it out I guess. Even if they hate it.”
, in 2005. They intended it to be just a demo, and sold it as a CD-R
after their concerts. The release was reviewed by a number of critics and was generally praised, including being named the fifth best instrumental release of the year by The Silent Ballet. The band was contacted by Magic Bullet Records
owner Brent Eyestone over the internet and he asked them to contribute a track to his label's It Came From The Hills Vol. 1 compilation. The band sent Eyestone a copy of their demo to thank him, after which he invited them to tour with Sparrows Swarm and Sing. This Will Destroy You then began to work with Magic Bullet on the basis of a verbal agreement; in keeping with the labels DIY attitude, no written contract was ever signed.
In June 2006 Magic Bullet re-packaged and re-released Young Mountain. The band began to gather mentions in more publications, including Pitchfork Media
and Rolling Stone
. A Sputnikmusic
review said, "TWDY’s sound is near perfect. Production wise, everything is right where it should be. Tone wise, it doesn’t get much better. The quiet parts are tear jerking. The loud parts, while equally tear jerking, are brutal." The EP came in for particular praise from Rock Sound, who called it "an astonishingly beautiful work that promises a bright future" and whose editor Darren Taylor named it as the best release of 2006.
, the band's eponymous debut studio album
, was initially a slow and fragmented one. The band members were all living in different cities within Texas, due to work and school commitments, and so could only meet irregularly. Chris King said to Rock Sound, "[Writing] was a struggle; when we did meet up, sometimes the ideas would come flowing, but at others we’d just stand there for the whole time staring at each other." In February 2007 the band began recording with producer John Congleton
at a studio in Texas owned by the country music
singer Willie Nelson
, a process that took several months.
The band was booked to tour the United States during July and August, along with 65daysofstatic
, Fear Before the March of Flames and Hot Cross
. However, after one of their concerts guitarist Jeremy Galindo fell ill; he was later diagnosed in hospital as suffering from Crohn's disease
, an inflammatory bowel condition. This led to the band having to cancel all their remaining summer tour dates. Combined with financial problems, this caused the band to go on a three-month hiatus, a time where the future of the band was uncertain.
This Will Destroy You was released by Magic Bullet in January 2008. It was generally positively received: Rock Sound compared it to "the soundtrack to the impending apocalypse" and awarded it the fifth best album of the year, while Drowned in Sound
called it "a true classic of its kind." However, although The Silent Ballet described it as a "good album", they called it “underwhelming” and "regressive... in comparison to the promise and talent displayed on Young Mountain." Shortly after the release of the album, the band parted company with bass guitar player Raymond Brown, who left in order to focus on his medical career. The band trialled a number of bassists, before permanently recruiting Donovan Jones. In March 2008 the band toured Europe for the first time, playing at the Bevrijdingspop, Out of the Crowd and Rhâââ Lovely
festivals. The tour lasted for six weeks and included performances with Boris
and Devil Sold His Soul
.
EP were formed in late 2007. This Will Destroy You and Lymbyc Systym
were touring the United States together and decided to collaborate on a split record; the members of both bands were good friends and had further plans to tour again together in the future. They came together at John Congletons Texas studio in July 2008 to record their contributions; This Will Destroy You tracking two longer pieces to Lymbyc Systyms three shorter songs.
In September Lymbyc Systym released Love Your Abuser Remixed, a remix album of their previous record Love Your Abuser. It featured a This Will Destroy You version of the title track, the band's first official remix.
Field Studies was released in January 2009 on Magic Bullet and received a generally positive critical reception, but was criticized for being “nothing groundbreaking.” The Silent Ballet's reviewer Joseph Sannicandro hailed the opening track, “Brutalism & the Worship of the Machine”, as “easily amongst [This Will Destroy You's] best work”, while conceding that the composition kept “within a typical post-rock framework.” Rock Sound's Joe Marshall echoed similar sentiments by saying: “Of course, neither track is especially original and it’s fairly easy to predict the trajectories they take, but ultimately this is seriously beautiful music.”
The band then set out on a series of tours, including an appearance at the ATP festival
in April, playing alongside bands such as Devo
and The Jesus Lizard
. In July they played on the main stage at Rock Herk festival. In October of the same year the band performed at Damnation Festival
, where they shared a stage with Jesu
. In November the band parted company with Andrew Miller, due to musical differences between the members. They replaced him with Alex Bhore, their tour manager and former drummer for The New Frontiers
.
, in late 2009.
On April 1 the band posted a message on their Tumblr
announcing that they had split. This was followed by a press release from their label, explaining the decision as being due to "uncertainty placed upon them by the behaviors and disappearances of other members." After it emerged that the whole incident was an April Fool's Day prank carried out by drummer Alex Bhore and Magic Bullet Records
owner Brent Eyestone, Daniel Hopkins from the Dallas Observer
named it as one of "the funniest april fool's day pranks in the local music scene."
In May 2010 the band released an exclusive track entitled "Their Celebrations" as part of PEACE, a compilation in aid of Amnesty International
, after a request from the charity. The band subsequently released a two-song 12" EP entitled Moving on the Edges of Things
in August 2010, before embarking on a September US tour, supporting the metal group Deftones
. This was followed by a September and October European tour, including a performance at the Incubate festival
. A 7" single, Communal Blood
, was released in December of the same year. This was the bands first single and featured two tracks from Tunnel Blanket. This has been recorded and mixed by John Congleton
, and is set for release in Europe on May 9, 2011 on Monotreme Records, and on May 10 on Suicide Squeeze Records
for the rest of the world. The band are set to tour Europe in June and July to promote the record, which will include an appearance at Dour Festival
in Belgium. In 2011, the trailer for the upcoming Brad Pitt
film Moneyball (film)
used the song "The Mighty Rio Grande" off of the band's self titled release.
, David Bowie
, Mice Parade
, Stars of the Lid
and Animal Collective
the band's compositions typically feature a wide dynamic range
, with slow build-ups to a "wall of noise" crescendo. The guitars are usually the most prominent feature of the band's sound, combining ambient soundscapes with simple melodies, and using a number of effects
, such as reverb, sustain and distortion.
Many reviews categorized the band's early releases as post-rock
, and compared them to other bands of the genre, most notably fellow Texas instrumental group Explosions in the Sky
, although the band members largely reject this description, with Donovan Jones saying: “Fuck post-rock, and fuck being called post-rock.” In an interview with the Dallas Observer
, Jeremy Galindo said, "It can be aggravating. I think after this new album comes out, a lot of that is gonna stop. Because this next album is definitely gonna be sounding more like the stuff that we do listen to." The band describe their new sound as being darker and heavier, referring to it as "doomgaze", a portmanteau of doom metal
and shoegaze
.
based ambient
band Amasa Gana, who have yet to release an album. They are signed to Light Lodge Records, a label run by King. He also writes ambient electronica
music under the moniker Mosh Patrol, under which he has released a split record with Aughra, titled Is There Anyone Else Outside?
Donovan Jones is involved with a number of other musical projects, including Fuzzy Mystic and Black Taffy.
Alex Bhore drummed with The New Frontiers
until their dissolution in 2008. He also produces
and mixes
albums for other Texas groups.
Jeremy Galindo, along with Magic Bullet Records
' Brent Eyestone, runs an independent film studio called We Tried Film. Their first production is set for release in summer 2011.
Former members
Record labels
Other projects
Post-rock
Post-rock is a subgenre of rock music characterized by the influence and use of instruments commonly associated with rock, but using rhythms and "guitars as facilitators of timbre and textures" not traditionally found in rock...
band from San Marcos, Texas
San Marcos, Texas
San Marcos is a city in the U.S. state of Texas, and is the seat of Hays County. Located within the metropolitan area, the city is located on the Interstate 35 corridor—between Austin and San Antonio....
, formed in 2005. The band consists of guitarists Jeremy Galindo and Chris King, bass player and keyboardist Donovan Jones and drummer Alex Bhore. They typically compose lengthy atmospheric instrumental pieces, featuring layers of effects
Effects unit
Effects units are electronic devices that alter how a musical instrument or other audio source sounds. Some effects subtly "color" a sound, while others transform it dramatically. Effects are used during live performances or in the studio, typically with electric guitar, keyboard and bass...
-laden guitar and a heavy usage of dynamics
Dynamics (music)
In music, dynamics normally refers to the volume of a sound or note, but can also refer to every aspect of the execution of a given piece, either stylistic or functional . The term is also applied to the written or printed musical notation used to indicate dynamics...
.
Their latest album, Tunnel Blanket
Tunnel Blanket
-Personnel:This Will Destroy You* Jeremy Galindo - guitar* Donovan Jones - bass guitar, keyboard* Chris King - guitar* Alex Bhore - drumsAdditional musicians*Christopher Tignor - strings*Michael Bryant - brassProduction*John Congleton - mixing, engineering...
, was released in May 2011. It entered the Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Heatseekers Album Chart
Top Heatseekers
Top Heatseekers refers to either of two separate "Breaking and Entering" music charts issued weekly by Billboard Magazine: the Heatseekers Albums chart or the Heatseekers Songs chart. They were introduced by Billboard in 1993 with the purpose of highlighting the sales by new and developing musical...
at number 25.
Formation (2002–2005)
This Will Destroy You was formed by guitarists Jeremy Galindo and Chris King, bassist Raymond Brown and drummer Andrew Miller in San Marcos, Texas, in 2005.There is some ambiguity as to their exact year of formation as sources have reported various years between 2002 and 2005. The latter is, however, the most-often reported year. They had met through mutual friends, and played together in various different bands throughout high schoolHigh school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
before the line-up was finalized by around 2002.
Early iterations of the band featured Galindo on vocals and sounded like Radiohead
Radiohead
Radiohead are an English rock band from Abingdon, Oxfordshire, formed in 1985. The band consists of Thom Yorke , Jonny Greenwood , Ed O'Brien , Colin Greenwood and Phil Selway .Radiohead released their debut single "Creep" in 1992...
, but after recording some tracks they decided the results were "awful" and didn't fit in with the rest of their music. After composing their next song "The World Is Our___", the band decided to write instrumental music instead. Chris King said in an interview with BBC Radio Foyle
BBC Radio Foyle
BBC Radio Foyle is a BBC Northern Ireland local radio station, serving County Londonderry in Northern Ireland. It is named after the River Foyle which flows through the city where the station is based. The station broadcasts from BBC's Northland Road studios on 93.1 FM and 792 MW in Derry, County...
, "we were ... writing different kinds of songs and we wrote one [instrumental] song, and we were like, that works, lets go for it!"
The bands name originated from a song that was to be called "This Will Destroy You", but this was rejected for being too pretentious. The band found it "hilarious." When asked whether he wished the band had chosen a different name, King said to Rock Sound
Rock Sound
Rock Sound is a British magazine which champions rock music. The magazine aims at being more "underground" and less commercial, whilst also giving coverage to more well known acts.-History:...
, “It’s supposed to be a little bit obnoxious. There’s something about people automatically hating you before you play that’s kind of endearing. It gets to the point where it’s over-the-top obnoxious. It’s an attention-grabber and people will check it out I guess. Even if they hate it.”
Young Mountain (2005–2006)
This Will Destroy You self-recorded and self-produced their first EP, Young MountainYoung Mountain
Young Mountain is the first EP by the American band This Will Destroy You. It was originally self-recorded and self-released in 2005, and was intended to be a demo to be sold after local shows. Although it was then only available as a CD-R, the EP began to receive press mentions, including being...
, in 2005. They intended it to be just a demo, and sold it as a CD-R
CD-R
A CD-R is a variation of the Compact Disc invented by Philips and Sony. CD-R is a Write Once Read Many optical medium, though the whole disk does not have to be entirely written in the same session....
after their concerts. The release was reviewed by a number of critics and was generally praised, including being named the fifth best instrumental release of the year by The Silent Ballet. The band was contacted by Magic Bullet Records
Magic Bullet Records
Magic Bullet Records is an American independent record label, specialising in punk, metal and experimental music.-History:Magic Bullet records was founded in 1996 by Brent Eyestone, in order to release an album by Boysetsfire, entitled This Crying, This Screaming, My Voice Is Being Born...
owner Brent Eyestone over the internet and he asked them to contribute a track to his label's It Came From The Hills Vol. 1 compilation. The band sent Eyestone a copy of their demo to thank him, after which he invited them to tour with Sparrows Swarm and Sing. This Will Destroy You then began to work with Magic Bullet on the basis of a verbal agreement; in keeping with the labels DIY attitude, no written contract was ever signed.
In June 2006 Magic Bullet re-packaged and re-released Young Mountain. The band began to gather mentions in more publications, including Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork or P4k, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication established in 1995 that is devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on underground and independent music, especially indie rock...
and Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
. A Sputnikmusic
Sputnikmusic
Sputnikmusic, or simply Sputnik, is a music website offering music criticism and music news alongside features commonly associated with wiki-style websites...
review said, "TWDY’s sound is near perfect. Production wise, everything is right where it should be. Tone wise, it doesn’t get much better. The quiet parts are tear jerking. The loud parts, while equally tear jerking, are brutal." The EP came in for particular praise from Rock Sound, who called it "an astonishingly beautiful work that promises a bright future" and whose editor Darren Taylor named it as the best release of 2006.
This Will Destroy You (2006–2008)
The writing process for This Will Destroy YouThis Will Destroy You (album)
-Personnel:This Will Destroy You* Jeremy Galindo - guitar* Raymond Brown - bass guitar, keyboard* Chris King - guitar* Andrew Miller - drumsAdditional musicians* Stephanie McVeigh - cello Production...
, the band's eponymous debut studio album
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
, was initially a slow and fragmented one. The band members were all living in different cities within Texas, due to work and school commitments, and so could only meet irregularly. Chris King said to Rock Sound, "[Writing] was a struggle; when we did meet up, sometimes the ideas would come flowing, but at others we’d just stand there for the whole time staring at each other." In February 2007 the band began recording with producer John Congleton
John Congleton
John Congleton John Congleton John Congleton (born April 5, 1977 in Lubbock, Texas, United States, is best known as a Grammy-nominated producer/engineer/mixer who made a name for himself in the alternative rock underground via production of his own band, The Paper Chase, and for many other artists...
at a studio in Texas owned by the country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
singer Willie Nelson
Willie Nelson
Willie Hugh Nelson is an American country music singer-songwriter, as well as an author, poet, actor, and activist. The critical success of the album Shotgun Willie , combined with the critical and commercial success of Red Headed Stranger and Stardust , made Nelson one of the most recognized...
, a process that took several months.
The band was booked to tour the United States during July and August, along with 65daysofstatic
65daysofstatic
65daysofstatic are an instrumental post-rock and math rock band from Sheffield, England comprising Paul Wolinski, Joe Shrewsbury, Rob Jones and Simon Wright...
, Fear Before the March of Flames and Hot Cross
Hot Cross
Hot Cross was a hardcore band from Philadelphia. They were signed to Hope Division Records / Equal Vision Records. The band was composed of former members of such bands as Saetia , Off Minor , You and I , Neil...
. However, after one of their concerts guitarist Jeremy Galindo fell ill; he was later diagnosed in hospital as suffering from Crohn's disease
Crohn's disease
Crohn's disease, also known as regional enteritis, is a type of inflammatory bowel disease that may affect any part of the gastrointestinal tract from mouth to anus, causing a wide variety of symptoms...
, an inflammatory bowel condition. This led to the band having to cancel all their remaining summer tour dates. Combined with financial problems, this caused the band to go on a three-month hiatus, a time where the future of the band was uncertain.
This Will Destroy You was released by Magic Bullet in January 2008. It was generally positively received: Rock Sound compared it to "the soundtrack to the impending apocalypse" and awarded it the fifth best album of the year, while Drowned in Sound
Drowned in Sound
DrownedinSound.com or DiS is a UK based music webzine financed by artist management company Silentway . The site is an editorially independent music website.-History:...
called it "a true classic of its kind." However, although The Silent Ballet described it as a "good album", they called it “underwhelming” and "regressive... in comparison to the promise and talent displayed on Young Mountain." Shortly after the release of the album, the band parted company with bass guitar player Raymond Brown, who left in order to focus on his medical career. The band trialled a number of bassists, before permanently recruiting Donovan Jones. In March 2008 the band toured Europe for the first time, playing at the Bevrijdingspop, Out of the Crowd and Rhâââ Lovely
Rhâââ Lovely Festival
The Rhâââ Lovely Festival was a Belgian indie post-rock festival that took place each April at Cortil-Wodon, a village near Namur, in rural Wallonia. A non-profit organisation, composed of volunteers, organised and promoted the event. The 9th annual Rhâââ Lovely Festival took place on 29 March 2008...
festivals. The tour lasted for six weeks and included performances with Boris
Boris (band)
is a Japanese experimental rock band, known for often combining and switching between different music genres including drone metal, sludge metal, noise rock, psychedelic rock, ambient and pop...
and Devil Sold His Soul
Devil Sold His Soul
Devil Sold His Soul are an ambient influenced progressive metal/post-hardcore band from the South of England signed to Century Media. Three of the band joined from Mahumodo, thought to be a pioneer of the British hardcore scene...
.
Field Studies (2008–2009)
The foundations for what would become the Field StudiesField Studies (EP)
-Personnel:This Will Destroy You* Jeremy Galindo - guitar* Donovan Jones - bass guitar, keyboard* Chris King - guitar* Andrew Miller - drumsLymbyc Systym* Michael Bell - drums* Jared Bell - keyboardAdditional musicians* Mom - cello, violin...
EP were formed in late 2007. This Will Destroy You and Lymbyc Systym
Lymbyc Systym
Lymbyc Systym is an instrumental band from Tempe, Arizona which formed in 2001, consisting of brothers Jared and Michael Bell. Their sound combines elements of instrumental rock and electronic music. Lymbyc Systym have toured with Broken Social Scene, The Books, Crystal Castles, The Album Leaf, ...
were touring the United States together and decided to collaborate on a split record; the members of both bands were good friends and had further plans to tour again together in the future. They came together at John Congletons Texas studio in July 2008 to record their contributions; This Will Destroy You tracking two longer pieces to Lymbyc Systyms three shorter songs.
In September Lymbyc Systym released Love Your Abuser Remixed, a remix album of their previous record Love Your Abuser. It featured a This Will Destroy You version of the title track, the band's first official remix.
Field Studies was released in January 2009 on Magic Bullet and received a generally positive critical reception, but was criticized for being “nothing groundbreaking.” The Silent Ballet's reviewer Joseph Sannicandro hailed the opening track, “Brutalism & the Worship of the Machine”, as “easily amongst [This Will Destroy You's] best work”, while conceding that the composition kept “within a typical post-rock framework.” Rock Sound's Joe Marshall echoed similar sentiments by saying: “Of course, neither track is especially original and it’s fairly easy to predict the trajectories they take, but ultimately this is seriously beautiful music.”
The band then set out on a series of tours, including an appearance at the ATP festival
All Tomorrow's Parties (music festival)
All Tomorrow's Parties is a music festival which takes place at Camber Sands holiday camp in East Sussex and Butlin's holiday camp in Minehead, Somerset, England....
in April, playing alongside bands such as Devo
Devo
Devo is an American band formed in 1973 consisting of members from Kent and Akron, Ohio. The classic line-up of the band includes two sets of brothers, the Mothersbaughs and the Casales . The band had a #14 Billboard chart hit in 1980 with the single "Whip It", and has maintained a cult...
and The Jesus Lizard
The Jesus Lizard
The Jesus Lizard was an American alternative rock and noise rock band formed in 1987 in Austin, Texas. They were "a leading noise rock band in the American independent underground…[who] turned out a series of independent records filled with scathing, disembowelling, guitar-driven pseudo-industrial...
. In July they played on the main stage at Rock Herk festival. In October of the same year the band performed at Damnation Festival
Damnation Festival
The Damnation Festival is a one day music festival currently held annually at Leeds University, Leeds, England and organised by Gavin McInally. The 2011 edition of the festival will be held on November 5...
, where they shared a stage with Jesu
Jesu (band)
Jesu is a post-metal band formed in 2003 by Justin Broadrick following the breakup of Godflesh. Jesu was the name of the last song on the final Godflesh release, Hymns, and Broadrick decided to adopt it as the name of this project....
. In November the band parted company with Andrew Miller, due to musical differences between the members. They replaced him with Alex Bhore, their tour manager and former drummer for The New Frontiers
The New Frontiers
The New Frontiers was an American indie rock band from Dallas, Texas. Originally called Stellamaris, they released a self-titled EP in 2006, but changed their moniker after discovering that they shared a name with a long-established Israeli band. A second EP, titled Tour, followed in 2007. The...
.
Moving on the Edges of Things and Tunnel Blanket (2009–present)
The band began working on their second studio album, to be called Tunnel BlanketTunnel Blanket
-Personnel:This Will Destroy You* Jeremy Galindo - guitar* Donovan Jones - bass guitar, keyboard* Chris King - guitar* Alex Bhore - drumsAdditional musicians*Christopher Tignor - strings*Michael Bryant - brassProduction*John Congleton - mixing, engineering...
, in late 2009.
On April 1 the band posted a message on their Tumblr
Tumblr
Tumblr is a website and microblogging platform that allows users to post text, images, videos, links, quotes and audio to their tumblelog, a short-form blog. Users can follow other users, or choose to make their tumblelog private. The service emphasizes ease of use. The site ranks as the 10th...
announcing that they had split. This was followed by a press release from their label, explaining the decision as being due to "uncertainty placed upon them by the behaviors and disappearances of other members." After it emerged that the whole incident was an April Fool's Day prank carried out by drummer Alex Bhore and Magic Bullet Records
Magic Bullet Records
Magic Bullet Records is an American independent record label, specialising in punk, metal and experimental music.-History:Magic Bullet records was founded in 1996 by Brent Eyestone, in order to release an album by Boysetsfire, entitled This Crying, This Screaming, My Voice Is Being Born...
owner Brent Eyestone, Daniel Hopkins from the Dallas Observer
Dallas Observer
The Dallas Observer is a free alternative weekly newspaper distributed around the Dallas, Texas . At its inception, it was conceived as a weekly local arts and cinema review publication, with the credo "Advocate for Excellence in the Arts" on the cover. For a time during the early years, the paper...
named it as one of "the funniest april fool's day pranks in the local music scene."
In May 2010 the band released an exclusive track entitled "Their Celebrations" as part of PEACE, a compilation in aid of Amnesty International
Amnesty International
Amnesty International is an international non-governmental organisation whose stated mission is "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights, and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated."Following a publication of Peter Benenson's...
, after a request from the charity. The band subsequently released a two-song 12" EP entitled Moving on the Edges of Things
Moving on the Edges of Things
- Personnel :This Will Destroy You* Jeremy Galindo - guitar* Donovan Jones - bass, keyboard* Chris King - guitar* Alex Bhore - drumsProduction* Alex Bhore - audio recorder and mixer* Chris King - additional recording* Rob Wechsler - mastering...
in August 2010, before embarking on a September US tour, supporting the metal group 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...
. This was followed by a September and October European tour, including a performance at the Incubate festival
Incubate (festival)
Incubate is a multidisciplinary arts festival in Tilburg, the Netherlands. On June 16, the festival changed it name into Incubate after a request by the Austin, US based festival SXSW to change its name. Between 2005 and 2008 the festival was called ZXZW....
. A 7" single, Communal Blood
Communal Blood
"Communal Blood" is a self-released single by the American instrumental band This Will Destroy You, and is the first single to be taken from their second album Tunnel Blanket. It was released for sale online, on 7" Vinyl on December 6, 2010, although copies were sold at live performances from May...
, was released in December of the same year. This was the bands first single and featured two tracks from Tunnel Blanket. This has been recorded and mixed by John Congleton
John Congleton
John Congleton John Congleton John Congleton (born April 5, 1977 in Lubbock, Texas, United States, is best known as a Grammy-nominated producer/engineer/mixer who made a name for himself in the alternative rock underground via production of his own band, The Paper Chase, and for many other artists...
, and is set for release in Europe on May 9, 2011 on Monotreme Records, and on May 10 on Suicide Squeeze Records
Suicide Squeeze Records
Suicide Squeeze Records is a Seattle, WA - based independent record label that presses a significant number of 7" vinyl singles in addition to the more prevalent compact discs. The label was started in August 1996 with the release of a 7" single from 764-Hero. The label quickly grew from owner...
for the rest of the world. The band are set to tour Europe in June and July to promote the record, which will include an appearance at Dour Festival
Dour Festival
Dour Festival is an annual music festival in the municipality of Dour, Belgium. Since its creation in 1989, the festival has grown to an attendance of about 144,000 in 2008 . The first year, only five bands were programmed . The festival format now consists of 4 days, 6 stages and 200 bands and DJ's...
in Belgium. In 2011, the trailer for the upcoming Brad Pitt
Brad Pitt
William Bradley "Brad" Pitt is an American actor and film producer. Pitt has received two Academy Award nominations and four Golden Globe Award nominations, winning one...
film Moneyball (film)
Moneyball (film)
Moneyball is a 2011 biographical sports drama film directed by Bennett Miller and distributed by Columbia Pictures. The film is based on Michael Lewis' 2003 book of the same name, an account of the Oakland Athletics baseball team's 2002 season and their general manager Billy Beane's attempts to...
used the song "The Mighty Rio Grande" off of the band's self titled release.
Musical style and influences
Influenced by artists such as Godspeed You! Black EmperorGodspeed You! Black Emperor
Godspeed You! Black Emperor is a Canadian post-rock band which originated from Montreal, Quebec in 1994...
, David Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
, Mice Parade
Mice Parade
Mice Parade is an indie/shoegaze band from New York City led by percussionist Adam Pierce. Mice Parade's albums were all initially released on Pierce's record label, Bubble Core Records and Fat Cat Records...
, Stars of the Lid
Stars of the Lid
Stars of the Lid is a duo specializing in drone-based ambient music. They list among their influences minimalist and electronic composers such as Arvo Pärt, Zbigniew Preisner, Gavin Bryars, and Henryk Górecki, as well as Talk Talk , post-rock artists Labradford, and ambient innovator Brian...
and Animal Collective
Animal Collective
Animal Collective is an experimental psychedelic band originally from Baltimore, Maryland, currently based in New York City. Animal Collective consists of Avey Tare , Panda Bear , Deakin , and Geologist...
the band's compositions typically feature a wide dynamic range
Dynamics (music)
In music, dynamics normally refers to the volume of a sound or note, but can also refer to every aspect of the execution of a given piece, either stylistic or functional . The term is also applied to the written or printed musical notation used to indicate dynamics...
, with slow build-ups to a "wall of noise" crescendo. The guitars are usually the most prominent feature of the band's sound, combining ambient soundscapes with simple melodies, and using a number of effects
Effects unit
Effects units are electronic devices that alter how a musical instrument or other audio source sounds. Some effects subtly "color" a sound, while others transform it dramatically. Effects are used during live performances or in the studio, typically with electric guitar, keyboard and bass...
, such as reverb, sustain and distortion.
Many reviews categorized the band's early releases as post-rock
Post-rock
Post-rock is a subgenre of rock music characterized by the influence and use of instruments commonly associated with rock, but using rhythms and "guitars as facilitators of timbre and textures" not traditionally found in rock...
, and compared them to other bands of the genre, most notably fellow Texas instrumental group Explosions in the Sky
Explosions in the Sky
Explosions in the Sky is an American post-rock band from Texas. The band has garnered popularity beyond the post-rock scene for their elaborately developed guitar work, narratively styled instrumentals, what they refer to as "cathartic mini-symphonies," and their enthusiastic and emotional live shows...
, although the band members largely reject this description, with Donovan Jones saying: “Fuck post-rock, and fuck being called post-rock.” In an interview with the Dallas Observer
Dallas Observer
The Dallas Observer is a free alternative weekly newspaper distributed around the Dallas, Texas . At its inception, it was conceived as a weekly local arts and cinema review publication, with the credo "Advocate for Excellence in the Arts" on the cover. For a time during the early years, the paper...
, Jeremy Galindo said, "It can be aggravating. I think after this new album comes out, a lot of that is gonna stop. Because this next album is definitely gonna be sounding more like the stuff that we do listen to." The band describe their new sound as being darker and heavier, referring to it as "doomgaze", a portmanteau of doom metal
Doom metal
Doom metal is an extreme form of heavy metal music that typically uses slower tempos, low-tuned guitars and a much "thicker" or "heavier" sound than other metal genres...
and shoegaze
Shoegazing
Shoegazing is a subgenre of alternative rock that emerged from the United Kingdom in the late 1980s. It lasted there until the mid 1990s, with a critical zenith reached in 1990 and 1991...
.
Other projects
Chris King is a member of the AustinAustin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
based ambient
Ambient music
Ambient music is a musical genre that focuses largely on the timbral characteristics of sounds, often organized or performed to evoke an "atmospheric", "visual" or "unobtrusive" quality.- History :...
band Amasa Gana, who have yet to release an album. They are signed to Light Lodge Records, a label run by King. He also writes ambient electronica
Electronica
Electronica includes a wide range of contemporary electronic music designed for a wide range of uses, including foreground listening, some forms of dancing, and background music for other activities; however, unlike electronic dance music, it is not specifically made for dancing...
music under the moniker Mosh Patrol, under which he has released a split record with Aughra, titled Is There Anyone Else Outside?
Donovan Jones is involved with a number of other musical projects, including Fuzzy Mystic and Black Taffy.
Alex Bhore drummed with The New Frontiers
The New Frontiers
The New Frontiers was an American indie rock band from Dallas, Texas. Originally called Stellamaris, they released a self-titled EP in 2006, but changed their moniker after discovering that they shared a name with a long-established Israeli band. A second EP, titled Tour, followed in 2007. The...
until their dissolution in 2008. He also produces
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
and mixes
Audio mixing (recorded music)
In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may...
albums for other Texas groups.
Jeremy Galindo, along with Magic Bullet Records
Magic Bullet Records
Magic Bullet Records is an American independent record label, specialising in punk, metal and experimental music.-History:Magic Bullet records was founded in 1996 by Brent Eyestone, in order to release an album by Boysetsfire, entitled This Crying, This Screaming, My Voice Is Being Born...
' Brent Eyestone, runs an independent film studio called We Tried Film. Their first production is set for release in summer 2011.
Band members
Current members- Jeremy Galindo – 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...
(2005–present) - Chris "Royal" King – 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...
(2005–present) - Donovan "Dono" Jones – bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, keyboardKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
, Rhodes pianoRhodes pianoThe Rhodes piano is an electro-mechanical piano, invented by Harold Rhodes during the fifties and later manufactured in a number of models, first in collaboration with Fender and after 1965 by CBS....
(2007–present) - Alex Bhore – 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 ....
(2009–present)
Former members
- Raymond Brown – bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, keyboardKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
(2005–2007) - Andrew Miller – 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 ....
(2005–2009)
Studio albums
- This Will Destroy YouThis Will Destroy You (album)-Personnel:This Will Destroy You* Jeremy Galindo - guitar* Raymond Brown - bass guitar, keyboard* Chris King - guitar* Andrew Miller - drumsAdditional musicians* Stephanie McVeigh - cello Production...
(2008) - Tunnel BlanketTunnel Blanket-Personnel:This Will Destroy You* Jeremy Galindo - guitar* Donovan Jones - bass guitar, keyboard* Chris King - guitar* Alex Bhore - drumsAdditional musicians*Christopher Tignor - strings*Michael Bryant - brassProduction*John Congleton - mixing, engineering...
(2011)
EPs
- Young MountainYoung MountainYoung Mountain is the first EP by the American band This Will Destroy You. It was originally self-recorded and self-released in 2005, and was intended to be a demo to be sold after local shows. Although it was then only available as a CD-R, the EP began to receive press mentions, including being...
(2006) - Field StudiesField Studies (EP)-Personnel:This Will Destroy You* Jeremy Galindo - guitar* Donovan Jones - bass guitar, keyboard* Chris King - guitar* Andrew Miller - drumsLymbyc Systym* Michael Bell - drums* Jared Bell - keyboardAdditional musicians* Mom - cello, violin...
, split with Lymbyc SystymLymbyc SystymLymbyc Systym is an instrumental band from Tempe, Arizona which formed in 2001, consisting of brothers Jared and Michael Bell. Their sound combines elements of instrumental rock and electronic music. Lymbyc Systym have toured with Broken Social Scene, The Books, Crystal Castles, The Album Leaf, ...
(2009) - Moving on the Edges of ThingsMoving on the Edges of Things- Personnel :This Will Destroy You* Jeremy Galindo - guitar* Donovan Jones - bass, keyboard* Chris King - guitar* Alex Bhore - drumsProduction* Alex Bhore - audio recorder and mixer* Chris King - additional recording* Rob Wechsler - mastering...
(2010)
Compilations and remixes
- "The World is Our ___" on It Came From The Hills Vol. 1 (2006)
- "Threads" on Vice Saves Texas (2008)
- "I Believe in Your Victory" on Prom Night Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (2008)
- "Love Your Abuser (This Will Destroy You remix)" on Love Your Abuser Remixed (2009)
- "Untitled" on Wvndrkmmer (2010)
- "Their Celebrations" on PEACE (2010)
- "The Mighty Rio Grande" on Moneyball Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (2011)
External links
This Will Destroy You- This Will Destroy You at TumblrTumblrTumblr is a website and microblogging platform that allows users to post text, images, videos, links, quotes and audio to their tumblelog, a short-form blog. Users can follow other users, or choose to make their tumblelog private. The service emphasizes ease of use. The site ranks as the 10th...
Record labels
Other projects