Trophy Scars
Encyclopedia
Trophy Scars is a psychedelic
blues band with experimental rock
tendencies from Morristown, New Jersey
. The group's early efforts predominantly tackle the post-hardcore genre but the band quickly expanded their sound during the interim of their career.
Trophy Scars signed to Brooklyn based record label, the Death Scene Recording Company (US), in 2005 and with Small Town Records (UK) in 2007. However, in 2009 they were no longer contractually obligated to either label and decided to release all forthcoming material independently. The band cited having complete control over their art and work schedule as a major reason for doing so.
Since 2002, Trophy Scars has incurred multiple member changes. The core group remain intact, however; Jerry Jones, John Ferrara, and Brian Ferrara are still concrete players, as well as Andy Farrell, who has been playing bass with the group since 2005. Studio personnel is also a rotating door of auxiliary musicians with producer, Chris Badami
, as the sole stationary component to all of Trophy Scars' albums. Badami acts as the "fifth" Trophy Scars member; as Jones cites: "(He is) our George Martin
."
Trophy Scars have released three full length records, three EPs, a single, and a compilation of demos and unreleased material. Their first full-length, Darts to the Sea, was recorded in John Ferrara's basement using primitive sound engineering equipment. The record was released in 2003 and reissued in 2006 with a companion disc, Sand in the Sea, which included unreleased b-sides and demos from 2003-2004. Trophy Scars gained the attention of critics with their second release, Hospital Music for the Aesthetics of Language EP in 2004. The EP was the first output they recorded with Chris Badami and saw the band taking an unconventional, progressive approach to post-hardcore. The EP was reissued with new packaging and artwork in 2007.
Trophy Scars followed Hospital Music with a second EP, Goodnight Alchemy, in 2005. Goodnight Alchemy was another turning point for the band; the EP was markedly much more dense and heavy than its predecessor. It was also the first Trophy Scars effort distributed by a label (The Death Scene Recording Company). 2006 saw the release of their second full-length album, Alphabet. Alphabets. Trophy Scars demonstrated a conglomeration of different musical genres and styles while still retaining their unique take on post-hardcore. Following the release, the group became a full time touring band when Jones graduated from Fordham University.
In mid-2007, Trophy Scars rented a beach house in Charleston, South Carolina
to begin work on their follow-up full length to Alphabets. The band was heavily influenced by the warm climate, the city's nightlife, and psychedelia. Yet again, Trophy Scars readjusted their sound; this time to a blues-centric style. Jones titled the album Bad Luck as a reaction to the death of his best friend, Ben Brown. Ironically, when the writing was completed for Bad Luck, the band invested their savings into a European tour, but was canceled last minute by the headlining act. Unable to get a refund on their European travel expenses and with their recording contract with the Death Scene dissolved, the band could not afford to tour or raise money for the album. The band was forced to go on an indefinite hiatus with no foreseeable plans to release Bad Luck. Trophy Scars fans, however, banded together and started the "Bad Luck Foundation", which allowed internet users to donate money to the band. Within a month, Trophy Scars was financially stable and able to record their third full-length. In January 2010, Bad Luck was named the 10th best album of 2009 by popular music critic website, Sputnik Music.
Eight months after the release of Bad Luck, Trophy Scars put out a 7" vinyl
split with the band, The Saddest Landscape. The offering included a new, orchestral song, "August, 1980", inspired by Bram Stoker's Dracula
and The Saddest Landscape's "So Lightly Thrown." Trophy Scars released their latest EP, Darkness, Oh Hell, in October 2010. The EP is a further throwback to the blues and psychedelic rock music of the late 1960s while retaining a sinister edge. Darkness, Oh Hell was included in Sputnik Music's Top 50 Albums of 2010 as one of the best EPs of the year.
Trophy Scars released the follow-up to Darkness, Oh Hell, another EP, titled Never Born, Never Dead on July 19, 2011. A DVD containing videos that span their career, as well as new documentary footage and a live concert recorded in November, 2010, is to surface after the release of Never Born, Never Dead.
Influences have been said to range from The Beatles
to Aesop Rock
, from Converge
to Tom Waits
. The entire Trophy Scars song catalog is embossed by major themes such as time, memory, language, and romantic tragedy. Known for their intimate live shows and independent booking techniques, Trophy Scars evokes a strong DIY regiment.
Psychedelic music
Psychedelic music covers a range of popular music styles and genres, which are inspired by or influenced by psychedelic culture and which attempt to replicate and enhance the mind-altering experiences of psychedelic drugs. It emerged during the mid 1960s among folk rock and blues-rock bands in the...
blues band with experimental rock
Experimental rock
Experimental rock or avant-garde rock is a type of music based on rock which experiments with the basic elements of the genre, or which pushes the boundaries of common composition and performance technique....
tendencies from Morristown, New Jersey
Morristown, New Jersey
Morristown is a town in Morris County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the town population was 18,411. It is the county seat of Morris County. Morristown became characterized as "the military capital of the American Revolution" because of its strategic role in the...
. The group's early efforts predominantly tackle the post-hardcore genre but the band quickly expanded their sound during the interim of their career.
Biography
Trophy Scars was formed by Jerry Jones (vocals), John Ferrara (guitar), and Brian Ferrara (drums) in June 2002. Originally, the band was developed as a passion project only to last the duration of that particular summer. The group, which also included members Joshua Weinstein on bass and Mike Schipper on guitar, began playing local shows and gaining a modest but dedicated following. When fans presented a high demand for recorded material, Trophy Scars decided to establish themselves as a serious music group.Trophy Scars signed to Brooklyn based record label, the Death Scene Recording Company (US), in 2005 and with Small Town Records (UK) in 2007. However, in 2009 they were no longer contractually obligated to either label and decided to release all forthcoming material independently. The band cited having complete control over their art and work schedule as a major reason for doing so.
Since 2002, Trophy Scars has incurred multiple member changes. The core group remain intact, however; Jerry Jones, John Ferrara, and Brian Ferrara are still concrete players, as well as Andy Farrell, who has been playing bass with the group since 2005. Studio personnel is also a rotating door of auxiliary musicians with producer, Chris Badami
Chris Badami
Chris Badami is an American musician, music producer and sound engineer.Badami has recorded and produced hundreds of acts since the early 1990s. Chris got his start in the music industry as an active player and studio musician in the New York/New Jersey area. While performing in recording studios,...
, as the sole stationary component to all of Trophy Scars' albums. Badami acts as the "fifth" Trophy Scars member; as Jones cites: "(He is) our George Martin
George Martin
Sir George Henry Martin CBE is an English record producer, arranger, composer and musician. He is sometimes referred to as "the Fifth Beatle"— a title that he often describes as "nonsense," but the fact remains that he served as producer on all but one of The Beatles' original albums...
."
Trophy Scars have released three full length records, three EPs, a single, and a compilation of demos and unreleased material. Their first full-length, Darts to the Sea, was recorded in John Ferrara's basement using primitive sound engineering equipment. The record was released in 2003 and reissued in 2006 with a companion disc, Sand in the Sea, which included unreleased b-sides and demos from 2003-2004. Trophy Scars gained the attention of critics with their second release, Hospital Music for the Aesthetics of Language EP in 2004. The EP was the first output they recorded with Chris Badami and saw the band taking an unconventional, progressive approach to post-hardcore. The EP was reissued with new packaging and artwork in 2007.
Trophy Scars followed Hospital Music with a second EP, Goodnight Alchemy, in 2005. Goodnight Alchemy was another turning point for the band; the EP was markedly much more dense and heavy than its predecessor. It was also the first Trophy Scars effort distributed by a label (The Death Scene Recording Company). 2006 saw the release of their second full-length album, Alphabet. Alphabets. Trophy Scars demonstrated a conglomeration of different musical genres and styles while still retaining their unique take on post-hardcore. Following the release, the group became a full time touring band when Jones graduated from Fordham University.
In mid-2007, Trophy Scars rented a beach house in Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston is the second largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It was made the county seat of Charleston County in 1901 when Charleston County was founded. The city's original name was Charles Towne in 1670, and it moved to its present location from a location on the west bank of the...
to begin work on their follow-up full length to Alphabets. The band was heavily influenced by the warm climate, the city's nightlife, and psychedelia. Yet again, Trophy Scars readjusted their sound; this time to a blues-centric style. Jones titled the album Bad Luck as a reaction to the death of his best friend, Ben Brown. Ironically, when the writing was completed for Bad Luck, the band invested their savings into a European tour, but was canceled last minute by the headlining act. Unable to get a refund on their European travel expenses and with their recording contract with the Death Scene dissolved, the band could not afford to tour or raise money for the album. The band was forced to go on an indefinite hiatus with no foreseeable plans to release Bad Luck. Trophy Scars fans, however, banded together and started the "Bad Luck Foundation", which allowed internet users to donate money to the band. Within a month, Trophy Scars was financially stable and able to record their third full-length. In January 2010, Bad Luck was named the 10th best album of 2009 by popular music critic website, Sputnik Music.
Eight months after the release of Bad Luck, Trophy Scars put out a 7" vinyl
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
split with the band, The Saddest Landscape. The offering included a new, orchestral song, "August, 1980", inspired by Bram Stoker's Dracula
Bram Stoker's Dracula
Dracula is a 1992 American Gothic horror-romance film directed and co-produced by Francis Ford Coppola, based on the novel Dracula by Bram Stoker...
and The Saddest Landscape's "So Lightly Thrown." Trophy Scars released their latest EP, Darkness, Oh Hell, in October 2010. The EP is a further throwback to the blues and psychedelic rock music of the late 1960s while retaining a sinister edge. Darkness, Oh Hell was included in Sputnik Music's Top 50 Albums of 2010 as one of the best EPs of the year.
Trophy Scars released the follow-up to Darkness, Oh Hell, another EP, titled Never Born, Never Dead on July 19, 2011. A DVD containing videos that span their career, as well as new documentary footage and a live concert recorded in November, 2010, is to surface after the release of Never Born, Never Dead.
Influences have been said to range from The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
to Aesop Rock
Aesop Rock
Ian Matthias Bavitz , better known by his stage name Aesop Rock, is an American hip hop artist and producer. He was at the forefront of the new wave of underground and alternative hip hop acts that emerged during the late 1990s and early 2000s. He was signed to El-P's Definitive Jux label until it...
, from Converge
Converge (band)
Converge is an American band from Salem, Massachusetts. Playing a blend of hardcore punk and metal since 1990, Converge has helped to define many of the elements of the metalcore genre.-Description:...
to Tom Waits
Tom Waits
Thomas Alan "Tom" Waits is an American singer-songwriter, composer, and actor. Waits has a distinctive voice, described by critic Daniel Durchholz as sounding "like it was soaked in a vat of bourbon, left hanging in the smokehouse for a few months, and then taken outside and run over with a car."...
. The entire Trophy Scars song catalog is embossed by major themes such as time, memory, language, and romantic tragedy. Known for their intimate live shows and independent booking techniques, Trophy Scars evokes a strong DIY regiment.
Current
- Jerry Jones - vocals
- John Ferrara - guitar, vocals
- Brian Ferrara - drums, vocals
- Andy Farrell - bass, vocals
- Gray Reinhard - piano, vocals
Former
- Michael Schipper - guitar (2002–2003)
- Jamie Devine - guitar (2004)
- Joshua Z Weinstein - bass (2002–2005)
- AJ Hanson - guitar, vocals (2005–2008)
- Adam Moutafis - guitar, piano, vocals (2006–2010)
- Josh Wiseman - guitar, vocals (2008–2010)
Discography
- Darts to the SeaDarts to The SeaDarts to the Sea was self-produced and released through a local Morristown, NJ record label owned by a friend. This is the first recorded work by Trophy Scars.-Track listing:#"Dreams Of New Orleans"#""Rachel, I Think He’s Dead" They Screamed"...
(Over and Out Records, 2003) - Hospital Music for the Aesthetics of LanguageHospital Music for the Aesthetics of LanguageHospital Music for the Aesthetics of Language was recorded at Portrait Studios in Lincoln Park, New Jersey by Chris Badami who also engineered and produced the album. The album was mastered by Alan Douches....
(Independent, 2004) - Goodnight AlchemyGoodnight AlchemyGoodnight Alchemy was released in June 2005. This release was the first release for the record label The Death Scene Recording Company and the last release to feature Joshua Weinstein on bass...
(The Death Scene Recording Company, 2005) - Darts to the SeaDarts to The SeaDarts to the Sea was self-produced and released through a local Morristown, NJ record label owned by a friend. This is the first recorded work by Trophy Scars.-Track listing:#"Dreams Of New Orleans"#""Rachel, I Think He’s Dead" They Screamed"...
/ Sand in the SeaSand in the SeaSand in The Sea is a bonus disc included with the 2006 re-release of Trophy Scars' 2002 debut, Darts to The Sea. It contains 15 previously unreleased tracks and demos, recorded by the band between 2002 and 2004....
(AoA Records, 2006) - Alphabet. Alphabets.Alphabet. Alphabets.Trophy Scars' Alphabet. Alphabets. was released on 13 June 2006. This LP was their second release on The Death Scene. It is Trophy Scars' second album.The theme of the album is the letter "A"...
(The Death Scene Recording Company, 2006) - Hospital Music for the Aesthetics of LanguageHospital Music for the Aesthetics of LanguageHospital Music for the Aesthetics of Language was recorded at Portrait Studios in Lincoln Park, New Jersey by Chris Badami who also engineered and produced the album. The album was mastered by Alan Douches....
(Reap What You Sew, 2007) - Bad Luck (Independent, 2009)
- 7" Split w/ The Saddest Landscape (Bear Records, 2009)
- Darkness, Oh Hell (Independent, 2010)
- Never Born, Never Dead (Independent, 2011)