A Place to Bury Strangers

A Place to Bury Strangers are an American, New York City-based noise rock band, composed of Oliver Ackermann (guitar/vocals, bass), Dion Lunadon (bass guitar, guitar) and Lia Simone Braswell (drums). The band, commonly known by the initials APTBS, play a heavy, atmospheric Wall of Sound–influenced blend of psychedelic rock, shoegaze and space rock.

A Place to Bury Strangers
Background information
OriginBrooklyn, New York, United States
Genres
Years active2003–present
Labels
Associated acts
  • Skywave
  • MOFO
  • My Best Fiend
  • the D4
  • Black Acid
  • Ceremony
Websiteaplacetoburystrangers.bandcamp.com
MembersOliver Ackermann
Past membersDavid Goffan
Tim Gregorio
Jonathan "Jono Mofo" Smith
Jason "Jay Space" Weilmeister
Justin Avery
Robi Gonzalez
John Fedowitz
Dion Lunadon
Lia Simone Braswell

History

Early days

A Place to Bury Strangers were formed in 2002 by David Goffan and Tim Gregorio. Current frontman and guitarist Ackermann had moved to New York following the disbanding of his previous group, Skywave, to join APTBS, and become the primary songwriter after the departure of Goffan. They played their first show at Luxx in Brooklyn in 2003. Jason "Jay Space" Weilmeister and Jonathan "Jono Mofo" Smith, both from the New York City-based band Mofo, joined the band when Gregorio left. In 2006, APTBS self-released three different EPs, handmade with different color schemes: Breathe, Missing You and Never Going Down.[1]

In 2006, APTBS gained acclaim following their Webster Hall performance with the Brian Jonestown Massacre. The band returned to Webster Hall in 2007 to play with one of their major influences, the Jesus and Mary Chain. Throughout these formative years, the band's live shows became increasingly chaotic, which earned them the title of New York City's "loudest band" from various indie reviewers and bloggers,[2][3] as well as "the most ear-shatteringly loud garage/shoegaze band you'll ever hear" by The Washington Post.[4] The New York Times applauded their revival of "the ominous, feedback-drenched drones of the 1980s".[5]

First album and touring

In 2007, Jon Whitney from the Killer Pimp label wrote the contract for their first album, A Place to Bury Strangers, on a napkin. In August 2007, the band gained national attention after a favorable Pitchfork review of this album.

In 2007, the band joined Black Rebel Motorcycle Club on the "Holy Fuck" tour.[6] In April 2008, it was announced that APTBS would open for Nine Inch Nails on several dates of the latter's US tour. Following several UK gigs, the first album was issued in the UK in October 2008 by Rocket Girl,[7] and they received strong praise from the British media including NME and Kerrang!. In November 2008, the band returned to Europe and the UK on tour supporting MGMT.

Exploding Head

In early 2009, APTBS signed to Mute Records. The band also announced another European tour and appearances at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, Seaport Music Festival and Siren Music Festival.

Their second album, Exploding Head, was released by Mute in October 2009.

In spring 2010, Smith decided to leave APTBS for personal reasons rather than participate in their US tour supporting the Big Pink. He was replaced for that spring tour by Lunadon, formerly of the bands the D4 and the True Lovers. On July 5, 2010, APTBS visited Bogotá, Colombia for the first time, and played at Rock al Parque, the largest free rock festival in South America.

Worship

On February 14, 2011, Ackermann stated that the band had begun working on their third full-length album.[8] On January 10, 2012, A Place to Bury Strangers released an all-Hipstamatic video shot on an iPhone for the song "So Far Away" from the Onwards to the Wall EP. On February 12, 2012, the band announced that Robi Gonzalez had replaced Weilmeister as drummer.[9] On May 2, 2012, it was announced that the band's third album, Worship, was scheduled for release on the Dead Oceans label, on June 11 in the UK and Europe and on June 26, 2012 in the US.[10] The band announced plans to support the release with a full North American tour in October 2012.[11]

Strange Moon and Transfixiation

In early March 2013, APTBS announced that they had recorded covers of songs by Portland band Dead Moon for release on Record Store Day 2013 as an EP titled Strange Moon.[12] Gonzalez decided to retire from touring, and during the subsequent 2016 tour, John Fedowitz (Skywave, Ceremony) played drums for the band.[13]

In March 2013, the band began recording their fourth studio album, Transfixiation. They recorded for several days at ABC Studios in Etne, Norway, with Emil Nikolaisen of Serena Maneesh.[14] The album was released on February 17, 2015 on Dead Oceans.

Pinned

In February 2018, the band announced that Lia Simone Braswell would be a permanent replacement for Gonzalez as the band's drummer.[15] Their fifth studio album, Pinned, was released on April 13.

Discography

Studio albums

EPs
  • A Place To Bury Strangers 3-song CD/EP (self-released, 2004)
  • Breathe CD/EP (2006, self-released)
  • Missing You (2006, self-released)
  • A Place to Bury Strangers 6-song CD/EP
  • Never Going Down (2006, self-released)
  • The Box Set (2008, Vacancy Records)
  • Hoxton Square Sessions (2009, Mute Records)
  • Ego Death 2010 Tour EP (2010, Mute Records)
  • Onwards to the Wall (2012, Dead Oceans)
  • Strange Moon (2013, Dead Oceans)
  • Fuzz Club Sessions 12" EP (Fuzz Club Records, 2019)
  • Ice Cream Sucks 7" (self-released, 2019)

Compilations
  • Rare Meat Cassette (self-released, 2017)

Singles
  • "To Fix the Gash in Your Head" 10"/12" (2008, Meal Deal Records)
  • "I Know I'll See You" 7" (2008, Rocket Girl/Vacancy Records)
  • "Breathe" 7" (2008, Vacancy Records)
  • "Missing You" 7" (2008, Rocket Girl/Vacancy Records)
  • "In Your Heart" 7" (2009, Mute Records)
  • "Keep Slipping Away" 7" (2009, Mute Records)
  • "You Are the One" 7" (2012, Dead Oceans)
  • "And I'm Up" 7" (2012, Dead Oceans)
  • Less Artists More Condos Series #1 split single with Ceremony (2012, Famous Class)
  • "Raiser" 7" (2013, Sweet Mistakes Productions)
  • "We've Come So Far" 7" (2015, self-released)
  • "Straight" 7" (2015, self-released)
  • "Never Coming Back" (2018, Dead Oceans)
  • "There's Only One of Us" (2018, Dead Oceans)

Live albums
  • Loud and Live in 2012 (2013, self-released)

References
  1. "A Place To Bury Strangers - A Place To Bury Strangers (Vinyl, LP, LP) at Discogs". Discogs.com. 2008-11-03. Retrieved 2015-04-08.
  2. "A Place to Bury Strangers: 2007-09-20: Show Review". October 11, 2007. Archived from the original on October 11, 2007.
  3. "A Place To Bury Strangers". Brainwashed.com. Retrieved 2015-03-26.
  4. "Event Calendar | Washington Post | Washington, DC". Washingtonpost.com. Archived from the original on 21 November 2020.
  5. "Play Well, and May the Blog Buzz Be With You". The New York Times. Retrieved 2015-03-26.
  6. Archived January 15, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  7. Maher, Dave. "A Place to Bury Strangers Expand Tour". Pitchfork.com. Retrieved 20 September 2012.
  8. "Interview with Oliver Ackermann of A Place To Bury Strangers". Rockedition.com. 2011-02-14. Retrieved 2015-03-26.
  9. "School of Seven Bells Remix A Place To Bury Strangers". Dead Oceans. Archived from the original on 2012-05-11. Retrieved 2012-07-18.
  10. "A Place to Bury Strangers Announce New Album | News". Pitchfork.com. 2012-04-02. Retrieved 2015-03-26.
  11. "U.S. Tour". APTBS. Archived from the original on 2012-11-30. Retrieved 2015-03-26.
  12. "APTBS Announce Tour Dates with Japandroids, Set to Release Dead Moon Covers EP for RSD News". Dead Oceans. 2013-03-06. Archived from the original on 2015-03-24. Retrieved 2015-03-26.
  13. "A Place To Bury Strangers". Facebook.com.
  14. "Google Translate". Translate.google.com. Retrieved 2015-03-26.
  15. "A Place to Bury Strangers Release New Single "Never Coming Back"". Spin. 31 January 2018. Retrieved 23 February 2018.
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