Famous Graves

Famous Graves is the fourth and final full-length studio album by rock group Cheap Girls, released on May 12, 2014, in the United Kingdom and on May 13, 2014, in the United States through Xtra Mile Recordings. It is available on CD, vinyl and as a digital download.[1][2][3] The album was recorded over three months in Chicago, Illinois and Grand Rapids, Michigan with Rick Johnson and Jeff Dean. It was self-produced by the band and mixed with the help of Dean.[4]

Famous Graves
Studio album by
Cheap Girls
ReleasedMay 13, 2014
Recorded2013
GenrePower pop
Indie rock
Punk rock
Pop punk
Length35:38
LabelXtra Mile
ProducerCheap Girls
Cheap Girls chronology
BARELY ALIVE in Grand Rapids, Michigan 12/30/12
(2013)		 Famous Graves
(2014)

Recording

On February 19, 2013, the band posted a picture on their Facebook page from a studio in Grand Rapids, MI stating it was "day one" of demoing for their next album.[5]

The album was recorded in Grand Rapids, Michigan and Chicago, Illinois. Singer Ian Graham told Metro Canada that "it seemed like the right kind of environment for what we wanted to do. It’s the most amount of time we’ve ever taken (on an album).”[6]

In an interview with BeatRoute Magazine, Ian Graham described the recording process different from previous albums in that the band "learned that it’s good to record an idea that we liked, even if we didn’t use it. We were more ambitious this time.”[7]

The band decided to produce the album on their own. In an interview with CMJ published May 6, 2014, Ian Graham says they discussed the album with producers and liked the direction some were going, but when scheduling and location conflicts arose they ultimately decided to self-produce it. They also felt that they could then "dissect things a little more" than they did on previous albums.[8]

Promotion

In support of the album, the band toured with Against Me! and The Hold Steady in the spring of 2014.[9] A tour with Andrew Jackson Jihad and Dogbreth then took place in June 2014, followed by another stint with The Hold Steady throughout July and August.[10] The band returned to Europe for a tour with Joyce Manor and Great Cynics in November 2014. Following a spring 2015 tour of the US with Restorations and Chris Farren of Fake Problems, the band posted on Twitter that it was time to write another record.[11]

Release

Famous Graves was released on May 13, 2014, through Xtra Mile Recordings. It marks the band's first album on Xtra Mile and the label's first international release.[12]

On January 15, 2014, it was announced that the band had signed to the independent UK-based label Xtra Mile Recordings for a worldwide release of the album.[13] In a March 2014 interview with BrooklynVegan, singer Ian Graham stated: "Xtra Mile...had some really refreshing ideas as to how we could go about the release, and we really just saw eye-to-eye from the beginning."[14]

On April 8, 2014, the band premiered the song "Man In Question" from the album. The track features guest vocals from Craig Finn of The Hold Steady.[15]

On April 24, 2014, the band premiered the song "Amazing Grace" from the album.[16]

On May 8, 2014, "Famous Graves" was made available for streaming online via Consequence of Sound.[17]

Singles

The first single from the album, "Knock Me Over," was released on February 19, 2014.[9] Singer Ian Graham states the song was written "after one of my last (knee) surgeries (and is) about being frustrated from being in a lot of pain."[6]

Critical reception
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic61/100[18]
Review scores
SourceRating
Alternative Press[19]
Consequence of SoundC+[20]
The 4056.5/10[21]
Los Angeles Daily News[22]
The Fire Note[23]
PopMatters6/10[24]

Famous Graves received generally positive feedback from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a weighted average out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album has received an average score of 61, based on 5 reviews, indicating "generally favorable" feedback.[18] At Alternative Press, Brian Kraus rated the album three stars out of five, writing how "Cheap Girls' songs blur together–hell, so do their albums–but it's something to take a deeper look at."[19] Writing for BeatRoute Magazine, Brittany Lahure describes Famous Graves as "a love letter written to what is the core of rock and roll, an album that displays the band’s ability to create compelling textures and lyrics using their barebone instruments. The album is a music experience that any rock fan would hold close to their hearts."[7] Matt Korman of The 405 gave the album a 6.5/10 rating, writing that "there aren't too many moments on the band's fourth studio LP that are going to reach out and steal you away," and the album "doesn't really sway from Cheap Girls' lovable comfort zone, for better or worse. Walking through a listen again and again and it's hard to say how the beginning really differs from the end."[21] Sam Gnerre of the Los Angeles Daily News gave the album four stars out of five, calling it "one of the best rock ’n’ roll records of the year."[22]

Track listing
Standard edition with bonus track[1]
No.TitleLength
1."Slow Nod"3:26
2."Short Cut Days"3:47
3."Knock Me Over"3:31
4."Amazing Grace"1:57
5."Pure Hate"3:54
6."Man In Question"3:18
7."Second Floor"2:27
8."Splintered"3:14
9."Thought Senseless"4:03
10."Turns"3:02
11."7-8 Years (Bonus Track)"2:59
Total length:35:38

Release history
Region Date Format(s) Label
United States[2] May 13, 2014
Xtra Mile Recordings
United Kingdom[3] May 12, 2014
Xtra Mile Recordings

Credits

Credits are adapted from AllMusic.[25]

References
  1. "iTunes - Music - Famous Graves by Cheap Girls".
  2. "Amazon.com - Famous Graves - Music".
  3. "Famous Graves - Amazon.co.uk - Music".
  4. "XTRA MILE RECORDINGS". Xtra Mile Recordings. Retrieved March 24, 2014.
  5. Cheap Girls (February 19, 2013). "Day one of demoing for our next record in Grand Rapids. Feels great to be back in the studio, moving quick". Cheap Girls on Facebook. Facebook. Retrieved February 20, 2013.
  6. Morgan, Jacob (March 26, 2014). "Cheap Girls releasing new album with influences from favourite artists, personal experience". Metro Canada. Retrieved March 27, 2014.
  7. Lahure, Brittany (March 24, 2014). "GOOD, SOLID ROCK AND ROLL IS TIMELESS". BeatRoute Magazine. Retrieved March 26, 2014.
  8. Moore, Shannon (May 6, 2014). "Q&A: Cheap Girls - Features - CMJ". CMJ. Retrieved May 8, 2014.
  9. Anthony, David (February 19, 2014). "Cheap Girls announce Famous Graves, debut new song". The A.V. Club. Retrieved February 22, 2014.
  10. "Noisey Presents: Andrew Jackson Jihad Tour with Cheap Girls, Hard Girls, and Dogbreth". Noisey.Vice.com. April 15, 2014. Retrieved April 16, 2014.
  11. "Twitter / Cheap Girls: Another fun tour in the books!". Twitter. March 13, 2015. Retrieved March 13, 2015.
  12. Michael, Troy (February 20, 2014). "Cheap Girls Make "Famous Graves", Record Out 5/13/14, AV Club Debuts New Track, Tour w/ Against Me! & The Hold Steady". Innocent Words. Archived from the original on March 25, 2014. Retrieved March 25, 2014.
  13. Cheap Girls (15 January 2014). "Cheap Girls announce signing to Xtra Mile Recordings". Cheap Girls on Facebook. Facebook. Retrieved 16 January 2014.
  14. Sacher, Andrew (March 5, 2014). "Cheap Girls talk new album, new label, favorite NYC shows & more, playing BV-SXSW (tour dates & in-studio pics)". BrooklynVegan. Retrieved March 24, 2014.
  15. Orr, Dacey (April 8, 2014). "Song Premiere: Cheap Girls - "Man In Question"". Paste. Retrieved April 10, 2014.
  16. Michael, Troy (April 24, 2014). "Cheap Girls Shares "Grace" Single; 'Famous Graves' Out May 13; June Tour w/ Andrew Jackson Jihad". Innocent Words. Archived from the original on April 25, 2014. Retrieved April 25, 2014.
  17. Henry, Dusty (May 8, 2014). "Stream: Cheap Girls' new album Famous Graves - Consequence of Sound". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved May 9, 2014.
  18. Metacritic. "Critic Reviews for Famous Graves". CBS Interactive. Retrieved June 12, 2014.
  19. Kraus, Brian (May 24, 2014). "Cheap Girls – Famous Graves - Alternative Press". Alternative Press. Retrieved May 24, 2014.
  20. Colburn, Randall (May 20, 2014). "Album Review- Cheap Girls – Famous Graves". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved May 20, 2014.
  21. Korman, Matt (April 30, 2014). "Cheap Girls - Famous Graves - Album Review - The 405". The 405. Retrieved May 7, 2014.
  22. Gnerre, Sam (May 9, 2014). "Cheap Girls hits all the right notes with gusto on 'Famous Graves'". Los Angeles Daily News. Retrieved May 9, 2014.
  23. Anthony, Christopher (May 12, 2014). "Cheap Girls: Famous Graves [Album Review]". The Fire Note. Retrieved May 12, 2014.
  24. Browning, Rob (June 5, 2014). "Cheap Girls: Famous Graves". PopMatters. Retrieved August 13, 2014.
  25. "Famous Graves - Cheap Girls - Credits - AllMusic". AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved May 12, 2014.
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