This Busy Monster

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This Busy Monster

Background information
Origin Seattle, Washington
Genre(s) indie rock
Years active 1992-2001
Label(s) Barsuk Records
Website [1]
Members
Christopher Possanza
Josh Rosenfeld
Jason Avinger
Barrett Wilke

This Busy Monster (or TBM) is an indie band that was formed in the early 1990s. They are known for their unconventional song structures and eclectic instrumentation (including the use of a clarinet in many tracks). Their three full-length albums, Like Icicles, The Curious Sofa and Fireworks, accompany many singles and EPs. Their name is taken from a poem written by E. E. Cummings.

The band, based in Seattle, Washington, is comprised of Christopher Possanza (vocals/guitar), Josh Rosenfeld (bass), Jason Avinger (guitar/vocals) and Barrett Wilke (drums). After the band's initial success in the early '90s, Possanza and Rosenfeld formed Barsuk Records in 1994 to release their material. The label is named after Avinger and Possanza's dog, Barsuk (pronounced bar-sook, from the Russian word барсук, meaning badger), a black lab (the dog can be heard barking in the track "Song 69"). Barsuk Records has since signed numerous local and national indie artists, including Death Cab for Cutie, Aqueduct, Rilo Kiley, Nada Surf and They Might Be Giants.

Contents

[edit] History

TBM released their first tape, Ginger, in early 1992, before they had officially formed the band. With the release of Dark Hands in April of 1993, the members of TBM officially formed the group and began playing local shows. They performed numerous gigs at local Seattle venues, playing with other local bands like Sick and Wrong and The Thingmakers, and opening for the indie band Treepeople.

1994 saw the release of two singles, Belated in April with the help of Egg Studios and members of the band Posies. The single Swing Dream was released later that year in September. The band continued playing small venues with other local acts, often with members of they yet-to-be-formed Death Cab for Cutie. 1994 also saw the creation of the band's record label Barsuk Records.

In 1995 the band went on a small tour with Built to Spill around the Pacific Northwest. Summer and fall saw them finally gaining notice from various music publications and touring with Modest Mouse. The Rocket (a Northwest music-related newspaper), the Seattle Weekly, and the University of Washington Daily all offered good reviews, the UW Daily saying:

"This four-piece blends the conventions of 'interesting' music, replete with complex structures and difficult-sounding parts, with the undeniable pop-rock sensibility. Thus, they manage to sidestep the ghettoes of prog for something altogether catchier and more satisfying but never let matters become precious or cute. They have an undeniable power when playing live that turns on tightness and the tack-sharp, vaguely dissociative lyrics and vocal lines."

In '96 and '97 the band continued touring with Built To Spill and the now official Death Cab for Cutie, who signed onto the Barsuk label. The band also began recording their first full-length album, Like Icicles, which was released in June of 1998. The Rocket released the following review:

"With discordant guitars and uneven and unpredictable rhythms, the début CD from Seattle's This Busy Monster, Like Icicles, is undoubtedly this year's most bizarre local offering at the pop throne. By systematically and maniacally incorporating a huge range of influences (and by huge range, I do mean huge range), This Busy Monster have built a weird musical collage. There's a little bit of Built to Spill-style psychedelia, some indie-rock balladry and even Primus-style funk. It sounds like an improbable combination, but somehow This Busy Monster make it sound as natural as the five notes at the core of Beethoven's Ninth."

"Perhaps the most striking aspect of This Busy Monster is vocalist Christopher Possanza. Something about his disjointed delivery and downright weird lyrics is riveting. On 'Hoops & Hollows' he sings, 'I'm a pie to you, I'm not a hard nut to crack.' 'Honest, thinking things make me stupid' he muses on 'Hungry & Free.' Though his lyrics are abstract, they are so personal it's like accidentally stumbling onto a loved one's diary. Too intimate in its familiarity, too specific for a wide audience, but for some reason, you just can't stop reading, or listening, for that matter."

In the late nineties and early 2000s the band released their two latest albums, The Curious Sofa and Fireworks in 2000 and 2001, respectively. The current status of the band has not been discussed, though future albums seem unlikely.

[edit] Band members

  • Christopher Possanza — guitar, lead vocals, song-writing
  • Jason Avinger — guitar, back-up vocals
  • Josh Rosenfeld — bass
  • Barrett Wilke — drums

[edit] Discography

All releases on Barsuk Records

[edit] External links

[edit] Resources