| Craw | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Cleveland, Ohio, United States |
| Genres | Indie, Math Rock, Post Rock |
| Years active | 1989–present |
| Labels | HydraHead |
| Associated acts | Colossamite, Keelhaul, Zeni Geva, Dazzling Killmen, and Ruins |
| Website | http://web.archive.org/web/20051202072357/http://www.craw.com/ |
| Members | |
| Rockie Brockway (guitar), Zak Dieringer (bass), Joe McTighe (voice), Will Scharf (drums) | |
| Past members | |
| David McClelland (guitar), Neil Chastain (drums), Chris Apanius (bass), Matt Dufresne (baritone sax), Marcus Rosinski (alto sax) | |
Craw is an independent band from Cleveland, Ohio, USA. They belong to the harder-edged branch of the math rock or post rock movement, in the same category as bands such as Colossamite, Keelhaul, Zeni Geva, Dazzling Killmen, and Ruins.
Contents |
Formed in 1989, the group originally consisted of Joe McTighe on vocals, David McClelland and Rockie Brockway on electric guitars, Chris Apanius on bass and Neil Chastain on drums. Eventually the group parted ways with David McClelland, making them a four-piece outfit. After the first album (self-titled "Craw") the group sometimes also featured saxophones by Matt Dufresne (baritone saxophone) and Marcus Rosinski (alto saxophone) both on record and live performances. Ultimately the group parted ways with both Chastain and Apanius, who were replaced by Will Scharf and Zak Dieringer respectively.
The group's first three full length recordings were recorded with the help of Steve Albini. The last release, entitled Bodies for Strontium 90, was engineered by Bill Korecky at Mars studios, and is available on the indie label HydraHead Records.
As of 2007 Craw is still a semi-functional four-piece outfit, but does not tour.
Craw's music is superficially similar in sound to that of metal groups such as Helmet, with the distinction that its compositions complex rhythmic shifts, which are executed in perfect synchronization. While many earlier rock groups favoring mixed or compound meters, such as Rush, tended to remain in a single meter (such as 5/4 or 7/4) for long stretches, Craw songs typically change meter every few seconds, making the group's music closer rhythmically to much contemporary classical music than most rock. Rather than being sung conventionally (using melodic pitches) or "growled" in a conventional manner, vocals are generally declaimed in a forceful sing-song manner which is not composed of rhyme but rather of prose, and is rhythmically delivered according to the rhythmic flow of the musical context and as such being treated as an instrument rather than just "singing". Lyrics are usually obscure, focusing on esoteric scientific subjects and themes of industrial breakdown.