| STNNNG | |
|---|---|
| Also known as | The Stunning |
| Origin | Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States |
| Genres | Indie rock |
| Years active | 2003–present |
| Labels | Modern Radio |
| Members | |
| Chris Besinger Adam Burt Jesse Kwakenat Nathan Nelson Ben Ivascu |
|
| Past members | |
| J. Michael Ward | |
STNNNG (pronounced 'Stunning') is an indie rock band from Minneapolis, Minnesota.[1] Formed in 2003, they have played over 200 live shows, and have released three full-length albums on the Twin Cities-based Modern Radio Record Label, who has put out releases by other notable acts, such as Deerhoof, William Elliott Whitmore, Yellow Swans, and The Plastic Constellations.
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From their inception until 2005, the band performed as a quartet, featuring two guitars, drums and vocals. Their first releases, 2004's split 7" with Chicago's The Means and 2005's debut full-length CD/LP, Dignified Sissy, were recorded with this lineup.
STNNNG's profile began to rise in 2005 as they began to tour around the Midwest. Dignified Sissy achieved critical acclaim in the media, including positive reviews from independent zines like Punk Planet and Maximumrocknroll. The Minneapolis Star Tribune voted them the #1 live act in the Twin Cities, and their album placed sixth on a list of best local records that included output from Atmosphere, Low, and Tapes 'n Tapes.[2] In September 2005, STNNNG placed first in the Minneapolis City Pages' annual "Picked to Click" music poll.[3]
The cover of Dignified Sissy features "Bear Attack", a painting by historical artist Mort Kunstler.
In 2006, STNNNG began playing higher-profile shows, playing with such acts as The Fall, The Ex, and Shellac, the latter of which helped them celebrate the release of their second album, Fake Fake, by playing a surprise opening set at Minneapolis' 7th Street Entry.[4] Shellac bass player Bob Weston called STNNNG's debut, Dignified Sissy, one of "a few recent records that sound amazing to me" in 2006.[5]
Fake Fake was the first STNNNG album to feature bassist Jesse Kwakenat (later of Heroine Sheiks, who joined the band in January 2005. The album received wider recognition in the form of more reviews from websites and publications such as Delusions of Adequacy, Foxy Digitalis, and The Big Takeover.[6][7][8]
The San Antonio Express-News described them as the "post-punk band that wreaks havoc with a twin-guitar attack and lyrics that run the gamut from annoyingly repetitive to as clever as lyrics get."[9] The Chicago Reader stated simply that STNNNG "have earned their reputation as an endorphin rush of a live act."[10]
Acclaimed music critic Mark Prindle took notice of the band in 2009, highlighting them in his "Micro-Reviews of Hip New Bands That The Kids Dig".[11]
Modern Radio Record Label released STNNNG's 3rd full-length LP, The Smoke of My Will, in October 2010, after four years of writing and recording.[12] The album was the band's first after the departure of original drummer J. Michael Ward in August 2009. He was replaced by Ben Ivascu, who is perhaps best known as the drummer for hip-hop artist P.O.S.
The Smoke of My Will was profiled on Minnesota Public Radio's "All Things Considered" in October 2010.[1]