| Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin |
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|---|---|
SSLYBY in concert in Moscow, Russia. |
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| Background information | |
| Origin | Springfield, Missouri |
| Genres | Indie pop Alternative rock |
| Years active | 1999–present |
| Labels | Polyvinyl Record Co. |
| Website | www.sslyby.com |
| Members | |
| Will Knauer Philip Dickey John Robert Cardwell Jonathan James |
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Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin (SSLYBY) is an indie pop band from Springfield, Missouri. Their first full-length album Broom, independently released in 2005, received good reviews from Spin Magazine and they are now signed with Polyvinyl Record Co.. The band's name refers to Boris Yeltsin, the first President of Russia (1990–1999).
Contents |
Will Knauer and Philip Dickey were high school friends. Phil and Will were in different bands that both "tried to sound like Nirvana."[1] After Will and Philip's high school bands broke up (Wharf and Thinking Version, respectively), the two started playing together on Weller Street. The band has given several different explanations for the origin of their name:[1]
I thought of it in high school right after Boris Yeltsin resigned. I saw an NBC news story about his wife.[2]
Honestly, I can’t remember what I was thinking. We just thought it would be a good idea to have a really long band name.[3]
Will's brother had to write a paper about Russian history and the name of the paper was Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin.[4]
Phil and John Robert Cardwell met in 2002 during their freshman year of college and started writing together; many of their early collaborations ended up on Broom. From 2002 to 2004, the group played local shows in Springfield and made a few trips to play in Columbia, Missouri. During this time they recorded demos at home and in their dorm rooms. The group's first release was a split EP with their friends Gwyn and Grace in February 2004.[5]
In Fall 2004 the group began recording their first full length album, Broom, at Knauer's house on Weller street. Knauer's house is featured in much of the band's art work, including pictures on various blogs, their website, the artwork for Broom, and the music video for Broom's opening track, Pangea.[6]
Broom was released in March 2005. It was seen as an indie success, and received favorable press in Spin Magazine and internet buzz from blogs like You Ain't No Picasso and Bars and Guitars as well as a favorable review in Pitchfork.[3] Shortly after releasing Broom, SSLYBY released a split record with Michael Holt, formerly of the San Francisco cult band the Mommyheads, on Catbird Records (a label started by the blog site Catbirdseat) in 2005.
In February 2006, the band went on their first national support tour with Catfish Haven (from the Secretly Canadian label). While on that tour, the band met a representative from Polyvinyl Record Co. and a booking agent.[1] Also on the same tour, the group recorded the first session for the popular music website Daytrotter.[7]
On April 27, 2006 the band's song "Oregon Girl" was featured on an episode of The OC, although the band still had no record label at the time. The group signed to Polyvinyl Records in June 2006 and re-released Broom in October 2006.[8] Because the original version of the album was recorded by the band with their own equipment (including a Boss digital multitrack recorder using only Shure SM57 and SM58 microphones), it was not professionally mastered to the same level as most industry-standard releases. The lo-fi sound drew many critics and listeners to the band, and the remaster keeps most of that sound intact, although the difference between the two releases is evident even to the untrained ear.[9]
In July 2007, SSLYBY performed at the Afisha Picnic music festival in Moscow, Russia, just three months after the death of Boris Yeltsin.
The group returned to Springfield to record their highly anticipated follow up to Broom. Unable to record at the Weller house because of noise complaints, the band moved their home recording studio to Knauer's aunt's house in Springfield.[10]
Pershing was released on April 8, 2008 on Polyvinyl Records. Preorder copies of the album featured bonus material including extra songs (via download), stickers, posters, and Airheads. The album spawned three music videos: "Think I Wanna Die"[11] directed by Grammy-nominated director Israel Anthem and featuring members of the band Eisley, and "Modern Mystery"[12] and "Glue Girls",[13] both directed by Brook Linder.
Pershing received a great deal of internet buzz, similar to Broom and tracks were favorably reviewed and featured on numerous indie music blogs. The band was named the best new band in Missouri by the Boston Phoenix[14] and Pershing was named the best album of 2008 by the blogs It's Hard to Find A Friend,[15] The Stark Online,[16] and The Power Pop Show.[17] Blender Magazine ranked "Dead Right" as one of the top 200 songs of 2008.[18]
Also in 2008: the group released a split EP with the Liverpool band Puzzle, licensed their song "Anne Elephant" to a Mastercard "Priceless" commercial,[19] and made their network television performance debut on the Carson Daly Show.[20]
In 2009 SSLYBY recorded a song for their hometown minor league baseball team, the Springfield Cardinals.[21]
SSLYBY's third album under Polyvinyl was produced by Chris Walla of Death Cab for Cutie and Beau Sorenson. Recording was done at Smart Studios in Madison, Wisconsin in September 2009, at Walla's Portland studio in fall 2009, and in Springfield, MO in early 2010. Smart Studios mixed the album during February 2010,[22] with mastering completed by SAE Digital Mastering Services on April 13, 2010. There are 12 tracks for a total length of 41:14.[23] May 2010, Polyvinyl and the band confirmed the album would be called Let It Sway,[24] and it was officially released on August 17, 2010.[25]
Following the release of Let It Sway, SSLYBY appeared on the cover of CMJ magazine. The album reached #10 on CMJ's college radio charts and the band was pictured in the September 30 issue of Rolling Stone.[26]
On October 22, 2010, NME.com debuted the music video for "Sink/Let It Sway"[27] directed by Brook Linder.[28] The band and Linder would pair up again in early 2011 to make a video for "Critical Drain", which premiered on MTV.com.[29]
On December 17, 2010 the band announced it was going on a US tour with Tokyo Police Club and Two Door Cinema Club in January and February 2011.[30]
The band's latest album, Tape Club, a collection of b-sides and rarities, was released on October 18, 2011.[31]