Self Defense Family

Self Defense Family (or shortened to Self Defense and previously known as End of a Year) are a post-punk outfit with members from across the United States and England. The band has released four full length albums and several EPs and splits.

History

End of a Year started as a side project for a number of Albany musicians already involved in full-time bands. Having spent time in heavier bands, the initial End of a Year line-up was interested in trying something more overtly melodic. Taking their name from an Embrace song, the band's original sound was highly influenced by the Revolution Summer-era DC bands.

The band recorded a boombox demo to give out at their first show, which took place at SUNY Albany. Shortly thereafter, a more formal demo entitled "Warm" was recorded. A full-length, Disappear Here, appeared on local labels Oneohfive and Losingface Records. The band later released a split 7" with western Massachusetts band Three Fifteen on another local label, Slave Union. It was this record that caught the attention of Revelation Records, and the band made the jump in 2006, recording their first full-length for the California label in the spring of that year.

Sincerely was recorded with Don Zientara at Inner Ear Studio, adding to the perception that the band was striving for a DC-centered sound; the actual music, however, strayed further from that model than on previous releases.

In the spring of 2009 the band released an EP for Deathwish Inc. and announced plans for a full-length release for the label. In 2010, Deathwish Inc released the band's third full-length album entitled You Are Beneath Me.

The band regularly names songs after actual people with lyrical content that, though oblique, seems to reference the person. Some people the band has given song titles to include:

• Audrey Kishline, former proponent of Moderation Management
• Micheal Ray Richardson, former NBA basketball player and current coach of the Lawton-Fort Sill Cavalry
• Michael Larson, notable for his record-breaking winnings on the American game show Press Your Luck
• William Kennedy, author and Albany, New York-area resident
• Charles Rocket, late comedian and actor
• Marissa Wendolovske, contemporary artist
• Eddie Antar, one time proprietor of Crazy Eddie Electronics
• Phillip Jose Farmer, American sci-fi/fantasy author
• Emanuela Orlandi, teenage girl whose Vatican City disappearance remains unsolved

In late 2010, the band announced that they would be "reformatting" the group to officially include all touring and session musicians they had worked with up to that point as well as changing the group's name to Self Defense Family. To go along with this announcement, they posted four songs from the You Are Beneath Me LP with Patrick Kindlon's lead vocal track removed and replaced by vocals from Caroline Corrigan, including one song that was also reworked into an acoustic version.^[1] The band's tours have since been done on the basis of whoever is available at the time, with the same attitude being taken towards picking line-ups for their studio output. This format was taken to its furthest extent early on when one line-up of the band played a gig in Connecticut while another line-up traveled to Jamaica to record music for the first 7-inch in their Island Series of singles. As such, no member of Self Defense Family has played every show or played on every recording.

Band name

The group formed in 2003 under the name "End of a Year" derived from an Embrace song of the same name. After the release of their 2010 album You Are Beneath Me, the group wanted to change their name to "Self Defense". As an interim name to ease the transition between names, Self Defense went by the name "End Of A Year Self Defense Family," and occasionally "Self Defense Music." Vocalist Patrick Kindlon likened the transition to Will Oldham's name changes. According to Kindlon, Oldham's band name went from "Palace Brothers to Palace Songs to Palace Music to Bonnie Prince Billy to Will Oldham."^[2] On various vinyl releases, Self Defense used several "also known as" monikers including: Barf Spectrum, Comforter, Pewter Wizards, and Weird Field.^[2]

Discography

The band is known for its prodigious output and has likened splits and EPs to "one night stands."

Albums

• Disappear Here - Oneohfive Records/Losingface Records 2004
• Sincerely - Revelation Records; LP licensed to Slave Union Records 2006
• You Are Beneath Me - Deathwish, Inc. 2010
• Try Me - Deathwish, Inc. 2014

Live Albums

• Live From Krazy Fest 5/20/11 - Head2Wall Records 2012

Singles and EPs

• We Understand Europeans Are a Sexual People - Blacktop Records 2007
• S/T or Descend, Bold Traveler - Deathwish Inc 2009
• More Songs about Transportation and Intercourse - Hex Records 2010
• The Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Emanuela Orlandi - Disposable Culture Records 2011
• Bacha Bazi - Cumhard420 Records 2011
• "I Heard Crime Gets You Off"/"To Your Scattered Bodies Go" - Run for Cover Records 2011
• Island Series Vol.1: Jamaica - Deathwish Inc 2011
• Island Series Vol.2: Iceland - Deathwish Inc 2012
• The Corrections Officer In Me - Family Drugs 2013
• You Are Beneath Her - Iron Pier Records 2013
• Jesus of Nazareth - Photobooth Records 2014
• Island Series Vol.3: Scotland - Deathwish Inc 2014

Splits

• We Mate For Life (split with Three Fifteen) - Slave Union Records 2005
• God, There's a Lot of Pawn Shops and Check Cashing Places in This Town (split with Fire Team Charlie) - Sticky Translucent Goo Records 2006
• That Owl Is Staring at Me (split with Kids Explode) - Narshardaa Records 2007
• Most Attractive Band We've Done a Split With (split with Adorno) - Existencia Records/Pine Records 2008
• Cat Eating Hotdog (split with Red Tape Parade) - Cobra X Records 2008
• But at Least Your Town Has the Lusty Lady (split with Shook Ones) - Runner Up Records 2008
• Everything I Know About Japan I Learned From Empire of the Sun and Astro Boy (split with Segwei) - Alliance Trax Records/Closed Casket Activities 2010
• Girls Fighting With A Fan (split with Fires) - Troubled Monkey Records 2011
• Fourgy (4-way split with Code Orange Kids, Tigers Jaw, The World Is) - Run For Cover Records / Topshelf Records 2013
• Building the Railroad Was Serious Business That Cost Many Lives (split with Stalwart Sons) - Revolution Winter Records 2013
• Sleepaway Camp 8 (split with Goodtime Boys) - Palm Reader Records 2013
• Least Violent Time In Human History (split with Axis) - Harm Reduction Records 2013
• Untitled (split with Meredith Hunter) - Run for Cover Records 2014

Demos

• Boombox Demo - demo tape 2003
• Warm - demo tape 2004

Digital Only

• End of a Year w/ Caroline Corrigan - Self-released 2011

Compilation Appearances

• I've Got an Idea" on Mixed Signals: A Compilation - Run for Cover Records 2011
• We Heard You Cowards Didn't Want Us On Your Show on DIALOGUES Benefit for Chenoa Manor Animal Sanctuary CS - Hydrogen Man Records 2011
• Cashing In (Minor Threat cover) on interskramz Volume 2 - Driftwood Records
• I Can't Be Relied Upon on Mixed Singles, Vol. 1 - Run for Cover Records 2013

References

External links

• End of a Year Self Defense Family Twitter Account
• End of a Year Self Defense Family Youtube Channel
• End of a Year Self Defense Family page at Deathwish Inc Records
• End of a Year Self Defense Family Formspring Page
• Review of "You Are Beneath Me"
• End of a Year page at Revelation Records
• Review of Sincerely
• Interview with Patrick Kindlon "That's an awesome idea, to have so much material you can't keep track of it anymore."
• Interview with Patrick Kindlon "Guitar 1: Heresy, Guitar 2: Gang of Four, Bass & Drums: Rush"