Craw (band)

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.

History

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.

Style

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.

Discography

Full-length Releases

1994 - craw s/t CD/Cass - Choke, Inc.
1994 - Lost Nation Road CD/LP - Choke, Inc.
1997 - Map, Monitor, Surge CD - Cambodia Recordings
2002 - Bodies for Strontium 90 CD - Hydra Head Records

Singles

Elliot b/w My Sister's Living Room 7" - Hit&Run Records
405 b/w Stomp 7" - Choke, Inc.
Cancerman comic book 7" - Supermodel Records
Butterflies b/w $10000 Reward split 7" w/ Primitive - No Lie Records
Space is the Place split 7" w/ Sicbay - Obtuse Mule Records

Compilations

Hotel Cleveland Vol. 3 Comp. - Scat Records
3128 Seconds Over Cleveland Comp. - WUJC/Scat Records
Ballyhoo Guns Records Comp. - Ballyhoo Guns Records (?)
Digging Out The Switch Again - Tribute to The Dazzling Killmen (covering "My Lacerations") - The Subversive Workshop
CLE Magazine Comp. - CLE Magazine
Decline of the Midwestern Civilization Comp. - Ant Records

Personnel

Final line-up

Rockie Brockway (guitar)
Zak Dieringer (bass)
Joe McTighe (voice)
Will Scharf (drums)

Previous musicians

David McClelland (guitar)
Neil Chastain (drums)
Chris Apanius (bass)
Matt Dufresne (baritone sax)
Marcus Rosinski (alto sax)