piebald

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Piebald was an American alternative rock band. Piebald started as a hardcore band in Andover, Massachusetts, out of the same scene that produced legends Converge. They later moved to the Boston suburb of Somerville and became a staple of the Greater Boston indie rock scene. Two members still live in the Boston area, while two others now live in Los Angeles. Piebald's last show was on April 19, 2008 at Cambridge, MA's Middle East Downstairs.

History

Their first gig, a "Battle of the Bands", is chronicled on their two-CD set Barely Legal/All Ages. From the liner notes: ".. from the sound board (sic) 1994 battle of the bands, Piebald lost."

From there on, they recorded and played shows together semi-seriously. Shortly thereafter in 1995, Piebald started recording, which amounted to a 4-track demo, and a 2 track split. The driving hardcore sound exhibited during these years was highlighted by the technical playing of drummer Jon Sullivan, and the deep screams of vocalist and guitarist Travis Shettel.

Post hardcore

A turning point in Piebald's career came when they recorded seven tracks, and put them on the CD that came to be known as Sometimes Friends Fight. Their musical sound had greatly matured, and Travis' lyrical ability was finally brought to the forefront of the band's music. Another two seven-inches later, Piebald was ready for another metamorphosis.

Eleven tracks recorded at Salad Days became the first record to showcase Piebald's signature sound and wry jokes. Traditionally the most sought-after Piebald recording (before it was immortalized in its entirety on All Ages), When Life Hands You Lemons was considered to be Piebald's best music yet. This release furthered the lyrical style that had been growing within the band, and also showcased the first lead vocals by lead guitarist Aaron Stuart, and a piano track by Shettel.

The breakthrough

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Following If it Weren't for Venetian Blinds, It Would Be Curtains for Us All, Piebald released their most popular album to date, We Are the Only Friends We Have. It featured the single "American Hearts" which achieved a modicum of success, garnering some mention on MTV and college radio. This, together with the band's signing to respected indie label Big Wheel Recreation brought Piebald their most mainstream attention to that date. This trend was continued when the band signed to the very popular Side One Dummy label and released their next album, and when Piebald was chosen to play 2004's Warped Tour.

The following album, "All Ears, All Eyes, All the Time", the band's first release on Side One Dummy Records, continued their evolutionary progress toward the piano-driven fare they've tended towards over the last couple of releases, and features such additions as horn sections, increased use of vocal harmonies, and hand-claps.

Piebald's final album, "Accidental Gentleman," was released in 2007.

The breakup

On August 19, 2007, a bulletin was posted from the band's official MySpace page as well as in the "News" section of their official website, announcing the dissolution of Piebald.

"Friends, friends, friends…we have not posted anything anywhere in quite some time and our word on the street is that this is our last tour. All the preceding words are true and we have decided to put Piebald to rest. The past fifteen years or so have been nothing short of extremely incredible. We have met lots of people, been to lots of places and experienced a whole lot of life. In 1994 we started making music, screenprinting our own seven inch covers and borrowing our parents cars to get to shows. Since then, we have traveled the globe, released many records, and played thousands of shows; pedaling the righteous name of piebald to all whose paths we crossed. In celebration of the many years of good times and incredible accomplishments, we have decided to dedicate this tour to us; Piebald. Thanks to all who have helped in any and every way…families, friends, girlfriends, vans, bands, fans, promoters, labels, booking agent, lawyer, clubs, engineers, producers, and those who we forgot to mention. Now, this is not a teary eyed time, people. This is a time of new beginnings, positive vibes, and a congratulatory nod to the past. There has been talk of a few shows to give the band an official sendoff, but as of yet, those shows are not booked and unknown. Thanks for all the undying support. We love you."

The band played three final farewell shows in April 2008: April 17 at the Bowery Ballroom in New York City, and April 18 and 19 at The Middle East (nightclub) in Cambridge, MA.

Their final release will be a 2 disc DVD set including footage from their farewell shows, a retrospective documentary and an anthology of the band's several music videos. The release date is as of yet unknown.

Discography

• Geek of the Week, Salad Days, 1995
• split 7-inch with Seven Percent Solution, Salad Days, Vegan Records, 1995
• Sometimes Friends Fight, Salad Days, Self-released, 1995/Re-released on Point The Blame Records, 1996
• Even After Thirteen Years, Emerson College, Hydra Head Records, 1996
• split 7-inch with Cave In, Emerson College, Moo Cow Records, 1996
• When Life Hands You Lemons, Salad Days, Hydra Head Records, 1997
• If It Weren't For Venetian Blinds, It Would Be Curtains For Us All, ?, Big Wheel Recreation, 1999
• The Rock Revolution Will Not Be Televised, ?, Big Wheel Recreation, 2000
• Barely Legal/All Ages, ?, Big Wheel Recreation, 2001
• We Are the Only Friends We Have, Q Division, Big Wheel Recreation, 2002
• All Ears, All Eyes, All the Time, ?, Side One Dummy, 2004
• "Killa Bros and Killa Bees" (DVD/CD), Side One Dummy, 2005
• Accidental Gentlemen, 2007

Trivia

• The original album title for We Are The Only Friends We Have was originally called "Piebald Feeds The Horse."
• Travis Shettel is a playable character in the popular flash game Emogame 2.
• The song "American Hearts" was sampled by MC Lars for his song, iGeneration.
• During Piebald downtime, Travis Shettel plays in a Los Angeles based band called The Was.
• If it Weren't for Venetian Blinds, It Would Be Curtains for Us All is a quote from the Billy Wilder movie Kiss Me, Stupid

External links

• Piebald's site
• Piebald MP3s, Tour Dates, Albums, and more
• Piebald Interview - August 24, 2007