Los Campesinos! are a seven piece indie pop band from Cardiff, Wales. "Los Campesinos" roughly translates as "The Farmers" (or "The Peasants") in Spanish.
Formation and signing to Wichita: 2006
The group came together at Cardiff University in 2006, originally consisting of Neil on guitar, Ellen on bass guitar, and Ollie on drums. In March 2006, Tom joined the band, assuming the role of lead guitarist and songwriter, later followed by Gareth on vocals and glockenspiel, Harriet on violin and keyboard, and finally Aleksandra on vocals, keyboards, and melody horn.
The band performed their first gig on 8 May 2006 at a student union club night; they went on to play a number of increasingly well-received gigs around Cardiff. An early demo was recorded featuring the songs "Death To Los Campesinos!", "It Started With A Mixx", "Sweet Dreams Sweet Cheeks", and live favourite "You! Me! Dancing!". The songs were posted on the internet, bolstering the popularity established by their energetic live shows and earning them airplay on Beth & Huw's evening show on BBC Radio 1 Wales. The band's reputation continued to grow, and in August 2006 landed them a slot supporting Canadian supergroup Broken Social Scene.
Debut singles and Sticking Fingers Into Sockets: 2007
In November 2006, the band were signed by Wichita Recordings, who put out their first single on 26 February 2007, a double A-side featuring new songs "We Throw Parties, You Throw Knives" and "Don't Tell Me To Do The Math(s)". In April the band signed to Canadian label Arts & Crafts for Canadian and North American releases. In June 2007 the band released "You! Me! Dancing!" on limited edition 7" coloured vinyl, accompanied by a handful of dates playing Bath, Newport, Cardiff and London. Both singles (produced by Broken Social Scene collaborator Dave Newfeld) were compiled for North American release as Sticking Fingers Into Sockets, which was released on 3 July on Arts & Crafts. The band embarked on their first full UK tour in October, preceded by the "The International Tweexcore Underground" single (released October 15, 2007).
Hold On Now, Youngster... and We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed: 2008
Their debut album, titled Hold on Now, Youngster... was released in the UK on February 25, 2008 and in the US on April 1, 2008. [1] They have also embarked on a European and North American tour in support of their debut album. The NME have rated the album 6/10, praising its musicality but criticising its cohesiveness as an album, but other sources, such as Pitchfork Media and Drowned in Sound, have lauded it. They made their TV debut on Tubridy Tonight on February 9, 2008.
On August 1, 2008, the band announced that a second album would be released before the end of the year. The band explained: "This is no post-album cash in. It's no B-Sides and rarities or 'songs that weren't good enough to be on the album cobbled together with some remixes and field recordings of Cardiff's indie scene'; it's ten all-new tracks that none of you have ever heard before." [2]
The band also announced tour dates of the U.K for October 2008 with support from No Age and Times New Viking. The tour is called "SHRED YR FACE"
Discography
Albums
February 2008: Hold on Now, Youngster...
October 2008: We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed
EPs
2007: Sticking Fingers into Sockets
Demos
2006: Hold on Now, Youngster
Singles
References
- ^ Pitchfork: Los Campesinos! Reveal Album Tracklist, Release Date
- ^ "Los Campesinos Are Doomed". Strange Glue (2008-08-01). Retrieved on 2008-08-01.
External links
|
Los Campesinos! |
|
| Aleksandra • Ellen • Gareth • Harriet • Neil • Ollie • Tom |
|
| Studio albums |
|
|
| EPs |
|
|
| Singles |
|
|
| Related articles |
|
|
|
