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Les Savy Fav
Les Savy Fav at the Eurockéennes 2011.
Background information
Origin	Providence, Rhode Island, USA New York City, New York, USA
Genres	Indie rock Math rock Post-punk revival Post-hardcore Art punk Noise Rock
Years active	1995–present
Labels	Frenchkiss
Website	www.lessavyfav.com/
Members
Tim Harrington Seth Jabour Syd Butler Harrison Haynes Andrew Reuland
Past members
Gibb Slife Pat Mahoney

Les Savy Fav ( /leɪ ˈsɑːvi ˈfɑːv/ lay sah-vee fahv) is a New York City indie rock band. Their style is influenced by art rock and post-hardcore. The group is known for the stage presence of lead singer Tim Harrington. The band is signed to Frenchkiss Records, which is owned by the band's bassist, Syd Butler.

[edit] Biography

The group's original line-up, formed in 1995, all met while attending the Rhode Island School of Design in Providence, Rhode Island. Live shows are punctuated by the antics of frontman Harrington, including interacting with audience members and on-stage wardrobe changes. The rest of the band continues to play as if nothing out of the ordinary is happening. Guitar player Gibb Slife left the band after their second LP. Drummer Mahoney was replaced by Harrison Haynes.

The band started a planned hiatus in mid-2005, which led to speculation that they might have broken up, but Harrington confirmed that Les Savy Fav would return^[1] and indeed they did, playing a live performance at the British All Tomorrow's Parties festival in May 2007. The band booked studio time in November 2006 to record their fourth full length, Let's Stay Friends, which was released September 18, 2007. Andrew Reuland joined the band in 2006 as the second guitar player.^[2][3] The band performed "Patty Lee" live on Late Night with Conan O'Brien on January 31, 2008. Their song "Hold Onto Your Genre" is featured in the soundtrack to MLB 2K7, as well as commercials for the game. Furthermore, their song "Raging in the Plague Age" is featured on an in-game radio station in GTA IV.

Bass player Syd Butler is also the owner of Frenchkiss Records. Seth Jabour is also known for his work as an illustrator and graphic designer. Former drummer Pat Mahoney plays currently in LCD Soundsystem.

The Derry/London based band Jetplane Landing included a song on their 2007 album Backlash Cop entitled "Why Do They Never Play Les Savy Fav On The Radio?"

The song "The Sweat Descends" appears in the commercial for the Cartoon Network movie, "Fire Breather".

In December 2011 the band co-curated the All Tomorrow's Parties "Nightmare Before Christmas" festival in Minehead, England alongside Battles and Caribou.^[4]

[edit] Music style

Initially their music featured an abrasive sound fitting in the noise rock genre and reminiscent of the music of Fugazi and Jawbox. Later on their music became more idiosyncratic shifting to a more radio-friendly sound close to that of befriended bands Bloc Party and Enon. Kele Okereke of Bloc Party wrote of Les Savy Fav's influence on his band for an article in The Observer in 2005^[5] and members of Enon have contributed to several Les Savy Fav tracks.

[edit] Discography

[edit] Studio albums

• 3/5 (1997, Self-Starter Foundation)
• The Cat and the Cobra (1999, Frenchkiss Records/Self-Starter Foundation)
• Go Forth (2001, Frenchkiss Records)
• Let's Stay Friends (2007, Frenchkiss Records)
• Root for Ruin (September 2010, Frenchkiss Records)

[edit] EPs

• Emor: Rome Upside Down EP, (2000, Southern)

[edit] Live albums

• After the Balls Drop, (2008, Frenchkiss) (Digital-only release)

[edit] Compilations

• Repopulation Program, Les Savy Fav contribute Raise Buildings. (1996, Load Records)
• This Is Next Year: A Brooklyn-Based Compilation, Les Savy Fav contribute No Sleeves. (2001, Arena Rock Recording Co.)
• Inches, a compilation of singles from 1995–2004 (2004, Frenchkiss; re-released 2008 on Wichita Recordings)
• Warm & Scratchy, Les Savy Fav contribute The Equestrian. (2007, Adult Swim)

[edit] Singles

• "Rodeo" (1997)
• "Our Coastal Hymn" (1999)
• "Reprobates Resume" (2001)
• "Reformat (Dramatic Reading)" (2001)
• "Obsessed with the Excess" (2003)
• "Yawn, Yawn, Yawn" (2003)
• "Hold On To Your Genre" (2004)
• "Knowing How The World Works" (2004)
• "The Sweat Descends" (2004)
• "We'll Make A Lover Out Of You" (2004)
• "Accidental Deaths/Hit By Car" (2006)
• "Raging in the Plague Age" (2006)
• "What Would Wolves Do?" (2007)
• "Patty Lee" (2008)
• "Let's Get Out Of Here" (2010)

[edit] Sources

• bio on VH1
• Les Savy Fav @ Epitonic

[edit] External links

• Les Savy Fav official site
• Las Savy Fav at neformat.com.ua
• Les Savy Fav @ French Kiss
• Les Savy Fav @ Music Hall of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NYC: 10-12-08 (PopWreckoning live show review)
• Les Savy Fav news, pictures and videos at Evri.com
• Rehearsal Space: Les Savy Fav
• All Les Savy Fav "Let's Be Friends" Contest Entries

[edit] References

1. ^ http://web.archive.org/web/20060405170644/http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/news/04-12/17.shtml
2. ^ http://pitchforkmedia.com/page/news/37632/Exclusive_New_Les_Savy_Fav_Album#37632
3. ^ http://www.brooklynvegan.com/archives/2007/07/ask_les_savy_fa.html
4. ^ http://www.atpfestival.com/events/nightmare2011.php
5. ^ 'Hidden gems of the arts' in The Observer 21st August 2005