The Static Age

Infobox musical artist
Name = The Static Age


Img_capt = Adam Meilleur and Andrew Paley
Img_size = 250
Landscape =
Background = group_or_band
Alias =
Origin = Burlington, Vermont
Genre = Post-punk Alternative Indie
Years_active = 2002-present
Label = ReIgnition The Platform Group Tarantulas
Associated_acts =
URL = [http://www.thestaticage.com thestaticage.com]
Current_members = Andrew Paley Adam Meilleur Eric Joseph Carlson
Past_members =
Notable_instruments =

The Static Age are an American post punk band originally from Burlington, Vermont consisting primarily of Andrew Paley and Adam Meilleur. The band's name is taken from the Misfits' long-unreleased first album.

History

They began playing shows in their hometown in 2002 with original members Paley and Meilleur and others, and they've released a "full-length demo," two albums and a few singles to date. As of 2008, their latest release was "Blank Screens," released on ReIgnition Records (the sister label to the former Law of Inertia magazine). It was the followup to 2005's "Neon Nights Electric Lives" released for tours on Tarantulas Records in October of 2004, and then properly through Tarantulas Records/Platform Group/Fontana in March of 2005. Other prior releases include 2004's "Amphibian" single, 2003's "The Past and Now" single, and 2003's "The Cost of Living" album, released by the bands own imprint Primary Records with the now defunct Red Dawn Records. More can be read about these releases in the news and records archives at the band's [http://www.thestaticage.com Official website] .

Due to an exhaustive touring schedule 2004-2007, favorable attention from both the US and the UK press (many quotes on the band's official website's press section could be labeled as "critical acclaim" [http://www.thestaticage.com/press.php 2] ), openly "campy" music videos for "Vertigo" and "Cherry Red" being picked up on at Fuse and MTVu through 2006 and 2007 (and a more surrealistic December 2007-launched "Blank Screens" internet series of videos available at [http://www.seventeenscratches.com SeventeenScratches.com] that doesn't feature the band at all, apparently set to culminate in March 2008), their relationship with the short-lived-but-influential Tarantulas Records, and a reputation for being both "art-centric" (a phrase originally used by Tarantulas) and fiercely independent, the band has carved out a unique space for itself. The band toured throughout 2007 in support of "Blank Screens" (playing with bands like Tiger Army, Street Dogs, and Theo and the Skyscrapers), while hinting at working on demos and new songs for their next album. Currently, as of early Spring 2008, their website claims they are writing and demoing.

Band members

*Andrew Paley - Voice, Guitars, Sequencing, Keyboards (founding member)
*Adam Meilleur - Bass (founding member)
*Chris Kling - Drums

Past/Touring members

*Marie Whiteford - Keyboards (original member, 2002-2004)
*Sarah-Rose Cameron - Keyboards (2004-2006)
*Bobby Hackney - Drums (founding member, 2002-2005)
*Tim Alek Mulley - Drums (2006-2007)

Touring-Only Members
*Coby Linder (founding and current member of Say Anything) - touring member during 2005 tours)
*Eric Joseph Carlson - Guitar (touring member during 2007)
*Dave Joyal - Drums (touring member only during 2007 -- a member of Silent Drive)

Trivia

*Paley and Meilleur were once briefly touring members of fellow Vermont punk band River City Rebels during the summer of 2001.

*Paley, Meilleur, and Bobby Hackney were three of the Vermont four-piece The Hemlock Verdict. The Hemlock Verdict was fronted by Spencer Crispe of My Revenge. During their short-lived existence, THV released a four-song EP (long out of print), and managed to garner attention by playing just 14 shows ever with bands like AFI, Shadows Fall, Dillinger Escape Plan, Kill Your Idols, Drowningman, Darkest Hour, Death by Stereo, The Cancer Conspiracy, and the Misfits [http://web.archive.org/web/*/http://www.xmulletx.com/hemlockverdict 3] . Rumor has it that an unreleased demo song has Paley singing, and led to inter-band tensions -- which led to the formation of The Static Age. Additionally, Marie Whiteford (The Static Age's original keyboardist) played on the band's demos. The Hemlock Verdict then splintered into the two following bands (The Static Age and My Revenge).

*Paley, Hackney, and Crispe were also in the hardcore punk band In Reach in highschool.

*The band has a reputation for being set in their independence (having been referred to as "ideologically a punk band, if not in sound") -- repeatedly turning down labels like Victory Records in the interest of working with labels like Tarantulas Records. Supposedly the band went through months of contract negotiations with Victory head and owner Tony Brummel personally before turning the label down.

*Paley is also an artist and a writer. In addition to creating much of the band's imagery and artwork, interviews in mid-2007 suggested Paley was also working on a book, perhaps a novel. There were suggestions of illustrations. Not much has been said since. [http://www.thestaticage.com/press.php 4]

*Paley has an often-dark, folk-oriented sideproject -- originally dubbed "Paper Tigers" until a threatened lawsuit from a UK band with the same made him default to just going by "Andrew Paley." One album was released in September 2007 called "White Rooms" (though much of the album was apparently recorded with Matt Squire as early as 2004 or 2005). Currently, he has a long-promised followup called "Songs for Dorian Grey" in the works, with a TBA release date. [http://www.myspace.com/papertigers 5]

Discography

Albums

*2003: The Cost of Living - Primary Records / Red Dawn Records
*2005: Neon Nights Electric Lives - Tarantulas Records / The Platform Group
*2006: Blank Screens - Reignition Records

Demos

*2002: The Blackout Demos - Self Released

ingles

*2003: The Past and Now - Primary Records / Red Dawn Records
*2004: Amphibian - Tarantulas Records

Remixes

*2005: Airplanes - "Vertigo" remixed by Jade Puget (appears on "Neon Nights Electric Lives")
*2005: Pakistan - "Amphibian" remixed by Daz (appears on "Neon Nights Electric Lives")
*2005: Red Lips - "Amphibian" remixed by Christian Cambas (internet release)
*2006: Head Over Heels - "Armory" remixed by DJ Bot (Purevolume release) [http://www.purevolume.com/thestaticage 6]
*2006: Trauma - "Trauma" remixed by Ocelot Mthrfckrs (iTunes exclusive for "Blank Screens" release)
*2008: Sirens - "Lights in the Attic" remixed by Christian Cambas (Devilock Records + "B-side" remix by Squash 84)

External links

* [http://www.thestaticage.com Official Band Website]
* [http://indiehq.com/2007/05/15/interview-with-andrew-paley-of-the-static-age/#more-492 Interview with Andrew Paley at IndieHQ]
* [http://numbmagazine.com/roadhouse.php?id=1040 Interview with Andrew Paley at Numb Magazine]