The Icarus Line

Infobox musical artist
Name = The Icarus Line
Landscape = yes
Background = group_or_band
Origin = Hollywood, California, USA
Genre = Hard rock Post-punk Alternative rock
Years_active = 1998–present
Label = Buddyhead, Crank!, Hellcat, V2, Dim Mak Records,
Associated_acts = Nine Inch Nails, Souls She Said, Ink & Dagger, Kanker Sores
URL = [http://www.myspace.com/theicarusline Official Myspace]
Current_members = Joe Cardamone Alvin DeGuzman Jason DeCorse James Striff Jeff Watson
Past_members = Devon Monet Ashley Aaron Austin John Guerra Mike Felix Troy Petrey Don Devore Aaron North Lance Arnao

The Icarus Line is a rock band from Hollywood, Los Angeles, California. The band is known for playing a very abrasive form of rock music both compliant and contrary to music trends from the late 1990s and early 2000s. The band has also received considerable notoriety for their loud, energetic stageshows and for their seemingly reckless or "tough" attitude off-stage.

History

In 1996, Aaron North (who had been working at Revelation Records with Joe Cardamone) and Lance Arnao joined a local band Kanker Sores whose other members at the time included Joe Cardamone and Alvin DeGuzman. In 1998, Tim Childs, the drummer of Kanker Sores was killed in a car accident and the band called it quits. The next year, North and Cardamone recruited Lance Arnao and the "Nooch" to do a US tour in support of another band under the name "No Hearts Hurt" which was later changed to The Icarus Line.

Shortly after forming, the band recorded two eps; the first 7" being EP Highlypuncturingnoisetestingyourabilitytohate released on Hellcat Records. With this release, the band showcased a new Post-hardcore sound that they would continually expand on in the future. The Icarus Line toured briefly supporting various other artists (including Ink & Dagger, whose lead guitarist Don Devore would later go on to join The Icarus Line). The next EP release titled Red And Black Attack was put out by the very short-lived New A.D. label, which was a subsidiary of Liberation Records. The name of the EP stems from the "uniform" the band adopted for their shows; dressed in all black with the exception of a red necktie. Red And Black Attack expanded further on the band's style from the previous EP by having longer, more complex songs, despite the fact that we know that all of the these songs were tracked at the same studio and session (Room 222; engineered by James Bennett). The Icarus Line proceeded to tour once again in support for the new EP. In late 1998, Travis Keller (whom Aaron met while on tour with Kanker Sores in 1996) and thus Buddyhead was born. In 2000, at a Valentines Day show, The Icarus Line released Kill Cupid With A Nail File on Buddyhead Records.

By the time the band began recording their first debut album, Mono, they had already gone through four different drummers. With drummer Aaron Austin resigning to join Northern California band Powerhouse, the drum throne was succeeded first by John Guerra, then Mile Felix, and finally Jeff "The Captain" Watson. With the recently recruited Jeff Watson on drums, the band recorded Mono (initially at Rotund Rascal studios with Mark Trombino and subsequently with overdubs and final mixing with Alex Newport) and began a two year world tour in support of it. Shortly after the tour began at a show in Texas, Aaron North at the "Hard Rock" club broke into a glass case using a mic stand to take out the guitar inside, and then attempted to plug it in and play it. Unbeknownst to the band, the guitar had once belonged to Stevie Ray Vaughan. The incident was widely reported in rock journalism circles and earned the band a large amount of hate from Texans who even went so far as to send death threats. It was also during this time that Jeff Watson quit the band to pursue other interests and was replaced by Troy Petrey. The band gained a large amount of new fans when they played the Reading festival in August 2002. Several songs from their set were broadcast by John Peel to many who had never heard of the band before. The Icarus Line also gathered a large following in Japan after playing at the Summer Sonic festival in October of that same year. Mono was soon released domestically in Japan after this.

In 2003, an EP titled Three Jesus Songs was put out to promote the upcoming second album. The EP featured two entirely new songs plus one (Kiss Like Lizards) that had been played live during the tour in support for Mono. Three Jesus Songs also debuted new bassist Don Devore, who had been a member of straight edge Hardcore band Frail. In 2004, the bands second album, Penance Soiree was released and the band began another two year tour in support of the new album.

After the conclusion of the tour, Aaron North left the band. North played solo shows in Los Angeles clubs before joining Trent Reznor's live band, Nine Inch Nails. Black Presents was released, an EP on Steve Aoki's Dim Mak Records. During this time, the band played in a single guitarist format. In 2007, The Icarus Line released Black Lives At The Golden Coast. Shortly before the tour in support of the album, the new Icarus Line live line-up featured James Striff and Jason Decorse on guitars. Currently, The Icarus Line are busily preparing to release a new album, tentatively titled "Wildlife," as well as do some touring overseas. As always, the band is promising a record that will surpass its predecessors to a great extent.

Discography

EPs

* "Highlypuncturingnoisetestingyourabilitytohate" EP (1998)
* "Red And Black Attack" EP (1998)
* "Three Jesus Songs" EP (2003)
* "Black Presents" EP (2006)

Albums

* "Mono" (2001)
* "Penance Soiree" (2004)
* "Black Lives At The Golden Coast" (2007)

ingles

* "Kill Cupid With A Nail File" (2000)
* "Feed A Cat To Your Cobra" (2001)
* "Love Is Happiness" (2003)
* "Up Against The Wall, Motherfuckers" (2004)
* "Party The Baby Off" (2004)
* "On The Lash" (2004)
* "Gets Paid" (2007)

plits

* "w/ Ink & Dagger (We're Never Gonna Make It)" (1998)
* "w/ Burning Brides (Angelfuck)" (2002)

References

* [http://www.theicarusline.com/ The Icarus Line official site]
* [http://separatethesounds.com/ Separate The Sounds]
* [http://www.icarusline.net/ The Icarus Line DOT Net]
* [http://www.comfortcomes.com/?page=reviews&id=1741 Gets Paid Review]