Extra Life
BIO
Brooklyn-based Extra Life have challenged various underground circles with their dark, unclassifiable fusion of Experimental, Pop, Industrial, Prog, Classical and even Medieval aesthetics. The band’s dramatic sound, labeled by some as “Plague Pop”, has been called everything from “genius” to “pretentious” to “religious”. Extra Life was formed in 2007 by singer/keyboardist Charlie Looker after his departure from influential noise-chamber cult Zs and his brief stints with Dirty Projectors and Dax Riggs. After some lineup changes, the band gelled as a trio with guitarist/violinist producer Caley Monahon-Ward (of Snowblink) and drummer Nick Podgurski (of Feast of the Epiphany).
Extra Life’s first two albums Secular Works (Planaria 2008) and Made Flesh (LOAF 2010) were monoliths of Byzantine guitar work and operatic overflow, which received wide critical acclaim and landed on numerous year-end Best Of and Strangest Of lists. The limited edition EP Ripped Heart (Last Things 2011) showed Extra Life at their most concise, in a synth-heavy yet perversely un-danceable take on Pop music. Surrounding these releases were vinyl split singles with Parenthetical Girls, Nat Baldwin and Larkin Grimm, and the remix EP Splayed Flesh (Sockets/Planaria 2010), featuring Justin Broadrick and Tyondai Braxton.
Extra Life has toured the US and Europe extensively, performing at festivals including Primavera Sound (Barcelona), Kilbi (Switzerland), Villette Sonique (France) and Moers Jazz (Germany), and sharing bills with Sonic Youth, Deerhoof, Sunn 0))), Owen Pallett, Xiu Xiu, Deerhunter, Lightning Bolt and Liturgy. By confronting both the so-called Indie world and the experimental noise underground which birthed them, Extra Life has built a devout international following of kids who refuse to take the easy way out.
On April 10, 2012, Extra Life will release their third full-length album Dream Seeds on Northern Spy Records (US) and Africantape (EU/UK) and will tour both North America and Europe extensively.
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PRESS
“Extra Life are as damn near to perfect as music can be…” - The Organ
“Extra Life has been played on our Resonance FM radio on every single show this year so far…” - Resonance FM (London)
“Extra Life sounds nothing like any other band your listening to right now, and that makes them incredibly refreshing. If this is the direction that the Brooklyn music scene goes next, we’re in store for something wonderful.” - jonnyleather.com
DISCOGRAPHY
- 2-Song EP CDR (Sockets Records 2008)
- Secular Works CD (Planaria 2008 / LOAF 2009)
- Secular Works LP (I & Ear 2008 / LOAF 2009)
- Extra Life / Nat Baldwin split 12” EP (Shatter Your Leaves 2008)
- Made Flesh CD (LOAF 2010)
- Made Flesh LP (Africantape 2010)
- Splayed Flesh remix CD EP (Sockets / Planaria 2010)
- Larkin Grimm / Extra Life split 12” single (Planaria 2011)
- Ripped Heart 12” EP (Last Things 2011)
- Parenthetical Girls / Extra Life split 12” single (Last Things / Slender Means Society 2011)
- Dream Seeds CD / LP (Northern Spy 2012)
- Dream Seeds CD (Africantape 2012)
Extra Life Tour Dates
| Date | City | Venue | Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tour: Extra Life EU/UK tour May/June 2012 | |||
| 05/18/12 | Extra Life in Leipzig | Ut Connewitz | Germany |
| Time: 8:00pm. Address: Wolfgang-Heinze-Str. 12A, 04277. Venue phone: +49 341/4626776. w/ High Places, Shokei, Andy Dixon/Secret Mommy, and mOck. Also a showing of “Wild Combination – A Portrait of Arthur Russell” | |||
| 05/19/12 | Extra Life in Berlin | Westgermany | Germany |
| Time: 8:00pm. Address: Skalitzer Str. 133, 10999 Berlin/Kreuzberg. | |||
| 05/20/12 | Extra Life in Aalborg | 1000 FRYD | Denmark |
| Time: 8:00pm. Address: Kattesundet 10, 9000. Venue phone: +45 98 13 72 55. | |||
| 05/21/12 | Extra Life in Gothenburg | Koloni | Sweden |
| Time: 8:00pm. Address: Heurlins Plats 1 413 01. | |||
| 05/22/12 | Extra Life in Oslo | Klubbscenen, Chateau Neuf | Norway |
| Time: 8:00pm. Address: Slemdalsveien 15, 0369. Venue phone: +47 22 84 45 11. | |||
| 05/23/12 | Extra Life in Stockholm | Mother at DFB (Debaser Slussen) | Sweden |
| Time: 8:00pm. Address: Karl Johans Torg 1, 111 30. Venue phone: +46 (0)8 30 56 20. | |||
| 05/24/12 | Extra Life in Copenhagen | KB18 | Denmark |
| Time: 8:00pm. Address: Kødboderne 18 1714 KBH V. Venue phone: +45 33313933. | |||
| 05/25/12 | Extra Life in Bielefeld | AJZ | Germany |
| Time: 8:00pm. Address: Heeper Str 132 33607. | |||
| 05/26/12 | Extra Life in Frankfurt | IVI | Germany |
| Time: 8:00pm. Address: Kettenhofweg 130 – University Campus Bockenheim 60325. Venue phone: 0176 71571351. | |||
| 05/27/12 | Extra Life in Dresden | Discorporate | Germany |
| Time: 8:00pm. Address: Scheune, Alaunstraße 36-40. | |||