Beach Slang
Beach Slang | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 2013–2021 |
| Labels |
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| Past members |
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| Website | beachslang |
Beach Slang was an American rock band from Philadelphia formed in May 2013. The band underwent several line-up changes, with lead vocalist/guitarist James Alex serving as the band's leader, figurehead, chief songwriter and sole original member.
History
[edit | edit source]Early years and The Things We Do to Find People Who Feel Like Us (2013–2015)
[edit | edit source]Beach Slang formed in June 2013. In June 2014, they played their first live shows and released a 7-inch EP titled Who Would Ever Want Anything So Broken? via Dead Broke Records.[1][2] They followed that release in October 2014 with their second extended play titled Cheap Thrills on a Dead End Street via Tiny Engines.[3][4][5]
Beach Slang started out with a string of live, lead guitarists; Spencer Dorsey of the band No Summer and Dan Metzker of the band The Danger O's. In February 2015, Beach Slang released a split along with five other bands titled Strength in Weakness via Lame-O Records.[6]
Shortly before the recording of the band's first full-length LP, the band added Ruben Gallego as its permanent lead guitarist. Their debut full-length album, The Things We Do to Find People Who Feel Like Us, was released on October 30, 2015.[7]
A Loud Bash of Teenage Feelings and line-up changes (2016–2018)
[edit | edit source]In April 2016, Beach Slang apparently broke up on stage at a show in Salt Lake City. James told the crowd it was their last show and asked the venue to refund the audience's ticket money.[8] Ruben slammed his guitar down and walked off stage during the incident.[9] Just over a month later, drummer JP Flexner was kicked out of the band after being blamed for causing James' on-stage meltdown[10] in Salt Lake City.[11] Recorded with Flexner, prior to his departure, the band released its second studio album, A Loud Bash of Teenage Feelings, in September 2016.
In October 2016, the band parted ways with guitarist Ruben Gallego.[12] That December, the band officially replaced Flexner and Gallego with two new members: former Mean Creek guitarist Aurore Ounjian and former Afghan Whigs and Cursive drummer Cully Symington.[13]
Alex began his side project Quiet Slang as a way to reinterpret some Beach Slang material and to create new music of a different stripe.[14] In October 2017, Alex released the EP We Were Babies & We Were Dirtbags, which contains 4 acoustic reworkings of previously released songs.[15]
Everything Matters But No One Is Listening and The Deadbeat Bang of Heartbreak City (2018–2020)
[edit | edit source]A full Quiet Slang album, Everything Matters But No One Is Listening, was released in May 2018, and Alex went on a supporting tour.[14] He described his inspiration for the project succinctly in an interview: "If Beach Slang is me fawning over The Replacements, Quiet Slang is me head-over-heels for Stephin Merritt (The Magnetic Fields). And, really, that's all it is. I mean, the first time I heard a Magnetic Fields record, I was completely knocked out. I wanted to deconstruct it, to figure it out. All of a sudden, I felt like rock ‘n’ roll could be tender, but still mean it just as much".[14]
On October 14, 2019, the band announced their third studio album, The Deadbeat Bang of Heartbreak City. Its lead single, "Bam Rang Rang," was released the same day.[16] The album was released on January 10, 2020.
Emotional abuse allegations and split (2021)
[edit | edit source]On January 5, 2021, James Alex was accused of emotional abuse by the band's former manager and tour manager, Charlie Lowe. The band's social media pages went offline the following day.[17]
On January 12, 2021, a statement was published on the band's Instagram account, stating that James Alex's behaviour was a result of "severe mental health issues" and that the band had split up. It also states that he is currently "an inpatient facility after attempting to take his life".[18]
Previous bands
[edit | edit source]The members of Beach Slang all participated in various bands and projects in their time as musicians.
- James Alex was previously a member of the band Weston between 1992 and 2011, and Cordova Academy Glee Club from 2005 to 2009.[19]
- Ed McNulty was a member of Crybaby from 2012 until 2015.
- JP Flexner was previously a member of the band Ex Friends from 2011 to 2014, and No Summer from 2013 to 2014. He has also served as a touring drummer for the band Worriers, filling in for Mikey Erg.
- Ruben Gallego was previously a member of the band Glocca Morra.
- Spencer Dorsey is a solo artist and also formerly of the band No Summer alongside Flexner, self-releasing his music through his label Twin Wasp.[20]
- Dan Metzker was a member of Philadelphia band The Danger O's.
- Cully Symington was the drummer for Cursive between 2009 and 2018, and has since joined the band Sparta.
- Aurore Ounjian was the lead guitarist in Mean Creek from 2006 to 2015.
- Tierney Tough is the lead singer and chief songwriter in The Pauses, and has also played in War On Women and in the backing band of Matt Pond PA.[21]
- Dan Crotts was the drummer in Nashville band Brave Town.[22]
- John Herguth has played in bands such as AciD, Rocketscience and The Love Scene. He has also released solo music under the project name Atlantic/Pacific.[23]
- Scott Schoenbeck was originally in the bands, Self Denial, Cleveland Bound Death Sentence, Alligator Gun, and The Promise Ring before joining Dashboard Confessional in 2002.
- Benjamin Clapp is the Junk Percussionist for Skeleton Key.
- Gee Lima served as the drummer for Anthem Grief, Behind Deadlines, and Lost In Society before his tenure in Beach Slang; he was also a founding member of Philadelphia bands Lions Of West Texas and Common Crime.
Band members
[edit | edit source]- Final lineup
- James Alex – lead vocals, lead guitar (2013–2021)
- Aurore Ounjian – rhythm guitar, backing vocals (2016–2021)
- Scott Schoenbeck – bass (2019–2021)
- Gee Lima – drums (2019–2021)
- Former members
- Spencer Dorsey – guitar (2013)
- Dan Metzker – guitar (2013)
- JP Flexner – drums (2013–2016)
- Ruben Gallego – guitar (2013–2016)
- Ed McNulty – bass (2013–2018)
- Arik Dayan – drums (2017–2017)
- Cully Syminton – drums (2017–2019)
- Tierney Tough – bass, backing vocals (2018)
- Dan Crotts – drums (2018)
- Maura Weaver – bass (2019)
- John Herguth – bass (2019)
- Jason Draper – bass (2019)
- Benjamin Clapp – drums (2019)
- Timeline
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id:vocals value:red legend:Lead_vocals,_lead_guitar id:guitar value:green legend:Rhythm_Guitar id:bvocals value:pink legend:Backing_vocals id:bass value:blue legend:Bass id:drums value:orange legend:Drums id:studio value:black legend:Studio_albums id:EP value:gray(0.6) legend:Extended_plays/Quiet_Slang id:bars value:gray(0.93)
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</timeline>
Discography
[edit | edit source]Studio albums
- The Things We Do to Find People Who Feel Like Us (2015)
- A Loud Bash of Teenage Feelings (2016)
- Everything Matters But No One Is Listening (2018, released under Quiet Slang)
- The Deadbeat Bang of Heartbreak City (2020)
EPs
- Who Would Ever Want Anything So Broken? (2014)
- Cheap Thrills on a Dead End Street (2014)
- Here I Made This For You: Volume 1 (2016)
- Here I Made This For You: Volume 2 (2017)
- We Were Babies & We Were Dirtbags (2017, released under Quiet Slang)
Compilations
- Broken Thrills (2015) [compilation of both 2014 EPs]
Compilation appearances
- Strength in Weakness (2015, Lame-O Records) inc. "Too Late to Die Young"
- "About a Girl" (originally by Nirvana; tribute album Doused in Mud, Soaked in Bleach) (2016, Robotic Empire)
References
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External links
[edit | edit source]
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