The band came together in 1999 with musical friends Justin Wilson (guitar/vocals), Jeff Wilganowski (drums), Brian Pho (bass), and Matt Pitman (guitar). They've perfected their emo style for something charming and desirable, allowing Deep Elm to take interest in the band and inking them a deal in late 1999. They spent most of 2000 recording in Deedle's Room in Austin, TX, recording what would become a full-length studio effort. The fruit of those sessions was Breaking in an Angel (2001,) plus a split disc with Slowride. The next year, the more complex and ferocious Black Phantom Crusades was released in the fall.
Brian quit the band while in Europe touring. Jeff Meaningless was flown out and soon became the permanent replacement.
2004 saw the release of Polizida, recorded by J. Robbins (Against Me!, Jets To Brazil, Dismemberment Plan) which was released through the Ice Planet label.
Their latest release, Seven Year War was released in 2006 on END sounds.
The band had this to say about the release:
This album came together after it became clear that our music was not getting the distribution it deserves. With End Sounds, we have found American, European, and Japanese distribution with Koch, who was the distributior for Epitaph Records for many years. Koch makes our music available to almost anyone that wants to hear it. Orders will be taken through the End Sounds website for anyone that cannot find it in their local stores.
The music is a collection of songs, new and old, that best represent the band since it's inception in 1998. Some of the tracks were recorded at The Hit Factory in NYC, some with J. Robbins at the Echo Lab in Denton, TX, some at Deedle's Room Recording, one at Mad River Post, which is easily the biggest room any of us have ever recorded in, and two of the tracks are early live recordings in two of Dallas's best clubs.
This release will be enhanced and will include 9 music videos, two of which were directed by Travis Kopach, who's done videos for Matchbook Romance, The Juliana Theory, Koufax, and Straylight Run. The live songs featured on the audio section of the disc will have corresponding videos, two videos will be for songs from our 3rd full-length, "Polizida".
The artwork and tracklisting were left up completely up to the band, so for first time we can say we are giving our fans a record that looks and sounds exactly the way we wanted it to. Any song that first appeared on a 7-inch or CD compilation has been re-mastered from the original recording and sounds 100% better.
We totally appreciate the fans that have stuck by our side and to them we say a warm thank you for buying this record that really means something to us. This release is packed to the gills with material and we hope you enjoy it.
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2006 saw several changes within the band. Jeff Meaningless and Jeff Wilganowski quit the band. Replacing them was Todd Harwell (Flickerstick) on drums and Blake Young (Without Sound) on bass.
The band has remained somewhat silent in the past year after canceling their summer tour.
Straight Lines For Construction Workers
Red Animal War Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Down on the east side of town,
The folks there say he let his loved ones down,
But what did they know 'cause,
The sky was so close,
His family so poor.
Nobody says nothing when a hard-hat hits the ground,
So they found the note that read: "so long farewell, cruel world,
But folks die everyday."
He's giving it up it said,
But he's been saving it up for years,
The pressure is building,
Sometimes it's too great,
We all know frankie's gotta get away,
Oh god, please don't tell my son i went this way.
She put her heart in a suitcase,
Along with everything else,
She moved in with her mother,
Couldn't stand being by herself,
All the while thinking her future looks black,
And the past all seems gray.
The song "Straight Lines for Construction Workers" tells a story about two individuals who are struggling to cope with the pressures and difficulties of life. The first verse is about Franklin, a construction worker who is unable to cope with the pressure of his life. He is portrayed as having let his family down, and the people in his community are unsympathetic to his plight. Despite this, he seems determined to end his life, and the sky and his family's poverty are mentioned as possible reasons for his despair.
The second verse is about a woman who has also reached her breaking point. She has packed her heart and everything else in a suitcase and moved in with her mother because she can't handle being alone. Her future looks bleak, and her past is stained with regrets.
The chorus repeats the idea that sometimes the pressure is too great, and people need to get away. The phrase "straight lines for construction workers" suggests that people in this profession are expected to be tough and emotionally sturdy. Still, they are just as susceptible to the strains of life as anyone else.
One possible interpretation of this song is that it is about people who are struggling in a society that values achievement and success above personal wellbeing. The pressures to perform and to succeed can be overwhelming, and many people feel like they are drowning in their circumstances. The song's lyrics illustrate the pain and isolation that these individuals can feel.
Line by Line Meaning
Franklin was a construction worker,
Franklin was an individual who worked in construction.
Down on the east side of town,
Franklin worked on the eastern side of the town.
The folks there say he let his loved ones down,
Franklin's acquaintances and relatives criticized him for not fulfilling their expectations.
But what did they know 'cause,
Franklin disagreed with their critique because they didn't know his circumstances.
The sky was so close,
Franklin felt that the sky was nearby.
His family so poor.
Franklin's family was financially challenged.
Nobody says nothing when a hard-hat hits the ground,
No one pays attention when a construction worker's hard hat falls to the ground.
Except when he's got bills to pay and owes money all over town,
Franklin's debts and financial obligations compelled people to acknowledge him.
So they found the note that read: "so long farewell, cruel world,
Franklin left behind a note that conveyed his intention to take his own life.
But folks die everyday."
Franklin believed that death was a commonplace event.
He's giving it up it said,
The note indicated that Franklin was surrendering.
But he's been saving it up for years,
Franklin had contemplated this choice for several years.
The pressure is building,
Franklin's stress was increasing.
Sometimes it's too great,
At times, the burden was unmanageable.
We all know frankie's gotta get away,
Others believed that going away was the only way to relieve Franklin of his tension.
Oh god, please don't tell my son i went this way.
Franklin didn't want his son to learn of his tragic choice from others.
She put her heart in a suitcase,
This line changes the subject from Franklin to someone new - a woman who left her life behind.
Along with everything else,
She packed up all of her belongings.
She moved in with her mother,
She relocated to live with her mother.
Couldn't stand being by herself,
The woman struggled with loneliness when alone.
All the while thinking her future looks black,
She was uncertain about what her future held and feared it might not be positive.
And the past all seems gray.
Reflecting on the past, the woman sees everything in a negative light.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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