The band consists of Clark Baechle, Todd Fink (formerly known as Todd Baechle), and Joel Petersen. They signed to Saddle Creek Records and released a few singles, but were unable to establish widespread sales, though they were extremely popular in the Omaha-area. After adding Matt Bowen, The Faint released Media, which established them within a small, national community of fans. While touring, Bowen left and was replaced by Jacob Thiele who helped move the next album, Blank-Wave Arcade, towards a more dance and electronica influenced sound. The album was an underground hit. Partway through the creation of the morose Danse Macabre, The Faint added Dapose, a death metal guitarist formerly of LEAD. Danse Macabre was also a critical and commercial success and has helped to establish a wider fanbase for the band. Their 4th album, released in 2004, is called Wet from Birth.
In 2002 bassist Joel Petersen released the first album from his solo project, Broken Spindles, and he has since released two subsequent albums and had a U.S. tour. Guitarist Dapose also has a side-project, Vverevvolf Grehv, releasing his first album in 2008.
On December 12th, 2005, The Faint announced that they have moved out of The Orifice (a rented out warehouse they used to record Wet from Birth) and into ENAMEL, a 100-year-old building where they recorded the tracks for their next album, Fasciinatiion.
1995 | Sine Sierra (Norman Bailer) | Lumberjack
1998 | Media | CD Saddle Creek [LBJ-21]
1999 | The Faint / Ex-Action Figures (split) | 7» Saddle Creek [LBJ-25]
1999 | Blank-Wave Arcade | LP/CD Saddle Creek [LBJ-29]
2000 | Blank-Wave Arcade Remixes | 12»PD Saddle Creek [LBJ-33]
2001 | Danse Macabre | LP/CD Saddle Creek [LBJ-37]
2001 | Mote / Dust | 12»EP Gold Standard Laboratories [GSL 47]
2001 | Agenda Suicide | CDS Fierce Panda [NING 117]
2003 | Danse Macabre Remixes | 3LP/CD Astralwerks [ASC 83269]
2003 | The Conductor | 12»EP Astralwerks [ASC 83862]
2004 | I Disappear | 12»/CDS Saddle Creek [LBJ-66]
2004 | Wet From Birth | LP/CD Saddle Creek [LBJ-67]
2004 | Desperate Guys Saddle Creek
2008 | The Geeks Were Right Blank.wav
2008 | Fasciinatiion Blank.wav
5.Your Retro Career Melted
The Faint Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
From a beat up truck by a rural motel
The manager seen how the truck bed bounced
While dust flew up with a rolling sound
Voices appear from the staff outside
In bulbous text in western style
His manneneck spin to turn his face
Girls pushed girls side to side
To hear a suction sound as limbs realign
The crowd just seemed to multiply
They hear his plastic jaw as the news drops hard
"Your retro career melted"
They couldn't have agreed with the mannequin less
They didn't understand what the mannequin meant
The sound of a barreled gun held to the back
Some plastic clicks as the shell parts pass
Fleshtone shards fly by wild
The fill a plastic bag with the parts inside
The bag got dumped, a town nearby
The reassembled fast as his voice dropped hard:
"Your retro career melted"
The Faint's song "Your Retro Career Melted" is a haunting yet vivid tale about the fall of fame and the aftermath of being forgotten in the public eye. The song starts off by describing a mutilated torso that falls out of the back of a truck, which happens to be the remains of a late celebrity. As the song progresses, the lyrics go on to describe the reactions of the people who found and witnessed the scene. The mention of "bulbous text in western style" and "girls pushed girls side to side" paint a picture of a small town where everyone knows each other's business and gossip spreads like wildfire.
The chorus of the song, "Your retro career melted," is a metaphor for the fall from grace that many celebrities face. The mannequin that was once a symbol of fame and fortune has now fallen to pieces, representing the shattered dreams and hopes of those who once were at the top. The plastic clicking sound of the gun, which is described later in the song, is a symbol of the hollowness that fame and fortune can leave behind when they are gone.
Overall, this song is a commentary on the fleeting nature of fame and its consequences. It is a haunting reminder that those who once were at the top of their game can easily fall from grace and become forgotten.
Line by Line Meaning
Recovering slowly, a torso fell
A body was dropped slowly and carefully from a truck.
From a beat up truck by a rural motel
The body was dropped from a run-down truck near a remote motel.
The manager seen how the truck bed bounced
The motel manager witnessed the bouncing of the truck bed.
While dust flew up with a rolling sound
As the torso hit the ground, dust rose with a rolling noise.
Voices appear from the staff outside
The people outside started talking loudly.
In bulbous text in western style
Their words were emphasized like Western-style lettering.
His manneneck spin to turn his face
The mannequin's neck rotated to face the onlookers.
The bar spills drunks out frame by frame
People stumbled out of the bar one by one.
Girls pushed girls side to side
Women jostled each other to get a better view.
To hear a suction sound as limbs realign
They hoped to hear a satisfying sound as the mannequin's limbs were reattached.
The crowd just seemed to multiply
The number of people gathered around seemed to increase rapidly.
They hear his plastic jaw as the news drops hard
They heard the mannequin's jaw break as bad news was announced.
"Your retro career melted"
The mannequin's career as a retro icon was ruined.
They couldn't have agreed with the mannequin less
The people felt the opposite of what the mannequin expressed.
They didn't understand what the mannequin meant
They were confused about the mannequin's statement.
The sound of a barreled gun held to the back
A gun was held to someone's back, making a distinctive sound.
Some plastic clicks as the shell parts pass
The gun's plastic shell clicked as its parts were removed.
Fleshtone shards fly by wild
Body parts flew in all directions.
The fill a plastic bag with the parts inside
The parts were collected and put into a plastic bag.
The bag got dumped, a town nearby
The bag of body parts was thrown away near a small town.
The reassembled fast as his voice dropped hard
The body was reassembled quickly as the mannequin's career came to an end with finality.
"Your retro career melted"
The statement about the mannequin's ruined career was repeated.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: CLARK BAECHLE, JACOB THIELE, JOEL PETERSEN, MICHAEL DAPPEN, TODD BEACHLE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind