Mothxr
MOTHXR | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Brooklyn, New York, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 2013–present |
| Labels |
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| Members | Penn Badgley Jimmy Giannopoulos Simon Oscroft Darren Will |
Mothxr (stylized as MOTHXR) is an American synth-pop band from Brooklyn, New York.[1] Formed in late 2013, the group makes synth-heavy pop music influenced by new wave and R&B.[1] The four-piece features vocalist Penn Badgley, producer Jimmy Giannopoulos, guitarist Simon Oscroft, and bassist Darren Will.[2]
History
[edit]Although longtime friends with a shared love of hip-hop, MOTHXR did not come together until late 2013, when members rented a house in Los Angeles to work on material.[2] Producer Jimmy Giannopoulos (Lolawolf, Reputante) and vocalist Penn Badgley, neighborhood friends for years in New York, waited for a sound to manifest beyond their bond based upon an odd pop aesthetic.[2] Bassist Darren Will (Rathborne) was always an obvious partner when the time came.[2] In October 2013, the three decided to hole up in a bungalow in East Los Angeles to record for eight days without anything written or any expectations.[2] Seeking a microphone, they found in the neighborhood one-time-Brooklynite and New Zealand expat Simon Oscroft, who became their guitarist.[2] The spontaneous quartet recorded five songs in five days before realizing they had started a band.[3] They spent several weeks in late 2013 recording an album between Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York.[4][5]
In early 2014, they released a song titled "Easy" on SoundCloud under the name M O T H E R; the track quickly gained popularity and was posted on numerous blogs.[6] "Easy" reached the Top Ten on the music discovery blog Hype Machine and hit number one on Billboard's Twitter-based Emerging Artists chart.[1][7] Months later, the band changed the spelling of their name to MOTHXR, citing a cease-and-desist from another band with a similar name.[4][8] Badgley later described the name as "tragically hipster."[4]
In 2015, the band signed with the labels Kitsuné and Washington Square Music, the New York City-based subdivision of the Razor & Tie label.[9][10] MOTHXR has supported acts such as Streets of Laredo, San Cisco, Sir Sly, Har Mar Superstar, The Neighbourhood, and Miami Horror. Their debut album, Centerfold, was released on February 26, 2016.[11]
Musical style
[edit]MOTHXR's music has been described as "synth-heavy, '80s new wave and R&B-influenced pop."[1] Badgley has said the band's music lies "somewhere between DIY punk production aesthetic, new wave and R&B," naming influences like LCD Soundsystem, the Beastie Boys, and Arthur Russell.[1] He has also cited D'Angelo as a favorite artist.[12] Critics have noted influences ranging from Joy Division and Simple Minds to Hall & Oates and Michael McDonald.[13]
Band members
[edit]Discography
[edit]Studio albums
- Centerfold (2016)[11]
Singles
- "Easy" (2014)[6]
- "Touch" (2015)
- "Victim" (2015)
- "She Can't Tell" (2015)
- "Wild Ride" (2015)
- "Stranger" (2015)
- "Underground" (2015)
- "Impossible" (2015)
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 4 5 "MOTHXR". First Avenue. Retrieved January 17, 2019.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Falcone, Dana Rose. "Penn Badgley on his band MOTHXR, Brooklyn and his future in acting". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved January 17, 2019.
- 1 2 "MOTHXR biography". last.fm. May 14, 2015. Retrieved January 17, 2019.
- 1 2 3 Iandoli, Kathy (March 16, 2016). "Penn Badgley Explains the Drama Behind His 'Terrible' Band Name". Cosmopolitan. Retrieved January 17, 2019.
- ↑ O'Brenski, Alyssa (March 7, 2016). "Album Review: 'Centerfold' by MOTHXR". KRUI. Retrieved January 17, 2019.
- 1 2 Moss, Emma-Lee (March 6, 2014). "An Interview With Mother". Noisey. Retrieved January 17, 2019.
- ↑ "MOTHXR's 'Easy' Is A Sultry, Sophisticated Ode To Late Nights". MTV. May 14, 2015. Archived from the original on May 18, 2015. Retrieved January 17, 2019.
- ↑ "Penn Badgley Explains His 'Tragically Hipster' Band Name, MOTHXR". Showbiz Cheat Sheet. March 30, 2023. Retrieved January 17, 2019.
- 1 2 3 "MOTHXR". Washington Square Music. Retrieved January 17, 2019.
- ↑ "MOTHXR". Kitsuné. Retrieved January 17, 2019.
- 1 2 3 "Centerfold by MOTHXR on Apple Music". iTunes. February 26, 2016. Retrieved January 17, 2019.
- ↑ "Penn Badgley (Mothxr, Gossip Girl) Talks with Kendra Foster (D'Angelo, Parliament Funkadelic) for the Talkhouse Music Podcast". Talkhouse. Retrieved January 17, 2019.
- ↑ "I'm Not A Stranger, It's Just A Strange Land: MOTHXR". Clash. July 4, 2016. Retrieved January 17, 2019.
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