ASTRO FANG

"Oso Bear was still finishing up their raucous punk antics when we got to Courtyard Cafe to check out Dayton’s own Astro Fang. Take one part head-thrashing metal and another part 1970's and you’d own the band’s set that rung through the raptors of the now-defunct venue." - theowlmag.com

BY DON THRASHER

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Common wisdom is that kids today have short attention spans thanks to video games, the Internet and other modern distractions. However, Astro Fang’s Brian Baker (vocals, guitar), Christian Roerig (bass), Bryan Saunders (guitar), Lucian Naragon (keyboards) and Colin Croom (drums), who range in age from 18 to 22, are challenging that notion with their stellar self-titled debut CD.

“Longer songs get a bad rap because you think it’s going to be boring, but I like to think our songs are pretty exciting the whole way through,” Baker said.

The four-song E.P., which was released this week by Squids Eye Records, clocks in at 29 minutes.

“We were originally going to do an album, but then decided to do an E.P. for financial reasons,” Baker said. “And we felt like we needed to put something out after two years.”

Songs such as “Tanooki Suit” and the 13-minute long “Mr. Bloodsuck” reveal a fascination with video games, down and dirty sludge-punk and even sci-fi-tinged progressive rock.

“The prog is definitely there,” Baker said. “E.P. stands for Extended Play, but for this it’s Extended Prog.”

“Progressing into power slop is more like it,” Roerig said. “It’s synth-punk-sludge-progressive.”

Baker is the primary songwriter, but the expansive, multipart songs are arranged by the band.

“We’ll be at practice and someone will come up with another riff that goes along with what we’re doing and we add it on,” Croom said.

“Our songs somehow became big transitions,” Baker said.

Astro Fang celebrates the release of the E.P. today, Aug. 14, at Blind Bob’s.

“I’m excited to have the CD done, but I’m more relieved than anything,” Saunders said. “I’m just happy we finally have something to sell at shows. People will be able to understand the structure of the songs a little more, and I think it will raise the appreciation for the songwriting process.” - Dayton Daily News

…while we brought you the latest track from the incendiary Astro Fang a short time ago, today we are very excited to share this new video for the track. Teaming up with Eric Reiper [The Happy Planets, Abertooth Lincoln], the clip feature intergalactic cats, claymation sequences, and the obligatory live shots. How can this not be awesome? Have a look and spread the word… - thebuddhaden.net

…rather unexpectedly, we next came face to face with one of Dayton’s most popular, and in our opinion, most talented outfits, Astro Fang. With the band celebrating the release of their long-awaited debut disc [albeit an EP], we expected they would take the stage much later in the evening. Alas, it was fortuitous for the band to play early, as by this point the crowd was already reaching a critical mass [no small feat for a Dayton crowd pre-midnight], and the energy in the room was palpable. Despite, or perhaps because of, whispered tones circulating the room suggesting that this was likely to be the band’s swan song, from the fist note, Astro Fang delivered a collection of tunes that has served as the meat of the band’s set for the better part of a year. What was so astonishing for us was how the band tore through the material as if it was fresh off the drawing board. From the cascading metallic guitar runs to infectiously twitchy synths to the unrelenting singalong choruses of the alternate-universe hits “Lovers” and “Passing”, Astro Fang proved, yet again, why they are considered to be amongst the current Dayton musical elite… - thebuddhaden.net

"Now, onto this week’s video, which comes to us from The Music Scene. Astro Fang’s been getting a lot of buzz recently as one of two local bands on the Midpoint Music Fest bill (Me & Mountains is the other band). Another cool piece of Astro Fang news came last week when Semi Precious Weapons (who’s currently on tour with Lady GaGa) named them as one of two bands that they would like to sign.

So here’s Astro Fang performing their song Mr. Bloodsuck in Dayton earlier this year." - Dayton Most Metro

In our interview with Semi Precious Weapons we asked the band who they would sign. The answer? NYC-based artist Breedlove and Ohio rock band Astro Fang. We looked them up and thought we should share! Check them out! - We Live FM