Music
The best kept secret in music
Press
"(Biography of Ferns is) what Belle and Sebastian would sound like if they got better. I dig." - Jessie
"kinda shouty, kinda shimmery, pretty darn good for driving long distances, alone." - PunkPlanet
"With guidance from renowned production vet Jack Endino, the local trio skillfully alternates between upbeat, clangy, indie-pop staple food (“The Charmer”) and just as accessible psychedelic meanderings (“Accidental Town”) on exceptional EP, Memory’s Servant (Tellous). Hints of Southern
Culture on the Skids in the guitars, but only hints." - Seattle Weekly
"Youthful, aggressive, noodly power pop, reminiscent of early Cure, Clash and Gang of Four...1979 new wave/art punk." - The Stranger
"It has been pointed out before, and I'll point it out again: there are certain things that could only have sprang forth from the Pacific Northwest. Among these things are grunge, Starbucks, and men whose hobbies include killing prostitutes. It's wondrful, it's rainy, and it's the perfect setting for both the wonderful and weird (hello, Twin Peaks). Added to this abridged list is Seattle's very own Biography of Ferns. With Justin Hamacher on lead vocals and guitar, Larry Biely on bass, and Brett Rudy on backing vocals and drums, BoF is undeniably a rock band, albeit one with enough art/lit-school sensibility to conjure up visions of both Andre Breton and the Log Lady.
BoF's six song EP, Memory's Servant , is like an excercise in that old surrealist parlor game, exquisite corpse. Snippets of dream-like imagery ("We can see the gold stars", "Your name etched into walls") float around while the musicians, who obviously know their way around their instruments, challenge the listener with relentless rhythmic and structural experimentation. The dueling melodies via guitar and vocals twist and turn just as unexpectedly.
On the songs "Not a Magician" and "Stray Curse," the influence of other aural experimentors starts to bleed through: There's something undisputably Sonic Youth-esque in the the first. It's there in Hamacher's delivery and the strangely danceable output of the rhythm section. The fuzzy guitar just helps nail the point home. "Stray Curse" harkens back to the days of yore, when Television roamed the earth.
"Psi-fi Killer vs. Doctor Lobotomy" is a straight-up punk song flipped into a psychedelic slow-jam freakout fade-out that lends itself to more Pac Northwest musings. Where the song begins and where it ends is not entirely clear, and trying to follow a narrative arc will slowly drive you insane, in a good way.
Part of the BoF charm is that it takes more than one spin for the songs to "take". Succesive listens reveal new revelations, interpretations, and double meanings. Is "The Charmer" from "Accidental Town"? Get this, and try to figure it out.
- Beren Ekine-Huett , 7/20/2004"
- beren huett
ALL MUSIC GUIDE: " ....Disc two (of Kill Rock Stars 2004 comp 'Tracks and Fields') holds many pleasures as well like Biography of Fern's epic Pastels/Television Personalities-influenced John the Barber, Measles Mumps Rubella's glittery disco funk Fantastic Success II, the lo-fi demo of Devendra O Banheart's Poughkeepsi, Nedele's soulful indie folk (Begin to Breathe), a stunning acoustic take of Golden Cloud from space rock stalwarts Dead Meadow and a sweet country tune from the heavily hyped (deservedly so) Decemberists (Everything I Try to Do, Nothing Turns Out Right).
- AMG
Discography
Yeah Fest!
format: cd compilation 2004
Label: Kill Rock Stars
Tracks and Fields:
format: cd compilation 2004
Label: Kill Rock Stars
Memory's Servant
format: cd EP 2003
Label: Tellous
Merchants of Sleep and Purpose
format: cd LP 2001
Label Tellous
many of our songs are available from our website in the 'media' section: www.biographyofferns.com
all our songs are available in streaming format from: www.independentartistscompany.com
Photos
Feeling a bit camera shy
Bio
*shameless press stuff*
* Nominated 2005 Seattle Weekly Best Band in Indie category. This is sort of a big honor, as Seattle is one of the toughest towns in the world to have a successful band within. This is the largest circulation free weekly paper in Seattle too!!!!
* Winner of 2004 Redhook Brewery Emerging Music Awards
* Featured on 2004 Kill Rock Stars compilation 'Tracks and Fields'
*song 'John the Barber" is the all time #2 best indie melody on www.garageband.com*
**Stay tuned for 2005 Jack Endino produced 15 song album entitled 'Pastel Gothic'!
Biography of Ferns was formed in Seattle in 1998, and combines art-school sensibilities (i.e. don't eat paint) with punk rock energy. Larry and Justin hung out in a grody basement in Greenlake and played super heavy stuff through big muff pedals until 2000. We didn't actually play shows till 2000. We had a bunch of flakes rotate drums for 6 months till we were lucky enough to ge the mathematical freak Brett Rudy to take over rhythm and add some backing vocal hijinx. Our 2nd release, the EP 'Memory's Servant' (2003) was produced by Jack Endino and we are featured on the current Kill Rock Stars compilation, 'Tracks and Fields' (2004). Our debut album 'Merchants of Sleep and Purpose' on Tellous (2001) was recorded by Steve Wold at the legendary Moon Music on Mud Bay road in Olympia, Washington (we miss you Steve!!! damn you were cool to have in Oly...come back to the states!!!!) and was featured on KEXP 90.3 FM's top 10 charts for 2 months. We were voted one of the top 5 up and coming bands of 2002 by KEXP also!
We have played shows with Melt Banana, Hot Hot Heat, The Decemberists, The Bangs, Shoplifting, The Gossip, The Natural History, C Average, The Fruit Bats, Okkervil River, Aveo, The Mines, The Familiars, Kent 3, FCS North, Malinks, Dead Science, Mea Culpa, VAZ, The Catheters, Xiu Xiu, The Divorce, Ms. Led, The Lights, The Vells, Degenerate Art Ensemble, & many, many **
our personal histories:
Justin Hamacher - Guitar, Voice
Raised by hermaphrodite wolves on a small coastal peninsula of Chile in the latter part of the 23rd century, Justin enjoys croche and kick boxing random elderly bus riders. He has undertaken many succesful business endeavors, noteably the Nietzsche coloring book, which resulted in the suicides of 11 three year olds and his subsequent imprisonment of 5 years. He dislikes yams immensley.
Larry Biely - Bass
Larry's background is unknown, but once when he left his wallet on the coffee table while using the rest room at a diner, the other band members greedily probed it hoping to illuminate the background of this mystery man. To their surprise, inside they found absolutely nothing save an i.o.u. from Justin and a faded, green tinted photo. In the photo was what appeared to be a young, juvenile Larry and a woodland elf!! This leads the band members to beleive Larry is from another more magical realm.
Brett Rudy - Drums, backing vocals
Brett eats raw meat every morning. He bathes (once a year) in the piranha infested waters of Greenlake. He sleeps on a bed of glass while listening to looped remixes of "Electric Avenue" by Eddie Grant. He carries a shillelagh passed down from his ancestral Scottish clan and will promptly bonk you on the head if you cut him off in traffic, or "look at him funny" while he is ordering a scone.
morgock the gnome -
morgock is an invisible gnome level 12, chaotic good, 99 hit points....only justin can see him and he plays a magic whistle in justin's dreams that gives him the melodies for all the b.o.f. songs....morgock does not eat fastfood, does drink too much and is armed with a crossbow that shoots ice bolts at unsuspecting orcs and republicans alike. he wants bacon for all his meals and emits a peircing wail when this doesnt happen. his best friend is an iguana named 'spleen'. you can contact morgock at biographyofferns@hotmail.com.
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