Fahri

On 2010’s Perfect Present, Milwaukee’s Fahri makes a compelling case for tuneful noise and controlled chaos. Fronted by husband-and-wife duo Miles Murray and Sarah Long, the group can clearly trace its distorted lineage back to Sonic Youth, though a knack for deceptive vocal hooks sets Fahri apart from the rest of the noise-drone pack. Long’s ghostly croon stands out on tracks “U R Razor” and “White Loafers,” while Murray anchors the terrifically catchy “Fields, Factories, And Workshops.” - A.V. Club - The Onion

Fahri’s back story contains all the indie-rock romance and adventure you could possibly want. Guitarist Sarah Long and guitarist and bass player Miles Murray were both working at different franchises of the Music Recyclery, Murray in the Grand Avenue mall and Long in Gurnee Mills, Ill.

They would talk to each other on the phone, and Murray says Long was a harsh critic of some of his musical tastes, mocking him when he called. The two eventually found common ground in bands like Sonic Youth and Archers of Loaf. The couple has now been married for eight years and playing together in Fahri (pronounced Far-ee) for five.

Drummer Neil Gravander’s first meeting with Long was over flaming curtains. He had attended a show in 2002 at a VFW Hall in Lindenhurst, Ill., which featured Long’s old band, Gein Rock. The band was “heavily influenced by Motorhead” and named after notorious Wisconsin grave robber and human furniture-maker Ed Gein. Part of the band’s performance featured Long breathing fire from the stage. After she accidentally lit the venue’s curtains on fire, Gravander was one of the brave souls who helped stomp the blazes out. Gravander confronted Long, displaying his burned hands.

“I was in a really bad mood that night, so I think I said something to Neil like, ‘Whatever, it’s punk rock, get over it,’” Long says, laughing.

Despite this rough introduction, the two soon became friends, and Gravander is now not only band mates with the couple, but also their roommate. The three practice in the basement of their Riverwest home, amid band equipment and a maze of tangled extension cords.

The band’s namesake is “kind of a joke” and comes from a metalhead friend named Fahri. Murray describes the guy as quite a character. “He had this game he used to play called ‘Fahri punches the world,’ where he would walk around punching everything,” Murray recalls.

Unfortunately for Fahri, the band named after him doesn’t have enough heavy metal for his tastes. Long describes the band sound as “sonic fuzzy pop” and Murray describes the band as “noisy indie rock.” Both Long and Murray provide vocals floating above a wave of distorted sound. Most of the songs feature dual guitars, providing a very high-end sound, but Murray switches to bass for part of their set.

The sound of songs like “Field, Factories, and Workshops” and “Scramshell” combines experimental influences with Sonic Youth-style feedback and upbeat indie elements a la Pavement - Express Milwaukee

While all of their songs are extremely easy to enjoy the first time you hear them, it's only after repeated listens that one begins to notice the incredible level of depth and intricacy each song possesses. More than anything, every song is a piece of art capable of standing on it's own. Incorporating both male and female vocals, Fahri writes invigorating, deliberately buried pop gems" -James Miller Idiot Ego - Idiot Ego

Fahri, who I’ve somehow overlooked for the last couple years, were fucking stellar - Third Coast Digest

"Chicago’s North Shore is home to Fahri a hot little indie rock band fronted by a girl singer with pizzazz. The recording at times miffs me since sometimes things just get lost in the mix. But if you toss out that complaint, you have yourself a pretty fine album of indie post-punk rock that will get your knees rockin’ in no time flat. " - Smother Online Music Magazie

I didn't really know what to expect from the Milwaukee-based band but they definitely exceeded my expectations and then some. The trio offered a great set of alt-rock and pop, which kept in good pace with the band's lead singers (Sarah and Miles) trading off vocals duties every other song. Both brought something unique to the songs they sung. I especially thought the songs that Sarah sung were exceptional. She has a voice somewhere in the space between Neko Case's more pop sensibilities and Heartless Bastards' Erika Wennerstrom's harder rock/rougher edge. - OnMilwaukee.com