Furvis
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Furvis

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"Boston Globe -Young Rockers call Boston their home"

Furvis


For Furvis, writing good songs has never been as tough as finding the right musicians to play them. Singer-guitarist Mike Cummings, drummer Noah Rubin, and guitarist Matt Borg (they're all 18) were on the verge of losing yet another bass player when they happened into good luck one night at T.T. the Bear's in Cambridge.


Their electric set so impressed the T.T.'s soundman that he passed word on to Francine frontman Clayton Scoble, who got hooked on the band's Pavement-like melodies and art-rock sensibilities.


"I was dying to work with them from the get-go. The songs had loads of depth and were frighteningly mature considering their age," Scoble says. "They were mature songs, period."


The only problem initially was that they were mature songs lacking a bass player. Scoble enlisted his former Poundcake bandmate Josh Lattanzi, currently playing bass with Ben Kweller, to sit in on the sessions. The result was the band's debut EP, "Bunny."


"I had a feeling Josh would really like the songs, and I knew he'd know exactly where to go with them, so I begged him to do it and he said yes," Scoble says. Additional help came from Moontower Recordings producer Darren Ottaviani, who helped the band make the album on the cheap.


"I think we did the whole record for under a grand," Cummings says. - Boston Globe- Tom Kielty, July 9 2004


"Splendidezine.com, Featured Artist- Bunny EP"

Boston-based Furvis's debut EP, seven songs and thirty-odd minutes long, is an "all killer-no filler" affair. If you can grab a copy, it will knock you flat on your tuckus. The group may consist of eighteen and nineteen year-olds (guitarist/vocalist/keyboardist Michael Cummings, drummer/vocalist Noah Rubin and guitarist/vocalist Matt Borg), but they can play, they can write and they know how to channel the sound of their antecedents, the best of nineties indie rock bands.

Bunny's opener, "Piniatas", establishes an appealingly minimal, song-oriented recording aesthetic. Layers of keyboards and arpeggiated guitars underlay and illuminate a ballad vocal. While the production here is short on glitz, the arrangements are well-crafted.

Things really begin to cook with the heavily Pavement-influenced "If you Really Wanna Know", which is rife with sudden dynamic shifts, walls of guitar sound and call-and-response support vocals in the chorus. The tune is catchier than influenza, and recalls the halcyon days when rock wasn't a passe word and "indie" hadn't been co-opted by companies that sell designer jeans.

"Nobody Likes a Vegan" has a more mellow demeanor, filled with flat sixths and suspended chord changes. Mention should be made of bassist Josh Lattanzi's excellent bassline contribution; it really ties the arrangement together. "Untitled" may be equivocal about its nomiker, but not about its influences. After a subdued first verse, it cribs the screamed-above-the-staff vocal stylings of bands like Modest Mouse. There's even a little feedback thrown in for good measure.

Irony is available too, in songs such as "Brit Pop", which gently lampoons the titular genre's excesses (particularly held guitar notes and obligatory four-bar solos), with wit but not too much acridity. "Valedictorians Unite" (gotta love the title) is probably the most pervasively rocking cut on Bunny, demonstrating that Furvis can play it straight and still get the job done with aplomb. Keyboard-driven closing ballad "The Last of the Dwarves" gradually adds the band's trademark big guitar sound into its mix. At six minutes long, it is a bit looser than the other material, but certainly doesn't wear out its welcome. Nor does the EP, which stands up well for many repeat listens.

Bunny has not yet received wide distribution. In fact, it is only available at Newbury Comics' Cambridge, Massachussetts store (one of my most beloved Beantown haunts) and from the band's Web site. Hopefully, this problem will be alleviated soon -- more people need to hear this band. They may not be reinventing the wheel, and there is room for maturation into a more highly individual sound, but Furvis is a gem of a group that deserves a bright future.


-- Christian Carey
- Splendid Magazine, Christian Carey


"stankeygrove.com - Bunny EP"

REM began Life’s Rich Pageant with the phrase “Let’s begin the begin.”

Mike Cummings kicks off Furvis with, “Let’s begin with the best / and the worst of it all / Because the best is just the worst / sanitized and swept away.” This is an auspicious and dark way to begin his debut album, Bunny. Tearing down, washing away, and starting over with a fresh slate is the theme of this slow ballad that is undercut with a simple acoustic guitar. It works well, even if it belies the indie pop rock that follows for six more songs.

Furvis picks up the pace with “If you really wanna know…” The guitars get plugged in and the lyrics quicken. Rhymes like, “What’s this I have found, could it be you? / I can’t up this town” keep the pace crisp and fresh. The subtle notes of Jimmy Eat World add a little sweetness to this otherwise mercurial pop ditty.

“Nobody likes a Vegan” stands as a rock in the middle of the album. As Cummings sings “I felt the static / I felt the static between us,” he’s holding on to youthful energy that I haven’t heard since early Smiths. The finger picking is loose and the guitars are tuned just right.

“Valedictorians Unite” starts with “Now that you’re picture’s in the paper/ you’re a hot shot seed / lots of people talking got the same disease.” Anyone who has been to high school graduation can identify with this angry rocker. “Valedictorian” proves that Furvis has bigger balls than 90% of the “punk” acts on the Warped Tour (Something Corporate / Sunny Day Real Estate). The energy is apparent, as they recorded it in Mike’s basement, whereas the rest of the tracks were laid down at the famous Moontower Studios in Boston. The guitars have a solid fuzz box drone and the drums are present without overbearing the mix.

Don’t let the simple packaging confuse you. Furvis knows how to write and record a song, producing seven simple, great rock songs that are both memorable and unique without sounding exactly like anyone – melding parts of Oasis, Pavement, REM and the Beatles. Find out what Furvis means and buy the album at Newbury Comics or Furvis Home .
- Alan Halworth


"Furvis just may be the most buzzed-about rock band in Boston."

Friday, February 17, 2006 - The Boston Herald


"Furvis - Defend Yourself"

Somehow, I didn't expect Michael Ian—the hard-working, barely 20-something vocalist of Furvis—to out-snark me. Despite their youth, Ian and his fellow Furvers seem to have their shit together: They’ve got a tight, peppy pop-rock sound, slick recordings, a slew of local shows and even some major-label rumors. I guess that's why I secretly suspected Ian would come off a little cocky. Sadly, it wasn't the case, as he managed to throw my irony back in my face, seriously convincing me (for a second or two) that he named his Boston band after hippie hearsay. YOU HAVEN’T SEEN THE LAST OF ME, FURVIS! - The Dig - Boston


"New Year Looks Promising for Young furvis"

If rock 'n' roll is a young person's party, local indie rock quartet Furvis couldn't be better suited to shake things down. Several members aren't yet old enough to drink at the bars where they play, but they've already been writing songs and performing for four years.

They've recently recorded 10 new tracks of bright, loosey-goosey indie rock with Ed Valauskas of The Gentlemen and Dave Minehan of The Neighborhoods at the helm. And these respected local music figures are just two of many who have taken up the band's cause. Add upcoming high-profile gigs at First Night 2006, followed by two shows at The Paradise -- Hot Stove Cool Music (Jan. 8) and opening for Aberdeen City (Jan. 20) -- and these guys have good reason to expect a bounteous new year.
Charismatic frontman Mike Cummings took a break from his job maintaining the bowling lanes at Jillian's Boston to discuss how he and bandmates, drummer Noah Rubin, guitarist Matt Borg, and bassist Todd Dahlhoff, came to get so far so young. - The Boston Globe - Sarah Tomlinson


Discography

Bunny EP - 2003

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Bio

The boys of Furvis began playing the Boston club scene when they were 16. Now all members, in their early 20's, have developed a collaborative sound of their own. Reminiscent of bands like Pavement, Pixies, and Wilco, Furvis' sound is both unique and familiar at once.

Furvis have played venues in Boston including The Middle East Downstairs, Great Scott, TT's, The Paradise, and Fenway Park. Shows in NYC include The Bowery Ballroom, Pianos, The Knitting Factory, and more. In 2005 Furvis placed in the WBCN Rumble finals, and were nominated for a Boston Music Award. They have received recognition from the Boston rock community, and are grateful for all the support.

In 2006 Furvis finished recording their first full length album (Carpé Carpet) with Ed Valauskas at Q Division Studios in Somerville, MA. Expect to see it early next year.