Patterns In Static

We ranked #1 out of a list of 10 other bands. Below is the article as it appears in Alternative Press Magazine.

THEIR SOUND: Though they've only gone by their current name since 2004, Patterns In Static- guiitarists/singers Steve Sampson and Sam Fowles, bassist RJ Rabe and drummer Ryan Gracyalny- have been playing together since 1999, and it shows in the tightness of the quartet's galloping, genre-unbound melodic hardcore. "We mostly listen to music that falls into genres we don't belong to- from reggae and dub to weird, obscure indie bands," says Fowles. "We try to incorporate those influences into our [songs], and I think this is what sets us apart musically." Lyrically speaking, he adds, "My lyrics don't glorify violence, guns or heartbreak, but they do ask tough questions about [issues] I've had difficulty dealing with. In short, we're about positivity and alternatives, in music and in life."

THEIR SCENE: "I haven't figured out why, but Wisconsin's third-largest city has no official all-ages venues," Fowles says of the Green Bay scene. "So a couple of years ago, we began renting out a hall, bringing our own PA and having barebones shows there. It's been successful, but it's stil hard to accept that nearby cities with half the population have three times as many all-ages venues as we do. But despite the odds, the kids here are amazingly supportive of us and of local music in general. Thanks, guys!"

THEIR PLANS: "We closed out 2005 by playing with June, Scary Kids Scaring Kids, and The Hush Sound," Fowles says, "and for early 2006, we're planning to record a new EP and tour behind it. We've also got a lot of raw material we're in the process of developing, so we plan on working hard on that this year in preparation for our next album-which, hopefully, will get reviewed in AP someday!" - Alternative Press Magazine

Artist - Patterns In Static
Album - The Faces We Fake
Label - Independent

01. Fix It
02. This Is Our Face For Radio
03. Distinctions And Necessities
04. Homicide Ain't Good For The Business
05. If These Bones Could Bend
06. Better Off
07. The Importance Of Being Honest
08. In Memory Of Thomas Merton
09. New Light
10. Nightmare Outro




Patterns In Static - The Faces We Fake
Patterns In Static, a four-piece rock band bring you their new release entitled "The Faces We Fake". Formed in 1999, Patterns In Static had many changes since then. They were formely known as Lucky Strike 7, later renamed themselves as One Step Behind, and currently Patterns In Static in 2004. I was listening to an old song of the band, and this album has a whole different style to it, something I didn't expect. Patterns In Static consists of Sam Fowles on Lead Vocals and Guitars, Steve Sampson on Guitars and Vocals, Chase Anderson on Bass and Vocals and last but not least, Ryan Gracyalny on Drums. "The Faces We Fake," a 10 track album brings a lot of hard rocking energy to your ears when you listen to it.

We start with the first track of the album, "Fix It". The song starts off with a heavy intro riff and leads into heavy vocals which kind of reminds me Rise Against, for some odd reason. The vocals are loud and quick and the guitar work is just amazing, I have to say this is my personal favourite of the whole album, it was "in your face" rock all over it. Then we continue with another hard pounding track called "This Is Our Face For Radio". This song has caught my ears, just by the intro, the guitars in this song are just amazing. The thing about the songs on this track is that you hear more of the background music and at times have a hard time hearing the vocals, but I guess that's their style. Back to the song, I just have to say that this song is very well performed. Now we come across a song with a different style then the rest of the whole album, a track entitled "In Memory Of Thomas Merton". This song is a lot softer that the rest. The intro sounds a lot like another song that I've heard before but I can't really put my finger on it. The album ends on "Nightmare Outro", another slow and melodic track to put an end to a great album.

This band has a lot of potential and can mature a lot with their music in the upcoming years. If you like the "in your face" hard rock, then I recommend for you to buy this album and support the band, because they may surprise you.

Rating: 3.5/5
- themusicappraisal.com

Thursday, November 3, 2005

Patterns In Static recently pulled up roots and amps and made the move to Milwaukee, but Green Bay is still home for the rock band known for playing "happy music with a positive message."

Steve Sampson, Ryan Gracyalny, Sam Fowles and RJ Rabe will headline an all-ages gig Friday at the Eagles Club, 1035 Vanderbraak St., to benefit Paul's Pantry. Local groups Ivory, Apollo and INVU also are on board for the 7 p.m. show. Cover is $3 with a nonperishable food item or $5 without.

The move to Milwaukee has made it easier for Patterns in Static to land opening gigs for higher-profile acts like June, The Hush Sound, and Scary Kids Scaring Kids. Patterns hopes to follow up last summer's two-week tour with another outing this winter--in between writing material for a possible spring recording session.

Hometown fans who catch up with the band Friday night will notice a lineup change. Bassist Chase Anderson is off at school in New York, and former Apollo player Rabe has stepped in.

Check out www.patternsinstatic.net to find out how to cast a vote for Patterns in Alternative Press magazine's 2005 readers' poll for the best unsigned bands.

- Green Bay Press-Gazette

Thursday, January 13, 2005

Members: Steve Sampson, guitar/lead vocals; Sam Fowles, guitar/lead vocals; Ryan Gracyalny, drums; Chase Anderson, bass/back-up vocals.

Quick History: When the members of Patterns in Static facetiously refer to their sound as "posi-core" or "passion-core," the joke is on a music industry obsessed with carving sub-genres out of sub-genres.
"Basically we play happy music with a positive message," said Anderson, 18, a senior at Green Bay Southwest High School. "It was a bit of a joke to refer to it with 'core' on the end. It Seems like everything is referred to as 'something-core' nowadays."
While Anderson and is band mates have a sense of humour about the business, there's also a serious side. That dedication has resulted in a fast start for a group with two of its members still in high school. Recorded at Belligerent Records in De Pere, the foursome finished its first CD, "The Faces We Fake," last month and is in the early stages of planning a nationwide tour for the summer.
"Most local bands probably don't get to work with a professional audio master or a company that puts out professional products," said Anderson, who enlisted the help of Noah Mintz (Broken Social Scene, Stars, The Dears) to mix the album. "I made a lot of phone calls. I have a passion for seeing this succeed, and I really want something to come out of this."

Sound/Influences: The group played under various monikers for about five years before ditching its pop-punk roots for a more mature, introspective sound. Lyrically, Static touches on familiar boy-meets-girl, girl-dumps-boy themes, but also ponders larger political and social issues.
"We feel strongly about certain things, so we have a philosophical side," said Anderson, noting that he's a vegetarian and Fowles is a vegan.

Set list sampler: All originals, mostly from "The Faces We Fake." While Anderson describes the band's music as "happy," the album isn't singy songy in the Blink-182 vein. Instead, there's a rock/punk meets emo edge to the record- think Chicago's Rise Against- that should play well in Green Bay.

Hardest part of being in a band: "Really, there's nothing hard. I love it so much," Anderson said. "It's a huge time commitment, especially with school.. but other that the ridiculous amount of paperwork, we just enjoy getting together every weekend. We're all best friends (Sampson and Fowles attend the University of Wisconsin- Milwaukee; Gracyalny is a senior at Green Bay Notre Dame Academy), so we're basically together every single second of the day when we're in the same town."

Other upcoming gigs: Jan. 21 at Memorial Union in Madison; Feb. 1 at The Monkeywrench in Appleton.

Online: www.patternsinstatic.net
- Green Bay Press-Gazette