The Boxing Lesson

The Boxing Lesson
Origin	Austin / Los Angeles, United States
Genres	Rock, psychedelic rock, ambient, space rock, indie rock, shoegaze, noise rock, lo-fi
Members
Paul Waclawsky Jaylinn Davidson Matt Bongirno

The Boxing Lesson is a group of psychedelic progressive rock musicians based in Austin, TX. Currently a power trio with synthesizers performing the bass player's role, they create a layered sound that usually starts minimally and builds into grand orchestrations. The band consists of songwriter Paul Waclawsky, synthesizer player Jaylinn Davidson and drummer Matt Bongirno.

The Boxing Lesson EP

The Boxing Lesson was formed in Los Angeles by Paul Waclawsky in 2002, where they recorded and released their first two EPs on their own label, Send Me Your Head Records. The first, self-titled effort gained strong local buzz and earned the band many shows supporting touring national bands. The EP was described by the LA Weekly as one that "tests your patience and then rewards it." Joseph Kyle from MundaneSounds wrote that, "The promise on The Boxing Lesson is so great, that you'd probably want to hold them to their potential in a court of law." Some international acclaim was received as well. Noise Theory Australia gave it 5-stars, and wrote that, "Each of the four tracks on this debut self-titled EP gracefully drift through the dark night, and with every intricate guitar melody there is a star that lights the way," and "The Boxing Lesson have addressed every issue that has ever plagued atmospheric rock and mended them in what seems like a manner that seems to simple to be true."

Radiation

The band quickly recorded a follow up with Matt Brown and Chris Pearson at Sonikwire Studios in Irvine, CA. Expanding on the sound of the debut EP, the band incorporated more Moog synthesizers, ambient effects and a new bass player. The EP also included a woozy live version of the Acetone song, "Don't Cry", that was recorded at Reservoir Tip Studios by Anthony Arvizu. "Radiation", received more impressive national and international reviews, with Splendid Magazine describing it as "promising, if imperfect". Australian blog, Halo-17, gave the record a favorable 8.5/10 rating and said,"If you only take a chance on one new rock album this month, make it this one," and "The Boxing Lesson cut all the fat from their music, and produced a record which shows that they're a band that should be taken seriously, in addition to providing some of the best music I've heard so far in 2004."

Songs in the Key of C

In late-2004, Waclawsky relocated from California to Texas, where he assembled a new lineup including Jaylinn Davidson on synthesizers and Jake Mitchell on drums. Practicing and writing songs for a full year before playing live, the band recorded "Songs in the Key of C" with Tim Gerron at Music Lab in Austin, TX. The sound was a wild departure from the two previous EPs. The Onion's Los Angeles Calendar Section wrote, "Gone are the laid-back vocals and gauzy guitars, replaced by passionate singing, frenzied power chords, and tons of gurgling analog synthesizers." The Austin Chronicle gave the release 3 stars and wrote, "Though claiming "Indie Rock Is Dead," the Boxing Lesson's Songs in the Key of C provides enough lo-fi life support in its tales of criminals and crackheads to stay the reaper." Meanwhile, Smother Magazine wrote, "The Boxing Lesson are an indie rock band on a mission to the moon."

Wild Streaks & Windy Days

After doing several tours promoting "Songs in the Key of C", the band quickly went back to Tim Gerron in 2007 to record their debut full length album. Focusing on more atmospheric textures and varied styles of songwriting, the 12-song album, Wild Streaks & Windy Days, took 8 months to record and was eventually self-released at SXSW 2008 to positive reviews. Barrett King of Baltimore's Sën magazine compared the sound of the album to that of other space rock acts like Pink Floyd and David Bowie, while LA Cityzine praised its "rich lyrical offerings and strong musicianship". The Lemur Blog in Sweden wrote, ""The result is spaced out, it's probably the best space rock album you can find within the scrutinized confines of 2008.". The Music Reviewer gave the album a 9.0/10 and said, "It's an amazing mix of the past and the present, without being too much of either. It's a group that you'll hear more of in the future, and it's a group that knows how to pay homage to – and not just copy – their idols from the past." Indiecision blog from India described The Boxing Lesson's sound as, "if Failure and Pink Floyd got together to drink mushroom tea out of fancy little teacups and chase the white rabbit with Brian Eno and Robert Smith".

The band released a music video for Dark Side of the Moog from Wild Streaks and Windy Days, directed by Eric Power, which features an animated version of the band exploring an alien planet. A stop motion music video for the track "Brighter' was released as well. The video, directed by Victor Yiu, was constructed from over 6000 still images. Additionally, the band released a guerrilla-cam-style video for Dance with Meow shot by Matt Robertson which featured the band dressed in furry cat masks, chasing the White Rabbit, doing cat-nip and visiting local-haunts in Austin's nightlife.

Jake Mitchell

In August 2008, the band's drummer, Jake Mitchell, was sentenced to five years of prison after being charged by the Austin police for "conspiracy to manufacture marijuana". Before Mitchell went to prison, the band went into the studio to record a number of tracks that could become the foundation of a new EP.

On February 14, 2009, Daytrotter posted a session recorded live in Rock Island, IL, featuring an unreleased song, "Room 17," that was written as a tribute to Mitchell.

Fur State

On October 26, 2010, The Boxing Lesson released "Fur State," a lo-fi acoustic/electronic instrumental album recorded on a 4-track by Waclawsky and Davidson in 2004. The album heavily features synthesizers and drum loops and marks a turning point in the evolution of the band. The album name is a play on words for the "first eight" songs recorded in Austin. Self-released on homemade cassette tapes, the album cover depicts the State of Texas in a tiger fur pattern. Some of these songs are instrumental stripped down versions of songs that appeared on Songs in the Key of C and Wild Streaks & Windy Days. Cassette restoration and Mastering by Danny Reisch at Good Danny's, Austin, TX.

An animated music video by Jeanne Hospod was released for the opening track, "One". It features a ghost-rodeo, space-travel, feminine beauty, psychedelic felines, art and enlightenment from the far reaches of Austin, TX. Hospod released an erotic animated video for the track "Four" in early 2011. The artist's description was, "Alien woman seduces hapless human male involving a very unusual flower." Nathan Guy directed a non-animated cat-themed video for the track "Three" that was released at SXSW 2011. The director described the video as "Morphing cats' psychedelic journey through the Fur State," and video blended live performance shots with warped smoky images showing the band in costume hanging at local Austin haunts.

Muerta EP

The Boxing Lesson released a collection of four slow-tempo psychedelic tracks entitled "Muerta EP" in the summer of 2011. These songs were recorded over several years in Austin, TX with several drummers. These four recordings chronicle the band's evolution during this time period and are an expansion of their space rock sound. Vivogig reviewer Jim Sells says, "Well, the Boxing Lesson nails it on “Muerta.” Pink Floyd influences the music but there is more to their sound than a Floyd fixation. Elements of M83, the “Northern Soul”-period of The Verve, and the adventurousness of Ponytail all are present here. The effects-laden guitar weaves in and out of the soaring Moog parts, creating a sonic landscape that draws the listener in from the first sound. Sells goes on to note that "“Muerta” has to be in my Top 10 for the year. There is just nothing like it out there."

A music video for the title track "Muerta" was released in the summer of 2011 that was started in 2009 by Director Jonathan London and animator Will Kistler. The CGI enhanced video depicts the band drowning to the depths of the sea.

Musical style

The band's sound primarily is built around a psychedelic space rock ethos, with Paul Waclawsky's dark melodic guitar work using reverb, fuzz, and tape delay effects, and Jaylinn Davidson's heavy use of Moog synthesizers. The band has not had a stringed bass player since relocating to Austin, the rhythmic function of the bassline is instead performed on the synth. Haunting vocals and moody melodies are punctuated by mesmerizing guitars, droney beats and expressive electronica. The Boxing Lesson plays "space" rock that can transport the listener to another dimension and beyond. Culturespill blog said, "An up-and-coming threesome out of Austin, Texas, The Boxing Lesson betray a rather thinly veiled affinity for Pink Floyd but they roughen the edges of that influence with an open-armed embrace of Spacemen 3, The Cure, Radiohead and Broken Social Scene. Craig Franklin from Halo-17 Australia wrote, "Not enough bands make music like The Boxing Lesson any more. Over the course of three EPs, they've managed to create some truly breathtaking and epic music that draw the dots between such seemingly disparate bands as Pink Floyd, My Bloody Valentine and David Bowie. They're equally at home writing short, concise pop songs, and kicking out the jams. They use a Moog synth extensively. In short, unlike a lot of bands, they're consistently interesting.

Discography

• Possibilities (unreleased)
• Muerta EP (2011)
• Fur State (2010)
• Wild Streaks and Windy Days (2008)
• Songs in the Key of C (2006)
• Radiation (2004)
• The Boxing Lesson (2003)