AFI (band): Difference between revisions
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| Origin = [[Ukiah, California]], [[United States|USA]] |
| Origin = [[Ukiah, California]], [[United States|USA]] |
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| Genre = [[Alternative Rock]<br>[[Punk Rock]]<br>[[Hardcore Punk]] |
| Genre = [[Alternative Rock]]<br>[[Punk Rock]]<br>[[Hardcore Punk]] |
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| Years_active = 1991–present |
| Years_active = 1991–present |
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| Label = [[Interscope Records|Interscope]]<br />[[DreamWorks]]<br />[[Nitro Records|Nitro]]<br> [[Adeline Records]] <br /> [[Wingnut Records]] <br /> [[Key Lime Pie Records]] |
| Label = [[Interscope Records|Interscope]]<br />[[DreamWorks]]<br />[[Nitro Records|Nitro]]<br> [[Adeline Records]] <br /> [[Wingnut Records]] <br /> [[Key Lime Pie Records]] |
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Revision as of 07:20, 5 March 2007
AFI |
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AFI, short for A Fire Inside, is an American band from Ukiah, California formed in 1991.
History
Early years
While still in high school in Ukiah, California, Davey Havok (vocals), Mark Stopholese (guitar) and Vic Chalker (bass) formed a hardcore punk outfit called AFI in 1991. At the time, the band didn't know how to play any instruments. Stopholese suggested his friend Adam Carson, who had a drum kit, to join.[1] Stopholese learned guitar, Chalker learned bass and AFI made their first EP in recording with the split-EP Dork (1993) with the now defunct Loose Change, which included future AFI guitarist Jade Puget. Chalker soon was replaced by Geoff Kresge.
AFI disbanded when its members attended different collages, including the University of Berkeley and the University of California. Kresge moved to New York where he played with Blanks 77. After reuniting to perform a live show, the other members decided to drop out of college to play full-time with AFI. Between 1993 and 1995 they released several vinyl EPs (Behind the Times; Eddie Picnic's All Wet; Fly in the Ointment; This Is Berkeley, Not West Bay; AFI/Heckle; Bombing the Bay) independently. Their first full length, Answer That and Stay Fashionable was released in 1995. Very Proud of Ya soon followed in the next year.
After several tours in support of the album, Kresge decided to leave the group. His spot was filled by Hunter Burgan for the remaining Very Proud of Ya tour dates. Burgan went on to help AFI record Shut Your Mouth and Open Your Eyes and was invited to become the full-time bassist. Black Sails in the Sunset introduced AFI fans to a much more darker sound.[2]
Black Sails and Art of Drowning era
After recording the A Fire Inside EP (1998), Stopholese left the band and was replaced by Puget, his close friend. Following the A Fire Inside EP, the band recorded Black Sails in the Sunset (1999), a musical turning point. On this album, their original hardcore roots were still the base of their sound, but more of the Dark Romantic influences (a poem by French, and Charles Baudelaire, entitled "De profundis clamavi," is present in the hidden track "The Midnight Sun") as well as that of the Deathrock & Horror Punk scenes were apparent.
All Hallows EP (1999) spawned the single "Totalimmortal," a track later covered by The Offspring for the Me, Myself and Irene soundtrack. It received a fair amount of radio play and exposed AFI to larger audiences. Offspring frontman Dexter Holland was featured as a backing vocalist on a number of Black Sails tracks.
In 2000, AFI released The Art of Drowning which debuted on the Billboard Charts at number 174 [3]. The Days of the Phoenix was released as a single and video in order to promote the album. The Days of the Phoenix, like "Totalimmortal", had some moderate mainstream success, garnering the band both TV and radio airplay.
Mainstream success
In 2002, AFI left Nitro Records and released Sing the Sorrow (2003) on DreamWorks Records. The songs "Girl's Not Grey", "The Leaving Song Pt. 2" and "Silver and Cold" had some Billboard chart success and exposed the band to even larger audiences. They were nominated in the MTV Video Music Awards 2003 in the MTV2 award category for the video "Girl's Not Grey", which came to be the first VMA they won.
In 2006, Decemberunderground was released on Interscope Records. Reviewers have noted an even greater progression in sound for AFI in this album, featuring ColdPop and New Wave[4] elements. The album's first single "Miss Murder" reached #1 on the Billboard Modern Rock Charts. [5]The release reflects the continually changing and growing fan base of the band, and the album debuted as No. 1 on the Billboard charts.[6] The album has been certified Gold by the RIAA for sales of over 500,000 copies of the album, and is expected to go platinum later this year. Also, the band's second single, "Love Like Winter", enjoyed tremendous success on MTV's Total Request Live and was retired after 40 days on the countdown.
On December 12th AFI released their first DVD I Heard a Voice. Future plans for the band are unknown, but Havok has commented that the band plans to tour into the summer of 2007. Furthermore, Puget has spoken of a possible EP, which would cull together unreleased songs from the Decemberunderground sessions.
On January 20th AFI played Saturday Night Live.
Discography
Studio Albums
| Album Cover | Date of Release | Title | Label | US Billboard Peak | US Sales |
| File:AFIAnswerThatandStayFashionable.jpg | 1995 | Answer That and Stay Fashionable | Wingnut Records, Rereleased in 1997 by Nitro Records)
|
- | - |
| File:AFIVeryProudofYa.jpg | 1996 | Very Proud of Ya | Nitro Records | - | - |
| File:Afisymaoye.jpg | 1997 | Shut Your Mouth and Open Your Eyes | Nitro Records | - | - |
| File:AFIBlackSailsintheSunset.jpg | 1999 | Black Sails in the Sunset | Nitro Records | - | - |
| File:AFITheArtofDrowning.jpg | 2000 | The Art of Drowning | Nitro Records | #174 | - |
| File:Afi singthesorrow.jpg | 2003 | Sing the Sorrow | Dreamworks Records | #5 | Platinum |
| File:Decemberunderground Cover.jpg | 2006 | Decemberunderground | Interscope Records | #1 | Gold |
The Nitro Records and DreamWorks Records releases were all released in Cassette, 12" vinyl and CD formats.
Compilations
| Album Cover | Date of Release | Title | Label | US Billboard Peak | US Sales |
| File:AFI - AFI.jpg | 2004 | AFI (Retrospective) | Nitro Records | #88 | - |
This compilation, however, was not released with the band's permission. After AFI left Nitro Records, it was released (while they were still on Nitro's contract.)
Singles
| Year | Title | Billboard Hot 100 | Modern Rock Tracks | Mainstream Rock Tracks | UK Singles Chart | Album |
| 1996 | "He Who Laughs Last..." | - | - | - | - | Very Proud of Ya |
| 1997 | "Third Season" | - | - | - | - | Shut Your Mouth and Open Your Eyes |
| 1999 | "Totalimmortal" | - | - | - | - | All Hallow's E.P. |
| 2000 | "Days of the Phoenix" | - | - | - | 152 | The Art of Drowning |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | "Girl's Not Grey" | - | 7 | 33 | 22 | Sing the Sorrow |
| 2003 | "The Leaving Song Pt. II" | - | 16 | 31 | 43 | Sing the Sorrow |
| 2003 | "Silver and Cold" | - | 7 | 39 | - | Sing the Sorrow |
| 2006 | "Miss Murder" | 24 | 1 (5 weeks) | 13 | 44 | Decemberunderground |
| 2006 | "Love Like Winter" | 68 | 4 | - | 76 | Decemberunderground |
| 2007 | "The Missing Frame" | - | - | - | - | Decemberunderground |
EPs
- Dork (1993)
- Behind the Times (later-1993)
- Eddie Picnic's All Wet (1994)
- This Is Berkeley, Not West Bay (1994)
- Bombing the Bay (1995)
- Fly in the Ointment (1995)
- A Fire Inside EP (1998)
- Black Sails EP (1999)
- All Hallow's EP (1999)
- The Days of the Phoenix EP (2001)
- 336/Now the World Picture Disc (2002)
Videography
DVDs
- Sing the Sorrow (336) DVD edition (2003)
- I Heard a Voice (2006)
Videos
- He Who Laughs Last... from Very Proud of Ya (1996)
- Third Season from Shut Your Mouth and Open Your Eyes (1997)
- Totalimmortal from All Hallow's EP (1999)
- The Days of the Phoenix from The Art of Drowning (2000)
- Girl's Not Grey from Sing the Sorrow (2003)
- The Leaving Song Pt. II from Sing the Sorrow (2003)
- Silver and Cold from Sing the Sorrow (2004)
- Miss Murder from Decemberunderground (2006) (Director's Cut contains Prelude 12/21)
- Love Like Winter" from Decemberunderground (Director's Cut contains the ending of The Interview)
Televised Performances
- MTV Hard Rock Live performing a half-hour set (2003)
- MTV Icon: The Cure performing a cover of "Just Like Heaven" (2004)
- MTV2 Live performing a one hour set (2006)
- MTV 2006 Movie Awards performing their #1 hit "Miss Murder" (2006)
- Spike Video Game Awards performing "Summer Shudder" (2006)
- MTV Goes Gold: New Year's Eve 2007 performing a cover of Blur's "Song 2", their then latest single "Love Like Winter", and collaborating briefly with rap group Three 6 Mafia. (2007)
- Saturday Night Live performing "Love Like Winter" and "Miss Murder". (2007)
References
- ^ http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/10466716/more_havok/3
- ^ http://www.afireinside.net/bio
- ^ AFI's Billboard Album Chart History
- ^ Allmusic.com Decemberunderground review
- ^ AFI's Billboard Singles Chart History
- ^ Hasty, Katy (2006-06-14). "AFI burns brightly with #1 debut". Billboard. Retrieved 2006-07-08.
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