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AFI (band)

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AFI

AFI (in recent years short for A Fire Inside), is an American rock band from Ukiah, California that formed in 1991.

History

Early years

File:Dork-inside.jpg
Reverse cover of "Dork"

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 did not know how to play any instruments. Stopholese suggested his friend Adam Carson, who had a drum kit, 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 was soon replaced by Geoff Kresge.

AFI disbanded when its members attended different colleges, including UC Berkeley. 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 followed the next year.

After several tours in support of the album "Answer That and Stay Fashionable" Kresge decided to leave the group. His spot was filled by Hunter 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 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 with Dark Romantic influences (a poem by Charles Baudelaire, "De profundis clamavi," is present in the hidden track "The Midnight Sun"). The influence of the Deathrock & Horror Punk scenes was also 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

File:Newafilogo.gif
AFI's new logo as of April 11, 2006

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,their newest album, Decemberunderground, was released on Interscope Records. Reviewers have noted an even 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 12, AFI released their first DVD I Heard a Voice, featuring a live performance shot in Long Beach, California.

On January 20, AFI played "Miss Murder" and "Love Like Winter" on Saturday Night Live.

The band is currently shooting a video for Decemberunderground's third single, "The Missing Frame."[7] They will continue touring through summer 2007, and then work on writing the next album. Puget has begun writing some material.[8] Furthermore, Puget has spoken of a possible EP for late 2007, which would cull together unreleased songs from the Decemberunderground sessions.

On April 7, AFI played "Love Like Winter" and "Miss Murder" on 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 Top 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" - 19 - - Decemberunderground

EPs

Videography

DVDs

Videos

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)
  • AOL Sessions Under Cover performing David Bowie's "Ziggy Stardust" and "Endlessly, She Said" Acoustically (2007)[9]

References

  1. ^ http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/10466716/more_havok/3
  2. ^ http://www.afireinside.net/bio
  3. ^ AFI's Billboard Album Chart History
  4. ^ Allmusic.com Decemberunderground review
  5. ^ AFI's Billboard Singles Chart History
  6. ^ Hasty, Katy (2006-06-14). "AFI burns brightly with #1 debut". Billboard. Retrieved 2006-07-08. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  7. ^ http://www.fmqb.com/article.asp?id=16771
  8. ^ http://media.www.californiaaggie.com/media/storage/paper981/news/2007/02/28/ArtsEntertainment/Afi-To.Play.Freeborn.Hall.On.Thursday-2747867-page2.shtml
  9. ^ http://music.aol.com/sessions-under-cover/afi
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