The Brobecks
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The Brobecks | |
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| File:Quiettitle.jpg | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Salt Lake City, Utah, U.S. |
| Years active | 2002–2013 |
| Members |
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The Brobecks were an American indie rock band, and a project of singer/songwriter Dallon Weekes. The band was unsigned and was based in Salt Lake City, Utah and Los Angeles, California. The band's sound uses a wide variety of instrumentation and attributes its influences to artists such as George Gershwin, The Beatles, and Elvis Costello. Referred to by some as "19th Century Indie pop", Weekes has received critical acclaim from both Spin and URB magazine, but remains widely unknown. Towards the end of The Brobecks Weekes was the last permanent member. Weekes is now part of I Don't Know How But They Found Me.
Band name origin
Taken from the band's LiveJournal[1]:
The name 'Brobecks' is an homage to the unpopular. Growing up, there was a particular student at school (Lets call him/her 'X' Brobeck.) who, every morning was called to the administrative office over the loudspeakers. Never mind the reason, but this went on for years. For all anyone knew this person didn't even exist. That was a romantic idea to me, and to a degree I had always identified with that. An anonymous person being in a crowd, but not really a part of it.
A 'Brobeck'.
History
The band began as a weekend hobby for Weekes shortly after he returned to Utah after living in Oklahoma for two years. The group's name was inspired by a person from Dallon's school days. The original line-up consisted of Weekes, photographer/producer Matt Glass and another friend from high school. After a few years of recording basement demos, touring and line-up changes, the band was offered a contract from an imprint of Drive-Thru Records, and Weekes was offered solo record contracts by Sony BMG, Interscope Records, and a smaller indie label if he would drop his bandmates. Weekes declined.
Shortly after, The Brobecks received Salt Lake City's local "City Weekly" award for 2008 Indie Pop Band of the Year,[2] repeating their win of the year before. In 2008, the single "Second Boys Will Be First Choice" was added to the daily rotation of Salt Lake City radio station X96, something which had never been done with an unsigned act in the station's 20-plus-year history. The song rose immediately to the station's top ten daily songs. Within two days of the addition, the song hit #1 on the daily top songs list, where it stayed for 13 consecutive days. It stayed in the top 10 for several weeks, and frequented the number one spot several times more. The song was also put into rotation at PacSun stores across the nation.
In May 2009, Violent Things was released with a limited amount of physical copies of the CD, and also available on iTunes. The album was produced by Casey Crescenzo of The Dear Hunter[3] and features Darren Robinson of Phantom Planet on guitar. The drums on the record were performed by frequent Brobecks drummer Drew Davidson. Prior to the album's release, the songs "Love at First Sight" and "Second Boys Will Be First Choice" appeared on X96's Top Ten daily songs list, with "Second Boys" reaching number one on the station and staying there for several weeks. One of the most popular songs on the album, "Love At First Sight", was put in rotation on Delta Airlines radio. The Brobecks opened for bands such as Fall Out Boy, Phantom Planet, Ben Kweller, and The Bravery. Despite all the label interest and album success for an indie band, the band remained independent and unsigned.
In late 2012, Weekes released the Quiet Title EP for download on his Bandcamp page for The Brobecks, as well as an option to purchase a physical copy of the Violent Things Reissue CD. The Quiet Title EP consists of two songs, "Anyone I Know" and "Cluster Hug", featuring Ian Crawford on guitar and recorded/edited with help from former Brobecks drummer, Matt Glass. In November 2012, Weekes stated in an interview with Salt Lake City's X96 radio station that these songs were written during the songwriting and recording process for Panic's fourth studio album, but did not fit with their collective vision for the new record.
Discography
- Understanding The Brobecks (2003)
- Happiest Nuclear Winter (2005)
- The Brobecks EP (2005)
- Goodnight and Have a Pleasant Tomorrow (2006)
- Small Cuts EP (2007)
- I Will, Tonight EP (2008)
- Violent Things (2009)
- Your Mother Should Know EP #1 (2010)
- Quiet Title EP (2012)