Trans Am

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Washington, D.C. (1990 – present)

Trans Am are loosely associated with the mid-’90s scene centered around Tortoise, Ui, Labradford, Windy & Carl, etc., and the Thrill Jockey, Kranky, UHF and Southern labels, among others. Although a vast distance separates Trans Am’s albums, all of them are concerned with an extreme, somewhat humorous reorientation of the clichés and conventions of rock music, primarily through either technical (exaggerated displays of skill) or instrumental (electronics, effects) deviation.

The group formed in 1990 in Washington, D.C., though they didn’t begin seriously recording until after its members finished college in 1995. The members of the band are: Philip Manley (guitar, bass, keyboard, voice), Nathan Means (bass, keys, voice), and Sebastian Thomson (drums, guitar, bass, keys, voice). Their self-titled debut, on the Chicago-based Thrill Jockey label, was recorded after just a few rehearsals back together, and contained , largely improvised versions of simple rock-oriented figures based loosely on ’70s and ’80s popular and bands such as Boston, Bachman-Turner Overdrive and Yes. Produced by Tortoise’s John McEntire at Chicago’s Idful Studios, the album was instantly lauded as an example of “post-rock”, in turn leading to a short live tour as Tortoise’s opening act.

The group returned in the fall of 1996 with a self-titled EP of somewhat experiments (released by Happy Go Lucky) that brought to the fore an affection for electronics previously reserved either for between-time studio distraction or the brief interludes separating the meatier segments of their debut.
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Top Albums

  • Futureworld
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  • Red Line
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  • Sex Change
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  • Surrender to the Night
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  • jcotteri

    get over it

    last month

  • Alec_Trevelyan

    I'd listen to these guys if they didn't have a track mocking Alec Empire. I can't respect them.

    last month

  • RussellChap

    Surrender to the Night is a funky delight.

    March 2012

  • jcotteri

    hello

    February 2012

  • toztizokzndz

    you might want to listen to 'a spectrum of infinite scale' by 'man or astroman?' though...

    January 2012

  • toztizokzndz

    surrender to the night and the self titled has some!

    January 2012

  • Jouhou

    "the campaign" is definitely my favorite song, anyone know any albums that have jams like that? there are a few songs like it on the surveillance. i haven't went through all of the albums yet.

    January 2012

  • toztizokzndz

    for me it's like: the surveillance > red line > surrender to the night > futureworld > trans am > liberation > thing > sex change > TA, how about you?

    December 2011
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