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Trans Am (band)

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Trans Am
Trans Am performing in 2007
Background information
OriginBethesda, Maryland, U.S.
Genres
Years active1990–present
Labels
Members

Trans Am is a three-piece American band from Bethesda, Maryland, that was one of the originators of "post-rock" in the mid-1990s. Their work combines elements of Krautrock, heavy metal, hardcore punk, synthpop, electronic music, and folk music. Since their inception, the group has toured with Tortoise, Pan Sonic, the Fucking Champs, and Tool.

History

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Nathan Means (bass, keyboards, vocoder, vocals), Philip Manley (lead guitar, bass, keyboards, vocals), and Sebastian Thomson (drums, bass, keyboards, guitar, vocals) formed Trans Am in 1990 near Washington, D.C.[1] Initially influenced by local hardcore and post-hardcore bands Fugazi, Bad Brains, and Soulside, Trans Am quickly moved away from that sound[2] and began drawing from such bands as Chrome, This Heat, Van Halen, Manowar,[3] and in particular electronica acts such as Kraftwerk, Aphex Twin, and Autechre.[4][5] According to Thomson, they had searched for a unique sound and "were floundering until one day we hooked up a Casio keyboard in 1993 and realized that a keyboard can also be a punk instrument."[5] Sometime around 1993, Trans Am had a lead singer, who was eventually fired for missing rehearsals, and the band opted not to replace him.[6] Since then, Trans Am's music has been largely instrumental.[6]

The band's self-titled debut was produced by John McEntire of labelmates Tortoise at Idful Music Corporation, in Chicago. Afterwards, Trans Am opened for Tortoise on a brief US tour.[1] In 1996, they released a self-titled EP, which showed a greater reliance on electronics. The group expanded that approach to album length on Surrender to the Night (1997) and The Surveillance (1998). Their sound during this period was reminiscent of such acts as Kraftwerk, Can, and New Order, interspersed with more rock-oriented material.[1] Also in 1996, they appeared on a split 12" with Wingtip Sloat. One track from that record, "Starjammer", was later included on the electronica label Mille Plateaux's double-CD compilation In Memoriam Gilles Deleuze. Around the time of the release of The Surveillance, Trans Am started to perform material with vocoder-heavy vocals by Nathan Means.[citation needed]

Their fourth album, Futureworld, came out in 1999. The first side of this album featured songs with vocoder and the second side had all instrumentals, including the sprightly "Cocaine Computer". A music video for the title song was filmed and released. In 2000, the group followed up with the double album Red Line, recorded in their own National Recording Studio.[1][7] A rarities collection, You Can Always Get What You Want, was also released that year.[8]

In 2002, Trans Am released TA,[9] complete with tongue-in-cheek promo photos featuring the band in boy band-esque matching white outfits. TA's cover art was a parody of a REO Speedwagon best-of collection. Though the album was essentially a spoof of the electroclash genre, it was mostly panned by music critics.[10][11]

During the 2004 U.S. election year, Trans Am released the politically charged Liberation, an album that questioned the George W. Bush presidency and addressed such issues as the 2003 invasion of Iraq, the War on Terror, and paranoia.[12][13][14]

Sex Change, the band's sixth studio album, was released in 2007.[15][16][17] Following the release, Trans Am did a tour of the United States with Zombi and The Psychic Paramount, seventeen shows opening for Tool, and they played the Thrill Jockey 15th anniversary show in Chicago, Illinois.[18]

Also in 2007, Trans Am contributed to the soundtrack of the video game After Burner: Black Falcon for the PSP.

In April 2017, Trans Am released California Hotel, an eight-song album on Thrill Jockey.

Discography

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Studio albums

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EPs, singles

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  • Trans Am - 7" (split with Thigh Mastersson) (S.K.A.M., 1996)
  • Tuba Frenzy - 12" (split with Wingtip Sloat) (1996)
  • Illegal Ass - 12" (Happy Go Lucky, 1996)
  • Who Do We Think You Are? - Australian Tour CD EP (Spunk!, 1999)
  • You Can Always Get What You Want - rarities compilation CD (Thrill Jockey, 2000)
  • Extremixxx - CD EP (remixes) (Thrill Jockey, 2002)

Live albums

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  • What Day Is It Tonight? - Trans Am Live 1993–2008 - 2xLP + DVD limited to 1500 copies (Thrill Jockey, 2009)

with the Fucking Champs

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  • Double Exposure - CD/LP - recorded as TransChamps (Thrill Jockey, 2001)
  • Gold - CD/LP - recorded as The Fucking Am (Drag City, 2004)

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d Cooper, Sean. "Trans Am Biography". Allmusic (Rovi Corporation). Retrieved August 27, 2011.
  2. ^ Fitzpatrick, Will (July 28, 2014). "Sebastian Thomson on 20 years of Trans Am". The Skinny. Archived from the original on April 30, 2024. Retrieved March 20, 2025. We were very much influenced by Fugazi, Bad Brains and Soulside, and we did start out playing the typical shows of the time – at a church basement as a benefit for a homeless shelter, for example. But we very quickly veered away from that...
  3. ^ "Trans Am [Interview] – Hardcore et à cris". Gonzai. November 18, 2014. Archived from the original on November 10, 2024. Retrieved March 20, 2025. [Trans Am used to be a more reactionary band, but the fact is, we hate labels, more so having to fit into a box. And we love Chrome, This Heat, Van Halen, and Manowar just as much. Honestly, in the name of what should we choose?]
  4. ^ Fischer, Tobias (2012). "Interview with Phil Manley / Trans Am". Tokafi. Archived from the original on October 17, 2021. Retrieved March 20, 2025. I think Trans Am is more influenced by Kraftwerk and early electronica like Aphex Twin and Autechre than Krautrock. When Trans Am started, we were all really into the idea of melding rock music with electronic music.
  5. ^ a b Ostroff, Joshua (June 2002). "Trans Am's Transformation". Exclaim!. Archived from the original on October 7, 2012. Retrieved March 20, 2025.
  6. ^ a b Ali, Reyan (May 29, 2014). "Two Decades Deep, the Rock Provocateurs in Trans Am Ride On". Phoenix New Times. Archived from the original on December 10, 2023. Retrieved March 20, 2025. We did have a singer — a friend of ours — and he would never show up for rehearsal, so we kicked him out at one point," drummer/keyboardist Sebastian Thomson says, rewinding to around 1993. "We had gotten used to the three of us just playing as bass, drums, and guitar. Nobody was really singing in rehearsal at all, so we thought, 'Oh, well, maybe this is fine as it is.'
  7. ^ Sisario, Ben (October 1, 2000). "Recordings: Finding Freedom in Free-Form Rock". The New York Times. Retrieved August 27, 2011.
  8. ^ Cohen, Jonathan (July 2002). "Thrill Jockey Set Shows Evolution of Trans Am Band". Billboard. Vol. 112, no. 22. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. p. 23. ISSN 0006-2510.
  9. ^ Pareles, Jon (September 9, 2002). "POP REVIEW; Anniversary Party Mixes Innovation and Nostalgia". New York Times. Retrieved January 4, 2007.
  10. ^ Phares, Heather. "'T.A.' – Trans Am – Review". Allmusic (Rovi Corporation). Retrieved August 27, 2011.
  11. ^ Richard-San, Mark (April 30, 2000). "Album Reviews: Trans Am - 'TA'". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved August 27, 2011.
  12. ^ Stelloh, Tim (April 2, 2004). "Music Reviews: Trans Am – 'Liberation'". PopMatters. Retrieved August 27, 2011.
  13. ^ "Trans Am - 'Liberation' - Music Review". Tiny Mix Tapes. Retrieved August 27, 2011.
  14. ^ Phares, Heather. "'Liberation' - Trans Am - Review". Allmusic (Rovi Corporation). Retrieved August 27, 2011.
  15. ^ Brainlove, John (February 19, 2007). "Trans Am – 'Sex Change' – Releases". Drowned in Sound. Archived from the original on October 17, 2012. Retrieved August 27, 2011.
  16. ^ Newlin, Jimmy (February 20, 2001). "Trans Am – 'Sex Change' – Music Review". Slant Magazine. Retrieved August 27, 2011.
  17. ^ Martin, Rick (February 16, 2007). "Music Reviews: Trans Am – 'Liberation'". NME. Retrieved August 27, 2011.
  18. ^ "Thrill Jockey Turns 15". SPIN. Retrieved January 4, 2008.
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