A couple of years ago, A Place to Bury Strangers were in search of a new
drummer. Lia Simone Braswell, an L.A. native, had recently moved to
New York, and was playing drums in shows around Brooklyn “just to keep
her chops up.” As it turned out, APTBS bassist Dion Lunadon caught one
of those shows and, after seeing her play, was moved to ask her if she’d
want to come to a band practice sometime.
For well over a decade now, A Place to Bury Strangers—Lunadon, founding
guitarist/singer Oliver Ackermann, and, officially, Lia Braswell—have
become well known for their unwavering commitment to unpredictable,
often bewildering live shows, and total, some might say dangerous
volume.
This April marks the release of Pinned, their fifth full-length and an album
that finds them converting difficult moments into some of their most
urgent work to date. It’s their first since the 2016 election, and their first
since the 2014 closing of Death By Audio, the beloved Brooklyn DIY space
where Ackermann lived, worked, and created with complete freedom.
There are searing meditations on truth and government-led conspiracies
(“Execution”), as well as haunting, harmonized responses to the tensions
of our current political climate (“There’s Only One of Us”). It all opens
with “Never Coming Back,” a frightening crescendo of group vocals,
vertiginous guitar work, and Lunadon’s unrelenting bass. It’s a clear and
honest statement of intent, not just for everything that follows, but for
this band as a whole.
Tracklisting
1. Never Coming Back
2. Execution
3. There’s Only One Of Us
4. Situations Changes
5. Too Tough To Kill
6. Frustrated Operator
7. Look Me In The Eye
8. Was It Electric
9. I Know I’ve Done Bad Things
10. Act Your Age
11. Attitude
12. Keep Moving On
drummer. Lia Simone Braswell, an L.A. native, had recently moved to
New York, and was playing drums in shows around Brooklyn “just to keep
her chops up.” As it turned out, APTBS bassist Dion Lunadon caught one
of those shows and, after seeing her play, was moved to ask her if she’d
want to come to a band practice sometime.
For well over a decade now, A Place to Bury Strangers—Lunadon, founding
guitarist/singer Oliver Ackermann, and, officially, Lia Braswell—have
become well known for their unwavering commitment to unpredictable,
often bewildering live shows, and total, some might say dangerous
volume.
This April marks the release of Pinned, their fifth full-length and an album
that finds them converting difficult moments into some of their most
urgent work to date. It’s their first since the 2016 election, and their first
since the 2014 closing of Death By Audio, the beloved Brooklyn DIY space
where Ackermann lived, worked, and created with complete freedom.
There are searing meditations on truth and government-led conspiracies
(“Execution”), as well as haunting, harmonized responses to the tensions
of our current political climate (“There’s Only One of Us”). It all opens
with “Never Coming Back,” a frightening crescendo of group vocals,
vertiginous guitar work, and Lunadon’s unrelenting bass. It’s a clear and
honest statement of intent, not just for everything that follows, but for
this band as a whole.
Tracklisting
1. Never Coming Back
2. Execution
3. There’s Only One Of Us
4. Situations Changes
5. Too Tough To Kill
6. Frustrated Operator
7. Look Me In The Eye
8. Was It Electric
9. I Know I’ve Done Bad Things
10. Act Your Age
11. Attitude
12. Keep Moving On