Balkans
bandmembers:
Stanley Vergilis
Brett Miller
Woodbury Shortridge
Frankie Broyles
tracklist:- Edita V
- I Can't Compete
- Zebra Print
- Dressed In Black
- Black Swan
- Troubled And Done
- Flowers Everywhere
- Let You Have It
- Gergoanne
- Violent Girls
Balkans - Full Concert - 05/19/11 - Paste Magazine Offices (OFFICIAL)
setlist:
0:00:00 - I Can't Compete
0:02:59 - Edita V
0:05:53 - Georganne
0:10:37 - C++
0:13:19 - Black Swan
instruments:
Brett Miller - gruitar (Gibson Sonex 180)
Frankie Broyles - vocal, guitar (Fender Jaguar)
Woody Shortridge - bass (Fender Musicmaster)
Stanley Vergilis - drums (Gretsch Catalina Club Jazz)
So what do they sound like? Take the sound of The Strokes and inject the raw frantic energy of The Hives and you'll have Balkans.
Balkans were a short lived band, only released one album. They toured with names like Unknown Mortal Orchestra and Atlas Sound (Bradford Cox). In fact after the breakup, Frankie Broyles joined Bradford Cox in Deerhunter, for their 2013 album
Monomania. That's before Bradford was hospitalized after being hit by a car in December 2014.
Woody and Frankie were childhood friend, played together since third grade. Stanley joined up with them in middle school. Woody saw Stanley playing drumming on his desk and invited him over to play drums at his [Stan's] house. There were a band without a bass player for the most part of high school till they met Brett, who later switched to guitar. Frankie was into Radiohead, and Brett was into Punk bands like Rancid. They would win battle of the bands in HS. When they won battle of the bands they were given GutiarCenter gift-certificates instead of a cash prize (fearing the band would blow it on drugs). So the band bought an eight track recorder, and used it to recorded all their song.
sound
They use a two guitar match-up of Gibson/Fender like a few bands do
e.g. The Knack. The bass is a Musicmaster bass which is generally preferred by guitarist for the short scale (length). They have deeper sound, because thicker strings can be used on short-scale that a regular scale. The drummer is playing a bop drum set and the kick-drum is 14" and has a high pitch thud, which can be noticed on the album.
for?
If you like bands like The Strokes and The Hives, or like Deerhunter and like to explore the member's side projects, or previous bands this is one to consider.