Scalpels does not play no-wave.Inspired by Lake of Dracula and other artless Chicago monstrosities,
Scalpels formed in the Spring of 2002 to play their own explosive
material of inept guitar feedback, drumming, and screaming. A low
quality cassette was recorded in the Fall as the band fell apart.
After several shows of Southern Comfort fueled dementia, blood all
over the guitar antics, and other lame showmanship... Scalpels had
incurred the wrath of many Chicago show review bloggers. As a result,
Scalpels packed their bags and headed east to Washington, DC (the
guitarist Paul's hometown) where they performed some shows w/ Paul's
former bandmates Daniel and Jacob (both of whom then played in Black Eyes), and recorded a
song with Hugh, also in Black Eyes. They returned to Chicago in 2003
with slightly improved merit. There they traded in the broken guitar
strings for delay pedals. After years of experiment Scalpels
transformed themselves into something very, very different from its bizarre origins.
Although the band nearly set the self-destruct sequence in 2004, in
2005 those years of radical experimentation finally resulted in what
became the band's signature sound: heavy art-rock that aimed at a
joyous, uplifting sound. The band made its vision clear to the world: the purpose of the musician today is not to "innovate" (a dubious word developed by cynical marketing departments trying to constantly find new product to sell to a naive, hopelessly confused youth culture), but rather to act as critical music historians, that is, to continue on in with certain counter-cultural traditions; not as a retro posture to ape what was, but to revaluate what worked and what did not work, and to work towards filling in the missing gaps that exist in today's milieu.
In the tradition of trying to establish some form of "community" in a society that has become increasingly hyper-specialized where every individual might die in his or her hole, Scalpels notes that they have performed with the following entities (although, as the observant reader will duly note, the list is discontinuous): Black Eyes, Et At It, Q and not U, Japanther, Navies, Ten-Ton, Coughs, Dakota Dakota, Mindflayer, My Name is Rar Rar, Dead Batteries, The Faux (R.I.P.), White Flight, Touhy, Too Many Amps, Miracles, Aloha, Turn Pale, Tale of Genji, Total Recall, Bird Names, Secret Mirror, Shopping, Genders, the Wives, Ghostman & Sandman, Video Hippos, Double Dagger, Black Bear, Raccoo-oo-oon (and relevant side projects), Chinese Stars, Princess, Plug-in Reindeer, Sick Tribal, The Lords, the Chandaliers, Michael Colombia, Toby Driver, Lee Marvin Computer Arm, Earthen Sea, the Punks, Shoplifting, Water Babies, Mass Shivers, Folk & Violence, Sseepage, Major Stars, Horns of Happiness, Static Films, Magas, the Flying Luttenbachers, Doses, Beau Wanzer, Tirra Lirra, the Cassettes, Wzt Hearts, Lexie Mountain Band, Lazer Crystal, Killer Whales, Pit er Pat, Food For Animals, Mi Ami, Viki
