Michael (guitar/vocals), Kelly (drums), and Nick (bass) first met outside the infamous Echo nightclub in Echo Park, CA. Sharing an acerbic wit and common interests in hard distortion, melodic beauty, and fearless sincerity, the three soon found themselves sequestered in Michael's Silverlake practice space near the Elliott Smith wall on Sunset Blvd.
After a few months of dedicated rehearsal and occasional beer drinking, they booked their first gig at the Silverlake Lounge, opening for Future Pigeon; 150 people witnessed them rock a tight set of 6 songs.
Since then, The Front has shared stages with The Thermals, Gris Gris, Earl Greyhound, Jucifer, Great Northern, Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin (fellow Missourian rockers and friends), and have become a fixture on the burgeoning music scene of Echo Park.
Basically, we're amazing! Freaking amazing! There used to be more of this self serving bio but that's lame so we edited the bio down. We are going into the studio soon to record our second EP. It's going to knock your socks off. Until then, don't let the man get you down....
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PRESS
"This buzzworthy trio churns out beautifully fuzzy, thundering rock, with adhesive riffs and emotive vocals ranging from raw and delicate to powerfully full-throttled. Definitely keep an eye on these guys. And girl." - Alie Ward, LA Weekly
"An agit-rock earful...pulsing, seething music...... with the kind of guitar squalor you'd expect from a band that gets compared to Fugazi." - Kevin Bronson, LA Times
"Very, very cool stuff." - Mark Sovel, Music Director, Indie 103.1, FM Los Angeles
"The Front's new album, Smiles & Handshakes, is an 8 song full on auditory assault. This ain't your timid Eastside acoustic folk trio. The Front would draw closer comparison to early 90s Seattle scene bands along the vein of Mudhoney , Failure and that little trio named Nirvana. Singer Michael Bauer's vocals and raw and cutting. The guitar is freakin' insane and loaded with delicious feedback. The Front are not afraid to be loud and certainly unafraid to rock out. In a wash of delightful indie pop bands choking the LA music scene (I'm saying that's a bad thing. Indie Pop is my crack) they are a painfully awesome reminder that music sometimes just needs to be cranked up to 11." - Rock Insider
"The Front – Smiles & Handshakes: Fuzzy, contagious indie-grunge that will rock the fuck out of you. If the distortion alone doesn’t barrel you over the raucous howl and thumping rhythm will surely do the trick. This L.A. trio have officially hit their stride and have been winning fans over all across the nation. After a few successful tours out west, they’re officially ready to demolish a city near you so be on the lookout. For fans of Sonic Youth, Queens of the Stone Age, Nirvana, Jim Beam and Budweiser." Michael Dauphin- Dudes Magazine/www.backporchbanter.blogspot.com
"Lyrics of alienation, suspense, and despair, reminiscent of Nirvana's "Incesticide" or the Pixies--it strikes and electrifies... Beautiful, painful, enticing, magnetic, and unpredictable--songs made for usurping." - Jenn Kirchoff- Racket Magazine
"Their eight song CD 'Smiles & Handshakes' cuts a swath straight through the quilt work of LA music scenes and had reviewers already making comparisons to Nirvana and Fugazi. Have a listen and judge for yourself." - Charles Stepczyk- Insomnia Radio
"Fucking great." - Chuck P., DeeJay, "Dead Air", Indie 103.1 FM, Los Angeles
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MERCHANDISE
Buy "Smiles and Handshakes" right now using the link below. I'll mail the shit out of it to you. Each cd was personally silkscreened with care and love in a studio apartment in Atwater Village, CA.
wanna buy a shirt?
We have two different shirts available. The style is the same for both, the only difference being the clever saying on the back. One shirt says quite bluntly, "Fuck Hollywood". It's not for those with a weak heart or those of you planning to wear the shirt to your job at a daycare. The other option is a shirt that says, "This place could use a good earthquake". Sometimes it good to break things down and rebuild anew, you know?
You can purchase either by using the conveniently placed buttons below. I'll include some stickers and buttons and maybe a love note or words of encouragement or something. Thanks for the support, we're not really making money off these, just thought it would be cool to have some people in our shirts. Hopefully you wear it proudly.
Choose a Shirt
