Frantic Clam began half a world away in the winter of 2006 when guitarist, Zack Hadley and bassist, Joe Sparks were deployed to Iraq with the US Army. Upon returning to the United States in December of 2007, they began working on their first self-released EP titled “Celebrity.” In the spring of 2008, high school friends, drummer Vasanth Coorg and guitarist Jack Reid joined as the gorup began playing shows in and around Austin, Texas. Most recently, Gregg Irick and Scott Cater have joined the band as both Vasanth and Joe moved to new ports of call.
Frantic Clam recently finished their sophomore release Anatomica, which was officially released January 15th, 2009 on Exemplary Records. They have been featured in various press outlets and radio programs including Performing Songwriter magazine, KALX Berkeley's "The Next Big Thing" and on American Apparel's Viva Radio station.
"It's tough to get beyond a name like Frantic Clam, but indulgence yields big
rewards via a swaggering sound that recalls T. Rex, Bowie, Sweet and others of that glam-slam variety. Given their rambunctious revelry, Frantic Clam apparently has no problem coming out of its shell." - Performing Songwriter Magazine May 2009
"Austin band Frantic Clam apparently tailored us up a nice little ditty called 'Hipster'...The tune is sassy and something tells me that you all want to hear it. Perhaps it'll make you mad because you feel like it's targeting you. If it stings, that means it's working... On the other hand, if you feel like you're always on the outside looking in, you'll probably feel like justice is being done by the Clam. However, if you feel like an outsider, you're probably already going through the motions of becoming a hipster." - Viva Radio
"[Anatomica] easily demonstrates that the horizon could be endless. Anatomica screams of a young band progressing, moving beyond their influences in order to discover their own sound." - Austin Town Hall
"Anatomica is a collection of the catchiest and most refreshing songs I have heard in a long time. The tracks are concise and economical with the music they carry throughout Anatomica, preserving the shelf life of the EP itself as well as the genius of the music. Aside from this album containing five great songs, Anatomica has the kind of allure that you rarely find." - Austin Sound Apr 2009
"The challenge for Frantic Clam was assuring us all that their initial success [Celebrity] wasn’t a fluke, that the band could actually deliver. And just as with Built by Snow, the answer is a resounding "Yes." - Side One Track One
"Frantic Clam swagger with edgy guitars chiming behind the surging, high hitting vocals, delivering one part raucous punk energy and another part deft and often ironically twisted indie-pop gems" - Austin Sound, October 2008
"They’re a band to seriously watch (and listen to, for that matter)" -BigDiction.net, October 2008
"Austin's latest greatest indie export is Anatomica, by the band Frantic Clam" - CovertCuriousity.com
" Frantic Clam is deceptive: Its arty mix of raucous glam and strangled indie seems familiar, but then the guitars knife sideways, the lyrics start rambling about under-the-radar scream queen “Mary Elizabeth Winstead,” and you notice the band is far weirder than it lets on." Austin.Decider.com
"Keep an eye on this group, as I’m sure we’ll hear more of them in the future." - Austin Town Hall
"The real success of this album [Celebrity] is found in it’s ability to take a now universal, mundane part of our lives (the war in Iraq, or even war in general) and relate it with personal experiences in a very universally human way" - SideOneTrackOne.com
"For a clam to become agitated enough to be "frantic"—as the name of local art-rock group Frantic Clam suggests—something must have seriously gone wrong under the sea. - The Austin Decider "Namecheck: This Week's Most Notable Band Name"
Your friends in Peoplefood are nominated for Artist of the Month at www.thedelimagazine.com/austin Help us out. Winning this popularity contest will do wonders for our hair stylist's 401k.
I have some incredible shows coming up. I really hope you can make it out.
Austin: ABOVE & BEYOND @ Pangaea Lounge Thursday, May 7th NOISE @ Light Bar Saturday, May 9th NOISE @ Light Bar Saturday, May 16th NOISE @ Light Bar Saturday, May 23rd NOISE @ Light Bar Saturday, May 30th DAMIAN LAZARUS @ Light Bar Thursday, June 11th BENNY BENASSI @ Club Rio Thursday, May 21st
***MAKE SURE TO CHECK OUT THE 2 NEW TRACKS IN MY PLAYER***
So, just like old folks, I believe that music should be given respect. We celebrate people who retire with parties, but what do we do for the music that we retire from our Vinyl / CD collections, or top playlists, or whatever your specific preference is?? I decided that I would celebrate tracks that I no longer foresee myself playing at gigs by presenting the “5 ON IT” Mix Series. Each time around, I will select 5 tracks that have put a smile on my face along with many others.
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