PRESENT
cass mcgrath
greg meisenberg
shaun seneviratne
john terry
PAST
anthony battiato (dec '05 - aug '09)
brian whitney (mar '06 - jan '07)
Influences
zygmunt bauman, braid, faraquet, fugazi, allen ginsberg, joan of arc, jack kerouac, karl marx, refused, saskia sassen, neil young
Sounds Like
a missing piece in the jigsaw puzzle teleology of modern rock progress.
PRESS FOR MACHINERY SAINTS
"Machinery Saints is an undeniably dense listen... I can’t help but advise fans of post-punk, and those with an open mind, to welcome Rapid Cities as a refreshing challenge to the status quo." - ThePunkSite
"Machinery Saints flows with the wild abandon of creativity that can't be restrained. They travel the roads of post-hardcore without regard for safety, attacking the sharp angles and starts and stops and stutters with more rage than plan. Oddly enough though, they remained focused, probably by sheer inertia, and their creativity delivers even as it evolves. While there is more than a hint of math rock throughout the album, the band does their math in their heart, not just their head. Feeling their way rather than planning it doesn't dispel their confidence, but rather bolsters it by simple force of will. Amazing." - Rock and Roll and Meandering Nonsense
"RAPID CITIES are part of the pensive class... the super-serious thinkers, and emotional outputters. The ones weaned on a FUGAZI discography, a liberal arts degree, and a van that’s been through hell and back... and they’ve got the hefty, droning bass lines, arching guitars, scatter-shot drumming and thoughtful lyrics to prove it." - Pastepunk
"Rapid Cities deconstruct the conventions of arrangements and reassemble them into a clean, angular post-core blueprint... they're full of piss and vinegar and they're hoping to be heard." - Exclaim! Magazine
"Whatever turns you on, you can’t deny Rapid Cities’ talent and the quality of this debut album. Open your ears and your mind and give it a chance." - Altsounds
"This sounds to me like it wouldn't be out of place on modern day Dischord Records... it's ruddy good stuff, I'm thoroughly enjoying it." - Suspect Device Zine
"With all the flailing guitar riffs and distressed singing style... this stuff stands out on its own... Machinery Saints is a refreshing debut since so few bands are doing this..." - Punknews.Org
"It’s dissonant, anguished, and melodic all at the same time... I really didn’t think bands like this existed anymore beyond the fantasies of art-school weirdos who THINK they sound like this and instead just give me migraines... Machinery Saints... It’s terrifyingly damn close to a perfect post-hardcore/punk album, with an edge that’ll cut you like a prison shiv in the kidneys while you’re in the dinner line over that one cigarette you traded for a blo…nevermind, just get your hands on it. It’s just really, really, really, good." - Fistfight at the Arthouse
"These New Brunswick kids' debut LP is a fantastic collection of post-hardcore rockers... Articulate and intelligent, Rapid Cities inject powerful musicanship over dissonant guitar work and driving rhythms. Music like this was much more common a decade ago, but these guys manage to give a very modern day feel onto a genre rarely played anymore." - Tom Haugen's Action Sports Blog
"It’s definitely impressive." - Built On a Weak Spot
EXPERT OPINIONS:
"New Brunswick just keeps ‘em coming and Rapid Cities are the next in line. Emotional hardcore is a genre that has become largely forgotten for whatever reason. Luckily we still have bands like Rapid Cities keeping it real... This is really well played stuff that is as intense as it is intelligent." - Sound As Language
"Dissonant guitar tones and a social context lie deep within this New Jersey outfit. Carefully tiptoeing around the conventional trends of music gives this group an objective and perfectly aggressive sound." - Mid-Atlantic College Radio Conference
Rapid Cities consists of four guys standing on the outliers of society and of the very subculture to which they do (or do not) belong, giving them the unique position from which to criticize, modify, or completely misunderstand the world around them. You laugh… and so do they. Formed in the blooming season of 2006, Anthony Battiato, John Terry, Cassidy McGrath, and Shaun Seneviratne (who replaced Brian Whitney) have since been writing and playing their own version of life set to rhythm, no matter how jarring it might be. While calling New Brunswick, New Jersey their home, they have played dozens of shows in dozens of states, been on four tours, released two of their own demos, and recorded one full length album, titled Machinery Saints, which has been released on May 30, 2009. Stay tuned for more...
SORRY FOR THE INCONVENIENCE, BUT ALL OF OUR ITEMS WILL BE UNAVAILABLE FOR ORDER FROM OUR MYSPACE PAGE. THE STORE IS NOW LOCATED ON RAPIDCITIES.COM! CHECK THAT OUT TO PICK UP A COPY OF THE NEW RECORD AND OTHER ITEMS!
RELEASES:
Machinery Saints
Track list: Manhattan's Hymn, In My Mind, Dreams of Fahey, There Is a Black Hole, J.aunt O.n D.ying Y.oung, The NRA & NWA, Asexual Predator, Space Is Infinite, Down at the Fleshpot, Most of the Time, My Arms Are the Anchors My Legs Are the Sea
Art For Autism Benefit Compilation
Including "Space Is Infinite" by Rapid Cities
Featuring other artists such as Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, The Wrens, Huma, and more!
in march our page was deleted because was disrespected many "christian hc" bands. so i'm pretty sure we were buds on here before that. cannot wait for this sweet show! <3 richard
no worries dude. note to you though, never book a show through diffy productions. it was such a joke of a show.
oh well. hey, what do you guys have going on the second weekend of september? we might be playing in philly and would love to play with you guys in NJ that same weekend.
hej john! thanks a lot for the record, this is so kind! and i do really like it very much, thanks !!! tonight we have kind of event like the one when we met first - we will think of you and hope you are ok! thanks and love! m.
