Say Anything (band)
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| Say Anything | |
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 Doghouse-era promotional photo |
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| Origin | Los Angeles, CA |
| Years active | 2000–present |
| Genres | Alternative rock Emo |
| Labels | J Records Doghouse Records A.D.D. Records |
| Members | Max Bemis Coby Linder Alex Kent Jake Turner Jeff Turner Parker Case |
Say Anything is an American post-emocore band consisting of 22 year-old Maxim “Max” Bemis (guitar/bass/vocals) and 21-year-old Jacob “Coby” Linder (drums and percussion). The name is also a catchall for whoever else may play with them while making various records or touring (usually referred to as a “nom-de-band”). The band formed in 2001 in Los Angeles, California under the name Sayanything, a name which stuck until their first commercial release, the critically acclaimed Say Anything ...is a Real Boy.
Contents |
[edit] Band History
[edit] Sayanything
Max Bemis was born in New York in 1984. His family moved to Los Angeles when he was a child, and so Bemis grew up in Hollywood, CA. His father was a small-time film producer and as a result the young Bemis became involved in minor Hollywood projects; he plays an altar boy in the film Face/Off, although the role is unlisted in the credits. He was also the baby in the promotional poster for the Coen Brothers' film Raising Arizona. Bemis took piano lessons as a child, which is where much of his musical background comes from.
Bemis attended Camp Ramah in Ojai, California, where he met drummer Coby Linder. He also attended Windward School, a private high school in Los Angeles. It was here that he met Evan Span and Michael Levin. After a bad breakup, Bemis picked up a guitar for the first time and wrote the song “Sappy” with the help of Christian singer/songwriter Stephen Speaks and distributed it along with a few other acoustic songs online and in CD-R form. It became very popular in the underground L.A. music scene, and Bemis convinced a number of friends to start a band, which they dubbed Sayanything.
[edit] Early Days
The band eventually narrowed its lineup to Max on rhythm guitar and vocals, Evan Span on lead guitar, Coby on drums, and Mike Levin on bass. Together they released the Junior Varsity EP, a four-song album of which very few copies were pressed, dealing with the pressures of everyday life as a high school student. Soon thereafter, Evan left the band, and Max took over all guitar duties.
In 2001, the band released Baseball: An Album By Sayanything, a 72-minute full-length debut album. Baseball included more tightly arranged re-recordings of two of JV's songs, “(Dreaming Of) Manhattan” and “The Last Great Punk Rock Song.” At this point Max left to attend college at Sarah Lawrence College in Bronxville, New York, and the band disbanded for the time being. At Sarah Lawrence, Max began prolifically laying down songs into a four-track recorder in his dormroom; this yielded the aptly titled collection of songs, the Dormroom Demos. Some of these songs, available through online channels, have become fan favorites, though not all of them were reissued.
[edit] Say Anything, With A Space
After college, the band began to tour again, this time consisting of Max and Coby (the core members), along with touring bassist Dan Delauro. In 2002, the band pieced together the Menorah/Majora EP from the new tracks “A Walk Through Hell,” "By Tonight," “You Help Them,” and “I Want To Know Your Plans,” as well as some of the Dormroom Demos, and released it in mp3 format on their second official website. At this point in time they also managed to garner the attention of several major and independent labels, including Epitaph Records, whose Brett Gurewitz produced a re-recording of “A Boston Peace.” Eventually, Doghouse Records won the bidding war and signed Say Anything on January 27, 2003.
[edit] Doghouse
At this point, Say Anything consisted of Max and Coby, and the two began work on their nationwide debut, Say Anything ...is a Real Boy, released 13 August 2004. Writing duties fell almost entirely to Max in the absence of any other musicians playing stringed instruments; Max plays all guitar and bass parts on ...iaRb. The album was co-produced by Tim O'Heir (known for his work on Sebadoh's album III, and his latter day work with All-American Rejects and The Rocket Summer) and Stephen Trask, the writer of the music in the cult rock opera Hedwig and the Angry Inch and the scores for the films In Good Company and American Dreamz. Trask was the lesser involved of the two, there only for "pre-production and basics," according to O'Heir, and was "brought on to help with the theatrical aspect... that never came to fruition."[citation needed] Although it attained little commercial success, critical acclaim was unmatched.[citation needed] ...iaRB was at first supposed to be a rock opera with spoken word segments and an Off-Broadway show, but these plans fell through. It should also be noted that the album contains a re-recording of 2002's "I Want To Know Your Plans," with an additional end chorus, and "Alive With The Glory Of Love," a song telling the story of Max Bemis's grandparents' experiences in the Polish War Camps of WWII.
At this point in time, guitarist Casper Adams and bassist Kevin Seaton were picked up to play guitar in the band's live shows. Say Anything had planned to release an AIDS charity record entitled Say Anything vs. Aids on Doghouse, but they decided to wait until they were more famous and could bring in a bit more money for the cause. The demos leaked onto the internet, however, and they became fan favorites. The only SA recordings featuring the guitar and vocal work of Casper Adams, recorded in Kevin Seaton's garage, they were later remastered and released on J Records as Say Anything ...was a Real Boy," with the exception of Track 8.
[edit] Bipolar Disorder
During the recording of ...iaRb, it was suggested by Tim O'Heir that the sessions be filmed for a bonus DVD to accompany the release of the album. Max Bemis objected, but became convinced that Coby and Tim were going to go through with it anyway, fearing hidden cameras in instruments and equipments and routinely screaming paranoid accusations and locking himself in the studio's bathroom. Rumors of Max's condition range from Fatal Attraction-style clicking on-and-off of a lightswitch to running naked through the streets of New York[citation needed]. Indeed, Max actually did run dazed and confused through the streets of NY, getting in several altercations and nearly getting hit by a car. He suffers from bipolar disorder and paranoid schizophrenia, but by giving up the use of marijuana, was able to reduce the symptoms of the latter to a standstill. With medication and the help of his family, he was able to get the former disorder under control.
[edit] J Records
In 2005, Say Anything signed to a major label, J Records, a subsidiary of Sony-BMG. The band's first move on the label was to re-record “Alive With The Glory Of Love,” supposedly for radio play, though it was soon replaced commercially by the album version of the song.
Next, ...iaRb was slated for re-release, accompanied with a new booklet of all the album's lyrics as typed by Max Bemis and a history of the album, as well as a new bonus disc consisting of a re-recording of “Phone Sex” from the Vs. AIDS Demos (under the title “Wow, I Can Get Sexual Too!”) and remastered, also-retitled versions of six of those demos. The album was scheduled for release on 18 October 2005, but was pushed back until 28 February 2006 When Max was again hospitalized for his bipolar disorder. A few copies, however, were leaked by various retailers, most notably Tower Records's website and Canadian mega-chain HMV (His Master's Voice).[citation needed] Soon, leaked hard copies of the new reissue were selling on eBay for more than $50.00. On J, SA began their first attended major tour with Dashboard Confessional in the summer of 2006 (see “Tours and Touring”).
[edit] Current Plans
They have currently embarked on a headlining tour this fall (see “Tours and Touring”). “A Walk Through Hell” and “We Will Erase All Life On Earth But Us” were both recently rerecorded for an upcoming EP. Say Anything's third proper album is tentatively titled Say Anything... In Defense Of The Genre! and is slated for a October 2007 release. Max has confirmed however, that only he, Coby, and Alex will be involved in the writing of the upcoming record.
[edit] Members
[edit] Current Lineup
- Max Bemis - Vocals
- Coby Linder - Drums
- Alex Kent - Bass
- Jake Turner - Guitar
- Jeff Turner - Guitar
- Parker Case - Keyboards/Guitar
[edit] Former members
- Andy Jackson (touring guitarist 2004; better known as the lead vocalist/guitarist of Hot Rod Circuit
- Evan Span (guitar; notably, the solo on "Ants In My Pants" from 2001's Baseball: An Album By Sayanything)
- Michael Levin (bass from group's formation; raplaced by Dan Delauro in 2003)
- Josh Eichenstein (bass player between "Junior Varsity" and "Baseball", notably wrote the bass doodle in "All My Friends")
- Dan Delauro (touring bass player 2003-2004)
- Kevin Seaton
- Casper Adams (band's most notable and famous guitarist; was kicked out due to personal reasons in late 2005)
- Gabe Rodriguez (WEATHERBOX)
- Mike Auerbach (backup vocals)
[edit] The Band On Stage
[edit] Tours and Touring
Say Anything has toured with a virtual who's-who of the emo scene, including Dashboard Confessional, Recover, Chase Pagan, Pistolita, Northstar, The Bled, Reggie and the Full Effect, Slow Runner, ELA, Circa Survive, Emanuel, Audio Karate, Thrice, The Get Up Kids, Hayden, Ben Lee, and MC Lars. The band has been known to invite fellow musicians onstage with them to play with them (one popular online video features all members of Say Anything, Brand New, Straylight Run, and Hot Rod Circuit singing a live rendition of “Belt,” from Say Anything ...is a Real Boy).
This being said, it should be noted that, despite considerable demand, Say Anything went through a period where public appearances were rare. This is due to Bemis's mental illness and the treatment thereof, which was deemed more important than touring. Most dates of Say Anything's first headlining tour in summer 2005, with Circa Survive and Emanuel as opening bands, were canceled. That same fall, Say Anything dropped off the roster of a nation-wide tour opening for Senses Fail and Bemis's favorite band Saves The Day, alongside The Early November. On that tour they were replaced by old tourmates Emanuel.
Say Anything were originally slated to play the 2006 Vans Warped Tour, but instead opted to tour with Dashboard Confessional a second time alongside Ben Lee (in the US) and John Ralston (in Canada). Say Anything has a very close musical relationship with Dashboard and their singer Chris Carrabba has been known to throw bits of the Say Anything song “Woe (The Optimist)” into live jams on his song “Remember To Breathe.” Max even wrote a verse especially for "Remember to Breathe" on their recent tour.
As of now, the band has embark upon a headlining tour of the US, with Piebald, mewithoutyou as openers, and Days Away, Brazil and Forgive Durden as openers on select dates. The tour is called the "Seal the Deal" tour. Due to fan requests, the band will play more rarities and pre-Doghouse material. Previously, Say Anything sets often consisted primarily of abridged versions of the tracklist for ...iaRB. Recently, however, the band began playing songs from the ...Was a Real Boy and For Sale Tour EP, as well as “A Walk Through Hell” from the Menorah/Majora EP.
[edit] Radio Sessions
Say Anything have been known to play a large amount of radio sessions, usually with just Max playing guitar and Coby tapping on a desk. Through the internet, circulation of the bootleg recordings of these sessions has been possible. Recordings of the band's sessions for GTFU Radio, KCPR Radio, and DJ Rossstar have leaked. Also, Max played a solo session for MTV's website (see photo, right.)
[edit] Selected Discography
NOTE: Certain fan bootlegs have been omitted, largely unofficial live recordings, some of which are mentioned in "Radio Sessions." Hence, it is not complete; this discography is mainly for official songs of the band and demos. It has been constructed in the interest of giving the reader a feel for the band's musical progression over the years. For more detailed information on albums, click on the name of the album to see its own Wikipedia article.
[edit] Albums & EPs
| Year | Title | Label |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Junior Varsity EP | Self-released |
| 2001 | Baseball: An Album By Sayanything | Self-released |
| 2003 | Menorah/Majora EP | Self-released (online distribution) |
| 2004 | For Sale Tour EP | Doghouse Records; contains 2 ...iaRB songs plus a re-recording of "Belt" and the songs "We Will Erase All Life On Earth But Us" ( a re-recording of "Mystery Rash") and "Slumming It With Johnny," produced by/featuring backup vocals by Forrest Kline of hellogoodbye. |
| August 13, 2004 | Say Anything ...is a Real Boy | Doghouse Records (DOG108, 13 songs) |
| February 28, 2006 | Say Anything ...was a Real Boy | J Records (Reissue; contains the bonus disc Say Anything ...was a Real Boy, featuring seven of the eight VS. AIDS Demos songs remastered) |
[edit] Singles
| Year | Title | Label |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | "Sappy" | Self-released; Stephen Speaks sings the line in the bridge at 2:58, "Hoping she's sappy just like me/Hope she's unhappy just like me." |
| 2003 | "A Boston Peace (BG Version)" | Self-released (online distribution); produced by Brett Gurewitz of Bad Religion and Epitaph Records. |
| 2004 | "Belt (Acoustic)" | Self-released (online distribution); was slated for release as a 7" single b/w "You Help Them (Acoustic)" |
| 2006 | "Alive With The Glory Of Love (Radio Edit)" | J Records (minor distribution for radio play; soon scrapped in favor of the album version) |
| 2006 | "Alive With The Glory Of Love" | J Records |
[edit] Demos
| Year | Title | Label | Songs |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Baseball Demos | Bootleg release | "That's That," "Colorblind," "Sure, Baby... Hold Back" |
| 2002 | Dormroom Demos | Self-released (online distribution) | "For The Silent," "Until The Bombs," "All This Fashion," "Signal The Riflemen," "The Great Awakening," "A Boston Peace," "The Keg Is Bleeding," "My Bare Hands," "A Certain Type Of Genius," "Nudity," "Dealer" |
| 2003 | Soundclick Demos | Self-released through Soundclick | "Treblinkah," "Yellow Cat (Slash) Red Cat," "The Futile, The Futile, The Futile, The..." |
| 2003 | Florida Demos | Self-released (online distribution) | "But A Fleeting Illness," "Spider Song," "Woe (The Optimist)" |
| 2003 | Say Anything ...is a Real Boy Demos | Self-released (online distribution) | "Belt, "The Writhing South, "Alive With The Glory of Love," "Yellow Cat(Slash) Red Cat," "Tiny Portions, Artful Arbotions," "An Orgy of Critics," "Slowly, Through a Vector," "Molly Conelly," "I Shall Grow," "Admit It!!!" |
| 2004 | Vs. AIDS Demos | Bootleg | "Metal Now," "Most Beautiful Plague," "Total Revenge," "Metaphor Fool," "Phone Sex," "I Will Never Write An Obligatory Song About Being On The Road & Missing Someone," "Don't Dance So Close To Me," "New Pizza" |
| 2000-present | Other demos | Self-released (online/Soundclick distribution)/bootleg release | "But A Fleeting Illness," "Mystery Rash," "The Man In Me (Feat. Chris Connely)," "Thoughts On A Liberal Education" |
[edit] Compilation Tracks
| Compilation | Label | Song(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Doghouse 100 | Doghouse Records | "Spidersong" |
| Paupers, Peasants, Princes and Kings: A Tribute To Bob Dylan | Doghouse Records | "The Man In Me" |
[edit] Miscellaneous Rarities
| Song | Description |
|---|---|
| "Dammit" | Cover of the song by Blink 182, slowed down dramatically |
| "Jessie And My Whetstone" | Cover of the song by Saves The Day |
| "Joel On The Other Planets" | ...iaRB outtake about Max's cynicism compared to his younger brother's innocence |
| "The Presidential Suite (Electric)," "The Presidential Suite (Acoustic)" | A cleverly-titled ("suite" also being a term for a piece of music) number lampooning the people of America for voting Bush. |
| "Thoughts On A Liberal Education" | Max's ode to broken relationships while attending college |
[edit] Appearances By Max Bemis In Other Bands' Songs
| Band | Song | Album | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hot Rod Circuit | "Inhabit" | Reality's Coming Through | Max sings the bridge at 1:40, "This will go nowhere/Why bother/Still live with my mom and father/When I'm with you I am not myself/I'm half man/Far too lost for you to find me/Wasted like the early '90s/Oh you/Only you can bring me back to Earth." |
| The Starting Line | "Ready" | Based On A True Story | Max sings very audible background vocals at various points, "Gonna get ready for you," "I'm ready for you," and "I watch my yellow cat/Hey hey," depending on what part of the song. |
| Armor For Sleep | "Today" | The Killer In You: A Tribute To Smashing Pumpkins | Cover of the song by Smashing Pumpkins. Max sings the bridge, "I want to turn you on/I want to turn you on/I want to turn you on/I want to turn you." |
[edit] References and External links
[edit] Official Sites
- Official Website
- Interview with Max Bemis
- Soundclick (A good place to find many of the band's rarer recordings for free in mp3 format)
- MySpace
- Purevolume
- J Records' Official Website
- Official Online Store
[edit] Fan sites
- Say Anything Facebook Group
- Say Anything Facebook Group
- Official Messageboard (up-to-date on every band-related topic)
- Stalk On (best source of Say Anything guitar tabs, of varying accuracy levels)
NOTE: Many notable and dedicated fansites have existed for the band, such as P.O.M.L. (Proud Of My Life) and the S.A.C. (Say Anything Central). These and similar sites come and go.
