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| Plankeye > Albums & Lyrics |
Plankeye is:...........................
Guitar/Vocals - Eric Balmer
Bass/Vocals - Luis Garcia
Drums - Louie Ruiz
Guitar - Kevin Poush
"Power Pop". What a decieving term. The first time I heard it, I got a horrid mental picture of Michael Jackson or the Spice Girls playing guitars...not too long after that, I heard a demo of Plankeye in my local "Jesus Junk Store" and, thankfully, I was wrong. :-} The band falls right smack in the middle of "Power Pop" bringing us a solid original sound.
(Power Pop: a term to describe a guitar-driven form of what used to be "alternative" until it hit mainstream that includes many musical influences including but far from limited to punk, post punk, and a seattle sound..)
They started off as a 3 piece punk band consisting of Scott Silletta (vocals/guitar), Adam Ferry (Drums), and Luis Garcia (bass). Shortly after the recording of Spill, Eric Balmer (guitar) joined as a second guitar player. He was included in the linear notes of Spill regardless since he was part of the band. They remained a 4 piece band for approximately six years. After the release of their fourth album, the One and Only, Plankeye went on a headlining tour that included opening bands Seven Day Jesus and Fold Zandura. It was during this time that long time friend of the band, Ryan Denee, joined to play guitar so Scott could focus on vocals while on tour. Late spring/early summer 1998, Scott, Adam, and Ryan left the band. Ryan left to play for Stavesacre. Scott left due to touring pressured; he now has a solo band called Fanmail. Adam had announced his leaving in advance to build a youth minestry. Luis and Eric have continued on with Plankeye, rebuilding it from its roots into a more mature sound. For about two years they continued to play and develop their sound as a duo while using various fill-ins to play drums and the second guitar for them. In July 1999 they made Louie Ruiz (formerly of Appleseed Cast) their new drummer. Six months later, in January 2000, they completed their new lineup with Kevin Poush (formerly from Story of Susana) as second guitarist.
Their first CD Spill was originally a demo. Musically, it is mostly punk driven, and definatly the hardest and most raw Plankeye album; lyrically, Spill is a bit weak, but if you enjoy punk (said rather losely), the music compensates for the weak lyrics. Their second release, The Spark has a slight (but noticable) punk influence although it varies from slow to near hardcore. The Spark was also their first full budget CD. Their third CD, Commonwealth, dropped some of the punk influence to bring a sometimes grungish, sometimes emo sound approaching the likes of Nirvana. Their fourth CD, The One and Only is not as fast or heavy as their previous three. Despite this, Plankeye still brings out a solid rock/pop sound, with improved vocals and intelligent lyrics. The latest release from Plankeye is titled Relocation, a fitting title for all the changes that have happened to Plankeye in the last year. Musically, it is mellower and more mature then their previous albums, although they rock out on a few tracks. Influences range from their old punk roots, emo, indie rock (e.g. "Break My Fall" influenced by Pedro the Lion, "You Got It" influenced by old school punk acts, etc). These intertwined with a changed but signature sound, Plankeye comes back with possibly their best release yet. The Relocation lyrics are the most obvious since Spark, while still the most intelligent introspective lyrics to date. ("I never took the time to stop and realize that death takes many forms, even while alive." - Goodbye). The band has a new CD titled Strange Exchage that should be out in Febuary.
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