From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia For Against
For Against
For Against In 1985, For Against debuted on vinyl with the "Auto-
crat"/"It’s a Lie" single, released in a limited run on the
Origin Lincoln, Nebraska, USA band’s own Republic Issue label. This single has become
Genres Alternative rock highly collectible among the group’s fanbase.
Shoegaze In 1987 the band signed to Independent Project
Post-punk Records (IPR), issuing its first full-length Echelons. That
Dream pop
year the band undertook its only full tour to date, pro-
Years active 1984 - 1998 moting Echelons at clubs across the U.S., including CBGB,
2002 - present Maxwell’s, and Chicago’s Cabaret Metro. Echelons re-
Labels Independent Project (IPR) ceived a Grammy nomination for its jacket design, by IPR
Rainbow Quartz head Bruce Licher; each LP in the initial pressing of 1000
Words On Music came with an actual shaft of wheat integrated into the
cover illustration.
Associated acts The Millions
Having received favorable press for the melodic post-
Members punk of Echelons, For Against released a follow-up titled
Jeffrey Runnings (vocals, bass guitar, some guitar, December the next year to equally rave reception. The
1984-present) band lost considerable momentum, however, when Hill
Harry Dingman (guitar, 1984-89; ~2004-present) took his leave, followed shortly thereafter by Dingman
Nick Buller (drums, 2007-present) after a brief attempt at a retooled, four-piece lineup. Hill
Past members and Dingman would soon form The Millions, a melodic
alt-rock outfit with more mainstream leanings than For
Greg Hill (drums, 1984-88) Against.
Steven "Mave" Hinrichs (guitar, ~1990-2003)
Steve Shultz (drums, ~1989-90) Jeffrey Runnings, who had by this time switched from
Paul Engelhard (drums, 1990-2007) bass to guitar, continued on with bassist Jeff Gaskins and
drummer Steve Schultz, playing under the name
For Against are a United States post-punk/pro- Stahlversion for a time before returning to the For
to-shoegaze rock band from Lincoln, Nebraska. Despite Against handle. The band next added second guitarist
numerous lineup shuffles and some periods of dormancy, Stephen "Mave" Hinrichs to the lineup; Hinrichs’ band
the band has produced material steadily from its 1984 in- The Gladstones (formerly Playground), a steady name on
ception to the present. the Lincoln scene, had just broken up. By the end of 1990,
Steve Schultz had been replaced with drummer Paul En-
gelhard. This lineup of For Against released two singles
History (1991 & 1993); all five songs from these singles found
Something of an anomaly in Midwestern America, For their way onto the band’s ’93 album Aperture. This album
Against—especially early in its career—has looked to a also featured six unheard tracks from ’90-’91 recording
distinctly British aesthetic for inspiration, most obvious- sessions, all characterized by a more relaxed, repetitive
ly the post-punk scene exemplified by the early rosters of songwriting style than that found on earlier For Against
the Factory and 4AD record labels. records, making full use of the layering capabilities of the
Featuring members of underground Lincoln bands new two-guitar lineup.
Cartoon Pupils and Hymn to Joy, the band first called it- By the time of Aperture’s release (delayed due to IPR’s
self Glue, and then D.B.L., finally settling on Four Against distribution woes), Jeff Gaskins had left the group; the al-
One,[1] a name that reflected its status as a quintet at bum credits thank Gaskins for his bass playing but do not
the time. Bassist Liz Panarelli’s early departure gave way list him as a band member. Runnings returned to bass,
to keyboardist Jeffrey Runnings’ shift to bass, as well as and For Against has remained a trio ever since.
the band’s truncation of its name to For Against; by 1985 For Against recorded two more albums, Mason’s Cali-
singer Jon Fynbu had departed as well, leaving the core fornia Lunchroom (1995) and Shelf Life (1997).
trio of guitarist Harry Dingman III, drummer Gregory They re-emerged on a new label in 2002 with the al-
Hill, and bassist Jeffrey Runnings, who would become bum Coalesced’. Hinrichs soon left the band and moved to
(with very few exceptions) the band’s sole vocalist and Virginia, leaving the group’s existence in doubt.
lyricist.[2]
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia For Against
In 2004 and 2005, the band’s first two albums were EPs, singles
remastered and reissued on CD, with modified cover art.
• "Autocrat" 7" (1985, Republic Issue) (co-release and/
Original guitarist Dingman rejoined the band, and in 2007
or reissue via IPR?) "Autocrat" mp3
Nick Buller became the new permanent drummer. The
• In The Marshes 10" EP (1990, IPR) (demo recordings
band is currently recording an EP at Fuse Studios.
circa ’86)
The band toured Greece and Spain in 2007 and Italy in
• "You Only Live Twice" 7" (1991, Part Trance)
March 2008.
• "Don’t Do Me Any Favors" 7" (1993, IPR)
Discography Music videos
• Music videos were released for the songs "Autocrat"
Albums and "Echelons," and possibly others.
• Echelons (1987, IPR) (recorded 1986) "Shine" mp3
(reissue: 2004, Words On Music)
• December (1988, IPR) "Sabres" mp3 (reissue: 2005,
External links
Words On Music) • AllMusic Guide entry
• Aperture (1993, Rainbow Quartz/ IPR) (the two ’93 • Review of December at Crawdaddy!
singles/b-sides, + six songs from ’90-91 sessions) • Trouser Press entry
• Mason’s California Lunchroom (1995, Rainbow Quartz/ • Official site
Caroline)
• Shelf Life (1997, IPR/ World Domination) References
• Coalesced (2002, Words On Music)
• Shade Side Sunny Side (2008, Words On Music) [1] Official Site
• Never Been (2009, Words On Music) [2] Official Site
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=For_Against&oldid=440941684"
Categories:
• Musical groups from Nebraska
• Musical groups established in 1984
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