Action Action
Biography
Clarke Foley - Vocals & BassAdam Manning - Guitar
Dan Leo - Drums & Percussion
Mark Thomas Kluepfel - Vocals & Keyboards
With fifty thousand records sold of their debut album, Don't Cut Your Fabric to This Year's Fashion, ink in publications like New York Newsday, Alternative Press, and Outburn and extensive touring, Action Action is ready for a second helping. They recently completed work on their sophomore release, An Army of Shapes Between Wars for Victory Records; the new album hits stores on January 24th, 2006. The band formed in 2004 from the ashes of The Reunion Show, Count The Stars and Diffuser. The chemistry between its' members was immediately apparent – they were soon in the studio recording their debut album, released September 14, 2004 to raves from the likes of Long Island Press, who described it as, "...a dark, moody, melodic voyage into a world of buzzing '80s electronica and chainsaw guitars..."
Action Action spent the majority of 2004 & 2005 on tour – a lifestyle that is not without its hard times and low moments. Mark Thomas Kluepfel, singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, explains, "Most of the record was written on tour in the back of our death cart (van) on my laptop, twice, to be specific. The first set of songs was written on my previous laptop, which was stolen along with everything else I owned, after a show in Chicago. That left me to reconstruct as much as possible, and in some cases, start over."
Kluepfel's razor sharp pop sensibilities and love of offbeat audio came into play on every song on An Army of Shapes Between Wars. Building guitar pedals and synthesizers for particular songs on the album gives it individuality sonically that is a perfect compliment to the dreamy, stream-of-consciousness nature of the lyrics. These qualities come alive when explained by Kluepfel, "An Army...is like waking up after an intense dream knowing all the secrets, only to fall asleep and let your world of answers end."
Kluepfel calls An Army of Shapes Between Wars, "The other 90% of the iceberg we saw with the last album. I think the brutal honesty of past mistakes are evident in the dark melodies and chord structures, but a sense of optimism can be felt in some of the lyrics, like "Everything I Have Is In Front Of Me" from "Smoke and Mirrors". Returning to the studio with William Wittman (legendary producer of Cyndi Lauper) felt right as they expanded musically from where they left off on the last album.
For this outing, the band added more layers of synths, strings, and programming to compliment the raucous drumming and steady rock guitars on tracks like "Smoke and Mirrors", "Paper Cliche" and "Sleep Paralysis". Then there are songs that exploit the desire to finally hit the bottom of the stairwell after a long, long fall. The Blanket Truth" is an ambient yet melodic ballad that off-sets the band's almost-orchestral waltz, "Attached To The Fifth Story".
Action Action are filming a video for "The Game" with director Travis Kopach, who is known for his surreal interpretations of Straylight Run's anti-war song, "Hands In The Sky (Big Shot)". Look for it to hit MTV and Fuse in January 2006, while the band hits the road in support of this fantastic new release.
Action Action, like most bands, is continually evolving, but their particular evolution showcases a depth and richness with each effort would be the envy of any one attempting the same thing. Pop punk gave way to power pop which in turn gave way to synth-driven rock and dancey dark wave songs that make it impossible to listen impassively. An Army of Shapes Between Wars breaks down the barriers between genres with a smash.
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