Formed from the shell of a Go-Go’s cover band named Raspberry Bang, SWIRLIES began their life in Boston/Cambridge, Massachusetts in the summer of 1990. The original band featured Damon Tutunjian (guitar/vocals), Seana Carmody (guitar/vocals), Andy Bernick (bass), and Ben Drucker (drums). SWIRLIES played live for the very first time on 25 January 1991 at The Alcove in Allston, MA. In these early years, SWIRLIES wandered the Northeastern Megalopolis with other like-minded people, releasing 7″ records through the kindness of Slumberland, Pop Narcotic, Cinderblock, and other labels. Billy Ruane was often there. In June 1992, SWIRLIES signed to then-Boston-based Taang! Records. The first two Taang! releases, the ‘What to Do About Them’ EP (a collection of previous 7″s and new tracks) and ‘Blondertongue Audiobaton’ LP, were created and recorded by the original members plus other mysterious entities. Our dependence on sacred symbols (embodied by The Ostrich, The Number 11, The One Who Speaks Abstractly On Recordings, and others) began at approximately this time. Sadly, none of these symbols protected us from The Curse.

The first of many roilings of personnel came in early 1993. Morgan Andrews (MADBOX, ROCK/PAPER/SCISSORS) took over bass-related duties and infused them with his own blend of irritating noise. It was this SWIRLIES arrangement that made a video with Linsey Herman (CAKE AND COMMERCE) for the song “Bell”, and embarked on the band’s first US tour in a stinking minivan filled with fashion magazines. Andy later returned to join Morgan and the band and SWIRLIES explored the sensual realm of bands with two bass players. Forthwith, Morgan became disgusted and disappeared into the oblivion of anarchist puppetry. Ben Drucker was ousted (unwisely) and went on to use his mind and condensible drum kit quite productively. Around the time that ‘Brokedick Car’ EP was released, Anthony signed on.

After our first small tour of Europe in January 1994, Seana left to form the now defunct SYRUP USA, and guitar/singing duties were taken over by Christina Files. With this group, ‘They Spent Their Wild Youthful Days In The Glittering World Of The Salons’ LP was conceived and recorded over two years at various studios. Anthony was dispensed with in late 1995, and Gavin McCarthy (KARATE) took over the battery. Gavin was with us for 1.95 US tours, and spent the remaining 0.05 of the second tour solo-driving his white Econoline across the country (mercifully with the rest of us in it) and out of our lives forever. The drummerless SWIRLIES played a few liberating analog/digital shows as a trio (Damon-Christina-Andy) before being joined by drummer Adam Pierce (IRIS, DYLAN GROUP, MICE PARADE).

In 1997, Christina left for other pursuits (including VICTORY AT SEA, MARY TIMONY, WAR BUBBLE, and recording/sound excellence). The ‘Strictly East Coast Sneaky Flute Music’ LP (our last for Taang!) was released thereafter. This record featured remixes of ‘Salons’ LP material, and new pieces heavily influenced by Scituate, Massachusetts. “Free” from contractual obligations, SWIRLIES were next joined by guitarist Rob ‘(The) Doctor Laasoko’ Laakso (WICKED FARLEYS, KURT VILE AND THE VIOLATORS)

In September 2002, SWIRLIES added the incredible Kevin Shea (TALIBAM!, COPTIC LIGHT, SEXY THOUGHTS) to the “Damon-Andy-Rob” arrangement, plus Vanessa Downing (WICKED FARLEYS) and our old collaborator Ron Rege, for a fun but challenging (thanks to KL) two-week tour of England and the Netherlands mostly with THE TELESCOPES, and a show in London where we were THE MICROPHONES’ backing band for a song. Marmite sustained us. For most of the early 2000s, SWIRLIES maintained a roughly “Damon-Andy-Rob-Adam” arrangement, while also taking on Mike Walker (LILYS), Ken Bernard (WICKED FARLEYS, RA RA RIOT), Kara Tutunjian, our old comrade Seana Carmody, Deb Warfield (PURE SUNRAY, GOLD MUSE), Doro Tachler (IGLOO), Avery Matthews, and Junko Hemmi (CANDYCANE). These people and others helped make and/or perform songs that became ‘Cats of The Wild, Volume 2′, the mini-album, EP, or whatever it was (Bubble Core Records, released 25 March 2003). Subsequently, there was some touring with a “Damon-Rob-Adam-Mike-Doro-and-very-rarely-with-bird-researchin’-Andy” arrangement, but this ended when Damon moved to Parts Midwest (followed by Sweden) to find better living through psycholinguistics.

Since 2009, SWIRLIES have mainly toured in odd-numbered years, including: a smattering of northeastern US shows (mislabeled “reunions”) in 2009 and 2011 with a “Damon-Rob-Andy-Adam-Deb-Shep-plus guests” arrangement; a longer July 2013 tour supporting Kurt Vile and the Violators with a “Damon-Rob-Deb-Adam” arrangement, plus new recruit Elliott Malvas (YOU’RE JOVIAN, THE SEEERS) on bass, and appearances by Andy (DC) and Christina (Brooklyn); a 2015 eastern US/Canada tour in honor of our 25th year (the Silver Ostrich Anniversary) with a “Damon-Andy-Adam-Rob/Elliott” arrangement, along with founding member Seana Carmody (REINDEER, NIGHT SPELLS) and former sound engineer Adam Cooke; and a 2017 west coast and desert tour with Cruel Summer (SF) and a “Damon-Deb-Andy-Elliott-Adam-and-Rob-in-Portland-only” arrangement and sound engineer Dan Gonzales. (In 2017, Ron Rege sang SSD’s “Glue” with us during our LA show on account of the laptop that contained our CS-80 emulator falling over, thereby rendering it impossible to play any synth songs [courtesy of The Curse].)

The odd-year skein was broken in September/October 2018: a Texas-to-Boston tour in support of NOTHING, with a “Damon-Deb-Elliott-Adam” arrangement, new conscript Wesley Bunch (SUBURBAN LIVING) filling in on bass, and junior year sound engineer Dan Gonzales. In July 2016, a new track (featuring new Swedish conscripts Viktor Hober and Anna Bergvall) was released by Joyful Noise Recordings as part of a subscription, flexi-only series. In September 2018, we released the “Swirlies’ Magic Strop: Tonight…”12” EP on red and black vinyl, a collection of Part Time Punks radio sessions and a new song. In 2020, all SWIRLIES releases since 2003, including “Cats of the Wild, Volume 2” and the SWIRLIES’ MAGIC STROP series (mostly live recordings) are available via Bandcamp. Taang! Records, who still own our older releases, occasionally reissue those records on vinyl – usually against our will and wishes, and with godawful art when they try to slip things out under the radar.

Frankie Rose Official Website

w0rmh0les is Brooklyn-based musician/producer Christina Files. She is formerly of War Bubble, Swirlies and others. Her music features a wide range of instruments, including synthesizers and samplers, which are used to create rich, textured compositions that are both immersive and otherworldly. Production and recording work includes art/post punk bands Explode Into Colors, Talk Normal, The New Bloods & Erase Errata.

With a sound that splits the difference between heavy metal darkness and shimmering shoegaze beauty, the Philadelphia band Nothing revolves around the songs and vision of Domenic Palermo. The group’s walls of distorted guitars and pummeling drums are topped by angelic vocal harmonies and thoughtful lyrics. Their debut album, 2014’s Guilty of Everything, struck a chord with metal and shoegaze fans, and while subsequent albums dialed back the heaviness, they replaced it with a soaring pop sound and some soul-searching lyrics, particularly on 2018’s Dance on the Blacktop, which dealt with Palermo’s health issues.

After going through a violent period in his life that resulted in him doing two years in jail for attempted murder and aggravated assault, former Horror Show member Palermo found himself searching for change. His internal struggles began to manifest themselves musically as Nothing, a shimmery shoegaze project that found Palermo infusing the genre with a touch of his hardcore intensity and some metal heaviness. The group’s debut EP, Downward Years to Come, was released in late 2012 by A389 Records. After signing to Relapse Records in 2013, Nothing (now including Brandon Setta on guitar, Chris Betts on bass, and Kyle Kimball on drums) made their full-length debut with Guilty of Everything, which was released on the label in early 2014. After a busy year of touring, the band released a split single with fellow noisegazers Whirr on Run for Cover Records in November.

Before they were able to start work on their second record, Palermo was severely beaten after a show in Oakland, California, which resulted in a long hospital stay and spells of vertigo that lingered into the recording sessions. With the help of producer Will Yip and some perseverance, Tired of Tomorrow was ready for release on the newly formed label Collect Records. Before that happened, they were shocked to find that the label was funded by the notorious pharmaceutical executive Martin Shkreli and fought to get out of their deal. They were successful and were able to rejoin Relapse and the less metal, more alt-rock-sounding Tired of Tomorrow was finally released in May 2016.

Palermo’s brush with death led to more health tests that revealed he had the early stages of CTE, a degenerative brain disease brought on by numerous head injuries. This diagnosis colored the lyrics of the songs he wrote for the group’s next album, 2018’s Dance on the Blacktop. With new bassist Aaron Heard in tow, Nothing headed to Woodstock to work in a church turned studio with veteran alt-rock producer John Agnello, and recorded an album with the emotional weight of their debut and the smooth sheen of the second, but made more dramatic by Palermo’s struggles. After the release of the record, the band’s lineup underwent a major shift with long-time guitarist Setta replaced by Cloakroom ‘s Doyle Martin.

The new lineup began work on the group’s next album in early 2020, just as the U.S. began lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic. They headed to a studio outside of Philadelphia and ended up quarantining together with producer Will Yip for five weeks as they recorded what became their fourth album, The Great Dismal. Overdubs were later added by harpist Mary Lattimore , violinist Shelley Weiss, and Alex G . The finished product was released in November of 2020 and recaptured the heavy textures of their debut while showing off the refined melodic sensibilities they’d honed over the years. ~ Gregory Heaney & Tim Sendra, Rovi