Silversun Pickups is an American indie rock band from Los Angeles, California, comprising Brian Aubert (lead vocals, guitar), Nikki Monninger (bass, vocals), Christopher Guanlao (drums) and Joe Lester (keyboards).
... Silversun Pickups is an American indie rock band from Los Angeles, California, comprising Brian Aubert (lead vocals, guitar), Nikki Monninger (bass, vocals), Christopher Guanlao (drums) and Joe Lester (keyboards).
The band released their debut EP, Pikul, in July 2005, and their debut full-length album, Carnavas, on July 26, 2006. Their second full length album, Swoon, was released on April 14, 2009.
History:
The band members are friends who had played together previously or in mutual friends' bands. They got their start in many of the most important L.A. clubs, most often at Silverlake Lounge or nearby Spaceland, and began to draw a strong following upon the release of the Pikul EP.
The band originated in L.A.'s Silver Lake music scene, home of Elliott Smith, Rilo Kiley and others. They were originally called A Couple Of Couples. Their current name comes from a liquor and convenience store across from the Silverlake Lounge and near their house at Sunset and Silverlake Blvds in Los Angeles. In interviews, however, the band often say their name is more of "a state of mind," supposedly from living so close to everything an L.A.-based indie rock band would need late at night. For Pikul, fellow Silverlaker Tanya Haden was enlisted to play cello.
Carnavas:
On September 26, 2006, the band released their debut full-length album Carnavas. Two of the album's four singles, "Lazy Eye" and "Well Thought Out Twinkles," would hit the top 10 of the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart in 2007. The band finished a three-week tour opening for Australian rockers Wolfmother on December 9, 2006, and later toured with OK Go and Snow Patrol on their U.S. spring tour, which ended on April 10, 2007. The band also played at the Coachella Music Festival in Indio, California on April 27, 2007 and would play various concerts for Modern Rock formatted radio stations in the US throughout the year.
Their song "Lazy Eye" is featured on Guitar Hero: World Tour as well as Rock Band 2. Songs from their newest album, titled Swoon, will be available for download just before the release of the new album via Guitar Hero: World Tour.
A remix of "Lazy Eye" by Adam Freeland was featured on his compilation Global Underground 032: Mexico City.
The band also toured the UK and Ireland while Carnavas was released there on May 28, 2007. They opened for Foo Fighters in Edinburgh, Scotland, and Dublin, Ireland. They also opened for the Kaiser Chiefs during their European tour.
"Table Scraps", the b-side from the Future Foe Scenario's single, was featured on the compilation album Give. Listen. Help. Volume 5, which was released on October 14, 2008.
Swoon:
It was announced through Alternative Press Magazine Issue #243 that the band's second album would be titled Swoon. It includes 10 tracks and, instead of having a straightforward mid-tempo sound, "some songs are very quiet and delicate, [while] others are just fucking loud." (Brian Aubert) The album was released on April 14, 2009 to positive reviews. It debuted at #7 selling over 42,000 copies. The first single released was "Panic Switch".
