The current line-up formed in Lincoln, NE in 1998. Numerous shows, college radio support, recording sessions, and collaborations resulted in a growing following. The Duracraft EP was recorded in their strict DIY methodology, and sets refined to accommodate the swelling sounds that had begun to formulate.
Seeking a more musically intoned environment in which to pursue their vision, The Prids relocated to Portland, OR in the year 2000. Ecstatic reviews followed their first lives shows in Portland as well as their release of the Duracraft EP in its final form. The Portland Mercury's Compact Disc of Sound compilation showcasing numerous local acts included The Prids track "Persona Solara," which was subsequently chosen to promote the disc on a local radio station. Live shows continued to growing audiences.
Musical comparisons naturally followed. Often likened to The Cure or Joy Division, The Prids do not easily fall into a self-category. Dark attire, strobe lighting, and smoke machines hint toward the gothic arena, however, the truth is to be found in the music itself. Manic to poignant guitar work, experimental bass manipulations supported by acoustic and digital percussion provide a sonic backbone in tandem with vocals of a literary tangibility. And equally as varied. Sultry echoes of reminiscence and regret, layered refractions of dual harmonies, to hysteric retaliation of realized abuse. From Kraut-rock intelligence to synth-pop accessibility, the immediacy of punk rock, to gut-level experimentalism. And all points in between. Categories attained and defied with every step. The truth is in The Prids music itself.
At the time of this writing, The Prids are going deep into hibernation to record their first full-length album, tentatively titled Raw Candidates for Heaven, inside their own living quarters/studio. All else is future...
A live webcast show of The Prids perfoming at the Satyricon in Portland, OR can be seen at: www.dcn.com/bands/bands_pages/prids_5611.shtml
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For more information, contact: The Prids 503.786.0375 theprids@earthlink.net
From the Press
LOSE MY BREATH
The Prids: A Lovely Kick in the Gut
by Julianne Shepherd
DO YOU REMEMBER the first time you heard Joy Division, or My Bloody Valentine, or any musician who's dark and somehow literary, but also instinctual? Remember how you felt--like there was some heavy thing pressing on your chest, this new beautiful melancholy, this strange and wonderful sepia-toned sound, and maybe you didn't really know where it came from, but it was new and fascinating and electric?
I remember that feeling. It's few and far between, but I got that super-dark shiver again, last Monday (Aug 14). And it was better this time, because it was live, in Portland, at Satyricon's New Band Night (NBN), of all places.
Admit it; most people aren't likely to go to NBN at any club, unless it's their neighbors' band that's playing, or there's some really cheap deal on Schlitz. And, to be honest with you, I wasn't expecting anything good, except for the somewhat amusing possibility of seeing some bands that haven't yet traded in their Alice in Chains CD collections. If I hadn't promised I'd be there in a previous Mercury (Up & Coming, Aug 10), I probably wouldn't have gone. But I'm glad I did.
It really seemed like the NBN angels had come down and bestowed a special treat upon the 30-or-so attendees. Vibrant punk openers Try and Step on Her had contagious energy in the way Superchunk used to, pre-On The Mouth. Mortal Clay, who played second, were eerie-cute goths, adorably complex like Lenore or a Dame Darcy drawing (more about both bands coming in future issues).
Then there were The Prids. Holy fucking shit. You have got to see this band, right now.
Imagine if My Bloody Valentine and New Order decided to collaborate when they were both at their peaks. They'd make magenta-charged electro-wave, a crashing of static guitars with a heavily delicate synth
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