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the Felix Culpa | |
|---|---|
 Press Photo, November, 2010 | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Beloit,Wisconsin andRockford,Illinois, USA |
| Genres | Indie rock Post-hardcore Progressive rock Experimental rock |
| Years active | 2003–2011, 2014-present |
| Labels | No Sleep Records |
| Members | Marky Hladish Joel Coan Tristan Hammond Dustin Currier |
| Past members | Jacob Clark Justin Uppenkamp Timothy Wisniewski |
| Website | theFelixCulpa.com |
The Felix Culpa was a four-piece band fromRockford, Illinois on theIllinois/Wisconsin border. Best described as a Progressive Indie band withpost-hardcore elements, they had released two full-length albums ("Commitment" and "Sever Your Roots"), an EP/DVD combo ("Thought Control"), a digital EP ("SoSo Remission") and were signed toNo Sleep Records. The band has since broken up and they played their last show on December 9, 2011, though later staging a live reunion in 2014.
The band originally started life in the spring of 1998 as "twostepsback", formed by Timothy Wisniewski, Mark Hladish, and Joel Coan as teens. They met at a series of youth groups inWalworth andBeloit,Wisconsin. Mark and Timothy had a love for "good"indie/punk music. Their goal was to write thought-provoking lyrics matched by music with exceptional time signatures and arrangements. After a short time of playing together and exchanging ideas, Mark introduced Timothy to Joel Coan, saying, "He is one of the most talented musicians in this hemisphere."[citation needed] twostepsback played together for just under two years. Timothy was asked to leave the band due to irreconcilable differences. Through a series of line-up changes (including the mutual departure of second vocalist Jacob Clark and bassist Justin Uppenkamp), Mark and Joel eventually added Tristan Hammond as their bassist and backing vocalist in late 2003/early 2004; Tristan had, by this time, formed a friendship with both Mark and Joel due to their bands playing shows together.
The name "The Felix Culpa" loosely translates to "the fortunate fault", "the blessed fault", "the fortunate fall", or "the happy mistake", and it refers toAdam and Eve's fall throughoriginal sin; it was taken fromJohn Milton'sParadise Lost.
Also called 'The Black EP', this was The Felix Culpa's first recorded release. Featuring 4 songs, the third track, "Numbers", would eventually see re-release on 'Commitment' with an updated recording and mix.
The Felix Culpa's debut full-length release,Commitment (2004,Common Cloud Records), rapidly evolved them into a band with near-national distribution and attention from a rabid fan base.
Commitment's release show took place at Mad Planet (Milwaukee, WI) withEngine Down andThese Arms Are Snakes, September 18, 2004.
For their second release, The Felix Culpa releasedTHOUGHTCONTROL (2005,Common Cloud Records) - anEP/DVD combo that featured 4 new songs, a video for "A Murderer" (Commitment), a live set at theKnights of Columbus,Arlington Heights,IL, and roughly 2 hours of random tour footage.
The release show forTHOUGHTCONTROL was held at the very sameKnights of Columbus hall during the later half of 2005.
After a long, quiet period, 2009 held the release of a digitalEP calledSoSo Remission. The release consisted of two re-worked songs and a previously unheard track and was offered up for free; the band also had a link to donate to theirPayPal if you felt so inclined; it was comparable to the model thatRadiohead used for the release of their 7th album,In Rainbows.SoSo Remission was intended to tide fans over until a new full-length could be finished.
On January 23, 2010, The Felix Culpa released their 2nd full-length album,Sever Your Roots, to a crowd of 800 people at theMetro inChicago,IL. The album was completely self-funded and self-released; theCD was wrapped in packaging cut from a customdie and is now out of print.
The doubleLP on vinyl, which was released the same day, is available in two colours - clear and black - and is still in print.
Sever Your Roots is being re-released onNo Sleep Records in early 2011, which includes a 2nd, bonus disc with 3 previously unreleased songs.
The band has been featured inAlternative Press Magazine more than half a dozen times, making appearances in sections such as "100 Bands to Know," and "Top 10 Songs Over 10 Minutes Long."The publication gaveCommitment a 4/5 rating and hailed it as a "Post-Hardcore masterpiece" and "one of 2004's most underrated full-lengths," as well as stating that the follow-up EP,Thought Control, had "a better sense of melody, dissonance and all-aroundimportance than whatever you're currently listening to."
The biggest surge of attention from the press for The Felix Culpa has come with the release of 2010'sSever Your Roots, however. The album has been making its way into numerous end-of-year lists123, as well as receiving critical praise from a plethora of music magazines and blogs.
| Year | Title | Label |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Commitment | Common Cloud Records |
| 2010 | Sever Your Roots | self-released |
| Year | Title | Label |
|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Ancoro Imparo | self-released |
| 2005 | Thought Control | Common Cloud Records |
| 2009 | SoSo Remission EP | digital-only |
| Year | Title | Label |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Songs of Farewell and Departure: A Tribute To HUM | Pop Up Records |
