Extra Life is an American experimental band from
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...
,
New York.
Extra Life is known for their unusual rhythms and time signatures and for frontman and composer
Charlie Looker's unique singing style, which often uses
melisma and is inspired by Medieval and
Renaissance music
Renaissance music is traditionally understood to cover European music of the 15th and 16th centuries, later than the Renaissance era as it is understood in other disciplines. Rather than starting from the early 14th-century ''ars nova'', the mus ...
.
History and career
Extra Life was initially a project name for Charlie Looker (previously of
Zs,
Dirty Projectors) and any accompanying artists.
Looker composed all of the music for Extra Life's 2008 debut ''Secular Works'',
which featured Looker alongside drummer Ian Antonio, violist Karen Waltuch, and bassist Tony Gedrich.
Looker composed most parts on 2010's ''
Made Flesh'' and 2011's ''Ripped Heart'' EP, but the recordings included more collaborative work;
by 2012's ''Dream Seeds'', Extra Life had become a trio project, with Caley Monahon-Ward and Nick Podgurski contributing to arrangements and writing their own parts.
Extra Life became known for straddling genres, regularly collaborating live with avant-garde jazz saxophonist Travis Laplante, having songs remixed by
Xiu Xiu, and playing alongside bands like black metal project
Liturgy
Liturgy is the customary public ritual of worship performed by a religious group. As a religious phenomenon, liturgy represents a communal response to and participation in the sacred through activities reflecting praise, thanksgiving, remembra ...
.
Their second album, ''
Made Flesh'', was named one of the best albums of 2010 by ''
The Quietus
''The Quietus'' is a British online music and pop culture magazine founded by John Doran and Luke Turner. The site is an editorially independent publication led by Doran with a group of freelance journalists and critics.
Content
''The Quietu ...
''.
On November 13, 2012, Extra Life officially disbanded, with a statement saying "the inner creative momentum driving the band has stalled."
The band reunited in 2022 to self-release the album ''Secular Works Vol. 2'', featuring a lineup consisting of Looker on voice and guitars, Monahon-Ward on violin and viola,
Toby Driver of
Kayo Dot on electric bass, and Gil Chevigné on drums and percussion.
In 2024, Extra Life announced their fifth full-length, ''The Sacred Vowel'', with Looker and Driver joined by drummer David Bodie and
Timba Harris on violin and viola.
Discography
Studio albums & EPs
References
External links
*
Allmusic biography: Extra Lifebr>
Interview with Charlie Looker in Impose Magazine
on Stereogum
''Stereogum'' is a daily Internet publication that focuses on music news, reviews, interviews, and commentary. The site was created in January 2002 by Scott Lapatine.
''Stereogum'' was one of the first MP3 blogs and has received several awar ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Extra Life (Band)
Northern Spy Records artists
American experimental musical groups
Musical groups from Brooklyn