experimental rock
Experimental rock, also called avant-rock, is a subgenre of rock music that pushes the boundaries of common composition and performance technique or which experiments with the basic elements of the genre. Artists aim to liberate and innovate, with ...
band from
Morristown, New Jersey
Morristown () is a town and the county seat of Morris County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.blues and
psychedelic
Psychedelics are a subclass of hallucinogenic drugs whose primary effect is to trigger non-ordinary states of consciousness (known as psychedelic experiences or "trips").Pollan, Michael (2018). ''How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science ...
influences. Trophy Scars began as a
post-hardcore
Post-hardcore is a punk rock music genre that maintains the aggression and intensity of hardcore punk but emphasizes a greater degree of creative expression. It was initially inspired by post-punk and noise rock. Like post-punk, the term has bee ...
group but has since embraced broader genres.
Trophy Scars song catalog is embossed by major themes such as time, memory, language, and romantic tragedy. Known for their intimate live shows and independent booking techniques, Trophy Scars evokes a strong DIY ethic.
Biography
Trophy Scars was formed by
Jerry Jones
Jerral Wayne Jones (born October 13, 1942) is an American businessman who has been the owner, president, and general manager of the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL) since February 1989.
Early life
Jones was born in Los Ange ...
(vocals), John Ferrara (guitar), and Brian Ferrara (drums) in June 2002. Originally, the band was developed as a passion project only to last the duration of that particular summer. After several years, and passing through several musicians, the group, which eventually included long standing members Joshua Weinstein on bass and Mike Schipper on guitar, began playing local shows and gaining a modest but dedicated following. When fans presented a high demand for recorded material, Trophy Scars decided to establish themselves as a serious music group.
Trophy Scars signed to Brooklyn-based record label, the Death Scene Recording Company (US), in 2005 and with Small Town Records (UK) in 2007. However, in 2009 they were no longer contractually obligated to either label and decided to release all forthcoming material independently. The band cited having complete control over their art and work schedule as a major reason for doing so.
Since 2002, Trophy Scars has incurred multiple member changes. The core group remain intact, however; Jerry Jones, John Ferrara, and Brian Ferrara are still concrete players, as well as Andy Farrell, who has been playing bass with the group since 2005. Studio personnel is also a rotating door of auxiliary musicians with producer, Chris Badami, as the sole stationary component to all of Trophy Scars' albums. Badami acts as the "fifth" Trophy Scars member; as Jones cites: "(He is) our
George Martin
Sir George Henry Martin (3 January 1926 – 8 March 2016) was an English record producer, arranger, composer, conductor, and musician. He was commonly referred to as the " Fifth Beatle" because of his extensive involvement in each of the B ...
."
Trophy Scars have released four full-length records, four EPs, a single, and a compilation of demos and unreleased material. Their first full-length, ''Darts to the Sea'', was recorded in John Ferrara's basement using primitive sound engineering equipment. The record was released in 2003 and reissued in 2006 with a companion disc, ''Sand in the Sea'', which included unreleased b-sides and demos from 2003-2004. Trophy Scars gained the attention of critics with their second release, ''Hospital Music for the Aesthetics of Language'' EP in 2004. The EP was the first output they recorded with Chris Badami and saw the band taking an unconventional, progressive approach to post-hardcore. The EP was reissued with new packaging and artwork in 2007.
Trophy Scars followed ''Hospital Music'' with a second EP, ''Goodnight Alchemy'', in 2005. ''Goodnight Alchemy'' was another turning point for the band; the EP was markedly much more dense and heavy than its predecessor. It was also the first Trophy Scars effort distributed by a label (The Death Scene Recording Company). 2006 saw the release of their second full-length album, ''Alphabet. Alphabets.'' Trophy Scars demonstrated a conglomeration of different musical genres and styles while still retaining their unique take on post-hardcore. Following the release, the group became a full-time touring band when Jones graduated from Fordham University.
In mid-2007, Trophy Scars rented a beach house in Charleston, South Carolina to begin work on their follow-up full length to ''Alphabets.'' The band was heavily influenced by the warm climate, the city's nightlife, and
psychedelia
Psychedelia refers to the psychedelic subculture of the 1960s and the psychedelic experience. This includes psychedelic art, psychedelic music and style of dress during that era. This was primarily generated by people who used psychedelic dr ...
. Yet again, Trophy Scars readjusted their sound; this time to a blues-centric style. Jones titled the album ''Bad Luck'' as a reaction to the death of his best friend, Ben Brown. When the writing was completed for ''Bad Luck'', the band invested their savings into a European tour, but was canceled last minute by the headlining act. Unable to get a refund on their European travel expenses and with their recording contract with the Death Scene dissolved, the band could not afford to tour or raise money for the album. The band was forced to go on an indefinite hiatus with no foreseeable plans to release ''Bad Luck''. Trophy Scars fans, however, banded together and started the "Bad Luck Foundation", which allowed internet users to donate money to the band. Within a month, Trophy Scars was financially stable and able to record their third full-length. In September 2009, Trophy Scar supported Fear Before and Baptized in Blood on a full Canadian tour titled "The Hunt for Shred October". In January 2010, ''Bad Luck'' was named the 10th best album of 2009 by popular music critic website,
Sputnik Music
Sputnikmusic is an American music community website offering music criticism and music news alongside features commonly associated with wiki-style websites. The format of the website is unusual in that it includes both professional and amateur c ...
.
Eight months after the release of ''Bad Luck'', Trophy Scars put out a
7" vinyl
In music, a single is a type of release, typically a song recording of fewer tracks than an LP record or an album. One can be released for sale to the public in a variety of formats. In most cases, a single is a song that is released separate ...
split with the Saddest Landscape. The offering included a new, orchestral song, "August, 1980", inspired by Bram Stoker's Dracula and the Saddest Landscape's "So Lightly Thrown." Trophy Scars released the EP, ''Darkness, Oh Hell'', in October 2010. The album is a further throwback to the blues and psychedelic rock music of the late 1960s while retaining a sinister edge. ''Darkness, Oh Hell'' was included in Sputnik Music's Top 50 Albums of 2010 as one of the best EPs of the year.
Trophy Scars released the follow-up to ''Darkness, Oh Hell'', another EP, titled ''Never Born, Never Dead'' on July 19, 2011. The EP serves as the counter-piece to ''Darkness, Oh Hell'' and is much more uplifting musically and lyrically. The concept revolves around the several lives of two souls fixed in love through reincarnation. Although a departure in sound from the previous two releases, ''Never Born, Never Dead'' was met with strong praise and elected the #1 Best EP of the Year by Sputnik Music users.
The band announced they would be releasing their forthcoming full length, ''Holy Vacants'', April 8, 2014 via Monotreme Records. The LP is a linear concept involving a romantic couple who have discovered
The Fountain of Youth
The Fountain of Youth is a mythical spring which allegedly restores the youth of anyone who drinks or bathes in its waters. Tales of such a fountain have been recounted around the world for thousands of years, appearing in the writings of Herod ...
in the blood cells of angels. Jones states the album was heavily influenced by an intense personal relationship, his brief relocation to Los Angeles, and film director
David Lynch
David Keith Lynch (born January 20, 1946) is an American filmmaker, visual artist and actor. A recipient of an Academy Honorary Award in 2019, Lynch has received three Academy Award nominations for Best Director, and the César Award for Be ...
.
A DVD containing videos that span their career, as well as documentary footage and a live concert recorded in November, 2010, is presumably in the works for an undetermined release date.
''Astral Pariah'', the band's first album in 7 years, was released September 10, 2021. The 9-track concept album, which was entirely self-produced and mixed, tells the story of a family during the post-Civil War era of western expansion.
Members
Current
*Jerry Jones - vocals
*John Ferrara - guitar, vocals
*Brian Ferrara - drums, vocals, extra percussion
*Andy Farrell - bass, vocals
*Gray Reinhard - piano
Adam Moutafis (former member) - guitar and piano
Discography
*''Darts to the Sea'' (Over and Out Records, 2003)
*''Hospital Music for the Aesthetics of Language'' (Independent, 2004)
*''Goodnight Alchemy'' (The Death Scene Recording Company, 2005)
*''Darts to the Sea / Sand in the Sea'' (AoA Records, 2006)
*''Alphabet. Alphabets.'' (The Death Scene Recording Company, 2006)
*''Hospital Music for the Aesthetics of Language'' (Reap What You Sew, 2007)
*''Bad Luck'' (Independent, 2009)
*''7" Split w/ The Saddest Landscape'' (Bear Records, 2009)
*''Darkness, Oh Hell'' (Independent, 2010)
*''Never Born, Never Dead'' (Independent, 2011)
*''Holy Vacants'' (Monotreme Records, 2014)
*''Astral Pariah'' (Gruesome Twosome Records, 2021)