Generationals

Generationals
Background information
Origin New Orleans, Louisiana
Genres New wave, indie pop
Years active 2008 - present
Labels Polyvinyl, Park the Van
Associated acts The Eames Era
Website www.generationals.com
Members Grant Widmer (vocals/guitars)
Ted Joyner (vocals/guitars)

Generationals are an American new wave duo formed in New Orleans, Louisiana. The duo, consisting of Ted Joyner and Grant Widmer, released their debut album, Con Law, in July 2009. An EP, Trust, followed in November 2010. Their second full-length album, Actor-Caster was released on March 29, 2011.[1] The band's third album, Heza, was released April 2, 2013 (their debut for Polyvinyl Records).

Biography

Ted Joyner and Grant Widmer were co-founders of The Eames Era, a Baton Rouge-based indie rock band whose song, "Could Be Anything," was featured on the Grey's Anatomy soundtrack.[2] The band broke up when three members decided they no longer wanted to pursue careers as musicians.[2] The remaining members, Joyner and Widmer, formed a new band called the Generationals, so named because as they often watched CNN's coverage of the 2008 presidential election as they recorded, the pair noticed that nearly every issue was dubbed a generational issue.[3]

Generationals released their debut album Con Law in July 2009 on the Park the Van label. Joyner and Widmer wrote the music and recorded the album with studio manager Dan Black.[4] Mark Deming of Allmusic said the album's songs "are good enough to not suffer in comparison to the vintage acts they so clearly love, and that's why this debut is worthwhile, even if you're not nostalgic for the era of the sideways haircut."[5] Andy Gensler of T: The New York Times Style Magazine called the album a "delectable debut" that "shimmers with the music of the British Invasion, Stax soul, Wall of Sound production, 1950s doo-wop and California-dreaming jangle filtered through a contemporary indie-rock lens."[6] Spin's Jon Young said that although the duo's "cheery facade ultimately doesn't overcome the gnawing desperation, Con Law is good, neurotic fun."[7] In a review of the band's song "When They Fight, They Fight," Zach Kelly of Pitchfork Media said of the band's style: "It comes as kind of a pleasant surprise to hear a band from N.O. sound this bright and enraptured in life's simple joys. But man, does this thing flirt with overdoing it."[8]

"When They Fight, They Fight" was featured in a 2009 Bloomingdales holiday commercial. Another song, "Faces in the Dark," was featured on a season 3 episode of Chuck. "Exterior Street Day" was featured in a television commercial for Reese's Peanut Butter Cups at the end of 2010.[9] Non-album track "Either Way" was featured as the opening credit song during the 2010 comedy film Going the Distance.[9] The pair have completed several tours covering much of the United States, and have opened for such bands as Broken Social Scene and Two Door Cinema Club.[10]

Generationals released an extended play titled Trust in November 2010. The title track was featured as a "Pick of the Week" by Starbucks Coffee in January 2011. The track "When They Fight, They Fight" is featured in the Farrelly brothers' movie Hall Pass in 2011 and also in a 2012 episode of Suits.

The song was used for an advert for the Amazon Kindle in 2012 in the UK and Germany.

The duo's second full-length album, Actor-Caster, was released in March 2011.[11]

Members

Discography

Studio albums

List of albums, with selected details
Year Album details
2009 Con Law
2011 Actor-Caster
  • Release date: March 29, 2011[11]
  • Label: Park the Van
  • Format: CD, digital download
2013 Heza
  • Release date: April 2, 2013
  • Label: Polyvinyl
  • Format: CD, LP, cassette, digital download
2014 Alix
  • Release date: September 16, 2014
  • Label: Polyvinyl
  • Format: CD, LP, cassette, digital download

Extended plays

List of extended plays, with selected details
Title Album details
2010 Trust
  • Release date: November 16, 2010
  • Label: Park the Van
  • Format: CD, digital download
2012 Lucky Numbers[12]
  • Release date: October 2, 2012
  • Label: self-released
  • Format: digital download

References

  1. ↑ Generationals. Facebook. Retrieved on 2013-04-08.
  2. 1 2 Wirt, John (2009-08-21). "Generationals building on Eames Era". The Advocate. Retrieved 2011-01-27.
  3. ↑ Caldwell, Patrick (2009-11-17). "Generational Tunes". Austin American-Statesman. Retrieved 2011-01-27.
  4. ↑ Nurrahmah, Rika (2010-03-12). "Generationals Interview: SXSW 2010". Spinner.com (AOL). Retrieved 2011-01-26.
  5. ↑ Deming, Mark. "Con Law - Generationals - Review". Allmusic (Rovi Corporation). Retrieved 2011-01-26.
  6. ↑ Gensler, Andy (2010-01-13). "The Nifty 50 - Generationals, Musicians". T: The New York Times Style Magazine (The New York Times). Retrieved 2011-01-26.
  7. ↑ Young, Jon (September 2009). "Reviews - Albums". Spin. SPIN Media LLC. 25 (9): 80. ISSN 0886-3032.
  8. ↑ Kelly, Zach (2009-06-12). "The Playlist: Generationals - "When They Fight, They Fight"". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved 2011-01-26.
  9. 1 2 Bonaparte Pais, Noah (2010-01-14). "Generationals with Brass Bed". Gambit Weekly. Retrieved 2011-01-27.
  10. ↑ Bergen, Molly (2010-11-03). "Live Review: Two Door Cinema Club and Generationals at The Music Box". LA Weekly (Village Voice Media). Retrieved 2011-01-26.
  11. 1 2 Lawrence, Eric J. (2010-12-08). "Generationals: Artist You Should Know". KCRW. Retrieved 2011-01-26.
  12. ↑ Fitzmaurice, Larry (August 30, 2012). "Generationals: "Lucky Numbers"". Pitchfork. Retrieved 6 September 2012.

External links

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