Prosaics

Aghast Agape, the five-song debut EP from New York pop group Prosaics, will be given North American release by Dim Mak Records on October 12th. The tremendous opening moments of its first track, "Teeth," unfold to evince an urgency and passion distinctive to each and every second of this recording. Propulsive rhythms, boiling-point bass lines, convulsive guitars, and graceful vocals bristle against the austere structures that frame their sounds. Aghast Agape is an exciting foreword to a band that promises longevity, delivered with a force and eloquence that has also come to distinguish the group's live shows.

Prosaics formed around a shared passion for sincere, smart, direct pop music. Eschewing "singer-songwriter" models of creativity, the band writes songs collaboratively and collectively in its rehearsal space -- with an emphasis on songs, which, in a word, is the Prosaics' modus operandi. To write, perform, and record powerful, well-crafted songs, devoid of extraneousness, is the band's foremost aim.

Andy Comer (guitar, vocals), William Kuehn (drums), and Joshua Zucker (bass) came together serendipitously in early 2002. Andy (born and raised in Louisville, KY) and Joshua (from Baltimore, MD) had each spent the better part of their four years in NYC searching in vain for like-minded, like-handed musical collaborators. After hundreds of increasingly desperate flyers, phone calls, e-mails, newspaper ads, and traumatic get-togethers (Andy once arrived at a meeting to find his prospective colleague "slapping" away at a six-stringed, fretless Carl Thompson bass) the two were introduced by a mutual friend, met at Joshua's apartment with instruments in tow, and instantly clicked. A cassette of their rough song-sketches made its way (with ample help from Joshua) into the hands of Madison, WI-born drummer William Kuehn. The three met one February afternoon at a rehearsal space and emerged after dark, resolved to work together.

Within three months of the group's July debut performance at now-defunct East Village venue Brownie's, the Prosaics' emotionally urgent sound had attracted a burgeoning audience and earned the band enthusiastic coverage in national publications such as W magazine (October 2002), with New York magazine (September 30, 2002) designating the trio one of New York City's "25 Best New Bands." Prosaics also caught the eyes and ears of New York's luminary acts: the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Liars invited the group on an October Midwestern U.S. tour, and the Rapture brought the Prosaics to the United Kingdom for several April 2003 dates. The band returned to the UK in August for another series of live shows, culminating in performances at the Reading and Leeds festivals, and ventured to Reykjavik in October for an appearance at the 2003 Iceland Airwaves festival.

The group is currently writing and rehearsing new material and preparing for a busy and exciting upcoming year.

-- Sandor Krasna

"Prosaics play a brief, agitated set of music bristling with pent-up power and internalized perplexity -- the sort that promises their listeners something to ponder in this moment and for time to come. The thesis of their sound is built around machine-gun bass lines, forged by the electrolytic stylings of Zucker, creating a firing squad backdrop for Kuehn's combative drumming and the surprise attack of Comer's guitar. But don't let these violent analogies confuse you. While their speedy and exacting music could easily background the frenetic anarchism that often runs amok in the genre, Comer's vocals give the music an isolated sweetness and, dare I say, a peace.

"In this way, Prosaics' music brazes styles against one another more than it blends them -- and their stage presence embodies this mission. Comer, who sings with his eyes closed as if he's channeling spirits, is a foil to Zucker, whose body jive suggests that he's receiving 10,000 volts directly from his bass. Kuehn, behind his drum set, centers their binaries with clockwork momentum and monster fortitude. The audience, in kind, mirrors what they see on stage, resulting in a mélange of solemn thinkers and body jackers, some wavering between one or the other, but all determined to internalize the spectacle."

-- Devon Powers, Pop Matters

"It's the coldest New York night in years, but the only shivers inside Sin-é are being generated by the hot-shit band on stage. The Prosaics, the city's next great band, are blasting their way through a beautiful set, kicking off a three-week Thursday night residency at this club, and they look and sound like they're ready to melt glaciers..."

-- Andy Wang, New York Press

Press

Updated 10/25/05
Vice
Aghast Agape: 5 stars
First guy: Yo guys!!!
Second guy: Oh. Hey, guy.
First guy: Sorry I'm late, but let's get it on. I'm psyched to party!
Second guy: Yeah, um, actually it's sorta winding down now. We're all kinda heading home.
First guy: Oh.

Updated 3/02/05
CMJ Alert August 23, 2003
Prosaics
Aghast Agape
The tremendous opening moments of its first track unflod to evince an urgency and passion distinctive to each song. Propulsive rhythms, boiling-point bass lines, convulsive guitars, and graceful vocals bristle against the austere structures that frame their sounds.

Updated 11/10/04
Aghast Agape reviews!!

theStereoEffect
Music-Dash
Crud Magazine
Music OHM

Updated 09/15/04

The Big Takeover
Prosaics- Aghast Agape (Dim Mak)

"The Prosaics debut EP recalls the taut, dissonant sound of Gang of Four's Entertainment! Lead vocalist Andy Comer, formerly of Tel Aviv, sounds moody and impassioned, and the rhythm section, featuring Bill Keuhn of Rainer Maria on drums, kicks with a sense of urgency. Even the guitars are propulsive, with visceral, rhythmic melodies that recall The Feelies. The songs here are as obtuse as their titles: "Teeth", "Failure", "Tenants". They all bleed into each other effortlessly, creating a feel similar to the inscrutable alchemy of R.E.M.'s Chronic Town EP, which is high priase indeed."

Updated 09/02/04

New York Press

"It's the coldest New York night in years, but the only shivers inside are being generated by the hot-shit band on stage. The Prosaics, the city's next great band, are blasting their way through a beautiful set, kicking off a three-week Thursday night residency at this club, and they look and sound like they're ready to melt glaciers with their mix of post-punk and new wave.

Andrew Comer (who resembles a malnourished Jimmy Fallon) is singing about love and longing and failure in a way that makes, say, Interpol fans swoon.

But if the Prosaics and Interpol are both on a similar mission to Burma, Comer's agile rhythm section is going to get him there a hell of a lot faster. It's not even a race.

Prosaics drummer Bill Kuehn and bassist Joshua Zucker propel each song into deliriously good climaxes. There are fireworks in every song, and the relatively packed crowd of bloggers, downtown kids and musicians, including Interpol's Carlos D. and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs' Nick Zinner, can't help but be impressed by both the sound and skill.

Prosaics are a tremendously fun live band who love blistering tempos, but there are no spastic freak-outs during their set. They are a band who hold things down, even as Zucker looks bemused.

Every song is compelling. Comer sounds at times like Morrissey, and also like he must have watched Pretty in Pink 14 times.

The past is the future, friends. Brand new, you1re retro. Looks like it's time for the Prosaics to get paid."
- Andy Wang, February 7, 2004

Light Up The Sky

Prosaics, Aghast Agape, #1 Unofficial Release of 2003
"From the amount of emails we've been getting asking us to burn copies of this for you all, it's pretty safe to say this is causing some serious head turning. (FYI: This would've been record of the year or EP of the year had it been officially released.)
http://www.lightupthesky.com/issue7/is7_bestof2003.html


Prosaics, #1 Band To Watch in 2004
"Prosaics will destroy you with their intensely passionate while simultaneously cold post-punk anthems. And while they may not be jumping into the crowd and licking viewer's lips, they're bound to break your heart with their urgent songs that make Wire look like Coil. For now all you can do is catch them live or download two song clips from their website at www.prosaics.com. They have an extraordinary EP titled "Aghast Agape" all finished and recorded, but they've yet to finalize a release date for it."
http://www.lightupthesky.com/issue7/is7_top10bands.html

Spin
"Equal parts Joy Division gloom and New Order glee, this New York City three-piece live in an alternate reality where Ian Curtis didn't commit suicide, but instead kicked Bernard Sumner off the stage to sing "Bizarre Love Triangle" himself. The self-released "Aghast Agape" descends like the Grim Reaper coming off three hits of Ecstasy."
- Alexander Chow, March 2004, "Heavy Rotation," p. 30

Pop Matters
"Prosaics play a brief, agitated set of music bristling with pent-up power and internalized perplexity -- the sort that promises their listeners something to ponder in this moment and for time to come. The thesis of their sound is built around machine gun bass lines, forged by the electrolytic stylings of Zucker, creating a firing squad backdrop for Kuehn's combative drumming and the surprise attack of Comer's guitar. But don't let these violent analogies confuse you. While their speedy and exacting music could easily background the frenetic anarchism that often runs amok in the genre, Comer's vocals -- often distanced, but a bit (New) romantic -- give the music an isolated sweetness and, dare I say, a peace.

In this way, Prosaics' music brazes styles against one another more than it blends them -- and their stage presence embodies this mission. Comer, who sings with his eyes closed as if he's channeling spirits, is a foil to Zucker, whose body jive suggests that he's receiving 10,000 volts directly from his bass. Kuehn, behind his drum set, centers their binaries with clockwork momentum and monster fortitude. The audience, in kind, mirrors what they see on stage, resulting in a mélange of solemn thinkers and body jackers, some wavering between one or the other, but all determined to internalize the spectacle."
- Devon Powers, July 31, 2002

http://www.popmatters.com/music/concerts/n/90-day-men-020731.shtml
Click on the link above to see another Prosaics concert review from Pop Matters

theStereoEffect.com

Moving Units with Prosaics
Live @ The Metro, London
"It doesn't happen very often - seeing someone with star quality. The Prosaics - a name less than representative of the sound - hail from New York (of course). The three-piece have all got cheekbones that could cut glass, all don a black barnet and try not to break a smile even if it kills them. Aside from this, they can play a tune, and how! The waif of a singer churns out hollers and drones, whilst twitching away to his own larger than life melodies. The powerful songs scoff at timing structures and toy with dynamics and volume. They're armed with nervous energy and paranoid intensity, dense and dark creations under their youthful belts, and for this we are glad. It's the star quality that'll get them noticed, but by golly it's this big racket that'll get them heard."
- Karen Piper, March 31, 2003

http://www.thestereoeffect.com/onstage/display_live.php?LiveId=132

Live @ The Monarch, London
"For a threesome, each looking like something chipped from marble, plodding through a set filled with the grinding sort of jerkiness that is currently perking up every available ear, you'd think the Prosaics would be attracting masses of those on the up and up, but playing second on the bill at the Monarch doesn't do them any favours and, as the crowd drizzles in single file, it's more like watching open rehearsals than a gig.

Bassist Joshua Zucker sways with listless persistence, songs teetering on the brink of madness but managing to slip back into familiarity and jagged edges. The willowy melodies and baroque architecture of every song prods minimalism and dissonance. Dismally titled "Crawling", "Silhouette", "Failure" and the slick "Teeth", complete with a Dick Dale riff buried in the filth and fury of a trudging rhythm section - a set that makes them sound like superstars even if there are only a handful of people in the crowd. We'll put our money on a swift return to these shores by the fresh-faced New Yorkers. While we wait, it's summer time boys, cheer up..."
- Karen Piper, April 7, 2003

http://www.thestereoeffect.com/onstage/display_live.php?LiveId=136

Kultureflash.net

"In the whirlwind of Brooklyn bands alluding to post-punk, the Prosaics stand out as ones to watch. A singular hybrid of Joy Division and The Misfits, the trio is fresh off an American tour where they opened for the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Liars. Most critics can't help but note the band's cumulative cuteness factor, but don't be fooled: these young men are serious about sincere music and, despite the intensity of their stage performance, would cheerfully disclose their adulation for influences -- bands like The Smiths, Mission of Burma, Bikini Kill and Wire. Oh, and the track "Teeth" is a resounding hit at KF HQ."
- March 27, 2003

New York Magazine
25 Best New Bands (September 30, 2002)

http://newyorkmetro.com/nymetro/arts/music/features/music2002/n_7754/index1.html
Click on the link above to see the full article

The Village Voice

"Packing clubs despite their relative infancy, this aesthetics-steeped NYC three-piece play emotionally intense sets - propelled by Kuehn's shockingly good, ferocious drumming [Prosaics] gracefully pay homage to the past (Warsaw, the Misfits, and Mission of Burma), without falling into the trap of mimicking their elders. See them at this magazine benefit before they're huge and fashion magazines are chasing them."
- Hillary Chute, September 11-17, 2002

back to top