THE GIRAFFES – “PIPES”
A SPILL EXCLUSIVE VIDEO PREMIERE
Today we have the pleasure of presenting the new high-octane offering from alternative rock outfit The Giraffes. ‘Pipes’ is a furious, psychedelic protest anthem born from the fear of widespread environmental neglect. Following the hypnotic, psychedelic ethnic-tinged rock opener “The Shot”, this song dives deeper into shadowy, introspective territory. A full-throttle angst-filled yet logical assault on the senses, this song relentlessly conveys a world-weariness that expresses disgust towards the non-accountable powers-that-be.
‘Pipes’ is the second taste of their eighth album Cigarette, slated for release on September 27, in which the band promises “a score for our current age of decay and disappointment, fear and fury, idiocy and hope”.
Hailing from Brooklyn, The Giraffes are back and loud as ever, serving up another dose of their infectious blend of heavy rock, punk and surf-tinged melodies. As sonic architects who have been crafting earworm-worthy anthems since 1996, their latest offering is no exception. For a band that effortlessly blends raw energy with complex musicianship, this is a thrilling return to form. Fans of the Jesus Lizard, Queens of the Stone Age and Fu Manchu will find their sonic sweet spot in The Giraffes’ wild, edgy sound.
With lead singer Aaron Lazar and guitar maestro Damien Paris as its core, drummer Andrew Totolos provides the locomotive rhythm section with Hannah Moorhead anchoring the bass. This year marks the beginning of a new era for the band, with Moorhead now also contributing backing vocals and songwriting. With the line-up no longer in flux, the focus is now largely on songwriting.
The Cigarette album was recorded & engineered by Andrew Totolos at Apesauce Studio, this album was mixed by Grammy nominated producer Francisco Botero (Matisyahu, Odesza) at the legendary Studio G Brooklyn and by James Dellatacoma (Bill Laswell, Herbie Hancock, TS Monk, John Zorn, Angelique Kidjo) at Bill Laswell‘s famed Orange Music Sound Studio.
“Written in response to the Flint water crisis as I suspected it was going to become a more commonplace thing everywhere. Hate to say I was right. I grew up in a place much like flint -Youngstown OH, a former steel boomtown in the rust belt that is slowly crumbling due to population loss and divestment by the government. The feeling of invisibility that hits you when you realize you depend on an infrastructure that hasn’t been maintained or thought about in a few generations and that now everyone you know may be poisoned by a few peoples contempt and negligence is something else,” says Aaron Lazar.
“I tried to make a song about that feeling. The bass part was invented by Hannah and it has this bubbling rushing tumbling quality to it that suggests a torrent of bad news. The middle section has a psychedelic vocal tumult that is some of my favorite stuff I have done in the giraffes. Though depressing and bleak, it’s still a rager. Lets all get into the pit for health and cleanliness.”
Four years since cutting their teeth on the NYC underground scene and two years since releasing their 1998 debut album Franksquilt, The Giraffes finally found its true form as a band in 2000 when joined by vocalist Aaron Lazar. Upon releasing Helping You Help Yourself, their first album with Lazar in 2002, the band would stake its claim as the most unbridled and fun-loving Brooklyn live act. Indeed, with fierce musicality and peak audience participation, The Giraffes earned themselves a dedicated fan base.
Over the years, The Giraffes have toured with Eagles of Death Metal, Local-H, The Vacation and Skeleton Key, and shared the stage with Interpol, Fishbone, Yeah Yeah Yeah’s and The Strokes. They’ve played SXSW, Bonnaroo, Amsterjam, Voodofest, Monolith, Northside and CMJ Festivals, and landed sync licensing placements in the ‘Guitar Hero’ video game, Sundance Festival winning film ‘I Don’t Feel at Home in This World Anymore’, and the forthcoming ‘Toxic Avenger’ remake.
“Pipes” will be available everywhere, including Spotify, Apple Music and Bandcamp., where the Cigarette album can already be pre-ordered.
ALBUM CREDITS
Music written by The Giraffes
Lyrics & vocals by Aaron Lazar
Damien Paris – guitar & backing vocals
Hannah Moorhead – bass & backing vocals
Andrew Totolos – drums, percussion & backing vocals
Aaron Lazar – vocals
Recorded & engineered by Andrew Totolos at Apesauce
Mixed by Francisco Botero at Studio G
Mastered by Matt Labozza
Cover artwork by Aaron Lazar
Artist photos by Ebru Yildiz
Publicity by Shameless Promotion PR
And here is your second shot!
The Giraffes
[Single]
(Independent)
Release Date: August 27, 2024
Artist Links
Background Photo Credit: Ebru Yildiz
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