Tenement (band)

Tenement
OriginAppleton, Wisconsin, United States
Genres
Years active2006 (2006)–present
Labels
MembersAmos Pitsch
Jesse Ponkamo
Eric Mayer
Past membersMax Suechting
Hart Miller
Tyler Ditter
Troy Hackbarth

Tenement is an American three piece rock band from Appleton, Wisconsin, United States, formed in 2006. They are often associated with the American hardcore punk scene.[2] Their recorded output has been described as everything from "noise pop" to "fuzz punk",[3][4] while in a live setting they are often known for experimentation, improvisation, and high-energy performance.[5][6] The visual art of singer/guitarist Amos Pitsch is associated with most of their records, as well as several records by other notable punk and hardcore bands.[7] In January 2013, NME included Tenement in their "rising stars of 2013".[8] CMJ called Tenement a "breakout artist to watch" in 2014.[9] In 2015, Tenement was included in Spin 's "The 50 Best Rock Bands Right Now".[10] In 2016, they were included in Rolling Stone 's "10 Great Modern Punk Bands".[11]

Tenement and their relation to contemporary punk, hardcore, and DIY was the subject of The New York Times ' June 2015 Popcast; which was hosted by author Ben Ratliff and featured special guests Maria Sherman and Liz Pelly. In reference to Tenement and the DIY scene in which they operate out of, Pelly noted, "It's pretty clear that for these musicians punk is more something they relate to on an ideological level."[12]

In 2016, Tenement was invited to play Eaux Claires, an outdoor music festival curated by Justin Vernon of Bon Iver and Aaron Dessner of The National. "A Frightening Place For Normal People", from their 2015 double album Predatory Headlights, was included on the festival's teaser mixtape as a remix called "A Frightening Place For Normal People And Farmers" and credited to Tenement and radio host Jack Raymond.[13] Rock Of The Arts said of their festival appearance, "(...) Pitsch and Tenement really exhibit the independent qualities that Eaux Claires holds so dearly. An underground basement band from Appleton, Wisconsin that continues to proudly fly the DIY flag never forgetting where they came from no matter how much attention they receive."[14] Speaking on the eclectic nature of the festival's lineup, Justin Vernon told Billboard: "For me it's so interesting, and it's part of the uniqueness of our situation at Eaux Claires, that Erykah Badu and Tenement -- there might be an equal amount of fans for Erykah Badu and Tenement at this thing. And while Erykah is an extremely important part of the landscape of this year, everything plays into that. For me it's just interesting to watch those worlds interact and also coexist simultaneously." [15]

Actor and comedian Chris Gethard curated a playlist for Brooklyn, New York club Shea Stadium in 2016, compiling his favorite performances at the venue. He included Tenement's 2013 performance of "Spit In The Wind" with the note, "Simply put, they don't make em better than Tenement. My wife is significantly cooler than I am and was the one who made it clear to me that Tenement would be one of my favorite bands and she was totally correct."[16]

  1. ^ Ben Ratliff (June 8, 2015). "Review: 'Predatory Headlights,' a Bright Double Album From Tenement". The New York Times. Retrieved April 1, 2020.
  2. ^ Sherman, Maria (May 29, 2012). "10 Bands You Can't Afford to Miss at Chaos in Tejas | Anxiety Block". Impose Magazine. Retrieved October 19, 2012.
  3. ^ "Review: Tenement - The Blind Wink - GET BENT!". Getbent.fm. Retrieved October 19, 2012.
  4. ^ "Punk Music Reviews | | TENEMENT | "Taking Everything" b/w "Daylight World"". Razorcake. Archived from the original on February 22, 2014. Retrieved October 19, 2012.
  5. ^ "Space Trash, Vacation, Tenement & Swearin' - Brooklyn Fireproof, 119 Ingraham St., Brooklyn - September 12, 2012". Jerseybeat.com. September 12, 2012. Retrieved October 19, 2012.
  6. ^ "Philly House Shows VI - Cloud City". Blow The Scene. January 10, 2012. Retrieved October 19, 2012.
  7. ^ "Arts & Crafts - Amos Pitsch of Tenement | NOISEY". Noisey.vice.com. Archived from the original on February 21, 2014. Retrieved October 19, 2012.
  8. ^ Garrett, Jonathan (January 5, 2013). "Rising Stars of 2013". NME. United Kingdom: TI Media. Retrieved October 14, 2020.
  9. ^ "Punk Without Boundaries". Smile Politely. April 10, 2014. Retrieved October 12, 2020.
  10. ^ "The 50 Best Rock Bands Right Now". Spin Magazine. October 16, 2015. Retrieved October 11, 2020.
  11. ^ "10 Great Modern Punk Bands". Rolling Stone. April 13, 2016. Retrieved April 24, 2016.
  12. ^ "Popcast: Tenement, Punk and the DIY Scene". Artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com. June 12, 2015.
  13. ^ "Eaux Claires 2016 Lineup Cassette Teases Justin Vernon With James Blake, Bruce Hornsby, National & Arcade Fire Members, More". Stereogum. February 6, 2016. Retrieved October 11, 2020.
  14. ^ "EAUX CLAIRES DIARIES PART ONE: BON IVER VS. INDONESIAN FOLK DEATH METAL". Rock Of The Arts. August 14, 2016. Retrieved October 11, 2020.
  15. ^ "Justin Vernon on the Pressure to Create More Bon Iver Music & His Eaux Claires Fest's Return". Billboard Magazine. February 11, 2016. Retrieved October 11, 2020.
  16. ^ "Chris Gethard". Liveatsheastadium.com. May 5, 2022.