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Straw Man Army

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Straw Man Army
OriginBrooklyn, New York[1]
Genres
Years active2018–present
Labels
MembersOwen Deutsch
Sean Fentress

Straw Man Army is a punk rock duo based in Brooklyn, New York.[1][5] The band has released four albums since their founding in 2018.[6]

History

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The duo first met in high school in Chicago and formed Straw Man Army in 2018.[7] Their first album, Age of Exile, was released in October 2020.[8] Its lyrics address the legacy of U.S. colonialism,[9][10] and the band donated the profits from album sales to The Red Nation, a Native American advocacy group.[11][12]

In 2021, Straw Man Army recorded a soundtrack for Her Majesty's Ship, an experimental 2019 film based on Charles Darwin's 1839 memoir The Voyage of the Beagle.[13]

Their 2022 album SOS was named by The Washington Post, NPR, and Bandcamp as one of the best albums of the year.[14][15][16][17] The band donated profits from sales of SOS to Roots Unbound, a prison abolition nonprofit.[14]

Their 2024 album Earthworks was met with continued critical acclaim,[4][18][19][20] being named to several year-end lists.[21][22] Straw Man Army has stated that Age of Exile, SOS, and Earthworks are intended as a trilogy focused on the past, present, and future, respectively.[23][24]

Musical style and influences

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Straw Man Army is known for its DIY ethic,[25][26] its politically charged lyrics,[3][27] and its experimental use of ambient sound.[28][29] The band's anarcho-punk[9] musical style incorporates elements of psychedelic rock,[30] krautrock,[31] and jazz.[19][29] Straw Man Army shares members with D4MT labelmates Kaleidoscope and Tower 7.[11]

Fentress and Deutsch have described CAN, the Ventures, and the Apostles as some of their biggest influences.[24] Critics have compared the band to Wire,[1][18] the Ex,[25][22] Zounds,[29][32][33] This Heat,[20][23] and Crass,[9][22] while also noting its "sparse, driven" sound[25] that resists easy categorization.[32]

Discography

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Studio albums

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  • Age of Exile (2020) (D4MT Labs Inc.)[8]
  • SOS (2022) (D4MT Labs Inc., La Vida Es Un Mus)[34]
  • Earthworks (2024) (D4MT Labs Inc., La Vida Es Un Mus)[35]

Soundtracks

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  • Her Majesty's Ship OST (2021) (Stucco Soundtracks)[6]

Singles

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  • "Extinction Burst" (2024)[23]
  • "Look Alive" (2024)[31]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c "Inside our latest free Uncut CD – Nocturnes: the month's best new music". Uncut. December 9, 2024. Retrieved December 15, 2024.
  2. ^ "The 100 Best Songs of 2022". NPR. December 21, 2022. Retrieved December 15, 2024.
  3. ^ a b Bon Tempo, Paolo. "Straw Man Army: SOS LP". Maximum Rocknroll. Retrieved December 15, 2024.
  4. ^ a b Bannister, Jonathan (December 16, 2024). "Straw Man Army - 'Earthworks' | Album Review". Post-Trash. Retrieved December 15, 2024.
  5. ^ Gardner, Noel. "Straight Hedge! Noel Gardner Reviews Punk & HC For April". The Quietus. Retrieved December 15, 2024.
  6. ^ a b "Straw Man Army". Discogs. Retrieved December 15, 2024.
  7. ^ Pattison, Louis. "Straw Man Army: The NYC renegades on a fired up trilogy". Pocketmags. Uncut. Retrieved December 15, 2024.
  8. ^ a b "Straw Man Army – Age Of Exile". Discogs. Retrieved December 15, 2024.
  9. ^ a b c Reed, Mick (October 21, 2024). "Bandcamp of the Day: Straw Man Army". New Noise Magazine. Retrieved December 15, 2024.
  10. ^ "New - Straw Man Army - SOS - LP". Tone Deaf Records. Retrieved December 17, 2024.
  11. ^ a b Skolnik, JJ (April 19, 2022). "Album of the Day: Straw Man Army, 'SOS'". Bandcamp. Retrieved December 15, 2024.
  12. ^ "Straw Man Army: Age of Exile 12". Sorry State. Retrieved December 17, 2024.
  13. ^ "Straw Man Army: HMS cassette". Sorry State. Retrieved December 15, 2024.
  14. ^ a b Richards, Chris (April 26, 2022). "Straw Man Army's clear-eyed punk songs look hard into a dark future". Washington Post. Retrieved December 16, 2024.
  15. ^ Gotrich, Lars (December 21, 2022). "NPR Music 2022 Staff Picks: Lars Gotrich". NPR. Retrieved December 15, 2024.
  16. ^ "NPR Music's 36 Favorite Albums of 2022 (So Far)". NPR. June 28, 2022. Retrieved December 15, 2024.
  17. ^ Bandcamp Daily Staff (December 9, 2022). "The Best Albums of 2022: Essential Releases". Bandcamp. Retrieved December 15, 2024.
  18. ^ a b Zamparas, Apostolis (December 9, 2024). "Straw Man Army – Earthworks". DIY Conspiracy. Retrieved December 15, 2024.
  19. ^ a b MacRae, Meghan (October 30, 2024). "Amerikkka Will Never Last! Light Up Your Dark Times With STRAW MAN ARMY's 'Earthworks'". CVLT Nation. Retrieved December 15, 2024.
  20. ^ a b Hardin, Sims (November 26, 2024). "The Best Punk on Bandcamp, November 2024". Bandcamp. Retrieved December 15, 2024.
  21. ^ "Highest Rated Punk Albums of 2024". Uncut. Retrieved December 15, 2024.
  22. ^ a b c Richards, Chris (December 9, 2024). "The best albums of 2024: Top pop from Jessica Pratt to Kendrick Lamar". Washington Post. Retrieved December 16, 2024.
  23. ^ a b c Salk, Sydney (November 18, 2024). "Interview: straw man army reject the end times (but love the cemetery)". see/saw. Retrieved December 19, 2024.
  24. ^ a b "Straw Man Army". Artcore Fanzine (Print). No. 42. Autumn 2023.
  25. ^ a b c Breihan, Tom (October 18, 2024). "Stream Straw Man Army's Great New Post-Punk Album SOS". Stereogum. Retrieved December 15, 2024.
  26. ^ Gardner, Noel (December 10, 2020). "Noel's Straight Hedge: The Best Punk & HC Of 2020". The Quietus. Retrieved December 15, 2024.
  27. ^ Richards, Chris (December 16, 2022). "Music in 2022: The 10 best singles and albums of the year". Washington Post. Retrieved December 16, 2024.
  28. ^ Plumb, Corby. "Straw Man Army: SOS LP". Maximum Rocknroll. Retrieved December 15, 2024.
  29. ^ a b c "Straw Man Army | Earthworks". Forced Exposure. Retrieved December 17, 2024.
  30. ^ "Straw Man Army | SOS". Forced Exposure. Retrieved December 17, 2024.
  31. ^ a b Breihan, Tom (October 18, 2024). "Straw Man Army – 'Look Alive' & 'Extinction Burst'". Stereogum. Retrieved December 15, 2024.
  32. ^ a b "Straw Man Army | Age of Exile". Forced Exposure. Retrieved December 17, 2024.
  33. ^ "STRAW MAN ARMY – "SOS" LP". Land of Treason. Retrieved December 19, 2024.
  34. ^ "Straw Man Army – SOS". Discogs. Retrieved December 15, 2024.
  35. ^ "Straw Man Army – Earthworks". Discogs. Retrieved December 15, 2024.
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