Chavez (band)

Chavez
Chavez playing at I'll be Your Mirror, Alexandra Palace, London, May 2012
Background information
Origin	New York, New York, United States
Genres	Math rock Post-hardcore
Years active	1993–present
Labels	Matador
Associated acts	Zwan Bonnie "Prince" Billy Early Man
Members	Matt Sweeney James Lo Clay Tarver Scott Marshall

Chavez is an American alternative rock band from New York, formed in 1993. After a period of inactivity, the band reformed in 2006. They released two independent non-charting albums in the mid-1990s. Guitarist Matt Sweeney has confirmed that the band is working on its first new recordings since 1996.

Chavez was formed from the ashes of Wider, and was inspired by the sonic approach of math rock pioneers Slint and the post-punk outfit Mission of Burma. Chavez utilizes angular, asymmetrical riffs and dramatic dynamic shifts. The band is fronted by guitarist Matt Sweeney, who was previously a member of Skunk and Wider, and played with Guided by Voices. Drummer James Lo also came from Wider; the band is rounded out by guitarist Clay Tarver (Bullet Lavolta) and bassist Scott Marshall.

The band quickly gained a following in the New York underground scene following the release of their first single "Repeat the Ending". Their debut album Gone Glimmering was released in 1995 and was followed by the EP Pentagram Ring. The music video for the song "Break Up Your Band" aired in an episode of MTV's Beavis and Butt-head, and the band toured with Guided by Voices and Bardo Pond. Chavez's second full-length album Ride the Fader was released in 1996, and was praised by Entertainment Weekly as "a fine specimen of spare, brainy post-metal hard rock".

Chavez never officially broke up, but they released no new material and played few shows between 1999 and 2006. In 2006, Matador Records released Better Days Will Haunt You, a compilation of virtually all of Chavez's studio material up to that point, with the addition of new vocals for the song "White Jeans". The band played a few shows in support of the compilation, and later played with other bands such as Pavement and Sonic Youth.