A Frames is a band from Seattle. They've been playing since somewhere around probably1999 and their name should actually be A-Frames. Some people actually call them that, but I think of them as A Frames. Uhh, yeah. In any case, the members are singer-guitarist Erin Sullivan, bassist Min Yee and a drummer depending on the time: currently, Thommy Northcut. Sullivan and Yee also run the currently quite inactive Dragnet Records (last release in 2003, but they still say they're willing to release stuff, I think) with former drummer and The Intelligence frontman Lars Finberg.

A Frames' self-titled first album was released in 2002 by S-S Records and their own Dragnet Records, respectively. It is a bunch of jarring(but not that noisy), special type of noise rock (the style is called art punk by some; another favourite tags for the band are lo-fi and post-punk, but come on, "post-punk"? Nah.) with sounds that make me think that Sullivan decided to use a metal tool as a pick. It's generally fast with the exception of a few ballads ("Surveillance" is a personal favourite, because who can resist a chorus that goes "Surveillance camera — I-I'm in love with you"?). The songs have mostly to-the-point lyrics, but you find yourself singing along, even to "Plastica"'s "plastic surgery"-chant.

Next up was 2 in 2003 on S-S Records, cleaning up the sound a bit — that is, having more ballads. It's a nice piece of noise pop and differs from A Frames just enough to be interesting. It's more atmospheric and has this post-apocalyptic feel, and that feel is always great. Awesome basslines, too. Maybe a bit more traditional rock than the other albums. "Archaeology" is a nice song to sum the album in: a great bassline in the background, Erin singing, and exactly three guitar parts, two of which are the same. In its simplicity, it manages to sound very cool.

Notice how I specially mentioned that A Frames was jarring but not noisy? Well, Black Forest is also noisy to top that off — at some points. It was released on Sub Pop in 2005. It begins with the instrumental "Black Forest I" that sounds a like some kind of machine in the mentioned black forest. Continuing on to Experiment, the first lyrics show that this is a different A Frames album, with more noise, doom and gloom(with exceptions that are still quite damn good). Not a single sound is wasted on this album. If a nuclear war broke out, this would be the first album I'd listen to. Death Train is one of those songs where the lyrics and music match in a hilarious way, yet perfectly. "Black Forest I" has two followers, II gaining more noise and lyrics and III being the noisiest song on the album. "Memoranda" is the song I shall play on repeat when I'm old and senile. The Cold War plays a part on the album ("U-Boat", "My Teacher"), as does inevitable decline ("Negative", the Black Forests).

Material for a new album, titled 4, has been recorded in the summer 2007 but I've heard nothing since. I see a pattern emerging, though.

Discography
Might have errors and missing information in the singles: bear with me, A Frames are quite obscure and I live on another continent from them.

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