Murder By Death is a group from Bloomington, Indiana who originally went by the name Little Joe Gould. They decided to take the name of the 1976 Robert Moore film to better fit their ominous music. They have opened for such bands as Thursday, Cursive, Interpol, and ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead.
Murder By Death's sound is not something easy to describe. They have been compared to such bands as Godspeed You Black Emperor and Cursive, but their particular sound isn't easily put into words. They swing back and forth between rock and jazz, between soothing and eerie. Sometimes the music is straight-out rock with heavy guitar, sometimes the bass heads the song, and sometimes it's a symphony complete with piano and cello.
Their latest album, "Who Will Survive, And What Will Be Left Of Them?", incorporates those three themes, and a couple others. A concept album/horror western set to music, "Who Will Survive..." is an aural fable, a story of a small town being attacked by the Devil himself. It's also probably their most diverse album so far.
Members:
Adam Turla - vocals, guitar
Matt Armstrong - bass guitar
Sarah Balliet - cello
Vincent Edwards - piano
Alex Schrodt - percussion
Discography (at the present time):
- "Little Joe Gould" (2001) - Self-titled EP, out of print
- "Like The Exorcist, But More Breakdancing" (2002, Eyeball Records) - First full-length album
- "Konrad Friedrich Wilhelm Zimmer" (2003, Arborvitae Records) - split album with the band Volta Do Mar, contained some songs that would be put on "Who Will Survive..."
- "Who Will Survive, And What Will Be Left Of Them?" (2003, Eyeball Records) - Second full-length album
Sources:
www.murderbydeath.com/