Swirlies

Raspberry Bang to Taang!

Swirlies grew out of a Go-Go's cover band called Raspberry Bang. Guitarists Damon Tutunjian and Seana Carmody met in spring 1990 through Rusty Nails, a punk fanzine maker, and Andy Bernick joined on bass and radio in November 1990 with Ben Drucker on drums. They made a first four-track demo in December 1990 and played their first show on January 25, 1991 at The Alcove in Allston. Singles followed on Slumberland ("Didn't Understand") and Pop Narcotic ("Error"), then the What To Do About Them EP on Taang! Records in 1992, signed in June of that year, recorded in 1991 and 1992 at Fort Apache, Q Division and MIT. Cartoonist Ron Rege Jr. was an unofficial fifth member and did early artwork.

Blonder Tongue Audio Baton (March 26, 1993) was recorded from June to November 1992 at Q Division in Boston with Rich Costey, and the Brokedick Car EP (1993) was the last recording of the original line-up. In January 1994 they made a first European tour, including a John Peel session, Carmody left to form Syrup USA and Christina Files joined. They Spent Their Wild Youthful Days in the Glittering World of the Salons followed in April 1996, recorded from August 1994 to August 1995 and produced by the band and Costey, and Strictly East Coast Sneaky Flute Music in 1998 was the last Taang! LP. Rob Laakso joined in 1997. The Yes Girls (Pehr, 2000) and Cats of the Wild, Vol. 2 (March 25, 2003, Bubblecore; first on vinyl on October 31, 2024) followed. Tutunjian moved to Malmo, Sweden, and produced Mew's first record in Denmark.

They have toured since 2009, with Kurt Vile and the Violators in 2013, a 25th anniversary tour in 2015 and Nothing in 2018, and played Blonder Tongue in full in Brooklyn on July 4, 2015 with most of the original line-up. Rob Laakso died on May 4, 2023, and Frankie Rose joined the July 2023 tour. Bernick announced his retirement on May 9, 2025, effective May 26, leaving Tutunjian the only original member. Bandcamp Daily's Eli Schoop wrote in August 2025 that they are oft-referenced, never repeated, untouchable, and Spectrum Culture called them one of the finest and most under-appreciated bands to come out of American shoegaze. Pitchfork ranked Blonder Tongue 11th among its 50 best shoegaze albums in 2016.