Les Savy Fav
The most influential band you've never heard
Les Savy Fav is a New York City indie rock band originally from Providence, Rhode Island — where Tim Harrington (vocals), Seth Jabber (guitar), Gibb Slife (guitar), Syd Butler (bass), and Pat Mahoney (drums) met while attending the Rhode Island School of Design1 in 1995. Their style was influenced by various art rock & post-hardcore bands like Clash, Pixies, Fugazi, Unwound, Gang of Four, and even early U2.
After graduation in 1996 the band relocated to Brooklyn, NY2. In early 1997 their first single “Rodeo” was released on Sub Pop, and in July their first full-length “3/5” was released on NYC's The Self-Starter Foundation — both recorded and mixed by James Murphy of LCD Soundsystem.
About 2 years later, in October of 1999, they released their second full-length "Cat and the Cobra". In the time since their previous record, bassist Syd Butler started Frenchkiss Records3 to release the band's future material, and drummer Pat Mahoney was replaced by Harrison Haynes. Shortly after the album's release there would be another lineup change as guitarist Gibb Slife leaves the band to pursue his interest in painting.
July 2000 saw the band release their first material as a four-piece with the EP "ROME (Written Upside Down)". Then, in October of 2001, the band self-released their third full length "Go Forth". From 2001-2004 they focused only on releasing 7" singles, not releasing another full-length album until 2004’s “Inches”, which was a compilation of all these singles plus other various material dating back to 1995.
In 2005 they announced an "indefinite hiatus", but were back in 2007 with "Let's Stay Friends" — once again a five-piece after adding Andrew Reuland on guitar. In August of 2010 they released their fifth and, as of writing, final album "Root For Ruin".
Until I started writing this I wasn't actually sure what they've been up to since “Root for Ruin”, but apparently in 2014 Frechkiss Records was acquired by indie label distributor The Orchard (owned by Sony), and as part of the deal Syd Butler joined The Orchard as VP of A&R. Also in 2014, Syd and Seth Jabour joined Fred Armisen’s band — “The 8G Band” — to be the house band for Late Night with Seth Meyers.
Seems they didn’t do much as a band for a while, but in 2019 they re-appeared on an episode of Late Night with Seth Meyers, played Primavera Sound Barcelona in 2022, and in August of 2023 they went on a short 6-date tour of mostly Europe, with one show here in NYC. Though, to my knowledge, they haven't released any new material.
While it’s unclear as to whether they plan on ever recording new material4, there’s no disputing their impact on the Brooklyn music scene, and their influence on what would become the over-done (and eventually hated) hipster culture that dominated North Brooklyn and beyond for most of the 2000s. Despite never quite achieving mainstream fame, their innovative approach — blending art rock with post-hardcore elements — carved a niche that still resonates deeply within the underground music scene today.
Rodeo - 7” Single, 1997
Blackouts - 3/5, 1997
Reformat - Cat and the Cobra, 1999
I.C. Timer - ROME (Written Upside Down), 2000
In These Woods - ROME (Written Upside Down), 2000
Hide Me From Next February - ROME (Written Upside Down), 2000
ROME (Written Upside Down) - ROME (Written Upside Down), 2000
Tragic Monsters - Go Forth, 2001
The Slip - Go Forth, 2001
Daily Dares - Go Forth, 2001
Pills - Go Forth, 2001
Adopduction - Go Forth, 2001
Meet Me In The Dollar Bin - Inches, 2004
We’ll Make A Lover Of You - Inches, 2004
The Sweat Descends - Inches, 2004
Hello Halo, Goodbye Glands - Inches, 2004
Yawn, Yawn, Yawn - Inches, 2004
What Would Wolves Do? - Let’s Stay Friends, 2007
Brace Yourself - Let’s Stay Friends, 2007
Rage In The Plague Age - Let’s Stay Friends, 2007
Let’s Get Out Of Here - Root For Ruin, 2010
Clear Spirits - Root For Ruin, 2010
20 years prior this was also the meeting place of a little band called Talking Heads
For his remaining time in the band, guitarist Gibb Slife stayed in Providence, RI and would commute to the city for practice & touring
In the following years FKR would be responsible for discovering several well-known bands such as The Antlers, The Drums, Local Natives, and Passion Pit
NOTE: they were literally recording a new album as I was writing, but because they chose IG to be the platform they announced it on, I was completely unaware (I don’t use IG/FB) — OUI, SLF was released on May 10, 2024
If you like artrock with punk/indie aesthetics give the VSS a listen
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9sr862gC83A