Triclops!

by Jason LymangroverA Bay Area prog rock band with slight punk leanings, Triclops! began as a collaboration between Christian Beaulieu and Johnny Geek. In 2005, Beaulieu caught a show Geek was playing with Oakland's Fleshies, became enamored with the singer's vocal technique, and organized some shows for them to play with his group Bottles and Skulls. Over drinks, the two conspired to start a new project together playing music that their other bands wouldn't like and started jamming together for over a year. As a demo took form, they decided to recruit a rhythm section, haphazardly asking bassist Larry Boothroyd, a veteran in the San Fran underground scene, after picking drummer Phil Becker from a Craigslist posting. In August of 2006, the newly formed band entered the studio with engineer Phil Manley (Trans Am, Golden, F**king Champs) and tracked and mixed the Cafeteria Brutalia EP in just two days; the EP was released on Chicago indie SickRoom. Then, after sharing bills with Acid Mothers Temple and Don Caballero, Triclops! acquired tour slots with 400 Blows and David Yow's Qui. Their follow-up, Out of Africa, was recorded with Melvins engineer Kurt Schlegel at Lucky Cat and primed for release on March 25, 2008, on Alternative Tentacles.