Biography

Introduction

Trans Am is a three-piece band that performs a mix of synthpop and rock music. Their work treads a fine line between spoof and homage, mainly centering on a cerebrally robotic, semi-danceable, minimalistic format, reminiscent of 1980s video game soundtrack music. They are known for constant touring (with bands such as Tortoise, Pan Sonic, The Fucking Champs, The Bronx and Tool), cryptic album artwork, and continual thematic re-invention.

Biography

Nathan Means (bass, vocals, keyboard), Philip Manley (lead guitar, keyboard, voice) and Sebastian Thomson (a.k.a. "Seb") (drums, other sounds) formed Trans Am in 1990 near Washington, D.C.. The band started as a side project, and after the members had finished college in 1995 they started to seriously record their music. Until 1998, Trans Am's material was almost strictly instrumental. Their sound is generally marked with acoustic and electronic drums, guitars, electronics, and a varying amount of often-heavily treated vocals. All of their albums have been released on the Chicago-based independent record label, Thrill Jockey.

Their self-titled debut, recorded after just a few rehearsals, contained instrumentals which were largely improvised versions of simple rock-oriented motifs based loosely on '70s bands such as Boston, Bachman-Turner Overdrive and Yes. The album was produced by John McEntire of labelmates Tortoise at Chicago's Idful Studios. Afterwards, the band opened for Tortoise on a brief US tour.

In the fall of 1996, Trans Am released a self-titled EP which showed a greater reliance upon electronics. The group expanded that approach to album length on Surrender to the Night (1997) and The Surveillance (1998). The recordings have dominating nods to Kraftwerk, Can and New Order, and are interspersed with more rock-oriented material. Their previously-unreleased track "Starjammer" was included on the highbrow electronica label Mille Plateaux's double-CD compilation In Memoriam Gilles Deleuze. In their live shows, the band began to incorporate trigger devices and MIDI-wired beatboxes in order to perform their electronics-heavy songs. Around the time of the release of The Surveillance, the band started to perform material with vocorder-heavy vocals by Nathan Means.

Their fourth album, Futureworld, followed in 1999. The first side of this album featured songs with treated vocals and the second side has all instrumentals, including the sprightly "Cocaine Computer" (which is possibly a nod to the cocaine obsession of synth-rock contemporaries Six Finger Satellite). A music video for the title song was filmed and released. A year later, the group followed up with the double album Red Line, recorded in the band's own National Recording Studio.

In 2002, Trans Am released T.A., complete with tongue-in-cheek promo photos featuring the band in boy band-esque matching white outfits. T.A.'s cover art was a parody of a REO Speedwagon best-of collection. Though the album was essentially a spoof of the electroclash genre, it was almost universally panned by music critics.

During the 2004 U.S. election year, the band released the politically-charged Liberation. Liberation is a rare example of an overtly (and cohesively) political instrumental album, which is a distinction in keeping with Trans Am's fixation on less than diplomatic subversion.

Sex Change, released in February 2007, has been regarded by many as a return to form after the previous two albums, with the inclusion of prominent, "straight" vocals. Following the release, Trans Am did a tour of the United States with Zombi and The Psychic Paramount, seventeen arena shows opening for Tool, and played the Thrill Jockey 15th anniversary show in Chicago, Illinois.

Also in 2007, Trans Am contributed to the soundtrack of the video game After Burner: Black Falcon for the PSP.

Discography

Albums

Trans Am - CD/LP (Thrill Jockey, 1996)
Surrender To The Night - CD/LP (Thrill Jockey, 1997)
The Surveillance - CD/LP (Thrill Jockey, 1998)
Futureworld - CD/LP (Thrill Jockey, 1999)
Red Line - CD/2xLP (Thrill Jockey, 2000)
TA - CD/LP (Thrill Jockey, 2002)
Liberation - CD/LP (Thrill Jockey, 2004)
Sex Change (Thrill Jockey, 2007)

EPs, singles

Trans Am - 7" (split with Thigh Mastersson) (S.K.A.M., 1996)
Tuba Frenzy - 12" (split with Wingtip Sloat) (1996)
Illegal Ass - 12" (Happy Go Lucky, 1996)
Who Do We Think You Are? - Australian Tour CD EP (Spunk!, 1999)
You Can Always Get What You Want - best-of compilation CD (Thrill Jockey, 2000)
Extremixxx - CD EP (remixes) (Thrill Jockey, 2002)