User:Matthewschnoor/The Beach

The Beach is the first release by band Broken Face. The EP was recorded entirely in May 2007 and released independently that same month.

The Beach was Broken Face's only album with original band members Caitie Rowe and K.C. VanFleet. It features Evan Frazier, credited as Mix-Masta Evan in the tracks Le Douche is the Devil's Friend and He-Ugh. Frazier would become a permanent member of the band starting with their album Where the Tree Meets the Ground.

Production
High school friends Matt Schnoor, Grady Congdon, Caitie Rowe and K.C. VanFleet agreed to make a satirical album making fun of one of Rowe's ex boyfriend. The music was recorded over several days in May of 2007 in Schnoor's basement.

Recording
The first song recorded was Armstach featuring Schnoor on lead vocals, Congdon and Rowe on backup vocals and VanFleet on drums. After hearing the final recording of the song, the band realized it sounded terrible, but agreed to make the rest of the album on par with this song. The only member who disagreed with this idea was Schnoor, who wanted to make a serious attempt at music. To appease him, The Good Song, a song completely composed by Schnoor, was included on the album. Rowe and VanFleet were not able to be present during the recording of Le Douche is the Devil's Friend or He-Ugh, and Evan 'Mix-Masta Evan' Frazier played drums for these tracks.

Internal Problems
Problems began for the group from early on in the production of The Beach. Arguments over the creative direction of the band were numerous in the beginning with Schoor wanting to take a serious approach to writing music, and Congdon wanting to play off the experimental and subsequent terribleness of Armstach. This tension was mostly alleviated by the inclusion of The Good Song onto the album. Further problems developed, however, when the band wasn't able to meet as one group. Thus, the addition of Evan Frazier on the tracks not featuring Rowe and VanFleet caused tension from those two members, who felt that they weren't being included in the album. This would later cause the dismissal of both Rowe and VanFleet.

Post-Production and Release
By the time the album was fully recorded, tension was high between Schnoor and Rowe. Schnoor produced the album by himself and released it on May 15, 2007 independently. The final few songs of "Logan's Song" feature the group laughing after the recording was finished. "I could have just ended the album with the end of the track, but I thought the laughter was a good memory of the good times the band had," Schnoor said in his explanation for why it was left in. Just weeks after The Beach was released, Rowe and Van Fleet both left the band.

Personnel
Matt Schnoor (vocals, accordion), Grady Congdon (vocals, accordion, drums, whistle), Caitie Rowe (drums, backing vocals), and K.C. Van Fleet (drums) were the members of the band when the EP was released, though Evan Frazier contributed to the tracks "Le Douche is the Devil's Friend" and "He Ugh" on drums.

Track listing
All lyrics by Broken Face except where noted.


 * 1) "The Good Song" (Schnoor) – 3:46
 * 2) "Armstach" – 2:50
 * 3) "Le Douche is the Devil's Friend" – 2:29
 * 4) "He Ugh" (Schnoor) – 3:24
 * 5) "Logan's Song" (Congdon) – 0:42