Biffy Clyro

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Biffy Clyro
Simon Neil
Background information
Origin	Ayrshire, Scotland
Genre(s)	Alternative rock
Years active	1995 – present
Label(s)	Beggars Banquet 14th Floor
Website	www.biffyclyro.com
Members
Simon Neil James Johnston Ben Johnston

Biffy Clyro is a Scottish alternative rock trio.

Generically, the group can only really be safely categorised as a rock band; beyond that, they defy all the common restrictions of genre, often straddling several generic boundaries within one song. So in their own words "Don't pigeon hole, just listen". Their influences remain diverse - according to the band themselves, their sound has been shaped as much by post-emo indie luminaries like Sunny Day Real Estate and Mineral as it has by prog legends Rush.

They have released three albums and fourteen singles. Their first single, "27", was promptly awarded Single Of The Week by Taproot in Kerrang!. "Questions and Answers" reached #26, while "The Ideal Height" narrowly missed out on a top 40 chart position. The leading single from Infinity Land ("Glitter and Trauma") reached #21, and second single "My Recovery Injection" reached #23. "There's No Such Thing As A Jaggy Snake" was also a #1 download only single before downloads were counted alongside physical singles.

On 11 March 2007, the second single from Puzzle, "Saturday Superhouse" debuted at #13 in the UK Singles chart.

Biffy Clyro are of few bands which have a motto or a saying and theirs is a phrase which was devoloped when the band first started gigging in Scotland. It was created by a fan by the name of Frank, the saying is "Mon the Biffy!" and it is usually shouted in a crowd as the band are performing or it is used as a occassional shout before the band come on stage.

Contents 1 Band members 2 Media coverage 3 Literary influences 4 Side-projects 5 Puzzle 5.1 Overview 5.2 Track listing 5.3 Other songs 6 Discography 6.1 Albums 6.2 EPs 6.3 Singles 7 External links

[edit] Band members

• Simon Neil – vocals, guitar, piano
• James Johnston – vocals, bass guitar
• Ben Johnston – vocals, drums

[edit] Media coverage

The band's popularity within the UK underground has not always been reflected by critical acclaim. While Kerrang! magazine have supported them since their early days (partially due to ex-editor Ashley Bird's love for their music), the same opinion was not held by influential British rock tabloid New Musical Express until recently. Other music publications such as Q magazine tend not to see past the band's taste for unusual song titles (examples of which include "Toys, Toys, Toys, Choke, Toys, Toys, Toys" and "Kill The Old, Torture Their Young"), not to mention the oft-ridiculed band name itself.

[edit] Literary influences

Lyrically, the band display a strong literary influence. Song and album titles include "Joy.Discovery.Invention" (Chuck Palahniuk), and Infinity Land, taken from Jeffrey Dahmer's concept of heaven. The bands second album The Vertigo Of Bliss is taken from a phrase in the contemporary novel I, Lucifer by Glen Duncan. New songs appear to continue in this vein, with "Asexual Meat Kitchen" seeming to contain literary references to the work of John Donne and Ode to the West Wind by Percy Bysshe Shelley . "to the west, to the west she's gone. I watched my mother, until she drowned Out of faith, a little late, what a strange design" from "Asexual Meat Kitchen" (also known as "To the West") resemble parts of "Hymn to God, My God, in my Sickness"; the references to the ocean, diving away beneath and "to the west".

[edit] Side-projects

Simon Neil, under the pseudonym "The Atmosphere" collaborates with JP Reid of fellow Ayrshire band Sucioperro, calling himself "The Dragon", on a side-project called Marmaduke Duke. Both the other members of Biffy Clyro play with the band, but only at live shows. Predictably, the general sound is not far-removed from that of Biffy or Sucioperro but has an experimental, playful side, and is also reminiscient of other influences such as Mr Bungle and Minus the Bear.

[edit] Puzzle

Puzzle
Studio album by Biffy Clyro
Released	28 May 2007
Recorded	The Warehouse Studio Vancouver, Canada The Farm Studios Gibsons, Canada
Genre	Alternative Rock
Label	14th Floor
Producer(s)	Garth Richardson Biffy Clyro
Biffy Clyro chronology
Infinity Land (2004)	Puzzle (2007)

Puzzle is the forthcoming fourth album by Biffy Clyro, to be released on 28 May 2007 on 14th Floor. The album was recorded at The Warehouse Studio in Vancouver, Canada, and The Farm Studio in Gibsons, Canada. It was produced by Garth Richardson, mixed by Andy Wallace in New York, and mastered by Howie Weinberg at Masterdisk.

[edit] Overview

The album title was was first confirmed by the band in an interview before playing at Xfm's Winter Wonderland in Glasgow's Carling Academy on 7 December 2006. Biffy Clyro stated in an interview with Rock Sound magazine that they had 40 tracks to choose from. Biffy Clyro's website features an intro with a piece of orchestral music, that fits the song "Living is a Problem Because Everything Dies"; the band said in an interview with Kerrang! that they'd been recording with composer Graeme Revell and the Seattle Symphony Orchestra whilst making the album. The artwork for Puzzle and its subsequent singles is now confirmed to be being designed by Storm Thorgerson.

[edit] Track listing

• All songs written by Simon Neil, James Johnston, and Ben Johnston.

1. "Living is a Problem Because Everything Dies"
2. "Saturday Superhouse"
3. "Who's Got A Match"
4. "As Dust Dances"
5. "2/15ths"
6. "A Whole Child Ago"
7. "The Conversation Is..."
8. "Now I'm Everyone"
9. "Semi-Mental"
10. "4/15ths"
11. "Love Has A Diameter"
12. "Get Fucked Stud"
13. "Folding Stars"
14. "9/15ths"
15. "Machines"

• The tracklisting was confirmed in the 21 Feburary 2007 issue of Kerrang!.
• There is to be a limited edition version to contain different or altered artwork and bonus track.

[edit] Other songs

This leaves out certain songs that were played live or announced on different occasions through blogs on MySpace or announcements through their official website. These will eventually appear as b-sides to the singles lifted from Puzzle.

It has been recently confirmed that "Living is a Problem Because Everything Dies" will be the next single, including the B-Sides; "Relief or Fight", "Kittens, Cakes and Cuddles" and "Loneliness". Due for release on May 7th 2007.

More information confirmed that "Asexual Meat Kitchen" will definitely appear as a B-Side, but this will be after the album release.

• "I'm Probably In Your Pocket"
• "Miracle Of Survival" ("Saturday Superhouse" B-side)
• "I'm Behind You" ("Saturday Superhouse" B-side)
• "Scared of Lots of Everything" ("Saturday Superhouse" B-side)
• "Asexual Meat Kitchen"
• "Drop It Dickhead"
• "Help Me Become Captain"
• "Captain, Sir.." (Announced along with the new single announcement as being a counterpart to "Help Me Become Captain"
• "Relief or Fight"
• "Kittens, Cakes and Cuddles"
• "Loneliness"

[edit] Discography

[edit] Albums

1. Blackened Sky 11 March 2002

2. The Vertigo of Bliss 16 June 2003

3. Infinity Land 4 October 2004

4. Puzzle 28 May 2007

[edit] EPs

1. thekidswhopoptodaywillrocktomorrow 13 June 2000

[edit] Singles

Year	Release	Label	Album	UK Chart Position
1999	"iname"	Babi Yaga	(none)	-
2001	"27"	Beggars Banquet	Blackened Sky
2001	"Justboy"	Beggars Banquet	Blackened Sky
2002	"57"	Beggars Banquet	Blackened Sky	61
2002	"Joy.Discovery.Invention"/"Toys, Toys, Toys, Choke, Toys, Toys, Toys"	Beggars Banquet	Blackened Sky
2003	"The Ideal Height"	Beggars Banquet	The Vertigo Of Bliss	43
2003	"Questions and Answers"	Beggars Banquet	The Vertigo Of Bliss	26
2003	"Eradicate the Doubt"	Beggars Banquet	The Vertigo Of Bliss
2004	"There's No Such Thing As A Jaggy Snake"	Beggars Banquet	Infinity Land	1 (Download Chart)
2004	"Glitter and Trauma"	Beggars Banquet	Infinity Land	21
2004	"My Recovery Injection"	Beggars Banquet	Infinity Land	24
2005	"Only One Word Comes To Mind"	Beggars Banquet	Infinity Land	27
2006	"Semi-Mental"	14th Floor	Puzzle	198 (Download Chart)
2007	"Saturday Superhouse"	14th Floor	Puzzle	13 (1 Scotland)
2007	"Living is a Problem Because Everything Dies"	14th Floor	Puzzle

[edit] External links

• The official Biffy Clyro site
• Label website
• Biffier Than Thou
• Musical Bliss - A fansite
• A Deviantart biffy Clyro Fanclub
• Biffy Clyro Guitar Tabs
• A Biffy Clyro Fansite (French)
• Biffy Clyro at Discogs
• Biffy Clyro at MusicBrainz
• Interview with durham21
• Biffy Clyro's MySpace
• Interview with Badvibes.net
• A mini-site to document their goings-on in Canada
• Biffy Clyro video interview at stv.tv/music, March 2007
• Saturday Superhouse Review

v • d • e Biffy Clyro
Simon Neil • James Johnston • Ben Johnston
Discography
Albums: Blackened Sky • The Vertigo Of Bliss • Infinity Land • Puzzle
EPs: thekidswhopoptodaywillrocktomorrow
Singles: "iname" • "27" • "Justboy" • "57" • "Joy.Discovery.Invention"/"Toys, Toys, Toys, Choke, Toys, Toys, Toys" • "The Ideal Height" • "Questions and Answers" • "Eradicate the Doubt" • "There's No Such Thing As A Jaggy Snake" • "Glitter and Trauma" • "My Recovery Injection" • "Only One Word Comes To Mind" • "Semi-Mental" • "Saturday Superhouse" • "Living is a Problem Because Everything Dies"
Related articles
Sucioperro • Marmaduke Duke • Aereogramme • Chris Sheldon • Beggars Banquet • 14th Floor
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