The Stranded Local Q&A: Faces on Film

This week’s local band spotlight shines on one of Boston’s hidden musical gems, Faces on Film.

Faces on Film was formed back in 2004 after Fiore graduated from The College of the Holy Cross. He and the members of this earliest incarnation gathered together some demos and scored a gig at the Middle East, but found their performance to be somewhat sloppy. After playing around Boston, New York, and Chicago, further recording in 2005 helped them find their focus. After several revisions of the line-up, Faces on Film (which now consists of Fiore, David Hinckley, Elio DeLuca, Gavin McCarthy, and Aaron Trail) has recorded a new album, The Troubles, which is filled with unrepressed honesty and self-expression. Echoing the vocalizations and textures of Modest Mouse with effortlessly meticulous guitar work, their sublime songwriting mirrors the steady path the band has forged for itself.

Mike Fiore took a few minutes to answer the same five questions Stranded In Stereo always asks:

Hailing from Boston makes us better than all those non-Boston bands because
We have Steve Gisselbrecht.

Name at least three bands that are still around and touring that you’d love to be on a bill with, and think it fits well
The Microphones and Joanna Newsom. And Neil Young.
Your favorite Boston venue to perform in is
Zuzu.

Are there any genres that influence your music conceptually, rather than sonically? (In that you can’t hear from simply listening to the music, but from getting into the structure or mathematics of the song-writing, etc.)
Yeah, there are things that affect the writing in that way, but I don't think a particular genre does it for me. The things that do don't even have to be musical, necessarily. I usually find a lot of the same qualities in all of the things I like, be it a song, or a poem, or a drawing. I suppose I just try to attach myself to those little moments of clarity, and imitate them as best I can.

Your favorite local bar to hit up when not doing the whole band deal is
The Druid.


[Myspace] http://www.myspace.com/facesonfilm (stream songs from The Troubles here!)
Catch them live: July 9th @ Middle East Upstairs with the Bon Savants and Badman.