At Stan's Bris is an American lo-fi noise band formed in 2019 in Boston, MA by Boston University students Bradford Barker (vocals, guitar, bass, drums, keyboards) and Gavin Caine (vocals, guitar, bass, drums, keyboards), with fellow student Stella Faux (violin, electric violin, keyboards) completing the line-up in 2020. Drawing inspiration from bands like Pavement, Sebadoh, Ass Swarm, and Guided By Voices, At Stan's Bris perfected the lo-fi genre, and due to the band's cultural relevance and overall inventiveness, At Stan's Bris is often cited as one of the most influential and important acts of the 2020s. Their first album ''Oat Meal'' (2019) was described by notorious music critic Sam Hain as "the only important lo-fi album - now and forever".

 

==Proto Bristory==

Both studying music composition at Boston University, classmates Bradford Barker and Gavin Caine first met in the fall of 2018. In mid-September, Brad invited Gavin to a jam session with two Boston Conservatory music students, and this group shortly formed into the band Kevin, where Brad was principal songwriter and lead singer, and Gavin played bass. Kevin met and practiced weekly, but nobody liked them. Kevin went on to record the EP ''The Demoes'' in March of 2019. 

 

==Early Bris==

===''Oat Meal'' (February 2019)===

On February 21, 2019, Brad sent a text to Gavin that read "yo huge question - a bit hypothetical as well - but do u wanna drum in a noise band w/ me". Gavin quickly replied "Actually yeah I'd love to", and the rest is bristory. Three days later, Brad went over to Gavin's dorm room to record their first album ''Oat Meal''. The album was recorded to tape on a used tape recorder (this tape recorder has since been referred to as "The Oat"). The guitar was played through a computer modeling an amplifier, and the drums were produced using MIDI samples. Brad had previously written tracks "Last Beach,” “Ankor Wats French,” and "Ark", but the rest of the album is mostly improvised, most recognizably with "Join Inner Strength Gospel Choir (Groupon Based Freestyle)". The album also contains two covers with Pavement's "She Believes" and Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Free Bird". Gavin is credited with writing "(I'm So) Fat" and "Rice Flour", and Brad with writing the rest, all composed on the spot. ''Oat Meal'' has gone on to receive many accolades, mostly concerning how good it is. It is unanimously considered a good album, while some say it's not very good after all.

 

===''Bite the Wax, Tadpole'' (March 2019)===

Destined not to become a one-hit-wonder, At Stan's Bris returned to Gavin's dorm on March 3, 2019 to record their sophomore album ''Bite the Wax, Tadpole'' (2019). The album was intended to be recorded on "The Oat", just as the last album was, but it was not cooperating that day, and after several trips to the record shop In Your Ears (in which Brad and Gavin wore sunglasses), they decided to record this album digitally to Logic Pro X. Similar to ''Oat Meal'', this album was largely improvised and featured some covers ("Big Sky" - The Kinks, "Jumper" - Third Eye Blind [referred to as "Pornlore/Jacking Off Culture"], and "Your Wedding" - Smog]. The song “Rushing the Furry Frat” ended up being fairly salvageable, but the rest of the album is considered to be “...genius garbage. Very good, not so good, and otherwise” (Pitchfork); “It is no big surprise after the accolades that resulted from ''Oat Meal'' that At Stan’s Bris sold out to the digital world in a matter of only two weeks.” (Jon Savage); “At Stan’s Bris Played At My Bris.” (Adam Savage).

 

===''At Stan’s Bris Gets Facepunched!'' (March 2019)===

After the mediocre success of “Bite the Wax, Tadpole”, At Stan’s Bris played a live set on the WTBU radio show “Facepunch!”. This was the band’s first performance, and first timing using a drum set. The show went very well, apart from Brad eating a rice cake during “A Splendid Fellow,” and for the fact that he smelled very bad. However due to the age old story of Boy and Girl it was publicized across the 617 airwaves that it was in fact Gavin that had smelled on the radio.

 

==The Middle Age==

===''Swamp Ass Thing'' (April 2019)===

Gaining notoriety in the circuit, and facing severe critical pressure along with accusations from their ''Oat Meal'' fans (oatheads) that they had sold out, At Stan’s Bris recorded another album to follow up the others. This next album ''Swamp Ass Thing'' (2019) was recorded to Gavin’s 4-track tape recorder in the Boston University practice rooms. Using the new drum set only referred to as “the Hain” (which was rescued from a dumpster by Tim’s mom) and instruments like acoustic guitar and piano, this album took on a more traditional lo-fi sound. The songs were mostly written prior to recording, but not practiced at all. Best buddy and certified “cool girl” Stella Faux improvised violin parts during the recording sessions. This album was good - much better than other albums. People like to listen to this one. It was released exclusively on YouTube in April. To advertise this album the Bris headed to the library and printed QR codes linked to the youtube upload of the album. Under the QR codes were the words: "Swamp Ass Thing.”

 

===Da Rock Show (April 2019)===

At Stan’s Bris played a show at Out of the Blue Art Gallery in Allston, MA on Marathon Monday. This was their first live show in front of an audience. They played loudly and were fairly drunk. Most people did not like it, but Zach did. The hearing loss rate of Boston rose 2% that day.

 

===''I Peed on This'' (April 2019)===

In late April, Brad and Gavin went back to the practice rooms to record their fourth album ''I Peed On This'' (2019). Largely composed of pop punk songs written over the course of bristory, this album is mostly pop punk songs. The songs were recorded with two iPhones using Voice Memos, and it was released exclusively on PornHub. Do not search for it.

 

===Live at Hey Guy’s Bris (May 2019)===

The second Bris show came to fruition on May 1 when At Stan’s Bris opened for Hey Guy and Miku Daza at the Middle East upstairs. Though in the midst of recording their eponymous magnum opus, the band stuck to the old formula and played fast, loud, and rather bad. This resulted in what is generally regarded as one of the most important shows in noise history. A recording of this show was bootlegged and later released on an unknown fan channel under the name of “Sam Hain.” This is also where the original run of now sought after At Stan’s Bris t-shirts was sold, all hand made hours before the show. About 15 were made and sold at that show. These shirts have been sold on eBay for prices upwards of $3.

 

===''At Stan’s Bris'' (May 2019)===

During May of 2019, Brad and Gavin wrote decently good songs this time, which ultimately became their fifth album ''At Stan’s Bris'' (2019). Recorded digitally to Logic Pro X in the practice rooms, barring one trip to the CFA roof for the closing track, this album was the group’s most sonically expansive to date. However due to tensions within the band as well as external circumstances, recording sessions were brief and tense. This resulted in what many consider as the darkest Bris album, featuring the epic less-than-a-minute “I Was Dressed for Six Flags,” and the 17 minute closer “Last Days of Baggy.” After this the members went on a long hiatus lasting 1 and a half months.

 

===''Mou'' (July 2019)===

In July of 2019 Gavin took the train back up to Boston to catch the Jesus Christ Experience reunion and to record Salinger. In the last 30 minutes before he had to get driven back to south station, he and Brad went to Paris and wrote and recorded ''Mou'' (2019), (French for flaccid) which lifted its lyrics from a “French in Action” textbook. It features a french version of “Rushing the Fury Frat” (Restaurant japonais) and a Pavement cover (Notre chanteur). This album marks the return of recording with an Oat (see ''Oat Meal''). This is generally dismissed by critics as “good, often bad, but what are they saying?” When band member Stella was asked about her opinion on the album “Mou”, she responded, “What album?”

 

==Proto Corona==

The latter half of 2019 proved uneventful for At Stan’s Bris. Gavin and Stella were continuing their musical studies and working on various solo projects, and Brad was in England being a prude. 

 

===Cock (January 2020)===

When school returned in the spring term of 2020, Stella finally became an official member of At Stan’s Bris, and plans were underway to make a new record. In late January, however, the group recorded the side project album ''I Am the Sheriff'' (2020) under the name “Cock”. This album is often cited as the greatest proto corona album of all time by critics and music critics alike.

 

===''Tokyo Traffic Jacket''===

Through the months leading up to the great plague of 2020, At Stan’s Bris began developing a new record entitled ''Tokyo Traffic Jacket'' (2020). The songs were recorded to both Gavin and Brad’s 4-tracks and featured many overdubs, making this their most ambitious project to date. Bris fans caught wind of “TTJ”, and many were excited to hear this album that was referred to as “actually maybe good this time”. The album was set to be completed in May of 2020, along with a full-length documentary detailing the recording process, general ways of life, and Killer Bean associations of At Stan’s Bris. The band was also booked to play a show at The Farm in Allston on March 20, and they were going to save rock n roll once and for all. 

 

Unfortunately, as bristory remembers, COVID-19 struck the world in mid-March of 2020, and all future plans for At Stan’s Bris were rudely interrupted. ''Tokyo Traffic Jacket'' became split across time and space between Brad and Gavin’s 4-track’s, and the album was never completed...

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Until one day, when Gavin and Brad said, "Let's do this thing Mario Party 8 style", and decided to complete the album once and for all. Gavin and Brad completed the songs on their respective tapes, and two new tracks, "Child Yea" and "Day at Races", were recorded separately to close out the album. This is album is actually good and not bad, and Anthony Fantano got his hair back because of this album. It will be released, at last, on October 23rd.

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==Personnel==

Bradford Barker was born in Massachusetts, but he still lives there. He likes to ride his bicycle, and sometimes he and his brother pretend to be slugs.

 

Gavin Caine is 20 years old, but usually he is making music. He’s fairly tall, but it isn’t a defining characteristic. 

 

Stella Faux has three children named Bizonder Quartal and Space Boy. She lives in two trees, respectively. 

 

==Discography==

* ''Oat Meal'' (2019)

* ''Bite the Wax, Tadpole'' (2019)

* ''Swamp Ass Thing'' (2019)

* ''I Peed on This'' (2019)

* ''At Stan’s Bris'' (2019)

* ''Mou'' (2019)

* ''Tokyo Traffic Jacket'' (2020)

 

Live Albums:

* ''At Stan’s Bris Gets Facepunched!'' (2019)

* ''Live at Hey Guy's Bris'' (2019)

* ''At Stan's Bris Robs the Grave'' (2020)