C-Clamp (band)
| Company type | Indie rock band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1994 |
| Defunct | 1999 |
| Headquarters | Urbana-Champaign, Illinois , United States |
| Products | Music albums, singles |
C-Clamp was an indie rock group originating from the Urbana-Champaign area of Illinois, active between 1994 and 1999. Throughout their career, they issued two full-length studio albums.
History
The trio was composed of Tom Fitzgerald on vocals and guitar, Nick Macri handling bass and vocals, and Frantz Etienne on drums. Although their live appearances were infrequent due to logistical and scheduling constraints, they performed alongside well-known acts such as Braid, Castor, Dianogah, Karate, and Hum.
Following the recording of Longer Waves, drummer Frantz Etienne left the band. Fitzgerald and Macri then worked with various drummers before ultimately dissolving the group in 1999. After the split, Macri went on to play with Heroic Doses, Euphone, Sunny Day Real Estate, The Lonesome Organist, The Zincs, and collaborated with musicians including Bobby Conn and Jeremy Enigk. Fitzgerald subsequently became a member of The Most Distant Object.
On September 27, 2022, The Numero Group revealed plans to reissue the complete works of C-Clamp, beginning with "In Tow" from the album Longer Waves. This reissue project culminated on December 8, 2023, with the release of Dream Backwards, a compilation that encompasses both albums as well as additional tracks from compilations and b-sides.
Style
C-Clamp’s musical approach is frequently categorized as slowcore, focusing on atmosphere, texture, rhythmic patterns, and spatial elements while featuring understated melodic vocals. Their sound is characterized by intricate layering paired with elegant yet uncomplicated vocal harmonies. They often employed simple song frameworks that expanded into lush sonic environments.
Steve Holmes of American Football credited C-Clamp's distinctive use of time signatures as an influence on their track "I'll See You When We're Both Not So Emotional".
Albums
- Meander + Return (1995, Ohio Gold Records)
- Longer Waves (1999, Ohio Gold Records)
Singles
- "Soft" b/w "Rinse" (1993, Banter Records/Flannel Camel)
- "Passing" (1995, Seek Lamp)
- "Saving Daylight" b/w "Shorty" (1998, Ohio Gold Records)
- "In Tow" (2022, The Numero Group)
- "Land Meets Sea" (2022, The Numero Group)
- "Minnesota" (2022, The Numero Group)
- "Passing" (2023, The Numero Group)
- "Morning" (2023, The Numero Group)
- "A Stand Still" (2023, The Numero Group)
- "In Glory, In Wire" (2023, The Numero Group)
- "Cah" (2023, The Numero Group)
- "Ocean Pacific" (2023, The Numero Group)
- "2000 Miles" (2023, The Numero Group)
Compilations
- Dream Backwards (2023, The Numero Group)
Compilation appearances
- "Pacific Ocean" and "Shorty (The Lonely Moog Mix)" featured on Cover The Earth (1996, Mud Records)
- "Saving Daylight" included in Disco Sucks (1996, Ché)
- "Cah" appeared on Ground Rule Double (1996, Divot Records/Actionboy Records)
- "2000 Miles" contributed to The My Pal God Holiday Record (1998, My Pal God Records)
- "In Glory, In Wire" was part of MyOhioActionPalBoyGoldGod300 (1999, My Pal God Records/ActionBoy 300 Records/Ohio Gold Records)