{"title":"Facs","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"b-facs-b-br-i-lifelike-i","title":"Facs - Lifelike","description":"\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eFormat \/ \u003cstrong\u003eLP Vinyl\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cbr\u003eReleased \/ \u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cbr\u003eCatalog \/ \u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cbr\u003eBarcode \/ \u003cstrong\u003e630125982785\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cbr\u003eArtist \/ \u003cstrong\u003eFacs\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cbr\u003eLabel \/ \u003cstrong\u003eTrouble In Mind\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cbr\u003eGenre \/ \u003cstrong\u003ePop \/ Rock\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Secretly Canadian","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":14093989838909,"sku":"POP-630125982785","price":16.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1487\/4550\/products\/b9428257e70f1104711905ac1ca44f51.jpg?v=1553820160"},{"product_id":"facs-still-life-in-decay","title":"Facs - Still Life In Decay [Red Vinyl]","description":"\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"aec-body\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"container\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"col-md-10\" id=\"aec-main\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"aec-product-container\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"col-md-12 col-sm-12 col-xs-12\" id=\"aec-product-description\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"aec-desc-review collapse\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEverything eventually turns to dust. Everyone knows this, but few want to acknowledge that our time on this mortal coil is fleeting, preferring to remain in stasis, in hopes that \"the end\" will pass them by. Chicago trio FACS (guitarist Brian Case, bassist Alianna Kalaba \u0026amp; drummer Noah Leger) have been perfecting their brand of intense, cathartic post-punk over the course of four ever-evolving albums, beginning with 2017's \"Negative Houses\" thru 2021's landmark \"Present Tense\", which saw the trio dig deep into the gaping maw of a black hole \u0026amp; pulling back whatever debris they could grasp onto. Their newest \"Still Life In Decay\" comes as an addendum to the last album - a \"post-event review\" if you will.\"Still Life In Decay\" starts with a squall of white noise before collapsing into the band already locked into \"Constellation\"'s lumbering groove, with Case's guitar a ghostly presence, appearing \u0026amp; disappearing in washes of gauzy feedback throughout the track. FACS have never been more locked in as a unit, and \"Still Life In Decay\" is a decidedly more focused effort. The apocalyptic chaos that defined their previous album \"Present Tense\" is waved away in favor of an examination of events with cumbrous clarity. FACS are a heavy band, but they don’t necessarily FEEL like one (see side two's \"Still Life\", where Case's fluttering, melodic guitar lines are buoyed by the insistent, underlying pulse of the bass \u0026amp; drums). As a rhythm section, Kalaba \u0026amp; Leger dance \u0026amp; twist around each other like a double helix, forming the DNA of what makes FACS special. Collectively they approach rhythm from outside the groove as opposed to inside it, creating a lattice where Case weaves guitar lines like creeping vines, which makes the moments on \"Still Life In Decay\" where the band DOES lock in even more powerful. When the guitar punctures the lock-step swing of \"When You Say\", it hits like a hammer. Case utilizes his lyrics like a person suffering from anterograde amnesia; repeating phrases \u0026amp; holding onto old memories in a desperate attempt to avoid the slide into oblivion. Freeform poetic missives touching on themes of resignation, cynicism, class warfare, and a search for identity \u0026amp; meaning in a crumbling society; A primal desire to hold onto anything in a post-pandemic barrage of sensory overload.The album is a decidedly local affair; recorded once again at Chicago's famed Electrical Audio by renowned engineer Sanford Parker \u0026amp; mixed at his Hypercube Studio in Chicago's Ravenswood neighborhood \u0026amp; mastered by Matthew Barnhart at Chicago Mastering Service.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eFormat \/ \u003cb\u003eLP\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eReleased \/ \u003cb\u003e04\/07\/2023\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eCatalogue \/ \u003cstrong\u003eTIM-177LPC1\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eBarcode \/ \u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e650076674171\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eArtist \/ \u003cstrong\u003eFacs\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eLabel \/ \u003cstrong\u003eTrouble In Mind Records\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eGenre \/ \u003cb\u003ePop \/ Rock\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e","brand":"Secretly Canadian","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":40569389318205,"sku":"POP-F-650076674171","price":18.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1487\/4550\/products\/TIM177.jpg?v=1680571498"},{"product_id":"facs-still-life-in-decay-1","title":"Facs - Still Life In Decay","description":"\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"aec-body\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"container\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"col-md-10\" id=\"aec-main\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"aec-product-container\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"col-md-12 col-sm-12 col-xs-12\" id=\"aec-product-description\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"aec-desc-review collapse\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEverything eventually turns to dust. Everyone knows this, but few want to acknowledge that our time on this mortal coil is fleeting, preferring to remain in stasis, in hopes that \"the end\" will pass them by. Chicago trio FACS (guitarist Brian Case, bassist Alianna Kalaba \u0026amp; drummer Noah Leger) have been perfecting their brand of intense, cathartic post-punk over the course of four ever-evolving albums, beginning with 2017's \"Negative Houses\" thru 2021's landmark \"Present Tense\", which saw the trio dig deep into the gaping maw of a black hole \u0026amp; pulling back whatever debris they could grasp onto. Their newest \"Still Life In Decay\" comes as an addendum to the last album - a \"post-event review\" if you will.\"Still Life In Decay\" starts with a squall of white noise before collapsing into the band already locked into \"Constellation\"'s lumbering groove, with Case's guitar a ghostly presence, appearing \u0026amp; disappearing in washes of gauzy feedback throughout the track. FACS have never been more locked in as a unit, and \"Still Life In Decay\" is a decidedly more focused effort. The apocalyptic chaos that defined their previous album \"Present Tense\" is waved away in favor of an examination of events with cumbrous clarity. FACS are a heavy band, but they don’t necessarily FEEL like one (see side two's \"Still Life\", where Case's fluttering, melodic guitar lines are buoyed by the insistent, underlying pulse of the bass \u0026amp; drums). As a rhythm section, Kalaba \u0026amp; Leger dance \u0026amp; twist around each other like a double helix, forming the DNA of what makes FACS special. Collectively they approach rhythm from outside the groove as opposed to inside it, creating a lattice where Case weaves guitar lines like creeping vines, which makes the moments on \"Still Life In Decay\" where the band DOES lock in even more powerful. When the guitar punctures the lock-step swing of \"When You Say\", it hits like a hammer. Case utilizes his lyrics like a person suffering from anterograde amnesia; repeating phrases \u0026amp; holding onto old memories in a desperate attempt to avoid the slide into oblivion. Freeform poetic missives touching on themes of resignation, cynicism, class warfare, and a search for identity \u0026amp; meaning in a crumbling society; A primal desire to hold onto anything in a post-pandemic barrage of sensory overload.The album is a decidedly local affair; recorded once again at Chicago's famed Electrical Audio by renowned engineer Sanford Parker \u0026amp; mixed at his Hypercube Studio in Chicago's Ravenswood neighborhood \u0026amp; mastered by Matthew Barnhart at Chicago Mastering Service.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eFormat \/ \u003cb\u003eLP\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eReleased \/ \u003cb\u003e04\/07\/2023\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eCatalogue \/ \u003cstrong\u003eTIM-177LP\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eBarcode \/ \u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e650076674164\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eArtist \/ \u003cstrong\u003eFacs\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eLabel \/ \u003cstrong\u003eTrouble In Mind Records\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eGenre \/ \u003cb\u003ePop \/ Rock\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e","brand":"Secretly Canadian","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":40569390497853,"sku":"POP-F-650076674164","price":17.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1487\/4550\/products\/TIM177_87e4c0f5-c645-45de-bcf6-a86e4c3fb5e6.jpg?v=1680571651"},{"product_id":"facs-wish-defense-white-vinyl","title":"FACS - Wish Defense [White Vinyl]","description":"\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003eThe duality of \"man\" is a subject that has been explored in art for centuries, from writings of the Bible to Descartes, all the way up to filmmakers like Lynch, Cronenberg, \u0026amp; Carpenter. Who is your \"true self\" \u0026amp; what do they want? With their sixth studio album \"Wish Defense\" (again for longtime home Trouble In Mind Records), Chicago trio FACS take a good, long look in the mirror to face themselves. The return of original member Jonathan Van Herik - who stepped away from the group just before their debut album \"Negative Houses\" was released in 2018 - replacing longtime bassist Alianna Kalaba brings renewed vigor \u0026amp; a marked angularity from the band's more recent output. The songs still hit hard, but the approach is sideways - the roles have changed since Van Herik's original tenure \u0026amp; his previous time with Case \u0026amp; powerhouse drummer Noah Leger in Disappears; now on bass, Van Herik was originally the group's guitar player and features on the debut, while current guitarist Brian Case played bass. This role reversal has helped the band's dynamic, offering up a different musical perspective than before, now revisiting the trio's long-going collaboration with some distance and time. Case notes that the lyrics on \"Wish Defense\" revolve around doppelgängers or \"doubles\", tackling the idea of facing yourself and observing your ideas and motivations. Look no further than the album's title track; \"Enter the mirror \/ Double walker \/ An intimate \/ Wish defense \/ Is it real? \/ You beside me \/ The detail \/ Terrifying \/ Abject self \/ Your grief \/ A public \/ Performance\". Case lays out the entire album's theme in one stanza; Are your actions \u0026amp; emotions your true self? Or are they a performative aspect of that \"other\" person you put forward? Case says that ultimately the sentiment is \"... don't let the bastards get you down, there's something beyond this moment, like hope - but not in the naive belief that ultimately people are good\". \"Wish Defense\"s artwork is also a subtle reference to \"Negative Houses\"' art, returning to that album's black \u0026amp; white starkness \u0026amp; minimalism. The album's checkerboards everywhere are offset reflections of themselves, mirrored with the album's lyrics printed front \u0026amp; center on the cover. Everything is out in the open. A final note; \"Wish Defense\" is the last album engineered by Steve Albini. Two days were recorded at Electrical Audio in early May of 2024 before Steve's untimely passing, with renowned engineer \u0026amp; friend Sanford Parker stepping in to finish the session 24 hours later, tracking the last bits of vocals and overdubs. Longtime collaborator John Congleton mixed the album as Albini would have; in Electrical Audio's A room, off the tape, using Albini's notes about the session. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eFormat \/ \u003cb\u003eLP\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eReleased \/ \u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e \u003cb\u003e0\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e2\/07\/2025\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCatalogue \/ \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eTBMD-194C1\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBarcode \/ \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e785034136399\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eArtist \/ \u003cstrong\u003eFACS\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eLabel \/ \u003cstrong\u003eTrouble in Mind\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eGenre \/ \u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e \u003cb\u003ePop \/ Rock\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Secretly Canadian","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":41983604588605,"sku":"POP-F-785034136399","price":19.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1487\/4550\/files\/4394010-3306986.jpg?v=1738364322"},{"product_id":"facs-wish-defense","title":"FACS - Wish Defense","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe duality of \"man\" is a subject that has been explored in art for centuries, from writings of the Bible to Descartes, all the way up to filmmakers like Lynch, Cronenberg, \u0026amp; Carpenter. Who is your \"true self\" \u0026amp; what do they want? With their sixth studio album \"Wish Defense\" (again for longtime home Trouble In Mind Records), Chicago trio FACS take a good, long look in the mirror to face themselves. The return of original member Jonathan Van Herik - who stepped away from the group just before their debut album \"Negative Houses\" was released in 2018 - replacing longtime bassist Alianna Kalaba brings renewed vigor \u0026amp; a marked angularity from the band's more recent output. The songs still hit hard, but the approach is sideways - the roles have changed since Van Herik's original tenure \u0026amp; his previous time with Case \u0026amp; powerhouse drummer Noah Leger in Disappears; now on bass, Van Herik was originally the group's guitar player and features on the debut, while current guitarist Brian Case played bass. This role reversal has helped the band's dynamic, offering up a different musical perspective than before, now revisiting the trio's long-going collaboration with some distance and time. Case notes that the lyrics on \"Wish Defense\" revolve around doppelgängers or \"doubles\", tackling the idea of facing yourself and observing your ideas and motivations. Look no further than the album's title track; \"Enter the mirror \/ Double walker \/ An intimate \/ Wish defense \/ Is it real? \/ You beside me \/ The detail \/ Terrifying \/ Abject self \/ Your grief \/ A public \/ Performance\". Case lays out the entire album's theme in one stanza; Are your actions \u0026amp; emotions your true self? Or are they a performative aspect of that \"other\" person you put forward? Case says that ultimately the sentiment is \"... don't let the bastards get you down, there's something beyond this moment, like hope - but not in the naive belief that ultimately people are good\". \"Wish Defense\"s artwork is also a subtle reference to \"Negative Houses\"' art, returning to that album's black \u0026amp; white starkness \u0026amp; minimalism. The album's checkerboards everywhere are offset reflections of themselves, mirrored with the album's lyrics printed front \u0026amp; center on the cover. Everything is out in the open. A final note; \"Wish Defense\" is the last album engineered by Steve Albini. Two days were recorded at Electrical Audio in early May of 2024 before Steve's untimely passing, with renowned engineer \u0026amp; friend Sanford Parker stepping in to finish the session 24 hours later, tracking the last bits of vocals and overdubs. Longtime collaborator John Congleton mixed the album as Albini would have; in Electrical Audio's A room, off the tape, using Albini's notes about the session.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eFormat \/ \u003cb\u003eLP\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eReleased \/ \u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e \u003cb\u003e0\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e2\/07\/2025\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCatalogue \/ \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eTBMD-194\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBarcode \/ \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e785034136382\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eArtist \/ \u003cstrong\u003eFACS\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eLabel \/ \u003cstrong\u003eTrouble in Mind\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eGenre \/ \u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e \u003cb\u003ePop \/ Rock\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Secretly Canadian","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":41983606259773,"sku":"POP-F-785034136382","price":18.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1487\/4550\/files\/4394010-3306986_fad9d711-281f-43b3-b3dc-6629b8636a14.jpg?v=1738364488"}],"url":"https:\/\/www.plaidroomrecords.com\/collections\/artist-facs.oembed","provider":"Plaid Room Records","version":"1.0","type":"link"}