Rex

Rex first emerged in Maine during 1991 as an early incarnation of the slowcore band Rex, though drummer Doug Scharin concentrated the majority of his efforts on the slowcore innovators Codeine at that stage. The group shifted its base to Brooklyn in 1994. While Idaho, Acetone, and the Red House Painters sustained the introspective and somber slowcore current, Rex moved quickly to capture their self-titled debut for Southern Records the same year. That album swings sharply between understated, wandering guitar passages and forceful, emotionally charged vocals.

On the subsequent release C, Rex displayed a noticeably more developed identity. Occasional string parts enriched the band’s deliberate, flowing character, while vocals and expressive intensity grew more measured. Widely praised by critics, C secured Rex’s standing among leading indie rock acts and opened tours with the Sea and Cake, Sebadoh, and others.

The consistent momentum of C anticipated the approach heard on 3. Rex brought in a permanent string section for both studio work and performances, exchanging their raw slowcore and post-rock edges for a smoother, softer texture. This evolution emphasized greater focus on precision and arrangement over the sudden surges of emotional force that had shaped earlier material.

Links to Chicago led to a collaboration with Red Red Meat issued as Loftus, as well as recording time at Brad Wood’s Idful Studio. Doug Scharin additionally pursued a solo sonic project under the name HIM, also released by Southern.