Biography
The Signalmen took shape in 1998 when four experienced figures from Champaign-Urbana’s longstanding college pop community assembled a guitar pop outfit. Their approach channels the more experimental edges of 1970s new wave—particularly Television’s interlocking guitar lines, which the group has cited as a formative influence—while remaining rooted in indie pop aesthetics.
Founding members Steve Burton and Michael Brosco had already worked together as longtime associates. Their earliest collaboration occurred in the late 1980s, when Brosco produced three albums for Burton’s experimental project the Lonely Trailer. Brosco had previously led the duo Proof of Utah, which spent more than a decade releasing demanding art rock on Chris Cutler’s Recommended Records and additional labels; Burton performed bass at the duo’s live shows and contributed as a guest musician on later recordings.
After Proof of Utah disbanded, Burton and Brosco began writing and demoing material together, recruiting Tim McKeage—formerly of the Outnumbered, Weird Summer, and the Last Straw—on bass and Jeff Evans on drums. This lineup issued the band’s self-titled debut in 1999. During sessions for the 2001 follow-up, punningly titled Falsetto Teeth, Evans exited to resume his education and was succeeded by Brian Reedy, Burton’s onetime bandmate from the Lonely Trailer who had also played in the early Champaign-Urbana group Ack Ack.
Founding members Steve Burton and Michael Brosco had already worked together as longtime associates. Their earliest collaboration occurred in the late 1980s, when Brosco produced three albums for Burton’s experimental project the Lonely Trailer. Brosco had previously led the duo Proof of Utah, which spent more than a decade releasing demanding art rock on Chris Cutler’s Recommended Records and additional labels; Burton performed bass at the duo’s live shows and contributed as a guest musician on later recordings.
After Proof of Utah disbanded, Burton and Brosco began writing and demoing material together, recruiting Tim McKeage—formerly of the Outnumbered, Weird Summer, and the Last Straw—on bass and Jeff Evans on drums. This lineup issued the band’s self-titled debut in 1999. During sessions for the 2001 follow-up, punningly titled Falsetto Teeth, Evans exited to resume his education and was succeeded by Brian Reedy, Burton’s onetime bandmate from the Lonely Trailer who had also played in the early Champaign-Urbana group Ack Ack.
Albums
