Years active 1989–2002 | Record label Nikt Nic Nie Wie | |
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Origin Fort Walton Beach, FL, United States Labels D.I.Y., Nikt Nic Nie Wie, Malarie, Terrorismo Sonora, Estajanovismo Records Associated acts Embers
Look Back and Laugh
His Hero is Gone
Dystopia
Myth of Progress
Preying Hands
Pleasant Valley
Ballast Website Past members Steven DeCaprio
Kelly Nelson
Moses Saarni
Dave Earles
Rob "Trans Am" Coleman
Joel "Buddy" Purdue
Isaac Grant
Stacey Storer
Ash Miller
James Diederich Genres Crust punk, Hardcore punk, Thrash metal | ||
Lesser of two future histories
Lesser of Two was a crust punk, crossover thrash, screamo and hardcore punk band which began in Florida in 1989 and relocated to Oakland, California in 1997. Lesser of Two disbanded in 2003.
Contents
Next great american band lesser of two
History
Steven DeCaprio came up with the name during a hallucination while skateboarding in a strip mall. He became transfixed on the two competing brands of soda dispensers sitting side by side next to the grocery store. In those two "choices" the false dichotomy inspired the name. In it choice, freedom, democracy, etc. were mere illusions used to fool the masses.
Ash Miller (second guitarist on Swing) told him that the name "Lesser of Two Evils" was too long. Soon after, DeCaprio was kicked out of the band because he was incompetent as a musician. He kept the name with a new band including Isaac Grant, Mike Shuman and Rob Coleman.
The volatility of line-ups became a hallmark of the band from then on. From 1989 until 2002 the band had 7 bass players, 7 drummers, 2 guitarists, 6 vocalists. The only thing that didn't change was the band name.
In 1995 Nelson, DeCaprio's wife, officially joined the band and played bass until the end. They appear on all the recordings except the Swing 7" and a track on the Farmhouse 1994 Compilation album.
Over the years Lesser Of Two released 3 7"s, three albums, and were on a number of compilations. Lesser of Two toured extensively in the United States as well as Mexico, Canada, Germany, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Italy, Switzerland, Belgium, France, Spain, Austria, and Netherlands. They accomplished all this while maintaining a Do It Yourself (D.I.Y.) ethic. In 1999, Lesser of Two released a cassette tape version of their self-titled album on one of the oldest punk labels in Poland, Nikt Nic Nie Wie. They were featured in the Polish Magazine Pasazer No. 13-14 which included a compilation featuring a track from Lesser Of Two.
Lesser Of Two also joined with seminal Polish punk band Post Regiment for a leg of their tour.
Musical style
Lesser Of Two's music had a crust punk sound without following any rules of the genre. The music was characterized by incredibly fast tempos giving way to slower heavier parts. The music was also accompanied with screaming vocals, crazy noise, and political lyrics with an emphasis on the negative aspects of human existence.
Lesser Of Two was given positive reviews by Maximumrocknroll magazine, Flipside fanzine, Slug and Lettuce fanzine, HeartattaCk magazine, and many others for their albums and their performances.
Notable concerts
During the over decade Lesser Of Two was active they played many notable concerts.
Other Projects
Currently DeCaprio and Nelson, who are the only members to play on all three albums, play in the band Embers in Oakland. Former drummer, Moses Saarni, went on to play with Drain the Sky featuring members of His Hero is Gone and Dystopia. Other notable bands including former members of Lesser Of Two are Ballast, Preying Hands, Jehovah's Hitlist, Myth of Progress, Look Back and Laugh and Pleasant Valley.