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Plankeye

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Plankeye
OriginOrange County, California, U.S.
GenresChristian rock, punk rock, alternative rock, grunge, post-grunge, pop rock, power pop, indie rock
Years active1991 (1991)–2002 (2002)
LabelsTooth & Nail, BEC
Past members
  • Scott Silletta
  • Luis F. Garcia
  • Adam Ferry
  • Eric Fielding Balmer
  • Shane Valdez
  • Jeremiah Shackleford
  • Kevin Poush
  • Louie Ruiz

Plankeye (also spelled PlankEye and Plank Eye)1 was an American Christian rock band that formed in 1991[1][2] in Orange County, California. The band's name is derived from Matthew 7:3 in the New Testament:

"Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?"

The text "Matthew 7:3" appears on the front cover and in the booklet of the original 1993 release of Plankeye's debut album, Spill, in reference to the biblical passage.

History

Plankeye formed in November 1991 and consisted of Scott Silletta on vocals and lead guitar, Luis F. Garcia on bass guitar, and Adam Ferry on drums. Plankeye's first studio album, Spill, was released independently on Walk the Plank Records in autumn 1993, with the band being signed with Tooth & Nail Records soon after. In October 1993, Eric Fielding Balmer joined the band as an additional guitarist. Spill was reissued on Tooth & Nail with new artwork on April 15, 1994[3] and one song, "Scared", from the album was released as a single.[4] Plankeye's second studio album, The Spark, was released on March 10, 1995; the album's song "Open House" was used for the band's first music video in 1995, which was directed by Michael Peleaux. In 1996, Plankeye released Commonwealth, which introduced a more polished and mature sound. Commonwealth is the Plankeye's only album with a title track, as well as the band's only album to have more than one music video, with one being made for "B.C." in 1996 and another for "Push Me Down" in 1997; both were directed by Darren Doane. Over the course of the next year, the group toured constantly, opening for the Newsboys.

On November 3, 1997, Plankeye released their best-selling album, The One & Only. To promote this album, Plankeye headlined "The One & Only Tour", featuring opening act the Insyderz. In 1998, a music video for the song "Someday" was released, being directed by Darren Doane and Ken Daurio. Lead singer Scott Silletta and drummer Adam Ferry later left Plankeye in July that year. Ferry left to become a youth pastor and Silletta formed a record label called Vanishing Point Records with a lineup including his band The Franchise, which released one studio album, Original Inevitable, in 2003. He also created his own recording studio called Orange Crush Studio, located in Orange, California.

In 1999, Balmer and Garcia released Relocation on a new record label, BEC Recordings. In 1999, the song "Goodbye" was used for Plankeye's last music video; it was directed by Michael Peleaux. Some wondered if this song was subtly referencing Scott and Adam's departure from the band, something which Eric and Luis refuted.[citation needed] BEC Recordings later released two discs containing a total of six singles from Relocation.[5][6] In 2001, Plankeye's song "When It Comes" was chosen by MP3.com to be included on their radio show The Download, successfully winning against 12,000 alternative bands on MP3.com to get on the show.

In 2001, Kevin Poush and Louie Ruiz joined Plankeye on guitar and drums, respectively, to assist in recording the band's sixth studio album, Strange Exchange; both Poush and Ruiz left Plankeye the following year. Plankeye's last release and only compilation album was announced on the band's official website on November 30, 2001.[7] Wings to Fly, released on July 18, 2002, contains one song from Spill, The Spark, and Strange Exchange, three songs from Commonwealth, The One and Only, and Relocation, re-recorded versions of "Bicycle" and "Goodbye", and five new songs. The track "Down to the Altar" was Plankeye's last single.[8] Plankeye disbanded in 2002.

Side projects

Following his departure from Plankeye in July 1998, former vocalist and guitarist Scott Silletta formed the Christian pop-punk band Fanmail that year. In 1999, Fanmail released an extended play, Here Comes Fanmail EP, and their first studio album, The Latest Craze, with the former containing a cover of The Police's 1983 single "Every Breath You Take." In the same year, the band's only music video, "Rock and Roll Star", was released;[9] it was directed by Derek Dale. Fanmail's second studio album, Fanmail 2000, was released in 2000 and included a cover of the Backstreet Boys' 1999 single "I Want It That Way"; it was the band's last release before the group disbanded in 2002. The band's song "Superfan" was featured on the soundtrack to the 2001 movie Extreme Days[10] as well as in the film. "Rock and Roll Star" and the band's cover of "I Want It That Way" appeared on the Tooth & Nail Tenth Anniversary compilation in 2003.[11] Silletta later released a solo album, The Life and Times of..., on June 17, 2011.[12]

After Plankeye broke up in 2002, Eric Balmer formed a band called Fielding with his wife, Beth, releasing four studio albums: a self-titled album in 2005, The Voice of Us on April 14, 2009, Our Side Is An Ocean on July 9, 2013, and Rags of Light on March 29, 2019.

Musical style

Plankeye's sound changed throughout the band's eleven-year career. Plankeye's style could be defined as melodic post-grunge combined with alternative and indie elements. Their first few albums also incorporated a fair amount of punk rock elements, but this aspect faded when original singer Scott Silletta left the band.[13] The band's first album consisted solely of punk rock, while their second and third albums saw significant incorporations of grunge and alternative rock styles, as well as post-grunge elements. The band's fourth album included power pop and pop rock, the latter of which would be incorporated into the music on Plankeye's fifth release alongside the already prominent alternative rock from previous releases. Plankeye's last studio album and compilation album included songs with slower, more melodic compositions.

Legacy

Plankeye is considered one of Tooth & Nail Records' greatest successes of the 1990s and early 2000s. The band's albums Commonwealth, The One and Only, and The Spark were ranked at #74, #67, and #57, respectively, on Jesus Freak Hideout's "Top 100 Tooth & Nail Albums of All Time" in 2018.[14][15][16]

Members

  • Scott Silletta - vocals, guitar (1991–1998)
  • Luis F. Garcia – bass guitar (1991–2002), vocals (1999–2002), keyboards (2001)
  • Adam Ferry – drums, percussion (1991–1998)
  • Eric Fielding Balmer – guitar (1993–2002), vocals (1999–2002)
  • Shane Valdez – drums (1998, live only)
  • Jeremiah Shackelford – guitar (1999, live only)
  • Kevin Poush – guitar (2001–2002)
  • Louie Ruiz – drums (2001–2002)

Discography

Plankeye discography
Studio albums6
Compilation albums1
Singles8
Music videos5

Studio albums

  • Spill (1993)
  • The Spark (1995)
  • Commonwealth (1996)
  • The One and Only (1997)
  • Relocation (1999)
  • Strange Exchange (2001)

Compilation albums

  • Wings to Fly (2002)

Music videos

Singles

  • "Scared" (1994)
  • "Goodbye" (2000)
  • "Say Now That You're Sorry" (2000)
  • "Call Me Liar" (2000)
  • "Break My Fall" (2000)
  • "You Got It" (2000)
  • "Honey and Oil" (2000)
  • "Down to the Altar" (2002)

Notes

1. Official name spellings written in various booklets of the band's albums.

References

  1. ^ Boehm, Mike (1998-06-10). "Twists of Faith : Christian Punk Bands Struggle to Define Their Evangelical Roles". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2024-05-24.
  2. ^ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOnzAHsWVDA
  3. ^ "Tooth & Nail Plankeye Spill". Archived from the original on 2021-10-17.
  4. ^ "Plankeye". Archived from the original on January 27, 1997.
  5. ^ "Plankeye - Singles From Relocation".
  6. ^ "Plankeye - Radio Singles From Relocation".
  7. ^ "Best of Info". Archived from the original on April 11, 2002.
  8. ^ "Tooth & Nail Rock Radio Singles".
  9. ^ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EPRscUwWJGY
  10. ^ "Extreme Days Original Soundtrack". allmusic.com. Retrieved May 17, 2024.
  11. ^ "Tooth & Nail Tenth Anniversary". allmusic.com. Retrieved May 17, 2024.
  12. ^ https://jesusfreakhideout.com/news/2011/06/17.Plankeyes%20Scott%20Silletta%20Unveils%20New%20Solo%20Album%20Today,%20June%2017.asp
  13. ^ Mengden, Ben (July–August 1999). "Album Reviews: Plankeye relocation". HM Magazine (78).
  14. ^ https://www.jesusfreakhideout.com/features/favorites/top100toothandnail/074Commonwealth.asp
  15. ^ https://www.jesusfreakhideout.com/features/favorites/top100toothandnail/067TheOneandOnly.asp
  16. ^ https://www.jesusfreakhideout.com/features/favorites/top100toothandnail/057TheSpark.asp
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