October 16, 2011

The Sunday Session: indie rock from Beaten by Yuri. Sound by Dominic Armstrong.

Beaten By Yuri is a musical duo comprised of multi-instrumentalists Kevin Golden and Jarod Facknitz. Formed near Detroit in 2003, the band gained a cult following for its unpredictable live shows and eclectic song catalog.

Recorded in 2004, BBY's debut release, Time For Eugenics, was a lo-fi mishmash of soft ballads and scarcely audible indulgences in pop and ambiance. Their followup, GERTA, proved to be an ambitious artistic statement, featuring a vigorous flair for production and songwriting BBY had only hinted at previously. Heralded as "the weirdest album of 2007," by Whisperin' and Hollerin' magazine, the album fetched many glowing reviews. GERTA's recording sessions and supporting performances were filmed for the RockuMockery short film, "The Business of Making Dreams Come True."

BBY continues to record and perform as a trio throughout Chicago (with Jay Tallungan of Apetrax Studios). They are currently finishing two albums (one an "ovary-busting, rock explosion," and the other a "luscious, folk-tinged java squirt for curing hash hangovers"), plus numerous music videos, all set to be released soon!

Also available: an interview and in-studio performance Kevin did on Transistor Radio’s Roundtable program (August 22, 2010).