Fury Things
Gig Seeker Pro

Fury Things

Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States | Established. Jan 01, 2012 | INDIE | AFTRA

Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States | INDIE | AFTRA
Established on Jan, 2012
Band Alternative Rock

Calendar

Music

Press


"Opinion: Fury Things are the best rock band in the Twin Cities"

Fury Things are not revivalists. Sure, the Minneapolis rock trio are carrying on the loud and proud indie tradition of the Twin Cities’ illustrious musical past – even being personally selected by Bob Mould himself to open for his band at his old stomping grounds, the 7th St. Entry. Fury Things are taking that untamed, raucous sound in a thoroughly modern direction — and they are doing it better than any other local rock band at the moment.

The title of their debut LP, VHS, may evoke a simpler, analog time long before Netflix and smartphones, but the nine fitful songs on the record sound thoroughly of the moment. There are just enough underlying echoes of power-pop’s past to reveal the band’s myriad influences, but they’ve added their own roiling twist on the past three decades of garage rock and made a combustible yet utterly catchy sound that is entirely their own.

Singer/guitarist Kyle Werstein began writing the tracks that constitute VHS in the summer of 2014, just after graduating from college. The songs teem with the boundless possibility and uncertainty that comes with that final, unsteady step into adulthood. Despite having a series of well-received EPs under their belt, Werstein’s celebratory milestone helped him refine and focus his artistic voice. “The writing process for this album was very effortless for me, since, for the first time, I felt like I actually had something to say,” Werstein admits.

The trio – rounded out by bassist Devon Bryant and drummer Andrew Carson – holed up with engineer Jonny Records in their familiar Northeast Minneapolis recording space (Acrylic Fabricators Corporation) and banged out these spirited new jams over the course of one productive weekend, with the intention of releasing them as their third EP. After hooking up with Tom Loftus of Modern Radio, they decided to expand the release to an LP, and put it out on vinyl on Loftus’s venerable local label.

“We had five songs that we’d imagined as the EP, and two that we saw as a standalone single,” Bryant, who also mixed the album, explains. “We reorganized the track listing on the spot, and I created a sound collage interlude for the end of Side 1 by layering every second of the recording session in which we weren’t recording a song.” The results are an assured, urgent statement by a well-seasoned band that has been building to this moment for three long years now.

Fury Things pummeling, boisterous arrangements drive a majority of the 29-minute album, with the angsty and alienated “Silence Is OK” giving way to the guitar-fueled pulse of “Honest” and the melodic, Sugar-like crush of “Shakes.” The standout is the rowdy “Bruised Fruit,” which anchors the middle of the record, and comes across as Hum tying a rope to the back of Shoegaze’s bus. But layered underneath these animated numbers are reflective, searching lyrics, with Werstein trying a different approach to his songwriting this time out.



“VHS is different than our other releases in that most of the songs are written from a deliberate first-person perspective,” explains Werstein. “Until I started writing VHS while navigating the fog of post-college life, I would abstract my experiences to avoid writing about myself because I felt at odds with my own identity and importance. I still feel that way, but as I started writing the lyrics to these songs, I felt more confident in speaking specifically about what I was experiencing at that particular moment in time. It became therapeutic and cathartic. So VHS as an album is kind of my way of making peace with a number of personal demons, and all the songs on the album deal with that in a different way.

That genuine self-reflection and creative maturity is rare in a 23-year-old, as is his musical gifts, which are augmented by the estimable talents of Bryant and Carson — who Werstein affectionately describes “as much my big brothers as they are my bandmates.” That easy camaraderie permeates all of the material that Fury Things have released so far, and their creative partnership truly gels on the new record. And the band couldn’t be more excited to finally put out a vinyl release of their work.

“I’m just really proud of VHS,” says Bryant. “I’ve been making music since I was 12 or 13 years old, but not until this year was I ever on a piece of wax. Being a vinyl collector myself, I have to say that all of the records I made before didn’t feel as real. You can pick it up and look at it, and it’s big and physical, nobody can deny that it’s actually there in your hands! MP3s have no weight; they just drift past your ears. But a record you have to interact with, touch, flip the sides, take care of it, and clean it. It takes on more of a life and a character than it would just living in the digital world.”

The band isn’t planning on slowing down anytime soon, with an album’s worth of songs recorded with Ed Ackerson at Flowers Studio set for release sometime in 2016 as a follow-up to VHS. On Saturday night, at least, they are taking a well-earned moment to celebrate all of the hard work that went into their full-length debut – a record that has been a long time coming, but one that emphatically proved to be worth the wait — with a release show at the Triple Rock Social Club.

“VHS is kind of a huge culmination of who I am as a creative individual,” says Werstein. “I’ve always taken great care in cultivating our visual identity and to see this record in-person – that I made with two of my best friends – is like seeing hundreds of hours of work finally pay off. We’re all really proud of how it’s turned out.” - 89.3 The Current


"Heavy Rotation: Twin Cities Edition"

Clearly influenced by Hüsker Dü and other pioneering Minneapolis punk bands, Fury Things combines chugging guitars with dreamy, shoegazey vocals that would make Bob Mould proud. In fact, the band has already won Mould over — he taps Fury Things to open his shows every time he comes through his hometown. - NPR's World Cafe Blog


"We Will Rock You: Local Review Roundup feat. Moors Blackmon, Fury Things, Pasadena ’68/Dakota Shakedown"

VHS by Fury Things isn’t exactly a groundbreaking album per se. You’ve heard guitars and basses and massive helpings of fuzztone before, right? I mean, in the 90s, this was called Swervedriver (or Teenage Fanclub, or whoever) and we totally loved it. You know? Except: there is always a place in the world for albums that sound like GIGANTIC FUCKING JETS TAKING OFF. That’s a thing. In the 60s it was the Byrds, in the 70s it was Blue Oyster Cult, now it’s Fury Things basically duplicating the effect of a jet cruising down the runway and directly into your brain. It’s awesome. In fact, it’s totally necessary. There’s too much wishy-washy poop out there, too much indie rock that doesn’t do nearly enough skull-crushing and way too much wishing and washing. I’m all for slatherings of fuzz and ass-tons of phase and dreamy-ass vocals, you know?

In other words: who gives a fuck if it’s groundbreaking or not, or if it reminds you of shit you heard in the 90s? When there are songs as magnificently melodic and wildly heavy as “Summer Bummer” or sounds-like-Jesus-on-the-radio “Honest” or the tambourine-forward “Mersault?” When songs like “Some Things” or “Shakes” crawl into your head and sound like a rush of speed straight to the vein, or like the sound of technology taking over your body? When weird rushes of sound like “Stitch Up” or the quite gorgeous “Bahia” sound like transmissions from another planet? Does the groundbreaking matter then? I vote not. I vote that whenever smart-ass folks with melodic sense set loud guitars to “stun” it’s something worth hearing, and this one does that in spades. - Letoile Magazine


"Twin Cities Critics Tally 2015: #4"

Nearly all of the songs on this Twin Cities power trio’s full-length debut start in one of two ways: with a furious, call-to-arms pounding of snare drum and cymbals, or with a heavy, call-to-earplugs roar of guitar. Either way, consider yourselves forewarned. The band proudly harks back to the scene’s best-known power trio, Hüsker Dü, not just in volume and velocity, but also the sharp melodic hooks that singer/guitarist Kyle Werstein jabs into such choice songs as “Honest” and “Summer Bummer.” Lest you think they’re all roar, the guys throw in a gorgeously ambient, slow-fade of a closer, “Bahia.” - Star Tribune


"Flatbasset's Best of 2015"

38. Fury Things - VHS (63 plays): The loudest band in Minneapolis (non-Blind Shake division) make good on the promise of their EP's with an LP of fuzzed out bliss. - Flatbasset Radio


"Go Local Spotlight: Fury Things"

Fury Things are a Minneapolis-based trio who've played tons of shows and grown their audience for several years. Self-described as "three quiet dudes that make loud music" they have been compared to Minneapolis' own Hüsker Dü numerous times.

Singer-guitarist Kyle Werstein spoke in detail about an ongoing relationship with Hüsker/Sugar frontman Bob Mould -- from slipping him a CD at a festival gig, to being asked by Mould to open for several of his hometown dates, to being asked by First Avenue to perform an entire set of Hüsker Dü tracks at last week's Replacements tribute. Fury Things consider those comparisons as compliments.

They release their VHS 12-inch on Modern Radio Records Saturday night at Triple Rock Social Club where they'll be joined by Alpha Consumer (who are celebrating the release of a split 7" single), Kitten Forever, Strange Relations and Cherry Cola's Max Timander will spin tunes on vinyl between sets. - Go96.3 MN


"FURY THINGS KEEP THE FUZZ-ROCK DREAM OF THE '90S ALIVE ON VHS"

Comprised of three Minnesota transplants, Fury Things have acclimated well. Formed in 2012, they’ve released a pair of EPs over three years, with their debut full-length, VHS, set for release this Saturday at Triple Rock.

Fury Things will be joined by some of their favorite local bands — Alpha Consumer, Kitten Forever, and Strange Relations — to celebrate their first vinyl and first release for Modern Radio Record Label, one of their earliest introductions to Minnesota music and another sign that their adopted state is welcoming them in.

Playing self-described fuzz rock and with a name lifted from a Dinosaur Jr. song, Fury Things have understandably been hit with ‘90s references since day one. While there are obvious vintage indie-rock similarities, the band considers those easy comparisons (made even easier since they opened for Hüsker Dü's Bob Mould in January).

VHS, unlike the band's more abstract early material, features a more personal tone, says guitarist/vocalist Kyle Werstein. “I've always been at odds with feeling like my experiences are insignificant when stacked against individuals who deserve to have their voices heard,” he says, repeated in conversation when talking about the band’s successes on stage.

Started as a cassette EP that featured VHS-style artwork, the more matured set of songs grew into a full-length while keeping the title. While the tape art on a tape no longer applies, it’s still conceptually relevant and fitting, given the group's glitchy, lo-fi intangibles.

City Pages caught up with Fury Things ahead of Saturday's release show to discuss VHS, the thriving local music scene, and why fuzz rock will never die.

City Pages: You’ve gotten some attention, at least in the bloggy side of things (a Daytrotter session, Picked 2 Click mention, opening some notable shows, etc.) How do you deal with that as a band? Does getting that recognition motivate or push you to do new or bigger things?

Kyle Werstein: I've never been that good at taking praise. Music has just always been the thing that makes the most sense to me. So I've always been eager to share, but always surprised at the warm reception we've been given. It's easy to get down on yourself, but every little bump we get makes it easier to just keep going.

RELATED STORIES
Modern Radio's co-owners talk about the ever-changing record industry
Picked to Click 2013: #9. Fury Things
At the same time, most of the opportunities we've been given are just due to persistence and luck, y'know? You get used to unreturned emails, but I'm still always sending them. It's important to keep telling people about who you are and what you're doing. Someone out there is listening to us and that's more than enough motivation to keep doing what we're doing.

CP: As three non-Minnesota natives, how do you feel you fit into the local music scene? Has your place in it changed as you’ve been here longer?

KW: I don't personally feel like we have any sort of seniority or anything like that. In fact, I'm always kind of taken aback when bands I like want to play shows with us or bands I haven't heard of say that they've heard good things about us and want to get together.

I've met a ton of non-Minnesota or at least non-Twin Cities natives, so I don't think that being from here inherently makes it easier to play shows or get noticed. What does go a long way is just participating in the scene and showing up and trying your best to make something.

Devon Bryant: I love so many of the bands playing locally these days, it’s an amazing problem to have that there’s always eight shows going on every night that you want to check out. Are you gonna go see Kitten Forever or Deleter or Royal Brat or Bruise Violet or Hollow Boys or Ego Death tonight?

I suppose we have some kind of seniority by default simply because bands break up, reconfigure, go on hiatus all the time, and we’ve stuck it out as the same three people who like hanging out with each other and playing music together. I don’t know that it really means anything other than that people have heard of us before.


CP: What strikes you as different about the Twin Cities?

KW: I think one of the biggest things here is just how much can be happening on any given night. There are a ton of great rooms to play and an almost endless amount of great bands participating in a scene that really celebrates and supports itself, for better or worse.

I mean, obviously playing at a place like the 7th Street Entry or the Triple Rock is like participating in a well-oiled music machine, but even places like Memory Lanes or the Kitty Cat Klub offer a cooler atmosphere than a lot of other rooms around the country. Some cities feel like they have a couple venues and a couple well-established bands, but here, it's just full-tilt all the time.

CP: With the Dinosaur Jr. name you get a lot of ’90s comparisons. Do you consciously take influence from any bands of that era or is it less thought out?

KW: As a 23-year-old (19-year-old when we first started playing), I don't have any actual or borrowed nostalgia for the period where fuzz rock ruled the airwaves or whatever. I've just always liked the music that I liked and the chords I wanted to play and the mood of the songs I wanted to write.

I kind of worked backwards through the music of my youth, from Green Day to Hum to the Pillows to Pixies to Dinosaur Jr. and Teenage Fanclub and Superchunk and all that. I guess you could say that I subconsciously take influence from all those acts. The first time I heard "Little Fury Things" was kind of life changing. I couldn't get enough of it. Discovering Hum in middle school felt the same way to me.

It was like listening to my own description of ideal music. The juxtaposition of aggression and sensitivity and gnarly guitars with soaring choruses. It's always stuck with me. I've never said, "I wanna be in a band that does this particular thing." It just kinda ends up that way.

DB: We like fuzzy guitars and loud drums, and the ‘80s-90s alternative era was a time when that sound had some purchase in the public consciousness, so I think that’s why we may seem more ‘90s than other eras. Fuzzy guitar rock has never really gone away though, particularly in the U.K. and Europe.

But in the U.S., the ‘00s were much more about disco beats and haircuts than rock music. Nothing wrong with a disco beat and a haircut, mind you, but when the three of us got together, I was definitely in the mood to get onboard with the kind of loud songs Kyle wanted to write and Andrew’s caveman stomp. - City Pages Minneapolis


"BEST ROCK BAND (2015) Fury Things"

Punk legend Bob Mould likes Fury Things so much that he invited them to open his 7th St. Entry and First Avenue shows. The Minneapolis garage-rock trio's two initial EPs and subsequent singles tap into the melodic, guitar-fueled sound of '90s alt-rock. Frontman Kyle Werstein's revealing, penetrating lyrics soften his guitar riffage, while bassist Devon Bryant and drummer Andrew Carson lock into a potent rhythm. It's the stuff to provoke a collective nod of heads in agreement with Mould's endorsement. - City Pages Minneapolis


"Hear Fury Things cover Hüsker Dü on their new "Saskatchewan" EP"

After becoming Bob Mould’s go-to band for opening his spate of recent Twin Cities shows, Fury Things pay homage to the ex-Minnesotan indie-rock hero on a new three-song EP that they’re giving Friday at the Turf Club on a shared bill with Mould bassist Jason Narducy’s band Split Single.

The modern Twin Cities power trio recorded a version of “New Day Rising” by Mould’s old Twin Cities power trio, Hüsker Dü. You can hear the new cover version below.

Mould’s current band memorably closed last summer's surprise 7th Street Entry gig with the raging opening track to the 1985 album of the same name. Fury Things, in turn, also played it in the Entry during the Replacements tribute last November. Hey, more than anyone Paul Westerberg would respect the ease of remembering the song’s lyrics.

Fury Things’ “New Day Rising” follows two equally full-steaming (but wordier) new songs on the EP, “Saskatchewan,” including the roaring yet melodic title track and a very Hüskers-like one titled "Sleepwalk." They're more than enough to build anticipation for a new full-length album from the band -- and a nice bonus for fans who attend Friday's Turf Club show (9 p.m., $10). Handstamped CD copies of the EP will be given out at the gig. As for Split Single, Narducy's new band issued an overlooked album last year featuring Spoon’s Britt Daniel on bass along with Mould/Superchunk drummer Jon Wurster, while some of Narducy’s Chicago pals back him at live gigs.

Fury Things also have a choice 6 p.m. slot in the 331 Club’s Art-a-Whirl outdoor bash on Saturday. - Star Tribune


"The 10 Best Minnesota Singles of 2013"

If you are after a heavy dose of deafening, guitar-driven garage rock, there is no better band to turn to than Fury Things. The raucous Minneapolis trio put out two stellar EP's in the past year, and in the process solidified themselves as one of the best live acts currently making a racket on our local stages. "Harsh" is the boisterous lead-off track to their simply titled EP 2, and the song wastes little time exploding with a potent urgency that proves to be impossible to resist and not turn up to 11. Their influences are easy to spot and the band does little to hide them (they are proudly named after a Dinosaur Jr. song after all), but these guys take the rock baton from all who have come before them and charge restlessly toward a finish line that hopefully is still a long way off. - City Pages


"Best New Bands of 2013 at First Avenue"

The scruffy power trio of Fury Things ramped up the distortion to move things along, and filled in the gaps of their set with even more feedback. With Pixies-like dedication to pop hooks, and the raw, exclamatory quality of Superchunk's best, the band has hatched upon an amalgam of past alt-rock victories that incorporates enough of their own swagger and passion to keep it interesting in the present. Guitarist and lead vocalist Kyle Werstein channeled high energy into "Hard to Breathe," while bassist Devon Bryant and drummer Andrew Carson just beat the living snot out of their respective instruments. As newer songs with even more head-nodding surges ran past, the set became the neck workout of the night. - City Pages


"2013 Local Albums with 90s Flair"

Fury Things’ second release, “EP 2,” harkens back to a time when “alt rock” wasn’t a slur. There’s nothing garage-y about their chunky, upbeat riffs. Without the vocals, you could mistake them for college rock stalwarts Superchunk.

You can’t help but imagine a group of scuzzy dudes playing these guitar parts while sporting ripped jeans and chugging Crystal Pepsi. They embrace the loud-quiet-loud dynamic like it’s going out of style (which it did). The vocals may be more restrained than the alt-rock bands of the ’90s, but the instruments are firmly entrenched in that bygone era.

READ MORE: http://www.mndaily.com/ae/local-music/2013/12/11/2013-local-albums-'90s-flair - Minnesota Daily


"BNLXFest II at Cause, 11/15-16/13"

When the headliners get on past 1 a.m., festivals run the risk of running out of gas. But, to take nothing away from any of the other bands on the bill, the finest performances of the fest were the late night/early morning closing sets by Fury Things on Friday and Flavor Crystals on Saturday.

The boisterous garage-rock trio Fury Things sprinkled a few blistering new songs into a set that drew evenly from their two EPs, with the group also showing how much they have grown since last year's BNLXFest, which was one of their earliest shows. The set steamrolled everyone who stuck around, with the guys even receiving their first ever call for an encore, which they responded to with a thunderous version of "Whatever," emphatically closing out night one of the festival. - City Pages


"Picked to Click #9: Fury Things"

"You'd be surprised how many people don't get the Dinosaur Jr. reference in our name," jokes Werstein. One listen and the connection is easier to follow. The songs employ an untamed aesthetic that is guitar-fueled, and mixes '90s-tinged angst with some subtle pop sensibilities smoothing the rough edges. - City Pages


"Picked to Click #9: Fury Things"

"You'd be surprised how many people don't get the Dinosaur Jr. reference in our name," jokes Werstein. One listen and the connection is easier to follow. The songs employ an untamed aesthetic that is guitar-fueled, and mixes '90s-tinged angst with some subtle pop sensibilities smoothing the rough edges. - City Pages


"Fury Things performs in The Current studios"

One of most impressive local bands to spring into the spotlight this year has been Fury Things, a power trio taking a cue from some of the best alt-rock bands that came to fruition in the '90s like Dinosaur Jr. and Superchunk.

Their two EPs — one recorded in 2012 and another earlier this year — are instances of immaculate production and emulation. And considering that they whipped through the songs with little to no retakes, it will be interesting to see how a debut full-length turns out as they continue to work with Ed Ackerson at the renowned Flowers Studio.

But it isn't all about giving a nod to the greats. Fury Things are more stripped down, more hooky and have plenty of fuzz to measure up on their own. For this Local Show session, the band talks with David Campbell about touring Canada during the great Calgary flood, casting J Mascis as Gandalf and how it feels to practice in an old acrylic fabrication warehouse. - 89.3 The Current


"Sparrow Review – FURY THINGS"

THE BAND: This energetic indie trio hails from Minneapolis, MN. The band is composed of Kyle Werstein (vocals, guitar), Devon Bryant (vocals, bass) and Andrew Carson (drums). With unique beginnings in an abandoned acrylic fabrication plant, FURY THINGS has been causing sound waves since August 2012.

These boys have been busy releasing two well-received EPs and playing with national acts like The Men in Minneapolis. And in mid-June, they will release their first vinyl 7?, three-song single on Manic Pop! Records. Not bad for such (Unique? Peculiar?) beginnings. (I think we need the story here)

THE SOUND: FURY THINGS will give you that foot tappin’, hair swingin’, warm and fuzzy feeling with their 90s alternative style, and fully amplified, swanky tunes.

FURY THINGS is a must see! And on June 21, 2013 at 11:30PM (MST) you can do just that at the Palomino. - Three Little Sparrows


"Best Minnesota Albums of the Year (So Far)"

The Dinosaur Jr.-evoking band name is just one of many ways this Minneapolis trio recalls poppy early-’90s fuzz-rock groups such as Sebadoh and Jawbreaker that the members are too young to have grown up on. They recorded this energetic five-song set in their rehearsal space but still mustered an impressive wall of reverb and echo in the highlights “Vapors” and “Gaze,” which leave one wondering how a properly produced studio effort might come off. Perhaps not as well.
- Star Tribune


"Woolen Men, Fury Things and Lunch"

Tonight's self-proclaimed celebration of fuzz pop sees a pair of great local bands sharing the stage with Minnesota's Fury Things. The Woolen Men's lo-fi Flying Nun style should pair up nicely with the amp-blasting pop rock played by the Twin Cities trio. In less than a year, Fury Things have already self-released two catchy and hook-filled EPs that channel the best of '90s indie rock. Bands like Dinosaur Jr., Sebadoh, Superchunk, and Sugar immediately spring to mind. With three of those bands back and strong as ever and Bob Mould's recent return to Sugar form, we're still getting a fix straight from the greats. That said, I don't think I'll ever tire of the day when a band like Fury Things can come along and effortlessly drop heartfelt fuzz bombs, one after another. They've got plenty to show on this first visit to the Northwest, and I'm excited to see what's to come. CHIPP TERWILLIGER - Portland Mercury


"FURY THINGS – A Sledding We Will Go"

So I got this email last night from Kyle Werstein, who fronts an indie-power-pop act out of Minneapolis called the FURY THINGS. Who are heading this direction for Sled Island, along with some other west coast dates.

Interestingly, they were already near the top of my options for the Friday night, and now they’ve just been moved one notch higher in priority. Their new 7” they sent me the link for is powerful, aggressive, emotive – one of the most beautiful full-body blasts of fuzziness you’ll hear this year.

Now, that’s not available to stream for you, it’s tentatively set for release in mid-June on Manic Pop!, but I’m sure they’ll have some of them available at the show. In the meantime, we can stream one of their most recent singles, “Vapors”, from “EP2”. Which they’ll probably also have available at the merch table. You won’t be disappointed with this track either – trust me.

So check it out, then go to your Sled program and circle their set time (Friday at 11:30 upstairs in the Palomino with Circles, Stepmothers, and Warm Soda). Other gigs on the west coast swing are below. - New Music Michael


"FURY THINGS – A Sledding We Will Go"

So I got this email last night from Kyle Werstein, who fronts an indie-power-pop act out of Minneapolis called the FURY THINGS. Who are heading this direction for Sled Island, along with some other west coast dates.

Interestingly, they were already near the top of my options for the Friday night, and now they’ve just been moved one notch higher in priority. Their new 7” they sent me the link for is powerful, aggressive, emotive – one of the most beautiful full-body blasts of fuzziness you’ll hear this year.

Now, that’s not available to stream for you, it’s tentatively set for release in mid-June on Manic Pop!, but I’m sure they’ll have some of them available at the show. In the meantime, we can stream one of their most recent singles, “Vapors”, from “EP2”. Which they’ll probably also have available at the merch table. You won’t be disappointed with this track either – trust me.

So check it out, then go to your Sled program and circle their set time (Friday at 11:30 upstairs in the Palomino with Circles, Stepmothers, and Warm Soda). Other gigs on the west coast swing are below. - New Music Michael


"The Honeydogs and Bloodnstuff at Stone Arch Bridge Festival"

Back on Water Power Park, newly minted local fuzz-rockers Fury Things kicked off their set with amps set to full-blast. Reminiscent of melodic 90's acts like Sugar and Dinosaur Jr., the relatively young group slathers their guitar heroics in a wash of fuzz and reverb to give their music a contemporary shoegaze flavor. Similar to Japandroids, the trio manages to make their sound much larger than their band's size should allow, and a lot of credit for that should go to drummer Andrew Carson, who's an absolute monster behind the kit. - City Pages


"Sled Island Preview – FURY THINGS"

Sometimes when a band first gets together, everything clicks perfectly — the guitar and bass amps are cranked up all the way up, the distortion pedals are turned on and the drummer is ready to give the toms a good beating. This was the case for Fury Things, a three-piece band from Minneapolis, Minnesota, who only got together about a year ago and have been turning heads in the underground noise-rock world ever since.

Lead singer and guitarist Kyle Werstein met bassist Devon Bryant and drummer Andrew Carson through band connections in the Minnesota music scene. The trio bonded over their mutual love of the raw energy of 90s alt-rock bands, despite the large age difference between them.

“It’s funny because I’m a good 13 years younger than the other two guys in my band. I’m 20 and the other guys are in their early 30s,” Werstein says. “I listened to the kind of music that they grew up (with), like Dinosaur Jr and Teenage Fanclub and Hüsker Dü and stuff like that.”

The three-piece has released two EPs within six months of each other, both recalling the aggressive power guitar sound from the early 90s and boosted by the liberal use of strange effects and tremolo bar. Werstein’s pop-punk singing style seems to scrape from behind the wall of loud fuzziness, letting the vocal melodies emerge at just the right moments. With another single on the way, Fury Things’ ongoing train of new releases is just like their music — fast with no hesitation.

“We want to be the band that keeps putting things out — even if they’re small releases — just to kind of keep in the public eye. It keeps you sharp and in the studio and trying to do new things.”

“Because then you get to hear how a band’s sound progresses, especially if they’re going into different studios. Like seeing how they develop as a band,” Werstein continues. “I feel like even our first two EPs, there’s a difference in the immediacy — maybe like the imagery is a little different or maybe it’s more refined.”

The next stage for Fury Things’ rapid development is a tour, and the band’s first trip to Western Canada starts off with a couple days at Sled Island in Calgary.

“I’m just excited to see Calgary and be a part of Alberta for a little bit. Everybody that I’ve talked to in Calgary so far are some of the nicest people I’ve ever met, so it’ll be super cool to go up there and be a part of it. We’re all really excited.” - The Gateway


"Sled Island Preview – FURY THINGS"

Sometimes when a band first gets together, everything clicks perfectly — the guitar and bass amps are cranked up all the way up, the distortion pedals are turned on and the drummer is ready to give the toms a good beating. This was the case for Fury Things, a three-piece band from Minneapolis, Minnesota, who only got together about a year ago and have been turning heads in the underground noise-rock world ever since.

Lead singer and guitarist Kyle Werstein met bassist Devon Bryant and drummer Andrew Carson through band connections in the Minnesota music scene. The trio bonded over their mutual love of the raw energy of 90s alt-rock bands, despite the large age difference between them.

“It’s funny because I’m a good 13 years younger than the other two guys in my band. I’m 20 and the other guys are in their early 30s,” Werstein says. “I listened to the kind of music that they grew up (with), like Dinosaur Jr and Teenage Fanclub and Hüsker Dü and stuff like that.”

The three-piece has released two EPs within six months of each other, both recalling the aggressive power guitar sound from the early 90s and boosted by the liberal use of strange effects and tremolo bar. Werstein’s pop-punk singing style seems to scrape from behind the wall of loud fuzziness, letting the vocal melodies emerge at just the right moments. With another single on the way, Fury Things’ ongoing train of new releases is just like their music — fast with no hesitation.

“We want to be the band that keeps putting things out — even if they’re small releases — just to kind of keep in the public eye. It keeps you sharp and in the studio and trying to do new things.”

“Because then you get to hear how a band’s sound progresses, especially if they’re going into different studios. Like seeing how they develop as a band,” Werstein continues. “I feel like even our first two EPs, there’s a difference in the immediacy — maybe like the imagery is a little different or maybe it’s more refined.”

The next stage for Fury Things’ rapid development is a tour, and the band’s first trip to Western Canada starts off with a couple days at Sled Island in Calgary.

“I’m just excited to see Calgary and be a part of Alberta for a little bit. Everybody that I’ve talked to in Calgary so far are some of the nicest people I’ve ever met, so it’ll be super cool to go up there and be a part of it. We’re all really excited.” - The Gateway


"Home Is Where My Head Is"

I missed the answer to the question I forgot I asked <that's a download link. Subtle stuff, huh?

Whatever - Fury Things (from 'EP2'. Bandcamp)
Home Is Where My Head Is - Whirr (from 'Pipedreams'. Bandcamp)
I'm a Conservative - The Eversons (from 'The Eversons' EP. Bandcamp)
London Bound - Just Handshakes (Bandcamp)
Save Me - The Choo Choo Trains (from 'I Choo-Choo-Choose You' 7". Bandcamp)
Not Every Idiot Knows How To Drive A Car - The Dentals (from 'Tennessee' LP. YouTube)
Daylight - The Kinks (YouTube)
Apeman - Raw Geronimo (from 'God Save The Kinks' cassette. Bandcamp)
Go Wild in the Country - Bow Wow Wow (YouTube)
Favourite Fallen Idol - Adorable (YouTube)
Heavy Denim - Stereolab (YouTube)
Crawfish - A Classic Education (from Covo Club 7". Soundcloud)
Sell It To Me - Street Chant (from 'With A Little Help From Our Friends' EP. Bandcamp)
Michael J. Foxworthy - Small Reactions (Bandcamp)
Streamers - The Blue Aeroplanes (from 'Beatsongs' reissue. YouTube)
Phantoms Run The Factory - Twin Library (from 'Lowways' LP. Bandcamp)
With Every Heartbeat - Beat Radio (from 'Hurricanes' EP. Bandcamp)
A Million Times - Alpaca Sports (from new 7". YouTube)
Avenue of Splendours - Paperfangs (from Past Perfect)
Blueness (live piano version) - Chris T-T (from 'Good Songs in Small Rooms: Live 2005-2011'. Bandcamp) - Unpopular


"PLAYLIST://14/02/2013"

Deuxième single pour ce combo de Minneapolis très influencé par Husker Du et encore plus par Sugar. Très bonne compo qui me fait penser également aux premiers maxi des Swerdriver. Des guitares toutes en distorsion avec une mélodie à la Byrds. La recette est simple et éculée mais quand les mélodies sont là, cette formule est tout simplement irrésistible. - KFUEL


"PLAYLIST://14/02/2013"

Deuxième single pour ce combo de Minneapolis très influencé par Husker Du et encore plus par Sugar. Très bonne compo qui me fait penser également aux premiers maxi des Swerdriver. Des guitares toutes en distorsion avec une mélodie à la Byrds. La recette est simple et éculée mais quand les mélodies sont là, cette formule est tout simplement irrésistible. - KFUEL


"FURY THINGS"

Issuu: Online Publication - 13 Gatos Fuzz


"15 grupos emergentes que debes conocer"

En Capitán Demo hemos preparado una hora de canciones a cargo de 15 bandas emergentes que debes conocer. Hay muchas más, pero estas 15 están de estreno y ya mismo deberían estar sonado entre tus mp3s, tus CD-R o tus vinilos imaginarios. - Capitan Demo


"15 grupos emergentes que debes conocer"

En Capitán Demo hemos preparado una hora de canciones a cargo de 15 bandas emergentes que debes conocer. Hay muchas más, pero estas 15 están de estreno y ya mismo deberían estar sonado entre tus mp3s, tus CD-R o tus vinilos imaginarios. - Capitan Demo


"Are You Local? Honorable Mentions"

The dream of the ’90s is alive in Fury Things. The young trio trades in a bombastic, distortion-rich vein of indie rock that recalls Sugar and Sebadoh. See them March 9 at the Amsterdam. - Vita.MN


"A Closer Look at the 223 acts who entered Vita.MN's Are You Local? Competition."

This band pays tribute to the earliest days of indie rock—Archers of Loaf, Pavement, Sonic Youth. It’s fuzzy and hooky and wonderful. - 89.3 The Current


"A Closer Look at the 223 acts who entered Vita.MN's Are You Local? Competition."

This band pays tribute to the earliest days of indie rock—Archers of Loaf, Pavement, Sonic Youth. It’s fuzzy and hooky and wonderful. - 89.3 The Current


"Q&A: FURY THINGS"

Fury Things are masters of disguise. Lurking just behind the mild mannered exterior of these three friendly young gentlemen is a sonic bomb waiting to go off. Mixing the sweet pop hooks of bands like Sugar and Japandroids with the noise-rock pyrotechnics of 90’s shredders like Archers of Loaf, and then stacking it all on top of a massive pile of amps and drums—they must be seen to be believed. Watching their most recent set at the Kitty Cat Klub felt something like having bubbles blown at you by a jet engine. The Wake caught up with them afterwards to discuss their road-dog dreams and how they’re actually more similar to mixtape rappers than you might think. - Wake Magazine


"Local Radar: New music from Chalet, Low and Fury Things"

Fans of Yuck, Dinosaur Jr., Cheatahs… have you heard Fury Things yet? Here’s a band that I have no doubt will quickly gain steam in the Twin Cities. Hearkening back to the early ‘90s, their aesthetic is astoundingly concrete for an act that only started playing live at the end of last year. They’re already on their second EP, and stand-out track “Vapors” is the kind of music that we need more of in this frozen land. It’s really been a while since I heard a genuine rocker, and something about Fury Things just clicks—like, they should be making this music, and of course it’s going to be good, so now people just need to hear it.

Add them to the list of young bands in the metro who have all been playing shows together in the past few months and gathering some impressive line-ups along the way, most notably with the Kitty Cat Klub as their backdrop. You have two chances coming up to see them: at the Blue Ruin EP release show on Sunday, March 17, and on Friday, April 12 opening for The Men, both of which will go down at the Entry. - 89.3 The Current


"Local Radar: New music from Chalet, Low and Fury Things"

Fans of Yuck, Dinosaur Jr., Cheatahs… have you heard Fury Things yet? Here’s a band that I have no doubt will quickly gain steam in the Twin Cities. Hearkening back to the early ‘90s, their aesthetic is astoundingly concrete for an act that only started playing live at the end of last year. They’re already on their second EP, and stand-out track “Vapors” is the kind of music that we need more of in this frozen land. It’s really been a while since I heard a genuine rocker, and something about Fury Things just clicks—like, they should be making this music, and of course it’s going to be good, so now people just need to hear it.

Add them to the list of young bands in the metro who have all been playing shows together in the past few months and gathering some impressive line-ups along the way, most notably with the Kitty Cat Klub as their backdrop. You have two chances coming up to see them: at the Blue Ruin EP release show on Sunday, March 17, and on Friday, April 12 opening for The Men, both of which will go down at the Entry. - 89.3 The Current


"KANYE AND ME: EMOTIONAL DIRECTNESS AND INTERACTION IN MUSIC CULTURE"

I went to a show at a bar [last weekend/recently] and saw Fury Things, a band I'd discovered through a tag I track on Tumblr, play out for probably their fifth time. Their debut EP hits a lot of my shoegazey pedal-stomping soft spots, in particular the track "DAY.”. Somehow it distills a profound melancholy into three and a half explosive minutes and twelve words: "Sometimes you stop and realize/ That there is nothing left inside/ You die." They can pertain to almost anything, and yet (or maybe therefore) they can cut pretty raw.

http://furythings.bandcamp.com/track/day

The trio crashed their way through a half-hour set, chatting intermittently about what to play next and a squealing stompbox. "DAY" got a big hand as the closer, and all the songs had the same precision that their recordings do, but the firmest impression I got from them was that they could step back into the crowd and be indistinct from anyone else in the audience. Though they didn't project their personalities like a superstar might, they shared an enthusiasm with the people who came out to see them play. Sure enough, they joined the crowd watching the next few bands, blending in.

Later I introduced myself to two of them and told them how much I enjoyed their music, and the frontman Kyle gave me a CD apropos of only my enthusiasm. We shouted over the setup-break music about Scotland and Minneapolis and their no-frills bash-out-some-songs approach onstage (a later band had a smoke machine and a lighting rig, the tenacity of which they admired). Though the talk was pretty small, it was good to meet some people who are getting their art out there.

That, to me, is the greatest good an artistic community can do--put those of us who consume, consider, absorb, and fall for art among those who devote themselves to making it. So go see a show and get and give some validation, because you're not going to get it from me.
- Whole Beast Rag


Discography

LPs:

VHS - December 2015

EPs:

Saskatchewan EP - May 2015
EP 2 - Februrary 2013 (#32 @ CJSW in Calgary, AB)
FURY THINGS - October 2012

Singles:

Glasgow - Played on Minneapolis's Radio K, #4 on their charts in October 2012
Hard To Breathe Played on 89.3 The Current from Minnesota Public Radio in January 2013
HARSH Track of the day on Minneapolis's Radio K in February 2013, #5 Song of the Year by Star Tribune in December 2013, The 10 best Local Singles of 2013 by City Pages in December 2013
VAPORS Track of the day on 89.3 The Current in March 2013
Leave Winter Behind Track of the day on Minneapolis's Radio K in December 2013

Photos

Bio

FURY THINGS are three quiet dudes playing loud music. In three prolific years, they've released three EPs, two singles and a brand new LP, all while gradually becoming mainstays in the Twin Cities music community. With no image, ego or gimmick, they let their melodic hooks and electric stage presence speak for them. Drenched in sweat and left with ears ringing after every show, their on-stage aggression is balanced with a friendliness and persevering attitude that has netted them fans locally and internationally.

In December of 2015, FURY THINGS released their debut full-length, VHS, to critical acclaim from the Twin Cities and elsewhere. It's been called "one of the best records of the year" by Chris Riemenschneider of the Star Tribune, who also wrote, "Nearly all of the songs on this Twin Cities power trio’s full-length debut start in one of two ways: with a furious, call-to-arms pounding of snare drum and cymbals, or with a heavy, call-to-earplugs roar of guitar. Either way, consider yourselves forewarned." Jon Hunt of L'étoile Magazine said of the album, "There is always a place in the world for albums that sound like GIGANTIC FUCKING JETS TAKING OFF. That’s a thing. In the 60s it was the Byrds, in the 70s it was Blue Öyster Cult, now it’s Fury Things basically duplicating the effect of a jet cruising down the runway and directly into your brain. It’s awesome. In fact, it’s totally necessary."

Perhaps the band's biggest praise has come from Erik Thompson, writing for 89.3 The Current, who penned an opinion piece called "Fury Things are the best rock band in the Twin Cities." He wrote: 

"Fury Things are not revivalists. Sure, the Minneapolis rock trio are carrying on the loud and proud indie tradition of the Twin Cities’ illustrious musical past – even being personally selected by Bob Mould himself to open for his band at his old stomping grounds, the 7th St. Entry. Fury Things are taking that untamed, raucous sound in a thoroughly modern direction — and they are doing it better than any other local rock band at the moment.

"The title of their debut LP, VHS, may evoke a simpler, analog time long before Netflix and smartphones, but the nine fitful songs on the record sound thoroughly of the moment. There are just enough underlying echoes of power-pop’s past to reveal the band’s myriad influences, but they’ve added their own roiling twist on the past three decades of garage rock and made a combustible yet utterly catchy sound that is entirely their own."

Set aside the shows, praise and ambition and you're left with one truth: FURY THINGS are here to stay, so bring your earplugs.

Band Members