Gruff Rhys

Infobox Musical artist
Name = Gruff Rhys

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Img_capt = Rhys, on stage with the band Mogwai in Scotland in 2001
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Background = solo_singer
Birth_name =
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Born = birth date and age|1970|07|18
Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, Wales
Died =
Origin = Bethesda, Wales
Instrument = guitar, singing
Voice_type =
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Occupation = musician, songwriter, producer.
Years_active = 1988-present
Label = Rough Trade, Team Love
Associated_acts = Super Furry Animals
Ffa Coffi Pawb
Neon Neon
Mogwai
Boom Bip
URL = www.gruffrhys.com
Current_members =
Past_members =
Notable_instruments =

Gruff Rhys (pronounced|grɪf r̥iːs in Welsh; born July 18, 1970 in Haverfordwest in South-West Wales) cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/music/sites/gruff_rhys/pages/biography.shtml| title=Gruff Rhys biography|accessdate=2007-11-09|Publisher=BBC| ] is a musician, performing solo and with several bands, including the Super Furry Animals who obtained mainstream success in the 1990s. He also most recently formed the electro-pop outfit Neon Neon with DJ Boom Bip. Their album "Stainless Style" was nominated for the 2008 Mercury prize.

He was schooled at Ysgol Dyffryn Ogwen, Bethesda, Gwynedd, North Wales and was awarded a degree in art at Manchester Metropolitan University.

Musical career

Ffa Coffi Pawb

After playing drums for the band Emily, Gruff Rhys found fame in Wales as the front man of Ffa Coffi Pawb. Translated, the name means 'everyone's coffee beans', though if said quickly in Welsh, it can sound like 'Fuck off everyone'.
On signing to Ankstmusik, Ffa Coffi Pawb became one of the leading bands on the Welsh music scene, and released three albums - "Clymhalio", "Dalec Peilon" and "Hei Vidal!'.

Rhys plays the guitar in an unusual style. He is left-handed and learnt to play on his brothers right-handed guitar. Rather than invert the nut and re-string it he taught himself to play a right-handed guitar upside down so the bass strings are on the bottom.

uper Furry Animals

When Ffa Coffi Pawb disbanded in 1993, Rhys and drummer Dafydd Ieuan, of Rhoscefnhir, Anglesey, who had played for Catatonia, Anhrefn, Hanner Pei and many other Welsh language bands, formed the basis of the Super Furry Animals. They soon settled on a line-up consisting of Rhys on vocals and guitar, Ieuan on drums, his brother Cian Ciaran (formerly of WWZZ) on keyboards, Huw Bunford (formerly of U-Thant) on guitar and Guto Pryce on bass. This line-up has remained constant to the present day, although the role of each member has become more flexible, particularly in the studio.

In 1995, following a couple of largely Welsh-language EPs on the Ankst label, they signed to Creation Records. Apparently, when offering them the deal after a gig, Alan McGee, head of Creation, asked that they sing more songs in English. Rhys pointed out that all the songs that night had been in English. The Super Furries went on to release of their critically-acclaimed first album, "Fuzzy Logic", in 1996 - the first time Rhys had recorded in English. He later observed that his singing sounded like a random collection of accents - but it was nevertheless very successful.

Follow-up albums included "Radiator" in 1997, "Guerrilla" in 1999 and "Mwng", a Welsh-language affair, in 2000. They also became particularly famous for their 40-foot inflatable bears and the SFA blue tank, which toured summer festivals playing techno music at high volume. The Super Furries made a further mark on history in July 2001, when they released their first album for the Sony label, "Rings Around the World", on CD and DVD simultaneously: they repeated this for 2003's "Phantom Power". Unfortunately 2005's "Love Kraft" performed poorly commercially and SFA agreed to leave Sony. They are presently signed to Rough Trade and released "Hey Venus!" in 2007 in the UK.

olo

On 24 January 2005, Gruff Rhys released his first solo album, "Yr Atal Genhedlaeth" on the Placid Casual label. This was a loose, sketchy, all-Welsh-language record, with most of the instruments played by Rhys. A tour of Wales and several festival appearances followed. After SFA signed to Rough Trade, the new label agreed to take on his solo work as well and on 8 January 2007 they released "Candylion", a batch of acoustic pop songs in English, Spanish and Welsh, which Rhys wrote whilst touring "Love Kraft" but which didn't fit with the direction of the new SFA album. (It came out on Team Love in the United States.)

Neon Neon

In 2007 Rhys launched a new electro-pop collaborative project with Boom Bip under the collective monicker Neon Neon. [ cite web| url=http://www.krugermagazine.com/content/view/164/10826/| title= Beck to the Future? Neon Neon hit 88MPH!| accessdate= 2007-10-26| Publisher= Kruger Magazine| ] Their album, titled "Stainless Style", is a loose concept album based on the tumultuous life of De Lorean Motor Company founder John De Lorean, [ cite web| url=http://www.spin.com/features/news/2007/01/070105_neonneon/| title= Super Furry Animals Frontman, Boom Bip Join Forces| accessdate= 2007-10-26| Publisher= spin.com| ] and was released on March 18th 2008 via Lex Records. The album includes a number of high-profile guest appearances from Fab Moretti of The Strokes, Har Mar Superstar, Yo Majesty, Spank Rock, Cate Le Bon and The Magic Numbers. The first single, "Raquel", was released on November 26, 2007. [ cite web| url= http://web.nme.com/news/gruff-rhys/32073| title= Super Furry Animals man to release brand new album in February| accessdate= 2007-10-26|Publisher= nme.com| ] The follow-up single "I Lust U", featured fellow Welsh artist Cate Le Bon on vocals. The album has been nominated for the 2008 Mercury Prize.

Collaborations with other artists

Rhys has occasionally collaborated with other artists, providing vocals for the track "Dial: Revenge" on the Mogwai album "Rock Action" as well as guesting on the songs "Fear of Guitars" (from the album "Machine Says Yes" by FC Kahuna) and "Do's and Don'ts" (by Boom Bip). He has also featured on the myspace remix track "I'm Not Lying" by Goldie Lookin' Chain. He will also appear on a track on the upcoming Simian Mobile Disco album [ cite web | url= http://www.nme.com/news/klaxons/39325 | name= Klaxons' record producer says new album will be 'melodic' | publisher = nme.com ] And eats carrots on the Misty's Big Adventure album Television's People, continuing the vegetable relay started by Brian Wilson on Smile. http://www.nme.com/news/mistys-big-adventure/40250

Trivia

Gruff supports Bangor City F.C. of the League of Wales

Discography

Ffa Coffi Pawb

ingles

Neon Neon

Footnotes

References

*

External links

* [http://www.superfurry.com Super Furry Animals]
* [http://www.placidcasual.com Placid Casual]
* [http://www.myspace.com/candylionmusic Candylion MySpace]
* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/music/sites/superfurryanimals/pages/sfa_faq.shtml SFA interview with the BBC] Reviews
* [http://www.thewheelsstillinspin.com/2007/03/gruff_rhys_cand.html Short story review of "Candylion"] at The Wheel's Still In Spin