Band of the Week: Wax On Radio

[June 16-22]
Wax On Radio
Sounds Like: Experimental
Drinking Buddies: Brand New, The Receiving End Of Sirens, Wolf Parade, Circa Survive
Synopsis: The ghost of a glorious band.
Makes You Want To...: Contemplate; Sing; Rock out.
[Myspace]




One week, one band. You know the drill.
This week, the featured artist is Wax On Radio.

There are tons of bands out there. They come and go on a daily basis; you aren't a true music fan unless you have followed an up-start band from it's beginning to its early end. Some lucky ensembles are lifted into music glory, and tour their hearts out for loving fans. Others live the life of a rockstar, and bow out quietly. Still more are the "one-hit wonders" that will forever remain in our minds for that one piece of musical and cultural gold. And many, many more will leave no mark at all, and will vanish before they had a chance to prove themselves.

Rarely does a band appear, pronounce themselves so perfectly, and then vanish without a trace.

Such is the case with the mysterious Wax On Radio. But let us start at the beginning of this strange story. Wax On Radio is a resoundingly talented quartet that formed in 2004 somewhere between the suburbs of Chicago, Illinois on the recommendation of mutual friends. The newly formed band hit it off well, playing shows in the infamous Chicago music scene.

Their style is incredibly unique, and balances on many different facets within music culture. Mikey Russel, guitarist and vocalist, sings in a fashion reminiscent of Anthony Green of Circa Survive. Wax On Radio's musical style blends all forms of modern rock. Their songs are marked by long, thorough instrumentals, powerful hooks, and loose lyrical formats. Every song in their repetoire is heavily layered and textured with melodies and harmonies that make the ear ring perfectly like a tuning fork. Wax On Radio also has a mastered knowledge of incorporating silence into their music as well, and can rise from a mere whisper to a wall of sound in seconds.

In 2006, Wax On Radio signed with Downtown Records, and later that year, released their debut album, Exposition. Their debut met enthused acclaim across the internet as well as respectable magainzes, including SPIN and Rolling Stone. In 2007, Wax On Radio found themselves opening for Forgive Durden and Brazil, and then a nationwide tour with The Ataris.

On May 1st, 2007, Wax On Radio announced that they were working on a new album, and by June, they were already halfway through with the composition, and would soon thereafter be tracking the songs in the studio... and then... they disappeared.

No new information on the band has been released to the public whatsoever since August 5, 2007, when Wax On Radio was a nominee on MTV2's On The Rise program. No interviews have been had, no new blog posts posted; no contact. Downtown Records no longer lists them as a recording artist on their label on the Downtown Records website, and at the time this article was written, returned no reply to my query on the state of the band at present. The Wax On Radio website has since become defunct. Finally, the Wax On Radio Myspace is like a Mayan ruin, haunted by the memories of the past, still featuring songs from Exposition, and the banner atop the page that tells of their proverbial soon-to-be new album.

Bands have gone on hiatus for long periods of time - that's nothing new. Godspeed You! Black Emperor hasn't released any material since 2002, and remain on an indefinite hiatus (but with side projects and occasional updates). Yesterday's article about In Dot Dat proves that bands can break up and return on a whim and a moment's notice. And Brand New, who's last album, The Devil And God Are Raging Inside Me - which bears a staggering resemblance to the mood and quality of Wax On Radio's Exposition - went on hiatus for quite nearly three years, one of which was spent with complete silence and anonymity from the public. I could be wrong, and have blown this situation way out of proportion. But, dear reader, I frankly am not sure what happened to Wax On Radio. They are a ghost-band; like a ghost town, with hauntingly beautiful music still lingering in the speakers.

When contacted, Wax On Radio returned no reply to Voilà!'s two inquiries as to the standing of their band. Are they broken up? Are they planning the biggest album of the decade? Only they know. Regardless, Wax On Radio remains one of the most impressive bands to made a name for themselves in the past two years, and remains a personal favourite of mine. They have one album, Exposition, currently for sale via digital outlets and (possibly) retail stores. They have a mysterious Myspace which is collecting dust, but hides beautiful gems from their album, as well as their video journals from 2007 tour. And they are definitely worth a listen.

[author's note: since this article was published on Voilà!, Wax On Radio has publicly announced that they have not broken up, and have been on a public hiatus while writing new material.]