Victoria, British Columbia, quartet
Frog Eyes are the antithesis of their quiet Canadian village. Utilizing the carnival atmosphere of
Rain Dogs-era
Tom Waits, the frenetic energy of vintage
Cramps, and the diabolical scheming of pre-
Murder Ballads Nick Cave, the post-punk collective created an atmosphere of psychedelic unease with their 2002 full-length debut,
The Bloody Hand. Lead singer
Carey Mercer, who mined similar territories in his previous group,
Blue Pine, leads the indie rock ensemble, which also includes
Melanie Campbell,
Grayson Walker, and
Michael Rak. In 2003, after the critical success of
Hand, the group released the enigmatic
Golden River on the Animal World label, resulting in another flurry of raves and a newly minted fan base. They signed to Absolutely Kosher the following year and released their strongest record to date, the volatile and charismatic
Folded Palm, as well as the lo-fi acoustic EP Ego Scriptor. 2006 saw the release of
Bloody Hand, again on Absolutely Kosher, followed by
Tears of the Valedictorian in 2007 and
Paul's Tomb: A Triumph in 2010.
–
James Christopher Monger, Rovi