For Against

All Music Guide:

Nebraska's lone entry into the dream pop world, For Against initially consisted of bassist and vocalist Jeffrey Runnings, guitarist Harry Dingman, and drummer Greg Hill. Dingman and Hill left after 1988's December to form the Millions, and they were replaced by Steven "Mave" Hinrichs and Paul Engelhard after a replacement lineup failed to work out. (Dingman later returned for 2008's Shade Side Sunny Side.) Since its inception, Runnings' band has consistently produced a drifting yet distinctly rhythmic sound, soldiering through the myriad alternative scenes of the '80s and '90s. With one foot in the British post-punk of Joy Division and the other in the gliding atmospherics of Kitchens of Distinction, For Against are treasured by shamefully few; geography and infrequent touring have not helped.

Wikipedia:

For Against are a United States post-punk/proto-shoegaze rock band from Lincoln, Nebraska. Despite numerous lineup shuffles and some periods of dormancy, the band has produced material steadily from its 1984 inception to the present.

History

Something of an anomaly in Midwestern America, For Against—especially early in its career—has looked to a distinctly British aesthetic for inspiration, most obviously the post-punk scene exemplified by the early rosters of the Factory and 4AD record labels.

Featuring members of underground Lincoln bands Cartoon Pupils and Hymn to Joy, the band first called itself Glue, and then D.B.L., finally settling on Four Against One, a name that reflected its status as a quintet at the time. Bassist Liz Panarelli's early departure gave way to keyboardist Jeffrey Runnings' shift to bass, as well as the band's truncation of its name to For Against; by 1985 singer Jon Fynbu had departed as well, leaving the core trio of guitarist Harry Dingman III, drummer Gregory Hill, and bassist Jeffrey Runnings, who would become (with very few exceptions) the band's sole vocalist and lyricist.

In 1985, For Against debuted on vinyl with the "Autocrat"/"It's a Lie" single, released in a limited run on the band's own Republic Issue label. This single has become highly collectible among the group's fanbase.

In 1987 the band signed to Independent Project Records (IPR), issuing its first full-length Echelons. That year the band undertook its only full tour to date, promoting Echelons at clubs across the U.S., including CBGB, Maxwell's, and Chicago's Cabaret Metro. Echelons received a Grammy nomination for its jacket design, by IPR head Bruce Licher; each LP in the initial pressing of 1000 came with an actual shaft of wheat integrated into the cover illustration.

Having received favorable press for the melodic post-punk of Echelons, For Against released a follow-up titled December the next year to equally rave reception. The band lost considerable momentum, however, when Hill took his leave, followed shortly thereafter by Dingman after a brief attempt at a retooled, four-piece lineup. Hill and Dingman would soon form The Millions, a melodic alt-rock outfit with more mainstream leanings than For Against.

Jeffrey Runnings, who had by this time switched from bass to guitar, continued on with bassist Jeff Gaskins and drummer Steve Schultz, playing under the name Stahlversion for a time before returning to the For Against handle. The band next added second guitarist Stephen "Mave" Hinrichs to the lineup; Hinrichs' band The Gladstones (formerly Playground), a steady name on the Lincoln scene, had just broken up. By the end of 1990, Steve Schultz had been replaced with drummer Paul Engelhard. This lineup of For Against released two singles (1991 & 1993); all five songs from these singles found their way onto the band's '93 album Aperture. This album also featured six unheard tracks from '90-'91 recording sessions, all characterized by a more relaxed, repetitive songwriting style than that found on earlier For Against records, making full use of the layering capabilities of the new two-guitar lineup.

By the time of Aperture's release (delayed due to IPR's distribution woes), Jeff Gaskins had left the group; the album credits thank Gaskins for his bass playing but do not list him as a band member. Runnings returned to bass, and For Against has remained a trio ever since.

For Against recorded two more albums, Mason's California Lunchroom (1995) and Shelf Life (1997).

They re-emerged on a new label in 2002 with the album Coalesced'. Hinrichs soon left the band and moved to Virginia, leaving the group's existence in doubt.

In 2004 and 2005, the band's first two albums were remastered and reissued on CD, with modified cover art. Original guitarist Dingman rejoined the band, and in 2007 Nick Buller became the new permanent drummer. The band is currently recording an EP at Fuse Studios.

The band toured Greece and Spain in 2007 and Italy in March 2008.