PRESS CHEAT SHEET

Contact | Photos | Members | Bio | Trivia Facts | RELEASES (UPCOMING / PAST) / Press Quotes | More InfO

CONTACT

[email protected]

PHOTOS

RIBS drummer Chris Oquist with hand over mouth as if thinking, staring intensely, and frontman Keith Freund with hands together, relaxed. Ripple effect formed on wall behind due to bright lighting.

Credit: Ksenia Berestovskaya

RIBS drummer Chris Oquist with hand over mouth as if thinking, staring intensely, and frontman Keith Freund with hands together, relaxed. Ripple effect formed on wall behind due to bright lighting. Banner version.

Credit: Ksenia Berestovskaya

Two men in coats with blue sky behind and a few wispy clouds. Square version

Credit: Cason Latimer

Two men in coats with blue sky behind and a few wispy clouds. Banner version

Credit: Cason Latimer

RIBS frontman Keith Freund and drummer Chris Oquist lay on pile of wires, headphones, and other audio equipment. Freund looks up at camera wearing black jacket and heather grey t-shirt, Oquist looks off into distance wearing black hoodie and white t-shirt.

(No credit needed)

Credit: Rebecca Maguire

Photo questions? Contact [email protected]

BAND MEMBERS

– Chris Oquist (Drums, Keys)
– Keith Freund (Vocals, Bass, Guitar)

From left to right:

RIBS drummer Chris Oquist with hand over mouth as if thinking, staring intensely, and frontman Keith Freund with hands together, relaxed. Ripple effect formed on wall behind due to bright lighting.

Past Members

– Blake Fusilier (Bass, Vocals) – now performs as Fusilier
– Justin Tolan (Guitar) – now performs as Monochrome Sweatsuit / with Crispin Wah

Some Other Guy Named Keith Freund

– Same name, different person. Has a solo album named Constant Comments and a member of a group called Trouble Books.

TRIVIA FACTS

– Based in New York City, formed in Boston

– RIBS has supported Queens of the Stone Age, The Joy Formidable (US/Canada tour), Swervedriver, The Soft Moon, Majical Cloudz, and White Rabbits

– British Brains was Reddit’s top voted music post of all time during its month of release (link)

– British Brains track “Silencer” featured in MTV’s Teen Mom

– British Brains track “Queen of Hearts” featured in psychological thriller Something Wicked starring the late Brittany Murphy

– Won Boston Music Award for “Rock Artist of the Year” (link)

– Russian Blood track “Alarms” added to rotation at WFNX 101.7 Boston (1st US station to play Nirvana, The Killers, etc.)

– British Brains was Bandcamp’s #1 rock release (week of release)

– Band name stylized in ALL CAPS – thanks :)

BIO

“Sounds like it’s time to find a new dream.” That was the reply from Queens of the Stone Age’s road manager after RIBS drummer Chris Oquist explained that what was about to happen – opening for QOTSA – sat atop frontman Keith Freund’s bucket list.

Following a whirlwind 3-year period, including tour dates with The Joy Formidable, Swervedriver, and The Soft Moon, becoming Reddit’s top r/music post of all time, and having a song featured in Brittany Murphy’s final film (indie psych-thriller Something Wicked), the band decided not to ride the wave but instead move from Boston to Brooklyn and find new things to write about.

After half a decade of combining bedroom demos with proper recordings made in the Chinatown studio of producer Ayad Al Adhamy (whom they met on tour with The Joy Formidable), RIBS are back with 1992, Too Long, and Hand–songs that explore obsession, self-delusion, and what happens when you never get closure.

FOLLOW LINKS

RELEASES

“Hand” (7/30/20) (Single)

White bench in white room with sun shining against bench and wall.Cover art: (1440w) (6000w) (credit: Cason Latimer)

About the song:

“Hand” is about being unable to accept that someone doesn’t need you anymore. (Think: getting cut off by a family member, the breakup of a dependent romantic relationship, etc.)

With the hook, “If you really need a hand, I’m down”, and verse lyrics about being lowered into the ground, the singer misses what’s obvious to the listener: it’s over. This is the end. That phone call you imagined you’d one day receive is never going to come.

Production:

Produced and engineered by Ayad Al Adhamy in Chinatown, NYC. RIBS met Al Adhamy on tour when their respective bands were on tour with The Joy Formidable. Apart from fronting the band Team Spirit, Al Adhamy released the first Joy Formidable EP through his label, Black Bell Records.

Links:

Credits:

  • Keith Freund: Vocals, bass, guitar, mixing
  • Chris Oquist: Electric piano
  • Ayad Al Adhamy: Synth, producer, engineer
  • Nathan Feler: Assistant engineer
  • Cason Latimer: Artwork

“Too Long” (2019) (Single)


Cover art: (1440w) (2194w) (GIF) (credit: Cason Latimer)

Links:

Credits:

  • Keith Freund: Vocals, bass, guitar, mixing
  • Chris Oquist: Drums, background vocals
  • Ayad Al Adhamy: Production, tracking
  • Rob Arbelo: Mixing
  • Nathan Feler: Assistant engineering
  • Cason Latimer: Photography (cover)

Radio & Press:

“1992” (2019) (Single)

Cover art: (1000w) (3000w) (no credit needed)

Links:

Credits:

  • Keith Freund: Vocals, bass, guitar, mixing
  • Chris Oquist: Drums
  • Ayad Al Adhamy: Synth, producer, engineer
  • Rob Arbelo: Additional songwriting
  • Nathan Feler: Assistant engineer

Press:

Radio:

  • WZLX 100.7 (Boston)
  • WMBR 88.1 (Boston/MIT)
  • Indie617

Russian Blood (2012) (EP)

– Released May 29th, 2012
– 5 song EP
-“Alarms” in rotation at WFNX 101.7 Boston (first US station to play Nirvana, The Killers, Foster The People, and Florence and the Machine).
– Listen closely to “Destructo” and you can hear car horns and sirens from fire trucks passing by Keith Freund’s second-floor apartment in Boston’s Allston neighborhood, where the vocals for the album were recorded.
– No synths used. All synth-like sounds were created using layered instruments (bass, guitar, vocals) in combination with distortion, delay, reverb, and other effects.
– Self-produced
– Full credits: https://ribs.bandcamp.com/album/russian-blood

Locrian Singles (2011) (Double A-side)

– Released: January 25th, 2011
– 2-song double A-side
– Self-produced and mixed by Keith Freund
– No synths used. All synth-like sounds were created using layered instruments (bass, guitar, vocals) in combination with distortion, delay, reverb, and other effects.
– Full credits: https://ribs.bandcamp.com/album/locrian-singles

British Brains (2010) (EP)

– Released: June 8, 2010
– 5-song EP
– Self-produced and mixed by Keith Freund. Drums and addt’l guitars were recorded by Alex Prieto.
– Full credits: https://ribs.bandcamp.com/album/british-brains
– “Silencer” featured in MTV’s Teen Mom 2
– “Queen of Hearts” featured in upcoming psychological thriller starring the late Brittany Murphy.
– Available digitally through iTunes and Amazon MP3
– Reddit’s top voted music post of all time (month of release)
– Bandcamp’s #1 rock album (week of release)
– No synths used. All synth-like sounds were created using layered instruments (bass, guitar, vocals) in combination with distortion, delay, reverb, and other effects.

PRESS

“A thrashing torrent of post-industrial guitar-rock that swirls around RIBS’ uncanny ability to create sinister sounds that also, somehow, feel so warm and comforting at its core.”
–Vanyaland

“Audaciously kinetic.”
–The Boston Globe

“Rock’s great new hope.”
–The Boston Phoenix

Write-up: DIY Magazine

All Press

INFO BY CATEGORY

Press
Photos
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Behind The Scenes
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Thoughts

British Brains (2010)
Locrian Singles (2011)
Russian Blood (2012)