Links: http://www.myspace.com/flu13band

Band Biography:

The greatest thing about indie rock is the discovery. Those who were fortunate to be indie rock fans in the 90’s enjoyed long strolls through dingy record stores as they flipped their fingers through vinyl albums from post R.E.M. jangle pop bands like Sonic Youth, The Breeders, Superchunk, and Pavement, to the raw, aggressive punk rock of Minor Threat, Black Flag, and Fugazi. In 1994, 4 young men from Long Island, NY were part of this discovery, but determined to make these worlds collide with a mix of chaos, dissonance, and angst, but also with bright, hook-laden, unexpected melodies that you’d strangely find yourself humming along to among the racket. Imagine Thurston Moore jamming with Ian MacKaye and Steven Malkmus…get the picture?, good, it will help on your fifth or sixth listen of Flu Thirteen as you're taking a beating but getting some air among the melodies and sonic twists.

Inspired by the likes of Drive Like Jehu, Shellac, Chavez, Unwound, Sunny Day Real Estate, and Jawbox, Flu Thirteen was born. The original lineup was Tomas Costanza, (guitars/vocals), Brian Fawcett (guitars), Lawrence Sullivan, (bass), and Billy Alamaghedes (drums). The idea was simple, make post-punk music that was unpredictable, chaotic, undeniably indie in its sound, but holding melodic elements of pop and emo captive, only to shout themselves out among a din of distorted guitars and pounding drums. Noise rock would be an easy label for the sound that Flu Thirteen created, as most songs hung on the edge, in an out of control state, but it was the calculated nature of every clever twang, squeal, scream, and melody that brought fans out to shows and buying records. New listeners knew instantly that there was method to the madness and beauty in the collision of angst, quiet moments, uplifting choruses, and cryptic lyrics. This was the honesty that attracted us to indie rock in the first place, the discovery of Flu Thirteen was just proof positive that its sonic bliss could come with some good old fashioned ear-ringing to boot.

Flu Thirteen was fortunate to be supported from 1994-1998 by now defunct New York City indie label, Interplanetary Trucker’s Union (ITU). Their first release on ITU was 1995’s Edgar’s Airwaves/Glorious Hair seven-inch, recorded by Steve Albini (The Pixies, Helmet, Jawbreaker, The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, Nirvana). On Edgar’s Airwaves, tinny guitar tones fight with overpowering drums as Tomas Costanza screams “XXXX, XXXX, listen!” in each chorus, hinting at emo inspired melodies that lie beneath the surface which would become Flu Thirteen’s trademark. As a follow-up in 1995, Flu Thirteen enlisted recording engineer Greg Talenfeld (Pavement, Beck, The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion) for recording and mixing of their debut full-length CD, Spin Cycle. Part buzz-saw post-punk, yet riddled with low-fi sensibilities, distorted, raspy vocals, unusually placed melodic choruses, and haunting noises in the Sonic Youth vain, Spin Cycle became Flu Thirteen’s badge of honor. Touring only regionally on short stints during late 1995 and early 1996, Flu Thirteen amassed a solid following and credibility in the New York indie music scene, playing shows often at hot spots such as Brownies, CBGB’s, and The Cooler.

With enough new material written, Flu Thirteen went back in the studio in XXXX of 1996 to record their follow-up full-length CD, In The Foul Key of V. With a slight lineup change (guitarist Brian Fawcett leaving the band/replaced by Anthony Cangelosi), Flu Thirteen called on front-man J. Robbins for the production of their sophomore full-length release. Robbins was gaining accolades as a producer of records by Jade Tree artists, The Promise Ring, Texas Is The Reason, and Jets To Brazil, and it was time for Flu Thirteen’s sound to evolve and grow. Intended to be released and supported by ITU in early 1998, In The Foul Key of V was released by New York’s Medicine Label, based on ITU closing its doors. In The Foul Key of V boasted more structured, melodic songs that leaned on the side of the band’s emo sound with their penchant for Sunny Day Real Estate style hooks, but with the band’s trademark metallic guitar tones, driving bass and drums and one of a kind raspy, uplifting choruses from Tomas Costanza. In The Foul Key of V would be Flu Thirteen’s final and most ambitious release of their career as they played shows across the country in VFW halls, bowling alleys, backyards, and clubs during 1997 in support of the release. Joining early label-mates Cursive often in the midwest, and playing shows with Jawbox, The Promise Ring, Braid, Mineral, and other indie and emo favorites, Flu Thirteen continued their unique brand of music as they garnered praise from over 40 influential fanzines at the time and became a favorite of college radio stations nationwide (CMJ Top 100 artist).

As most indie and emo music fans understand, great bands must often come to an end. Flu Thirteen moved to Hollywood Records following the success of In The Foul Key of V, and with a name change to Diffuser, evolved into a more polished emo/punk sound in the vain of The Foo Fighters, The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, Cartel, and Armor For Sleep. Diffuser’s releases include 2001’s Injury Loves Melody (which includes a single entitled Karma that appeared on the Mission Impossible 2 Soundtrack), and 2003’s Making The Grade. An upcoming Diffuser indie release on Metallic Records entitled XXXXXX is slated for October of 2007, and the band plans to re-release its Flu Thirteen material in the near future.