Pitchfork

An era has officially ended, on two counts: 12 Rods, the very first American band signed to V2 Records and a longtime favorite of the Pitchfork brass, has called it quits. Also notable as one of the few (if not the only one-- we frankly didn't have the time nor inclination to check every entry in the archives) bands to score a 10.0 on the strength of an EP (that would be Gay?, their ticket to V2), the Minneapolis band won a steady following over the past decade or so on the strength of their stellar songwriting and unique but familiar sound. Their website now features this epitaph of sorts: "Ladies and gentlemen, 12 Rods is finished. What began in Oxford, OH in 1992 ended in Minneapolis, MN in 2004. The band would like to thank all the people who supported us over the past 12 years." For any superfans out there interested in padding their nostalgia with bootleg MP3s, the band's last show was on August 14 at the First Avenue Mainroom in Minneapolis.

So what's next for the members of this band and their Todd Rundgren-blessed talents? Well, frontman Ryan Olcott has been playing the Minneapolis area with a new outfit called FoodTeam, an unabashedly more experimental affair than his late band, and drummer Chris McGuire has-- along with Low's Zak Sally-- been involved with Kid Dakota, which released their second album, The West Is the Future, in October. KD also have plans to play in Minnesota over the next couple of months.

So, that's the future. As for the past, the 12 Rods website will live on and continue to compile pictures, press articles, stories involving drunken nights at their shows, and "will be available indefinitely for future generations to share." You can also pick up any of the band's releases there, which is what we would recommend if you asked us. Don't wallow in loss-- just lose yourself in your headphones, we always say.