Casper Bangs
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Friday, October 8, 2010
A few years ago, D.C. singer-guitarist Rob Pierangeli was in love. He was so in love that he named his band, Casper Bangs, after his girlfriend. (Her last name is Bangs.) He plastered her mug all over his publicity art and the cover of his debut EP. And as if that wasn't enough, he named the first song after, yup, you guessed it, his girlfriend.
"I know, it wasn't a really good idea," Pierangeli says.
The relationship ended. The band lives on.
Pierangeli, 31, grew up in Silver Spring. He picked up the guitar at age 9 but was a serious gymnast and had little time for music. It wasn't until his 20s that he began writing decent songs. He played with the garage rock band the Hard Tomorrows and, when the band broke up in 2007, he went solo.
His new album, "I Woke Up," is filled with songs that are poppy if slow to build, with layered, lazy-sounding vocals and thick synthesizer and guitar textures accented with reverb. Pierangeli's songs from the girlfriend era are happy and love-fueled, but he says darker songs are his forte. And indeed, if what he posts on his Web site is any indication, he is filled with a little angst these days.
"I can't shake these memories off. I used to be light. Now, I'm heavy rocks," he writes. "I don't think I'll ever love again. I found a good woman, won't let her in."
Now he is moving to a more intense, edgier style and in 2011 plans to release a darker album of hypnotic, rhythmically driven tunes that hint at his childhood love of hip-hop. A preview of the album reveals a more complex, mature sound.
Although Pierangeli's music is highly accessible and was well received at this year's South by Southwest festival in Austin, it has not garnered the attention of labels or booking agents. "Maybe I'm in the wrong town," Pierangeli speculates, but he's not interested in moving or making excuses. "Maybe I haven't made something really great yet," he says. And although Pierangeli loves to play and write, he doesn't tour. Nor does he want to and, aside from a one-year stint at the University of Pittsburgh, has never left the Washington area.
Pierangeli earned a bachelor's degree from Johns Hopkins University in 2009 and now bartends at the Gibson and Marvin, keeping long, late hours. That doesn't leave much time for music, and he has been thinking about going back to school. But if he had it his way, he would be living at the Tabard Inn, writing and recording music all day.
As it is, it's not so perfect, and Pierangeli sounds as if he may still be holding a torch for his ex-girlfriend. He hasn't had a relationship since they broke up almost two years ago; he's still in contact with her; she comes to an occasional show; and she lives just up the street.
"It's bittersweet," he says. "I'll always love her in a way."
CASPER BANGS Appearing with Ra Ra Rasputin and the Jaguar Club on Saturday at the Black Cat, 1811 14th St. NW. Show starts at 9 p.m. Tickets: $10. 202-667-4490. http:/