Half Visconte

Half Visconte was an Indie rock band from Tempe, Arizona fronted by Scott Tennent and Rich Minardi. Scott was owner and operator of the now-defunct label, This Argonaut Records, and the former manager of the Phoenix indie/art rock-music venue Modified Arts. At that time Mike Wright, original drummer, also owned The Argo which was a warehouse venue designed to support touring bands by the collection of donations and support of volunteer work offered by the local underground music community.

Half Visconte
OriginPhoenix, Arizona, Tempe, Arizona
GenresIndie Rock
Years active1998 - 2000
LabelsThis Argonaut Records,
Sunset Alliance
Past membersScott Tennent,
Ben Taylor,
Rich Minardi,
Dan Sylvester,
Mike Wright

History

In the late 1990s, singer/guitarist Scott Tennent ran the Phoenix art and music space, Modified Arts.[1] There, he was known to sometimes step in and play solo sets to fill in empty slots during any given show.[1] His musical gifts would also lead him to work with other local artists to create Half Visconte, which Hayden Blades at SLAM Magazine would call an "underrated band [that] was a unique addition to the shortage of truly alternative sounds in the industry in the late 90s and early 2000s."[1]

During its short-lived existence, Half Visconte would release two records on Tennent's own This Argonaut Records before deciding to call it quits when members of the band decided to relocate to Chicago and New York,[2] and the rest of the band did not wish to continue without them.[3] When making their "break-up" announcement, the band also announced that they were finally going to release their debut LP when they were finished with their farewell tour.[3] While this was certainly unorthodox, the band continued with its plan, touring through Texas, the Midwest, Chicago, the West Coast, and then finished with a final performance in Phoenix.[3]

Upon finishing its tour in July 2000, Half Visconte holed itself up for three days in Phoenix's Livinghead Studios to produce its last, and quite possibly its best, recording: Was it Fear.[2] Released on Sunset Alliance almost two years after the band's break-up, Adequacy.net would call the album "a wonder,"[2] Jeff Petermen at Action Attack Helicopters Magazine called it a disc "packed full of rock and roll and indie goodness," [4] and before giving the album a score of 90%, Matt Shimmer at Indieville.com would simply state that "Was It Fear? is an amazing record."[5]

Discography

Albums
Release date Title Label Notes
1999 Self-titled EP This Argonaut Records,
Sunset Alliance		 Produced by Clay Holley and Mike Hissong at Living Head Studios.
2000 Death of Marat/Half Visconte Split This Argonaut Records Split 7" EP.
2002 Was it Fear Sunset Alliance Produced by Mike Hissong at Living Head Studios. This record was released "post-humously."[6]

Compilations
Song: Blue-Eyed Baldwin
Various previously released songs

References
  1. Blades, Hayden. Half Visconte: Was it Fear, SLAM Magazine, Dec. 2005 Archived 2010-06-30 at the Wayback Machine retrieved 03-17-12
  2. Adequacy.net Review of Was it Fear, Jan. 27, 2003 retrieved 03-17-12
  3. Mehr, Bob. Goodbye Boys, The Phoenix New Times, June 15, 2000 retrieved 03-17-2012
  4. Petermen, Jeff. Review of Was it Fear, Action Attack Helicopters Magazine, Mar. 31, 2003 retrieved 03-17-12
  5. Shimmer, Matt. Was it Fear Review, Indieville.com retrieved 03-17-12
  6. Mehr, Bob. Gimme Indie Rock, The Phoenix New Times, Aug. 3, 2000 retrieved 03-17-12
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