Stratford 4 calls it quits

This in from Pitchfork..............


Stratford 4 Disband, Form New Bands

James Gregory reports:
Ah, springtime-- a chance to clean out the garage, prune the bushes, and slap on a new lick of paint. And the seasonal cliché seems to be holding true in indieland this year, as according to a recent post on the Stratford 4's website, the San Francisco-based fuzzbox addicts apparently gave themselves up for Lent this year and never bothered to call "time in" again. 40 days be damned, the band's website has just announced the quartet's official breakup this week.

The annoyingly gossip-free statement posted on the site's main page laid out the band's final thoughts as such: "We want to thank all of you for coming to the shows, buying the records, and just emailing to say hi. We were together for close to six years, and it was worth every minute." OK, fair enough, but somebody double check who Yoko's been shacking up with lately.

Formed in 1998 and often compared to My Bloody Valentine and the Velvet Underground, the Stratford 4 will leave behind three studio LPs, including the upcoming swan song Keep Your Crazy Head on Straight, which has been promised for release on a yet-to-be-named Tuesday in the late summer/early fall 2005. And before you do the logical thing and just bust out Loveless and White Light/White Heat, 3/4 of the band will be testing fan loyalty by splintering off into two new groups.

As the official statement continues: "The music isn't over just yet. Jake and Andrea have a new band called Love Like Fire, and Sheetal has a new band called August Bodies. And we're happy to announce that we're playing our debut shows together." Hey, maybe people really can stay friends afterwards! Interested parties can check out both groups when they perform at Bottom of the Hill in San Francisco on April 18, along with Serene Lakes.

* Pitchfork Review: Stratford 4: Love and Distortion
* Stratford 4: http://www.stratford4.com