Resplendent

Resplendent was the solo alias of Chicago musician Michael Lenzi, former member of Number One Cup and The Fire Show. Lenzi released four EPs as Resplendent, following the break-up of The Fire Show, between 2003 and 2005: In A Wilderness; Casket City Wolves; Wings Beneath the Sills; and a swansong ‘double-EP’ entitled Am I Free?/I Am Free. Lenzi has not released any material as Resplendent since the final EP.

Resplendent’s music was a further move away from the mostly guitar-based punk and post-punk material produced by Number One Cup and The Fire Show, incorporating significant dub and ambient influences alongside unusual instrumentation. Lenzi has stated that Resplendent was influenced by The Clash (from whom Wings Beneath the Sills track ‘Resolution Time’ borrows its melody), Neil Young's After the Goldrush, Notorious B.I.G.'s Ready to Die, Talking Heads' More Songs About Buildings and Food, Swervedriver's Mezcal Head and Bruce Springsteen’s Nebraska and The Wild, the Innocent & the E Street Shuffle.

All four EPs were favourably received by music critics; Pitchforkmedia.com and Tiny Mix Tapes heaped particular praise on Resplendent’s final release. The EPs were produced in limited quantities with unusual packaging: the first three EPs came in tin boxes, whilst the packaging for Am I Free?/I Am Free was based around silk-screened prints.

It is currently unclear whether Lenzi is still making new music post-Resplendent.


User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License and may also be available under the GNU FDL....

READ MORE