Santiago is an indie/punk band from Santa Rosa, California that formed in 2002 and has released three full-length albums. Though generally more sophisticated musically, the band claims a staunch punk rock aesthetic to their approach.
Biography
Santiago was formed in 2002 by singer/guitarist Gabe Meline after leaving The Mr. T Experience. The band quickly recorded the self-released full-length debut Entertainment For Man And Horse, imploding shortly thereafter as lineup changes forced what would be a temporary hiatus. In 2004, the band was resuscitated by Josh Drake, drummer and owner of Pandacide Records, who had released albums by The Velvet Teen and The New Trust. With bassist Kyle Lindauer, the trio wrote and recorded 2006's Rosenberg's After Dark, an album dedicated entirely to the band's hometown of Santa Rosa, California. Named for the long-standing department store that once towered over the city's downtown, the album became a compelling snapshot of the typical American small town-turned-suburb with a fiery resistance to the impending loss of its own culture. In late 2006, Kyle Lindauer suffered ankle injuries and left the band, to be replaced by bassist Tony Moshenelli. "The Blue Line" EP followed in 2008, a one-sided, silkscreened 12" that found the band joined by Lindsay Gray on cello. "The Blue Line" was available on vinyl only. Santiago's third full-length "The Illusion of Being Together" was released on LP, CD and cassette by Pandacide Records in 2010. Its cover design, lyric insert and packaging mimic the classic Folkways Records style. For the vinyl release, the band recycled 300 old record jackets of soft rock and easy listening artists by painting them black and individually gluing a wrap-around, paste-on slick to each copy.
Special Projects
In 2006, Santiago rehearsed and performed the Built to Spill album Perfect from Now On in its entirety with former member Nick Jackson. In 2007, the band helped organize a to Logan Whitehurst at the Phoenix Theater, rehearsing and collaborating with Whitehurst's many fans to perform over twenty of Whitehurst's songs. The first 50 copies of each vinyl pressing by Santiago feature individually designed by members and friends of the band and usually sell out quickly.
