The Operators | ru

There are a few bands name "The Operators" "Giddy, raucous spaz-punk out of the suburbs of Boston that recalls the best parts--the crankiness, the furious single-string guitar, the excitement--of all those records K put out in the early '90s, with a dollop of The Raincoats' crash-boom-pop shamble for good measure. Let them be your favorite band, just so that grin that sprouts on your face after the first song doesn't come as too much of a shock."
--PHILADELPHIA CITY PAPER

In 1998 classically-trained-violinist-turned-DIY-guitarist Emily Arkin and bassist-from-birth Jen Godfrey merged vocals with 4-track avatar Paul Coleman's sparse drumming. A year later, Stephanie Melikian joined the trio to share drumming, guitar playing, and bottle throwing duties. Together, the Operators stood out in the Boston scene with a healthy dose of dueling guitars and grueling time changes.

The Ops released their second LP in 2004, The Light and the Dark, earning a place on the CMJ charts. Their first, Citizens Band, (2002) also garnered widespread radio play and glowing critical praise. In addition, they released two 7" records; performed alongside the likes of the Bush Tetras, Bangs, Bonfire Madigan, Sarah Dougher, Origami, J Mascis, and Mr. Airplane Man; and played and helped organize two annual Ladyfests in New York City, as well as Bazaar Bizarre (a Punk Rock Craft Fair) and an Indie-Rock Mini-Circus in Boston.

The Operators are founding members of the Handstand Command music collective, along with Coleman's solo project Sinkcharmer, Melikian's side project the Tardy, punk rockers the Anchormen, porn-rockers Scrapple, and the Handstand Command Supra-group, the Shut Ups.

They are on hiatus now with two members in Boston and the other two scattered to various corners of the Adirondacks, they remain members of the Compound 440R music collective and continue to pursue a number of musical projects (e.g. Arkin's Shepherdess). Updated information is available at http://the-operators.com. .