Chris Leo

With a career built on successful runs in East Coast indie rock, Chris Leo has gained the majority of his notoriety writing, singing, and performing the songs of the Van Pelt and The Lapse. The brother of solo artist Ted Leo and Danny Leo (of Native Nod and the Holy Childhood) Chris Leo's songwriting incorporates noisy, guitar-driven elements and half-spoken, half-sung melodic elements. His work with the Van Pelt in the mid-'90s led to a successful bout of touring and performing and a handful of releases on Gern Blandsten. Leo's partnership with bassist Toko Yasuda also rose out of her involvement with the Van Pelt, and after the breakup of the Van Pelt that followed the release of The Sultans of Sentiment, Yasuda and Leo co-founded The Lapse in 1997. After a series of two records, Betrayal! on Gern Blandsten and Heaven Ain't Happenin' on Southern Records, the duo's personal and musical partnership went awry. Toko Yasuda left The Lapse late in 1999 to join the avant-noise rock group Enon, and Chris Leo continued to perform as The Lapse with a variety of other supporting players. Chris Leo and The Lapse left Southern Records in 2000 and signed to Matador Records. ~ Nate Cavalieri

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