After a couple years of rest that followed the end of Texan slowcore kings
Bedhead, brothers and guitarists
Matt and
Bubba Kadane formed
the New Year, a logical extension of their previous band, along with
Bedhead fill-in guitarist
Peter Schmidt, former
Come drummer
Chris Brokaw, and bassist Mike Donofrio. After sporadic gigging (touring was one of the reasons for
Bedhead's breakup), they recorded
Newness Ends in Chicago during late 2000 with
Steve Albini. Retaining
Bedhead's raw intensity and atmosphere,
Newness Ends (released in early 2001 on Touch & Go) extended upon the tempo variation that had only bubbled to the surface on their final record. Keeping a steady lineup, the band worked at a suitably slow and steady pace, releasing
The End Is Near in May of 2004 and
The New Year during September of 2008. After the latter LP's release, the project was put on the backburner, with the Kadane brothers collaborating with
David Bazan and Will Johnson in
Overseas. They returned in early 2017 with a single, "Recent History," which heralded the April release of
the New Year's long-awaited fourth studio album,
Snow. ~ Andy Kellman