2239 Piebald is an emocore band from Andover, MA, that came together as high schoolers in the mid-'90s and became a staple of the Boston indie scene throughout that decade. The group, which consists of founding members Travis Shettel (guitar, vocals), Aaron Stuart (guitar), and Andrew Bonner (bass), along with Luke Garro (drums) -- past drummers include Jon Sullivan and Alex Garcia Riviera -- presents a lighthearted spin on typical emo values, offering such song titles as "Fat and Skinny Asses." In 2001, Piebald released Barely Legal/All Ages, a double CD on Boston indie label Big Wheel Recreation. The release served as a retrospective, collecting shaky recordings from their high school days in 1994 all the way up to tracks from their full-length debut, 1997's When Life Hands You Lemons (Hydra Head Records). Also appearing on the set are all of the band's 7" EP releases, some demos, live cuts (including a blistering cover of the Beatles' "I Saw Her Standing There"), and out of print tracks. Prior to the 2001 retrospective, Piebald released two other albums, 1999's If It Weren't for Venetian Blinds It Would Be Curtains for Us All and 2000's The Rock Revolution Will Not Be Televised EP, before the guys decided to call it quits to focus on other things in their lives. But the separation didn't last, and Piebald announced their return in 2002 with We Are the Only Friends We Have, a matured yet fun album quickly embraced by fans and critics alike. "American Hearts" saw minor success on MTV and was even sampled a few years later in MC Lars' emo-laptop-rap "iGeneration." A string of subsequent dates as openers for Dashboard Confessional had to be dropped off later that year as Shettel underwent throat surgery. Healed up in a few months' time, the band headed back out on the road for headlining dates with bands like My Chemical Romance, Minus the Bear, and Fairweather in tow. By the early days of 2004, Piebald had inked a deal with Cali-based indie SideOneDummy and their next album, All Ears, All Eyes, All the Time, surfaced that May. Late the next year, as the band spent time touring with Hot Rod Circuit, the CD/DVD B-sides collection Killa Bros and Killa Bees was issued. Piebald's next proper full-length, Accidental Gentlemen, hit stores in January 2007. ~ Erik Hage, All Music Guide 1758