LVL UP was an American lo-fi band from Purchase, New York, United States.

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History

LVL UP formed in 2011 at SUNY Purchase as a recording project between Mike Caridi, Dave Benton, and their friend Ben Smith, with the original intention of releasing a split cassette with Nick Corbo's then-solo material. They instead released their debut album, Space Brothers via Evil Weevil Records,[2] as one band, and Greg Rutkin joined shortly afterwards for the group's first show. Smith left the band for personal reasons just before the release of second album Hoodwink'd, a joint release on Caridi and Benton's label Double Double Whammy and Exploding in Sound.[3][4][5][6]

In 2016, the band's third LP Return to Love was released by Sub Pop. The album received favorable reviews with comparisons being drawn to the works of Dinosaur Jr. and Pavement.[7]

On June 11, 2018, the band announced they were retiring the project after their fall tour. Their last show was September 28 in New York City.[8]

Band members

• Mike Caridi - guitar, vocals
• Dave Benton - guitar, vocals
• Nick Corbo - bass, vocals
• Greg Rutkin - drums
• Ben Smith - guitar

Discography

Studio albums

• Space Brothers (2011)
• Hoodwink'd (2014)
• Return to Love (2016)

EPs

• Extra Worlds (2013)
• Three Songs (2015)

Splits

• LVL UP / Porches 7" (2013)
• LVL UP / Krill / Ovlov / Radiator Hospital 7" (2014)
• LVL UP / Frankie Cosmos 7" (2018)

References