The garmon (Russian: гармонь, from garmonika (Russian: гармоника), which means "harmonics") is a kind of Russian button accordion, a free-reed wind instrument. A garmon has two rows of buttons on the right side, which play the notes of a diatonic scale, and at least two rows of buttons on the left side, which play the primary chords in the key of the instrument as well as its relative harmonic minor key. Many instruments have additional right-hand buttons with useful accidental notes, additional left-hand chords for playing in related keys, and a row of free-bass buttons, to facilitate playing of bass melodies.

The garmons can be of two major classes: unisonoric, meaning that each button plays the same note or chord when the bellows is being expanded as it does when compressed, and bisonoric, in which the note depends on the direction of the bellowswork. Examples of unisoniric type are livenka (ливенка, after Livny, Oryol Oblast) and Khromka (Russian: Хромка, for "chromatic"). Bisonoric garmons are, e.g., Tula accordion (Russian: Тульская гармонь, after Tula) and talyanka (тальянка, "Italian")

Black Eyes was a post-hardcore band from Washington, D.C. that existed from August 2001 to March 2004, disbanding two months prior to the release of its second album, Cough. Its members included Dan Caldas, Jacob Long, Mike Kanin, Daniel Martin-McCormick and Hugh McElroy.

Prior to releasing the first album, Black Eyes released a 2 song 7" EP and a split EPof "Someone Has His Fingers Broken" entitled "Have Been Murdered Again." Black Eyes' eponymous debut album was released on April 15, 2003 through Dischord Records. Most tracks featured the band's trademark dual vocals, from bass guitarist Hugh McElroy and guitarist Daniel McCormick, as well as two full drum kits and the occasional horn blast or synth noise.

After extensive touring with Q and Not U, the band broke up just before its second album, Cough, was released on June 1, 2004, also through Dischord Records. For this batch of songs, the band incorporated frenzied brass instruments into its sound, pushing further into free-jazz territory.