Sheldon "Shelley" Ganz embodies the missing link between the sixties sound and the garage revival: his uncompromising music is able to compete in originality with The Chocolate Watch Band, Count Five, Music Machine, Seeds, Shadows of Knight, Standells and Syndicate of Sound without any reverential fear.
Shelley came from a well-off family; he left UCLA in 1978 and formed The Popes that became Unclaimed the next year: he was already thinking about this name when he found out that Peter Case (of Plimsouls) knew a guy named Gurf Morlix, who had a band called The Unclaimed during the sixties in the state of New York, took this as an omen.
In early 1979 there was the turning point: Sid Griffin, formerly member of The Death Wish, met with Shelley and the group was formed at Sid's apartment in the Palms district of L.A. by Shelley & Sid in April, then the others joined in; they made their live debut at the Nugget and entered the studio the following year, recording four tracks issued by Moxie later on.
At the end of 1981 two leaders' strong personalities came into conflict thus, Sid forsook the group and created a new band with Barry Shank, another ex Unclaimed who had left shortly before; Steve Wynn supported this combo for a short time and, after his departure, they evolved to The Long Ryders.
Shelley went on his way in the meanwhile, finding two worthy second leading musicians (Rich Coffee, ex Gizmos, and Ray Flores IV) and releasing another masterpiece. Unfortunately Shelley's extremism caused the inevitable dissolution: the others kept on playing as The Fourgiven while Ganz left the scene.
A first attempt to reform the band failed in 1984: Lee Joseph, ex Jonny Sevin and leader of Yard Trauma, broke up his group after a tape and a great mini-LP, moving from Tucson to L.A., where came into contact with Shelley. Here Lee formed Yard Trauma again with Coffee's collaboration, keepin' always in touch with Ganz while running his own label Dionysus.
At this point rumours of an imminent album became more persistent, but it saw the light five years after its recording, credited to Attila & the Huns.
During the European tour, in 1987, the bad-tempered Shelley left the band slamming the door. [SOURCE: Shelley Ganz's Unclaimed - The unofficial website]
Before Jeff "Monoman" Connolly formed Boston's seminal garage rock terrorists The Lyres, he was in a late-'70s prototype known as DMZ. With the exception of a few musicians, DMZ and The Lyres were essentially same-sounding bands; DMZ just played with a little more speed and punk verve. Oddly enough, during the late-'70s signing frenzy of any band even remotely associated with the punk scenes in Boston and New York City, DMZ got a shot with Sire Records. The label, exhibiting near-total artistic myopia, teamed the band up with goofball has-beens Flo and Eddie as producers. While the resulting record was panned, it's far from a disaster, due mainly to DMZ's ferocity and trashy ebullience. Fans of mid-'60s rock such as The Seeds, ? and the Mysterians, and The Kinks, and who have an unending jones for speedy trash-rock and whiny Farfisa organs, will love DMZ. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC]
Comprising Sven Köhler (vocals), Michael Sellers (guitar), Henki Van Den Born (guitar), David Sellers (bass) and Kiddie Manzin (drums), Sweden’s Sinners are that country’s closest approximation of the tight, muscular R&B sound of the UK’s Godfathers. As well as the obvious musical similarities, the Sinners’ wardrobe also encompasses the same style of ‘sharp suits’ while their live appearances document a commitment to hard work in addition to technical ability. They were originally conceived of in 1983 when the various members were active on Sweden’s nascent garage rock scene. They recorded widely since, though they remained primarily a live attraction -very much like the aforementioned Godfathers, they have never truly managed to convert their aplomb as performers into a similarly compulsive studio album. However, 1993’s 'Fly With Us' was comfortably their best effort to date, including at least three excellent songs in ‘Undressed To Kill’, ‘Love Don’t Pay My Bills’ and ‘Heading South’. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC]
The Lipstick Killers grew out of two of the most notorious late 70s punk bands in Sydney (Australia); Psycho Surgeons and Filth.
Their Americanised brand of hard glitter rock drew on The Stooges and The New York Dolls (from whence they derived the band name) for inspiration, although Gary Glitter was also cited as a key musical influence.
In 1979 the band issued the Deniz Tek-produced independent single 'Hindu Gods (Of Love)'.
Drummer David Taylor departed in 1980 and was replaced by Michael Charles (ex-Shy Impostors).
The Lipstick Killers then spent a year living in Los Angeles where they became involved in the burgeoning Californian hardcore scene that had already produced bands such as Black Flag and Circle Jerks. During their American sojourn, Stephen Mather replaced Giddy on bass.
The band made little headway and spent most of their time in the US living in poverty. Following a Christmas dinner of boiled onions and refried beans, the band broke up and the members limped home to Australia at the start of 1982.
Mark Taylor took up computer graphics, Mather joined Decline Of The Reptiles and Charles joined The Screaming Tribesmen.
Citadel Records issued the live album 'Mesmeriser' in December 1984. It had been taken from a cassette recording of one of the band’s infrequent Los Angeles gigs and the sound quality was rough but the energy and atmosphere provided a retrospective insight into the band’s true spirit.
The independent Vi-Nil label also issued a single ('Sockman') in January 1985, from demos the band had recorded at the end of 1978.
The Lipstick Killers reunited for a brief Sydney tour in January 1989 and Taylor, Tillman, Mather and Bill Bilson (Sunnyboys) reappeared in ’96 with ’60s punk cover band Doctor Stone.
A second Lipstick Killers reformation in 2001 took the form of a one-off benefit for original drummer David Taylor, who had been seriously injured in a car crash in late 1999. [SOURCE: NOSTALGIA CENTRAL]
At a time when Australian rock meant pub rock and every other band sounded like Cold Chisel, Died Pretty were something of an anomaly. Influenced more by The Velvet Underground, The Stooges, and The Doors than they were by early Icehouse, Died Pretty spent most of the '80s and '90s struggling for recognition and finding it only in Europe. Diminutive singer Ron Peno channeled Iggy Pop and Jim Morrison in equal measure, whirling dangerously while on-stage. After his band The 31st broke up, he formed Died Pretty with keyboardist Frank Brunetti, guitarist Brett Myers, and a series of bass players and drummers including Radio Birdman's Rob Younger. Finally they settled on bass player Jonathan Lickliter and drummer Colin Barwick, both of whom had been members of Brisbane band The End along with Myers.
While playing around Sydney venues like the Trade Union Club they were spotted by John Needham, founder of the indie label Citadel Records, who offered to manage them and release some of their songs. After several singles and the EP 'Next to Nothing', all of which made the local alternative charts, the rhythm section changed once again. Mark Lock (formerly of The Phantom Agents) and Chris Welsh (who had played drums with Peno in his old band The 31st) joined them for the recording of their first album, 'Free Dirt', which was released in 1986. A European tour followed, and they signed to British label Beggars Banquet for their overseas distribution. As a result, their second album, 1988's 'Lost', made it into the Italian charts. In Australia, the album was released on Blue Mosque, a collaboration between Citadel Records and major label Festival.
Frank Brunetti and then Mark Lock left the band during the period of intense overseas touring that followed 'Lost's release and were replaced by John Hoey and Steve Clark on keyboard and drums respectively. While in Los Angeles, they recorded 1990s 'Every Brilliant Day'. It was their fourth album, 'Doughboy Hollow', recorded back in Sydney, that finally gave them the popularity in Australia that they had enjoyed in Europe. After years of only making the alternative charts they entered the Top 20 of the mainstream album sales charts and were nominated for an ARIA award for best independent album (as well as best independent album cover ). Unfortunately, their label had failed to press enough copies of the album and there were also problems with overseas distribution, preventing it from being the runaway success for them it could have been. Died Pretty signed to Sony soon after the 'Doughboy Hollow' fiasco.
Robert Warren became the band's new bass player for their two albums with Sony, 1993's 'Trace' and 1995's 'Sold'. Both albums did well by their standards but not by Sony's. A senior figure at Sony had also been disappointed by the band during a live showcase, and they were dropped from the label's roster in 1996 and returned to Citadel Records. The two albums from this period would be the last of their career. These albums, 'Using My Gills as a Road Map' and 'Everyday Dream', marked a move away from rocky post-punk and towards Kraftwerk-style electronica. After a best-of collection released in 1999, 'Out of the Unknown', the band broke up. In 2008 Died Pretty reunited to perform their most popular album, 'Doughboy Hollow', in its entirety as part of All Tomorrow's Parties' Don't Look Back series of concerts to coincide with its re-release. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC]
The Funseekers put the fun into everything. They were a mod band if by mod band you mean a bunch of garage rockin' guys who loved sixties R&B, had a touch of the "punk rock" about them, and put on a show that could scare your relatives and deflower a virgin from 50 steps, well then they were a mod band. That is, until you turned on their amps and handed them their instruments, then they turned into a seriously frenzifying (to steal their own term) garage rock combo.
They put out three 7" singles, and a full LP -'Frenzyfying' (Treehouse Records)- all of which are branded with their infectious garage sound that is loud and fast, and above all very sixties focused. In 1987 the embarked on an ambitious filmmaking odyssey -"The Funseekers: A Northwoods Holiday". [SOURCE: MR. SUAVE'S MOD MOD WORLD]
The Green Telescope was a Garage beat band from Edinburgh, Scotland who released two 45s in the mid 80s. Lenny Helsing, guitar and vocals, Alan McLean, bass, Bruce Lyall, organ and Gavin Henderson, drums: played on debut 'Two By Two' EP. Gavin was replaced by Mal Kergan for the 'Face In A Crowd' single. Steve Fraser temporarily replaced Alan on bass for 'The Waking Dream' and 'Tribute To Syd Barrett' compilations in 1985 and 1987. After this they would change their name to The Thanes Of Cawdor then shorten that to The Thanes.
In a time of trendy discotheques, bombastic arena rock, and sonic punk barbarisms, The Crawdaddys were truly a peculiarity of the late '70s. The Southern California four-piece rhythm & blues combo, led by two gifted songwriter/guitarists, Steve Potterf and Ron Silva, who began in the similar garage band The Hitmakers, shrugged off all present scenes and regressed to the past, to a Mersey-era Beatles style.
Influenced by '50s R&B masters like Chuck Berry and Little Richard, The Crawdaddys jump-started their own California garage rock scene, which spread widely in the early '80s as more illustrious groups like New York's Chesterfield Kings and London's Barracudas also hiked their guitars up to chest level. Other influences, like The Yardbirds and The Velvet Underground, can be heard in the Crawdaddys' surprising yet sincere sound.
Potterf left the group after recording the first Crawdaddys' first LP, leaving Silva as head Crawdad. Unfortunately, the group's sound took a slight dive in aggression level as a result. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC]
The Vipers were an obscure '80s band that was transfixed with '60s garage/proto-punk, often drawing comparisons to such similarly styled outfits as The Chesterfield Kings, The Cynics, and The Lyres. Although the band received some favorable press and reviews during their tenure together, The Vipers failed to break through to a larger audience. Over a four year period (between 1984 and 1988), The Vipers issued such albums as 'Outta the Nest', 'How About Somemore?', and 'Not So Pretty...Not So New, Nest in Peace'. The Vipers' debut was reissued in 2000 via the Cavestomp label, which added several previously unreleased bonus tracks to the mix. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC]
The Times were helmed by Edward Ball, a vocalist, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist who specializes in sharply written pop tunes with lyrics that cast a wry and often bitter gaze on English popular culture. Doling out albums in the first half of the '80s that ranged from punchy Mod revival ('Pop Goes Art!') to brassy new wave ('Hello Europe'), the band shifted to chasing more modern styles like noise pop and Madchester as the '90s dawned, then ripened. They stuck around long enough to take the mickey out of Brit-pop on 1999's 'Pirate Playlist 66'.
Ball first came to the attention of music fans in the late '70s as he partnered with Dan Treacy in a handful of recording projects (The Teenage Filmstars, The Missing Scientists, The O-Levels) that evolved into The Television Personalities, who gained a well-deserved cult following with tunes like "I Helped Patrick McGoohan Escape," "I Know Where Syd Barrett Lives," and "A Picture of Dorian Gray."
While releasing three albums as a member of The Television Personalities, Ball formed The Times; initially the group was a collaboration with Treacy, but with Ball as the dominate songwriter and vocalist, and they made their debut with the single "Red with Purple Flashes" in 1981, released on Ball and Treacy's Whaam Records label. In 1982, the first Times album, the very Mod-influenced 'Pop Goes Art!', was released in tandem with Whaam Records and Ball's newly formed Artpop! Records label. In 1983, Ball re-recorded "I Helped Patrick McGoohan Escape" with The Times for an Artpop! single; it was also the title track of a Times EP, and the same year the group released its second album, 'This Is London', which found Ball casting his eye on more serious issues.
By this time, The Times were fully Ball's project, with a fluid lineup and Ball as the sole constant, and he continued to release material at a prolific pace, including the 1984 album 'Hello Europe' and the 1985 EP 'Blue Period'. The year 1985 also saw the release of 'Go! With the Times', a collection of unreleased material dating back to 1980. In 1986, Ball co-wrote (with Tony Conway of Mood Six) 'Up Against It', a theatrical adaptation of Joe Orton's unproduced screenplay for a Beatles film, and The Times released an album of music created for the show the same year. Another Times album, a loose concept piece about the ongoing collapse of civilization titled 'Enjoy the Times', also arrived in 1986.
Ball bowed out of performing and recording for a while, becoming an executive with Creation Records, but by 1988, label head Alan McGee persuaded him to make a new Times album, with members of Biff Bang Pow! serving as his backing band. 'Beat Torture', the Times' first album for Creation, was released in 1988, and Ball maintained his typically busy schedule, releasing nine albums and EPs for Creation between 1988 and 1999, including 1989's 'E for Edward' (a jaundiced look at Ecstasy and rave culture), 1990's 'Et Dieu Créa la Femme' (a set of French-language pop tunes), 1991's 'Pure' (which featured another French-language number, a guitar-based reworking of New Order's "Blue Monday"), and 1993's 'Alternative Commercial Crossover' and 1999's 'Pirate's Playlist 66' (two sets of venomous satire of the state of rock and the music business). Concurrently with The Times' run of recordings for Creation, Ball began releasing solo efforts, as well as material with his side projects Love Corporation and Conspiracy of Noise, but after Creation Records folded in 1999, little was heard from Ball, though he would rejoin Television Personalities in 2004, and occasionally perform live as The Times. In late 2021, the Cherry Red label issued a comprehensive collection of The Times' recordings made between 1980 and 1986 titled 'My Picture Gallery: The Artpop! Recordings'. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC]
The Posies were one of the most popular power pop bands of the '90s; along with other revivalists like Matthew Sweet and Teenage Fanclub, they helped update the classic power pop sound for the alternative age, marrying bright, British Invasion-style melodies and harmonies to loud, grungy guitars and quirky lyrics. Centered around the partnership of guitarists, vocalists, and songwriters Jonathan Auer and Ken Stringfellow, The Posies made a splash in the power pop underground with their home-recorded debut, 1988's 'Failure'. The ornate, polished sound of their major-label debut, 1990's 'Dear 23', gave way to a tougher, more guitar-based style on 1993's 'Frosting on the Beater' and 1996's 'Amazing Disgrace'. While The Posies broke up in 1998 and both Auer and Stringfellow went on to solo careers, the pair revived The Posies throughout the 2000s for albums and live work, eventually making their way to a 30th Anniversary tour in 2018.
Jonathan Auer and Ken Stringfellow began recording songs together in Auer's Bellingham, Washington home in 1988. That year, the duo self-released a cassette called 'Failure', on which they played all the instruments; sounding especially indebted to The Hollies and Simon & Garfunkel, it was soon picked up by the Seattle indie PopLlama, and wound up getting the band a deal with Geffen. Getting a proper rhythm section in bassist Rick Roberts and drummer Mike Musburger, The Posies made their major-label debut in 1990 with 'Dear 23', which showcased their budding sense of popcraft with bigger-budget production.
When The Posies returned with a new album in 1993, their hometown Seattle scene had blown wide open. While the band didn't fit into any sort of grunge blueprint, they did toughen up their sound under producer Don Fleming, resulting in their harder-rocking breakthrough album, 'Frosting on the Beater' (the title a masturbation reference). Paced by the college-radio hit "Dream All Day," the album earned an audience among both power pop and alternative rock fans (as well as introducing new bassist Dave Fox). The same year, Auer and Stringfellow backed a reunion of power pop heroes Big Star (namely Alex Chilton and Jody Stephens), a gig they would return to off and on for much of the '90s.
It took a bit of time for Auer and Stringfellow to follow up the success of 'Frosting on the Beater'. When they returned, they had a new rhythm section in tow -drummer Brian Young (also of Fountains of Wayne) and bassist Joe Howard (who usually recorded under the pseudonyms Joe Bass or Joe Skyward). Released in 1996, 'Amazing Disgrace' consolidated the Posies' position as critics' darlings, rocking out even more than its predecessor. Yet Geffen failed to promote the record adequately, and the group had lost some of its alternative audience from three years before; as a result, 'Amazing Disgrace' sold disappointingly, and The Posies were dropped from Geffen. Stringfellow put out a home-recorded solo album, 'This Sounds Like Goodbye', in 1997, but despite the title, The Posies reconvened on their original label, PopLlama, for their official swan song, 1998's 'Success' (a nod to their debut's title).
Stringfellow subsequently toured with R.E.M. as a backing musician, along with Young Fresh FellowScott McCaughey, with whom he worked in The Minus 5; among other side projects, he also formed a new band, Saltine, that released only one EP. Auer, meanwhile, went solo and formed a backing band, and also produced records for PopLlama. The year 2000 saw the release of a Geffen best-of, 'Dream All Day', as well as 'At Least, At Last', a four-disc box set of outtakes, demos, and the like on power pop label Not Lame; plus, Auer and Stringfellow reunited for a summer acoustic tour under The Posies banner, which produced the live EP 'In Case You Didn't Feel Like Plugging In'. In 2001, the duo reunited once again for an acoustic studio EP, 'Nice Cheekbones and a Ph.D.', and toured with a rhythm section of Howard and drummer Darius Minwalla. The same year, Stringfellow issued his second solo album, 'Touched', which featured material originally intended for Saltine.
The Posies reunited in full in 2005 and released the excellent 'Every Kind of Light' on the Rykodisc label. In 2010, they returned with 'Blood/Candy', which they recorded in Spain. An expanded edition of their debut, 'Failure', was released by the celebrated reissue label Omnivore Recordings in 2014. After struggling with the losses of former members Darius Minwalla and Joe Skyward, who died respectively in 2015 and 2016, Auer and Stringfellow returned in 2016 with a new Posies album. Titled 'Solid States', The Posies supported the release with an unusual tour, "Solid States Secret Shows." For the tour, the group played unconventional venues, with fans being told the exact location of each concert only on the day before the performance.
In 2018, The Posies set out on an international concert tour to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the release of 'Failure'. For the tour, Auer and Stringfellow were joined by the rhythm section from 'Frosting on the Beater', Dave Fox on bass and Mike Musburger on drums. The tour coincided with deluxe, expanded reissues of The Posies' three albums for Geffen -'Dear 23', 'Frosting on the Beater', and 'Amazing Disgrace'- from Omnivore Recordings. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC]
The Inmates -Bill Hurley (vocals), Peter Gunn (b. Peter Staines; guitar), Tony Oliver (guitar), Ben Donnelly (bass) and Jim Russell (drums)- emerged in the late 70s as a UK R&B group in the style of Dr. Feelgood. Their adaptation of ‘Dirty Water’, a garage-band classic originally recorded by The Standells, led to The Inmates’ debut album. In common with several similarly styled groups, the quintet was unable to transfer their live excitement onto record, and despite other promising collections, the band was restricted to a narrow, pub rock-influenced ghetto. Singer Bill Hurley recorded the solo 'Double Agent' in 1985, but its gritty mixture of soul and R&B classics fared no better than those of the parent group. 'Meet The Beatles, Live In Paris' is a set of Beatles songs performed in a hard R&B and Chicago blues vein. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC]
Although their name made them a short-lived entity, punky, psych-influenced garage band The Salvation Armytook most of their stylistic and musical cues from Lenny Kaye's 'Nuggets' anthology. Formed in March 1981 by South Bay, CA teenager Michael Quercio, The Salvation Army quickly released a single on the Minutemen's New Alliance label, gained a new guitarist (Greggory Louis Gutierrez), and recorded a batch of new songs. After this demo was played on Rodney Bingenheimer's massively influential "Rodney on the ROQ" radio show, Lisa Fancher signed The Salvation Army to her Frontier Records and released the trio's self-titled debut in May 1982.
The philanthropic organization, however, took umbrage, and The Salvation Army politely changed their name to the meaningless but suitably psychedelic The Three O'Clock, replaced drummer Troy Howell with ex-Quick drummer Danny Benair, added keyboardist Michael Mariano, and transformed themselves into the leading lights of the paisley underground, a phrase invented by Quercio that's dogged him ever since. Fancher reissued the Salvation Army album under the clever name 'Befour Three O'Clock' after the group misguidedly left Frontier for IRS, and in 1992 collected the full album, that pivotal five-song demo, and all four songs recorded during the sessions for the New Alliance single for a comprehensive collection of every Salvation Army studio recording. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC]
One of the most underrated power pop bands of the '80s, The Spongetones released several albums of effortlessly catchy guitar pop that captured the feel of '60s British Invasion pop with remarkable accuracy and innocent charm. While they never received much critical or commercial attention, their music has aged much better than most power pop of the era (late '70s and early '80s), and among specialists they're highly revered not only for their studio prowess but also for their spirited live shows. They are one of the few bands that gracefully carried on past the "skinny tie" fad into the '90s and beyond - not as strict revivalists but as something unique. The band, comprised of Steve Stoeckel (vocals, bass), Pat Walters (vocals, guitar), Jamie Hoover (vocals, guitar), and Rob Thorne (drums), began as a covers band in Charlotte, NC in the early '80s. They signed to the Ripete label in 1982 and released their first full-length, 'Beat Music', the same year, following with the 'Torn Apart' EP in 1984 -the latter featuring esteemed guests Don Dixon, Mitch Easter, and R.E.M. on handclaps. Stoeckel temporarily left the band, returning in 1991.
By 1987, it seemed The Spongetones wanted to distance themselves from their revivalist reputation, leaving Ripete in favor of the independent Triapore and recording probably their most experimental and most un-Spongetones album, 'Where-Ever-Land'. The album, produced by Don Dixon, flirted with garage rock, psychedelia, and the more fashionable jangle pop -all in all it marked a more muscular and harder-edged approach. The experiment failed for the most part and was short-lived. The band signed to Black Vinyl Records (owned by power pop icons Shoes) and found a true home in 1991. There they created, in the mold of their first two releases, possibly their most focused Mersey pastiche, 'Oh Yeah!' 'Textural Drone Thing' followed in 1995. In addition to regular band activities, Jamie Hoover released a solo album, 'Coupons Questions and Comments', for Triapore in 1990, and also formed The Van Delecki's with Bryan Shumate, releasing 'Letters from the Desk of Count S. Van Delecki' on Permanent Press in 1996. After a five-year band silence, The Spongetones finally returned in 2000 with the album 'Odd Fellows'. 'Number 9' followed in 2005. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC]
The Pointformed
in 1979, Livermore, CA, and disbanded
in 1986. Members
were brothers Mike (drums) and Tom Alford (guitar, vocals), with Greg Edwards, Jon Stebbins and Vitus Matare (keyboards), member also of The Lastand Trotsky Icepick. They released the 'Magic Circle' LP in 1983, an eclectic record whose core is jangle pop done with a garage edge, and the 10" 'The Point' in 1981.
The Bangles combined the chiming riffs and catchy melodies of British Invasion guitar pop with a hint of the energy of new wave. In the process, they became one of the handful of all-female bands of the '80s to win both critical and commercial success. The critical success came first -with their self-titled debut EP and full-length album, 'All Over the Place'- and popular success arrived once they polished their sound, added some synthesizers, and deviated slightly from their trademark jangling guitar hooks. Once they were selling at the platinum level, the Bangles didn't stay together long, but they left several pop gems in their wake.
The group's original lineup formed in 1981, when guitarist/vocalist Vicki Peterson and drummer/vocalist Debbi Peterson responded to an advertisement that guitarist/vocalist Susanna Hoffs had placed in a local Los Angeles paper, The Recycler. Taking the name The Bangs, the trio released a single, "Getting Out of Hand"/"Call on Me," on their own label, Downkiddie. They had to change their name early the following year to the Bangles, since there was already a New York-based group called The Bangs. After an appearance on a Rodney on the ROQ compilation and a series of local concerts which featured new bassist Annette Zilinskas, Miles Copeland signed the Bangles to the IRS subsidiary Faulty Products and landed them an opening spot for The (English) Beat. That summer, the Bangles released a self-titled EP on Faulty Products.
In early 1983, the Bangles signed with CBS Records and Zilinskas left the band to join Blood on the Saddle. She was replaced by bassist/vocalist Michael Steele, a former member of the proto-punk hard rock group The Runaways. The group released its first full-length album, 'All Over the Place', in the summer of 1984. While it didn't feature any charting singles, the record managed to climb to number 80 on the American charts, a feat that owed equally to college radio, MTV, and strong reviews. In particular, a cover of Katrina & the Waves' "Goin' Down to Liverpool" and the original "Hero Takes a Fall" received heavy airplay on college stations across the country.
The Bangles released their second album, 'Different Light', during the spring of 1986. It was preceded by the colorful, neo-psychedelic single "Manic Monday," which was written by Prince under the pseudonym Christopher. "Manic Monday" became a number two hit in both America and Britain, sending 'Different Light' into the Top Five as well. A cover of Jules Shear's "If She Knew What She Wants" was a relative commercial disappointment, stalling at number 29 on the U.S. charts, but the third single from 'Different Light', "Walk Like an Egyptian," was another major hit, spending four weeks at number one in America. It also peaked at number three in Britain. After the Bangles completed a summer tour, Hoffs starred in the movie "The Allnighter", which was directed by her mother, Tamara. The film was released during the summer of 1987 and bombed at the box office, putting a fast stop to Hoffs' potential acting career. Meanwhile, "Walking Down Your Street," the final single pulled from 'Different Light', was released in early 1987 and peaked at number 11.
Later that year, the Bangles recorded a hard-rocking version of Paul Simon's "Hazy Shade of Winter" for the "Less Than Zero" soundtrack. The single peaked at number two in early 1988, and the band's third album, 'Everything', was released that fall. 'Everything' was a slicker affair than either of band's previous records, but it didn't perform quite as well as 'Different Light'. "In Your Room," the album's lead single, made it to number five, and the ballad "Eternal Flame" became the group's second number one single in early 1989. Even so, the record ran out of steam shortly after the release of its third single, "Be with You," which never made it past number 30. After a brief summer tour, the group disbanded and Hoffs began a solo career with 1991's 'When You're a Boy'. The album never made it past number 83, though, and the single "My Side of the Bed" stalled at number 30. While in the midst of recording her second album, Hoffs was dropped from Columbia's roster.
Meanwhile, Vicki Peterson toured as a member of The Go-Go's(replacing the pregnant Charlotte Caffey from 1994 to 1995) and joined The Continental Drifters alongside future sister-in-law Susan Cowsill. Debbi Peterson teamed up with Siobhan Maher to form the duo Kindred Spirit, and Steele played in several short-lived bands after failing to land a solo deal. In 1998, the bandmembers began to drift back together, teaming up for the first time in nearly a decade to record a song for the second "Austin Powers" film. A tour followed in 2000. For the next two years, the reunited Bangles worked on 'Doll Revolution', which appeared in 2003 and marked Steele's final performance with the band. She left in early 2004, reportedly frustrated with the band's inability to tour a sufficient amount behind the album. The Bangles continued playing in her absence, with hired gun Abby Travis handling bass duties during the group's smattering of tour dates.
During the decade's second half, Hoffs recorded a pair of cover albums with Matthew Sweet. Both albums were produced by Sweet himself, and when it came time to find a producer for the Bangles' fifth record, Hoffs didn't have far to look. The resulting sunny, very California-sounding 'Sweetheart of the Sun' was released in September 2011. The following years saw the band regularly touring while playing some big shows like 2012's Rewind Festival, the 50th anniversary celebration for the famous L.A. nightclub the Whisky a Go Go, and 2013's Paisley Aboveground, which featured the Bangles playing alongside reunited paisley underground bands The Three O'Clock and Rain Parade. In 2014, the band released 'Ladies and Gentlemen... The Bangles!', a compilation of early singles, EP tracks, and rarities. In 2019 the band appeared alongside Rain Parade, The Dream Syndicate, and The Three O'Clock on the Paisley Underground compilation '3X4', which saw each band covering a song by the other three groups. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC]
Final is a project of English musician Justin Broadrick, creator of the band Godflesh, which he started when he was 13 years old. Unlike Godflesh, Final is primarily electronic in nature, taking on a space-like, dark ambient sound.
Originally the project was formed in 1982 as a power electronics/industrial duo of Justin Broadrick and Andy Swan (who Broadrick met at the city's Rag Market and both shared an interest in power electronics and industrial bands such as Throbbing Gristle, Ramleh and Whitehouse) under the name Atrocity Exhibition. They released few tapes on Post Mortem Rekordings, Justin Broadrick's own cassette label (started in 1982 and ended in 1986). Later in 1983 the duo changed name to Smear Campaign, and first performed live on 7 July 1984 in The Mermaid Pub in Birmingham, using Broadrick’s stepfather's shortwave radio and distortion pedals. The played at the pub alongside Con-Dom and Family Patrol Group and was briefly signed on The Grey Wolves's label, changing their name to Final after this show.
Since 1982 Justin Broadrick released over 50 tapes on his Post Mortem Rekordings label until 1986, many of which were Final tapes. Other contributors during this period included Guy Pearce, Nicholas Bullen (of Scorn fame), Kevin Johnson, and Paul Neville. Later in 1986 Final was then put on hiatus while Justin Broadrick played in Napalm Death and Head of David and later co-founded Godflesh, and Andy Swan would later go on to form the bands Iroha and Khost, both of which Broadrick has made remixes for.
Final was revived in 1993 as an experimental ambient solo project of Justin Broadrick to "explore beat-less spaces" and focus on textures, now expanding its influences to the likes of Brian Eno and Maurizio Bianchi. This new incarnation started utilizing electric guitar, tape decks, synthesizers and samplers. 'One' was released on Sentrax and Subharmonic and was Final's first ever CD release. '2' (1996) and '3' (2006), which both compiled pieces recorded over several years, were collaborations with Broadrick's bass players: Godflesh's G. C. Green and Jesu's Diarmuid Dalton respectively. Two series of live improvised music were self released under the Final name on Avalanche Recordings, 'Infinite Guitar' (2007-2009) and 'Guitar & Bass Improvisations' (2007-2013). A collaborative avant-garde drone album with Dirk Serries was also released in 2009, 'Final + Fear Falls Burning'.
Final played its first live show in 20 years as support for Jarboe in 2005, with a laptop as the only instrument. A European tour followed in 2006 alongside L'Enfance Rouge and a further show was played later that year at Supersonic Festival and as support for Isis at All Tomorrow's Parties. One-off shows were played in Birmingham in 2009, during Broadrick's Roadburn Festival residence in 2012 and as a double bill with the live debut of Council Estate Electronics in 2014. The Birmingham show saw a Bandcamp release as 'Live Reprocessed' (2016). Final played its first ever United States show on 8 December 2018 at Hospital Fest in Queens, New York City. [SOURCE: WIKIPEDIA]
Richard D. James, best known as Aphex Twin, is far and away one of the most celebrated and influential electronic musicians of all time. Since the release of his earliest EPs in 1991, James has constantly pushed the limits of what can be accomplished with electronic equipment, resulting in forward-thinking and emotionally engaging work that ranges from sublime, pastoral ambience ('Selected Ambient Works 85-92' and its 1994 follow-up) to manic head-rush acid techno (1992's 'Digeridoo EP'). Unlike most artists who emerged from the '90s techno scene, James established himself as a genuine personality, known for his cheeky grin (which graced the covers of releases like 1995's 'I Care Because You Do' and 1996's 'Richard D. James Album') and his nightmare-inducing music videos (particularly 1997's "Come to Daddy" and 1999's "Windowlicker") as much as his groundbreaking albums and EPs. This helped expand his audience from ravers and critics to rock fans, with numerous non-electronic musicians citing him as an inspiration. His piano composition "Avril 14th" (from the divisive 2001 album 'Drukqs') gradually took on a life of its own through TV and film usage, and became his most widely heard piece. By the mid-2010s, he had infiltrated popular culture to the point that releases such as 2014's 'Syro' and 2018's 'Collapse' were preceded with elaborate promo campaigns involving sightings of the iconic Aphex Twin logo on blimps and billboards throughout major cities.
James began taking apart electronics gear as a teenager growing up in Cornwall, England. (If the title 'Selected Ambient Works 85-92' is to be believed, it contains recordings made at the age of 14.) Inspired by acid house in the late '80s, James began DJ'ing raves around Cornwall. His first release was the 'Analogue Bubblebath EP', recorded with Tom Middleton (who co-produced the hardcore track "En Trance to Exit") and released on the Mighty Force label in September 1991. Middleton left later that year to form Global Communication, after which James recorded a second volume in the 'Analogue Bubblebath' series. This EP (the first to include "Digeridoo") got some airplay on the London pirate radio station Kiss FM, and prompted Belgium's R&S Records to sign him early the following year. A re-release of "Digeridoo" made number 55 in the British charts just after its April 1992 release date, and James followed with the 'Xylem Tube EP' in June. He also co-formed (with Grant Wilson-Claridge) his own Rephlex label around that time, releasing a series of singles as Caustic Window during 1992-1993. Available in cruelly limited editions, most of the recordings continued the cold acid precision of "Digeridoo" -though several expressed humor and fragility barely dreamed of in the hardcore/rave scene to that point.
The climate for "intelligent" techno had begun to warm in the early '90s, though.The Orb had proved the commercial viability of ambient house with their chart-topping "Blue Room" single, and R&S founded an ambient subdivision called Apollo. In November 1992, James made his full-length debut with 'Selected Ambient Works 85-92', consisting mostly of home material recorded during the past few years. Simply stated, it was a masterpiece of ambient techno, the genre's second work of brilliance after The Orb's 'Adventures Beyond the Ultraworld'. As his star began to shine, several bands approached him to remix their work, and he complied, with mostly unrecognizable reworkings of tracks by St. Etienne, The Cure, Jesus Jones, Meat Beat Manifesto, and Curve.
Early in 1993, Richard James signed to Warp Records, the influential British label that virtually introduced the concept of futuristic "electronic listening music" with a series of albums (subtitled 'Artificial Intelligence') by ambient techno pioneers Black Dog, Autechre, B12, and FUSE (aka Richie Hawtin), among others. James' release in the series, titled 'Surfing on Sine Waves', was recorded as Polygon Window and released in January 1993. The album charted a course between the raw muscle of James' nosebleed techno and the understated minimalism of 'Selected Ambient Works'. A deal between Warp and TVT gave 'Surfing on Sine Waves' an American release (James' first) by the summer. A second album was released that year, 'Analogue Bubblebath 3', for Rephlex. Recorded as AFX, the LP renounced any debt to ambient music and was the most bracing work yet in the Aphex Twin canon. On a tour of America with Orbital and Moby later that year, James clung to the headbanging material, to the detriment of his mostly irreplaceable gear. He later cut down on his live performance schedule.
In December of 1993, the new single "On" resulted in James' highest chart placement to that point, a number 32 spot on the British charts. The two-part single included remixes by old pal Tom Middleton (as Reload) and future Rephlex star µ-Ziq (Michael Paradinas). Despite James' appearance on the pop charts, his following album, 'Selected Ambient Works, Vol. II', appeared to be a joke on the ambient techno community. So minimal as to be barely conscious, the quadruple album left most of the beats behind, with only tape loops of unsettling ambient noise remaining. The album hit number 11 on the British charts and earned James a major-label American contract with Sire soon afterward. During 1994, he worked on the ever-growing Rephlex stable, signing µ-Ziq, Kosmik Kommando (Mike Dred), and Kinesthesia/Cylob (Chris Jeffs) to the label. In August 1994, he released the fourth 'Analogue Bubblebath', this one a five-track EP.
The year 1995 began with the January release of 'Classics', a compilation of his early R&S singles. Two months later, James released the single "Ventolin," a harsh, appropriately wheezing ode to the asthma drug on which he relied. 'I Care Because You Do' followed in April, pairing his hardcore experimentalism with more symphonic ambient material, aligned with the work of many post-classical composers -including Philip Glass, who arranged an orchestral version of the album's "Icct Hedral" on the August 1995 single 'Donkey Rhubarb'.
Later that year, the 'Hangable Auto Bulb EP' replaced 'Analogue Bubblebath 3' as Aphex Twin's most brutal, uncompromising release -a fusion of experimental music and jungle being explored at the same time on releases by Plug and Squarepusher. In July 1996, Rephlex released the long-awaited collaboration between Richard James and µ-Ziq. The album, 'Expert Knob Twiddlers' (credited to Mike & Rich), watered down the experimentalism of Aphex Twin with µ-Ziq's easy listening electro-funk. The fourth proper Aphex Twin album, November 1996's 'Richard D. James Album', continued his forays into acid-jungle and experimental music. Retaining the experimental edge, but with a stated wish to make the British pop charts, James' next two releases, 1997's 'Come to Daddy EP' and 1999's 'Windowlicker EP', were acid storms of industrial drum'n'bass. The accompanying videos, both directed by Chris Cunningham, featured the bodies of small children and female models (respectively) dancing around, all with special-effects-created Aphex Twin faces grinning maniacally.
James released nothing during the year 2000, but did record the score to "Flex", a Chris Cunningham short film exhibited as part of the Apocalypse exhibition at London's Royal Academy. With very little advance warning, another LP, 'Drukqs', finally arrived in late 2001. One of James' most polarizing releases, it has nonetheless produced one of his most enduring compositions, the delicate piano piece "Avril 14th," which has appeared in several films and television programs in addition to being sampled by Kanye West.
Although James continued making frequent DJ appearances, he released no more material until 2005, when Rephlex issued the first installment in a lengthy, 11-part series of 12" singles titled 'Analord'. The singles' minimalist acid techno harked back to his 'Caustic Window/Analogue Bubblebath' material of the early '90s. 'Chosen Lords', a CD compilation of some of the 'Analord' material, appeared in April 2006. James continued to DJ and play live, and in 2009 the 'Rushup Edge' LP appeared under the performer name of The Tuss; although James and Rephlex denied that it was his work, rumors persisted that it was yet another Aphex pseudonym. Additional rumors during the late 2000s promised releases from James, but they proved unfounded. However, in 2014, an extremely rare acetate of a shelved 1994 Caustic Window album was auctioned for sale, bought via a crowdfunding campaign, and distributed digitally to the contributors. The physical copy was then bought by the creator of the popular video game Minecraft for over $46,000, with the money split between James, the contributors, and a charity.
That August, a green blimp sporting the Aphex Twin logo was spotted flying over London; by the end of the following month, Warp released 'Syro', the first Aphex Twin album in over a dozen years. 'Syro' went on to win a Grammy for Best Dance/Electronic Album. Only three months later, James uploaded over 30 previously unreleased recordings available as a free download. In early 2015, Warp issued an EP, 'Computer Controlled Acoustic Instruments, Pt. 2'. Later that year, after James' uploads of free tracks exceeded 100, the producer revived his AFX alias for another Warp EP, the more substantive 'Orphaned Deejay Selek 2006-2008'. He eventually took the freebies down, but at least one of them surfaced on his next EP, 2016's 'Cheetah'. Rare live performances followed into 2017, with bread crumbs scattered for fans via in-store-only record sales and an online store. In the summer of 2018, James kicked off another mysterious street advertising campaign. The Aphex Twin logo was found in London, Turin, and Los Angeles, but no further details were provided. That September, he released the 'Collapse EP', which featured the glitchy single "T69 Collapse." [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC]
Australian-born composer and producerPaul Schütze is among the most focused and prolific artists of the contemporary experimental electronic scene. Releasing album after album of sprawling, icy, often difficult ambient and electro-acoustic music, Schütze's work has most often been grouped with post-industrial ambient/isolationist artists such as Lull, Main, and Thomas Köner. While the depth of detail and breadth of sound obtained in Schütze's work already confounds that association, albums such as 'Site Anubis' and 'Abysmal Evenings' do contain their share of deep, dark, highly cinematic soundscapes (Schütze spent several of his years in Australia composing for film). Although he bemoans the rampant genre hybridity characteristic of many of his colleagues in both the dance-based underground and the more academic experimental overground (Schütze's discography includes entries for industrial/experimental labels Sentrax and Big Cat, Belgian ambient/techno label Apollo, work with ethno-ambient industrialists O Yuki Conjugate, and collaborations with avant-funk pioneer Bill Laswell), Schütze has moved increasingly toward incorporating rhythmic and percussive structures and ideas from not only ethnic musical traditions (he started out as a percussionist, and has studied Indian percussion formally), but also the more experimental strains of dance-based electronica.
Born in 1958 in Melbourne, Schütze studied Fine Arts at the Caufield Institute of Technology. In the late '70s he was a percussionist with the Fourth Stream Percussion Ensemble before founding the seminal '80s improv group Laughing Hands, adding percussive and synthetic textures to one of Australia's most important and influential experimental forces. After the group dissolved in 1983, Schütze worked as a film critic and DJ at Melbourne's Hardware Club before he was invited to score Roger Scholes' "The Sealer". He has since provided composition and sound design on more than 20 films, including "Assault on Firebase Gloria", "Driving Force", "Earth Bound" and "The Valley". Although he recorded a number of albums with Laughing Hands, Schütze's solo work began to appear in 1990, on the Australian Extreme label. He's since released four critically acclaimed albums through extreme, including 'Deus Ex Machina', a work composed for traveling multimedia installation. In 1994, Schütze's first work under the acronymic moniker Uzect Plaush appeared on Belgian experimental ambient/techno label Apollo, with his debut for Virgin (the double-CD Apart) appearing the following year. Many of Schütze's earlier works have been reissued on the Big Cat label, including 'Site Anubis' and 'New Maps of Hell'. Schütze continues to live and work in London. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC]
Born in Los Angeles in 1956, guitarist Raoul Björkenheim moved back and forth between Finland and the U.S. for 25 years. After graduating from the Berklee School of Music in Boston, Mass., he moved to Helsinki, Finland and integrated his interest in ethnic and electronic musics into his work with various bands.
Björkenheim formed Krakatau as an offshoot of the Edward Vesala Sound & Fury band, with whom he was then performing. Krakatau recorded its first LP, 'Ritual', in 1988. Björkenheim's guitar was colored by feedback and distortion, coupled with dual horns influenced by Ornette Coleman and Albert Ayler, and a rhythm section anchored by two drummers.
For the next album, 'Alive', Björkenheim pared the group to a trio, giving the recording more of a rock feel.
The first two LPs were released only in Finland, but Krakatau's next two albums, 'Volition' and 'Matinale', were recorded for the German ECM label and distributed worldwide.
'Ritual' was re-released on CD by Cuneiform in 1996 with 15 minutes of bonus material and marked the beginning of a non-exclusive but decades-long relationship with the label. Two years later, Björkenheim collaborated with guitarist Nicky Skopelitis for 'Revelator'; produced by Bill Laswell, it also featured Bill Buchen on tabla, log drum, and water drum.
The second collaboration with the label was the dark, ironically titled 'Apocalypso', scored for 30 guitars, eight basses, and four sets of drums, all played by Björkenheim. Unfortunately, it was issued a week after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Despite its ominous entrance, it received widespread critical acclaim and was nominated for a 2002 Nordic Music Council (NOMUS) Prize in Scandinavia. Also in 2002, the guitarist recorded his first album with bassist Ingebrigt Håker Flaten and drummer Paal Nilssen-Love, known as and titled 'Scorch Trio' for Rune Grammofon and followed it in 2003 with a duo recording with Austrian composer/drummer Lukas Ligeti entitled 'Shadowglow' for TUM. Bjorkenheim self-released the solo CD-R album '14 Days' later the same year. 2004 saw the release of Scorch Trio's second offering, 'Luggumt'. The guitarist spent the next three years as a soloist with the Helsinki Symphony Orchestra, the Avanti Chamber Orchestra, the Radio Symphony Orchestra, and the Tampere Philharmonic, and has composed for them all. He also spent time writing for, arranging, recording, and playing with several artists including Uusi Fantasia and Marzi Nyman.
2007 marked a return to Björkenheim's prolific spate of activity. TUM released 'The Sky Is Ruby', the debut offering from a UMO Jazz Orchestra project with Juhani Aaltonen, and Iro Haarla, and 'Live in Finland' by Scorch Trio as well as their third studio effort 'Brolt'. The following year, a historic document by Björkenheim in a trio setting with William Parker and Hamid Drake entitled 'DMG @ The Stone, Vol. 2' was issued to universal critical acclaim, as was the debut of another new group called Box with Morgan Ågren, Ståle Storløkken, and Trevor Dunn.
After some touring and a well-deserved break, Björkenheim returned with vengeance in 2010: Scorch Trio issued a fourth studio album in 'Melaza', the UMO Jazz Orchestra released 'UMO Plays the Music of Raoul Björkenheim: Primal Mind', and electronic composer Paul Schütze issued an archival performance of himself, the guitarist, Clive Bell, and Simon Hopkins entitled 'Third Site Live 1999', and contributed a track to the compilation 'I Never Meta Guitar: Solo Guitars for the 21st Century' for Clean Feed.
In 2011, 'Made in Norway', the final Scorch Trio album (with special guest Mars Williams), was issued by Rune Grammofon. The same year, Björkenheim, Bill Laswell, and Morgan Ågren issued the globally acclaimed 'Blixt' through Cuneiform. DMG (Downtown Music Gallery) presented 'Kalabalik', a trio date that featured the guitarist in the company of fellow axeman Anders Nilsson and drummer Gerald Cleaver. Over the next three years, Björkenheim traveled between Norway and Finland, toured, and collaborated with other musicians.
The guitarist debuted his eCsTaSy quartet on Cuneiform with bassist Jori Huhtala (Panu Savolainen Toivo), drummer Markku Ounaskari (Iro Haarla Sextet, TUMO), and saxophonist Pauli Lyytinen (Astro Can Caravan) in 2015. The band toured relentlessly for a year. Björkenheim took a short break, but in 2017 appeared on both volumes of 'Sky Music: A Tribute to Terje Rypdal', worked with Hideo Yamaki, Laswell, Mike Sopko, and Dominic James on 'Inaugural Sound Clash (For the 2 Americas)', and the Cuneiform-released 'Beyond', the debut album by the Raoul Björkenheim Triad with drummer Ilmari Heikinheimo (Edward Vesala Sound & Fury), and bassist Ville Rauhala (Black Motor). [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC]
The experimental multi-instrumentalist K.K. Null was born in Tokyo, Japan, on September 13, 1961. He began as a guitarist, but soon added composer, singer, electronic wiz, drummer, and even "Butoh" dancer to his impressive musical resumé. Null joined the noise/prog rock outfit Ybo2 in 1984, issuing several albums and EPs throughout the remainder of the decade. From there, Null produced albums for other artists, created his own record label (Nux Organization), and played with others: with the self-described "progressive hardcore trio" Zeni Geva, John Zorn, Steve Albini, the Boredoms' Seiichi Yamamoto, Jim O'Rourke, Merzbow, Fred Frith, James Plotkin, Keiji Haino, Otomo Yoshihide, Jon Rose, Atau Tanaka, Zbigniew Karkowski, and Philip Samartzis, as well as supporting such artists as Sonic Youth and Mike Patton on tour. Null has released more than 60 albums, and he launched a new project, Monster DVD, in 2001. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC]
