Off Broadway was a late-'70s power pop group from Chicago. That put them in a position roughly equivalent to that of Shaquille O'Neal's backup. In this case O'Neal was Cheap Trick and Off Broadway was doomed to obscurity. Much like Cheap Trick, Off Broadway played a quirky hopped-up blend of Beatlesque melodies and Move-like power. They didn't rock quite as hard and vocalist Cliff Johnson had nowhere near the style and range that Robin Zander did (then again, how many vocalists do?), but they wrote catchy songs and managed to sell around 200,000 copies of their 1979 debut album, 'On'. Another album, 'Quick Turns', followed in 1980 and met with little acclaim or sales. Touring as an opening act for heavy metal bands did the group no favors as the audiences hated them and they became disillusioned with the music business. They soldiered on through the disappointment for a couple more years and then gave up in 1983. Perhaps inspired by the new wave of power pop-inspired bands that sounded very much like Off Broadway and the re-release of 'On' in 1996, four members of the original band got together in the late '90s as Black on Blond and began playing clubs in the Chicago area. Due to audience requests, they began adding Off Broadway material to their set and soon decided to become Off Broadway again. In 1997, the band recorded and released their first record in 17 years, 'Fallin' In', and followed it with a live set in 1998, 'Live at Fitzgeralds'. They may never have reached the big time but they are remembered quite fondly by power pop connoisseurs the world over. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC]
Pearl Harbor & the Explosions was one of the first American new wave groups. The band was formed in San Francisco in 1978 by vocalist Pearly Gates, guitarist Peter Bilt, bassist Hilary Stench, and drummer John Stench. The group became a Bay Area favorite and was an integral part of a fertile new wave scene that also spawned Romeo Void, Translator, and Wire Train. Gates was once a background dancer for The Tubes and after she quit, she joined Leila and the Snakes, eventually renamed Pearl Harbor & the Explosions. In 1979, the band released the single "Drivin'." Even without any promotion, the record sold more than 10,000 copies. The group was signed to Warner Bros. that year. However, the group's self-titled debut LP was not a commercial success and the group disbanded. Gates started calling herself Pearl Harbor and went solo. She released 'Don't Follow Me, I'm Lost Too', in 1981. In 1995, she collaborated with East Bay Ray (guitar) of The Dead Kennedys, recording 'Here Comes Trouble'. Along with Stinky Le Pew (guitar), Lee Vilensky (bass), and Mike Hunter (drums), they headlined the 1998 Psychobilly Festival, resurrecting The Explosions' infectious new wave energy and thirst for fun.
[SOURCE: ALLMUSIC]
The Pop shared the talent, energy, and DIY attitude of many other bands of the same era, but much like The Stranglers, it was their adventurous desire that made them so hard to pigeon-hole. The band started out in the mid-70’s as a three piece, with Roger Prescott on guitar and vocals, David Swanson on bass guitar and vocals and David Robinson (who had just quit The Modern Lovers) on drums.
The three new band members moved into a house together and Roger and David began writing songs, hoping to shape a sound out of their favorite music of the 60’s, the British Pop of The Yardbirds, The Kinks and The Who.
When David Robinson moved in he brought along some records by an obscure American group called Big Star who also quickly became an influence on the young band. (The Pop recorded their own version of the Big Star song “September Gurls” on a demo for Warner Brothers Records and a little later at a party at Martha Davis of The Motels house, Roger suggested to Vicky of The Bangles that they do the same).
Although The Pop struggled for years on the L.A. scene before finally getting their music out, the records they released in the short span between 1977 and 1981 show them rapidly evolving, pushing the boundaries of pop to include not just their original influences which rapidly developed into a pop-punk hybrid sound of crunchy and jangly guitars but also the more modern sounds they were listening to on David Bowie’s 'Low' and Brian Eno’s 'Another Green World' as well. The proof is in the amazing guitar sounds that saturate their Arista LP, 'GO!', which was recorded at the famous Sound City Studios with producer Earle Mankey. The bands guitarists liked to boast that they could do anything on guitar a synthesizer could do but cooler and one listen to “Beat Temptation” or “Under The Microscope” backs this up.
In the beginning the band tried out different lineups, sometimes adding a second guitarist; among them Ivan Kral (later with The Patti Smith Band), Rick Bytner, and Steven T. but none of these jelled. Finally after two years with not much more than a couple of showcases at The Troubadour and a few demo tapes to show for their efforts, David Robinson went back to Boston to rejoin The Modern Lovers. (he would soon go on to play with DMZ before becoming a founding member of The Cars).
Though incredibly dejected at this setback Roger Prescott and David Swanson began the frustrating though sometimes hilarious process of finding a new drummer. (Roger tossed one especially obnoxious drummer and his drum kit out into the street after the guy complained that the band sucked because they didn’t know any Genesis or Yes songs). Finally they settled on notorious Hollywood bad boy and low-rider drummer Joel Martinez.
The Pop’s first break came soon after when the band was chosen to play a series of free Bicentennial concerts in Griffith Park and it was here they met the other bands who would join with them to form Radio Free Hollywood, The Motels and The Dogs.
On a tip from Dean Chamberlain of The Motels, The Pop rented a cheap rehearsal room in the old Columbia Studios lots on Gower Street. They also began recording at Studio Sound Recorders with Allan Rinde as co-producer. (Allan had experience as an A&R man, music writer and studio engineer and also became the band’s manager).
Meanwhile the new Radio Free Hollywood coalition organized their own concert at Trouper’s Hall on La Brea Ave. and from the success of this show managed to break the policy of Hollywood clubs against hiring local unsigned bands to play their venues.
Soon The Pop were regulars at The Whisky and The Starwood and played shows at these legendary venues with everyone from Johnny Thunders to Devo, as well as helping other local bands such as The Plimsouls get their foot in the door.
The Hollywood scene was finally beginning to take off and the word was coming in through countless fanzines that a similar renaissance was taking place in New York, San Francisco, Boston and London.
It was through one of these fanzines, a ballsy little magazine called Back Door Man that The Pop met writers Gregg Turner, Don Waller, Thom Gardner and Phast Phreddie Patterson who would help them release their first two singles and their first LP. (Gregg Turner later formed his own punk band, the infamous Angry Samoans while Phast Phreddie went on to record some great jazzy, poetic albums with his band Thee Precisions and Don Waller's band The Imperial Dogs released some amazing riff-heavy records, among them the classic "This Ain't The Summer Of Love" 7" picture sleeve that was backed with Lou Reed's "I'm Waiting For The Man". )
During the recording of their first LP, (titled simply 'The Pop') the band added Tim Henderson on bass guitar, freeing up David Swanson to move to rhythm guitar on his Rickenbacker 12 string and Roger Prescott to concentrate more on lead guitar and noise effects. They also added Tim McGovern to fill in on drums for the often missing Joel, and who soon revealed additional talents as guitarist as well.
The Pop believed in the new DIY values of the punk ethic and their first LP shows it. It is an eclectic powerful combination of Punk meets Pop and two of the album’s songs, “Down On The Boulevard” and “Animal Eyes” soon became authentic anthems on the Southern California music scene mostly through air-play on the Rodney Bingenheimer radio show on KROQ and the bands extensive clubs dates up and down the coast.
The band kept this five piece lineup for the next year but soon after signing to Arista Records, drummer Joel self-destructed and was replaced first by Robert Williams and later by David Hoskot, with a short period in-between by David Dolittle, who was involved in the infamous Earl Flynn Mansion affair where he, David Swanson and others were shot while camping in the ruins of the deserted property. (Fortunately the two David’s injuries weren’t life threatening).
Later the same year Tim McGovern left The Pop to join his girlfriends band, The Motels. The band continued on as a four piece. Songwriters Roger Prescott on his scarred Stratocaster and David Swanson on his Rickenbacker 12 string were also renewing their interest in roots and country influences via Moby Grape and The Byrds. (Both would continue to mine these influences in their post-The Pop bands. Roger Prescott with Trainwreck Ghost, The Holy Boys, Walking Wounded, The Exiles and Texacala Jones and The TJ Hookers; and David Swanson with Route 66).
This sound is documented only by the one EP the band released on Rhino Records, 'Hearts and Knives', on which The Pop returned to Sound City Studios, and a few live tapes that are reported to be floating around. The Pop called it quits on July 4, 1981 and yes, they did plan it that way, The Pop went out with a bang on the 4th of July. [SOURCE: THE POP!]
One of the best bands to emerge from the West Coast new wave / power pop boom of the late '70s, The Paul Collins' Beat(aka The Beat) merged tough but hook-laden tunes with vigorous, upbeat performances and plenty of rock-solid guitar work. Collins was one of the pioneering figures on the Los Angeles scene at the dawn of punk as part of the influential pop band The Nerves, and he went on to lead The Beat, who issued a cult-classic debut album in 1979. Collins would lead the group through a constantly shifting lineup into the 2000s, and while the country and roots rock influences of his solo work of the '90s would color 1988's 'One Night' and 2006's 'Flying High', The Beat's signature sound, driven by Collins' spunky rhythm guitars and succinct songwriting, would remain their trademark and please power pop fans around the world, especially in Spain.
Paul Collins was born in New York City; his father was a civilian who worked with the U.S. military, a job that kept his family on the move, and young Paul spent time in Greece, Vietnam, and Europe before ending up back in Manhattan at the age of 14. After graduating from high school, Collins studied composition at the Juilliard School of Music, but listening to AM radio and seeing shows at the Fillmore East had a greater impact on him, and in the early '70s he moved to California to pursue his musical vision of short, punchy rock songs with copious hooks.
In 1974, Collins met like-minded songwriters Peter Case and Jack Lee, and they formed a pioneering power pop band called The Nerves. Playing fast, ear-catching pop songs while wearing matching pink suits, The Nerves had more than a bit of the street energy that would later manifest in Los Angeles' early punk movement, and like the punks, The Nerves made their own opportunities when L.A. clubs didn't know what to make of them. The Nerves booked their own shows, did a nationwide tour of small venues on their own dime, and in 1976 put out a four-song 7" EP on their own label.
While Blondie would have an early hit with a Nerves cover, "Hanging on the Telephone," the band broke up in 1978, and not long afterward Collins set out to form a new band. Hooking up with bassist Steve Huff, former Milk 'n' Cookies drummer Mike Ruiz, and guitarist Larry Whitman, Collins formed The Beat, whose tight, wiry hard-rockin' pop tunes picked up where The Nerves left off. Championed by Eddie Money, The Beat landed a management deal with West Coast rock powerhouse Bill Graham and a record contract with Columbia, releasing their first album (simply called 'The Beat') in 1979. While reviews were positive, for the most part American radio was still closed to "new wave" bands, and when The Knack broke through later the same year, it didn't help that The Knack sounded more than a little bit like The Beat -leading some to believe Collins was copying a style he had helped to invent.
It wasn't until 1982 that Collins was able to release a follow-up, and thanks to the burgeoning popularity of the British ska band The Beat, 'The Kids Are the Same' was credited to Paul Collins' Beat. (It also featured drummer Dennis Conway, who replaced Mike Ruiz in the lineup.) Despite extensive touring, the album fared poorly with record buyers, and Columbia dropped the band; their next record, 1983's 'To Beat or Not to Beat', was an EP for the independent Passport label. The disc also featured a new edition of the band, with Collins and Steve Huff joined by guitarist Jimmy Ripp (who had worked with Tom Verlaine) and drummer Jay Dee Daugherty (best known for his work with The Patti Smith Group). Another indie EP, 'Long Time Gone', appeared in 1985; this time, Collins and Huff were joined by guitarist Jim Barber and drummer Paul Bultitude. Collins and The Beat had developed a loyal Spanish fan following, and Collins and Huff played several Beat shows in Spain, with help from guitarist Emilio Huertas and drummer Manolo De Palma. A July 1986 concert in Madrid was recorded and released as 'Live at the Universal'. The live disc was issued by the Spanish indie label Producciones Twins, who struck a deal with Collins for his next Beat album, 1988's 'One Night'. Once again, the group had gone through personnel changes, and guitarist and multi-instrumentalist Jeff Leeds and percussionist Hector Toro joined them for the sessions.
After 'One Night' had run its course, Collins struck out on his own and released a pair of fine country-rock albums, 1992's 'Paul Collins' and 1993's 'From Town to Town'. In 1997, Collins brought out the album 'Live in Spain', and while not credited to The Beat, the performance was dominated by songs from the group's catalog. In 2005, Collins put together a new version of The Beat for a tour of Europe, and a digital-only live album from the road trip was released online. Working with a handful of Spanish musicians, including guitarist Octavio Vinck, bassist Carlos Guardado, and drummer Gines Martinez, Collins cut another Paul Collins' Beat album, 2006's 'Flying High'. While playing a festival date in Italy, Collins and Vinck met Swedish producer Chips Kiesbye, best known for his work with The Hellacopters and The Nomads. Collins asked Kiesbye if he'd like to produce his next album, and Kiesbye immediately said yes. With Kiesbye at the controls, Collins and his latest edition of The Beat recorded 'Ribbon of Gold', which was released in 2008.
Two years later, Collins had retired the name The Paul Collins' Beat and released his album 'King of Power Pop' simply as Paul Collins, though the album certainly reflected the tough but tuneful approach of the band's classic era. Collins unearthed a treat for fans of The Beat's first era with the cassette-only release 'Live 1979', assembled from archival recordings of two shows from that year. He offered another look into his past with the 2020 collecton 'Another World: The Best of the Archives', drawn from his collection of rare and unreleased Beat material. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC]
Evoking The Beatles' and The Raspberries' gifts for writing superlative pop tunes and Todd Rundgren's skills at bringing them to life in the studio, Shoes won over pop obsessives when they first emerged in the mid-'70s. The Illinois quartet played music with a charming innocence and execution that took them to the head of the power pop class, while embodying the time's D.I.Y. ethic by making records in their home recording studio and releasing the results on their own label. When 1977's 'Black Vinyl Shoes' became a cause célèbre among rock critics, it earned them a major-label record deal, and the group's cult following grew with the release of 1979's 'Present Tense' and 1980's 'Tongue Twister'. By the time Shoes released 'Silhouette' in 1984, they'd left the major labels behind, turning their Black Vinyl label into a cottage industry, issuing new albums, and keeping their older work in print. By the late '90s, the group's main focus was reissues, but 2012's 'Ignition' showed Shoes were still capable of making top-shelf pop magic.
Shoes were formed in Zion, Illinois in 1973 by Jeff Murphy, John Murphy, and Gary Klebe, with the Murphys and Klebe all sharing songwriting duties and Skip Meyer joining as drummer in 1976. While the group played live on rare occasions, their natural home was in the studio, and Jeff Murphy, an electronics wiz and audiophile, created their own makeshift four-track studio in his home, where they could spend hours putting the sounds in their heads on tape. Released in 1975, 'Un Dans Versailles' was Shoes' official debut, but it appeared in a very limited edition (only 300 copies) and received limited distribution through their own Black Vinyl label, while their second LP, 'Bazooka' (1976), initially went unreleased.
Arriving in 1977, 'Black Vinyl Shoes' changed the game for the band. Though it barely appeared in record stores, enough critics and key music industry people heard the record to start a word-of-mouth buzz. Eventually, Greg Shaw, the head of Bomp! Records, heard the record and arranged for the band to release one single, the brilliant 'Tomorrow Night / Okay', on his label. The independent PVC Records label gave 'Black Vinyl Shoes' a nationwide reissue, and soon Shoes were the toast of the rock press, earning rave reviews with much ink spent describing their unusual road to success. A contract with Elektra Records soon followed, and the label released the group's next three textbook power pop albums: 'Present Tense' (1979), 'Tongue Twister' (1981), and 'Boomerang' (1982). Despite the instantly accessible, catchy quality of the songs and plenty of positive press, radio failed to warm to the band, and as a consequence, they were unable to achieve mainstream success. Among specialists, however, these albums, along with the debut, stand as the high points of the '70s and '80s power pop era, brilliantly crafted and highly influential.
Elektra dropped Shoes after the release of 'Boomerang', and Meyer left the band. The remaining three retreated back to the home studio, returning with 'Silhouette' in 1984, a more subtle, keyboard-oriented album initially released only in Europe. Having won back the rights to 'Black Vinyl Shoes' and their Elektra catalog in 1987 Shoes issued 'Shoes' Best', a collection that pulled together the best material from their first 12 years and brought their music to compact disc for the first time. The CD revived interest in Shoes and gave the Black Vinyl label a new lease on life. Returning to their Short Order Recorder studio, they released 'Stolen Wishes' in 1990, a polished effort that emphasized keyboards and vocal harmonies. Shoes remained intermittently active in the '90s, releasing 'Propeller' (1994) and the live 'Fret Buzz' (1995), as well as issuing music from other like-minded bands on Black Vinyl. The collective efforts of Shoes in the mid-'90s led to a power pop revival in indie rock circles in the U.S., and the band stayed active working on reissue projects (including 2007's 'Double Exposure', a double CD of demos taken from the albums 'Present Tense' and 'Tongue Twister'), the occasional live show, and running the Short Order Recorder studio.
In 2011, the group reconvened and began recording new tracks for an album. The finished product, 'Ignition', was released by Black Vinyl in 2012. That same year, Real Gone Records released the career-spanning anthology '35 Years: The Definitive Shoes Collection 1977-2012'. In 2018, the British Cherry Red label issued 'Black Vinyl Shoes: An Anthology 1973-1978', a three-disc box set that included 'Black Vinyl Shoes', 'Bazooka', and 'Un Dans Versailles' in full, along with several rare and unreleased tracks. Two years later, the label issued 'Elektrafied: The Elektra Years 1979-1982', a collection that included 'Present Tense', 'Tongue Twister', and 'Boomerang', plus a wealth of demos and the live EP 'Shoes on Ice'. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC]
One of the key bands in the Los Angeles power pop explosion of the late 1970s and early ‘80s, 20/20 never quite scored a hit single, but they were a powerful draw on the West Coast in their heyday, and their signature song, "Yellow Pills," became a cult favorite, covered by a number of later power pop acts and providing a noted pop fanzine with its name.
20/20 was founded by Steve Allen and Ron Flynt, two friends from Tulsa, Oklahoma who met when they were in grade school and discovered they both loved rock & roll, particularly British Invasion sounds (The Beatles and The Rolling Stones in particular) and classic pop. Allen's mother suggested the boys should form a band, and with Allen on guitar and Flynt on bass, they began writing songs. The pair started playing around Tulsa around the same time The Dwight Twilley Band (featuring fellow Oklahoma natives Dwight Twilley and Phil Seymour) were enjoying a hit single with the infectious "I'm On Fire," and encouraged by their example, the pair began making plans to head to Los Angeles to try their luck.
In 1977, Allen relocated to L.A. and met up with Mike Gallo, a drummer who also had a knack for songwriting. When Flynt completed his studies at Oklahoma State University, he joined Allen in California, and adopting the name 20/20, they began playing out as a trio. By 1978, the group had come to the attention of Greg Shaw, who was documenting the new L.A. pop scene with his label Bomp Records. Bomp released 20/20's debut single, 'Giving It All b/w Under the Freeway', which earned enthusiastic reviews as the group worked the L.A. club circuit. 20/20 expanded to a quartet with the addition of keyboard man Chris Silagyi, and by 1979, the success of The Knack had convinced major labels that there was money to be made on the new wave of power pop. Portrait Records, a subsidiary of CBS, signed the group, and 20/20 went into the studio with producer Earle Mankey (formerly of Sparks) to cut their first full-length album. The LP, simply titled '20/20', received rave reviews, but while "Yellow Pills" received scattered airplay on progressive outlets around the country, radio didn't embrace the single as they had with The Knack's "My Sharona" (doubtless due to the song's oblique drug references), and not long after its release, Mike Gallo was out of the group, replaced by Joel Turrisi.
When 20/20 returned to the studio to record their second album, their label teamed them with producer Richard Podolor, who took a more exacting approach with the band; sessions for 1981's 'Look Out' took place over the space of 15 months, and the resulting album, while a strong piece of work, was darker and less immediately inviting then the debut. The track "Nuclear Boy" received airplay on stations with new wave programming, but Portrait chose to release "Strange Side of Love" as the album's first single, and it failed to chart. After a tour in support of 'Look Out', Chris Silagyi and Joel Turrisi resigned from 20/20, and the group parted ways with Portrait Records. Allen and Flynt rebounded, hiring new drummer Dean Korth and recording a third album, Sex Trap, for their own Mainway Records label in 1982. In 1983, Enigma Records reissued 'Sex Trap', but sales were unimpressive, and as the group's prospects began to dim, Allen and Flynt agreed to amicably dissolve 20/20 at the end of the year.
In 1995, after 20/20's first two albums were reissued on CD, Allen and Flynt assembled a new edition of the band and recorded the album 'Four Day Tornado'; another album of new 20/20 material, 'Interstate', appeared in 1998, followed by yet another re-release of 'Sex Trap' in 1999. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC]
Prix are a legendary lost band, a power pop supergroup of sorts that fell into the cracks between album rock and the emerging new wave in the mid-'70s. Fronted by Jon Tiven and Tommy Hoehn, the band was mostly a studio-based project featuring other Memphis popsters such as bassist Rick Clark, and featuring contributions and productions by former Big Star co-leaders Chris Bell and Alex Chilton, and studio mavericks Jim Dickinson and Richard Rosebrough. Despite several attempts, Prix never landed a major-label deal and only issued an EP on the legendary label Ork Records from NYC and a single on Miracle Records, which became collectors’ items in the pop underground circuit over the next few decades.
The group's recorded output bears a great similarity to Big Star, particularly the music on 'Radio City' but with a sweet melancholy undercurrent reminiscent of Bell’s work on '#1 Record'. There are also traces of other power pop icons like Badfinger, The Stories and The Raspberries scattered throughout the songs, plus Prix could also touch on both the hazy, narcotic undertow of Big Star’s third album (the swirling "Zero”). In fact, the most impressive thing about Prix is how they worked very familiar territory yet wound up with a distinctive feel of their own -they were a harder-rocking band than most power pop groups, yet they were also tight, tuneful, and muscular songwriters, which turned out to be a dynamite combination. Prix didn't last long, but they did wind up with sparkling, diamond-hard pop gems that will prove to be irresistible to power pop fanatics.
Gary Joseph Lachman (born December 24, 1955), also known as Gary Valentine, is an American writer and musician. He came to prominence in the mid-1970s as the bass guitarist for rock band Blondie. Since the 1990s, Lachman has written full-time, often about mysticism and occultism.
Lachman joined Blondie in spring 1975 after original bassist Fred Smith left to join Television amid founding bassist Richard Hell's departure. He wrote the music to the band's first single, "X-Offender", and popularized the band's sixties-retro look. In 1977 he left the group to form his own band and was replaced by Nigel Harrison, just as Blondie were starting to gain recognition. His song "(I'm Always Touched by Your) Presence, Dear" was a UK top ten hit in 1978,[2] and was subsequently recorded by Tracey Ullman and Annie Lennox.
After Blondie, Lachman moved to Los Angeles and in 1978 released a single, 'The First One / Tomorrow Belongs to You' on Beat Records. Shortly after this he formed The Know, with Joel Turrisi and Richard d'Andrea who were the first band to play the infamous Madame Wong's Chinese restaurant-turned-new wave venue. After a year and a half Joel left the band and was replaced by drummer John McGarvey. In 1980 The Know released a single 'I Like Girls / Dreams' on Planet Records and were the only bi-coastal US "power pop" band, developing large followings in New York and Los Angeles. Failing to secure an album deal, he disbanded The Know and in 1981 played guitar with Iggy Pop.
In 1996, after moving to London, he was asked to participate in the Blondie re-union, and in November of that year he recorded one of his songs, "Amor Fati", with Blondie, for their 'comeback' album. In 1997 he performed with Blondie at several major festival concerts in the US. Back in London Lachman worked with former X-Ray Spex saxophonist Lora Logic. In 1998 he formed Fire Escape together with violinist Ruth Vaughn and performed songs he had written for the Blondie reunion album (they had not been used due to the band ultimately excluding him from the recording process and the reunion tour). They released an EP to little fanfare and went on a permanent hiatus after two years.
A compilation of Lachman's work in music entitled 'Tomorrow Belongs to You' featuring recordings by The Know and Fire Escape, was released in 2003 on the UK label Overground Records. In 2006, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a former member of Blondie, although vocalist Debbie Harry prohibited Lachman and other ex-members from performing with the current line-up at the ceremony. [SOURCE: WIKIPEDIA]
It was in the vibrant Meridian, Mississippi music scene, among such compatriots as Steve Forbert, Chris Ethridge and Paul Davis that Lowry Hamner founded The Cryers. After completing demos with Kyle Lehning, who later produced Randy Travis, opportunities as a solo artist opened up for Hamner, but his commitment to The Cryers instead motivated a move to New York City's East Village.
Playing such legendary New York clubs as CBGB's and Max's Kansas City led to Hamner and The Cryers being signed to Mercury Records by Steve Katz of Blood, Sweat and Tears, and The Blues Project fame, where they recorded two highly praised albums. The Band's Garth Hudson played with Lowry Hamner and the Cryers on the second of their two albums recorded for the Mercury label, 'Midnight Run' (the first one was titled 'The Cryers', a true power pop masterpiece one track from which one track, called "Shake It
Up (Ain't It Time?)" was featured on Rhino's DIY compilation of
American power Pop Vol.2 entitled 'Shake It Up'). [SOURCE: THE BAND]
British guitarist Fred Frith moved to N.Y.C. in 1979, and within a year had formed Massacre, a challenging but quirkily charming "power trio" consisting of Frith, bassist Bill Laswell and drummer Fred Maher, all of whom had already established themselves as movers and shakers in the experimental-music world. The group released 'Killing Time' in 1981 and then called it quits a year later. Frith and Laswell rejoined, this time with drummer Charles Hayward, in 1998 to record an album in the same vein, under the Massacre name. 'Funny Valentine' was released on the Tzadik label later that same year. In 2001 the group released 'Meltdown', a six-track set recorded at Robert Wyatt's Meltdown Festival in London in June 2001, followed by 2007's 'Lonely Heart', which was recorded live at two festivals in Europe in January and June 2003. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC]
One of Bill Laswell's many projects, Deadline is a collaboration with drummer Phillip Wilson -not without the usual Laswell cohorts, of course with an interesting blend of industrial DMX beats and live percussion, African influences and Western funk, with saxophonist Manu Dibango invoking memories of his Laswell-produced album 'Electric Africa'.
Their first album, 'Down By Law' (1985), includes the ten-minute-plus killer track "Makossa Rock," which combines clever, funky rhythms, an irresistible synth bassline, Steve Turre's haunting didgeridoo, scratching-like sounds by Laswell and Robert Musso, plus solos by Dibango, bluesman Paul Butterfield on harmonica, and bass legend Jaco Pastorius. The other tracks, including the abstract, percussive pieces "Gammatron" (reminding of Material's "Heritage") and "Doo Rot," never let go of their fierce rhythmic edge either. While "Makossa Rock" may be worth the price of the album alone, the other tracks should not be neglected.
The next album, 'Dissident' (1991), features three bass players, that under normal circumstances, would be completely out of the question. But when the three are Bill Laswell, Jonas Hellborg and Bootsy Collins, well...at least you need to give a listen. And in this case, the sound of common sense being thrown out the window has never been so sweet. Aiding and abetting our three bass-playing overachievers on this album are keyboardists Jens Johanssen and Bernie Worrell, percussionist Aib Dieng and guitarist Nicky Skopelitis, most of whom have worked together on other projects and all of whom share a penchant for the funkily experimental. Not surprisingly, bass is the dominant voice here: Laswell's is deep and funky, Hellborg's is virtuosic and mystical, and Bootsy's, no surprise, is just plain weird. And funky. The band explores all kinds of interesting musical terrain, from the dark, industrial angst of "World Disorder" to the murmuring electronic jungle of "Who's Who." This is lots of fun, though those unfamiliar with the work of Laswell, Hellborg and Collins in other areas may be a bit mystified at first. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC]
A longtime linchpin of the New York City underground music scene, Bill Laswell has been among the most prolific artists in contemporary music. As a performer, producer, and label chief, his imprint is on literally hundreds of albums, the majority of them characterized by a signature sound fusing the energy of punk with the bone-rattling rhythms of funk and dub. However, he's also known for immersive ambient explorations, as well as fusions of disparate genres including traditional Indian music, opera, klezmer, hip-hop, jazz, and seemingly every other genre known to humanity. Laswell has been a staple of the downtown New York music scene since the late '70s, when he founded Material, a rotating ensemble whose output ranged from angular art-funk (1981's 'Memory Serves') to club-friendly, futuristic electro-pop (1982's 'One Down'). Laswell's commercial breakthrough came when he co-wrote and produced Herbie Hancock's groundbreaking 1983 electro track "Rockit." Throughout the decades, he has participated in many musical projects as a bassist, including Last Exit, an avant-jazz-rock supergroup, and has produced dozens of records for a staggering array of artists including Mick Jagger, Nona Hendryx, and Iggy Pop. During the '90s, Laswell founded and ran the Axiom label to release ambient, dub, and electronic outings. He also helmed a series of remix and reconstruction projects, kicked off by the release of 'Panthalassa: The Music of Miles Davis 1969–1974'. In the early aughts he explored Indian music with suppergroup Tabla Beat Science, and founded futurist drum'n'bass ensembles Method of Defiance with Submerged. Throughout the 2010s, he ran M.O.D. Technologies, a genre-defying label that released albums by avant-jazz artists including Milford Graves and Rudresh Mahanthappa.
Born on February 12, 1955, in Salem, Illinois, he initially played guitar, but soon switched to bass. Raised primarily in the Detroit area, he honed his skills in local funk outfits before relocating to New York in 1978. There Laswell formed Material, an outlet for his experimental approach toward sounds ranging from jazz to hip-hop to worldbeat. Originally the backup unit for Daevid Allen, the group soon began working on its own, issuing its debut EP 'Temporary Music' in 1979. While Material's early work was more esoteric, they soon released more accessible, pop-influenced music, including the club classic "Bustin' Out" (featuring Nona Hendryx) and the full-length 'One Down', which included one of Whitney Houston's first lead vocal performances.
In addition to fronting Material, Laswell also mounted a solo career, issuing 'Baselines' in 1983 on Celluloid, a label he partly owned and operated. Appearances on key recordings by the likes of David Byrne, John Zorn, Fred Frith, and The Golden Palominos established Laswell as a virtual nexus of the downtown N.Y.C. community, and he broke into the mainstream with his production work on Herbie Hancock's 1983 smash "Rockit," which he also co-wrote; the follow-up LP, 'Sound-System', won him a Grammy. Throughout the mid-'80s Laswell was everywhere, playing bass on LPs from artists including Mick Jagger, Peter Gabriel, Yoko Ono, and Laurie Anderson; he also joined the avant group Curlew, and produced a number of African acts.
In 1986, Laswell joined guitarist Sonny Sharrock, drummer Ronald Shannon Jackson, and saxophonist Peter Brötzmann in the group Last Exit; a second solo LP, 'Hear No Evil', appeared two years later, and after a long hiatus he also resurrected Material in 1989 with 'Seven Souls'. Another project, the hip-hop-flavored Praxis, was resumed after almost a decade of inactivity with 1992's 'Transmutation (Mutatis Mutandis)'. In 1990, Laswell formed another label, Axiom, to explore his interest in the new sounds of ambient and techno; where in the past his work rarely appeared solely under his own name, by the middle of the decade he was issuing several solo records annually in a wide range of styles from dub to jazz. He also remained among the most prolific producers in the business, collaborating with the likes of Dub Syndicate, Pete Namlook, Buckethead, and DJ Spooky. In 1998 he released 'Panthalassa: The Music of Miles Davis 1969–1974', a "remix translation" that won acclaim across the music world. In 2001 he issued one with Carlos Santana as its subject entitled 'Divine Light: Reconstructions & Mix Translation'.
In 2004, Laswell signed a multi-album label deal with the Sanctuary Records group. The deal spawned his new label, Nagual. He also began to collaborate on a series of drum'n'bass-styled recordings with Submerged (aka Kurt Gluck of the Ohm Resistance imprint), the first of these -attributed to Bill Laswell vs. Submerged- was entitled 'Brutal Calling' and issued by Avant in 2004 with contributions from Toshinori Kondo and Guy Licata. Through the Sanctuary label's earlier acquisition of the seminal reggae label Trojan, Laswell now had access to the Jamaican label's sizable back catalog. Picking some of his favorite cuts and remixing them, Laswell issued the Trojan-sourced 'Dub Massive: Chapter One' and 'Chapter Two' in May 2005.
Laswell and Submerged re-teamed under the Method of Defiance moniker for 2006's 'The Only Way to Go Is Down' on Sublight Records. This was followed by 2007's 'Inamorata', on Ohm Resistance. This date found the pair teaming various drum'n'bass producers -including Future Prophecies, Evol Intent, and SPL- with jazz, rock, and avant artists such as Herbie Hancock, Pharoah Sanders, Nils Petter Molvaer, and Buckethead. That same year he issued the mix translation outing 'The Tony Williams Lifetime: Turn It Over (Redux)'. Laswell also released a collaboration with Finnish producer Fanu on Ohm Resistance titled 'Lodge', which includes contributions from Molvaer and Bernie Worrell. The notion of a live band created around the Method of Defiance structure was initiated with participation from Laswell, Worrell, Kondo, Licata, and Dr. Israel. The group was documented on 'Nihon' from the RareNoise imprint in 2009.
In 2010, Laswell initiated a new label called M.O.D. Technologies. Said to be centered around the principles of a solidified Method of Defiance lineup, the label released three albums that year: 'Method of Defiance's Jahbulon' (a reggae album featuring Hawk and Dr. Israel), the instrumental dub-centric 'Incunabula', and a live offering from Laswell's spouse, Gigi, with Material, entitled 'Mesgana Ethiopia'. Laswell also collaborated with Submerged (who had left Method of Defiance) for a new group called The Blood of Heroes, which also included Dr. Israel, Enduser, and Justin Broadrick. The band released a self-titled debut and remix album 'Remain' on Ohm Resistance in 2010.
Laswell collaborated with master reggae and Radical Jewish Culture bassist/composer David Gould on a dub version of the latter's 2009 album 'Feast of the Passover'. The new recording, titled 'Dub of the Passover', was issued by Tzadik in 2011. Metastation released 'Aspiration', an electronic album billed to Bill Laswell & Friends (including Alice Coltrane, Carlos Santana, Pharoah Sanders, and Zakir Hussain) -the tunes were dedicated to the ensemble members' own inspirational figures, including H.H. Dalai Lama XIV, Sonny Sharrock, Rumi, and Pattabhi Jois. The Blood of Heroes' second album, 'The Waking Nightmare', appeared in 2012. M.O.D. Technologies continued releasing material, including archival releases by Praxis as well as Laswell's collaborations with artists including DJ Krush, Milford Graves, and Wadada Leo Smith. In 2014, Laswell collaborated with several Hawaiian musicians for the album 'Kauai: The Arch of Heaven', which appeared on Metastation. Laswell and Submerged collaborated once again in 2016, when 'After Such Knowledge, What Forgiveness?' appeared on Ohm Resistance. Along with Masahiro Shimba, Laswell combined dub and opera on the ESP-Disk release 'Risurrezione'. He also released work with Japanese drummer Hideo Yamaki and avant-rock guitarist Raoul Bjorkenheim.
In 2018, Laswell collaborated with drummer Simon Barker, guitarist Henry Kaiser, and saxophonist Rudresh Mahanthappa on 'Mudang Rock', an album inspired by the Shamanic ritual music of Korea. The following year, Laswell teamed with Jah Wobble to release the group offering 'Realm of Spells' with guitarist Martin Chung, keyboardist George King, alternating drummers Mark Layton-Bennett and Hideo Yamaki, and guest Peter Apfelbaum on saxophone and flute. Before year's end, he cut the single 'Showing Up / The Power of the Vote' with Dave Douglas, and released the 2017 Sonar session featuring electric guitarist David Torn.
In April 2020, Laswell released 'Against Empire', an electro-acoustic offering issued by MOD Reloaded. His sidemen on the session included Sanders and Apfelbaum on saxes and flutes, Herbie Hancock on electric piano, drummers Jerry Marotta, Chad Smith, Satoyasu Shomura, and Yamaki, and Adam Rudolph on percussion. In October he collaborated with guitarist Mike Sopko and drummer Tyshawn Sorey on the power trio outing 'On Common Ground'. Freely improvised, it was inspired by the live albums of the Jimi Hendrix Experience and Cream. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC]
They could've been contenders had they stayed together long enough, but The Nerves, despite their brief existence, were one of the most exciting bands in power pop. Formed by Jack Lee, Peter Case, and Paul Collins in 1975, their career was over by 1978, but they produced a great EP that featured the power pop classic "Hanging on the Telephone," which was later recorded (and brilliantly so) by Blondie. Ultimately, having three talented songwriters in one band hurried the demise of The Nerves, and all three principals found greater happiness and success with their new bands; although Jack Lee (arguably the most talented songwriter of the three) had the shortest career and eventually dropped out of sight after a fine solo record ('Jack Lee's Greatest Hits, Vol. 1') in 1981. Case went on to form The Plimsouls, who recorded two good records and a transcendent pop song, "A Million Miles Away." After breaking up in 1984, Case recorded as a roots rock solo act for the rest of the decade and into the '90s. Collins would later go on to form The Beat (also known as Paul Collins' Beat). [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC]
Although born from the '80s New York garage scene, The Optic Nerve had nothing whatsoever in common with the movement other than their single-minded idealism to act as if the '80s and the synthesized music that surrounded them was not happening. Rather than using the blaring fuzz tones and screaming the "put down" anthems of the garage rock revival, they took the jangling motifs of The Byrds, The Beatles, and a hint of the mid-'60s protest singers to create a sound that, if spawned in 1965, would have brought them success. In the mid-'80s however, '60s-styled folk-rock was not a huge seller -even with fans of the neo-garage scene. Acts like The Fuzztones, The Cynics, and The Lyres may have achieved cult underground status, releasing a number of records between them and touring across Europe, but The Optic Nerve only released two singles during their brief existence and rarely played outside of Brooklyn. Bobby Belfiore (main songwriter and singer) formed the nucleus of the band in 1985. Over their two-year tenure, a number of musicians went in and out of their ranks -including members of garage bands The Fuzztones and Gravedigger V. However, lead guitarist and harmony vocalist Tony Matura was a mainstay, and the combination of his and Belfiore's sweet harmonies and folk-rock jangling gave The Optic Nerve their distinct quality. In 1993 and 1994, both Screaming Apple and Get Hip released an album, each consisting of Optic Nerve demos recorded throughout the mid- to late '80s. Every song deserved to be released at the time of recording, but in an era when garage revival and paisley pop were so popular, The Optic Nerve's country-tinged folk-rock was out of sync with both movements and caused little attention. Thankfully, these albums have gained some belated exposure. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC]
United States Of Existence were one of earliest neo–psychedelic groups from the US. Born in Baltimore in 1978 out of the ashes of prog–rock outfit Klangfarb, their goal was to reproduce the sound of their favourite 60s psych bands.
They consisted of Paul Rieger (guitar, bass and electric sitar), Bob Tiefenwerth (organ, electric harpsichord and piano), Dennis Davison –of Jigsaw Seen fame– (lead vocals, acoustic guitar and theremin) and Gary Schwartz (on drums and harmony vocals). The group used vintage instruments and antiquated recording techniques to fully embrace the sounds of the first psychedelic era (1967–68). They never got to play live, preferring to spend their time recording in their basement studio or going on record–buying binges at all the discount stores, searching for obscure psychedelic albums with weird names like Harumi, Phulph, Bohemian Vendetta…
They were championed by Greg Shaw (Bomp!) who chose one of their first recordings, the killer "Return To The Psychedelic", as the opening track for the seminal ‘Battle Of The Garages’ LP compilation (1981). They also appeared in another famous compilation, ‘The Rebel Kind’ (1983).
‘Anything Goes!’, their first 45, saw the light in 1984, self–released on the band’s own label, U.S. Fidelity Sounds, and featuring members of The Association on backing vocals. In 1986, they caught the attention of the Bam Caruso label from the UK, where they released their only album, ‘Introducing: the United States of Existence’, in 1986.
The release of ‘The Psychedelic Yesterdays of Tomorrow’ via Guerssen Records is the first ever vinyl retrospective of this pioneering 80s psych band. [SOURCE: IT'S PSYCHEDELIC BABY MAGAZINE]
London-based The Aardvarks, purveyors of 60s influenced Brit-Pop extraordinaire, played their socks off over ten years. Formed whilst at high school, they played the clubs & pubs of London, Mod Rally's and European tours, with two German singles and an album on Delerium under their belt. 'Bargain' was licensed by Toy's Factory in Japan, and they played a support for Bonnie Tyler as part of Spain's Radio Onde ten year celebrations.
Line-up: Gary Pietronave (vocals), Mark Pietronave (guitar), Ian O'Sullivan (drums), Gavin Pearce (bass - ex), Jason Hobart (bass - ex), Kevin White (bass)
Co-founders Dennis Davison (ex-United States of Existence) and Jonathan Lea (ex-Revolver) originally met in 1986 after Lea answered an ad Davison had placed in a local paper. Davison had been looking for a lead guitarist to join his then-current band Playground, whose members had moved to L.A. from Maryland. The duo's friendship flourished into a longtime partnership thereafter. In 1989, Davison and Lea disbanded Playground and formed Jigsaw Seen. Drummer Teddy Freese (ex-Yipes!, who had a Top 100 hit with their cover of The Beach Boys' "Darlin'," ex-Spanic Boys) joined in 1993, followed by bassist David Nolte (ex-The Last) in 1996. They gigged around L.A., attracting the attention of the New Jersey-based Skyclad Records, which issued their debut album, 'Shortcut Through Clown Alley', in 1990. This was followed by a five-song EP, 'My Name Is Tom', in 1991. The band then toured the U.S. (The Smashing Pumpkins even opened for them once).
In 1993, Skyclad folded. At the time, Davison and Lea had been compiling 'Melody Fair: Bee Gees Tribute', a tribute to the early Bee Gees, which featured their cover of the title track. Davison and Lea then brought the project to the L.A.-based Eggbert Records and its successful release in 1994 led to future tribute projects. In the mid- to late '90s, in fact, Jigsaw Seen contributed to several various-artist tribute albums. In 1995, Eggbert released a Hollies tribute album, 'Sing Hollies in Reverse', which featured their splendid cover of "On a Carousel." They also recorded covers for two Del-Fi tributes: their CMJ-charting cover of "Baby Elephant Walk" was a highlight on Del-Fi's 1996 Henry Mancini tribute 'Shots in the Dark'; and in 1998, their version of "Luci Baines" (originally recorded by Arthur Lee's pre-Love band, American Four) appeared on 'Delphonic Sounds Today!', a compilation of contemporary artists paying tribute to vintage Del-Fi artists. Their version of The Left Banke's "Desiree" was the lead-off track on 1999's 'A Tribute to the Left Banke: Shadows Breaking Over Our Heads'.
Meanwhile, Jigsaw Seen had continued recording tracks for its second full-length album; unfortunately, it would be five years before critically acclaimed 'Zenith' would be released on the band's own Vibro-Phonic label (a year earlier, a various-artists compilation, 'Listen and Learn With Vibro-Phonic', had been issued to rave reviews). 'Zenith' was nominated for a Best Packaging Grammy and was picked up for distribution in the U.K. and Japan. In April 2001, Davison and Lea's acoustic tour of Great Britain resulted in a limited-edition six-song live CD, 'Perfformiad I Mewn Cymru (Performance in Wales)', released by Vibro-Phonic in August 2001. In addition to his role in Jigsaw Seen, Lea has also played with L.A. pop maven Kristian Hoffman and ex-Bongwater vocalist/actress Ann Magnuson. He also contributed guitar to unfinished Pete Ham studio demos for the posthumous release of 1997's '7 Park Avenue' and 1999's 'Golders Green'. Bassist David Nolte has produced and/or co-written albums by David Gray and Maria McKee. Lea and Nolte have also played in Rufus Wainwright's and Dave Davies' (of The Kinks) touring bands. 'Songs Mama Used to Sing' was released in 2002. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC]
