The brainchild behind the Action Swingers incendiary garage punk was New Yorker Ned Hayden. His Stooges-like vocals, guitar, and primitive songs were the hallmark of the group throughout its various incarnations. When the band debuted with a self-titled album, the lineup consisted of Hayden, guitarist/singer Julia Cafritz (ex-Pussy Galore), bassist Peter Shore (Unsane), and drummer Bob Bert (ex-Sonic Youth, ex-Pussy Galore). A couple of songs that ended up on the early tracks compilation 'Quit While You're Ahead' featured J Mascis of Dinosaur Jr. on drums. After their debut, the Swingers dissolved for about a year, but then Hayden resurrected the group without Shore and Cafritz and with new members Bruce Bennett (The A-Bones) and Howie Pyro (D Generation) on board. That lineup undertook a U.K. tour in 1992 and released an EP, 'More Fast Numbers', which included the infamous song "Courtney Love." With the departure of guitarist Bennett and drummer Bert, Hayden soldiered on with various sidemen, releasing 'Decimation Blvd.' in 1993 on Caroline Records. The album, the group's most fully realized effort, was 20-something minutes and 14 songs-worth of garage punk fury and hardcore flourishes. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC]
Happydeadmen were one of the first Swedish acts to have been given credit for inspiring the '90s explosion of pop acts. With the thank-you list that includes The Cardigans and Popsicle, Happydeadmen's melody of charming indie glee debuted in 1988. With their first full-length, 'Eleven Pop Songs' (1990), and 'Game, Set, Match' (1993) independently released, Happydeadmen would spend a part of 1995 touring Japan before their follow-up album, 'Bullfights Every Sunday', came out two years later. After settling down the lineup in 1997 with Jan Hedin (vocals/guitar), Magnus Karlsson (guitar), Roger Kjellgren (bass), and Thomas Kristoffersson (drums), SummerSound Recordings eventually compiled a Happydeadmen best-of album to celebrate their ten-year existence. The fittingly titled 'Happydeadmen Classics: A Decade in Pop' was released in January of 1999. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC]
Eggstone is a Swedish indie pop band, formed in 1986. They have been called the "godfathers of Swedish pop." The three members of Eggstone -Per Sunding (vocals, bass), Patrik Bartosch (guitar) and Maurits Carlsson (drums)- were raised in the small coastal town of Lomma, outside Malmö. In 1991 they formed Tambourine Studios in Malmö with friends Anders Nordgren and producer Tore Johansson. Their debut single, "Bubblebed," was released that year, followed by an EP, 'Shooting Time'.
Eggstone signed to Snap, and their debut album 'Eggstone In San Diego' was released in 1992. Its single, "Can't Come Close Enough," became a Swedish radio hit. Two years later, Eggstone released 'Somersault', produced by Michael Blair. Its single "Water" became a Japanese hit. The band toured Japan twice, and supported The Cardigans for four dates in London. Eggstone split from MNW's Soap label in 1995 and founded the label Vibrafon.
In early 1997, Eggstone released 'Vive La Différence!', their third full-length album, on Vibrafon. 'Spanish Slalom', a compilation album, was released on Madrid-based Siesta Records in 1998 and a second compilation appeared in 1999 under the Tricatel label, titled 'Ca Chauffe en Suède!'.
In April 2016 the band made a surprise comeback by releasing "Like So," a recording of a 2002 demo. This was the band's first new music in 19 years. They performed live for the first time in almost two decades on March 4, 2017, with the Malmö Symphony Orchestra. Eggstone's first three albums were later re-released by Denmark label Crunchy Frog. [SOURCE: WIKIPEDIA]
Sara Onyett and Jason Smith formed the indie rock duo The Cherry Orchard in 1988 after frolicking with individual musical projects. Both natives of the U.K., the two slowly composed the lush musical stylings of 'The Start of Our Affair'. The French label Cavalcade issued the record in 1998, however the new millennium landed The Cherry Orchard a deal with March Records in the U.S. By now, Cavalcade changed their name to Riviera, and the follow-up EP 'Espresso', five cuts with a Latino twist, appeared in 1999. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC]
Minox
is an Italian electronic music project formed by Mirco Magnani (voice, clarinet, guitar, piano, keyboards) and Marco Monfardini (voice, clarinet, guitar, trumpet, percussion, electronics, drum machine).
In the beginning were San Francisco and the new wave experimentators Tuxedomoon. Then Tuxedomoon relocated to Belgium and they began influencing the European scene (evetually setting the premises for the advent of English post-rock).
Minox's debut album 'Lazare' was produced by Tuxedomoon leader Steven Brown and the sound evidently owes much to the Belgian-American band.
The record is sung in English, but the vocals are not central for the music. The main focus is on the suspended, rarified atmospheres evocated by thick synth layers, velvety saxophone wanderings and occasional clean guitar drops. The mood is soggy, rainy, decadent -in tune with the aesthetics of English bands Durutti Column, Dif Juz and, partly, Japan or Cocteau Twins. [SOURCE: RATE YOUR MUSIC]
Pascal Comelade is a French pianist and composer, born on June 30 1955 in Montpellier of Catalan parents. After living in Barcelona for several years, Pascal Comelade released his debut album 'Fluence', influenced by electronic music and the group Heldon, led by his friend Richard Pinhas (with whom he later joined on the album 'Oblique Sessions II'). Comelade also took part in a short-lived pop group, Fall of Saïgon.
Thereafter, his music became much more acoustic, characterized by the use of toy instruments both solo and with his variable-geometry group, The Bel Canto Orchestra, founded in 1983. While the break in sound is obvious, this new direction seems to reconcile the old obsession with repetitive music, experimented with until now via electronics, with a more melodic tendency. The originality of Pascal Comelade's work lies, among other things, in the way he attempts to reconcile all forms of popular music through the omnipresence of the notion of repetition.
Influenced as much by American repetitivists (Philip Glass, Steve Reich) as by traditional music (Catalan sardana, tango, musette), by Krautrock (Faust, Can) as by rock n' roll (Pretty Things, Captain Beefheart, The Kinks), Pascal Comelade attempts to synthesize them all by bringing to light the repetitive framework they share, particularly in the countless covers he records of these artists. This process is evident in his 'Haïkus De Pianos' (1991), which presents itself as a summary of twentieth-century popular music performed on the piano (sometimes grand, sometimes toy). Standards are covered, rarely exceeding two minutes, and reduced to their simplest melodic or rhythmic framework.
Pascal Comelade has collaborated with a wide range of artists from all walks of life, including Bob Wilson, Robert Wyatt, Faust, Jaume Sisa, Toti Soler, Jac Berrocal and PJ Harvey, to name a few and to emphasize his eclecticism. Once again, these collaborations testify to a desire to embrace a broad spectrum of popular music. And yet, in the constant evolution of his piano playing, which he develops in concert, Pascal Comelade bears witness to a quest that goes far beyond mere compilation. His playing oscillates between an ever-increasing tendency towards sobriety (increasingly reminiscent of Erik Satie).
In 2009, Musea released a compilation entitled 'Assemblage De Pièces Comeladiennes Du Plus Bel Efet', it brings together grognards who have accompanied or crossed the path of the Catalan maestro (Jac Berrocal, Faust, Général Alcazar...) and the young guard taking the byways, guided by his inspiration (Kawaii, Tycho Brahé, Chapi Chapo Et Les Petites Musiques De Pluie, David Fenech, My Favorite Sideburns Orchestra...). A retrospective of Comelade and his artist friends was held at Céret's Musée d'Art Moderne in 2010, putting the artist back into a wider creative context. In 2015, he ended The Bel Canto Orquestra project. [SOURCE: WIKIPEDIA]
Multi-instrumentalist Albert Giménez was a founding member of the Spanish electronic music group Neuronium, appearing on their first two albums, 'Quasar 2C361' (1977) and 'Vuelo Quimico' (1978). During the same period he joined the experimental group Macromassa. He recalls: "I met the musicians in Macromassa through Michel Huygen and joined them. We recorded 'Darlia Microtonica' live at the Magic club; in the third day the police arrived and there was a huge quarrel; our music was too radical, provocative, and experimental".
Longtime denizens of the Minneapolis rock scene, the Cows are one of America's great degenerate punk rock bands. Starting off as near-total incompetents, they have become more technically polished musicians during the '90s, but their white-hot noise rock has not been tamed one bit. In many ways, the Cows remain as gloriously messy, primitive, and exciting as they were the day they started. Formed in the mid-'80s by idiosyncratic lead singer Shannon Selberg, the Cows appropriated the hardcore guitar blur that characterized fellow-Twin Citians Hüsker Dü, but stripped away any and all concessions to melodies, hooks, riffs -essentially anything that remotely resembled pop. What they offered was a blazing wall of distortion that was punk rock at its crudest; a feral racket that sounded as if the guitars were being played with metal files. Above the din was Selberg, free-associating surreal vignettes about, well, God knows what, but his squealing, shrieking, and general lunacy provided the bizarre, often engaging, focus. He plays trumpet, too -well, not so much plays as blasts a note or two when he's tired of ranting. After the release of their first album in 1987, the Cows were roundly derided as a talentless, tasteless joke (a charge that would be leveled a few years later against Babes in Toyland). However, they've stayed true to their anti-commercial stance and punk roots, releasing a handful of weird, loud, gleefully unhinged records that seem to get better (i.e., more focused and less obtuse) and retain the band's devotion to mania. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC]
The Surfin' Lungs are an English surf music band originally from Bracknell, Berkshire, who were formed in 1981 by Chris Pearce and Geoffo Knipe. The original line-up consisted of: Chris Pearce (lead vocals, guitar), Geoffo Knipe (guitar, keyboards), Steve Dean (vocals, bass) and Lee Money (drums).
Their music has been influenced by groups such as The Beach Boys, The Monkees, The Ramones, Blondie, as well as Dick Dale, while The Barracudas and Dolly Mixture were among their contemporaries when they started out. Their musical style blended 1960s surf, pop and garage with the then new wave energy, while most of their recent musical output has had a surf and summer theme to it, and the vast majority of their songs are self-penned, with "Mickey's Car" being their first release in 1983 on their own Lover's Leap label.
The band have released a total of nine studio albums; 'Cowabunga' (1985), 'The Biggest Wave' (1987), The 'Beach Will Never Die' (1990), 'Hang Loose with The Surfin' Lungs' (1996), 'Goin' To Rockingham' (2000), 'Surf, Drags & Rock'n'Roll' (2005), 'Full Petal Jacket' (2010), 'Surf Factor 8' (2016) and 'Last Wave To Surfsville' (2023), plus two compilation albums, as well as five EPs, and four singles: "Mickey's Car" (1983), "Pray For Sun" (1985), "Spirit Of Australia" (1990) and "Beach Bound" (1996). [SOURCE: WIKIPEDIA]
It is very likely that Los Flechazos are the main exponent of the mod movement in Spain, although they arrived late even for the mod revival, which had been going on for a few years before their formation. They are also the most popular of the scene. At their front, Alejandro Díez, a lover of the culture of the 60's who had previously been part of Ópera Prima, with whom he only recorded a demo.
The group was formed in León in 1986 with Elena Iglesias, Pedro Javier Alonso, Héctor Escobar and José Berrot. After some time playing shows and their participation in the collective album 'Teloneros' (DRO, 1987), they released their first solo album, 'Viviendo en la Era Pop' (DRO, 1988). Nothing else was needed to place them in the front line of the movement in Spain, together with other more experienced bands such as Brighton 64 or Los Elegantes.
Their debut was the only LP they recorded as a quintet. In 'En el Club' (DRO, 1989) José Berrot no longer plays; the band is reduced to a quartet until the end of their career. After this album, HéctorEscobar left the band, playing Ramón Díez bass for the recording of 'Preparados, Listos, Ya!' (DRO, 1991), although he would only remain in Los Flechazos for a short time; in the middle of 1992 Héctor returned to his bass duties.
'Preparados, Listos, Ya!', was, in a way, the album that consecrated them beyond the mod scene; however, as years before happened with bands like Brighton 64, the take-off did not reach an audience at the level expected by the record company. For 'En Acción' (DRO, 1992) the band continues with its well-defined line. That year DRO becomes part of the multinational company Warner and things change. Their next project was not approved by the company and they decide to take the leap, after releasing the live album 'El Sorprendente Sonido de los Flechazos' (DRO, 1993), the last album recorded by Héctor Escobar and Pedro Javier Alonso, who left definitively the following year.
In 1994 the band's biography "Haciendo Astillas el Reloj" (written by Ezequiel Ríos) is published, a title that will also serve for a future compilation of the band in their period with DRO. Also that year they released their first reference for the British label Detour, the single 'Try It / You Drove Me Crazy', which will be followed a couple of years later by the EP 'One More Try' (Detour, 1996), both sang in English and receiving a positive praise in the UK.
Before the release of the latter, Los Flechazos became part of the Elefant label. As Álex commented in interviews at the time, it was a natural step, since with the change of era and the new tendencies, their public had expanded to the one that was fundamentally interested in pop; even they themselves echoed the emergence of Britpop. In any case, the landing in the new label is ratified with the release of 'Alta Fidelidad' (Elefant, 1995), with the rhythm section of the band completed with Francisco Vila and Miguel Manero.
The following year the mini-album 'Días Grises' (Elefant, 1996) is released, in which the group oriented its sound decidedly to pop. A new live album, 'Pussycat' (Fourtune, 1996), recorded at the Beat-O-Mania in Munich that same year, is also released. Meanwhile, Alex and Elena went on to organize the Purple Weekend in León, whose first edition was held in 1997 and which they were in charge of for a while.
It was precisely there, in the 1998 edition of the Leonese festival, when Los Flechazos announced their split. After ten years leading the bands, Álex had become tired of all the paraphernalia that surrounded the music and that hindered something as simple as making music to entertain people. He and Elena went on to open a clothing and record store in León called Chelsea, which would be a reference until its closure in 2001. Alex returned with his new project, Cooper, which he conceived in a freer and more personal way than Los Flechazos and which continues to this day. His debut was in 2000 with 'Fonorama' (Elefant, 2000), the same year in which a tribute to Los Flechazos, 'Tu Voz en Color. Un Sincero Homenaje a Los Flechazos' (Bip bip, 2000). [SOURCE: LA FONOTECA]
Even when judged by the often confrontational standards of U.K. punk, the Anti-Nowhere League were a band committed to offending people. Looking less like a group of bohemian rebels than an especially unsavory biker gang eager to stomp someone (frontman Animal admits to being a former member of outlaw motorcycle clubs), the Anti-Nowhere League made an immediate impact when they burst onto the British rock scene in 1980. They were heroes to hard-boiled U.K. punks, and to nearly everyone else they were an affront to all decency -which, of course, made the punks love them all the more.
TheAnti-Nowhere League formed in Turnbridge Wells, England in 1980. The group's initial lineup featured Animal (aka Nick Culmer) on lead vocals, Magoo (aka Chris Exall) on guitar and vocals, Bones (aka Tony Shaw) on drums, and Chris Elvey on bass. Elvey was soon dropped from the lineup, with Winston (aka Clive Blake) taking over on bass. In 1981, Bones left the group, and Gooky Hopper was a short-term replacement until PJ (aka Persian John, born Djahanshah Aghssa) came aboard on drums, solidifying the Anti-Nowhere League's first definitive lineup. After touring with major second-wave U.K. punk acts such as The Exploited, Discharge, and Chron Gen, the group landed a deal with British punk label WXYZ Records. The ANL's debut single was a punked-up cover of Ralph McTell's "Streets of London," but it was the B-side that got most of the attention. "So What" was a three-minute torrent of four-letter words and grotesque sexual boasts that was foul enough that one pressing was confiscated from the distributor's warehouse by the Metropolitan Police's Obscene Publication Squad.
As so often happened in British punk, the scandal only raised the Anti-Nowhere League's profile, and in 1982 the band released its first album, 'We Are...The League'. The album fared well on the British charts, and by the end of the year the ANL made their American debut in a joint tour with U.K. Subs. A visit to Southeastern Europe was documented on the 1983 LP 'Live in Yugoslavia', and the Anti-Nowhere League expanded to a five-piece with second guitarist Gilly (aka Mark Gilham). After PJ left the ANL in 1984, the band focused on live work, with PJ initially replaced by Michael Bettell, and next by JB (aka Jonathan Birch), who signed on in 1986. It wasn't until 1987 that the Anti-Nowhere League finally delivered their second album, the significantly more polished 'The Perfect Crime'. By the end of the year, the ANL decided to call it quits, though they regrouped to play a farewell show in Turnbridge Wells in 1989.
In 1991, Metallica recorded a cover of "So What," which appeared as the B-side of their "Sad But True" single. In 1992, when Metallica were headlining London's Wembley Arena, they invited Animal to sing "So What" with them, and after that the song appeared regularly on Metallica's set lists. This sparked a new interest in the group, and Animal reassembled the Anti-Nowhere League, with Magoo and Gilly rejoining the group. In 1995 they recorded a studio EP, 'Pig Iron', and a full-length album, 'Scum', appeared in 1998. By this time, the Anti-Nowhere League's membership became quite fluid, with Animal the only consistent member, though the band continued to tour regularly well into the 21st century. Along with releasing a wide variety of live albums, the group showed a new dedication to recording in the new millennium. They released 'Kings & Queens' in 2005, 'The Road to Rampton' in 2007, 'We Are the League... Uncut' in 2014, and 'The Cage' in 2016, all of which showed that the ANL were still capable of generating the grimy thunder that made them famous. With 2017's 'League Style', the band put their own unique stamp on a set of reggae and rocksteady covers. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC]
Stereotyped early in his career as the quintessential angry young man, Graham Parker was one of the most celebrated singer/songwriters to emerge from England's pub rock scene in the early '70s. Drawing heavily from Van Morrison and The Rolling Stones, Parker developed a sinewy fusion of driving rock & roll and confessional folk-rock, highlighted by his indignant passion, biting sarcasm, and bristling anger. At the outset of his career, his albums crackled with pub rock energy, snide witticisms, and perceptive insights, earning him a devoted following of fans and critics, who lavished praise on his debut, 1976's 'Howlin' Wind', recorded with The Rumour, his backing band of pub rock all-stars. Despite all the positive word of mouth, Parker was saddled with a record label that wasn't sure what to do with him, and he was soon overshadowed by the emergence of Elvis Costello, a singer/songwriter who shared similar roots while enjoying greater success. After delivering 'Squeezing Out Sparks' in 1979, which was a smash with critics and won him a larger audience in the United States, Parker courted a crossover career with solo projects such as 1982's 'Another Grey Area' and 1985's 'Steady Nerves' before settling into a cult following in the late '80s and continuing to garner critical acclaim as his music mellowed but his lyrical perspective stayed sharp. At the behest of filmmaker Judd Apatow, Parker reunited with The Rumour for his movie "This Is 40", which led to concert tours and a pair of albums, 2012's 'Three Chords Good' and 2015's 'Mystery Glue'. After The Rumour reunion ran its course, Parker formed a new band, The Goldtops, playing easygoing but committed R&B-informed rock on 2018's 'Cloud Symbols' and 2023's 'Last Chance to Learn the Twist'.
After spending much of his early adulthood working odd jobs, ranging from breeding mice and guinea pigs to working at a gas station, Parker began seriously pursuing a musical career in 1975. Until that time, he had played in a number of obscure pub rock groups, including a cover band that had played in Morocco and Gibraltar. But it wasn't until 1975 that he began shopping his demos. That year, Dave Robinson, one of the co-founders of the new independent label Stiff, heard one of Parker's demo tapes and encouraged the songwriter, helping him assemble a backing band called The Rumour. Robinson rounded up several stars of the pub rock scene -guitarist Brinsley Schwarz and keyboardist Bob Andrews, both formerly of leading pub rockers Brinsley Schwarz, former Ducks Deluxe guitarist Martin Belmont, former Bontemps Roulez drummer Steve Goulding, and bassist Andrew Bodnar- to form The Rumour, and the band was soon supporting Parker on the dying pub rock scene. With the assistance of DJ Charlie Gillett, the group landed a record contract with Mercury by the end of 1975.
Graham Parker & the Rumour headed into the studio to cut their debut album with producer Nick Lowe, who gave the resulting record, 'Howlin' Wind', an appealingly ragged edge. 'Howlin' Wind' was greeted with enthusiastic reviews upon its summer release, as was the similar 'Heat Treatment', which followed in the fall. Despite the positive press, Parker was growing frustrated with Mercury, believing that the company was not properly promoting and distributing his records. His third album, 'Stick to Me', had to be re-recorded quickly after the original tapes were discovered to be defective prior to its scheduled release. As a result, 'Stick to Me' received mixed reviews upon its fall 1977 release, which derailed Parker's momentum slightly. Furthermore, Elvis Costello, a fellow pub rock survivor who possessed not only a more pop-oriented style of songwriting, but also a more dangerous persona, soon eclipsed Parker in popularity. Frustrated by his career hitting a standstill, Parker released the live-double album 'The Parkerilla' in the summer of 1978 in order to get out of his contract. Following a short but intense bidding war, he quickly signed to Arista Records, where he released "Mercury Poisoning" -a blistering attack on his former record label and the B-side of a promotional single- as his first record for the label.
'Squeezing Out Sparks', Parker's first album for Arista, put a halt to that decline. Sporting a slicker, new wave-oriented production -it was the first of his records not to have any involvement from Nick Lowe- the album was greeted with terrific reviews and, on the strengths of radio hits like "Local Girls," it became his most successful album, reaching number 40 on the American charts and selling over 200,000 copies. Parker was poised for a major breakthrough, but that didn't happen. He followed 'Squeezing Out Sparks' in 1980 with the Jimmy Iovine-produced 'The Up Escalator', which was considerably slicker than its predecessor. 'The Up Escalator' didn't sell, and Parker decided to ditch The Rumour, who had already begun a solo career. For 1982's 'Another Grey Area', he hired producer Jack Douglas and a team of session musicians, resulting in a radio-ready production that received mixed reviews, yet managed to peak at number 51. 'The Real Macaw', which followed in 1983, suffered a similar fate. For 1985's 'Steady Nerves', Parker moved to Elektra Records and formed a backing band called The Shot with guitarist Brinsley Schwarz, who helped him deliver his most radio-ready collection. This time, the pop move paid off. "Wake Up (Next to You)" became his only Top 40 hit, and the album stayed on the charts for nearly as long as 'Squeezing Out Sparks'.
Despite his moderate commercial success with 'Steady Nerves', the album wasn't widely praised, and he also ran into trouble with Elektra, leaving the label after just one record. He briefly moved to Atlantic, which dropped him without releasing a single record. Consequently, Parker wasn't able to deliver another album until 1988, when he signed with RCA and released 'The Mona Lisa's Sister' in the spring. Hailed as a comeback by several critics upon its release, the album generated a college radio hit with "Get Started (Start a Fire)" and spent 19 weeks on the charts. Instead of being the beginning of a comeback, the album turned out to be a last gasp: it was the last time Parker was able to crack the Top 100. 'Live! Alone in America' (1989) received positive reviews but was ignored, and 1990's mild worldbeat experiment 'Human Soul' received mixed reviews and peaked at number 165 on the charts. Parker's final album for RCA -and his last album to chart- was the stripped-down 'Struck by Lightning' (1991), and while it was critically praised, it didn't find an audience outside of his cult. The following year, he switched to Capitol and released 'Burning Questions', which was ignored.
Following the release of 1993's double-disc anthology 'Passion Is No Ordinary Word', Parker made the leap to independent labels -he had spent time at all but one of the major labels (Columbia/Sony) with little success. In 1994, he released the 'Christmas Cracker' EP on Dakota Arts, and then he signed with Razor & Tie, where he released '12 Haunted Episodes' in the spring. Like 'The Mona Lisa's Sister' and 'Struck by Lightning' before it, '12 Haunted Episodes' was hailed as a comeback, and it sold in respectable numbers for an indie release. Parker followed it with two albums in 1996, 'Live from New York, NY' and 'Acid Bubblegum', which appeared within two months of each other late in the summer. Early in 1997, he released yet another live album, the double-disc 'The Last Rock N Roll Tour', which was recorded with the power pop quartet The Figgs. Parker continued to issue a steady stream of archive and live releases into the mid-2000s, and moved into singer/songwriter mode for the albums 'Deepcut to Nowhere' and 'Your Country', the latter a roots rock-influenced affair released by the Chicago-based Bloodshot Records. The Figgs were back for 2005's 'Songs of No Consequence', an album that Parker declared "rocks like safari park chimp" in pre-release publicity. Unreleased material, rare edits, and remixes were featured on 'Official Art Vandelay Tapes, Vol. 2', which appeared two weeks after 'Songs of No Consequence'. 'Don't Tell Columbus' arrived in March 2007 and the clever 'Imaginary Television' appeared in 2010, along with the DVD 'Live at the FTC'.
Parker unexpectedly reunited his original backing band The Rumour in 2011, in part due to the intervention of longtime fan and filmmaker Judd Apatow, who made the group a plot point in his film "This Is Forty". After appearing in the movie, the group recorded an album of new material, 'Three Chords Good', which arrived in November 2012, around the same time Apatow's movie was released. A concert shot for the film also received a stand-alone release on DVD and Blu-Ray under the title 'This Is Live'. Parker and The Rumour took advantage of their new place in the spotlight by touring America and the UK in support of 'Three Chords Good', and in May 2015 they returned with another new LP, 'Mystery Glue', recorded during a six-day sprint at London's RAK Studios. The Rumour reunion came to an end, but their guitarist, Martin Belmont became part of The Goldtops, the ad hoc band that backed Parker on the 2018 release 'Cloud Symbols', which was rooted in the old band's pub rock sensibilities. Parker brought The Goldtops back to the studio for a second album, recorded under the working title 'Deep Blue Streak'. By the time it was released by Big Stir Records in September 2023, it was known as 'Last Chance to Learn the Twist', and like 'Cloud Symbols', it was a more relaxed effort than his classic sides of the '70s and '80s while still rooted in classic R&B and witty, literate songs.
[SOURCE: ALLMUSIC]
Combining '60s-style British Invasion rock with a raw punk energy, Charlie Pickett emerged as a leading player on the Southern Florida indie scene of the '70s and '80s. Backed by his bands The Eggs and The MC3, Pickett issued several well-regarded, if obscure albums (later compiled on 2008's 'Bar Band Americanus'), before shifting away from music. He returned to regular activity with 2018's 'See You in Miami'.
Born in Athens, Ohio in 1953, Charlie Pickett moved with his family to Dania, Florida at age two, where an early love of Alvin & the Chipmunks eventually gave way to LPs by rock groups like Jan & Dean, The Rolling Stones, and The Kinks. He started playing guitar at age 14 and soon discovered punk rock. By the time he left high school, he was already playing locally, giving a take-no-prisoners punk and garage-rock energy to covers by British outfits like Johnny Kidd and the Pirates and Manfred Mann. In 1974 he enrolled at University of Florida, during which time he taught himself to play slide-style guitar, and formed the band Charlie Pickett & the Eggs. He built a loyal following, sharing the stage with similarly inclined acts as The Cichlids, The Eat, and The Reactions. His straight-ahead, blues- and R&B-influenced style endeared him to a cross-section of punks, new wavers, and roots rockers alike. A debut album, 'Live at the Button', arrived in 1982 and showcased the band's raucous sound, marked by fellow South Florida guitarist (and Psycho Daisies frontman) John Salton. Going under the name The Eggs and later The MC3, Pickett issued several highly regarded, if obscure records for Twin/Tone, including 1986's 'Route 33', which was produced by ex-Suicide Commandos member Chris Osgood. 'The Wilderness', recorded in Athens, Georgia with R.E.M. guitarist Peter Buck, arrived two years later.
Over the next decade, a mix of issues including the grind of touring found Pickett heading back to school to earn his law degree. Nonetheless, he stayed active, occasionally performing live. In 2008, Bloodshot Records issued 'Bar Band Americanus', a compilation of Pickett's best work with his various bands. Buoyed by the attention, he amped up his live performances and in 2018 issued 'See You in Miami', his first studio album in a decade. Included on the album is the single "What I Like About Miami," featuring Peter Buck. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC]
Alternative country meets the rockabilly revival meets California guitar virtuosity in the music of Rosie Flores. Since the late '70s, guitarist, singer, and songwriter Flores has been an important figure on the roots music scene in both Austin, Texas and Los Angeles. She's a hard-working, independently minded artist who's well-respected for her gritty, energetic vocals and fiery guitar solos. First making her name in bands like Rosie & the Screamers and the Screaming Sirens who played punk rock with a twangy touch, Flores showed off her knack for Bakersfield-style retro-country with her self-titled 1987 album. While capable of playing slick enough for any Nashville producer, Flores devoted most of her subsequent recording career to music that celebrated the sounds of the honky tonk (1992's 'After the Farm' and 1999's 'Dance Hall Dreams'), dug deep into her passion for rockabilly (1995's 'Rockabilly Filly', which included guest appearances from Wanda Jackson and Janis Martin, and 1997's 'A Little Bit of Heartache', a duet set with Ray Campi), or mixed up her myriad influences in rock, country, and even jazz (2001's 'Speed of Sound' and 2012's 'Working Girl's Guitar').
A native of San Antonio, Flores moved to San Diego with her family when she was 12. Her family encouraged her singing and guitar playing, and as a girl she soaked up the sounds of southern California -surf guitar, country and country-rock, blues, and rockabilly-flavored garage rock. By the time she was in her teens, Flores was playing in a band called Penelope's Children. During the first explosion of punk rock in the late '70s Flores formed Rosie & the Screamers, an otherwise all-male band that played hard country and rockabilly material, much of it written by Flores herself. She worked as a solo acoustic artist for a time but then formed an all-female punk band, the Screaming Sirens, who recorded the album 'Fiesta' in 1984.
In 1987 Flores recorded her first solo album, 'Rosie Flores', produced by Pete Anderson (Dwight Yoakam's producer and guitarist) and released by Warner Bros. The album gained critical acclaim, and among music-industry folk a Flores concert remains a strong draw to this day. But it was only modestly successful commercially, and Flores was dropped by Warner Bros. She signed with the California independent label Hightone and in 1991 she released her second solo album, 'After the Farm', followed by 'Once More with Feeling' a year later. These albums featured original songs by Flores, her own sharp guitar leads, and crackerjack session work from a variety of Los Angeles veterans. Flores then spent the better part of 1994 playing lead guitar in Butch Hancock's band.
In 1995 Flores recorded 'Rockabilly Filly', a spirited tribute to the music she grew up with. The album featured duets with her longtime idols Wanda Jackson and Janis Martin, both of whom Flores brought out of retirement for the project. The album led to a cross-country tour with Jackson, who hadn't played in nightclubs in over 20 years. In 1997, Rounder re-released her Warner Bros. debut along with six new bonus tracks under the title 'Honky Tonk Reprise', helping to sustain the momentum of her career. That same year, the Austin label Watermelon released her duet project with Ray Campi, entitled 'A Little Bit of Heartache'. In the late '90s, Flores moved to the folk-oriented Massachusetts label Rounder, pushing the stylistic mix of her music slightly in the direction of rockabilly but not really changing course. The 1999 live album 'Dance Hall Dreams' was recorded at a San Antonio country club and featured several of the top session players Flores has always been able to attract, among them Texas steel guitar stalwart Cyndi Cashdollar. Flores released 'Speed of Sound' on the Eminent label two years later, offering yet more original songs as well as a scorching cover of Buck Owens' rockabilly classic "Hot Dog." Flores offered her fans an intimate perspective on her music with the solo acoustic live set 'Single Rose' in 2004, and an album of country- and rockabilly-styled holiday favorites, 'Christmasville', followed in 2005.
After a short hiatus, in 2009, Flores celebrated over two decades of recording with 'Girl of the Century', an album recorded with The Mekons' Jon Langford and The Pine Valley Cosmonauts for Bloodshot Records. Her raucous 11th album, 'Working Girl's Guitar', which appeared in 2012, was the first in which she handled all the production and guitar leads herself. With 2019's 'Simple Case of the Blues', Flores put the focus on her love of blues and vintage R&B, covering classic tunes by Wilson Pickett and Roy Brown along with a fresh batch of originals steeped in the classic styles. When not on the road, Flores gigs regularly in Austin, Texas with The Blue Moon Jazz Quartet as well as her more roots-oriented project The Rhythm Rockers. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC]
Best known as the singer for X, one of the leaders of the late-'70s/early-'80s California punk explosion, Exene Cervenka has also issued solo albums, launched several side bands, and penned books. Although Cervenka has been closely associated with California for a long time, she is not originally from the West Coast. Born on February 1, 1956, in Chicago, Christine Cervenka grew up primarily in Tallahassee, FL before relocating to Santa Monica, CA during the summer of 1976. Through a local poetry workshop, Cervenka met John Doe, and the seeds of what would eventually become X were planted. With both sharing vocal duties (and Doe doubling on bass), Doe's friend Billy Zoom supplied guitar in a Duane Eddy style and was soon followed by the arrival of drummer D.J. Bonebrake, resulting in the birth of X in 1977.
With Cervenka changing the spelling of her first name to Exene, the group led the Hollywood punk movement, but there was much more to their sound than the average punk band -as country, rockabilly, and Exene's poetic lyrics set them apart from the pack. A string of classic (yet criminally overlooked) releases followed -1980's 'Los Angeles', 1981's 'Wild Gift', 1982's 'Under the Big Black Sun', and 1983's 'More Fun in the New World'- during which time Cervenka and Doe were married. In addition to her X duties, Cervenka appeared as part of the country spinoff The Knitters (1985's 'Poor Little Critter on the Road'), and issued (also in 1985) a poetry collaboration with Wanda Coleman entitled 'Twin Sisters'. But as the '80s wore on, Cervenka and Doe's marriage would collapse, as did X after Zoom's exit and a few spotty albums. With X winding down, Cervenka launched a solo career, resulting in 1989's 'Old Wives' Tales' and 1990's 'Running Sacred'.
After a break early in the decade, Cervenka, Doe, and Bonebrake resuscitated X in the early '90s with a new studio album, 1993's 'Hey Zeus!', and 1995's acoustic affair, 'Unclogged'. Later in the decade, Zoom signed back on, resulting in a re-formation of the original X lineup (no new studio recordings surfaced, however; just live dates). During this time, Cervenka found the time to launch a new albeit short-lived band, Auntie Christ (in which she also supplied guitar), including X bandmate Bonebrake as well as major X fan Rancid bassist Matt Freeman -and also issued a third solo release, 1996's 'Surface to Air Serpents'.
The early 21st century saw the formation of another musical side project for Exene, The Original Sinners. Additionally, Cervenka has issued several books, including the titles "Virtual Unreality" (through Henry Rollins' 2.13.61 publishing company), "A Beer on Every Page", and "Just Another War", the latter of which was a collaboration with Pulitzer Prize-nominated photojournalist Kenneth Jarecke, in which Exene supplied commentary to Jarecke's photos of the Gulf War. The Knitters resurfaced in 2005 with 'The Modern Sounds of the Knitters', and the following year Cervenka released the solo album 'Sev7en'. 'Somewhere Gone' appeared in 2009, followed in 2011 by another solo album, 'The Excitement of Maybe', which featured guest spots from Dave Alvin and jazz bassist Christian McBride. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC]
BCore has to be recognized for its merits, since few independent record labels achieved such longevity while remaining faithful to their principles at all times. And the fact is that the Barcelona label has been fighting since 1990, when it released its first reference, precisely the debut LP of the Corn Flakes. Today the Barcelona punk rock / hardcore scene has a lot to thank them and bands like Aina or Fromheadtotoe even more for launching them to a mainstream audience.
The beginnings of Corn Flakes are typical and date back to 89, Abel -vocals and guitar-, Vads - Poppins / bass- and Moncho -drums- decide to give free rein to their scarce musical knowledge and follow the path of the most melodic hardcore punk. From the beginning they recorded a first demo that began to circulate avidly in Barcelona, 'No Comment' (1989) was called the artifact. Due to the good response from the public, BCore decided to release their first full-length album 'No Problem' (BCore, 1990). Their taste for melody, forcefulness and speed remains intact and little by little they reach a recognition not exempt of controversy. The most hardcore sectors considered them commercial and branded them as sell-outs. The most scandalous anecdote was during a concert in Llodio (Álava) in which they were boycotted by the organizers themselves.
They continue to do their thing and release 'Childish' (BCore, 1992), confirming all the expectations placed on them. The album reaches the top positions in the best of the year lists of publications such as Rockdelux -eighth place-.
Punk gives way to power pop, making it clear that melody is the most important facet of their sound. In '93 they do a double with the mini-LP 'Whispering a Tango to a Teddy Bear' (BCore, 1993) and the EP 'Tracklist' (BCore, 1993) in which they review their five most emblematic songs recorded live on October 30, 1993 in the now defunct Sala Garatge in Barcelona. Their sound is getting fresher and fresher, and it keeps growing until 'Double Bed' (BCore, 1995) arrives in 1995, a superb album, full of great songs that combine strength and sensitivity to sign one of the summits of the national power pop. Once again they put an album among the best of the year and their audience is growing.
Their last recording came in 1997, 'Mênage' (BCore / RCA, 1997), released with the support of the multinational RCA. The recording was made as a quartet after the incorporation of Raül Fernández. The single 'Windows' (BCore / RCA, 1997) was extracted with three unreleased tracks: "Blink", "Ho-menage" and "Cheap soap". But after the separation of the band its members embark on new projects: Moncho sets up with Josep Alex in Swinepox, and Raül Fernández has been part of Sitcom, Romodance, Élena and Refree, his most successful project.
[SOURCE: LA FONOTECA]
One of the most distinctive and celebrated producers of his time, Daniel Lanois is also a gifted composer and solo artist; whether performing his own material or helming records for the likes of U2, Bob Dylan, and Peter Gabriel, the hallmarks of his singular aesthetic remain the same. Noted for his unparalleled atmospheric sensibilities, Lanois has continuously pursued emotional honesty over technical perfection, relying on vintage equipment and unorthodox studio methods to achieve a signature sound both viscerally powerful and intricately beautiful. This sound can be heard on solo standouts from his own catalog like 1989's marvelous 'Acadie' and 2003's 'Shine' as well as landmark LPs like U2's 'Achtung Baby' and Bob Dylan's 'Time Out of Mind'. Along with his ambient collaborations with Brian Eno, Lanois' penchant for experimental sound-shaping has led to unusual instrumental releases like 2016's 'Goodbye to Language' and 2022's 'Player, Piano', though he has also continued to create song-based material, as on 2021's vibrant 'Heavy Sun'.
Daniel Lanois was born September 19, 1951 in Hull, Quebec; his French-Canadian family was firmly rooted in music, with his mother a singer and both his father and grandfather noted for their prowess on the violin. Following his parents' 1963 separation, Lanois and his mother moved to the English-speaking suburbs of Hamilton, Ontario; there he learned to play guitar, and with his brother, Robert, began making primitive home recordings on a cheap cassette player. In 1970, the siblings purchased a four-track machine, setting up a recording studio in the laundry room of their home and offering their services to local bands for a $60 fee.
Regularly aiding their clients not only as producers but also as songwriters and arrangers, the Lanois brothers' reputation quickly spread, and as the decade drew to a close, they were able to graduate to larger recording facilities, which they dubbed Grant Avenue Studios. There -after sessions for performers as diverse as Ian Tyson and children's artist Raffi- Daniel first worked with Brian Eno, who in the decade to follow would emerge as Lanois' chief mentor and frequent collaborator. Together, they spent several weeks working on instrumental ambient material, experimenting heavily with sonic manipulation techniques; when Eno eventually returned to the U.K., Lanois remained in Ontario, recording a series of LPs for the local band Martha & the Muffins and, in 1983, producing improvisational trumpeter Jon Hassell's album 'Aka/Darbari/Java'. In 1984, after working with Eno on 'Hybrid' (a collaboration with guitarist Michael Brook) and 'The Pearl' (another collaborative effort, this time with Harold Budd), Lanois responded to Eno's call to co-produce U2's 'The Unforgettable Fire'; the album was a major hit, and it so impressed another superstar, Peter Gabriel, that he invited Lanois to co-produce the soundtrack to the motion picture "Birdy".
Lanois next scored with 1986's 'So', Gabriel's brilliant commercial breakthrough. However, it was his and Eno's second collaboration with U2, 1987's 'The Joshua Tree', which launched him to true fame: after the album won a Grammy -and after he subsequently co-produced Robbie Robertson's long-awaited solo debut- Lanois emerged as one of the best-known and most respected producers in contemporary pop music. In 1989, he masterminded Bob Dylan's 'Oh Mercy' -widely regarded as Dylan's best work in over a decade- as well as the Neville Brothers' 'Yellow Moon', an artistic watershed for the venerable New Orleans group. By this time, Lanois himself was a resident of the Crescent City, setting up Kingsway Studio in a mansion in the heart of New Orleans; there he crafted his own hotly anticipated solo debut, 1989's 'Acadie'. Two years later, he reunited with U2 for the stellar 'Achtung Baby', and in 1992, re-teamed with Gabriel for the wonderful 'Us'. In 1993, Lanois issued the lovely 'For the Beauty of Wynona'; however, like 'Acadie', it failed to reap the same commercial awards as his other production ventures. Other albums of note include Emmylou Harris' 1995 masterpiece 'Wrecking Ball', Luscious Jackson's 'Fever In Fever Out', Willie Nelson's 'Teatro', and Dylan's 1997 comeback 'Time Out of Mind'; in between, Lanois also recorded the score to the 1996 film "Sling Blade". Lanois scored again with U2's 'All That You Can't Leave Behind' at the end of 2000, along with working with Joe Henry and others in a support capacity. 2003 saw the year of his third and finest recording, 'Shine', which featured guest performances from Emmylou Harris and Bono. In 2005, he released the outtake-filled "renegade CD" 'Rockets' through his website, which was followed quickly by 'Belladonna', a proper album release on Anti. Soon after, photographer Adam Vollick started filming the next year-and-a-half of Lanois' life, following him on the road, with celebrity friends, and in his second home, the recording studio. "Here Is What Is" was released on DVD in 2008.
Lanois spent time working on a new band project for the next couple of years, with bassist Daryl Johnson, drummer Brian Blade, and vocalist/keyboardist Trixie Whitley. This culminated in the self-titled album 'Black Dub' in 2010. The band toured internationally. Lanois served as executive producer for Rocco DeLuca's self-titled album and released it on his own Red Floor label through 429 Records in August of 2014, followed in October by his own album of experimental sonics entitled 'Flesh & Machine'. He returned in 2016 with his seventh full-length effort, 'Goodbye to Language', which featured a guest appearance from DeLuca on lap steel guitar. Lanois then began collaborating with breakcore artist Venetian Snares (aka fellow Canadian Aaron Funk) for a series of well-received performances. The two also improvised in the studio, and the full-length 'Venetian Snares x Daniel Lanois' was released by Funk's Timesig imprint in 2018. Although still experimental, Lanois' next solo release saw him return to more traditional songwriting formats. Released in 2021, 'Heavy Sun' boasted an intentionally buoyant and more joyful sound than many of his previous releases. Although better known as a guitarist, Lanois shifted his focus to the piano on the 2022 release, 'Player, Piano'. A dreamlike blend of Spartan piano compositions and ambient ambient production methods, the album was built around the poignant "My All," written as a memorial to his younger brother. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC]
A gifted songwriter and vocalist whose intimate, richly detailed songs have been shaped by his eclectic musical world view encompassing rock, folk, country, soul, and jazz, Joe Henry is also a well-respected producer who has helped a wide range of artists refine their songs in the studio. Henry's songs are deeply personal while also offering a keen insight into the lives of his characters, and he possesses a rich voice that brings the moods and emotions of his songs into clear focus without histrionics. His melodies are uncluttered and elegant, revealing a warm personality that's a welcome constant regardless of the tenor of the music. Henry's early recordings were rooted in contemporary folk and traditional singer/songwriter sounds (such as 1989's 'Murder of Crows'), but he would later introduce alt-country accents into his arrangements (1992's 'Short Man's Room', cut with members of The Jayhawks). With 1996's 'Trampoline', Henry began incorporating a more adventurous and atmospheric tone into his work, and 2001's 'Scar' found him adding jazz elements in an ambitious manner (including a cameo from Ornette Coleman). He took a detour back into folk with 2016's 'Shine a Light: Field Recordings from the Great American Railroad', a collaboration with Billy Bragg, and challenging life circumstances led to the creation of a pair of artful, deeply felt works, 2019's 'The Gospel According to Water' and 2023's 'All the Eye Can See'.
Joe Henry was born on December 2, 1960 in Charlotte, North Carolina. He grew up in the Detroit area of Michigan, attended the University of Michigan, and subsequently relocated to New York City in 1985. After his little-heard 1986 debut album, 'Talk of Heaven', Henry landed a deal with A&M Records, which released the 1989 album 'Murder of Crows', which was produced by Anton Fier and featured Mick Taylor on guitar. In 1990, Henry settled in Los Angeles with his wife and son, and moved away from the rock & roll edges of 'Murder of Crows' to the acoustic moods of 'Shuffletown', produced by T-Bone Burnett, before moving to Mammoth Records and shifting into the country- and folk-influenced territory of 'Short Man's Room' (1992) and 'Kindness of the World' (1993), a pair of albums on which he was backed by the acclaimed alt-country outfit The Jayhawks. The latter two albums earned him an excellent reputation among fans of alternative rock and country as a superb singer and songwriter. He followed 'Kindness' with the five-song EP 'Fireman's Wedding' a year later.
On 1996's 'Trampoline', Henry veered in an edgier, more rhythm-oriented direction. While he still employed acoustic instruments and even a pedal-steel guitar on several songs, 'Trampoline' (much of which Henry recorded at a studio he set up in his garage) was more clearly defined by drum loops, loud electric guitars (some played by Page Hamilton of Helmet), mysterious voices, and curious sonic textures. 'Fuse' (mixed with the aid of Daniel Lanois and T-Bone Burnett) followed in 1999, which included contributions from Jakob Dylan and The Dirty Dozen Brass Band. Two years later, Henry returned with the literate and enigmatic stunner 'Scar', which included sax work from free jazz pioneer Ornette Coleman; the album marked the end of his tenure with Mammoth. He opted for a deal with Epitaph's Anti subsidiary and entered the studio in December 2002 to record his ninth album, 'Tiny Voices', his most intricate album to date. A second album on Anti, 'Civilians', followed in 2007, while a third from the label, 'Blood from Stars', appeared at the end of the summer in 2009.
Since 2000, Henry has been producing sessions for other artists, including Aimee Mann, Solomon Burke, John Doe, and Bettye LaVette, and after 'Blood from Stars', Henry was wildly busy as a producer for the next two years, helming projects from Allen Toussaint, Salif Keita, Carolina Chocolate Drops, Ramblin' Jack Elliott, Mose Allison, Hugh Laurie, Over the Rhine, Lisa Hannigan, and Meshell Ndegeocello, as well as participating in sessions for others. He finally got around to recording again in 2011, with an eclectic collection of acoustic performances entitled 'Reverie', which was released on Anti in October of 2011; another set of striking low-key songs, 'Invisible Hour', followed in 2014, released on the Work Song label. In the spring of 2016, Henry teamed up with British songwriter and activist Billy Bragg to make an album of folk songs inspired by the legacy of the American railroad system. Recorded with a portable recording rig while Henry and Bragg rode an Amtrak line from Chicago to Los Angeles, 'Shine a Light: Field Recordings from the Great American Railroad' was released in September 2016, and followed by a joint concert tour. Henry's next project was 2017's 'Thrum', an album the songwriter described as being influenced by several of his favorite poets -among them Rainer Maria Rilke, Walt Whitman, Arthur Rimbaud, and Rumi- as well as his reactions to the election of Donald Trump. In November 2018, Henry was diagnosed with prostate cancer; as he underwent treatment, he wrote songs as a means of personal therapy, and 13 of the tunes he created became the basis of the spare and evocative 'The Gospel According to Water', released in November 2019.
By the time the album was released, Henry's cancer had gone into remission, and he was able to tour in support, but the COVID-19 pandemic shut down performance venues in March 2020, and like many musicians, Henry found himself at home with time on his hands. He wrote a fresh set of songs and set about making an album. Realizing many of his favorite musicians and trusted collaborators were also sidelined by the pandemic, he invited some of them to contribute to the project, contributing tracks remotely from their home studios. Along with his son Levon Henry on reeds, Jay Bellerose on percussion, David Piltch on bass, and Patrick Warren on keyboards, 2023's 'All the Eye Can See' features the talents of Allison Russell, Bill Frisell, Marc Ribot, Daniel Lanois, The Milk Carton Kids, and many more on a program of intimate, artfully arranged performances. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC]
The Nips are an English punk rock band formed in London in 1976 as The Nipple Erectors, initially consisting of vocalist / songwriter Shane MacGowan (known at the time as 'Shane O'Hooligan'), bassist / songwriter / original punk artist Shanne Bradley, guitarist / artist Roger Towndrow and drummer Adrian Fox (AKA "Arcane Vendetta"), they performed their first gig at the Roxy Club in Covent Garden in 1977. The band later released four singles and there was one bootleg live album between 1978 and 1981.
Inspired by The Stooges, The Nipple Erectors incorporated elements of rockabilly and 1960s garage rock into their music.
Following the release of their first single, 'King of the Bop/Nervous Wreck', in June 1978, on Soho Records, the band renamed themselves The Nips and released the garage punk song 'All the Time in the World/Private Eye' with Phil Rowland of Eater on drums. By May 1979, the band's line up had changed to include Gavin "Fritz" Douglas, on guitar. 'Gabrielle' was released in November 1979, first on Soho Records, and then reissued on Chiswick Records with John ("Grinny") Grinton (ex Skrewdriver) on drums. By the time of its release, Grinny had been replaced by Roger Travis Williams. Gavin Douglas' guitar playing on this record marked a change in the band's sound to a more melodic style.
A live album, 'Only the End of the Beginning' was released on Soho Records in 1980, from a recording made whilst on tour with The Purple Hearts.
In 1980, The Nips recorded a demo for Polydor Records at their studio in Bond Street. It was produced by Paul Weller. There were four songs recorded for this session: "Happy Song", "Nobody to Love", "Ghost Town" and "Love To Make You Cry". The line up for this recording was Shane MacGowan (vocals), Shanne Bradley (bass), Gavin Douglas (guitar) and Mark Harrison (ex Bernie Tormé Band) on drums. 'Happy Song/Nobody to Love' was released as a single in October 1981, on Test Pressing Records. The Nips announced to the press that they were quitting after a last gig on 10 March 1980 at London's Covent Garden Rock Garden. MacGowan and Bradley did reform the band later that year, albeit briefly. The line up included James Fearnley on guitar and Jon Moss (ex-The Damned) on drums. This line up played a final gig in December 1980 at London's Music Machine with The Jam.
In 1981 Jon Moss joined up with Boy George to form Culture Club. During 1981, Bradley took the band in another direction away from the traditional rock band format to incorporate Greek, Cretan and Irish Roots/Folk music. The popular Irish folk and American folk song "Poor Paddy Works on the Railway" had previously formed part of their early live set with guitarist Roger Towndrow. This line up included Macgowan and Bradley plus John Hasler (ex-Madness) on standup snare drum and Scots/Irish Folk Fiddler David Rattray. Later that year Bradley decided to take a break from music. Shane MacGowan and John Hasler went on to play in Pogue Mahone, later shortened to The Pogues. In 1984, Shanne Bradley co-founded The Men They Couldn't Hang to play "The Alternative Country and Western Festival" in March 1984 at the Electric Ballroom in Camden.
In 1987, Big Beat released an anthology LP named 'Bops, Babes, Booze and Bovver', credited to "Nips n Nipple Erectors". It collects both sides of the first three singles issued on Soho, as well as adding two outtakes: "So Pissed Off" and "Stavordale Rd, N5". The later CD edition added another two outtakes: "Venus in Bovver Boots" and "Fuss & Bother".
On 6 May 2008, The Nipple Erectors reformed, playing a somewhat secret gig at the 100 Club, Oxford Street, London. The line-up consisted of Shanne Bradley, Shane MacGowan, Eric "Le Baton" Baconstrip, and Fritz Douglas. Bradley's daughter Eucalypta sang backing vocals on the final number "Gabrielle". The group also performed one month later although this time minus MacGowan who was replaced by Eucalypta on vocals.
[SOURCE: WIKIPEDIA]
