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Showing posts from August, 2013

PUBLIC IMAGE LTD

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Public Image Ltd.  (aka PiL), are an  experimental  band which formed in 1978 in London, England. Its original lineup was  John Lydon  (vocals) (formerly of the  Sex Pistols ),  Keith Levene  (guitar) and  Jah Wobble  (bass), although by 1983, the band’s lineup would become a fluctuating one, revolving around Lydon.  PiL  are often cited as one of the most challenging and innovative bands of the  post-punk  period; John Lydon is quoted as saying he wanted to form an anti-rock band. They were influenced by a wide range of artists, especially esoteric artists like  Can ,  Captain Beefheart ,  Tim Buckley  & various  dub  artists. As the years progressed, the PiL line-up would change, adding renowned drummer  Martin Atkins  in 1979 as the direction of the band evolved. Compared to their first three albums, the later 1980’s/early 1990’s period saw a more conventional sound to the musical aspect, but still retaining Lydon’s biting lyrics. The album  Compact Disc  (aka  Album  or  Cass

FRANK BLACK

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( 1992  – 2007) Lead songwriter and vocalist of the now reunited Pixies, Frank Black was born Charles Michael Kittridge Thompson IV. After the 1992 breakup of Pixies, Frank Black adopted a reversal of his former alias, Black Francis, and embarked on his solo career with the debut of his 1993 self-titled album, Frank Black - which contains his biggest rock radio hit, Los Angeles (#4 US Modern Rock), followed a year later by the critically acclaimed Teenager of the Year.  Frank Black’s solo career covers a much more diverse range of styles and genres compared to his time with The Pixies. His works have feature a much more melodic touch, yet his lyrics are still often spiced with his quirky and inventive touch. Frank Black regularly posts and responds to questions on the forums of his official fan site,frankblack.net, under the alias “frnck blck”. He began recording and touring as Black Francis in 2007, with the album Bluefinger, an album about the late Dutch musician and pa

THE BREEDERS

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The Breeders  are an American rock band, formed in 1988 by  Kim Deal  of  Pixies  and  Throwing Muses ’  Tanya Donelly  in Boston, Massachusetts. After those original bands became less active, The Breeders became more important to both artists. A tape was sent of their original demos to Ivo Watts-Russell, who immediately signed the band to his  4AD  label in 1989. Their debut album, “ Pod ”, was recorded by  Steve Albini  and released on 4AD in 1990. Deal’s influence is obvious, but bassist  Josephine Wiggs  and  Slint  drummer  Britt Walford  (credited here as  Shannon Doughton ) add to the ensemble sound. By the release of the four-song EP “ Safari ” in 1992, Deal was done with Pixies and had enlisted her twin sister  Kelley Deal  to play guitar for the Breeders. Donelly exited the band to form  Belly , and drummer  Jim MacPherson  joined in time for “ Last Splash ” in 1993. The album spawned the hit “ Cannonball .” In 1995,  Kelley Deal  was involved in a drug bust, so sister Ki

THE CLASH

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The Clash  were a  punk rock  band from London, England, United Kingdom, active from 1976 to 1985. One of the most successful and iconic bands from the first wave of punk in the 1970s, they incorporated  rock and roll ,  reggae ,  rockabilly , and eventually many other music styles into their repertoire. They were legendary for their uncommonly intense stage performances. From their earliest days as a band,  The Clash  stood apart from their peers with their musicianship, as well as their lyrics; the passionate, left-wing political idealism in the lyrics by frontman  Joe Strummer  and guitarist  Mick Jones  contrasted with the nihilism of the  Sex Pistols  and the simplicity of the  Ramones . Their 1979 album  London Calling  is considered by critics as one of the greatest albums in the history of  rock  music; Rolling Stone declared it the best album of the 1980s, even though it was released near the end of 1979 (technically, Jan 1980, in the United States). The Clash ’s attit

DEVO

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Devo  is an  American   rock  group formed in Akron, Ohio, United States in 1972. The band split in 1991 and returned in 1996. The band currently consists of Gerald Casale (vocals, bass), Mark Mothersbaugh (vocals, synthesizer), Bob Mothersbaugh (guitar), Bob Casale (guitar, keyboards) and Josh Freese (drums). The band released their first album in 20 years, “ Something for Everybody ” on June 15, 2010. Their style has been variously classified as  punk ,  industrial  and rock, but are most often considered to be the  70s /early  80s   New Wave  band that ushered in the synth pop of the 1980s, along with other acts such as  Gary Numan  and  The B-52s . Devo’s music and stage show mingle kitsch science fiction themes, deadpan surrealist humor, and mordantly satirical social commentary, often dealing with the concept of De-Evolution, in sometimes-discordant  pop  songs that often feature unusual synthetic instrumentation and time signatures. Their work has proved hugely inf

GENE LOVES JEZEBEL

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Gene Loves Jezebel is a Welsh gothic rock band from the early 1980s founded by twin brothers, Michael and Jay Aston. Michael Aston (vocals) was the poetic, goth-leaning side of the twin brothers while Jay Aston’s distinctive banshee-like, wailing vocals supplied Gene Loves Jezebel with one of their many trademark quirks. Originally called Slav Aryan, Gene Loves Jezebel began in 1980 with the brothers, guitarist Ian Hudson, and a drum machine. The Astons grew up in Porthcawl, South Wales, making the move to London in 1981. With a new home, and shortly thereafter, the new name, the trio played several live shows and was signed by Situation Two. In May 1982, the label released Gene Loves Jezebel’s demo and a single “Shaving My Neck.” The band then added bassist Julianne Regan followed, Regan was replaced by Ian Hudson on Bass (and Albi DeLuca took over the guitar role) and went on to form All About Eve, Gene Loves Jezebel underwent a dozen or so line up changes between 1981-1985 alone! Th

RAIMUNDOS

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Raimundos is a Brazilian band, based in Brasília, Distrito Federal. Their genre mixes hardcore with elements of forro, a popular type of music and dance from Brazil’s northeast. The name Raimundos is derived from one of their greatest influences, the Ramones. The band was formed in the late 80s by Rodolfo Abrantes (vocals), Digão (guitars),  Canisso  (bass) and Fred (drums). After doing some demo tapes, they released their first record by Banguela Records: Raimundos (1994). Raimundos became popular among the younger audience because of their “weird” appearance and their funny and sarcastic lyrics, full of profanity and slang. They broke into MTV Brazil, making their first hits “Selim” and “Puteiro em João Pessoa”. Lavô Tá Novo was released in 1995, and became the most successful act of those days. “I Saw Your Saying (That You Say that You Saw)”, one of the hit singles of their records, dealt with a fictitious meeting with Madonna. Other singles like “Esporrei na Manivela” and “Eu

OFFSPRING

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The Offspring is a punk rock band formed in Huntington Beach, California, United States in 1984. Since its formation, the band’s line-up had included Dexter Holland (lead vocals, guitar), Noodles (lead and rhythm guitars, back vocals), Greg K. (bass, back vocals), and Ron Welty (drums, percussion), who left in 2003. Their current drummer is Pete Parada, formerly of  Face to Face  and  Saves The Day , who has been with the band since 2007. Along with fellow California punk bands  Green Day  and  Rancid , The Offspring have been credited with reviving mainstream interest in punk rock in the United States during the mid-1990s. To date, The Offspring has released eight studio albums, one compilation, four EPs and three DVDs. They have sold over 34 million albums worldwide, making them one of the best-selling punk rock acts of all time. Each album since the release of their 1994 album Smash has sold over a million units. Since the release of Smash, which is the best-selling independen