Muse

Muse
Origin: Teignmouth, Devon, England
Genre: Alternative rock
Years active: 1994–present

Formation and early years (1992–1997)

The members of Muse played in separate bands during their stay at Teignmouth Community College and Coombeshead College in the early 1990s. The formation of Muse began when Bellamy successfully auditioned for the part of guitarist in Dominic Howard's band. They asked Chris Wolstenholme, who played drums at the time, to learn to play bass guitar for the band. Wolstenholme agreed and took up lessons.

In 1994, under the name Rocket Baby Dolls and with a goth/glam image, the group won a local battle of the bands contest, smashing their equipment in the process. "It was supposed to be a protest, a statement", Bellamy said, "so, when we actually won, it was a real shock. A massive shock. After that, we started taking ourselves seriously". Shortly after the contest, the three decided to forego university, quit their jobs, change the band name to Muse, and move away from Teignmouth.

First EPs and Showbiz (1998–2000)

After a few years building a fan base, Muse played their first gigs in London and Manchester. The band had a significant meeting with Dennis Smith, the owner of Sawmills Studio, situated in a converted water mill in Cornwall. This meeting led to their first proper recordings and the release of an eponymous EP on Sawmills' in-house Dangerous label, with a front cover designed by Howard. Their second EP, the Muscle Museum EP, reached number 3 in the indie singles chart and attracted the attention of British radio broadcaster Steve Lamacq as well as the weekly British music publication NME.

John Leckie was brought in to produce the band's first record, Showbiz. The album showcased the band's soft style, and the lyrics made reference to the difficulties they had encountered while trying to establish themselves in Teignmouth.

Origin of Symmetry and Hullabaloo (2001–2002)

During production of the band's second album, Origin of Symmetry, the band experimented with instrumentation such as a church organ, Mellotron, and an expanded drum kit. There were more of Bellamy's high-pitched vocal lines, arpeggiated guitar, and piano playing. Bellamy cites guitar influences such as Jimi Hendrix and Tom Morello (of Rage Against the Machine & Audioslave), the latter evident in the more riff-based songs in Origin of Symmetry and in Bellamy's extensive use of pitch-shifting effects in his solos.

Origin of Symmetry was well-received by critics; Dean Carlson of Allmusic commented that "...if you want to sound like Radiohead when even Thom Yorke doesn't want to sound like Radiohead, you might as well take it to such preposterous, bombastic, over-the-top-levels". NME gave the album 9/10 with Roger Morton writing, "It's amazing for such a young band to load up with a heritage that includes the darker visions of Cobain and Kafka, Mahler and The Tiger Lillies, Cronenberg and Schoenberg, and make a sexy, populist album. But Muse have carried it off".

Absolution (2003–2005)

Studio album Absolution, produced by Rich Costey, was released in 2003. The album yielded the hit singles "Time Is Running Out" and "Hysteria". Muse subsequently undertook their first international stadium tour. It continued for about a year and saw Muse visiting Australia, New Zealand, the United States, Canada, and France. Meanwhile, the band released five singles ("Time Is Running Out", "Hysteria", "Sing for Absolution", "Stockholm Syndrome", & "Butterflies and Hurricanes"). The US leg of the 2004 tour began ominously as Bellamy injured himself on stage during the opening show in Atlanta. The tour resumed after several stitches and a couple of days.


Black Holes & Revelations and HAARP (2006–2008)

In July 2006, Muse released their fourth album, co-produced by Muse and by Rich Costey, titled Black Holes & Revelations. The album was released officially in Japan on 28 June 2006, in Europe on 3 July 2006 and, in North America on 11 July 2006. The album charted at No. 1 in the UK, much of Europe, and Australia. It was also a success in the United States, reaching No. 9 in the Billboard 200 album chart.[18] Black Holes & Revelations was nominated for the 2006 Mercury Music Prize, but lost to Arctic Monkeys. The album did, however, earn a Platinum Europe Award after selling one million copies in the continent. The album's title and themes are the result of the band's fascination with science fiction and political outrage. In August 2006, Muse recorded a live session at Abbey Road Studios for Live from Abbey Road.

Possibly their biggest performances to date were two gigs at the newly rebuilt Wembley Stadium on 16 June and 17 2007. Both Wembley concerts were recorded for a DVD/CD titled HAARP, which was released on the 17 March 2008 in the UK and 1 April 2008 in the USA. The title refers to the High Frequency Active Auroral Research Program, a scientific research program aimed at studying the properties and behaviour of the ionosphere.




Discography

* Showbiz (1999)
* Origin of Symmetry (2001)
* Hullabaloo Soundrack (2002)
* Microcuts on stage (2002)
* Absolution (2003)
* Live at Earls court, London (2004)
* Black Holes and Revelations (2006)
* Shepherd's Bush Empire, London (2006)
* HAARP Live in Wembley (2008)
* Inspirations Part I
* Inspirations Part II

info from Wikipedia

Cherry Poppin´ Daddies

Cherry Poppin' Daddies
Origin: Eugene, Oregon, United States
Genre: Rock, Swing, Ska
Years active: 1988–present

Beginnings

The Cherry Poppin' Daddies were formed in Eugene, Oregon in late 1988, the product of singer/songwriter Steve Perry. Perry, a native of Binghamton, New York, moved to Eugene in the early 80s and enrolled in the University of Oregon where he met bassist Dan Schmid. The two eventually dropped out of college to focus primarily on music, both playing in a number of punk rock bands before forming what would soon become the Daddies.

The name of the band was a last minute decision. The members had been debating over what to call themselves, pitching such suggestions as Big Yank, Mr. Wiggles and The Iron Men of Leisure. Finding themselves without a name and the deadline for their first show rapidly approaching, they quickly decided upon the intentionally provocative moniker of "Cherry Poppin' Daddies", taken from a line in a race record the members had heard. The name was never meant to insinuate rape or incest, but was rather a campy homage to the cartoonish risqué of the Dixieland recordings that had inspired them; as Perry put it, a sexy name that swings.

Ferociously Stoned and Growing Popularity (1990 - 1996)

In 1989, the Daddies released their first demo, a cassette entitled Four From On High, featuring four tracks of swing and hard funk. After selling reasonably well and winning the approval of legendary DJ Al "Jazzbo" Collins, the group recorded their self-produced debut Ferociously Stoned in 1990, released on independent label Sub Par Records (subsequently released on the band's own label, Space Age Bachelor Pad Records). Featuring heavy emphasis on bass and brass and lyrics that ranged from deep and insightful to raunchy and hyper-juvenile, the album proudly displayed the band's rich diversity, swaying between swing, hot jazz, hard rock and even disco and R&B.

Around 1993, the Daddies had cleaned up their stage act, replacing their shock-rock stunts with high-speed energy and Perry's frantic Cab Calloway-like dancing. The band's transition into semi-maturity was evident in their second independently released album, 1994's Rapid City Muscle Car. A lyric-driven concept album, Muscle Car proved to be even more eclectic than their debut, incorporating ska punk, country, 50s rock 'n' roll, psychedelia and neo-lounge into the band's already diverse repertoire of swing, rock and funk. The album was released to similar critical acclaim as their debut, with The Stranger calling it "a hell of a ride".

1996 saw the release of the Daddies' third self-produced album, Kids on the Street. Featuring Perry on rhythm guitar, Kids was a notable departure from the band's last two albums, featuring lyrical themes that were considerably darker in tone, less prominent brass and a predominantly guitar-driven alternative rock and grunge-pop sound, though the record occasionally branched into ska, power pop, southern rock and jazz. Distributed by noted indie label Caroline Records, Kids worked it's way up Rolling Stone's alternative charts, eventually selling 25,000 copies.

Zoot Suit Riot and Mainstream Exposure (1997 - 1999)

Although third wave ska and ska punk were on their way to dominating the mainstream in early 1997, the Daddies began attracting a larger swing-oriented fanbase, enough so that concert-goers would frequently approach their merch booth and ask which of their albums had the most swing songs on them.
Seeing an opportunity, yet lacking the financing to record a new album, the band's manager convinced the Daddies to compile all of the straight swing tracks from their first three releases into one album, resulting in Zoot Suit Riot: The Swingin' Hits of the Cherry Poppin' Daddies, which also featured four brand-new tracks, including the eponymous song. Reportedly, the record sold as many as 4,000 copies a week. At this time, the Daddies underwent another change in image, as they started catering their sets more towards their newfound swing fans and adopted a new appearance in the way of retro suits, a decision made after suit-clad Mighty Mighty Bosstones frontman Dicky Barrett teased the group for their shabby onstage clothing.

Soul Caddy and Hiatus (2000 - 2005)

In 2000, the Daddies returned to the studio and recorded their fourth album, Soul Caddy. Another loose concept album reflecting themes of loneliness and alienation, Soul Caddy was a return to the band's standard multi-genre format, delving into soul, Mod revival, ska, hard rock, swing, funk and jazz. The album's leading single was the T. Rex-influenced, Tony Visconti-produced glitter rock number "Diamond Light Boogie".

Ultimately, despite receiving moderate critical acclaim, the single didn't chart and Soul Caddy met with disappointing sales, due not only in part of the demise of the swing revival, but also because of audience misconceptions; the majority of new fans the band had accumulated during the Zoot Suit Riot period were unaware of the Daddies' early work and believed them to be a swing-only band, and were thus confused and dissatisfied with the album's lack of swing tracks.

Resurgence and Susquehanna (2005 - present)

Their sixth album, Susquehanna, was quietly released via download on the band's website in February 2008, before receiving a proper compact disc release through Space Age Bachelor Pad the following June, coinciding with their latest US tour.
Susquehanna continued in the Daddies' trademark multi-genre concept album format. Featuring a predominantly Latin-inspired sound, the album experiments with flamenco, bossa nova, Latin rock, reggae and soca, while keeping true to the band's roots of swing, ska and rock. Reviews of the album were mixed; though no major publications provided reviews, amateur internet reviewers, most of whom were mainly, if not only, familiar with Zoot Suit Riot, either praised the band for their musical experimentation or criticized it.






Discography

1990 Ferociously Stoned
1994 Rapid City Muscle Car
1996 Kids on the Street
1997 Zoot Suit Riot
2000 Soul Caddy
2008 Susquehanna

info from Wikipedia

Mr Bungle

Mr. Bungle
Origin: Humboldt County, California, United States
Genre: Experimental rock
Years active: 1985–2000


Early days (1985–1990)

Mr. Bungle formed in 1985 in Eureka, California while the members were still in high school. The band initially consisted of Trevor Dunn, Mike Patton, Trey Spruance, Theo Lengyel, and Jed Watts. Watts was subsequently replaced by Hans Wagner, and he by Danny Heifetz, while Clinton "Bär" McKinnon joined in 1989.The band's name was taken from Lunchroom Manners, a 1960s children's educational film which was featured in a Pee Wee Herman HBO special in the early '80s.A puppet named Mr. Bungle was the main character and was used to teach children good manners and hygiene. In 1989 Faith No More bassist Billy Gould told Patton about a pornographic video called Sharon’s Sex Party, which also starred a character known as Mr. Bungle.

Soon after forming, the band's first demo, The Raging Wrath of the Easter Bunny, was recorded during Easter of 1986. It featured a fast, low-fi, death metal style, though it also utilized a trainwhistle, a saxophone, bongos, and a kazoo. The Raging Wrath of the Easter Bunny was followed by the demo Bowel of Chiley in 1987; this recording featured a different style incorporating the sounds of ska, swing, and funk. Bradley Torreano noted in Allmusic that the recording was "essentially the sound of some very talented teenagers trying to make their love of jazz and ska come together in whatever way they can."In 1988 Mr. Bungle released their third demo, Goddammit I Love America!, which was musically similar to Bowel of Chiley. Their final demo tape was OU818, released in 1989; this recording was the first to feature tenor sax player Clinton "Bär" McKinnon and drummer Danny Heifetz. OU818 combined songs from the earlier demos along with some new tracks having a heavier overall sound than the previous releases. In 1989 Mike Patton landed the lead vocalist position with San Francisco's Faith No More, getting the job after Jim Martin of Faith No More heard him on a Mr. Bungle demo.Patton decided not to break up Mr. Bungle, and continued to be a member of both bands simultaneously. Having established a strong following in Northern California, Mr. Bungle was signed to Warner Bros., who released their self-titled debut in 1991.

Self titled debut (1991–1994)

Their debut, Mr. Bungle, was recorded a year after Mike Patton was recruited into Faith No More and was produced by jazz experimentalist John Zorn. Released on August 13, 1991 the album contained several new songs and was similar in style to OU818. The record mixed metal, funk, ska, carnival music, and free jazz, but was normally described as "funk metal" by music critics. Almost all the members went by obscure aliases in the album credits. To promote the album in some stores, a Mr. Bungle bubble bath was given away with copies of the record sold.

It received mostly positive reviews with journalist Bill Pahnelas calling it "an incredible musical tour de force, and hands down the best alternative rock record of the year so far".On the style of the album, critic Steve Huey wrote in Allmusic "Mr. Bungle is a dizzying, disconcerting, schizophrenic tour through just about any rock style the group can think of, hopping from genre to genre without any apparent rhyme or reason, and sometimes doing so several times in the same song. His criticism of the album included commenting that it was "unfocused" and "a difficult, not very accessible record".

The first track was originally called "Travolta" however, the actor John Travolta took issue with this title and threatened legal action. With the encouragement of Warner Bros. the song name was changed and on later pressings of the album was called "Quote Unquote", which is also the title of an unauthorized John Travolta biography by Bob McCabe.They created a video for "Travolta" and submitted it to MTV. However, the station refused to air the video because of images of bodies dangling on meat hooks.

Disco Volante (1995–1998)

Due to artwork delays and the band members' many side-projects, it was another 4 years before Disco Volante was released in October 1995. This, their second major release, has a different tone and style to earlier Mr. Bungle recordings. While the self-titled album was described as "funk metal", with Disco Volante this was replaced with the label "avant-garde" or "experimental."

The music was complex and unpredictable with the band continuing with their shifts of musical style. Some of the tracks were in foreign languages and would radically change genres mid-song. Featuring lyrics about death, suicide, and child abuse, along with death metal, children's songs, and a Middle Eastern techno number, music critic Greg Prato described the album as having "a totally original and new musical style that sounds like nothing that currently exists". Not all critics were impressed with the album, with The Washington Post describing it as "an album of cheesy synthesizers, mangled disco beats, virtuosic playing and juvenile noises", calling it "self-indulgent" and adding that "Mr. Bungle's musicians like to show off their classical, jazz and world-beat influences in fast, difficult passages which are technically impressive but never seem to go anywhere". Additionally, writer Scott McGaughey described it as "difficult" and was critical of its "lack of actual songs".

Disco Volante included influences from contemporary classical music, avant-garde jazz, electronic music pioneer Pierre Henry, Edgar Allan Poe, John Zorn, Frank Zappa, Penderecki, and European film music of the 1960s and 1970s such as those composed by Ennio Morricone and Peter Thomas.

California (1999–2000)

After another 4 year break between albums, the band's third album, California, was released on July 13, 1999.Ground and Sky reviews have described California as Mr. Bungle's most accessible and while the genre shifts are still present, they are less frequent, with succinct song formats resulting in an album that The Associated Press called more linear. Allmusic described the record as "their most concise album to date; and while the song structures are far from traditional, they're edging more in that direction and that greatly helps the listener in making sense of the often random-sounding juxtapositions of musical genres". On the different style of this album, Mike Patton explained that to the band "the record is pop-y", before adding "but to some fucking No Doubt fan in Ohio, they're not going to swallow that."The album was well received with music critic Robert Everett-Green stating "The band's newest and greatest album does not reveal itself quickly, but once the bug bites, there is no cure. The best disc of the year, by a length."Trevor Dunn in concert supporting California

Additionally, the recording process for California became much more complex. The group chose to record the disc on analog rather than digitally and some songs required several 24-track machines while utilizing more than 50 analog tracks. As a result each song contains detailed layers of original samples, keyboards, percussion, and melodies. The album displays influences from Burt Bacharach and The Beach Boys, while blending lounge, pop, jazz, funk, thrash-metal, Hawaiian, Middle Eastern, kecak, and avant-garde music. The band did 5 tours to support this record. For the most part, perhaps with the exception of the Sno-Core 2000 tour where they were often booed, the band did have success attracting an audience.

Mr. Bungle's end

Following the 2000 tour the band again went on hiatus. Rumors circulated that the band had dissolved, with some members stating that the band was “over” while others insisted it was just "in limbo". In 2003 Patton alluded to the fact that the band would probably not record any more albums stating "I think it is over. The guys are spread all over the world and we don't talk to each other. I have not spoken to a couple of the guys since the last tour, years ago."While no official break-up announcement ever materialized, a 2004 Rolling Stone interview confirmed Mr. Bungle had disbanded with Patton revealing “We could have probably squeezed out a couple more records but the collective personality of this group became so dysfunctional, this band was poisoned by one person's petty jealousy and insecurity, and it led us to a slow, unnatural death. And I'm at peace with that, because I know I tried all I could."When asked about a possible reunion, Mike Patton said, "It could happen, but I won’t be singing. Some bridges have definitely been burned. It was a fun time and sometimes you just have to move on. I’ve got a lot on my plate now." Trevor Dunn adds, on his website, "Bungle is dead and I'm happy about it" and that "the members of Mr. Bungle will never work together as such again". Spruance, Heifetz, and McKinnon have been more optimistic; in response to a 'Mr. Bungle regrouping' question, Spruance stated “I hope so because that band could take over the fucking world if it wanted to."



Discography

* 1991 - Mr Bungle (2 parts)
* 1995 - Disco Volante
* 1999 - California

info from Wikipedia