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Ralph Records
Ralph Records was an independent record label active between 1972 and 1989, best known for being initially run by avant-garde art collective, ''The Residents''. The name coming from the slang phrase for vomiting, "calling Ralph on the porcelain telephone". Ralph was founded in 1972, shortly after the Residents had moved to San Francisco, when they realized that it was the only entity that would be willing to publish their work. They "unincorporated" themselves as the Residents Uninc. and managed the new company under that name. One of the group's members could draw, so they gave the company a graphic design wing called Porno Graphics, a.k.a. Pore-Know Graphics, a.k.a. Poor No Graphics, a.k.a. Porneaugraphics, etc., and the whole operation was run out of their new two-story building at 18 Sycamore St. in the Mission District. The band named its studio El Ralpho, spoofing Sun Ra who had named his El Saturn. Ralph's first release was December 1972's ''Santa Dog'' (RR-1272), a two-disc ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Residents
The Residents are an American art collective and art rock band best known for their avant-garde music and multimedia works. Since their first official release, ''Meet the Residents'' (1974), they have released over 60 albums, numerous music videos and short films, three CD-ROM projects, and ten DVDs. They have undertaken seven major world tours and film score, scored multiple films. Pioneers in exploring the potential of CD-ROM and similar technologies, the Residents have won several awards for their multimedia projects. They founded Ralph Records, a record label focusing on avant-garde music, in 1972. Throughout the group's existence, the individual members have ostensibly attempted to work anonymously, preferring to have attention focused on their art. Much speculation and rumor has focused on this aspect of the group. In public, they appear silent and costumed, often wearing eyeball helmets, top hats and tails—a costume now recognized as their signature iconography. In 201 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Eugene Chadbourne
Eugene Chadbourne (born January 4, 1954) is an American banjoist, guitarist and music critic. Life and career Chadbourne was born in Mount Vernon, New York, but grew up in Boulder, Colorado. He started playing guitar when he was eleven or twelve, inspired by the Beatles and hoping to get the attention of girls. Although he was drawn to Jimi Hendrix and played in a garage band, he found rock and pop music too conventional. He gravitated to the avant-garde jazz of Anthony Braxton and Derek Bailey. Braxton persuaded Chadbourne to abandon his intention to enter journalism and instead pursue music. During the early 1970s, he lived in Canada to avoid military service in the Vietnam War. Returning to the United States, he moved to New York City in the mid 1970s and played free improvisation with Henry Kaiser and John Zorn. Around this time, he released his first album, ''Solo Acoustic Guitar''. In the early 1980s, he led the avant-rock band Shockabilly with Mark Kramer and David Li ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Voice Farm
Voice Farm is a musical group and video collective based in San Francisco. Vocalist Charly Brown and sound designer Myke Reilly form the core of the group, who met in 1980. Voice Farm's musical style has evolved from their influential early-1980s synth-pop sound. In 1991 they released a hit single, "Free Love". A fascination with popular culture and media continue to fuel Voice Farm's creative projects, including videos that they have on their website. Guitarist Ken Weller and back-up singer Marilynn Fowler are featured on the group's latest album, entitled ''Super Nova Experts'' (2009). A Voice Farm song ("Sleep") appears on the ''Let Them Eat Jellybeans ''Let Them Eat Jellybeans!'', subtitled "17 Extracts From America's Darker Side", is a compilation album released by Jello Biafra's Alternative Tentacles in 1981. It was one of the earliest compilations of underground music in the United States ...'' compilation. Discography Studio albums *'' The World We Live In'' (198 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tuxedomoon
Tuxedomoon is an experimental music, experimental, post-punk, New wave music, new wave band from San Francisco, California, United States. The band formed in the late 1970s at the beginning of the punk rock movement. Pulling influence from punk and electronic music, the group, originally consisting of Steven Brown (born Steven Allan Brown on August 23, 1952, in Chicago, Illinois) and Blaine L. Reininger, used electronic violins, guitars, screaming vocals and synthesizers to develop a unique "cabaret no-wave" sound. Bassist Peter Principle (Peter Dachert, 1954–2017) joined the band and in 1979 they released the single "No Tears", which remains a post-punk cult classic. That year they signed to Ralph Records and released their first album, ''Half-Mute''. Eventually, Reininger left the group, and Tuxedomoon relocated to Europe, signing to Crammed Discs and releasing ''Holy Wars (album), Holy Wars'' in 1985. The band separated in the early 1990s, only to reunite later that decade. The ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Suckdog
Suckdog was an American underground band. The core members were the married couple Lisa Crystal Carver and Jean-Louis Costes. Suckdog toured the continental United States for several years with "Suckdog Circus," performing a mix of wrestling, musical performances, film screenings, and general audience agitation. The heart of the Suckdog Circus were the noise music "operas" written by Costes and Carver which involved strange experimental fantasy stories with much blood and sex. Other performers in the Suckdog Circus included Dame Darcy, Davey "OHIO" Highben, Coz the Shroom, Nick Zedd Nick may refer to: * Nick (given name) * A cricket term for a slight deviation of the ball off the edge of the bat * British slang for being arrested * British slang for a police station * British slang for stealing * Short for nickname Place ... and Helen Suckpuppy. A DVD was released in 2005 by Nut Music entitled ''Drugs Are Nice: A Suckumentary 1988-2005'', containing excerpts of various p ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bill Spooner
William "Sputnik" Spooner (born August 16, 1949) is a musician, guitarist, singer and songwriter, and the founder of The Tubes, a theatrical rock band. His songwriting is known for its use of humor and satire. He has released three solo albums: ''First Chud'' (1985), ''Mall to Mars'' (1997), and ''Demo-licious''. He currently plays in the San Francisco Bay Area with his acoustic group, The Folk-Ups. Biography/music career Spooner was born and raised in Arizona with a few years spent in Lubbock, Texas. His family later moved back to Arizona, to Phoenix, where he began to play guitar. His first band was the XLs, a Beatles cover band. A band he started subsequently, the Beans, moved to San Francisco in 1970. Shortly after arriving the Beans merged with another group, the Red, White and Blues Band, to become the Tubes. He was guitarist, vocalist and principal songwriter for this group, known for their theatrical stage performances. The Tubes became a successful local and even ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rhythm & Noise
''Rhythm & Noise'' were an American Experimental music and multimedia ensemble from San Francisco, California. The group originally consisted of Naut Humon, Nik Fault, and Rex Probe, who started the project in the mid-70s under the name Cellar-M.Hovancsek, Mik''Z'ev: Swords into Plowshares'' Adventures in Sound. Retrieved on August 2, 2012.Cope, Eri o-art.org. 1986. Retrieved on August 2, 2012. In 1984, The Residents convinced the band to join their label Ralph Records, under which the group released two albums and an extended music video.Naut Humon Interview July 2007. Retrieved on August 2, 2012. Naut Humon decided against releasing anymore records under the name Rhythm & Noise and began focusing on his work with Sound Traffic Control. Discography ...[...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Renaldo And The Loaf
Renaldo and the Loaf are an English musical duo formed in 1977 consisting of David "Ted the Loaf" Janssen and Brian "Renaldo Malpractice" Poole. The two released six full-length albums, one live album, and three self-produced demos. Sound Renaldo & The Loaf attempted to replicate the sound of synthesizers using acoustic instruments. They manipulated tape loops and muffled and detuned their instruments. Background Formation (1970 - 1976) David Janssen and Brian Poole met each other at school in the spring of 1970, when they bonded over a love for Tyrannosaurus Rex and began to play guitar. Early Career (1977 - 1980) The two had been recording together as early as 1977, creating sound experiments that neither considered 'songs'. During this period they, along with friend Terry Nichols, worked on a four part instrumental suite titled 'Segment', which was completed in the spring of 1978. After deciding to attempt a more song like structure in September 1978, the duo adop ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nash The Slash
James Jeffrey "Jeff" Plewman (March 26, 1948 – May 10, 2014), better known by his stage name Nash the Slash, was a Canadian musician. A multi-instrumentalist, he was known primarily for playing the electric violin and mandolin, as well as the harmonica, keyboards, glockenspiel, and other instruments (sometimes described as "devices" on album notes). Nash worked as a solo artist beginning in 1975; founding the progressive rock band FM in 1976. Soon after releasing the band's first album, ''Black Noise'', in 1977, he left the band; he resumed his solo career in 1978 (it was not until after Nash's departure that the album was widely promoted, eventually charting and receiving a gold record award). He rejoined FM from 1983 to 1988, followed by a brief reunion from 1994 to 1996, all concurrent with his solo work. Nash's music covers an eclectic range, varying from instrumental—mood-setting music, to rock and pop music with vocals. In addition to giving concert performances, he ha ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
MX-80 (band)
MX-80, also known as MX-80 Sound, is an eclectic American art-rock band founded in 1974 in Bloomington, Indiana, United States, by guitarist Bruce Anderson. Considered “one of the most out of step but prescient bands of its time", MX-80's signature sound consisted of breakneck metallic guitar combined with atonal chord structure, cross-rhythmic percussion and dispassionate vocals. Notoriously difficult to categorize—the band has been labeled noise rock, post-punk, acid punk, and heavy-metal—MX-80's sonic melange set the stage for bands such as Swans, Sonic Youth, Codeine, and Shellac. Early years Originally named MX-80 Sound, MX-80 was formed in 1974 by Bruce Anderson (guitar) and Dale Sophiea (bass). Sophiea and Anderson, former members of Bloomington's Screaming Gypsy Bandits, shared an interest in modern classical composers as well as in avant rockers like Captain Beefheart and the Hampton Grease Band. They soon added two drummers, Jeff Armour, and Kevin Teare in 1975 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
King Kurt
King Kurt are a rock-n-roll band from the UK. They formed in 1981 and split up in 1988, although they have reformed sporadically and played a reunion concert in 2010. They are best known for their hit single, "Destination Zululand" (1983). Formation The band began as Rockin' Kurt and his Sauer Krauts in 1981, with Jeff Harvey on vocals, John Reddington on guitar, Bert Boustead on bass guitar, Alan "Maggot" Power on "saxamaphone" and Rory Lyons on drums. Paul "Thwack" Laventhol joined on guitar at their third gig in July 1981, and the name was shortened to King Kurt later that year.Official websit"History" Retrieved 21 February 2010. Notoriety Harvey left in 1982 to be replaced by Gary "The Smeg" Clayton as vocalist, and it was at Harvey's farewell concert at the 101 Club in Battersea, London that the infamous "food fight" gigs started. The band were known for their stage performances in which eggs and bags of flour were thrown around both on and off stage. Free haircuts and ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Fred Frith
Jeremy Webster "Fred" Frith (born 17 February 1949) is an English multi-instrumentalist, composer, and improviser. Probably best known for his guitar work, Frith first came to attention as one of the founding members of the English avant-rock group Henry Cow. He was also a member of the groups Art Bears, Massacre, and Skeleton Crew. He has collaborated with a number of prominent musicians, including Robert Wyatt, Derek Bailey, the Residents, Lol Coxhill, John Zorn, Brian Eno, Mike Patton, Lars Hollmer, Bill Laswell, Iva Bittová, Jad Fair, Kramer, the ARTE Quartett, and Bob Ostertag. He has also composed several long works, including ''Traffic Continues'' (1996, performed 1998 by Frith and Ensemble Modern) and ''Freedom in Fragments'' (1993, performed 1999 by Rova Saxophone Quartet). Frith produces most of his own music, and has also produced many albums by other musicians, including Curlew, the Muffins, Etron Fou Leloublan, and Orthotonics. He is the subject of Nicolas ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
