Robert Arthur Mould (born October 16, 1960) is an American musician, principally known for his work as guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter for
alternative rock
Alternative rock, or alt-rock, is a category of rock music that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1970s and became widely popular in the 1990s. "Alternative" refers to the genre's distinction from Popular culture, mainstre ...
bands
Hüsker Dü
Hüsker Dü () was an American punk rock band formed in Saint Paul, Minnesota, in 1979. The band's continual members were guitarist/vocalist Bob Mould, bassist/vocalist Greg Norton, and drummer/vocalist Grant Hart. They first gained notabili ...
in the 1980s and
Sugar
Sugar is the generic name for sweet-tasting, soluble carbohydrates, many of which are used in food. Simple sugars, also called monosaccharides, include glucose, fructose, and galactose. Compound sugars, also called disaccharides or double ...
in the 1990s.
Early years
Born in
Malone
Malone is an Irish surname. From the Irish "''Mael Eóin''", the name means a servant or a disciple of Saint John.
People
* Gilla Críst Ua Máel Eóin (died 1127), historian and Abbot of Clonmacnoise, Ó Maoil Eoin
* Adrian Malone (1937–2 ...
,
New York, Mould lived in several places, including the
Minneapolis-St. Paul area, where he attended
Macalester College
Macalester College () is a private liberal arts college in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Founded in 1874, Macalester is exclusively an undergraduate four-year institution and enrolled 2,174 students in the fall of 2018 from 50 U.S. states, four U.S te ...
. There, he formed
Hüsker Dü
Hüsker Dü () was an American punk rock band formed in Saint Paul, Minnesota, in 1979. The band's continual members were guitarist/vocalist Bob Mould, bassist/vocalist Greg Norton, and drummer/vocalist Grant Hart. They first gained notabili ...
in the late 1970s with drummer/singer
Grant Hart
Grantzberg Vernon Hart (March 18, 1961 – September 13, 2017) was an American musician, best known as the drummer and co-songwriter for the punk rock band Hüsker Dü. After the band's breakup in 1988, he released his first solo album '' ...
and bass guitarist
Greg Norton
Gregory James Norton (born March 13, 1959) is an American musician, formerly of the band Hüsker Dü.
Early life
Norton was born in Davenport, Iowa, as this was the most local Catholic hospital to his family’s home in Rock Island, Illinois. He ...
. Mould and Hart were the principal songwriters for Hüsker Dü, with Hart's higher-pitched vocals and Mould's baritone taking the lead in alternate songs.
Musical career
Hüsker Dü
Forming in 1979, Hüsker Dü first gained notice as a
punk rock group with a series of recordings on the independent label
SST Records
SST Records is an American independent record label formed in 1978 in Long Beach, California by musician Greg Ginn. The company was formed in 1966 by Ginn at age 12 as Solid State Tuners, a small business through which he sold electronics equipm ...
. In 1986, they signed with a major record label (
Warner Bros. Records
Warner Records Inc. (formerly Warner Bros. Records Inc.) is an American record label. A subsidiary of the Warner Music Group, it is headquartered in Los Angeles, California. It was founded on March 19, 1958, as the recorded music division of the ...
), but found only modest commercial success. However, they were later often cited as one of the key influences on 1990s
alternative rock
Alternative rock, or alt-rock, is a category of rock music that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1970s and became widely popular in the 1990s. "Alternative" refers to the genre's distinction from Popular culture, mainstre ...
, including bands such as
Nirvana
( , , ; sa, निर्वाण} ''nirvāṇa'' ; Pali: ''nibbāna''; Prakrit: ''ṇivvāṇa''; literally, "blown out", as in an oil lampRichard Gombrich, ''Theravada Buddhism: A Social History from Ancient Benāres to Modern Colombo.' ...
and
Pixies
A pixie (also pisky, pixy, pixi, pizkie, and piskie in Cornwall and Devon, and pigsie or puggsy in the New Forest) is a mythical creature of British folklore. Pixies are considered to be particularly concentrated in the high moorland areas aro ...
.
In the late 1980s, Hüsker Dü broke up acrimoniously amid members'
drug abuse, personal problems, disputes over songwriting credits, musical direction, and the suicide of the band's manager, David Savoy.
Mould and
Grant Hart
Grantzberg Vernon Hart (March 18, 1961 – September 13, 2017) was an American musician, best known as the drummer and co-songwriter for the punk rock band Hüsker Dü. After the band's breakup in 1988, he released his first solo album '' ...
, the band's other songwriter and vocalist, still took occasional jabs at each other in the press until Hart's death in 2017, though the two briefly revisited their Hüsker Dü back catalog together at a 2004
benefit concert
A benefit concert or charity concert is a type of musical benefit performance (e.g., concert, show, or gala) featuring musicians, comedians, or other performers that is held for a charitable purpose, often directed at a specific and immediate hu ...
for an ailing friend, the late
Karl Mueller of
Soul Asylum
Soul Asylum is an American alternative rock band formed in 1981 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Their 1993 hit "Runaway Train" won the Grammy Award for Best Rock Song.
The band was originally called Loud Fast Rules, with a lineup consisting of Dav ...
.
First solo period (1988–1991)
![Bob Mould Pine City Farmhouse](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/05/Bob_Mould_Pine_City_Farmhouse.jpg)
After Hüsker Dü broke up in 1988, Mould sequestered himself in a remote farmhouse in
Pine City, Minnesota
Pine City is a city in and the county seat of Pine County, in east central Minnesota, United States. The population was 3,130 at the 2020 census. A portion of the city is located on the Mille Lacs Indian Reservation. Founded as a railway town, ...
, having quit drinking and drugs, and wrote the songs that would make up his first solo album. Signing to the newly formed Virgin Records America label, 1989's ''
Workbook
Workbooks are paperback textbooks
A textbook is a book containing a comprehensive compilation of content in a branch of study with the intention of explaining it. Textbooks are produced to meet the needs of educators, usually at educational i ...
'' eschewed Mould's trademark wall-of-noise guitar for a lighter tone. Drummer
Anton Fier
Anton Fier (June 20, 1956 – September 14, 2022) was an American drummer, producer, composer, and bandleader.
Family
Fier, known as Tony, was born in Cleveland, Ohio, to Ruthe Marie Fier and Anton J. Fier Jr., a former Marine and electrician. ...
(of
The Feelies
The Feelies are an American rock band from Haledon, New Jersey. They formed in 1976 and disbanded in 1992 having released four albums. The band reunited in 2008, and released new albums in 2011 and 2017.
Although not commercially successful, th ...
and later
The Golden Palominos
The Golden Palominos were an American musical group headed by drummer, producer, arranger and composer Anton Fier, first formed in 1981. Aside from Fier, the Palominos membership has been wildly elastic, with only bassist Bill Laswell and guita ...
) and bassist
Tony Maimone
Tony Maimone (born September 27, 1952) is a bassist, producer, and recording engineer, who lives in Brooklyn, New York.
He was a member of Pere Ubu from the mid-1970s to the early 1990s, often playing with drummer Scott Krauss. The duo were dubb ...
(of
Pere Ubu
Pere Ubu is an American rock group formed in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1975. The band had a variety of long-term and recurring band members, with singer David Thomas being the only member staying throughout the band's lifetime. They released their ...
) served as Mould's rhythm section. The album peaked at number 127 on the ''
Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
'' 200 chart, and the single "See a Little Light" reached number 4 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart.
1990's ''
Black Sheets of Rain'' had a much heavier guitar sound, recalling Hüsker Dü's louder, angrier moments. According to the liner notes for the 2012 re-release of
Sugar
Sugar is the generic name for sweet-tasting, soluble carbohydrates, many of which are used in food. Simple sugars, also called monosaccharides, include glucose, fructose, and galactose. Compound sugars, also called disaccharides or double ...
's ''
Copper Blue
''Copper Blue'' is the debut studio album by American alternative rock band Sugar. It was voted 1992 Album of the Year by the NME. All of the songs were written by guitarist/vocalist Bob Mould, who also co-produced with Lou Giordano. Musically, t ...
'',
Creation Records
Creation Records Ltd. was a British independent record label founded in 1983 by Alan McGee, Dick Green, and Joe Foster. Its name came from the 1960s band The Creation, whom McGee greatly admired. The label ceased operations in 1999, although ...
president
Alan McGee
Alan John McGee (born 29 September 1960) is a Scottish businessman and music industry executive. He has been a record label owner, musician, manager, and music blogger for ''The Guardian''. He co-founded the independent Creation Records label, r ...
verified that total album sales were 7,000 copies. Still, the album peaked at number 123 on the ''
Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
'' 200 chart, and the single "It's Too Late" reached number 10 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart.
Mould also co-founded a record label, Singles Only Label, with Coyote Records label founder Steve Fallon. The label released singles from bands such as
Daniel Johnston
Daniel Dale Johnston (January 22, 1961 – September 11, 2019) was an American singer, musician and artist regarded as a significant figure in outsider, lo-fi, and alternative music scenes. Most of his work consisted of cassettes recorded a ...
,
Grant Lee Buffalo
Grant Lee Buffalo was an American rock band based in Los Angeles, California, United States, consisting of Grant-Lee Phillips (vocals and guitar), Paul Kimble (bass) and Joey Peters (drums). All three were previously members of another Los Ange ...
,
Moby
Richard Melville Hall (born September 11, 1965), known professionally as Moby, is an American musician, songwriter, singer, producer, and animal rights activist. He has sold 20 million records worldwide. AllMusic considers him to be "among the ...
,
Mojo Nixon
Mojo Nixon (born Neill Kirby McMillan, Jr.; August 2, 1957) is an American musician and actor best known for his humorous, irreverent Novelty song "Elvis Is Everywhere" which was an alternative staple on MTV. His style can generally be defined ...
,
Morphine
Morphine is a strong opiate that is found naturally in opium, a dark brown resin in poppies (''Papaver somniferum''). It is mainly used as a analgesic, pain medication, and is also commonly used recreational drug, recreationally, or to make ...
,
Nikki Sudden
Adrian Nicholas Godfrey (19 July 195626 March 2006), known professionally as Nikki Sudden, was a prolific English singer-songwriter and guitarist. He co-founded the post-punk band Swell Maps with his brother, Epic Soundtracks, while attending So ...
, and
R. Stevie Moore
Robert Steven Moore (born January 18, 1952) is an American multi-instrumentalist, singer, and songwriter who pioneered lo-fi (or "DIY") music. Often called the "godfather of home recording", he is one of the most recognized artists of the cas ...
from 1989 to 1994.
Sugar (1992–1995)
Mould then formed the group
Sugar
Sugar is the generic name for sweet-tasting, soluble carbohydrates, many of which are used in food. Simple sugars, also called monosaccharides, include glucose, fructose, and galactose. Compound sugars, also called disaccharides or double ...
, with bassist
David Barbe
David Barbe (pronounced ˈbɑɹ.bi BAR-bee; born September 30, 1963) is an American musician and producer/engineer from Athens, Georgia and director of the Music Business Certificate Program at the University of Georgia. He is chief of Chase Pa ...
and drummer
Malcolm Travis. Along with extensive touring, Sugar released two albums, an EP and a
B-sides collection before breaking up. 1992's ''
Copper Blue
''Copper Blue'' is the debut studio album by American alternative rock band Sugar. It was voted 1992 Album of the Year by the NME. All of the songs were written by guitarist/vocalist Bob Mould, who also co-produced with Lou Giordano. Musically, t ...
'' was named as
NME
''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...
's 1992 Album of the Year, and was Mould's most successful commercial album, selling nearly 300,000 copies.
While in the band Sugar, in 1993 he contributed the track "Can't Fight It" as a solo artist to the AIDS Benefit Album
No Alternative
''No Alternative'' is an alternative rock compilation album produced by Paul Heck and Chris Mundy. It was released in 1993 to benefit AIDS relief. The album features original tracks and cover versions from bands who went on to define the altern ...
produced by the
Red Hot Organization
Red Hot Organization (RHO) is a not-for-profit, 501(c) 3, international organization dedicated to fighting AIDS through pop culture.
Since its inception in 1989, over 400 artists, producers and directors have contributed to over 15 compilati ...
. In 1994, he recorded "Turning of the Tide" for ''Beat The Retreat'', a tribute album to the English guitarist and songwriter
Richard Thompson.
Second solo period (1996–present)
In 1996, Mould returned to solo recording, releasing a
self-titled album in 1996 on
Rykodisc
Rykodisc is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group, operating as a unit of WMG's Independent Label Group and is distributed through Alternative Distribution Alliance.
History
Claiming to be the first Compact Disc, CD-only independ ...
, often referred to as ''Hubcap'' because of the cover photo. Mould played all of the instruments himself, and programmed the drums instead of using a real drummer. The album peaked at number 101 on the ''
Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
'' 200 chart, and number 1 on the Heatseekers chart.
In 1998, Mould released ''
The Last Dog and Pony Show
''The Last Dog and Pony Show'' is the fourth solo album by American alternative rock musician Bob Mould.
Background
The title refers to the fact that Mould planned to cease touring with a full electric band after supporting the album (a plan he st ...
'', his final album on Rykodisc (who had released all of the Sugar albums in the U.S.). The album was named as such because Mould decided that the tour that followed would be his "last electric band tour."
After the tour, Mould took a break from the music world to get involved with another passion of his,
professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a form of theater that revolves around staged wrestling matches. The mock combat is performed in a ring similar to the kind used in boxing, and the dramatic aspects of pro wrestling may be performed both in the ring o ...
, when he joined
WCW
World Championship Wrestling, Inc. (WCW) was an American professional wrestling promotion founded by Ted Turner in 1988, after Turner Broadcasting System, through a subsidiary named Universal Wrestling Corporation, purchased the assets of Nationa ...
as a scriptwriter in 1999 for a brief period.
Creative differences with some of the other writers led to Mould's leaving the company and returning to music. The
liner notes
Liner notes (also sleeve notes or album notes) are the writings found on the sleeves of LP record albums and in booklets that come inserted into the compact disc jewel case or the equivalent packaging for cassettes.
Origin
Liner notes are desce ...
for the 2002 album ''
Modulate'' thank some of the wrestlers he associated with, most notably
Kevin Nash
Kevin Scott Nash (born July 9, 1959) is an American actor and retired professional wrestler, currently signed to WWE under a legends contract. He is best known for his tenure with World Championship Wrestling (WCW) where he performed under his ...
and
Kevin Sullivan.
During a stint living in New York City in the late-1990s, as he more fully embraced his identity as a gay man, Mould's tastes took a detour into
dance music
Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement. In terms of performance, the major categories are live dance music and recorded danc ...
and
electronica
Electronica is both a broad group of electronic-based music styles intended for listening rather than strictly for dancing and a music scene that started in the early 1990s in the United Kingdom. In the United States, the term is mostly used to r ...
. Those influences were clear on his 2002 release ''Modulate'', which featured a strong electronica influence to mixed critical reviews and poor fan reaction. One song, "The Receipt," was fairly straightforward, according to ''City Pages'': it "can be taken as a barely veiled attack on Mould's old Husker Dü-mate Grant Hart." (In fact, another song on the album
Trade"had been written and performed live during his Hüsker Dü days.) In further pursuit of this sound, Mould also began recording under the pseudonym LoudBomb (an
anagram of his name), releasing one CD ("Long Playing Grooves") so far under this name.
![Bob mould mccarren park pool](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/66/Bob_mould_mccarren_park_pool.jpg)
His next solo album, ''
Body of Song
''Body of Song'' is the sixth solo album from Punk rock, punk/Indie rock, indie/alternative rock veteran Bob Mould (ex-Hüsker Dü/Sugar (American band), Sugar). It is his first studio album under his own name since 2002's controversial ''Modulate ...
'', had been originally scheduled to closely follow the release of 2002's ''Modulate''. Instead, Mould worked on the album for the next three years, resulting in a 2005 release. By this time, he had changed his mind on touring with a band, and announced his first band tour since 1998. The tour lineup included bassist
Jason Narducy
Jason V. Narducy is an American musician from Evanston, Illinois, United States.
After receiving his first guitar at the age of nine Narducy started his music career, playing guitar and writing songs for his punk rock band, Verboten. Verboten i ...
(of
Verbow
Verbow was an American alternative rock band formed in Chicago and active between the mid-1990s and early 2000s. The band's sound was distinguished by emotionally direct songwriting and their unconventional use of cello.
History
Early period: Ja ...
), drummer
Brendan Canty
Brendan John Canty (born March 9, 1966, in Teaneck, New Jersey) is an American musician, composer, producer and film maker, best known as the drummer for the band Fugazi.
In 2007, ''Stylus Magazine'' ranked Canty at #29 on the list of "50 Gre ...
(of
Fugazi), and Mould's Blowoff collaborator, Morel, on keyboards.
In addition to his solo work, Mould also worked as a live DJ in collaboration with Washington DC-area dance music artist
Richard Morel
Richard Morel is an American singer-songwriter, DJ, remixer and record producer from the suburbs of Boston, Massachusetts. He has worked extensively with Washington D.C.-based duo Deep Dish, co-writing, co-producing, performing and singing on m ...
, under the collective banner Blowoff. They frequently staged at the
9:30 Club in Washington, D.C. A Blowoff CD was released in September 2006, consisting of songs recorded together by the two. Mould has also done remixes for a variety of dance and alternative rock artists, including a remix of the
Interpol
The International Criminal Police Organization (ICPO; french: link=no, Organisation internationale de police criminelle), commonly known as Interpol ( , ), is an international organization that facilitates worldwide police cooperation and cri ...
song "Length of Love."
''
District Line
The District line is a London Underground line running from in the east and Edgware Road in the west to in west London, where it splits into multiple branches. One branch runs to in south-west London and a short branch, with a limited serv ...
'' was released February 5, 2008. A little over a year later, on April 7, 2009, Mould released his next album entitled ''
Life and Times'' in the midst of researching his life for an autobiography.
Mould ultimately wrote that memoir with
Michael Azerrad
Michael Azerrad is an American author, music journalist, editor, and musician. A graduate of Columbia University, he has written for publications such as '' Spin'', ''Rolling Stone'', and ''The New York Times''. Azerrad's 1993 biography '' Come ...
, the author of ''
Our Band Could Be Your Life
''Our Band Could Be Your Life: Scenes from the American Indie Underground, 1981–1991'' is a book by Michael Azerrad. It chronicles the careers of several underground rock bands who, while finding little or no mainstream success, were hugely ...
'' and ''
Come as You Are: The Story of Nirvana.'' The book, ''See a Little Light: The Trail of Rage and Melody'', was published in June 2011.
On August 6, 2012, Mould released the first single from his first album on
Merge Records
Merge Records is an independent record label based in Durham, North Carolina. It was founded in 1989 by Laura Ballance and Mac McCaughan. It began as an outlet for music from their band Superchunk and music created by friends, and has expande ...
, ''
Silver Age'', on September 4, 2012. It peaked at #52 on the Billboard 200 album chart, #12 on the Alternative Albums chart, and #3 on the Tastemaker Albums chart. In 2014 Mould released ''
Beauty & Ruin'' and in March 2016, his most recent album ''
Patch the Sky'' was released.
On October 25, 2018 Mould shared a new song, "Sunshine Rock" from his new album of the same name, arriving February 8, 2019 via Merge Records
On June 3, 2020 Mould released a new song "American Crisis" the lead single from his album ''Blue Hearts'', released on September 25.
Instruments
As a member of Hüsker Dü, Mould was known for playing
Flying V
The Gibson Flying V is an electric guitar model introduced by Gibson in 1958. The Flying V offered a radical, "futuristic" body design, much like its siblings: the Explorer, which was released the same year, and the Moderne, which was designed ...
–style guitars, mainly an
Ibanez
is a Japanese guitar brand owned by Hoshino Gakki. Based in Nagoya, Aichi, Japan, Hoshino Gakki were one of the first Japanese musical instrument companies to gain a significant foothold in import guitar sales in the United States and Europe, as ...
Rocket Roll Jr.
In 1988, Mould bought a blue Fender American Standard
Stratocaster
The Fender Stratocaster, colloquially known as the Strat, is a model of electric guitar designed from 1952 into 1954 by Leo Fender, Bill Carson, George Fullerton, and Freddie Tavares. The Fender Musical Instruments Corporation has continuously ...
off the rack after playing it "for about 15 seconds, unplugged." The Stratocaster has been his electric guitar of choice since the breakup of Hüsker Dü around that time.
His favored acoustic guitar is a
12-string Yamaha Yamaha may refer to:
* Yamaha Corporation, a Japanese company with a wide range of products and services, established in 1887. The company is the largest shareholder of Yamaha Motor Company (below).
** Yamaha Music Foundation, an organization estab ...
APX.
Collaborations
Mould has made various guest appearances throughout his career. In 1984, Mould played piano on Ground Zero's album ''Ground Zero.''
In 1991, Mould sang and played guitar on the
Golden Palominos album ''Drunk with Passion'' on the song "Dying from the Inside Out." In 1992, he contributed vocals to the song, "Dio" on the
Throwing Muses
Throwing Muses are an American alternative rock band formed in 1981 in Newport, Rhode Island, United States, that toured and recorded extensively until 1997, when its members began concentrating more on other projects.
The group was originall ...
album ''Red Heaven.''
Mould performed the guitars for the
soundtrack
A soundtrack is recorded music accompanying and synchronised to the images of a motion picture, drama, book, television program, radio program, or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack o ...
for the
film version
A film adaptation is the transfer of a work or story, in whole or in part, to a feature film. Although often considered a type of derivative work, film adaptation has been conceptualized recently by academic scholars such as Robert Stam as a dia ...
of
Hedwig and the Angry Inch, released in 1999. In 2000, Mould sang "He Didn't" (written by
Stephin Merritt
Stephin Raymond Merritt (born February 9, 1965) is an American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, best known as the songwriter and principal singer of the bands the Magnetic Fields, the Gothic Archies, and Future Bible Heroes. He is ...
) on
The 6ths
The 6ths is a band created by Stephin Merritt, also the primary songwriter and instrumentalist behind The Magnetic Fields, The Gothic Archies, and Future Bible Heroes. One story has it that the band was conceived when Merritt, observing that there ...
' album ''
Hyacinths and Thistles
''Hyacinths and Thistles'' is the second studio album by the indie rock band The 6ths. It was released in 2000 on Merge Records.
Track listing
All tracks written by Stephin Merritt
Stephin Raymond Merritt (born February 9, 1965) is an Amer ...
''. He also contributed vocals to the 2009
Fucked Up
Fucked Up is a Canadian hardcore punk band from Toronto, Ontario, formed in 2001. The band consists of Damian Abraham (vocals), Mike Haliechuk (guitar, vocals), Josh Zucker (guitar), Sandy Miranda (bass), and Jonah Falco (drums, vocals). From ...
cover of "Do They Know It's Christmas?"
Mould performed on the
Foo Fighters
Foo Fighters are an American rock band formed in Seattle in 1994. Foo Fighters was initially formed as a one-man project by former Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl. Following the success of the eponymous debut album, Grohl (lead vocals, guitar) re ...
2011 album ''
Wasting Light
''Wasting Light'' is the seventh studio album by American rock band Foo Fighters, released on April 12, 2011, through Roswell and RCA Records. Wanting to capture the essence of their earlier work and avoid the artificiality of digital recording ...
'', contributing guitar and vocals to the track "Dear Rosemary." He made sporadic appearances with the band during their Wasting Light tour to perform the song on stage, including on the
Conan O'Brien show. In December 2017, Mould opened for the Foo Fighters in four states during their ''
Concrete and Gold
''Concrete and Gold'' is the ninth studio album by American rock band Foo Fighters, released on September 15, 2017, through Roswell and RCA Records. It is the band's first album to be produced alongside Greg Kurstin. Described by the band as an ...
'' tour.
Personal life
Though Mould's
sexual orientation
Sexual orientation is an enduring pattern of romantic or sexual attraction (or a combination of these) to persons of the opposite sex or gender, the same sex or gender, or to both sexes or more than one gender. These attractions are generall ...
had previously been something of an open secret, he was
outed
Outing is the act of disclosing an LGBT person's sexual orientation or gender identity without that person's consent. It is often done for political reasons, either to instrumentalize homophobia in order to discredit political opponents or to com ...
in the early 1990s in an interview in the music magazine ''Spin''; he came to terms with being
openly gay
Coming out of the closet, often shortened to coming out, is a metaphor used to describe LGBT people's self-disclosure of their sexual orientation, romantic orientation, or gender identity.
Framed and debated as a privacy issue, coming out of ...
, even appearing in the movie ''Bear Nation'', self-identifying as a
bear
Bears are carnivoran mammals of the family Ursidae. They are classified as caniforms, or doglike carnivorans. Although only eight species of bears are extant, they are widespread, appearing in a wide variety of habitats throughout the Nor ...
.
In April 2004, Mould was a co-organizer of the WEDRock benefit concert for Freedom to Marry. "WedRock" was a play on the word "wedlock". The event raised an estimated US$30,000. Mould also contributed the song "See a Little Light" to the 2006 album
''Wed-Rock: A Benefit for Freedom to Marry,'' an album to support in the legalization
of
same-sex marriage
Same-sex marriage, also known as gay marriage, is the marriage of two people of the same Legal sex and gender, sex or gender. marriage between same-sex couples is legally performed and recognized in 33 countries, with the most recent being ...
.
In interviews to promote his 2019 album ''Sunshine Rock'', Mould revealed that he had been residing in
Berlin, Germany
Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constituent ...
, since 2015.
In popular culture
![Bob Mould - First Avenue Star](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/86/Bob_Mould_-_First_Avenue_Star.jpg)
Mould's song "Dog on Fire" is the theme song for ''
The Daily Show
''The Daily Show'' is an American late-night talk and satirical news television program. It airs each Monday through Thursday on Comedy Central with release shortly after on Paramount+. ''The Daily Show'' draws its comedy and satire form from ...
''. He originally wrote the track for his
third solo album, but cut it as redundant. The name was picked by
mastering engineer
A mastering engineer is a person skilled in the practice of taking audio (typically musical content) that has been previously mixed in either the analog or digital domain as mono, stereo, or multichannel formats and preparing it for use in distr ...
Jim Wilson from an offhand comment Mould made in an interview.
They Might Be Giants
They Might Be Giants (often abbreviated as TMBG) is an American alternative rock band formed in 1982 by John Flansburgh and John Linnell. During TMBG's early years, Flansburgh and Linnell frequently performed as a duo, often accompanied by a ...
performed updated versions which were used in the 2000s, and the song was later remixed by
Timbaland
Timothy Zachery Mosley (born March 10, 1972), known professionally as Timbaland, is an American record producer, rapper, singer, songwriter, and record executive. He has received widespread acclaim for his innovative production work and distinc ...
when
Trevor Noah
Trevor Noah (born 20 February 1984) is a South African-born comedian, writer, producer, political commentator, actor, and former television host. He was the host of ''The Daily Show'', an American late-night talk show and satirical news progra ...
took over as host. On December 19, 1996, Mould made a cameo appearance on ''The Daily Show Holiday Spectacular'' in an homage duet of "The Little Drummer Boy" with Mould playing the part of
David Bowie
David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...
to
Craig Kilborn
Craig Lawrence Kilborn (born August 24, 1962) is an American comedian, sports and political commentator, actor, and television host. Kilborn began a career in sports broadcasting in the late 1980s, leading to an anchoring position at ESPN's '' Sp ...
's "
Bing Crosby
Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby Jr. (May 3, 1903 – October 14, 1977) was an American singer, musician and actor. The first multimedia star, he was one of the most popular and influential musical artists of the 20th century worldwide. He was a ...
".
Mould is a passionate wrestling fan and was previously a writer for
WCW
World Championship Wrestling, Inc. (WCW) was an American professional wrestling promotion founded by Ted Turner in 1988, after Turner Broadcasting System, through a subsidiary named Universal Wrestling Corporation, purchased the assets of Nationa ...
.
The song "See a Little Light" has been used more than once in various television applications: It was used in the closing scene of the original un-aired test pilot episode of ''
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' is an American supernatural fiction, supernatural drama television series created by writer and director Joss Whedon. It is based on the Buffy the Vampire Slayer (film), 1992 film of the same name, also written by W ...
'', it was also used in the closing scene of the season 1 finale for ''
13 Reasons Why'', it became one of the principal theme songs for the
HBO
Home Box Office (HBO) is an American premium television network, which is the flagship property of namesake parent subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is ba ...
series ''
The Mind of the Married Man
''The Mind of the Married Man'' is a television series that ran on the HBO network for two seasons consisting of twenty episodes between September 2001 and November 2002. The story focused on the challenges of modern-day married life from a male p ...
'' and was also used in a television commercial for
TIAA-CREF
The Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America-College Retirement Equities Fund (TIAA, formerly TIAA-CREF), is a Fortune 100 financial services organization that is the leading provider of financial services in the academic, research ...
(August 2007). Mould also composed the theme for the
TLC
TLC may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Television
* ''TLC'' (TV series), a 2002 British situational comedy television series that aired on BBC2
* TLC (TV network), formerly the Learning Channel, an American cable TV network
** TLC (Asia), an A ...
program, ''
In a Fix''.
In 2001, Mould played lead guitar in the house band for the film of
John Cameron Mitchell
John Cameron Mitchell (born April 21, 1963) is a two-time Tony Award winning American actor, playwright, screenwriter, singer, songwriter, producer and director. He is best known as the writer, director and star of the 2001 film '' Hedwig and th ...
's ''
Hedwig and the Angry Inch, '' and on the film's soundtrack. In 2003, Mould also participated in a Hedwig tribute album, ''Wig in a Box'', on which he covered the song "Nailed."
On September 29, 2005, Mould's song "Circles" was included on ''
The OC
''The O.C. '' is an American teen drama television series created by Josh Schwartz that originally aired on the Fox network in the United States from August 5, 2003, to February 22, 2007, running a total of four seasons. "O.C." is an initiali ...
''.
Mould appeared on an episode of
Independent Film Channel
IFC (formerly known as the Independent Film Channel) is an American basic cable channel owned by AMC Networks, originally launching in 1994 as a TV channel devoted to independent films. The Independent Film Channel originally operated as a com ...
's ''
The Henry Rollins Show
''The Henry Rollins Show'' was a weekly talk show hosted by musician Henry Rollins on the Independent Film Channel (IFC). The show featured Rollins' monologues, interviews with celebrities and uncensored musical performances. The show was cancele ...
'' on June 15, 2007.
On November 21, 2011, musicians such as
Dave Grohl
David Eric Grohl (born January 14, 1969) is an American musician. He is the founder of the rock band Foo Fighters, in which he is the lead singer, guitarist, and principal songwriter. Prior to forming Foo Fighters, he was the drummer of gru ...
,
Britt Daniel
John Britt Daniel (born April 14, 1971) is an American musician. He is the co-founder, lead singer and guitarist of the rock band Spoon, as well as the co-founder, guitarist, bassist, and singer of the band Divine Fits. Daniel also founded nume ...
and
Jessica Dobson of
Spoon
A spoon is a utensil consisting of a shallow bowl (also known as a head), oval or round, at the end of a handle. A type of cutlery (sometimes called flatware in the United States), especially as part of a place setting, it is used primarily f ...
,
Craig Finn
Craig Finn (born August 22, 1971) is an American singer-songwriter and musician. He is best known as the frontman of the American indie rock band The Hold Steady, with whom he has recorded eight studio albums. Prior to forming The Hold Steady, Fi ...
and
Tad Kubler
Tad Kubler is an American guitarist, known for his work with Lifter Puller, Song of Zarathustra, and, most-notably, The Hold Steady. He previously worked with Brett Johnson, bass player for Atmosphere, in the band Ten-fold Hate, in Minneapolis ...
of
The Hold Steady
The Hold Steady is an American rock band originally from Minneapolis, Minnesota, now based in Brooklyn, New York, formed in 2003. The band consists of Craig Finn (vocals, guitar), Tad Kubler (guitar), Galen Polivka (bass), Bobby Drake (drums), ...
,
Randy Randall and
Dean Allen Spunt of
No Age
No Age is an American noise rock duo consisting of guitarist Randy Randall and drummer/vocalist Dean Allen Spunt. The band is based in Los Angeles, California, and was signed to Sub Pop records from 2008 to 2013. No Age's fourth studio album, ''S ...
,
Margaret Cho
Margaret Moran Cho (born December 5, 1968) is an American comedian, actress, LGBT social activist, and musician. She is known for her stand-up routines, through which she critiques social and political problems, especially regarding race and se ...
,
Jason Narducy
Jason V. Narducy is an American musician from Evanston, Illinois, United States.
After receiving his first guitar at the age of nine Narducy started his music career, playing guitar and writing songs for his punk rock band, Verboten. Verboten i ...
,
Jon Wurster
Jonathan Patrick Wurster (born October 31, 1966) is an American drummer and comedy writer. As a musician, he is best known for his work with Superchunk, the Mountain Goats, and Bob Mould. He is also known for appearing on '' The Best Show'' wit ...
of
Superchunk, and
Ryan Adams
David Ryan Adams (born November 5, 1974) is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, artist, and poet. He has released 23 albums, as well as three studio albums as a former member of alt-country band Whiskeytown.
In 2000, Adams lef ...
came together at the
Walt Disney Concert Hall and played songs from Bob Mould's career. During the concert, Bob discussed his then-forthcoming album ''Silver Age'', involving Jason Narducy and drummer Jon Wurster (of
Superchunk), and a limited tour of Sugar's debut album ''Copper Blue''.
Mould has been honored with two stars on the outside mural of the
Minneapolis
Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...
nightclub
First Avenue,
one for his solo work and one for Hüsker Dü. The stars recognize performers that have played sold-out shows or have otherwise demonstrated a major contribution to the culture at the iconic venue.
Receiving a star "might be the most prestigious public honor an artist can receive in Minneapolis," according to journalist Steve Marsh.
Discography
Studio albums
Notes
*A''Workbook 25'' — A remastered version of ''
Workbook
Workbooks are paperback textbooks
A textbook is a book containing a comprehensive compilation of content in a branch of study with the intention of explaining it. Textbooks are produced to meet the needs of educators, usually at educational i ...
'' including a second disc of live versions of the songs recorded after the original release in 1989 was released in 2014.
Compilations and live albums
*''
Poison Years'' (1994, Virgin)
*''Live Dog '98'' (2002, Granary Music)
(released under the name 'Bob Mould Band')
*''Live At ATP 2008'' (2009, Granary Music)
(released under the name 'Bob Mould Band')
*''Bob Mould + The Last Dog And Pony Show + LiveDog98'' (2012,
Edsel
Edsel is a discontinued division and brand of automobiles that was marketed by the Ford Motor Company from the 1958 to the 1960 model years. Deriving its name from Edsel Ford, son of company founder Henry Ford, Edsels were developed in an effor ...
)
*''Distortion: 1989-2019'' (Series of boxsets released 2020-2021,
Demon Records / Edsel)
Singles
*"
See a Little Light" (1989)
#4 US Modern Rock Songs
*"It's Too Late" (1990)
#10 Modern Rock Songs
*"Egøverride" (1996)
*"Fort Knox, King Solomon" (1996)
*"Classifieds"/"Moving Trucks" (1998)
*"Soundonsound" (2002)
*"Paralyzed" (2005)
*"The Silence Between Us" (2008)
*"I'm Sorry, Baby, But You Can't Stand in My Light Anymore" (2009)
*"The Descent" (2012)
*"I Don't Know You Anymore" (2014)
*"Hold On" (2016)
*"Voices in My Head" (2016)
*"Sunshine Rock" (2018)
*"Lost Faith" (2019)
*"American Crisis" (2020)
*"Siberian Butterfly" (2020)
Videos
*''
Circle of Friends'' (2007, MVD Visual)
*''See a Little Light: A Celebration of the Music and Legacy of Bob Mould'' (2013)
Contributions
Various artist compilations including individual tracks by Bob Mould:
*''
No Alternative
''No Alternative'' is an alternative rock compilation album produced by Paul Heck and Chris Mundy. It was released in 1993 to benefit AIDS relief. The album features original tracks and cover versions from bands who went on to define the altern ...
'' (1994) – includes "Can't Fight It"
*''Beat the Retreat: Songs by Richard Thompson'' (1994) – includes "Turning of the Tide" by Richard Thompson, performed by Bob Mould
*''
Wig in a Box
''Wig In A Box: Songs from & Inspired by Hedwig and the Angry Inch'' is a charity tribute album featuring versions of songs from the musical '' Hedwig and the Angry Inch''. It was released in 2003 through Off Records, and proceeds benefited the ...
'' (2003) – includes "Nailed"
*''Wed-Rock: A Benefit for Freedom To Marry'' (2006) – includes "If I Can't Change Your Mind (acoustic)"
*''
30 Days, 50 Songs
1,000 Days, 1,000 Songs (originally called 30 Days, 30 Songs, then 30 Days, 50 Songs) is a musical project launched on October 10, 2016, by Dave Eggers which was originally supposed to release one song per day from then until November 8, 2016, whic ...
'' (2016) - includes "In a Free Land (live)"
Bands produced
*
Man Sized Action
Man Sized Action was a post-punk group from Minneapolis. John Leland of ''Trouser Press'' described the band as an "unpretentious lot" in the vein of Hüsker Dü who "opened up punk structures with distorted, ringing guitar, some off-kilter rhyt ...
, ''Claustrophobia''
*
Soul Asylum
Soul Asylum is an American alternative rock band formed in 1981 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Their 1993 hit "Runaway Train" won the Grammy Award for Best Rock Song.
The band was originally called Loud Fast Rules, with a lineup consisting of Dav ...
, ''
Made to Be Broken
''Made to Be Broken'' is the second full-length album by Soul Asylum. It was released on January 18, 1986. It was the first of the three albums released by Soul Asylum in 1986.
The song "Never Really Been" contains the line "And where will you be ...
''
*
Articles of Faith, ''Give Thanks'' and ''In This Life''
*
Magnapop
Magnapop is an American rock band based in Atlanta, Georgia. Formed in 1989, the band has consistently included songwriting duo Linda Hopper as vocalist and Ruthie Morris on guitar. Magnapop first achieved recognition in the Benelux countries of ...
, ''
Hot Boxing
''Hot Boxing'' is the second studio album by Magnapop, released in 1994. " Lay It Down" and " Slowly, Slowly" were released as singles. Music videos were created for "Lay It Down", "Slowly, Slowly", and "Texas". Having Priority release the album w ...
''
*
Verbow
Verbow was an American alternative rock band formed in Chicago and active between the mid-1990s and early 2000s. The band's sound was distinguished by emotionally direct songwriting and their unconventional use of cello.
History
Early period: Ja ...
, ''Chronicles''
*The Zulus, ''Down on the Floor''
*Friction Wheel, ''Something Tells Me/Won't Fall Down – SOL''
*Impaler, ''If We Had Brains... We'd Be Dangerous''
*
Low, ''
Tonight the Monkeys Die'' Remixes EP
*Half a Chicken, Food For Thought
*Starfish, Stellar Sonic Solutions
*
Titus Andronicus
''Titus Andronicus'' is a tragedy by William Shakespeare believed to have been written between 1588 and 1593, probably in collaboration with George Peele. It is thought to be Shakespeare's first tragedy and is often seen as his attempt to emul ...
, ''An Obelisk''
References
External links
Interview with ''The Quietus 21/02/14''Interview with ''The Onion A.V. Club''''Figure 8 Interview with Bob Mould 19/05/13''Official Bob Mould Granary Music artist pageWishing Well: A Small Web Site About the Music of Bob Mouldpublished on the
Tellus Audio Cassette Magazine
Launched from the Lower East Side, Manhattan in 1983 as a subscription only bimonthly publication, the ''Tellus Audio Cassette Magazine'' utilized the audio cassette medium to distribute no wave downtown music and audio art and was in activity f ...
@
Ubuweb
UbuWeb is a web-based educational resource for avant-garde material available on the internet, founded in 1996 by poet Kenneth Goldsmith. It offers visual, concrete and sound poetry, expanding to include film and sound art mp3 archives.
Philosop ...
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A person (plural, : people) is a being that has certain capacities or attributes such as reason, morality, consciousness or self-consciousness, and being a part of a culturally established form of social relations such as kinship, ownership of pr ...
Living people
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