Bush Tetras are an American

post-punk Post-punk (originally called new musick) is a broad genre of punk music that emerged in the late 1970s as musicians departed from punk's traditional elements and raw simplicity, instead adopting a variety of avant-garde sensibilities and non-roc ...

band from

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

, formed in 1979. They are best known for the 1980 song "Too Many Creeps", which exemplified the band's sound of "jagged rhythms, slicing guitars, and sniping vocals"."Bush Tetras: Biography by Mark Deming."
''AllMusic.com''. Retrieved July 17, 2018. Although they did not achieve mainstream success, the Bush Tetras were influential and popular in the

Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...

club scene and college radio in the early 1980s. New York's post-punk revival of the 2000s was accompanied by a resurgence of interest in the genre, with the Tetras' influence heard in many of that scene's bands.

History

Formation, name, and early years

The Bush Tetras formed in 1979, and soon solidified with a lineup of Cynthia Sley (vocals),

Pat Place Pat Place (born 1953) is an American artist, photographer, and musician noted for her work as a founding member and guitarist of no wave bands James Chance and the Contortions and Bush Tetras. Art Place grew up in Chicago. She studied art in co ...

(guitar), Laura Kennedy (bass) and Dee Pop (drums); vocalist

Adele Bertei Adele Maria Bertei (born 1955) is an American singer, songwriter, writer and director. Early life Bertei was born in Cleveland, Ohio in 1955. She is the oldest of three children born to Katherine (née Murphy) and Umberto Bertei. Her father wa ...

and guitarist Jimmy Joe Uliana were brief early members. Place had previously been the original guitarist and a founding member of the no wave band

the Contortions James Chance and the Contortions (initially known simply as Contortions, a spin-off group is called James White and the Blacks) was a musical group led by saxophonist and vocalist James Chance, formed in 1977. They were a central act of New York ...

, though the Tetras sound was less frantic and disjointed, and she had also appeared in some of

Vivienne Dick Vivienne Dick (born 1950) is an Irish feminist experimental and documentary filmmaker. Her early films helped define the No Wave scene. According to ''The Irish Times'', Dick is "one of the most important film-makers Ireland has produced". ...

's movies. The band was named after a tiny African primate the band found very cute called "

bush babies Galagos , also known as bush babies, or ''nagapies'' (meaning "night monkeys" in Afrikaans), are small Nocturnality, nocturnal primates native to continental, sub-Sahara Africa, and make up the family (biology), family Galagidae (also sometime ...

", and a kind of fish the band liked called a "

neon tetra The neon tetra (''Paracheirodon innesi'') is a Freshwater fish of the characin family (family Characidae) of order Characiformes. The type species of its genus, it is native to blackwater and clearwater streams in the Amazon basin of South Am ...

" (taking one word from each of those names). The band thought the name sounded "tribal". The band's debut 7" EP, "Too Many Creeps", was released in 1980 on

99 Records 99 Records was an American independent record label, active from 1980 to 1984. The label was home to musicians in the no wave, post-punk, post-disco, and avant-garde scenes in New York City. History British designer Gina Franklyn sold British fa ...

. It reached No. 57 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 ...

club play chart Club may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * ''Club'' (magazine) * Club, a ''Yie Ar Kung-Fu'' character * Clubs (suit), a suit of playing cards * Club music * "Club", by Kelsea Ballerini from the album ''kelsea'' Brands and enterprises ...

. The follow-up, "Things That Go Boom in the Night", was issued in 1981 by

Fetish Records Fetish Records was a British independent record label. Its artist roster consisted of largely early industrial, experimental, and post-punk groups. It was also a home to the early works of graphic designer Neville Brody, who created artwork for r ...

, hitting No. 43 on the

UK Indie Chart The UK Independent Singles Chart and UK Independent Albums Chart are charts of the best-selling independent singles and albums, respectively, in the United Kingdom. Originally published in January 1980, and widely known as the indie chart, the rele ...

. The ''Rituals'' 12" EP, produced by

Topper Headon Nicholas Bowen "Topper" Headon (born 30 May 1955) is an English drummer, best known as the drummer of punk rock band the Clash. Known for his instrumental contributions to the drumming world, Headon was inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fam ...

the Clash The Clash were an English rock band formed in London in 1976 who were key players in the original wave of British punk rock. Billed as "The Only Band That Matters", they also contributed to the and new wave movements that emerged in the wa ...

and including the popular "Can't Be Funky", was released in 1981 by Fetish in the UK and by

Stiff Records Stiff Records is a British independent record label formed in London, England, by Dave Robinson and Jake Riviera. Originally active from 1976 to 1986, the label was reactivated in 2007. Established at the outset of the punk rock boom, Stiff ...

in the U.S. It reached No. 32 on the ''Billboard'' club chart. Two live tracks (a cover of

John Lennon John Winston Ono Lennon (born John Winston Lennon; 9 October 19408 December 1980) was an English singer, songwriter, musician and peace activist who achieved worldwide fame as founder, co-songwriter, co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of ...

's " Cold Turkey" and "Punch Drunk") appeared on the 1981

compilation ''Start Swimming'', documenting a one-night showcase of New York bands (also including the Bongos,

the Raybeats The Raybeats were an American instrumental neo-surf rock combo from New York City that arose from the No Wave musical scene. The original line-up consisted of Don Christensen (drums), Jody Harris (guitar), Pat Irwin (guitar, saxophone, Acetone o ...

and

the dBs The dB's are an American alternative rock and power pop group, who formed in New York City in 1978 and first came to prominence in the early 1980s. Their debut album, '' Stands for Decibels'', is often acclaimed as one of the greatest "lost" powe ...

) at the Rainbow in London on February 20, 1981. Another live release, the cassette-only ''Wild Things'' (1983), was issued by ROIR. Kennedy and Pop left in 1983, replaced briefly by bassist Bob Albertson and drummer Don Christensen, but the band soon broke up. ROIR issued a posthumous cassette-only collection, ''Better Late Than Never (Original Studio Recordings 1980-1983)'' in 1989. In the 1984 Kiki Smith/Ellen Cooper film '' Cave Girls'', Bush Tetras music plays over long passages of out of focus, foggy, visually noisy, action.

Reunions

The original line-up of Bush Tetras reformed in 1995 and released the album ''

Beauty Lies ''Beauty Lies'' is an album by the American band Bush Tetras, released in 1997. It was the band's first album, as their 1980s output had consisted solely of EPs and singles. All four original members participated in the reunion. Production The alb ...

'' in 1997. Two other compilations were also issued, a CD version of ''Better Late Than Never'' retitled ''Boom in the Night (Original Studio Recordings 1980-1983)'' in 1995, and ''Tetrafied: Previously Released Recordings'' in 1996. In 1998, they recorded an album with producer Don Fleming for

Mercury Records Mercury Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group. It had significant success as an independent operation in the 1940s and 1950s. Smash Records and Fontana Records were sub labels of Mercury. In the United States, it is ...

, titled ''Happy'', but it was shelved when Mercury was sold (the album was finally released in 2012 by ROIR). In 2005, they added bassist Julia Murphy and resumed performing in New York City. They toured Europe in summer 2006. Original bassist Kennedy died on November 14, 2011, after a long battle with liver disease. In February 2013, Cindy Rickmond (formerly of Cheap Perfume, Grayson Hugh, Church of Betty and Unknown Gender) briefly replaced Murphy as the band's bassist. In early 2016, Val Opielski (formerly of Krakatoa, Walking Hellos, PSXO and 1000 Yard Stare) joined the group on bass. In 2018, they released an EP, ''Take the Fall'', on Wharf Cat Records.Then, in 2019, they released a 7" single, "There Is a Hum", on Thirdman Records. Drummer Dee Pop died on October 9 2021. In November 2021, a career-spanning boxed set titled ''Rhythm and Paranoia: the Best of the Bush Tetras'' was released, along with a booklet with contributions by Topper Headon of The Clash and Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth. A performance at New York's ''Le Poisson Rouge'' accompanied the release, with Don Christensen of ''The Contortions'' replacing Dee Pop on drums, and new bassist RB Korbet playing with the band in front of a live audience for the first time In March 2022 the Bush Tetras performed at a Dee Pop memorial show at NYC's Bowery Electric.

Steve Shelley Steven Jay Shelley (born June 23, 1962) is an American drummer. He is best known as the longtime drummer of the alternative rock band Sonic Youth, for whom he played from 1985 until their 2011 disbandment. Biography Shelley was born in Midland, ...

of Sonic Youth filled in on drums.

Other projects

After the band's initial breakup, Sley joined up with

Ivan Julian Ivan Julian (born June 26, 1955) is a guitarist, bassist and founding member of Richard Hell and the Voidoids and Lovelies. He has also performed with the Isley Brothers, The Clash, Matthew Sweet, The Bongos, Richard Barone, and Shriekback. ...

of Richard Hell and the Voidoids to form Lovelies. They put out one percussive post-punk album, ''Mad Orphan'' (109 Records), in 1988. In 2008, she formed Command V with Pat Irwin (of the Raybeats and

the B-52s The B-52's, also styled as The B-52s, are an American new wave band formed in Athens, Georgia, in 1976. The original lineup consisted of Fred Schneider (vocals, percussion), Kate Pierson (vocals, keyboards, synth bass), Cindy Wilson (vocals, pe ...

), and Rachel Dengiz. They released a self-titled album in 2012 on Mush Records. Drummer Dee Pop also performed with improvisational jazz groups Radio I-Ching and Freedomland, and has performed or recorded with rock-oriented bands and artists including Floor Kiss, Immaculate Hearts, the Shams, Black Flies, John Sinclair, Jayne County, the Amazing Cherubs, Fur, Michael Karoli (

Can Can may refer to: Containers * Aluminum can * Drink can * Oil can * Steel and tin cans * Trash can * Petrol can * Metal can (disambiguation) Music * Can (band), West Germany, 1968 ** ''Can'' (album), 1979 * Can (South Korean band) Other * C ...

), Richard Lloyd, James Chance,

the Slits The Slits were a punk and post-punk band based in London, formed there in 1976 by members of the groups the Flowers of Romance and the Castrators. The group's early line-up consisted of Ari Up (Ariane Forster) and Palmolive (a.k.a. Paloma R ...

, Odetta, Gary Lucas, Bobby Radcliff,

Patti Palladin Patti Palladin is an American singer and musician of the punk rock and post-punk / new wave genres. She is primarily known for her work with Snatch (with Judy Nylon), Johnny Thunders, and the Flying Lizards. Career Palladin was a member o ...

, Darlene Love,

Andy Shernoff Andy Shernoff (born April 19, 1955) is an American musician, songwriter and record producer. He is a founding member of The Dictators, one of the original New York punk bands, in which he wrote nearly all of the songs, played bass guitar and k ...

, the Waldos,

Nona Hendryx Nona Bernis Hendryx (born October 9, 1944) is an American vocalist, record producer, songwriter, musician, and author. Hendryx is known for her work as a solo artist as well as for being one-third of the trio Labelle, who had a hit with "Lady ...

, Band of Outsiders,

Lenny Kaye Lenny Kaye (''né'' Kusikoff; born December 27, 1946) is an American guitarist, composer, and writer who is best known as a member of the Patti Smith Group. Early life Kaye was born to Jewish parents in the Washington Heights area of upper Ma ...

, Jahn Xavier and the Gun Club. He also performed with jazz musicians

Eddie Gale Edward Gale Stevens Jr. (August 15, 1941 – July 10, 2020), known professionally as Eddie Gale, was an American trumpeter known for his work in free jazz, especially with the Sun Ra Arkestra. Life and career Born in Brooklyn, New York on August 1 ...

Roy Campbell Jr. Roy Sinclair Campbell Jr. (September 29, 1952 – January 9, 2014) was an American trumpeter frequently linked to free jazz, although he also performed rhythm and blues and funk during his career. Biography Born in Los Angeles, California, in 1 ...

, Marc Ribot,

Mark Helias Mark Helias (born October 1, 1950) is an American double bass player and composer born in New Brunswick, New Jersey. He started playing the double bass at the age of 20, and studied with Homer Mensch at Rutgers University from 1971 to 1974, then ...

, Dick Griffin,

Billy Bang Billy Bang (September 20, 1947 – April 11, 2011), born William Vincent Walker, was an American free jazz violinist and composer. Biography Bang's family moved to New York City's Bronx neighborhood while he was still an infant, and as a ...

Borah Bergman Borah Bergman (December 13, 1926 – October 18, 2012) was an American free jazz pianist. Training and influences Bergman was born in Brooklyn to Russian-Jewish immigrant parents.Kelsey, Chris (December 2004Chris Kelsey ''Borah Bergman: His F ...

and Hanuman Sextet. Pat Place also played with Maggie Estep's I Love Everybody and Joey's Oscar in the 90s; at one time, she was a member of

James Chance and the Contortions James Chance and the Contortions (initially known simply as Contortions, a spin-off group is called James White and the Blacks) was a musical group led by saxophonist and vocalist James Chance, formed in 1977. They were a central act of New York ...

, playing steel guitar and featuring on the Brian Eno-produced '' No New York'' as one of four bands in the initial New York no wave scene.

Discography

Studio albums

* ''

'' (1997, Polygram Records) * ''Very Very Happy'' (2007, ROIR) * ''Happy'' (2012, ROIR) *
Rhythm and Paranoia: The Best of Bush Tetras
' (2021, Wharf Cat Records)

Singles and EPs

* "Too Many Creeps" 7" EP (1980,

) No. 57 Billboard Dance Club Songs * "Things That Go Boom in the Night" 7" single (1981, Fetish Records) No. 43 UK Indie Chart * "Can't Be Funky" 7" single (1981, Fetish Records) * ''Rituals'' 12" EP (1981, Fetish Records/

) No. 32 Billboard Dance Club Songs * "Page 18" 12" single (1996, Tim/Kerr Records) * "Too Many Creeps" 7" single (2011, ROIR) * "Take the Fall" EP (2018, Wharf Cat Records) * "There is a Hum" 7” (2019, Thirdman Records)

Live albums

* ''Wild Things'' cassette-only (1983, ROIR)

Compilation albums

* ''Better Late Than Never (Original Studio Recordings 1980-1983)'' cassette-only (1989, ROIR) * ''Boom in the Night (Original Studio Recordings 1980-1983)'' (1995, ROIR) * ''Tetrafied: Previously Released Recordings'' (1996, Thirsty Ear) * ''Rhythm and Paranoia: the Best of the Bush Tetras'' (2021, Wharf Cat), 3 LP set, CD and vinyl

Compilation appearances

* " Cold Turkey" (

cover) and "Punch Drunk" on ''Start Swimming'' (1981,

) * "Das Ah Riot" on ''The Last Testament'' (1983, Fetish Records) * "Rituals" on ''New York Rockers'' (1989, ROIR) * "Too Many Creeps" on ''Totally Wired'' (1995, Razor & Tie) * "Cowboys in Africa" on ''I eartNew York Punk!'' (1995, free with ''

Mojo Mojo may refer to: *Mojo (African-American culture), a magical charm bag used in voodoo Arts, entertainment and media Film and television * MOJO HD, an American television network * ''Mojo'' (play), by Jez Butterworth, made into a 1997 film * '' ...

'' issue 144) * "Sister Midnight" (

Iggy Pop James Newell Osterberg Jr. (born April 21, 1947), known professionally as Iggy Pop, is an American singer, musician, songwriter and actor. Called the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Godfather of Punk", he was the vocalist and lyricist of ...

cover) on ''We Will Fall: The Iggy Pop Tribute'' (1997, Royalty Records) * "Too Many Creeps" on ''New Wave Dance Hits of the '80s: Just Can't Get Enough'' (1997,

Rhino Records A rhinoceros (; ; ), commonly abbreviated to rhino, is a member of any of the five extant species (or numerous extinct species) of odd-toed ungulates in the family Rhinocerotidae. (It can also refer to a member of any of the extinct species o ...

) * "Too Many Creeps" on ''Rough Trade Shops - Post Punk 01'' (2003,

Mute Records Mute Records is a British independent record label owned and founded in 1978 by Daniel Miller. It has featured several prominent musical acts on its roster such as Depeche Mode, Erasure, Einstürzende Neubauten, Fad Gadget, Goldfrapp, Grinderm ...

) * "Can't Be Funky" on ''New York Noise (Dance Music from the New York Underground 1978-1982)'' (2003, Soul Jazz Records) * "Too Many Creeps" on ''The Definitive Story of CBGB (The Home of U.S. Punk)'' (2006, Salvo) * "Punch Drunk" on ''So Indie It Hurts: Roir Rocks Volume One'' (2008, ROIR) * "Too Many Creeps" on ''Death Disco (Mojo Presents a Compendium of Post-Punk Grooves)'' (2014, free with ''Mojo'' issue 246)

Members

;Current * Cynthia Sley - vocals (1979–1983, 1995–1998, 2005–present) *

- guitar (1979–1983, 1995–1998, 2005–present) * RB Korbet - bass (2021 - present) *

- drums (2022 - present) ;Former * Laura Kennedy - bass (1979–1983, 1995–1998) * Jimmy Joe Uliana - guitar (1979) *

- vocals (1979) * Bob Albertson - bass (1983) * Julia Murphy - bass (2005–2013, 2015) * Cindy Rickmond - bass (2013) * Val Opielski - bass (2015-2020) * Dee Pop - drums (1979–1983, 1995–1998, 2005–2021)(d. 2021) * Don Christensen - drums (1983), (2021-2022)

References

External links

Too Many Creeps music video

PUNKCAST#1076 Live video from Knitting Factory NYC

* ttp://thisisoffset.co.uk/?p=25 thisisoffset Photos, videos and biog of the Bush Tetras* * {{Authority control 1979 establishments in New York City Musical groups from New York City American post-punk music groups No wave groups ROIR artists Musical groups established in 1979