Cash Audio was an American rock band based in

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...

. Formed in 1996 as a guitar-and-drums duo consisting of John Humphrey and Scott Giampino, they released three full-length albums for

Touch and Go Records Touch and Go Records is an American independent record label based in Chicago, Illinois. After its genesis as a handmade fanzine in 1979, it grew into one of the key record labels in the American 1980s underground and alternative rock scenes. Tou ...

and a variety of singles and a full-length for

Orange Recordings Orange Recordings is a record label that started in Chicago in 1997. In 2000 the label moved to San Diego and then relocated again to Los Angeles in the early 2002. Orange is currently headquartered in Seattle. Some of the artists on the label in ...

. Cash Audio toured nationally and performed live until 2002.

History

Cash Audio was originally named Cash Money and was formed in 1996 by John Humphrey and Scott Giampino while playing with The Late Great Danes. Humphrey's previous band was God and Texas (Ohio/ Chicago on Rave and Restless Records), while Giampino played with local Chicago group the Mystery Girls while also doing a stint with the infamous

GG Allin Kevin Michael "GG" Allin (born Jesus Christ Allin; August 29, 1956 – June 28, 1993) was an American punk rock musician who performed and recorded with many groups during his career. Allin was best known for his controversial live performances ...

and the Toilet Rockers. Conceived as a two-piece rock band, the duo's style quickly led them to be categorized in the blues minimalist genre that gained popularity in the late 1990s and early 2000s. They were known for their strong musicianship and great live shows (including frying bacon on stage with a hot plate). Cash Audio's music covered a variety of classic styles, including rock, blues, country, and R&B. During the early 2000s the final recordings of the group focused on strong thematic instrumentals.

Naming Controversy

Originally named Cash Money, the band received national attention in 1999 in ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...

'' # 814, in a humorous sidebar piece comparing Cash Money's low-key touring style (two guys in a station wagon) to the excesses of the hip-hop stars of New Orleans'

Cash Money Records Cash Money Records is an American record label founded in 1991 by brothers Ronald "Slim" Williams and Bryan "Birdman" Williams. Distributed by Republic, formerly known as Universal Republic, the label has been home to a roster of mostly hip h ...

. Lawyers from Cash Money Records quickly sent Touch and Go Records a

cease and desist A cease and desist letter is a document sent to an individual or business to stop alleged illegal activity. The phrase "cease and desist" is a legal doublet, made up of two near-synonyms. The letter may warn that, if the recipient does not dis ...

for Cash Money "the band". Fresh off the legal settlements with several other acts and in order to avoid the costs of another legal battle, Corey Rusk, President of Touch and Go, and the band decided to change their name to Cash Audio for their upcoming ''Green Bullet'' release in 2000.

Recording and touring history 1996- 2002

Cash Audio had a strict discipline for analog recording and recorded exclusively in Chicago from 1996 to 2001, at Idful Music Corporation, King Size, Clava and Engine Studios, with a single session at Chase Park Transductions in

Athens, Georgia Athens, officially Athens–Clarke County, is a consolidated city-county and college town in the U.S. state of Georgia. Athens lies about northeast of downtown Atlanta, and is a satellite city of the capital. The University of Georgia, the sta ...

, in 1999. Three full-length albums were released by Touch and Go Records, while four releases and all its vinyl recordings were released on Orange Recordings Cash Audio toured and performed with many well known acts on the Touch and Go label including,

Calexico Calexico () is a city in southern Imperial County, California. Situated on the Mexican border, it is linked economically with the much larger city of Mexicali, the capital of the Mexican state of Baja California. It is about east of San Diego ...

Girls Against Boys Girls Against Boys is a post-hardcore band which formed in Washington, D.C. and subsequently relocated to New York City shortly after their formation in 1989. The band released albums on the labels Adult Swim, Touch and Go Records, Geffen Record ...

, Killdozer,

Man or Astroman Man or Astro-man? is an American surf rock group that formed in Auburn, Alabama in the early 1990s and came to prominence over the following decade. Primarily instrumental, Man or Astro-man? blended the surf rock style of the early 1960s like ...

The Delta 72 The Delta 72 were an American alternative music band formed in Washington, DC in the summer of 1994, later relocated to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They created a frenetic and honest style channeling post-punk sensibilities with 1960s British In ...

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P.W. Long Preston Wright Long III (aka Preston Cleveland) is an American musician, journalist and documentary filmmaker. He is best known as lead singer and guitar player for the groups Wig, Mule (band), Mule and P.W. Long's Reelfoot; most of his recorded wo ...

New Wet Kojak New Wet Kojak was an American indie rock band from New York City. The group was formed when two members of Girls Against Boys, Scott McCloud and Johnny Temple, joined three other former residents of Washington, D.C., Geoff Turner (ex-Gray Matter) ...

and

Silkworm The domestic silk moth (''Bombyx mori''), is an insect from the moth family Bombycidae. It is the closest relative of ''Bombyx mandarina'', the wild silk moth. The silkworm is the larva or caterpillar of a silk moth. It is an economically imp ...

. They also toured or performed with numerous bands on Seattle's

Sub Pop Sub Pop is a record label founded in 1986 by Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman. Sub Pop achieved fame in the early 1990s for signing Seattle bands such as Nirvana, Soundgarden, and Mudhoney, central players in the grunge movement. They are often ...

label, including the

Supersuckers The Supersuckers are an American rock band, formed in 1988, whose music ranges from alternative rock to country rock to cowpunk. AllMusic describes the band as "the bastard sons of Foghat, AC/DC, and ZZ Top after being weaned on punk rock, unafra ...

Zen Guerilla Zen Guerrilla was a rock band originally from Newark, Delaware and later based in San Francisco, California. Musically, the band evolved over their career. Their early sound was characterized by psychedelic elements, such as delayed guitars and noi ...

and

Mudhoney Mudhoney is an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1988, following the demise of Green River. Its members are singer and rhythm guitarist Mark Arm, lead guitarist Steve Turner, bassist Guy Maddison and drummer Dan Peters. Orig ...

. Cash Audio's last live performance was the opening slot for Mudhoney on September 21, 2002, at Chicago's Abbey Pub. In 2008 a recording from 1999 done for a Killdozer compilation

tribute album An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early 20th century as individual 78 rpm records coll ...

was released.

Discography

As Cash Money

*1997- Oil Can 7”- Tug of War Records *1997- Black Hearts and Broken Wills CD- Touch and Go Records *1998- Halos of Smoke and Fire CD- Touch and Go Records *1999- Letter to Stax “2 x 7” - Double 45 rpm vinyl- Orange Recordings

As Cash Audio

*2000- Green Bullet CD- Touch and Go Records *2001- The Orange Sessions CD & 12 inch Vinyl- Orange Recordings *2002- The Orange Sessions Vol 2 - 12 inch Vinyl- Orange Recordings *2008- “Lupus”- We will bury you- A tribute to Killdozer- Crustacean Records

External links

Allmusic article AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

Touch and Go Records

Pitchfork

Engine Studios
{{Authority control Musical groups from Illinois