Caterwaul was an American band, formed in 1987 in
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix ( ; nv, Hoozdo; es, Fénix or , yuf-x-wal, Banyà:nyuwá) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Arizona, with 1,608,139 residents as of 2020. It is the fifth-most populous city in the United States, and the on ...
, featuring Betsy Martin on vocals and mandolin, Mark Schafer on guitar, Fred Cross on bass and Kevin Pinnt on the drums.
The ''
LA Times'' compared their "tense, vibrant sound" to other bands with frontwomen such as
Siouxsie and the Banshees and the
Cocteau Twins. Critic Steve Hochman described their style as "noisy, arty rock".
They were signed to indie label
I.R.S..
History
Singer Betsy Martin said that their influences were wide, citing "her own fondness for American “hillbilly” folk" and drummer Kevin Pinnt’s interest for industrial noise music.
She stated about their first albums: "there’s a pull between aggressiveness and trying to keep innocence in our music".
Their debut
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 co ...
, ''The Nature of Things'' (1987) was released on Lost Arts Records. it included the single "A Flower and a Stone". Later in 1988, Caterwaul was signed by
I.R.S. and they released an EP and several albums for the label; ''Beholden'' in 1988 and ''Pin and Web'' in 1989.
When reviewing ''Pin and Web'', ''
Trouser press
''Trouser Press'' was a rock and roll magazine started in New York in 1974 as a mimeographed fanzine by editor/publisher Ira Robbins, fellow fan of the Who Dave Schulps and Karen Rose under the name "Trans-Oceanic Trouser Press" (a reference ...
'' linked them to early
R.E.M.
R.E.M. was an American rock band from Athens, Georgia, formed in 1980 by drummer Bill Berry, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills, and lead vocalist Michael Stipe, who were students at the University of Georgia. One of the first alternati ...
, writing that it was "clear, carefully crafted music".
The single "The Sheep's A Wolf" taken from ''Pin and Web'', received airplay on Alternative rock radio stations in the US.
''Portent Hue'' was released in 1990. Fred Cross left the band after the Portent Hue tour, and they recruited Kelly Castro as their new bassist. They also added Stuart Smith as a second guitarist. The new lineup recorded ''Killer Fish'' in 1991, which was released in 1996 on Lost Arts Records.
Discography
*''The Nature of Things'' (Lost Arts Records, 1987)
*''Scream The Compilation'' (Geffen Records, 1987)
*''Beholden'' (I.R.S. Records, 1988)
*''Pin and Web'' (I.R.S. Records, 1989)
*''Portent Hue'' (I.R.S. Records, 1990)
*''Killer Fish'' (Lost Arts Records, 1996)
References
External links
Discogs: Caterwaul discography
{{DEFAULTSORT:Caterwaul
Alternative rock groups from Arizona
I.R.S. Records artists
Musical groups from Phoenix, Arizona