The Supersuckers are an American
rock
Rock most often refers to:
* Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids
* Rock music, a genre of popular music
Rock or Rocks may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...
band, formed in 1988, whose music ranges from
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 mainstream or commerci ...
to
country rock to
cowpunk
Cowpunk (or country punk) is a subgenre of punk rock that began in the United Kingdom and Southern California in the late 1970s - early 1980s. It combines punk rock or new wave with country, folk, and blues in its sound, lyrical subject matte ...
.
AllMusic
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 databa ...
describes the band as "the bastard sons of
Foghat
Foghat are an English rock band formed in London in 1971. The band is known for the use of electric slide guitar in its music. The band has achieved eight gold records, one platinum and one double platinum record, and despite several line-up ...
,
AC/DC, and
ZZ Top
ZZ Top is an American rock band formed in 1969 in Houston, Texas. For 51 years, they comprised vocalist-guitarist Billy Gibbons, drummer Frank Beard and vocalist-bassist Dusty Hill, until Hill's death in 2021. ZZ Top developed a signature sou ...
after being weaned on punk rock, unafraid of massive guitar riffs, outsized personalities, or pledging allegiance to sex, weed, and Satan with a wink and a nudge."
Bassist/singer Eddie Spaghetti (real name Edward Daly) leads the band and is its only constant member. Their current lineup also includes guitarist Marty Chandler and drummer Christopher von Streicher. Their most recent album, ''
Play That Rock N' Roll
''Play That Rock N' Roll'' is a studio album by American rock and roll
Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock 'n' roll, or rock 'n roll) is a genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and ea ...
'', was released in February 2020.
History
The Supersuckers were formed in late 1988 as The Black Supersuckers in
Tucson, Arizona
, "(at the) base of the black ill
, nicknames = "The Old Pueblo", "Optics Valley", "America's biggest small town"
, image_map =
, mapsize = 260px
, map_caption = Interactive map ...
, first playing traditional
punk rock.
The original line-up was Edward "Eddie Spaghetti" Daly on bass, Dan "Thunder" Bolton and Ron "Rontrose" Heathman on guitars, Dan Siegal (who later used the stage name Dancing Eagle) on drums, and Eric Martin on vocals. All had been high school friends in Tucson.
In 1989, they moved to
Seattle, Washington
Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest region ...
due to limited interest in their hometown scene. Martin then left the band, and Eddie Spaghetti took over on vocals.
They recorded numerous singles and cover songs for various small labels before being signed to
Sub Pop.
Their early recordings are compiled on the 1992 release ''
The Songs All Sound the Same
''The Songs All Sound the Same'' is a singles collection by American rock and roll band Supersuckers. It was originally released in 1992 on eMpTy Records. This album led ultimately to the signing of the band with Sub Pop. It was remastered and ...
''. Their first album with
Sub Pop, ''
The Smoke of Hell
''The Smoke of Hell'' is the debut studio album by the American rock and roll band The Supersuckers. It was released on September 1, 1992, on Sub Pop records. The cover art was by the comic book artist Daniel Clowes
Daniel Gillespie Clowes ( ...
'', was released in 1992, featuring a cover by graphic artist
Dan Clowes
Dan or DAN may refer to:
People
* Dan (name), including a list of people with the name
** Dan (king), several kings of Denmark
* Dan people, an ethnic group located in West Africa
**Dan language, a Mande language spoken primarily in Côte d'Ivoir ...
.
In 1995, guitarist Heathman temporarily left the band and was replaced by Rick Sims, formerly of the
Didjits (and later the
Gaza Strippers
Gaza Strippers were an American garage punk band from Chicago formed by Rick Sims, who had previously played guitar with The Supersuckers and was the lead singer and lead guitarist of The Didjits. The band released its first single in 1997 on Bam ...
), for the recording of their third album, ''
The Sacrilicious Sounds of the Supersuckers
''The Sacrilicious Sounds of the Supersuckers'' is the third studio album by the American rock band Supersuckers. It was released on August 8, 1995, on Sub Pop.
The word ''sacrilicious'' is a portmanteau of ''sacrilegious'' and ''delicious''. ...
'', which was produced by
Paul Leary
Paul Leary Walthall (born May 7, 1957), known as Paul Leary, is an American musician and music producer from Austin, Texas, best known as the lead guitarist and occasional lead vocalist for the American rock band Butthole Surfers. He is also th ...
.
Also in 1995, the Supersuckers played at
Farm Aid
Farm Aid is an annual benefit concert held for American farmers.
History
On July 13, 1985, while performing at the Live Aid benefit concert for the 1983–1985 Ethiopian famine, Bob Dylan made comments about family farmers within the United St ...
for the first time.
In 1997, Heathman returned for the recording of their fourth album, ''
Must've Been High
''Must've Been High'' is the fourth studio album and the first cowpunk album by the American rock and roll band Supersuckers. It was released on March 25, 1997, via Sub Pop.
Track listing
#"Must've Been High" – 3:28
#"Dead in the Water" – ...
'', which signaled a move into
alternative country after the hard rock of the previous two albums. The album included a guest appearance by
Willie Nelson
Willie Hugh Nelson (born April 29, 1933) is an American country musician. The critical success of the album '' Shotgun Willie'' (1973), combined with the critical and commercial success of '' Red Headed Stranger'' (1975) and '' Stardust'' (1 ...
, with whom the band had performed onstage at Farm Aid.
The band's final album with Sub-Pop was the compilation ''
'' in 1999. The band had left Sub Pop to sign a major-label deal with
Interscope and announced a new traditional rock album, but they were dropped from the label during corporate restructuring and the planned album was never released.
Some songs from the lost Interscope album appeared on the album ''
The Evil Powers of Rock 'N' Roll'' in 1999, released on a small independent label. They contributed two songs, including one in collaboration with
Eddie Vedder, to the charity album ''
Free the West Memphis 3
''Free the West Memphis 3'' is a compilation album released in October 2000 by Koch Records as a benefit for the legal defense of the West Memphis Three, three men who, while teenagers in 1994, were tried and convicted of the 1993 murders of three ...
'' in 2000. Disillusioned by the experience with Interscope, the band started their own label, Mid-Fi Recordings, in 2002.
Their first self-released album was ''
Motherfuckers Be Trippin''' in 2003. Drummer Dancing Eagle then left the band and was replaced by temporary drummers Mike "Murderburger" Musburger
and
Dusty Watson
Dustin "Dusty" Watson is an American drummer who has played in a number of notable bands, as well as backed up famous solo artists.
Earning a scholarship to Stan Kenton Band Clinics and joining the Musicians Union at age 17 allowed Dusty to bec ...
, followed by a six-year stint by Scott "Scottzilla" Churilla (who had previously played with
Reverend Horton Heat
The Reverend Horton Heat is the stage name of American musician James C. Heath (born 1959) as well as the name of his Dallas, Texas-based psychobilly trio. Heath is a singer, songwriter and guitarist. A ''Prick'' magazine reviewer called Heath ...
). After several live albums and archival compilations released on their Mid-Fi label, Dancing Eagle returned to the lineup temporarily for their next full-length album, ''Get It Together'', in 2008. The band then took an extended hiatus, during which Ron Heathman and Dancing Eagle left the band for the second time each and Eddie Spaghetti released two solo albums via
Bloodshot Records
Bloodshot Records is an independent record label based in Chicago, Illinois, which specializes in alternative country.
History
Bloodshot Records was founded in 1994 by Nan Warshaw, Rob Miller, and Eric Babcock, who knew each other from jobs i ...
.
The band discontinued its Mid-Fi label and signed with
Acetate Records, and
Steamhammer Records in Europe, issuing the hard rock-oriented album ''
Get the Hell'' in 2014. This album introduced new members "Metal" Marty Chandler on guitar and Christopher "Chango" von Streicher on drums.
In 2015, Eddie Spaghetti recovered from a cancer diagnosis, while the only other remaining original member of the band, Dan Bolton, departed and was not replaced.
Now a trio with Spaghetti, Chandler, and von Streicher, the Supersuckers experimented with country music again in the 2015 album ''
Holdin' the Bag''. They returned to hard rock for the 2018 album ''
Suck It''. The album ''
Play That Rock N' Roll
''Play That Rock N' Roll'' is a studio album by American rock and roll
Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock 'n' roll, or rock 'n roll) is a genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and ea ...
'', recorded at
Willie Nelson
Willie Hugh Nelson (born April 29, 1933) is an American country musician. The critical success of the album '' Shotgun Willie'' (1973), combined with the critical and commercial success of '' Red Headed Stranger'' (1975) and '' Stardust'' (1 ...
's home studio in Austin, Texas, was released by Acetate / Steamhammer in February 2020. Founding guitarist Ron Heathman died in August 2020.
Band members
Current
* Edward "Eddie Spaghetti" Daly – bass
(1988–present), lead vocals
(1989–present)
* "Metal" Marty Chandler – guitars, backing vocals
(2009–present)
* Christopher "Chango" von Streicher – drums
(2012–present)
Former
* Dancing Eagle/Dan Siegel – drums, backing vocals
(1988–2003, 2008)
* Dan "Thunder" Bolton – guitars, backing vocals
(1988–2003, 2005–2014)
* Ron "Rontrose" Heathman – guitars, backing vocals
(1988–1995, 1996–2009, died 2020)
* Eric Martin – lead vocals
(1988–1989)
* Rick Sims – guitars, backing vocals
(1995–1996)
* Dusty Watson – drums
(2005–2006)
* Mike "Murderburger" Musburger – drums
(2005–2006)
* Scott "Scottzilla" Churilla – drums
(2006–2012)
Timeline
ImageSize = width:985 height:auto barincrement:20
PlotArea = left:150 bottom:60 top:0 right:50
Alignbars = justify
DateFormat = dd/mm/yyyy
Period = from:01/01/1988 till:01/01/2023
TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal format:yyyy
Colors =
id:vocals value:red legend:Vocals
id:guitars value:green legend:Guitars
id:bass value:blue legend:Bass
id:drums value:orange legend:Drums
id:Lines value:black legend:Studio_album
Legend = orientation:horizontal position:bottom
ScaleMajor = increment:2 start:1988
ScaleMinor = increment:1 start:1988
BarData =
bar:Eric text:Eric Martin
bar:Dan text:Dan Bolton
bar:Ron text:Ron Heathman
bar:Rick text:Rick Sims
bar:Marty text:Marty Chandler
bar:Edward text:Eddie Spaghetti
bar:Eagle text:Dancing Eagle
bar:Mike text: Mike Musburger
bar:Dusty text:Dusty Watson
bar:Scott text:Scott Churilla
bar:Chris text: Chris von Streicher
PlotData=
width:11 textcolor:black align:left anchor:from shift:(10,-4)
bar:Eric from:01/01/1988 till:01/01/1989 color:vocals
bar:Edward from:01/01/1988 till:end color:bass
bar:Edward from:02/01/1989 till:end color:vocals width:3
bar:Dan from:10/01/1988 till:01/10/2003 color:guitars
bar:Dan from:01/01/2005 till:10/12/2014 color:guitars
bar:Ron from:01/01/1988 till:01/01/1995 color:guitars
bar:Ron from:02/01/1996 till:11/10/2009 color:guitars
bar:Rick from:02/01/1995 till:01/01/1996 color:guitars
bar:Marty from:12/10/2009 till:end color:guitars
bar:Eagle from:01/01/1988 till:01/01/2005 color:drums
bar:Dusty from:02/01/2005 till:01/01/2006 color:drums
bar:Mike from:10/01/2005 till:01/06/2006 color:drums
bar:Scott from:01/06/2006 till:01/01/2012 color:drums
bar:Chris from:01/01/2012 till:end color:drums
LineData =
at:04/09/1992 color:black layer:back
at:01/03/1994 color:black layer:back
at:08/08/1995 color:black layer:back
at:25/03/1997 color:black layer:back
at:16/11/1999 color:black layer:back
at:22/04/2003 color:black layer:back
at:25/11/2008 color:black layer:back
at:14/01/2014 color:black layer:back
at:16/10/2015 color:black layer:back
at:21/09/2018 color:black layer:back
at:07/02/2020 color:black layer:back
Discography
Studio albums
* ''
The Smoke of Hell
''The Smoke of Hell'' is the debut studio album by the American rock and roll band The Supersuckers. It was released on September 1, 1992, on Sub Pop records. The cover art was by the comic book artist Daniel Clowes
Daniel Gillespie Clowes ( ...
'' (1992)
* ''
La Mano Cornuda
''La Mano Cornuda'' is the second studio album by the American rock and roll band Supersuckers. It was released on March 1, 1994, on Sub Pop. The title is Spanish for ''the horned hand'', a reference to the hand sign often seen at rock and roll ...
'' (1994)
* ''
The Sacrilicious Sounds of the Supersuckers
''The Sacrilicious Sounds of the Supersuckers'' is the third studio album by the American rock band Supersuckers. It was released on August 8, 1995, on Sub Pop.
The word ''sacrilicious'' is a portmanteau of ''sacrilegious'' and ''delicious''. ...
'' (1995)
* ''
Must've Been High
''Must've Been High'' is the fourth studio album and the first cowpunk album by the American rock and roll band Supersuckers. It was released on March 25, 1997, via Sub Pop.
Track listing
#"Must've Been High" – 3:28
#"Dead in the Water" – ...
'' (1997)
* ''
The Evil Powers of Rock 'N' Roll'' (1999)
* ''
Motherfuckers Be Trippin''' (2003)
* ''Paid (EP)'' (2006)
* ''
Get It Together'' (2008)
* ''
Get the Hell'' (2014)
* ''
Holdin' the Bag'' (2015)
* ''
Suck It'' (2018)
* ''
Play That Rock N' Roll
''Play That Rock N' Roll'' is a studio album by American rock and roll
Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock 'n' roll, or rock 'n roll) is a genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and ea ...
'' (2020)
Split releases
"Reverend Horton Heat"/"Supersuckers" (1994 split ep 400 Bucks/ Caliente Sub Pop.
* "Supersuckers" / "Steve Earle" (1997; split single with
Steve Earle)
* ''
Splitsville 1'' (2002; split album with
Electric Frankenstein
Electric Frankenstein is an American punk revival band from New Jersey, founded by Sal Canzonieri in 1990. The band relocated to North Carolina in 2021. Their style is a mixture of punk rock, hard rock, garage rock, glam, and heavy metal. It is ...
)
Live albums
* ''
Must've Been Live'' (2002)
* ''
Live at the Magic Bag'' (2004)
* ''
Live at the Tractor Tavern'' (2004)
* ''Live at Bart's CD Cellar & Record Shop'' (2006)
* ''Live at the Whole Foods Market Digital Download'' (2007)
Compilation albums
* ''
The Songs All Sound the Same
''The Songs All Sound the Same'' is a singles collection by American rock and roll band Supersuckers. It was originally released in 1992 on eMpTy Records. This album led ultimately to the signing of the band with Sub Pop. It was remastered and ...
'' (1992)
* ''
'' (1999)
* ''
Devil's Food'' (2005)
* ''Black Supersuckers – Sub Pop Demos'' (2009)
[{{cite web, url=https://supersuckers.com/records/black-supersuckers/, title=Black Supersuckers – Sub Pop Demos]
References
{{Reflist
External links
{{commons category, Supersuckers
Official Band Site* {{Discogs artist, Supersuckers
{{Supersuckers
{{Authority control
{{, url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/get-the-hell-mw0002596787, language=en-us, access-date=May 24, 2020
{{DEFAULTSORT:Supersuckers, The
American alternative country groups
American musical trios
Country music groups from Arizona
Bloodshot Records artists
Cowpunk musical groups
Garage punk groups
Indie rock musical groups from Arizona
Musical groups established in 1988
Musical groups from Tucson, Arizona
Punk rock groups from Arizona
Sub Pop artists