The Fucking Champs are a three-piece
rock band from
San Francisco,
California. They are known for their
heavy metal sound, based largely around shifting
time signatures, guitar harmonies, and plentiful rhythm. Most songs are instrumental. They are currently signed to
Drag City. They have also collaborated with
Trans Am
Trans Am may refer to:
* Pontiac Firebird Trans Am, an automobile model
* Trans Am (band), an American post-rock band
** ''Trans Am'' (album), their 1996 debut album
*** ''Trans Am'' (1996 song), their eponymous song from the eponymous album, see ...
and the two have recorded albums together as
TransChamps and
The Fucking Am. Founded in
Santa Cruz in the early 1990s, the band was initially called The Champs, but added the "Fucking" to their name – following a brief stint as The Champs UK – because
The Champs had been used by a band in the late 1950s.
Tim Green was a member of
Nation of Ulysses,
Lice
Louse ( : lice) is the common name for any member of the clade Phthiraptera, which contains nearly 5,000 species of wingless parasitic insects. Phthiraptera has variously been recognized as an order, infraorder, or a parvorder, as a result o ...
,
The Vile Cherubs and
The Young Ginns. He has released various solo albums and remixes under the name Concentrick. He has also recorded and produced numerous bands through his own Louder Studios.
Drummer Tim Soete was the singer/guitarist of San Diego mod revivalists
The Event and guitarist/vocalist for Santa Cruz band Tail Dragger.
Phil Manley is a founding member of
Trans Am
Trans Am may refer to:
* Pontiac Firebird Trans Am, an automobile model
* Trans Am (band), an American post-rock band
** ''Trans Am'' (album), their 1996 debut album
*** ''Trans Am'' (1996 song), their eponymous song from the eponymous album, see ...
and has also released albums under his own name. In 2011, he collaborated with
Earthless guitarist Isaiah Mitchell, under the name 'Mitchell Manley', to release an EP for
Thrill Jockey. He also works as a recording engineer and has worked with numerous bands in the Bay Area.
Founding Champs guitarist Josh Smith was also a member of the cult San Francisco
black metal
Black metal is an extreme metal, extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. Common traits include Tempo#Beats per minute, fast tempos, a Screaming (music)#Black metal, shrieking vocal style, heavily distorted Electric guitar, guitars played with t ...
band
Weakling, as well as fronting the power pop band
The Makes Nice
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...
and playing guitar in
Drunk Horse
Drunk Horse is a rock band from Oakland, California. Formed in 1998, the band released several albums on Man's Ruin Records before the label went out of business. The band then moved on to Tee Pee Records with 2003's ''Adult Situations'', which was ...
. He is currently a member of
The Futur Skullz
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...
.
Phil Manley stated in a January 31, 2011 interview that "The Champs have broken up. Tim Soete has moved to San Diego and Tim Green lives in Grass Valley, California. I have been playing a bit with Josh Smith, but not as the Champs".
Contrary to Mr. Manley's statement, The Fucking Champs recorded a remix of
Justice's song "
Civilization" for Justice's ''Civilization EP'' released June 6, 2011.
Members
Current
* Phil Manley
* Tim Green
* Tim Soete
Former
* Josh Smith
* Adam Cantwell (also known from the band
Spaceboy)
* Alex Wharton
Discography
* ''Music for Films About Rock'' (self-released cassette, as ''Champs'')
* ''Triumph of the Air Elementals'' (self-released cassette, as ''Champs'', 1994)
* ''Some Swords'' 7", (Galaxia USA, 1995)
* ''Second 7"'' 7", (Wantage USA, 1995)
* ''The Drug Album'' 7", split with Regraped (Poor Dora Maar Records, as ''The Champs'', 1995)
* ''III'' (first release as ''C4AM95'') (Frenetic USA, 1997)
* ''Split'' 7", split with Tight Bros. From Way Back When (Ace Fu Records, as ''The Champs'', 1999)
* ''IV'' (first release as ''The Fucking Champs'') (Drag City USA, 2000)
* ''Double Exposure'' (with
Trans Am
Trans Am may refer to:
* Pontiac Firebird Trans Am, an automobile model
* Trans Am (band), an American post-rock band
** ''Trans Am'' (album), their 1996 debut album
*** ''Trans Am'' (1996 song), their eponymous song from the eponymous album, see ...
as ''TransChamps'') (Thrill Jockey USA, 2001)
* ''
V'' (Drag City USA, 2002)
* ''Wantage USA's 21st Release Hits Omnibus'' 2XCD, (Wantage USA)
* ''Greatest Hits''
*
''Gold'' (with Trans Am as ''The Fucking Am'') (Drag City USA, 2004)
* ''VI'' (Drag City USA, 2007)
* ''Civilization-EP'' (The Fucking Champs re-mix of Justice song "Civilization") (Ed Banger Records under exclusive license to Because Music 2011)
External links
Official siteMySpace page*
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fucking Champs
Progressive rock musical groups from California
Drag City (record label) artists
Musical groups established in 1994
1994 establishments in California
American instrumental musical groups
Instrumental rock musical groups