Gigolo Aunts are an

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

power pop Power pop (also typeset as powerpop) is a form of pop rock based on the early music of bands such as the Who, the Beatles, the Beach Boys, and the Byrds. It typically incorporates melodic hooks, vocal harmonies, an energetic performance, and ch ...

band, who formed in 1981.

Biography

Early history

The band was formed by middle school students Steve Hurley, Dave Gibbs, Phil Hurley, and Paul Brouwer in 1981 in

Potsdam, New York Potsdam ( moh, Tsi tewate’nehtararénies) is a town in St. Lawrence County, New York, United States. The town population was 14,901 at the 2020 census. The ZIP Code is 13676. When SUNY Potsdam and Clarkson University are in session, the popul ...

, United States, originally known as Sniper. In 1986, their name changed to Gigolo Aunts (after the

Syd Barrett Roger Keith "Syd" Barrett (6 January 1946 – 7 July 2006) was an English singer, songwriter, and musician who co-founded the rock band Pink Floyd in 1965. Barrett was their original frontman and primary songwriter, becoming known for his ...

song, "Gigolo Aunt", from his 1970 album '' Barrett'') and became a staple on the Northern New York music scene, gaining a reputation for frenetic live sets that featured the close harmonies of the Hurley brothers and Gibbs. In the summer of 1987 the band relocated to

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut assachusett writing systems, məhswatʃəwiːsət'' English: , ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is the most populous U.S. state, state in the New England ...

, and within a year were signed to Hoboken's Coyote Records (then home of

the Feelies The Feelies are an American rock band from Haledon, New Jersey. They formed in 1976 and disbanded in 1992 having released four albums. The band reunited in 2008, and released new albums in 2011 and 2017. Although not commercially successful, th ...

and

Yo La Tengo Yo La Tengo (YLT; Spanish for "I have her") is an American indie rock band formed in Hoboken, New Jersey, in 1984. Since 1992, the lineup has consisted of Ira Kaplan (guitars, piano, vocals), Georgia Hubley (drums, piano, vocals), and James McNew ...

). Their first album entitled ''

Everybody Happy ''Everybody Happy'' is the debut studio album by the rock band Gigolo Aunts. It was released in 1988 on Coyote Records. Critical reception ''Trouser Press ''Trouser Press'' was a rock and roll magazine started in New York in 1974 as a mimeo ...

'' was produced by former Bongo bassist (and late version

Velvet Underground Weave details visible on a purple-colored velvet fabric Velvet is a type of woven tufted fabric Textile is an umbrella term that includes various fiber-based materials, including fibers, yarns, filaments, threads, different fabri ...

member), Rob Norris, and released in 1988. After touring up and down the east coast, the band returned to Boston and began working on their follow up album with producer Paul Kolderie. Early in the sessions, Coyote Records folded, and only a handful of songs were finished. After a year of slugging in out in the Boston clubs and recording new songs with Kolderie, the band completed ''

Tales from the Vinegar Side ''Tales from the Vinegar Side'' is the 1990 second album by Gigolo Aunts, released on Imposible Records in Spain. The record contains a cover of the Chris Bell composition "I Am the Cosmos" and the song "Down on Me", a modest Boston radio hit. T ...

'', which was released only in Spain on Impossible Records in 1990. The album produced a modest Boston area radio hit in "Down on Me".

Chart success

In fall 1991, the band released the "Bloom"/"

Cope The cope (known in Latin as ''pluviale'' 'rain coat' or ''cappa'' 'cape') is a liturgical vestment, more precisely a long mantle or cloak, open in front and fastened at the breast with a band or clasp. It may be of any liturgical colours, litu ...

" 7 inch single on their own Summerville records. The single garnered rave reviews on both sides of the Atlantic and heavy Boston area airplay, which led to a record deal with

Fire Records Fire Records was an American independent record label, set up in 1959 by Bobby Robinson. Amongst others, it released records by Lightnin' Hopkins, Elmore James, Buster Brown and Arthur Crudup. At one point it was thought Fire had issued the la ...

in the UK. An EP, ''

Full-On Bloom ''Full-On Bloom'' is an EP released in July 1993 by Gigolo Aunts Gigolo Aunts are an American power pop band, who formed in 1981. Biography Early history The band was formed by middle school students Steve Hurley, Dave Gibbs, Phil Hurley, ...

'', was released in July 1993 and an album, ''

Flippin' Out ''Flippin' Out'' is an album by Gigolo Aunts released in October 1993 on Fire Records in the UK and April 1994 on RCA/BMG in the US. It includes the track " Where I Find My Heaven", featured on the soundtrack to 1994 comedy film, ''Dumb and Dumb ...

'', made with producers Mike Deneen and Adam Lasus, was released in the UK in October 1993. The band supported

Suede Suede (pronounced ) is a type of leather with a fuzzy, napped finish, commonly used for jackets, shoes, fabrics, purses, furniture, and other items. The term comes from the French , which literally means "gloves from Sweden". The term was fir ...

and

the Cranberries The Cranberries were an Irish rock band formed in Limerick, Ireland. Originally named the Cranberry Saw Us, the band were formed in 1989 by lead singer Niall Quinn, guitarist Noel Hogan, bassist Mike Hogan and drummer Fergal Lawler. Quinn was ...

on their first major U.S. tour and a tour of Japan. The band toured extensively in Europe in support of ''

'', opening for

the Wonderstuff The Wonder Stuff are a British alternative rock band. Originally based in Stourbridge in the West Midlands, England, the band's first lineup released four albums and nearly 20 singles and EPs, enjoying considerable chart and live success in ...

. After signing to RCA Records in the US early in 1994, the band released the slightly altered American version of ''

'' and spent the year supporting the record in Europe and America. Their biggest commercial success was the single, "

Where I Find My Heaven "Where I Find My Heaven" is a song written and performed by Gigolo Aunts. It was released as a 1993 single by Fire Records in support of the 1993 album ''Flippin' Out''. It was later re-released as an April 1995 single to highlight its inclusio ...

", which featured in the soundtrack to the

film A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...

Dumb and Dumber ''Dumb and Dumber'' is a 1994 American buddy comedy film directed by Peter Farrelly, who cowrote the screenplay with Bobby Farrelly and Bennett Yellin. It is the first installment in the ''Dumb and Dumber'' franchise. Starring Jim Carrey and ...

'', and as the opening music to the British

sitcom A sitcom, a portmanteau of situation comedy, or situational comedy, is a genre of comedy centered on a fixed set of characters who mostly carry over from episode to episode. Sitcoms can be contrasted with sketch comedy, where a troupe may use ne ...

'' Game On''. The single release of "Where I Find My Heaven" broke into the

Top 30 In the music industry, the Top 40 is the current, 40 most-popular songs in a particular genre. It is the best-selling or most frequently broadcast popular music. Record charts have traditionally consisted of a total of 40 songs. "Top 40" or " con ...

in the

UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

early in 1995. The band also composed the song, "Little Wild One", for the movie, ''

That Thing You Do! ''That Thing You Do!'' is a 1996 American comedy film co-starring, written, and directed by Tom Hanks, in his feature writing and directorial debut. It tells the story of the rise and fall of a fictional 1960s one-hit wonder pop band, and sta ...

Later history

In the winter of 1995, drummer Paul Brouwer left and was replaced by Fred Eltringham, then of the Boston band, Jack Drag. In the fall of 1995, the band entered the studio with producer Fred Maher to record the follow-up to ''

'', tentatively titled ''Ultraphonic''. The subsequent recordings were never released and soon after Phil Hurley left the band and was replaced by 6L6 guitarist, Jon Skibic. In 1996, after getting released from their RCA deal, the band began the long process of ending their relationship with

. In the meantime, they released an EP, '' Learn to Play Guitar'', on the indie Wicked Disc label, which allowed them to tour extensively in support of

the Wallflowers The Wallflowers is an American rock solo project of American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Jakob Dylan. The Wallflowers were originally a roots rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1989 by Dylan and guitarist Tobi Miller. The band ...

and

Counting Crows Counting Crows is an American rock band from San Francisco, California. Formed in 1991, the band consists of guitarist David Bryson, drummer Jim Bogios, vocalist Adam Duritz, keyboardist Charlie Gillingham, David Immerglück, bass guitarist Mil ...

. On July 2, 1997, Counting Crows kicked off a co-headlining tour with

The Wallflowers The Wallflowers is an American rock solo project of American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Jakob Dylan. The Wallflowers were originally a roots rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1989 by Dylan and guitarist Tobi Miller. The band ...

that continued through September. This tour included opening acts by

Bettie Serveert Bettie Serveert is a Dutch indie rock band. The name translates to "Bettie Serves", or "Service to Bettie", which is the title of a book written by Dutch tennis player Betty Stöve, who made it to the Wimbledon Ladies Singles final in 1977. ...

Engine 88 Engine 88 was a rock band that spawned out of the San Francisco Bay Area in the 1990s. History Engine 88 (originally known as simply Engine) released three albums (2 on Caroline Records) and a handful of seven-inch singles throughout the 1990s ...

, Gigolo Aunts and

That Dog That Dog (styled as that dog.) is a Los Angeles-based rock band that formed in 1992 and dissolved in 1997, reuniting in 2011. The band originally consisted of Anna Waronker on lead vocals and guitar, Rachel Haden on bass guitar and vocals, her s ...

, with each opening band touring for a three-week stretch. While touring with Counting Crows, The Wallflowers were also playing their own headlining dates when the Counting Crows tour was on break (Counting Crows frontman

Adam Duritz Adam Fredric Duritz (born August 1, 1964) is an American singer, best known as the frontman for the rock band Counting Crows, of which he is a founding member and principal composer. Since its founding in 1991, Counting Crows has sold over 20 mi ...

experienced swollen vocal cords and had to back out of several shows in July). After settling their contract status in 1998, the band signed a new deal with E Pluribus Unum Records, a subsidiary of Universal Records owned and led by Counting Crows' singer,

. The band entered the studio once again with producer Mike Denneen and produced the haunting '' Minor Chords and Major Themes'', which featured the minor hit, " Everyone Can Fly". ''Minor Chords And Major Themes'' was a hit in Spain and led to the band's long-standing popularity in that country and appearance at the Benicassim Festival in 1999.

Members

;Current Members * Dave Gibbs (vocals/guitar) *Steve Hurley (bass/vocals) *Jon Skibic (lead guitar/vocals, 1995-) *Fred Eltringham (drums, 1995-) ;Former Members * Phil Hurley (lead guitar/vocals, 1981–1995) *Paul Brouwer (drums, 1981–1995) ;Timeline ImageSize = width:800 height:auto barincrement:25 PlotArea = left:120 bottom:120 top:0 right:0 Alignbars = justify DateFormat = mm/dd/yyyy Period = from:01/01/1981 till:12/31/2016 TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal format:yyyy Legend = orientation:vertical position:bottom columns:2 ScaleMajor = increment:2 start:1981 ScaleMinor = increment:1 start:1981 Colors = id:v value:red legend:Vocals id:lg value:teal legend:Lead_Guitar id:rg value:brightgreen legend:Rhythm_Guitar id:b value:blue legend:Bass id:d value:orange legend:Drums id:alb value:black legend:Studio_Albums id:ep value:gray(0.4) legend:Extended_Plays LineData = layer:back at:06/30/1988 color:alb at:06/30/1990 color:alb at:07/26/1993 color:ep at:04/12/1994 color:alb at:02/25/1997 color:ep at:02/09/1999 color:alb at:06/30/1999 color:ep at:04/08/2002 color:alb PlotData = width:10 textcolor:black align:left anchor:from shift:(12,–4) bar:Dave Gibbs from:start till:end color:v bar:Dave Gibbs from:start till:end color:rg width:3 bar:Phil Hurley from:start till:10/01/1995 color:lg bar:Phil Hurley from:start till:10/01/1995 color:v width:3 bar:Jon Skibic from:10/01/1995 till:end color:lg bar:Jon Skibic from:10/01/1995 till:end color:v width:3 bar:Steve Hurley from:start till:end color:b bar:Steve Hurley from:start till:end color:v width:3 bar:Paul Brouwer from:start till:02/01/1995 color:d bar:Fred Eltringham from:02/01/1995 till:end color:d

Discography

Albums

*''Better Than Fish'' (1987, Demo Tape) *''

'' (US - 1988, Coyote Records) *''

'' (Spain - 1990, Impossible Records) *''

Full-On Bloom (EP) ''Full-On Bloom'' is an EP released in July 1993 by Gigolo Aunts Gigolo Aunts are an American power pop band, who formed in 1981. Biography Early history The band was formed by middle school students Steve Hurley, Dave Gibbs, Phil Hurley, ...

'' (UK - 1993,

), (US - 1993, Alias Records) *''

'' (UK - 1993,

), (US - 1994,

RCA The RCA Corporation was a major American electronics company, which was founded as the Radio Corporation of America in 1919. It was initially a patent trust owned by General Electric (GE), Westinghouse, AT&T Corporation and United Fruit Comp ...

/ BMG) *'' Learn to Play Guitar (EP)'' (US - 1997, Wicked Disc) *'' Minor Chords and Major Themes'' (US - 1999, E Pluribus Unum Recordings) *'' Everyone Can Fly (EP)'' (US - 1999, E Pluribus Unum Recordings) *''

Pacific Ocean Blues "Pacific Ocean Blues" is a song written by Dennis Wilson and his cousin Mike Love. It was released as the ninth track on Dennis Wilson's 1977 first solo album ''Pacific Ocean Blue''. The track, as with the rest of the album, was credited as havin ...

'' (Spain/Japan - 2002, Bittersweet Recordings), (US - 2003, Q Division Records)

Compilation albums

*'' Flippin' Out + Full-On Bloom'' (UK - 1995,

) *''

'' (UK - 1997, Nectar Masters, UK - 1998,

) *'' The One Before the Last'' (Spain - 2000, Bittersweet Recordings) *'' Where I Find My Heaven + Flippin' Out'' (UK - 2003,

) *'' The Pride Of Potsdam: 20 Years Of Sonic Splendor'' (2006, Love To Art)

Singles

*"Bloom" (1991) *"

I Am the Cosmos (Chris Bell Homage) ''I Am the Cosmos'' is the only solo album by the American pop-rock musician Chris Bell, posthumously released in 1992 by Rykodisc, having been recorded over a period of two to three years during the mid-1970s. Bell had previously been a member o ...

" (1992) *"

" (1992) *"Bloom" (1993) *"

Gun A gun is a ranged weapon designed to use a shooting tube (gun barrel) to launch projectiles. The projectiles are typically solid, but can also be pressurized liquid (e.g. in water guns/cannons, spray guns for painting or pressure washing, p ...

" (1993) *" Mrs. Washington" (1993) *"

Shame Shame is an unpleasant self-conscious emotion often associated with negative self-evaluation; motivation to quit; and feelings of pain, exposure, distrust, powerlessness, and worthlessness. Definition Shame is a discrete, basic emotion, d ...

" (1993) *"

" (1993) *" Mrs. Washington" (1994) *"

" (Promo Single) (1994) *"Bloom" (Promo Single) (1994) *"

" (1995) *"

" (Promo Single) (1995) *" The Big Lie" (Promo Single) (1999) *" Everyone Can Fly" (Promo Single) (1999) *"The Girl From Yesterday" (Promo Single - Spain) (2001) *"Even Though (The One Before the Last)" (Promo Single - Spain) (2002)

Selected tracks from other compilations

*" They Don't Know", ''Volume 10'' (distributed by RTM/

Pinnacle A pinnacle is an architectural element originally forming the cap or crown of a buttress or small turret, but afterwards used on parapets at the corners of towers and in many other situations. The pinnacle looks like a small spire. It was mainly ...

) Catalog Number: 10VCD10 (1994) *"

", ''

OST'' (

) Catalog Number: 07863 66523 2 (22 November 1994) *" Mr. Woods", ''Safe and Sound: A Benefit in Response to the Brookline Clinic Violence'' (

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 ...

) Catalog Number: 314 534 067-2 (1996) *" Why Can't This Be Love?", ''Everybody Wants Some! (of Van Halen)'' (

CherryDisc Records CherryDisc Records was a Boston-based independent record label in the mid- to late-1990s. It gained notoriety by moving acts such as Letters to Cleo, Big Catholic Guilt, Smackmelon, Tracy Bonham, The Sheila Divine, Quintaine Americana, and Sem ...

) Catalog Number: CH 5794-2 (1997) *" You'd Better Get Yourself Together, Baby", ''Wicked Good Sampler 05'' (

Universal Music Universal Music Group N.V. (often abbreviated as UMG and referred to as just Universal Music) is a Netherlands, Dutch–United States, American multinational Music industry, music corporation under Law of the Netherlands, Dutch law. UMG's cor ...

) Catalog Number: UMG3P-21141 (1998) *" Alcoholiday", ''What a Concept!: A Salute to Teenage Fanclub'' (

Not Lame Recordings Not Lame Recordings was a Ft. Collins, Colorado based independent record label specializing in power pop music. History The label was started by Bruce Brodeen in November 1994Not Lame Recordings (2010)"About us" Retrieved November 17, 2010. I ...

) Catalog Number: NL-089 (2004) *"

I'm Not the One "I'm Not the One" is a song by the American rock band the Cars, from their fourth album, ''Shake It Up''. It features Ric Ocasek on lead vocals, Benjamin Orr singing the 'You Know Why' phrase, with the whole group repeating "going round and round" ...

", '' Substitution Mass Confusion: A Tribute to The Cars'' (

) Catalog Number: NL-102 (2005) ''attributed to Gigolo Aunts featuring Kid Lightning''

References

External links

Trouser Press Entry
{{Authority control Musical groups established in 1981 Alternative rock groups from New York (state)