Orange Hat is an American rock and

psychedelic pop Psychedelic pop (or acid pop) is pop music that contains musical characteristics associated with psychedelic music. Developing in the late 1960s, elements included " trippy" features such as fuzz guitars, tape manipulation, backwards recording, ...

band from

Atlanta, GA Atlanta ( ) is the capital city, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georgia, Fulton County, the mos ...

History

Early years

Guitarist Christo Harris started Orange Hat while in high school in 1983 and was joined by guitarist/bassist David "Zeus" Henderson several years later. The pair, with constantly changing lineups, took advantage of the '80s

DIY "Do it yourself" ("DIY") is the method of building, modifying, or repairing things by oneself without the direct aid of professionals or certified experts. Academic research has described DIY as behaviors where "individuals use raw and semi ...

cassette culture The cassette culture (also known as the tape/cassette scene or cassette underground) refers to the practices associated with amateur production and distribution of music and sound art on compact cassette that emerged in the mid-1970s. The cassett ...

and released a half dozen independent albums on cassette between 1985 and 1995, including ''Pork!'' and ''Pterodactyl Universe''. (A long running inside joke demands all Orange Hat album titles begin with the letter P.) The band also released a full length independent

mockumentary A mockumentary (a blend of ''mock'' and ''documentary''), fake documentary or docu-comedy is a type of film or television show depicting fictional events but presented as a documentary. These productions are often used to analyze or comment on c ...

, ''Pork Rinds'', in 1992. Orange Hat took a three-year hiatus starting in 1992 following the death of drummer "Beaver" Myers. During that time, Henderson recorded and toured with

Shawn Mullins Shawn Mullins (born March 8, 1968) is an American singer-songwriter who specializes in folk rock, instrumental rock, adult album alternative, adult alternative, and Americana (music), Americana music. His 1998 single "Lullaby (Shawn Mullins song) ...

1995–2001

Orange Hat reformed in 1995 and Harris and Henderson were joined by keyboardist John Henry, part-time

percussionist A percussion instrument is a musical instrument that is sounded by being struck or scraped by a beater including attached or enclosed beaters or rattles struck, scraped or rubbed by hand or struck against another similar instrument. Ex ...

Keli Mercadante, and

drummer A drummer is a percussionist who creates music using drum The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments. In the Hornbostel-Sachs classification system, it is a membranophone. Drums consist of at least one mem ...

record producer A record producer is a recording project's creative and technical leader, commanding studio time and coaching artists, and in popular genres typically creates the song's very sound and structure.Virgil Moorefield"Introduction" ''The Producer as ...

audio engineer An audio engineer (also known as a sound engineer or recording engineer) helps to produce a recording or a live performance, balancing and adjusting sound sources using equalization, dynamics processing and audio effects, mixing, reproduction, ...

Jason NeSmith (also known as Casper, from

Casper & the Cookies Casper & the Cookies is an American rock and pop band from Athens, Georgia, United States. History Multi-instrumentalist and singer Jason NeSmith (pronounced "KNEE-smith," no relation to Michael Nesmith of the Monkees), began using the pseudo ...

). With the release of the

7-inch In music, a single is a type of release, typically a song recording of fewer tracks than an LP record or an album. One can be released for sale to the public in a variety of formats. In most cases, a single is a song that is released separate ...

"Humpty Dumpty / Entropy" in early 1997, the band began to receive college radio airplay and national press. While the band's earlier work varied between new wave and

tongue-in-cheek The idiom tongue-in-cheek refers to a humorous or sarcastic statement expressed in a serious manner. History The phrase originally expressed contempt, but by 1842 had acquired its modern meaning. Early users of the phrase include Sir Walter Scott ...

garage rock Garage rock (sometimes called garage punk or 60s punk) is a raw and energetic style of rock and roll that flourished in the mid-1960s, most notably in the United States and Canada, and has experienced a series of subsequent revivals. The sty ...

, Harris and Henderson focused their sound during this period on imagery-filled

, and began to incorporate appropriate effects and instruments such as the

Theremin The theremin (; originally known as the ætherphone/etherphone, thereminophone or termenvox/thereminvox) is an electronic musical instrument controlled without physical contact by the performer (who is known as a thereminist). It is named afte ...

into their sound. NeSmith's contributions toward this style included the use of a Synsonics toy

electronic drum Electronic drums is a modern electronic musical instrument, primarily designed to serve as an alternative to an acoustic drum kit. Electronic drums consist of an electronic sound module which produces the synthesized or sampled percussion sounds ...

pad sent through delay effects. Keyboardist John Henry was replaced by

Kenny Howes Kenny Howes (born February 10, 1970) is an American musician primarily in the power pop genre.Borack, John. Shake Some Action: The Ultimate Power Pop Guide. Not Lame Recording Company. p. 118. . Musical style/influences While swaying into othe ...

in 1997, who then contributed the distinctive sound of the

Vox Continental The Vox Continental is a transistorised combo organ that was manufactured between 1962 and 1971 by the British musical equipment manufacturer Vox. It was designed for touring musicians and as an alternative to the heavy Hammond organ. It supp ...

organ to the band. John Henry remains associated with Orange Hat today, in the capacity of "

psychic A psychic is a person who claims to use extrasensory perception (ESP) to identify information hidden from the normal senses, particularly involving telepathy or clairvoyance, or who performs acts that are apparently inexplicable by natural laws, ...

mentor Mentorship is the influence, guidance, or direction given by a mentor. A mentor is someone who teaches or gives help and advice to a less experienced and often younger person. In an organizational setting, a mentor influences the personal and p ...

." The quartet released the CD ''Pufferfish'' in 1999, the single "13th Floor" in 2000, and a full-length film ''Psychedelic Elevator'' (on VHS) in 2001. This lineup of the band was as notable for its

psychedelic Psychedelics are a subclass of hallucinogenic drugs whose primary effect is to trigger non-ordinary states of consciousness (known as psychedelic experiences or "trips").Pollan, Michael (2018). ''How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science of ...

fashion sense as for its Squeeze-like pop sound.

Orange Hat Hour television show

From 2001 to 2003, Orange Hat produced over 50 episodes of ''The Orange Hat Hour'', a weekly, half-hour cable television show. The program featured music videos, band performances, and

surreal Surreal may refer to: *Anything related to or characteristic of Surrealism, a movement in philosophy and art * "Surreal" (song), a 2000 song by Ayumi Hamasaki * ''Surreal'' (album), an album by Man Raze *Surreal humour, a common aspect of humor ...

deconstructionist The term deconstruction refers to approaches to understanding the relationship between text and meaning. It was introduced by the philosopher Jacques Derrida, who defined it as a turn away from Platonism's ideas of "true" forms and essences ...

comedy, similar in style to ''

The Monkees The Monkees were an American rock and pop band, formed in Los Angeles in 1966, whose lineup consisted of the American actor/musicians Micky Dolenz, Michael Nesmith and Peter Tork alongside English actor/singer Davy Jones. The group was conc ...

'' and ''SCTV''.

Current Lineup

Howes and NeSmith, who both relocated, were replaced by guitarist Lee Flier and drummer Eskil Wetterqvist (both of the Atlanta band What The...?). This incarnation released the EP ''Ponytail'' in 2005.''Ear Candy'' reviews, December 2005
/ref> Howes returned to Atlanta in 2012 and re-joined the band. Orange Hat continues to occasionally perform in the Atlanta area.

Selected discography

Albums

* ''Pork!'' (independent, 1990) * ''Pterodactyl Universe'' (independent, 1995) * ''Pufferfish '' (Cringe Records, 1999)

EPs

* ''Paisley Thrash'' (independent 1989) * ''Ponytail'' – with 3-D,

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cover – (Cringe Records, 2005) * ''Parade Of Freaks'' – (Cringe Records, 2010)

Singles

* Humpty Dumpty / Entropy – 7" red vinyl single (1997) * On The 13th Floor – CD-R – (Cringe Records, 2001)

Videos

* ''Pork Rinds'' – 70 minutes, VHS (1992) * ''Psychedelic Elevator'' – 60 minutes, VHS (2001) * ''Orange Hat Hour, Volume One'' – 120 minutes, DVD (2002)

Compilation appearances

* ''Love in Song: An Atlanta Tribute to Sir Paul McCartney'' – Demagogue Records – CD (2000)

References

Cassette culture 1970s–1990s

External links

Orange Hat website

Orange Hat videos & TV episodes on YouTube
American power pop groups Musical groups from Georgia (U.S. state) Musical groups established in 1983