The Oil Tasters were an early 1980s band from

Milwaukee, Wisconsin Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at th ...

, in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

. The band comprised bassist and vocalist

Richard LaValliere Richard LaValliere (February 20, 1953 – February 8, 2012) was a Sheboygan, Wisconsin born musician, and founding member of Milwaukee bands such as, The Dirty Shames, Arthur, Radio Boys, In A Hot Coma, The Haskels, The Oil Tasters The Oil Taster ...

, saxophonist Caleb Alexander, and drummer

Guy Hoffman Guy Hoffman (born May 20, 1954 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin) is a drummer and vocalist, formerly of such bands as Oil Tasters, BoDeans, Violent Femmes and Absinthe. He is a composer for such films as ''Field Day'' and a founding member of Radio Rome ...

. The trio, founded on Milwaukee's East Side, released a 2-song 45 record in December 1980. It included "What's In Your Mouth" backed with "Get Out Of The Bathroom," a track which also appeared on

Sub Pop Sub Pop is a record label founded in 1986 by Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman. Sub Pop achieved fame in the early 1990s for signing Seattle bands such as Nirvana, Soundgarden, and Mudhoney, central players in the grunge movement. They are often ...

founder Bruce Pavitt's compilation cassette release ''Sub Pop 5'' (1981). In August 1981, a three-song EP was released with "That's When The Brick Goes Through The Window," backed with "Earn While You Learn" and "Smoke." The Oil Tasters left behind an LP recorded for

Thermidor Thermidor () was the eleventh month in the French Republican Calendar. The month was named after the French word ''thermal'', derived from the Greek word "thermos" (''heat''). Thermidor was the second month of the summer quarter (''mois d'ét ...

(1982), a

Berkeley, California Berkeley ( ) is a city on the eastern shore of San Francisco Bay in northern Alameda County, California, United States. It is named after the 18th-century Irish bishop and philosopher George Berkeley. It borders the cities of Oakland and Emer ...

-based

independent label An independent record label (or indie label) is a record label that operates without the funding or distribution of major record labels; they are a type of small- to medium-sized enterprise, or SME. The labels and artists are often represented ...

External links

Guy Hoffman
{{Authority control Musical groups from Wisconsin