Parasites are an American
pop-punk
Pop punk (or punk pop) is a rock music genre that combines elements of punk rock with power pop or pop. It is defined for its emphasis on classic pop songcraft, as well as adolescent and anti-suburbia themes, and is distinguished from other pu ...
band. They were formed in the late 1980s by guitarist / singer Dave Parasite and bassist Ron Nole in
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...
. Dave later relocated to Berkeley, California, and continued with a new lineup during the heyday of
Lookout! Records
Lookout Records (stylized as Lookout! Records) was an independent record label, initially based in Laytonville, California and later in Berkeley, focusing on punk rock. Established in 1987, the label is best known for having released Operation ...
and the Bay Area pop-punk revival.
Parasites have been releasing records since 1987 and toured the US, Europe and Japan extensively. They have played with
Green Day
Green Day is an American rock band formed in the East Bay of California in 1987 by lead vocalist and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong, together with bassist and backing vocalist Mike Dirnt. For most of the band's career, they have been a powe ...
,
Rancid,
NOFX
NOFX () is an American punk rock band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1983. Vocalist/bassist Fat Mike, guitarist Eric Melvin and drummer Erik Sandin are original founding and longest-serving members of the band, who have appeared on every ...
,
Bad Religion
Bad Religion is an American punk rock band that formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1980. The band's lyrics cover topics related to religion, politics, society, the media and science. Musically, they are noted for their melodic sensibilitie ...
,
Buzzcocks
Buzzcocks are an English punk rock band formed in Bolton, England in 1976 by singer-songwriter-guitarist Pete Shelley and singer-songwriter Howard Devoto. They are regarded as a seminal influence on the Manchester music scene, the independen ...
,
Jawbreaker,
The Queers
The Queers are an American punk rock band, formed in 1981 by the Portsmouth, New Hampshire native Joseph “Joe” P. King (a.k.a. Joe Queer) along with Scott Gildersleeve (a.k.a. Tulu), and John “Jack” Hayes (a.k.a. Wimpy Rutherford). With t ...
,
Lunachicks,
Fear
Fear is an intensely unpleasant emotion in response to perceiving or recognizing a danger or threat. Fear causes physiological changes that may produce behavioral reactions such as mounting an aggressive response or fleeing the threat. Fear ...
, The Adicts,
Channel 3, Dayglo Abortions,
JFA, Good Riddance, Street Dogs,
Teenage Bottlerocket
Teenage Bottlerocket is an American punk rock band formed in Laramie, Wyoming in 2000. The band was formed by twin brothers Ray and Brandon Carlisle, following the dissolution of their previous band, Homeless Wonders. The band's music is heav ...
,
The Mr. T Experience
The Mr. T Experience (sometimes abbreviated MTX) is an American punk rock band formed in 1985 in Berkeley, California, United States. They have released eleven full-length albums along with numerous EPs and singles and have toured international ...
, The Smoking Popes,
Dillinger 4,
The Ataris
The Ataris are an American punk rock band from Anderson, Indiana. Formed in 1996, they released five studio albums between 1997 and 2007. Their best-selling album is ''So Long, Astoria'' (2003), which was certified gold. Their high-charting s ...
,
Swingin' Utters
Swingin' Utters (often typeset as $wingin' Utter$, and originally called Johnny Peebucks and the Swingin' Utters) is a Californian punk rock band that formed in the late 1980s.Bush, JohnSwingin' Utters Biography, Allmusic, retrieved September 30, ...
, Weston, Ben Weasel, The Ergs, The Methadones,
The Lillingtons
The Lillingtons were a pop-punk band formed in 1995 in Newcastle, Wyoming. The band is composed of its original members, vocalist and lead guitarist Kody Templeman, drummer Tim O’Hara, bassist Cory Laurence, and later added rhythm guitarist Al ...
, Squirtgun,
D.O.A.
DOA may refer to:
* Dead on arrival
* Dead or Alive (disambiguation)
Film
* ''D.O.A.'' (1949 film), a ''film noir''
* ''D.O.A.'' (1988 film), a remake of the 1949 film
* '' D.O.A.: A Rite of Passage'' (1980 film), a documentary on the gene ...
, The Vibrators, Los Crudos, Sloppy Seconds, Dan Vapid and the Cheats, Voodoo Glow Skulls, Down By Law, Avail, J Church, Travoltas, The Apers, Sonic Dolls, Banner Pilot, Iron Chic, Boris The Sprinkler, FYP, Lemuria,
Masked Intruder
Masked Intruder is an anonymous American punk rock band from Madison, Wisconsin, United States.
The members of the band are Intruder Yellow (bass, backing vocals), Intruder Green (rhythm guitar, backing vocals), Intruder Red (drums, backing voc ...
, and thousands of other bands.
After taking a break in 2003, the band reunited in 2006 to release ''Retro-Pop Remasters'' , a "Best Of" compilation, on
Go Kart Records
Go-Kart Records is an independent record label specializing in punk rock located in New York City that was most active from 1995 to 2005. It also has a European division in Mannheim, Germany.
History
In its May 1999 issue, '' Guitar World'' ...
. It was promoted with a US tour in November 2006 with
the Ergs!
The Ergs! are an American punk rock band formed in 2000 in South Amboy, New Jersey, by three high school friends: drummer/lead vocalist Mikey Erg (Mike Yannich), guitarist/vocalist Jeff Erg (Jeff Schroeck), and bassist Joey Erg (Joe Keller). T ...
. They appeared at
Insubordination Fest
Insubordination Fest was an American annual punk rock music festival held in Baltimore, Maryland, that usually took place over three days, in late June.
The festival started in 2006 as a tenth-anniversary showcase for Insubordination Records, ...
in 2008.
They have seen released new albums: "Solitary" in 2009, and "Non Stop Power Pop" in 2012, both on Kid Tested Records, Dave Parasite's imprint label of
Go Kart Records
Go-Kart Records is an independent record label specializing in punk rock located in New York City that was most active from 1995 to 2005. It also has a European division in Mannheim, Germany.
History
In its May 1999 issue, '' Guitar World'' ...
, as well as many other releases. The band has toured in 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018 and a 28 band Parasites Tribute album, Paracomp, was released in 2015. Between albums, singles, EPs, splits, and compilations, they have over 100 releases.
Discography
Studio albums
* ''Punk Rock For The 80's'' cassette (self-released, 1987)
* ''Pair of Sides'' LP and cassette (Shredder Records, 1990)
** Remastered and reissued by Violated Records (CD 2016, LP 2018)
* ''Punch Lines'' CD (Shredder Records, 1993)
** Reissued - Munster Records, Spain (1994, LP)
* ''Pair'' CD (Shredder Records, 1994)
** Reissued - Munster Records, Spain (1994, LP)
* ''It's Alive'' LP (Clearview Records, 1997) - cover of It's Alive (
Ramones
The Ramones were an American punk rock band that formed in the New York City neighborhood of Forest Hills, Queens, in 1974. They are often cited as the first true punk rock group. Despite achieving a limited commercial appeal in the United ...
)
** Reissue - Kid Tested Records, US (2008, CD)
* ''Rat Ass Pie'' CD, LP, and cassette (Go Kart Records, 1998)
* ''Solitary'' CD and LP (Kid Tested Records, 2009)
** Reissue - Inya Face Records, Japan (2009, CD)
** Reissue - Rock Indiana Records, Spain (2009, CD)
** Reissue - Unless You Try Records, UK (2009, LP)
* ''Non Stop Power Pop Volume 1'' CD (Kid Tested Records, 2012)
** Reissue - Kid Tested Records / CR Japan, Japan (2012, CD)
** Reissue - Eccentric Pop Records, US (2013, LP)
Live albums
* ''Nyquil Fueled Rock Armada'' CD (Wingnut Records, 1996)
** Reissue - Munster Records, Spain (1996, 2 x LP)
* ''Rock You Like A Funnel Cake (Live in Chicago 2015)'' CD (self-released, 2015)
Compilation albums
* ''Compost'' CD (Go Kart Records, 2000)
* ''Retro Pop Remasters'' CD (Go Kart Records, 2006)
** Reissue - Go Kart Europe Records, Germany (2007, CD)
** Reissue - Otitis Media Records, US (2021, LP, CD, cassette)
Extended plays
* ''Let's Have Fun'' - 5 Track 7-inch EP - Electrified Hair Records - self released, US (1987)
* ''Lost In the 80's'' - 5 Track 7-inch EP - Electrified Hair Records - self released, US (1987)
* ''Where the Kids Are'' - 4 Track 7-inch EP - Electrified Hair Records - self released, US (1990)
* ''Beat on Iraq'' - 3 Track 7-inch EP- Electrified Hair Records, US / Radcore Records, US (1991)
* ''En Homage Aux Beatles'' - 3 Track 7-inch EP - Shredder Records, US (1991)
* ''Paramania'' - 3 Track 7-inch EP - Shredder Records, US (1991)
* ''Burnt Toast'' - 3 Track 7-inch EP - Just Add Water Records, US (1995)
* '' No Martyr'' - 3 Track 7-inch EP - Munster Records, Spain (1997)
* ''Hang Up'' - 3 Track 7-inch EP - Lookout! Records, US (1997)
* ''Dave Parasite Back to Demo '89 -'91'' - 6 Track Double 7-inch EP - American Pop Project Records, US (1997)
* ''TBA'' - 4 Track 7-inch EP - Otitis Media Records, US (2023)
Live extended plays
* ''V.M.Live Presents: Parasites 12/3/94'' - 5 Track 7-inch EP - V.M.L. Records, US (1995)
* ''V.M.Live Presents: Parasites 5/3/96'' - 4 Track 7-inch EP V.M.L. Records, US (1997)
Singles
* ''Last Caress'' - 2 Track 7-inch Single - Shredder Records, US (1991)
* ''Crazy'' - 2 Track 7-inch Single - Radiation Records, Spain (1992)
* ''Letdown'' - 2 Track 7-inch Single - Shredder Records, US (1992)
* ''Something to Hold On To'' - 2 Track 7-inch Single - Slumberland Records, US (1993)
* ''I Almost Loved You'' - 2 Track 7-inch - Just Add Water Records US (1995)
** Reissue - Insubordination Records, US (1996)
* ''Top Secret'' - 2 Track 7-inch Single - Rocco Records, US (1996)
* ''Intergalactic Love'' - Digital Single - Something To Do Records - (2019)
* ''Swept Away'' - Digital Single - Something To Do Records - (2020)
Split releases
* ''Live Nightmares EP'' - 6 Track Split 7-inch EP with
Mourning Noise
Mourning Noise was an American horror- and hardcore punk band from Lodi, New Jersey, notable for drummer Steve Zing. Active around the time of the Misfits, Mourning Noise were strongly influenced by the Misfits as drummer Steve Zing lived very ...
- Radcore Records, US (1990)
* ''Borisites / Nikki the Sprinkler'' - 4 Track Split 7-inch EP with
Boris the Sprinkler
Boris the Sprinkler is a punk rock band that formed in Green Bay, Wisconsin in 1992.
History
Boris the Sprinkler was founded in Green Bay in 1992 by Reverend Nørb (vocals) and Paul #1 (guitar).[flexi disc
The flexi disc (also known as a phonosheet, Sonosheet or Soundsheet, a trademark) is a phonograph record made of a thin, flexible vinyl sheet with a molded-in spiral stylus groove, and is designed to be playable on a normal phonograph turntable. ...]
(self-released by
Less Than Jake
Less Than Jake is an American ska punk band from Gainesville, Florida, formed in 1992. The band consists of Chris DeMakes (guitars, vocals), Roger Lima (bass, vocals), Matt Yonker (drums), Buddy Schaub (trombone), and Peter "JR" Wasilewski (saxoph ...
, 2016)
Footnotes
Further reading
* Tim Davenport and Dave MacKenzie
"Tales of a Road Warrior: A Chat with Dave Parasite,"''Mutant Pop Mailorder Catalog,'' no. 21-E (Oct. 2021), pp. 4–8.
External links
Facebook page
{{DEFAULTSORT:Parasites
Pop punk groups from California
Slumberland Records artists