Parasites (band)

Parasites are an American pop-punk band. They were formed in the late 1980s by guitarist / singer Dave Parasite and bassist Ron Nole in New Jersey. Dave later relocated to Berkeley, California, and continued with a new lineup during the heyday of Lookout! Records 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, Rancid, NOFX, Bad Religion, Buzzcocks, Jawbreaker, The Queers, Lunachicks, Fear, The Adicts, Channel 3, Dayglo Abortions, JFA, Good Riddance, Street Dogs, Teenage Bottlerocket, The Mr. T Experience, The Smoking Popes, Dillinger 4, The Ataris, Swingin' Utters, Weston, Ben Weasel, The Ergs, The Methadones, The Lillingtons, Squirtgun, D.O.A., 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, 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. It was promoted with a US tour in November 2006 with the Ergs!. They appeared at Insubordination Fest 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, 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)
** 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 - Radcore Records, US (1990)
* ''Borisites / Nikki the Sprinkler'' - 4 Track Split 7-inch EP with Boris the Sprinkler (self-released by Less Than Jake, 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