experimental rock
Experimental rock, also called avant-rock, is a subgenre of rock music that pushes the boundaries of common composition and performance technique or which experiments with the basic elements of the genre. Artists aim to liberate and innovate, with ...
band, formed in 1979 in
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix ( ; nv, Hoozdo; es, Fénix or , yuf-x-wal, Banyà:nyuwá) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities and towns in Arizona#List of cities and towns, most populous city of the U.S. state of Arizona, with 1 ...
. From 1981, the group consisted of
Alan Bishop
Alan Bishop is an American musician best known for being the bassist and vocalist of experimental rock band Sun City Girls.Richard Bishop (guitar, piano, vocals), and Charles Gocher (drums, vocals). Their name was inspired by Sun City, Arizona, an Arizona
retirement community
A retirement community is a residential community or housing complex designed for older adults who are generally able to care for themselves; however, assistance from home care agencies is allowed in some communities, and activities and socializ ...
. In 2007, Gocher died following a long battle with cancer, bringing an end to the group. In a 26-year career, they produced 50 albums, 23 cassettes, 6 feature-length videos, and many other recordings.
Operating in
indie rock
Indie rock is a Music subgenre, subgenre of rock music that originated in the United States, United Kingdom and New Zealand from the 1970s to the 1980s. Originally used to describe independent record labels, the term became associated with the mu ...
and underground music circles, Sun City Girls recorded numerous critically acclaimed albums, released in small editions by labels like Placebo, Majora,
Eclipse Records
Eclipse Records is an American independent record label based in Butler, New Jersey.Morley, Hugh R. (December 2, 2007). "Digital Blues: Small Labels Struggle to Survive", '' The Record'', p. B1. The label is best known for bringing the Cleveland b ...
,
Amarillo Records
Amarillo Records was an independent record label owned by Gregg Turkington that operated out of San Francisco, California, from 1992 to 2001. The label specialized in releasing experimental rock music and comedy records. It released several sol ...
, and their own Abduction Records, and has garnered a devoted cult following. Their music was hugely eclectic and varied, spreading across genres such as
spoken word
Spoken word refers to an oral poetic performance art that is based mainly on the poem as well as the performer's aesthetic qualities. It is a late 20th century continuation of an ancient oral artistic tradition that focuses on the aesthetics of ...
,
free improvisation
Free improvisation or free music is improvised music without any rules beyond the logic or inclination of the musician(s) involved. The term can refer to both a technique (employed by any musician in any genre) and as a recognizable genre in its ...
, jazz and
rock
Rock most often refers to:
* Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids
* Rock music, a genre of popular music
Rock or Rocks may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...
, along with a recurring interest in world music. Their records typically incorporated lyrics that rely heavily on their interests in
mysticism
Mysticism is popularly known as becoming one with God or the Absolute, but may refer to any kind of ecstasy or altered state of consciousness which is given a religious or spiritual meaning. It may also refer to the attainment of insight in ...
,
paranormal
Paranormal events are purported phenomena described in popular culture, folk, and other non-scientific bodies of knowledge, whose existence within these contexts is described as being beyond the scope of normal scientific understanding. Not ...
topics (especially
UFO
An unidentified flying object (UFO), more recently renamed by US officials as a UAP (unidentified aerial phenomenon), is any perceived aerial phenomenon that cannot be immediately identified or explained. On investigation, most UFOs are id ...
s), religious cults and other esoterica, often also manifested in their song titles, lyrics and album art. Performances by the group were often wildly unpredictable, sometimes verging on
performance art
Performance art is an artwork or art exhibition created through actions executed by the artist or other participants. It may be witnessed live or through documentation, spontaneously developed or written, and is traditionally presented to a pu ...
, with elaborate costumes,
kabuki
is a classical form of Japanese dance-drama. Kabuki theatre is known for its heavily-stylised performances, the often-glamorous costumes worn by performers, and for the elaborate make-up worn by some of its performers.
Kabuki is thought to ...
-inspired makeup, and the creation of a festive, ritualistic atmosphere with audience participation.
Critic Steve Leggett writes, "Throughout its history SCG has remained a challenging, unpredictable, and eclectic musical unit, operating outside the commercially driven aspirations of the mainstream recording industry, and the group has become somewhat of a beacon to independent musicians and artists everywhere." Writing in the ''
Village Voice
''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture paper, known for being the country's first alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf, Ed Fancher, John Wilcock, and Norman Mailer, the ''Voice'' began as a platform for the cr ...
'', Ted Hendrickson argues, "They've never made any sense, conventionally speaking, and that's what makes them them."
History
As children in
Michigan
Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...
, Richard and Alan Bishop took childhood musical inspiration from their grandfather, who was a Lebanese
oud
, image=File:oud2.jpg
, image_capt=Syrian oud made by Abdo Nahat in 1921
, background=
, classification=
* String instruments
*Necked bowl lutes
, hornbostel_sachs=321.321-6
, hornbostel_sachs_desc=Composite chordophone sounded with a plectrum
, ...
player. According to Richard,
His house also doubled as a meeting place for his fellow lodge members who were well versed in the Knights Templar doctrine and the Egyptian Rites of Memphis and Mithrais. They didn't buy into the "Christianization of Freemasonry" which took place at the "official" temples around town, so they met on their own on a regular basis. They still believed in the ways of the old country. There was a weird "Arabian Nights" type of magic in that house, both light and dark. My most vivid childhood dreams and experiences took place there and they were dark indeed. By the age of 10, I had an entire pantheon of different spirits catalogued in my head. But nothing about it was disturbing, it was just the way it was. It's very hard to relate what the atmosphere was all about unless one has experienced similar surroundings, but suffice it to say, I couldn't have asked for a better environment.
The band originated in the
Arizona
Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...
Meat Puppets
Meat Puppets are an American rock band formed in January 1980 in Phoenix, Arizona. The group's original lineup was Curt Kirkwood (guitar/vocals), his brother Cris Kirkwood (bass guitar/vocals), and Derrick Bostrom (drums). The Kirkwood brothe ...
The Feederz
The Feederz are a punk rock band, originally from Arizona. They are known for their controversial song "Jesus" (aka "Jesus Entering from the Rear"), which was featured on Alternative Tentacles' infamous '' Let Them Eat Jellybeans'' compilation, ...
, Sun City Girls quickly began to incorporate lengthy improvisations, beat poetry,
surf music
Surf music (or surf rock, surf pop, or surf guitar) is a genre of rock music associated with surf culture, particularly as found in Southern California. It was especially popular from 1958 to 1964 in two major forms. The first is instrumental su ...
,
jazz
Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...
,
tape music
Jack Dangers (born John Stephen Corrigan, 11 January 1965) is an English electronic musician, DJ, producer, and remixer best known for his work as the primary member of Meat Beat Manifesto. He lives in San Francisco.
Career
Prior to founding ...
, and elements of
South Asia
South Asia is the southern subregion of Asia, which is defined in both geographical and ethno-cultural terms. The region consists of the countries of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.;;;;;;;; ...
n,
South America
South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the southe ...
n,
Middle East
The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabian Peninsula, Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Anatolia, Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Pro ...
ern and
Africa
Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...
Eyvind Kang
Eyvindur Y. Kang (born 23 June 1971) is an American composer and multi-instrumentalist. His primary instrument is viola, but has also performed on violin, tuba, keyboards and others.
In addition to his solo work, Kang has worked extensively wit ...
and sound engineer Scott Colburn.
, the band's remaining members reside in
Seattle
Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...
,
Washington
Washington commonly refers to:
* Washington (state), United States
* Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States
** A metonym for the federal government of the United States
** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...
. Alan Bishop heads the label Sublime FrequenciesKurt B. Reighley, "Alan Bishop", Seattle Metropolitan, December 2008, p. 63. and performs and releases records under the names Alvarius B and Uncle Jim. In the early 1980s, he was in the short-lived band Paris 1942, with
Maureen Tucker
Maureen Ann "Moe" Tucker (born August 26, 1944) is an American musician and singer-songwriter who was the drummer for the New York City-based rock band the Velvet Underground. After they disbanded in the early 1970s, she left the music industry ...
from the
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 ...
. In 2005, he edited a compilation titled ''Crime and Dissonance'' of Ennio Morricone's late 1960s and early 1970s soundtrack work. Rick Bishop performs as a solo guitarist under the name Sir Richard Bishop. Charles Gocher released a solo CD called ''Pint Sized Spartacus'' in 1997, and performed with a number of groups, including the Master Musicians of Bukkake, Tripod, and the New Session People.
After Gocher's death, Alan and Rick Bishop announced that they would no longer perform, nor record music using the Sun City Girls name. However, they do plan to release existing archival Sun City Girls recordings as time permits.
Discography
Note: The cassettes released by Cloaven c. 1987–1990 are listed in the order they were released. The dates of the recordings appear after the album titles.
;Studio albums
* '' Sun City Girls'' LP (Placebo) 1984
* '' Grotto of Miracles'' LP (Placebo) 1986
* '' Horse Cock Phepner'' (Placebo) LP/CS 1987
* '' Torch of the Mystics'' LP (Majora) 1990, CD reissue (Tupelo) 1993
* '' Dawn of the Devi'' LP (Majora) 1991
* '' Valentines From Matahari'' LP (Majora) 1993, CD reissue (Majora) 1998
* '' Kaliflower'' CD/LP (Abduction) 1993
* '' Jacks Creek'' LP (Abduction) 1994
* '' Dante's Disneyland Inferno'' 2-CD (Abduction) 1996, 3-LP reissue (Locust) 2002
* '' 330,003 Crossdressers From Beyond the Rig Veda'' 2-CD (Abduction) 1996, 3-LP reissue (Locust) 2001
* '' Funeral Mariachi'' LP/CD (Abduction) 2010
;Soundtrack albums
* '' Juggernaut'' LP (Abduction) 1994
* '' Piasa...Devourer of Men'' LP (Abduction) 1994
* '' Dulce'' LP (Abduction) 1998
* '' Mister Lonely: Music From A Film By Harmony Korine'' with J. Spaceman LP/CD ( Drag City) 2008
;Compilation albums
* '' Box of Chameleons'' 3-CD box (Abduction) 1997
* '' Singles Volume 1'' CD (Abduction) 2008
* '' Singles Volume 2'' CD (Abduction) 2009
* '' Singles Volume 3'' CD (Abduction) 2013
;7-inch singles
* ''And So The Dead Tongue Sang'' (Pulp) 1987
* ''You're Never Alone With a Cigarette'' (Majora) 1990
* ''Three Fake Female Orgasms'' 2×7″ (Majora) 1991
* ''Let's Just Lounge'' (Majora) 1992
* ''Napoleon and Josephine'' (Scratch) 1992
* Caroliner tribute (Nuf Sed) 1992 plit_with_Thinking_Fellers_Union_Local_282.html" ;"title="Thinking_Fellers_Union_Local_282.html" ;"title="plit with Thinking Fellers Union Local 282">plit with Thinking Fellers Union Local 282">Thinking_Fellers_Union_Local_282.html" ;"title="plit with Thinking Fellers Union Local 282">plit with Thinking Fellers Union Local 282* ''Eye Mohini'' (Majora) 1992
* ''Borungku Si Derita'' double 7-inch (Majora) 1993 [also issued as a single 7-inch]
* Live...For Chilly (bootleg) 1993
* ''Carl the Barber'' 2003 [split 7-inch with Carl Wellman]
* ''Uncle Jim's True Confessions of Homeland Security'' (Empirical) 2003
; Live albums
* ''Live from Planet Boomerang'' 2-LP (Majora) 1992
* ''Live at C.O.N. Artists'' LP (Poon Village) 1993
* '' Bright Surroundings Dark Beginnings'' LP (Majora) 1993, CD reissue (Majora) 1998
* ''Live from the Land of the Rising Sun City Girls'' CD (Japan Overseas) 1997
* ''Cameo Demons and Their Manifestations'' CD (Abduction) 2000 – CFR vol. 1
* ''The Dreamy Draw'' CD (Abduction) 2000 – CFR vol. 2
* ''Superculto'' CD (Abduction) 2000 – CFR vol. 3
* ''A Bullet Through the Last Temple'' CD (Abduction) 2000 – CFR vol. 4
* ''Severed Finger With a Wedding Ring'' CD (Abduction) 2000 – CFR vol. 5
* ''Sumatran Electric Chair'' CD (Abduction) 2001 – CFR vol. 6
* ''Libyan Dream ''CD reissue (Abduction) 2001 – CFR vol. 7
* ''The Handsome Stranger'' CD (Abduction) 2001 – CFR vol. 8
* ''High Asia/Lo Pacific'' 2-CD reissue (Abduction) 2001 – CFR vols. 9 & 10
* ''Wah'' CD (Abduction) 2002
* ''Flute and Mask'' CD (Abduction) 2002
* ''God is My Solar System/Superpower'' 2-LP reissue (Eclipse) 2003
* ''Bleach Has Feelings, Too!/To Cover Up Your Right To Live'' 2-LP reissue (Eclipse) 2003
* ''Carnival Folklore Resurrection Radio'' 2-CD (Abduction) 2004 – CFR vols. 11 & 12
* ''The Fresh Kill of a Cape Hunting Dog / Def In Italy'' 2-LP reissue (Eclipse) 2004
* ''98.6 IS DEATH CD'' (Abduction) 2004 – CFR vol. 13
* ''Folk Songs of the Rich and Evil / Exotica on $5 a Day 2-LP'' reissue (Eclipse) 2005
* ''Uncle Jim's Superstars of Greenwich Meantime'' LP (Black Velvet Fuckere Records) 2005
* ''Static from the Outside Set'' CD (Abduction) 2006 – CFR vol. 14
* ''Uncle Jim's Superstars of Greenwich Meantime'' CD reissue (Abduction) 2006
* ''Live Room'' CD ( Three Lobed) 2006
* ''Montreal Pop'' CD
* ''Djinn Funnel'' LP (Nashazphone) 2006
* ''Piano Bar'' LP (Ri Be Xibalba) 2006
* ''For Drummers Only'' LP (Ri Be Xibalba) 2006
* ''Beginnings Dark'' LP (Enterruption) 2007
* ''Live at the Sky Church – September 3rd, 2004'' LP & DVD (Twenty One Eighty Two Recording Company) 2020
;Cassettes
* ''Midnight Cowboys from Ipanema'' CS (Breakfast Without Meat) 1986, LP/CD reissue (Amarillo Records) 1994
* ''God is My Solar System 1982'' CS (Cloaven) 1987
* ''Superpower 1982–83'' CS (Cloaven) 1987
* ''Hatchet Rain 1983'' CS (Cloaven) 1987
* ''Bleach Has Feelings, Too! 1983–85'' CS (Cloaven) 1987
* ''To Cover Up Your Right To Live 1983–85'' CS (Cloaven) 1987
* ''Def in Italy 1984'' CS (Cloaven) 1987
* ''Folk Songs of The Rich and Evil 1985'' CS (Cloaven) 1987
* ''Fresh Kill of a Cape Hunting Dog 1985–86'' CS (Cloaven) 1987
* ''Exotica on Five Dollars a Day 1986'' CS (Cloaven) 1987
* ''Fruit of The Womb 1986'' CS (Cloaven) 1987
* ''Polite Deception 1986'' CS (Cloaven) 1987
* ''Famous Asthma 1986–87'' CS (Cloaven) 1987
* ''The Palm Leaves of Victory 1986–87'' CS (Cloaven) 1987
* ''Cloaven Theatre No. 1 1987'' CS (Cloaven) 1987
* ''Cloaven Theatre No. 2 1987'' CS (Cloaven) 1987
* ''Tibetan Jazz 666 1987'' CS (Cloaven) 1987
* ''The Multiple Hallucinations of an Assassin 1987–88'' CS (Cloaven) 1989
* ''Cloaven Theatre No. 3 1988'' CS (Cloaven) 1989
* ''Audio Letter to Mitch Meyers 1988'' CS (Cloaven) 1989
* ''That Old Western Sieve 1988'' CS (Cloaven) 1989
* ''Graverobbing in the Future 1988'' CS (Cloaven) 1989
* ''Extra-Sensory Defection CS (Cloaven) 1989
* '' The Great North American Tricksters CS (Cloaven) 1990
* ''Pelican 92'' CS (Abduction) 1993