The Magnolias are an American band from

Minneapolis Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...

, fronted by John Freeman. They formed in 1984 and have had numerous line up changes throughout their history, with Freeman being the only continuing member. They have released 6 full-length LP's, including their latest 'Pop The Lock' in 2011.

History

The Magnolias formed in 1984 in Minneapolis, fronted by singer/guitarist/songwriter John Freeman. They played their first gig in early 1985 and by the end of that decade they had released 3 full-length LP's on local Minneapolis label Twin/Tone Records. With a twin buzz-saw guitar attack, sturdy yet flexible rhythm section, John Freeman's inimitable caterwauling and top-notch song writing, the band created a sound that was instantly identifiable, as well as enduring. The Magnolias' high-energy American punk is consistently compared favorably to the band's influences, including

The Clash The Clash were an English rock band formed in London in 1976 who were key players in the original wave of British punk rock. Billed as "The Only Band That Matters", they also contributed to the and new wave movements that emerged in the wa ...

The Only Ones The Only Ones were an English rock band formed in London in 1976, whose original band members are Peter Perrett, Alan Mair, John Perry and Mike Kellie, they first disbanded in 1982. They were associated with punk rock, yet straddled the music ...

, The Undertones,

The Real Kids The Real Kids are an American rock band from Boston, Massachusetts, United States, led by guitarist, singer and songwriter John Felice. Career Felice (born 1955) grew up in Natick, Massachusetts, as a neighbor and friend of Jonathan Richman, a ...

and

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 ...

. They signed to

Alias Records Alias Records is a small American indie-rock record label based in Lexington, Kentucky. Alias has released albums by American Music Club, Archers of Loaf, Yo La Tengo, The Magnolias, The Loud Family, Too Much Joy and Knapsack, among others. ...

and issued one LP, 1992's ''Off The Hook'' and an EP ''Hung Up On'', featuring some tracks taken from ''Off The Hook''. Another album 'Street Date Tuesday' followed in 1996, with the band back on Twin/Tone. The late 1990s and early 2000s saw a period of reduced activity for the band. In 2007 an album of unreleased demo's and outtakes was issued, titled 'Better Late Than Never'. They undertook their first European tour in 2008 and returned again in 2009. The band released a new album in 2011 titled ''Pop The Lock''. it was funded thanks to Kickstarter.com, the online donation site. They continue to play sporadic gigs.

Discography

* ''Concrete Pillbox'' (1986) - Twin/Tone * ''For Rent'' (1988) - Twin/Tone * ''Dime Store Dream'' (1989) - Twin/Tone * ''Off The Hook'' (1992) - Alias * ''Hung Up On'' (1992) - 6 track EP - Alias * ''Street Date Tuesday'' (1996) - Twin/Tone * ''Better Late Than Never'' (2007) - 13 unreleased demo's * ''Pop The Lock'' (2011) - Veto Records

References

External links

Pardon Me video

Hello or Goodbye video
{{DEFAULTSORT:Magnolias Alternative rock groups from Minnesota Indie rock musical groups from Minnesota