Unknown Instructors are an all-star improvisational rock outfit that features the former rhythm section of Minutemen and fIREHOSE, bassist Mike Watt and drummer George Hurley; Saccharine Trust members, guitarist Joe Baiza and vocalist Jack Brewer; and vocalist/saxophonist Dan McGuire. They have been described as "an all-star reunion of alumni from the SST stable of yore" and

Henry Rollins Henry Lawrence Garfield (born February 13, 1961), known professionally as Henry Rollins, is an American singer, writer, spoken word artist, actor, and presenter. After performing in the short-lived hardcore punk band State of Alert in 1980, Roll ...

called it a dream lineup. Their first album, ''

The Way Things Work ''The Way Things Work'' is a 1988 nonfiction book by David Macaulay with technical text by Neil Ardley. It is an entertaining introduction to everyday machines and the scientific principles behind their operation, describing machines as simple ...

'', was released in late September 2005 by

Smog Veil Records Smog Veil Records was a Chicago, IL based independent record label. In addition to standard CD, DVD, and vinyl distribution, Smog Veil also distributed its media via digital channels, including Napster and iTunes. History In business from 1991 ...

. In October 2005, they returned to the studio to record a second album, this time with

Pere Ubu Pere Ubu is an American rock group formed in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1975. The band had a variety of long-term and recurring band members, with singer David Thomas being the only member staying throughout the band's lifetime. They released their ...

's David Thomas and artist

Raymond Pettibon Raymond Pettibon (born Raymond Ginn, June 16, 1957) is an American artist who lives and works in New York City. Pettibon came to prominence in the early 1980s in the southern California punk rock scene, creating posters and album art mainly for ...

as added participants. The finished product, '' The Master's Voice'', was released in March, 2007. A third album, ''Funland'', followed in 2009. In 2019, the fourth album entitled ''Unwilling to Explain'' was released with

J Mascis Joseph Donald Mascis Jr. ( ; born December 10, 1965), better known as J Mascis, is an American musician who is the singer, guitarist and main songwriter for the alternative rock band Dinosaur Jr. He has also released several albums as a solo art ...

on guitar. It was the first Unknown Instructors album that wasn't improvised.

Discography

*''

'' (2005,

) *'' The Master's Voice'' (2007, Smog Veil Records) *'' Funland'' (2009, Smog Veil Records) *'' Unwilling to Explain'' (2019, ORG Music)

References

External links

Official Unknown Instructors page
{{Authority control American rock music groups Mike Watt Supergroups (music)