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The dB's are an American alternative
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 Wale ...
and
power pop Power pop (also typeset as powerpop) is a subgenre of rock music and form of pop rock based on the early music of bands such as the Who, the Beatles, the Beach Boys, and the Byrds. It typically incorporates melodic hooks, vocal harmonies, ...
group, who formed in New York City in 1978 and first came to prominence in the early 1980s. Their debut album ''
Stands for Decibels ''Stands for Decibels'' is the debut studio album by American power pop band the dB's, released January 15, 1981 by Albion Records. The album was commercially unsuccessful but critically acclaimed. At the time of its release, the dB's consisted ...
'' is acclaimed as one of the great "lost" power pop albums of the 1980s. The band members are Peter Holsapple, Chris Stamey, Will Rigby, and Gene Holder. Although the members are all from
Winston-Salem, North Carolina Winston-Salem is a city in Forsyth County, North Carolina, United States, and its county seat. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 249,545, making it the List of municipalities in North Carolina, fifth-most populous ...
, the group was formed in New York City in 1978. In 2012, the band completed its first new studio album in 25 years and its first in 30 years with the original lineup.


History

During 1977, Stamey played bass with
Alex Chilton William Alexander Chilton (December 28, 1950March 17, 2010) was an American musician, best known as the lead singer of the rock bands the Box Tops and Big Star. Chilton's early commercial success in the 1960s as a teen vocalist for the Box Tops ...
in New York, and recorded "(I Thought) You Wanted to Know" with
Television Television (TV) is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. Additionally, the term can refer to a physical television set rather than the medium of transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertising, ...
guitarist Richard Lloyd. A single of the latter song, backed with "If and When" (on which Rigby and Holder played), was issued in 1978, credited to Chris Stamey and the dB's. Holsapple joined the group in October 1978, after moving to New York City from North Carolina. Their single "Black and White" was issued by Shake Records in 1980. British label Albion Records released their first album ''
Stands for Decibels ''Stands for Decibels'' is the debut studio album by American power pop band the dB's, released January 15, 1981 by Albion Records. The album was commercially unsuccessful but critically acclaimed. At the time of its release, the dB's consisted ...
'' in January 1981 to critical acclaim but negligible sales. According to ''
Trouser Press ''Trouser Press'' was a rock and roll magazine started in New York in 1974 as a mimeographed fanzine by editor/publisher Ira Robbins, fellow fan of the Who, Dave Schulps, and Karen Rose under the name "Trans-Oceanic Trouser Press" (a reference ...
'', the group drew from
1960s pop This article includes an overview of the events and trends in popular music in the 1960s. In North America and Europe the decade was particularly revolutionary in terms of popular music, continuing the shift away from traditional pop that began ...
and
psychedelia Psychedelia usually refers to a Aesthetics, style or aesthetic that is resembled in the psychedelic subculture of the 1960s and the psychedelic experience produced by certain psychoactive substances. This includes psychedelic art, psychedelic ...
as well as 1970s pop groups like
Big Star Big Star was an American rock band formed in Memphis, Tennessee in 1971 by Alex Chilton (vocals, guitar), Chris Bell (vocals, guitar), Jody Stephens (drums), and Andy Hummel (bass). They have been described as the "quintessential American ...
, but the songs by composers Stamey and Holsapple were too distinctive to merely copy their sources of inspiration. While Holsapple was skilled in the composing of fairly conventional tunes such as "Big Brown Eyes" and "Bad Reputation," Stamey's songs, such as "Espionage" and "Tearjerkin'," tended to be somewhat more experimental and quirky. They released a second album on Albion in 1981, '' Repercussion'', and also released singles such as "Judy." These two albums were later reissued on one compact disc. Stamey left the group after the second album, and pursued a career as a solo artist and producer. The group then recorded the album ''Like This'', released in 1984. The band signed an American record deal with Bearsville Records, but distribution problems caused the album to be delayed, and Bearsville folded the same year. Rick Wagner joined the band on bass, and Holder moved to lead guitar. ''The Sound of Music'', their last album before their breakup, was released on
I.R.S. Records I.R.S. Records was a major American record label founded by Miles Copeland III and Jay Boberg in 1979. I.R.S. produced some of the most popular bands of the 1980s, and was particularly known for issuing records by college rock, new wave and a ...
in 1987 with New Orleans bass player Jeff Beninato, founder of the New Orleans Musicians Relief Fund. The album reached the ''Billboard'' 200, peaking at No. 171. Beninato participated in the subsequent tour. Holder left the band to join the Individuals, and Eric Peterson was recruited on lead guitar after replacing temporary guitarist/keyboardist Harold Kelt. " 'The Sound of Music''has been out of print since 1988," said Peter Holsapple in 2022. "I.R.S. then rejected all the demos for a second album on the label, and I ended the band after a show in Florida." In 2017, Holsapple said: "Somehow we've gone from great white hope to also-ran to godfathers of power pop, all without selling a whole lot of records. There were some cities where we felt like we were kind of a big deal. In Chicago we got a lot of radio play on
WXRT WXRT (93.1 FM), also known as XRT and 93-XRT is an alternative rock radio station in Chicago, Illinois. The station is owned by Audacy, Inc. The station broadcasts from a transmitter atop John Hancock Center and its studios are located at T ...
and we could sell out the clubs there, but take us to
Bloomington, Indiana Bloomington is a city in Monroe County, Indiana, United States, and its county seat. The population was 79,168 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. It is the List of municipalities in Indiana, seventh-most populous city in Indiana and ...
, and nobody knew who we were." Several albums were released after the dB's broke up. Line Records compiled ''Stands for Decibels'' and ''Repercussion'' with the addition of two bonus tracks, first in 1992 as ''dB's First/ Repercussion'', then in 1999 as ''Neverland''. ''Ride the Wild Tom-Tom'', released in 1993 by
Rhino Records A rhinoceros ( ; ; ; : rhinoceros or rhinoceroses), commonly abbreviated to rhino, is a member of any of the five extant taxon, extant species (or numerous extinct species) of odd-toed ungulates (perissodactyls) in the family (biology), famil ...
, collected demos, early recordings, and singles. ''Paris Avenue'', issued in 1994 by Monkey Hill Records, was a posthumous album by the final line-up, based on demo tapes from the band's waning days.


Other projects

Following the dB's breakup, Holsapple worked as a sideman, serving as a full-time auxiliary guitarist and keyboardist for
R.E.M. R.E.M. was an American alternative rock band formed in Athens, Georgia, in 1980 by drummer Bill Berry, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills, and lead vocalist Michael Stipe, who were students at the University of Georgia. One of the fir ...
for four years, beginning with the ''
Green Green is the color between cyan and yellow on the visible spectrum. It is evoked by light which has a dominant wavelength of roughly 495570 nm. In subtractive color systems, used in painting and color printing, it is created by a com ...
'' world tour and continuing through the 1991 '' Out of Time'' album. After finishing working with R.E.M., he toured with Hootie and the Blowfish and then joined the
Continental Drifters The Continental Drifters are an American rock band, formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1991 and dissolved in New Orleans, Louisiana, about a decade later, before reuniting in the years since. Though the line-up changed several times, at one p ...
. He released one solo album, 1997's ''
Out of My Way ''Out of My Way'' is the solo debut album by the American musician Peter Holsapple, released in 1997 on the New Orleans label Monkey Hill. The personnel includes keyboardist Benmont Tench and Holsapple's fellow Continental Drifters Vicki Pete ...
''. Stamey has released six solo records and has worked as a record producer. In 1985, the ''Christmas Time'' holiday-themed mini-album was issued by Coyote Records, credited to "Chris Stamey Group with Special Guests the dB's". It was expanded to a 17-song CD in 1993, retitled ''Christmas Time Again'' and featuring contributions from Mitch Easter,
Ryan Adams David Ryan Adams (born November 5, 1974) is an American Rock music, rock and Country music, country singer-songwriter. He has released 30 studio albums and three as a former member of Whiskeytown. In 2000, Adams left Whiskeytown and released ...
,
Marshall Crenshaw Marshall Howard Crenshaw (born November 11, 1953) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and guitarist best known for hit songs such as " Someday, Someway", a US top 40 hit in 1982, " Cynical Girl", and " Whenever You're on My Mind". He is ...
, Don Dixon, and others, and then again as a 21-song CD in November 2006. Rigby played drums for
Steve Earle Stephen Fain Earle (; born January 17, 1955) is an American country, rock, and folk singer-songwriter. He began his career as a songwriter in Nashville and released his first EP in 1982. Earle's breakthrough album was his 1986 debut album '' ...
and others, and Holder continued to record and produce. In 1991, Stamey and Holsapple reunited (not under the dB's moniker) as a duo to record an album titled '' Mavericks''.


Reunion

The classic lineup of the dB's reunited in 2005 and performed two shows in Chicago and two in
Hoboken, New Jersey Hoboken ( ; ) is a City (New Jersey), city in Hudson County, New Jersey, Hudson County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Hoboken is part of the New York metropolitan area and is the site of Hoboken Terminal, a major transportation hub. As of the ...
. Also in 2005, the band recorded a cover version of the 1966 song " What Becomes of the Brokenhearted" to benefit the New Orleans Musicians' Relief Fund.
Bowery Ballroom The Bowery Ballroom is a New York City live music venue located at 6 Delancey Street in Manhattan's Bowery neighborhood. The venue has enjoyed a fabled reputation among musicians as well as audiences. In 2013, industry insiders polled by ''Roll ...
in NYC hosted the dB's in January 2007, and in February 2007, the band performed at
Cat's Cradle ''Cat's Cradle'' is a satirical postmodern novel, with science fiction elements, by American writer Kurt Vonnegut. Vonnegut's fourth novel, it was first published on March 18, 1963, exploring and satirizing issues of science, technology, the p ...
in
Carrboro, North Carolina Carrboro is a town in Orange County, North Carolina, Orange County in the U.S. state of North Carolina. The population was 21,295 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census.
. In March 2012, Holsapple, Stamey, Rigby, and Mitch Easter (substituting for Holder) played at
South by Southwest South by Southwest (SXSW) is an annual conglomeration of parallel film, interactive media, and music festivals and Convention (meeting), conferences organized jointly that take place in mid-March in Austin, Texas. It began in 1987 and has conti ...
. '' Falling Off the Sky'' was released in June 2012 by
Bar/None Records Bar/None Records is an independent record label based in Hoboken, New Jersey. Early history Tom Prendergast started Bar/None in early 1986 in Hoboken, New Jersey. Having previously worked in pirate radio, booking and promoting bands in his n ...
.


Discography


Studio albums

* ''
Stands for Decibels ''Stands for Decibels'' is the debut studio album by American power pop band the dB's, released January 15, 1981 by Albion Records. The album was commercially unsuccessful but critically acclaimed. At the time of its release, the dB's consisted ...
'' (1981, Albion Records) * '' Repercussion'' (1981, Albion Records) * '' Like This'' (1984, Bearsville Records) * ''
The Sound of Music ''The Sound of Music'' is a musical with music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, and a book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. It is based on the 1949 memoir of Maria von Trapp, '' The Story of the Trapp Family Singers''. ...
'' (1987,
I.R.S. Records I.R.S. Records was a major American record label founded by Miles Copeland III and Jay Boberg in 1979. I.R.S. produced some of the most popular bands of the 1980s, and was particularly known for issuing records by college rock, new wave and a ...
) * ''Paris Avenue'' (1994, Monkey Hill Records) * '' Falling Off the Sky'' (2012,
Bar/None Records Bar/None Records is an independent record label based in Hoboken, New Jersey. Early history Tom Prendergast started Bar/None in early 1986 in Hoboken, New Jersey. Having previously worked in pirate radio, booking and promoting bands in his n ...
)


EPs

* ''Amplifier'' (1981, Albion Records) * ''Revolution of the Mind'' (2013, Orange Sound)


Singles

* "(I Thought) You Wanted to Know" as Chris Stamey & the dB's (1978, Car Records) * "Black and White" (1980, Shake Records) * "Dynamite" (1981, Albion Records) * "Big Brown Eyes" (1981, Albion Records) * "Judy" (1981, Albion Records) * "Neverland" (1982, Albion Records) * "Living a Lie" (1982, Albion Records) * "Love Is for Lovers" (1984, Bearsville Records) * "I Lie" (1987, I.R.S. Records) * "Picture Sleeve" (2011, Orange Sound) * "Bad Reputation (New York Rocker Sessions)" (2021, Propeller Sound Recordings) * "Tell Me Two Times (New York Rocker Sessions)" (2021, Propeller Sound Recordings)


Compilation albums

* ''Amplifier'' (1986, Dojo Records) * ''dB's First/ Repercussion'' (1992, Line Records) * ''Ride the Wild Tom-Tom'' (1993,
Rhino Records A rhinoceros ( ; ; ; : rhinoceros or rhinoceroses), commonly abbreviated to rhino, is a member of any of the five extant taxon, extant species (or numerous extinct species) of odd-toed ungulates (perissodactyls) in the family (biology), famil ...
) * ''Neverland'' (1999, Line Records) * ''I Thought You Wanted to Know: 1978-1981'' (2021, Propeller Sound Recordings)


References


External links

*
The dB's
at
Trouser Press ''Trouser Press'' was a rock and roll magazine started in New York in 1974 as a mimeographed fanzine by editor/publisher Ira Robbins, fellow fan of the Who, Dave Schulps, and Karen Rose under the name "Trans-Oceanic Trouser Press" (a reference ...
* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Dbs, The 1978 establishments in the United States 1988 disestablishments in the United States American power pop groups Culture of Winston-Salem, North Carolina American jangle pop groups Musical groups established in 1978 Musical groups disestablished in 1988 Musical groups reestablished in 2005 Musical groups from North Carolina Rock music groups from North Carolina Alternative rock groups from North Carolina American indie rock groups College rock musical groups Bearsville Records artists Rhino Entertainment artists I.R.S. Records artists