31-562: The Brian Jonestown Massacre is an American rock band led and started by Anton Newcombe . It was formed in San Francisco in 1990. The group was the subject of the 2004 documentary film called Dig! , and have gained media notoriety for their tumultuous working relationships as well as the erratic behavior of Newcombe. The collective has released 20 albums, five compilation albums , five live albums, 14 EPs , 22 singles as well as two various-artist compilation albums to date. The band name
62-480: A 15-year period. In 2016, he composed the soundtrack for British indie film Moon Dogs , directed by Philip John . During the 2022–23 European Tour with The Brian Jonestown Massacre, Newcombe gave away free tickets to each of his shows in raffles that raised money for Oxfam . Newcombe recorded two albums with Toronto singer-songwriter Tess Parks : I Declare Nothing in 2015, and the eponymous Tess Parks & Anton Newcombe in 2018. In 2019, Newcombe founded
93-499: A close collaboration with independent singer-songwriter Sarabeth Tucek . This was the last BJM record to be recorded in the United States, as shortly after this Newcombe relocated to Europe. The Brian Jonestown Massacre released their tenth studio album, My Bloody Underground , in 2008 on Cargo Records. The album is directly inspired by the music made by bands My Bloody Valentine and The Velvet Underground . The record contains
124-481: A cover of Ewan MacColl 's song " Dirty Old Town " with Lorraine Leckie on her 2008 album Four Cold Angels . Newcombe founded the musical group The Brian Jonestown Massacre in San Francisco, California , in 1990. Core members in the early years included Matt Hollywood , Jeffrey Davies , Joel Gion , Travis Threlkel, Peter Hayes, Patrick Straczek, Ricky Maymi , Brian Glaze, Elise Dye and Dean Taylor , although
155-527: A drummer at the time, Newcombe took the opportunity to showcase more of his acoustic songwriting. The album explores more in-depth genres such as country and folk. At the end of the album Newcombe included an entire EP called Sound of Confusion , compiled largely from earlier BJM recordings. Sound of Confusion features both regular songs and more abstract sound collages. The Brian Jonestown Massacre recorded their sixth album, Give It Back! , in 1997 after relocating to Los Angeles from San Francisco. The album
186-720: A highly experimental approach, and was recorded in collaboration with Mark Gardener , formerly of Ride , who co-wrote the song "Monkey Powder". The Brian Jonestown Massacre recorded both of their next releases in Iceland and Berlin . An EP entitled One was released in November 2009 and featured the tracks "One", "This Is the First of Your Last Warning" (which also appears on their next album, Who Killed Sgt. Pepper? ), an English version of "This Is The First of Your Last Warning", and then exclusive track, "Bruttermania". Who Killed Sgt. Pepper? ,
217-507: A popular bootleg. A second album, Spacegirl and Other Favorites , was released in 1993 as a vinyl-only release and was compiled from what Newcombe called his "studio trash". The album includes "Hide and Seek", which was released as a single in 1994. The band's follow-up album, Methodrone , was developed largely out of the concepts explored on Spacegirl and heavily influenced by the shoegaze genre that had gained prominence several years prior to its release. The album's ethereal rock sound
248-504: A self-titled album . In March 2022, the band announced that two albums, Fire Doesn't Grow on Trees and The Future Is Your Past , were scheduled to be released in June and October 2022 respectively. The former was released in June 2022, the latter had a delayed release and instead came out in February 2023. The band spent the majority of 2023 on tour around the world. On November 21, 2023, in
279-467: A variety of different instrumentation including Indian drones, sitars , Mellotrons , farfisas , didgeridoos , tablas , congas , and glockenspiels . The title of the album is a play on words of the Rolling Stones' 1967 album Their Satanic Majesties Request . The third and final album released that year was Thank God for Mental Illness , a more stripped-down effort. Since the band did not have
310-707: Is a portmanteau of deceased Rolling Stones founder and guitarist Brian Jones – a key figure in introducing Eastern influences into Western rock in the late Sixties – and the 1978 incident at cult leader Jim Jones ' self-dubbed " Jonestown " settlement in Guyana where over 900 of his followers died in a mass murder-suicide known as the Jonestown Massacre . The collective was founded by Anton Newcombe in San Francisco between 1990 and 1993. Their first albums were compilations of recording sessions and an early demo tape, titled Pol Pot's Pleasure Penthouse . This release became
341-524: Is best known for being a sardonic reply to The Dandy Warhols' single " Not If You Were the Last Junkie on Earth ", which was itself directed at The Brian Jonestown Massacre. On the DVD commentary for Dig! , Matt Hollywood claims that he wrote the song in a tongue-in-cheek manner towards The Dandy Warhols, and goes on to discuss how Anton Newcombe even borrowed elements of The Dandy Warhols' sound. "Not If You Were
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#1733086066460372-449: Is comparable to bands such as Galaxie 500 , Spacemen 3 and My Bloody Valentine . Two tracks from the album, "She Made Me" and "Evergreen," were released as a double A-side single in 1992. Methodrone was recorded primarily at a studio in the Hunter's Point region of San Francisco called The Compound, where Naut Humon provided an environment for Newcombe to record for hours on end. Over
403-577: Is the sixth studio album by the American psychedelic rock band The Brian Jonestown Massacre , released in 1997 by the Bomp! record label. Notably, this is the only album with Peter Hayes , who later founded the Black Rebel Motorcycle Club . The sessions for the record were filmed for the documentary Dig! . Though only a couple of minutes of these sessions appear in the film, the second disc of
434-574: The EP , Bringing It All Back Home – Again , a collection of songs largely written and recorded around the time the band were working on Give It Back! and Strung Out in Heaven . In 2001, the band released their eighth studio album, Bravery Repetition and Noise , which included the track "Sailor", a re-work of a song originally performed by The Cryan' Shames . In 2003, the band released their ninth studio album, And This Is Our Music . And This Is Our Music
465-529: The BJM signed with TVT Records . This led to the release of the band's seventh full-length album, Strung Out in Heaven , in 1998, as well as their first-ever tours of the UK and Japan. Strung Out in Heaven did not sell as many records as TVT had hoped, and the relationship between the label and the band deteriorated. TVT eventually dissolved its remaining contractual obligations with the band. In 1999, Which? Records released
496-481: The Jingle Jangle Jungle , a memoir recounting the first ten years of the band which features a foreword by Anton Newcombe . Along with Portland, Oregon alternative rock band The Dandy Warhols , The Brian Jonestown Massacre were the subjects of the 2004 documentary film Dig! . The film captured a love–hate relationship between both bands, highlighting the interaction of Newcombe with his counterpart in
527-549: The Warhols, Courtney Taylor-Taylor . The film was recorded over the course of seven years by filmmaker Ondi Timoner , but largely focused on The Brian Jonestown Massacre from late 1996 to mid-1998. Dig! won the Documentary Grand Jury Prize at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival . In January 2024, Dig! XX premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the documentary. This version of
558-505: The album mixes the traditional Brian Jonestown Massacre sound with Eastern influences. Their next album, Musique de Film Imaginé , was released on April 27, 2015. The album was conceived as a soundtrack for an imaginary French film, and pays homage to European film directors of the late 1950s and 1960s such as François Truffaut and Jean-Luc Godard . It was recorded in Berlin in August 2014. This
589-495: The band's eleventh studio album, was released in February 2010. It featured musicians Unnur Andrea Einarsdottir (who recorded vocals on My Bloody Underground ), Felix Bondareff from the Russian band Amazing Electronic Talking Cave, as well as the musician Will Carruthers . Soon after the album's release, it was confirmed that Matt Hollywood had returned to the band after an eleven-year absence. According to Newcombe, he would feature on
620-577: The band's next album and also toured with the band. The Brian Jonestown Massacre released the album Aufheben on May 1, 2012. Newcombe stated that the album's title relates to Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel 's use of the term, whereby something is destroyed in order to preserve it. Revelation , the band's thirteenth studio album, was released in May 2014. It is the first album to be fully recorded and produced at Newcombe's recording studio in Berlin . Stylistically,
651-433: The documentary featured both 40 minutes of additional footage as well as new narration by Joel Gion . The lineup of the band is subject to frequent changes. As of September 2024, the current lineup are as follows: Anton Newcombe Anton Alfred Newcombe (born August 29, 1967) is an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, producer, and founder of the music group The Brian Jonestown Massacre . Newcombe
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#1733086066460682-470: The double-disc DVD has more footage from the sessions, including the recording of "Not If You Were the Last Dandy on Earth", the guitar track for "Servo" and the vocals for "Super-Sonic". The latter song includes a sample of The Dandy Warhols ' song "Be-In", the opening track from their ...The Dandy Warhols Come Down album. The outstanding single on the album, "Not If You Were the Last Dandy on Earth",
713-451: The line up was subject to frequent changes. Newcombe wrote most of the group's songs, with Hollywood collaborating or contributing others on occasion. Following Hollywood's departure from the group in 1998, Newcombe's name became almost synonymous with The Brian Jonestown Massacre. Newcombe was also heavily involved in the post-production of his albums, often engineering and mixing them on his own. A prolific artist, he authored over 150 songs in
744-510: The middle of their show at the Forum Theatre in Melbourne , an onstage brawl was sparked between Newcombe and guitarist Ryan Van Kriedt in which Newcombe hit Van Kriedt over the head with a guitar. The remainder of their Australian tour was canceled the next day. Following this incident, Anton Newcombe has not made any public appearances or statements. In February 2024, Joel Gion published In
775-663: The musical group L'Épée along with French film star Emmanuelle Seigner and The Limiñanas. Newcombe founded the record label A Recordings Ltd., where he releases records for The Brian Jonestown Massacre and other artists including Dead Meadow and the Vacant Lots . Part of Newcombe's life is featured prominently in the documentary film Dig! which focuses on the tense relationship between The Brian Jonestown Massacre and The Dandy Warhols as both bands struggle for success. Newcombe has experienced drug addiction, alcoholism and depression. Give It Back! Give It Back!
806-485: The next couple of years, the band shifted its sound from their more shoegaze, goth, and dream pop influences of the '80s and '90s into a '60s retro-futurist aesthetic. As lineup changes persisted, the band continued to record and in 1996 released three full-length studio albums. The first of these, Take It from the Man! , is rooted heavily in the maximum rhythm and blues aesthetic of the 1960s British Invasion. The album includes
837-450: The song "Straight Up and Down," which was later used as theme music for the HBO television drama series Boardwalk Empire (2010–14), and was engineered by Larry Thrasher of the influential group Psychic TV . The second of the band's 1996 album releases, Their Satanic Majesties' Second Request , reflects a pastiche of 1960s psychedelia . The album also includes vast experimentation with
868-572: Was a step in a new direction for Newcombe and the group creatively, and emphasized more of the electronic music Newcombe had explored in the beginning days of the group. The album's title has been called a reference to the identically titled, but distinct, albums This Is Our Music by the artists Galaxie 500 and Ornette Coleman . In 2005, the band released the EP We Are the Radio on Newcombe's own label, The committee to Keep Music Evil, which features
899-467: Was followed in November 2015 by the EP Mini Album Thingy Wingy . In October 2016, the band released the album Third World Pyramid , which was preceded by the single "The Sun Ship". A few months later, in February 2017, Don't get Lost , was released having been preceded by seven singles. In June 2018, their 17th album, Something Else , was released. In March 2019, the band released
930-472: Was the subject of the 2004 documentary film Dig! , along with Portland, Oregon alternative rock band The Dandy Warhols . In the 1980s Newcombe started recording with a band called Homeland. Besides The Brian Jonestown Massacre , Newcombe has worked with several bands, most notably The Dandy Warhols , The High Dials , The Manvils , Innaway , and The Quarter After . He recorded and produced Dead Meadow 's album Got Live if You Want It , and recorded
961-439: Was tracked in a few short days leading up to the band's first US tour and includes the track, "Not If You Were the Last Dandy on Earth", a sardonic reply to The Dandy Warhols ' single " Not If You Were the Last Junkie on Earth ", which had been perceived at the time as being directed at the BJM. "Not If You Were the Last Dandy on Earth" was featured on the soundtrack to Jim Jarmusch 's 2005 film Broken Flowers . During this time,