74-522: My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult (often shortened to Thrill Kill Kult or TKK ) is an American electronic industrial rock band originally based in Chicago and founded by Groovie Mann (born Frankie Nardiello) and Buzz McCoy (born Marston Daley). They became known in the 1980s as pioneers of the industrial music genre – although by the early 1990s they had changed to a more disco-oriented sound – and as
148-459: A Valentine's Day party for their friends. The name "B-52's" comes from a particular beehive hairdo resembling the nose cone of the aircraft , which Pierson and Cindy Wilson wore in performances during the band's first decade. Other names the band considered were the Tina-Trons and Fellini's Children. Strickland suggested the name after a dream he had of a band performing in a hotel lounge. In
222-665: A heavy metal group. One of their most distinctive characteristics is their use of spoken-word samples lifted from B-movies and old television shows. At the onset of their career, the band's music was known as having a " satanic " theme, although used in a satirical sense. The occult element of the band has moved to the background in recent years, as they have focused more on their sleazy disco sound although still laden with satire. The 1991 album Sexplosion! marked TKK's leap toward more psychedelic house beats and their later grind house lounge sound. Later albums expanded upon these sounds and explored new directions as well, such as
296-823: A revving motorcycle whilst Pitchfork 's Alex Lindhart cited their 1968 follow up God Bless the Red Krayola and All Who Sail With It as being "bootleg Einstürzende Neubauten at its grimiest atonality ". AllMusic critic Alex Henderson has stated that experimental group Cromagnon 's 1969 record Orgasm foreshadowed the industrial rock sound. Specifically, Pitchfork's Zach Baron noted their song "Caledonia" for its "pre-industrial stomp". Krautrock musicians Michael Rother and Klaus Dinger included industrial noise on their track "Negativland" (from their 1972 debut Neu! ) as well as krautrock band Faust on their track "Meadow Meal" (from their 1971 debut Faust ). AllMusic stated that Suicide's 1977 debut album "provided
370-469: A sampler , also took inspiration from both hardcore and industrial. In 1986, Canadian band Skinny Puppy released the album Mind: The Perpetual Intercourse , with its lead single, " Dig It ", seeing frequent airplay on MTV . The song was a major influence on Nine Inch Nails founder Trent Reznor , who used it as inspiration when writing his first song, " Down in It ". Chicago's Wax Trax! Records became
444-712: A Duo or Group in 1990 and 1991, and for Best Alternative Music Album in 1992. In April 2022, the group announced they were retiring from touring. A 2023 Las Vegas residency was announced in November 2022. The group evoked a "thrift shop aesthetic", in Bernard Gendron's words, by drawing from 1950s and 1960s pop sources, trash culture , and rock and roll. Schneider, Pierson, and Wilson sometimes use call-and-response -style vocals (Schneider's often humorous Sprechgesang contrasting with Wilson's and Pierson's melodic harmonies), and their guitar- and keyboard-driven instrumentation
518-450: A classic Slingerland Silver Sparkle drum set with sample triggers. The live act also featured female backup singers referred to as "The Bomb Gang Girlz", among the first of whom were Jacky Blaque, Rhonda Bond and Kitty Killdare. Thorn soon departed amicably from the live act to form his own band, The Electric Hellfire Club (which embraced the overtly Satanic themes that My Life With the Thrill Kill Kult had only flirted with). My Life With
592-493: A frequent target of censorship groups, including the PMRC , which objected to the band's humorous and satirical references to Satan , Jesus and sex in their song lyrics and stage shows. During the early 1990s, Thrill Kill Kult had several hits on the U.S. dance club and alternative charts. They also contributed songs to several movie soundtracks and appeared in the 1994 film The Crow . The band has continued to record and tour with
666-422: A major influence on Joy Division , who formed shortly before its release. Joy Division were signed to the industrially themed label Factory Records which had been founded in 1978; their albums Unknown Pleasures (1979) and Closer (1980) heavily influenced the further development of industrial rock. Chrome has also been credited as the "beginning of industrial rock" and their 1978 Half Machine Lip Moves
740-507: A popular track, R.E.M.'s " Shiny Happy People ", which reached No. 10 in September. Pierson also appeared on two other songs from R.E.M.'s chart-topping album Out of Time : "Near Wild Heaven" and "Me in Honey", as well as the outtake "Fretless". In late 1990, Cindy Wilson took time off from the band, with Julee Cruise filling in for her on tour. The B-52s released Good Stuff in 1992 as
814-478: A rotating lineup in addition to core members Mann and McCoy. In 2017, the band celebrated its 30th anniversary. Nardiello and Daley met in spring 1987 while touring together with the band Ministry . Soon after, Nardiello and Daley began to conceive an art film to be called My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult – a headline taken from a British tabloid Nardiello had noted a few years prior when he lived in London. The film
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#1733105753005888-447: A trio—the only album release on which Cindy Wilson was not present—and the title track reached No. 28 in August of that year. The album made it to No. 16 in the U.S. It is also the group's most overtly political album, though they had been activists and fundraisers for environmental, AIDS and animal rights causes for many years. The band had their next chart entry in 1994 when, as
962-513: A two-year hiatus. Keith Strickland moved to Woodstock, New York , while Pierson and Schneider stayed in New York City . In 1987, the band released a public service announcement in the style of the Beatles ' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band album cover on behalf of amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research . Strickland had been composing in 1988. After he played some of his new music for
1036-594: A vanguard for the genre in the 1980s and is credited for introducing it to the United States. Ministry 's 1988 album The Land of Rape and Honey , departed from the band's synthesizer-oriented sound for a rock style that drew from hardcore punk and thrash metal , while retaining electronic elements and samples. Ministry frontman Al Jourgensen was also involved in multiple industrial rock side projects that were signed to Wax Trax!, including Revolting Cocks , 1000 Homo DJs and Pailhead . Drawing heavy influences from
1110-606: A variety of musical styles. Some post-punk performers developed styles parallel to industrial music's defining attributes. Pere Ubu 's debut, The Modern Dance , was described by Jim Irvin as "industrial", and Chris Connelly said the musical project Foetus was "the instigator when it comes to the marriage of machinery to hardcore punk ." Music journalist Simon Reynolds considered Killing Joke , which saw mainstream success with their 1985 album Night Time , "a post-punk version of heavy metal ." Others followed in their wake. The New York City band Swans were inspired by
1184-454: Is a fusion genre that fuses industrial music and rock music . It initially originated in the 1970s, and drew influence from early experimental and industrial acts such as Throbbing Gristle , Einstürzende Neubauten and Chrome . Industrial rock became more prominent in the 1980s with the success of artists such as Killing Joke , Swans , and partially Skinny Puppy , and later spawned the offshoot genre known as industrial metal . The genre
1258-681: Is their trademark sound, which was also set apart from their contemporaries by the unusual guitar tunings Ricky Wilson used on their earlier albums. They formed as "the B-52's" in 1976 when Cindy Wilson, Ricky Wilson (her elder brother), Pierson, Strickland, and cowbell player, poet, and lead vocalist Schneider held an impromptu jam session after sharing a flaming volcano drink at a Chinese restaurant in Athens, Georgia. When they first jammed, Strickland played guitar and Ricky Wilson played congas. They later played their first concert (with Wilson on guitar) in 1977 at
1332-753: The Billboard 200 chart. " Legal Tender " reached the Billboard Hot 100 chart, as well as the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play Singles chart alongside " Whammy Kiss " and " Song for a Future Generation ". For the Whammy! tour, some tracks featured Strickland on the drums while others used a backing track so Strickland could come forward and play other parts. This also freed up the vocalists (now sometimes not playing instruments) to perform some simple choreography. Copyright issues with Yoko Ono led to
1406-450: The Late Show with David Letterman , The Arsenio Hall Show , Saturday Night Live , Live with Regis and Kelly , The Today Show , Good Morning America , as well as numerous times on VH1 . Prior to 2008, the band used an apostrophe in their name, rendering it as "The B-52's". In 2008, the band dropped the apostrophe to become "The B-52s". Asked about the change, Pierson said "It
1480-821: The Cosmic Thing song "Junebug" in a TV spot five years later. In late 2002, the critically panned cartoon pilot " The Groovenians " featured a theme song performed by the band. In late 2004, the band opened for Cher on a few dates of her Farewell Tour . In March 2006, they opened for the Rolling Stones at a benefit for the Robin Hood Foundation . They had three remix EPs released by Planet Clique: Whammy! in 2005, Mesopotamia in 2006, and Wild Planet in 2007. During this time span, they appeared on many television shows, including The L Word , V.I.P. , The Rosie O'Donnell Show , The Tonight Show with Jay Leno ,
1554-653: The Cosmic Tour . The next single, " Love Shack ", with its party vibe and colorful music video , became their first top 40 hit on the Billboard Hot 100, ultimately reaching No. 3 in November 1989. That peak was matched in March 1990 when their follow-up single, " Roam ", also reached No. 3. In Australia, the country that had most embraced the band a decade earlier, "Love Shack" remained at No. 1 for eight weeks. A fourth single, " Deadbeat Club ", which reminisced about
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#17331057530051628-480: The Paul Simon film One Trick Pony . In July 1981, Party Mix! was released, a six-song collection containing songs from the first two albums remixed and sequenced to form two long tracks, one on each side. In 1981, the band collaborated with Talking Heads ' David Byrne to produce a third full-length studio album. Reportedly due to differences with Byrne over the album's musical direction, recording sessions for
1702-721: The True Colors Tour 2008 with Cyndi Lauper and embarked on a European tour in July. The first single from the album was " Funplex ", which was released digitally on January 29, 2008, to the iTunes Store in the U.S. The second single lifted from the album was " Juliet of the Spirits ". Schneider said in an interview that the album just broke even and could be the B-52s' last new studio album, though he later retracted that statement. The B-52s performed their hit track " Love Shack " with Sugarland at
1776-549: The cover song "Don't Worry" being removed from the album and replaced by "Moon 83"—a rearranged version of "There's a Moon in the Sky (Called the Moon)" from their debut album—on future pressings of Whammy! . Before the work on the next album the band took a one-year break during which Fred Schneider released his debut solo album Fred Schneider and the Shake Society . In January 1985,
1850-439: The industrial music genre, but they themselves continued to evolve, creating a sound that was not easily identified or categorized. It was electronic club music with heavy beats, reminiscent of both disco and funk , yet amplified to a sometimes abrasive level. Thrill Kill Kult reflected a shift where dance records could be ominous and aggressive, and they laced their music with riffs and references that would seem more at home in
1924-774: The 1995 Mortal Kombat: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack , which was certified platinum by the RIAA in January 1996. Marilyn Manson released their album Antichrist Superstar in 1996, which was certified platinum by the RIAA two months after its release date. In the United States, Antichrist Superstar sold at least 1,900,000 units. Marilyn Manson's EP Smells Like Children was certified platinum in May 1998. The band's third album Mechanical Animals went to number 1, dethroning Lauryn Hill 's solo debut The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill and selling 223,000 copies in its first week in stores. It
1998-493: The 1995 Interscope release Hit & Run Holiday , which combined the Kult's signature electronic sound with a psychedelic surf rock / go-go theme reminiscent of 1960s garage rock and more modern acts like The B-52's . Mann and McCoy recruited Thomas Thorn (a.k.a. Buck Ryder) to play keyboards and administer samples on the band's first tour. Brian Gillespie (a.k.a. Skip Town) from The Five and later Concussion Ensemble played
2072-696: The 2009 CMT Music Awards . On February 18, 2011, the B-52s played a show at the Classic Center in their hometown of Athens, Georgia , four days after the 34th anniversary of their first-ever show on February 14, 1977. The concert was filmed and recorded for With the Wild Crowd! Live in Athens, GA , released in October 2011. The group continued to perform live, with a touring band that featured musicians Sterling Campbell (drums), Paul Gordon (keyboards, guitar) and Tracy Wormworth (bass), and performances included
2146-942: The B-52's (with an errant apostrophe ; used until 2008), are an American new wave band formed in Athens, Georgia , in 1976. The original lineup consisted of Fred Schneider (vocals, percussion), Kate Pierson (vocals, keyboards, synth bass), Cindy Wilson (vocals, percussion), Ricky Wilson (guitar, vocals), and Keith Strickland (drums, guitar, keyboards, vocals). Ricky Wilson died of AIDS -related illness in 1985, and Strickland permanently switched from drums to lead guitar. The band has also added various members for albums and live performances. The B-52s have had many hits, including " Rock Lobster ", " Planet Claire ", " Party Out of Bounds ", " Private Idaho ", " Whammy Kiss ", " Summer of Love ", " Wig ", " Love Shack ", " Roam ", "Funplex" and " (Meet) The Flintstones ". They have been nominated for three Grammy Awards : twice for Best Pop Performance by
2220-543: The B-52s , released in February 2020. In April 2022, the group announced that they would embark on a final farewell tour , with KC and the Sunshine Band , lasting from August 22 to November 11, 2022. The final dates of the concert were postponed until January 2023, due to illness. The B-52s performed the final concert on their tour at the Classic Center in their hometown of Athens, Georgia on January 10, 2023. Following
2294-507: The B-52s his favorite band and specifically cited "Rock Lobster" as an inspiration for his Double Fantasy . In April 1980, the B-52s returned to Compass Point Studios to record their next album. Several of the songs on the new album had been concert staples since 1978; the band consciously did not record them for its first album since it already had too many tracks and wanted a strong second album, knowing that its live performances would make fans look forward to it. Rhett Davies co-produced
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2368-504: The B-52s performed in Brazil at Rock in Rio , for their largest crowd ever. Later during the year, the band struggled to write new material for their next album. The band members all lived together in the same house and felt that collaboration was not working, so they decided to try to write songs separately and began recording in July 1985, again using drum machines and synthesizers extensively. During
2442-548: The B-52s signed contracts as they flew over to Compass Point Studios in Nassau, Bahamas , to record their debut studio album , with Island founder Chris Blackwell producing. The band was surprised by Blackwell's recording methods; he wanted to keep the sound as close as possible to its live sound, so he used almost no overdubs or additional effects. Released on July 6, 1979, The B-52's contained re-recorded versions of "Rock Lobster" and "52 Girls", six originals recorded solely for
2516-655: The BC-52's , they appeared in The Flintstones live-action movie and sang the title song. When released as a single, it reached No. 33 in the U.S. and No. 3 in the UK. In 1994, Pierson and Schneider also sang on the theme song for the Nickelodeon series Rocko's Modern Life , from the second season onward. In the 1990s, former Duran Duran drummer Sterling Campbell joined the band, but left in 2000 to tour with David Bowie and
2590-565: The New York's no wave scene, Cop Shoot Cop incorporated two bass guitars with no guitars. In the 1990s, industrial rock broke into the mainstream with artists and bands such as Nine Inch Nails , Orgy , Rob Zombie , White Zombie , and Marilyn Manson . In December 1992, Nine Inch Nails' EP Broken was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) . Nine Inch Nails gained further popularity with
2664-510: The Pretenders ) to promote the collection took place. " Debbie ", another single from the album (a tribute to Blondie's Debbie Harry ), placed No. 35 on Billboard 's Hot Modern Rock Tracks. In 1999, they recorded a parody of "Love Shack" called "Glove Slap" for an episode of The Simpsons . In 2000, they co-headlined another major tour with the Go-Go's and recorded the song "The Chosen One" for
2738-586: The Sextacy Ball Tour in 1995. The 2010 tour was originally titled Sextacy Ball 2, but was changed to the Sextreme Ball for legal reasons. In 2012, My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult announced their 25-year anniversary tour covering over 30 dates in the US tour featuring direct support by Left Spine Down . Thrill Kill Kult left Wax Trax! Records after their third album, Sexplosion! , surpassed Confessions to become
2812-484: The Thrill Kill Kult kept adding a revolving cast of characters to their stage show that, over the years, has included No Wave chanteuse Lydia Lunch , bassist Charles Levi, guitarist William Tucker , Chris "Curse" Mackey from the bands Evil Mothers and Grim Faeries, Lady Galore from Lords of Acid (who appeared in TKK as Cherrie Blue), and a great number of artists, sound technicians, musicians, and filmmakers. Creatively, however,
2886-982: The Thrill Kill Kult's entire back catalog, as well as a new "best-of" compilation, a non-stop megamix album featuring mash-ups of tracks from different eras called ( Diamonds & Daggerz ), and a long-unreleased project entitled Gay, Black & Married . In 2009, the band's own SleazeBox Records joined forces with Italy's Rustblade label and have together released TKK's most recent CDs Blood + Dope + Sin + Gold (2008), Death Threat (2009) and Sinister Whisperz (2011). Thrill Kill Kult has contributed songs to soundtracks of several movies, including Cool World (1992), Totally Fucked Up (1993), The Crow (1994), The Flintstones (1994), Showgirls (1995), Baseketball (1998), The Amityville Legacy (2016) and Nemesis 5: The New Model (2018). They were used in dialog for The Doom Generation (1995) and Sexy Evil Genius (2013). They also appeared in The Crow performing in
2960-573: The UK meant their first show in London at the Electric Ballroom was packed and attended by UK pop stars, including Sandie Shaw , Green Gartside from Scritti Politti , and Joe Jackson . In Canada, released on the Warner Bros. label , the single went from cult hit to No. 1 on the RPM -compiled national chart on May 24, 1980. John Lennon credited the song with returning him to writing music. In 1979,
3034-505: The United States. A large Industrial metal scene also emerged in Europe in the 20th century. The Industrial Metal band that manages to appeal to the largest audiences worldwide is Rammstein . Other names have also proven successful in the European scene, including Pain , Deathstars , Dagoba , Eisbrecher , Gothminister and Godflesh . The B-52%27s The B-52s , originally presented as
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3108-462: The album were aborted, prompting the band to release Mesopotamia in 1982 as an EP . (In 1991, Party Mix! and Mesopotamia , the latter of which had been remixed, were combined and released together on a single compact disc .) Also in 1982, the band appeared at the inaugural US Festival , performing on the first day. In December 1982, the band began recording their third album, Whammy! . According to Pierson, Strickland no longer wanted to play
3182-570: The album, and a cover of the Petula Clark hit " Downtown ". The album was a major success, especially in Australia, where it reached No. 3 on the charts alongside its three singles: " Planet Claire ", "Rock Lobster", and " Dance This Mess Around ". In the U.S., the single "Rock Lobster" reached the Billboard Hot 100 chart, while the album was certified platinum by the RIAA . In 1980, John Lennon called
3256-586: The album, which had a more polished production sound than the debut. Released on August 27, 1980, Wild Planet was well received by critics. It reached No. 18 on the Billboard 200 chart in 1980 and was certified gold; " Private Idaho " became the band's second Hot 100 entry. The B-52s performed on Saturday Night Live on January 26, 1980, and at the Heatwave festival (promoted as the "New Wave Woodstock") in Toronto, Canada, in August 1980. The band also appeared in
3330-401: The band's 1979 debut album, and the early version of "52 Girls" is in a different key. The re-recorded version of "Rock Lobster" was also released as a single and in the UK and Germany was backed with an instrumental version of "Running Around", a non-album track at the time. (A vocal re-recording of this appears on the band's second album, 1980's Wild Planet .) The buzz the record created in
3404-421: The band's early days in Athens and whose video was shot on location and featured a cameo by fellow Athens artist R.E.M. 's Michael Stipe , reached No. 30. Cosmic Thing climbed into the U.S. top five and earned multi-platinum certification. The album also had international success, reaching No. 1 in both Australia and New Zealand and No. 8 in the UK. The group had a successful world tour to support
3478-480: The biggest seller on the imprint, and major label Interscope Records took notice. TKK signed to Interscope, which re-released Sexplosion! and garnered the band their most familiar alternative radio hit, "Sex on Wheelz". Their following two albums, 13 Above the Night and Hit & Run Holiday , were recorded for Interscope until they parted with the label in 1996. The band's subsequent album, A Crime for All Seasons ,
3552-504: The blueprints for post-punk , synth pop , and industrial rock ." In 1976, English musician David Bowie collaborated with American musician Iggy Pop on his 1977 solo debut The Idiot . Musically, the album is said to contain elements of industrial rock, notably the closing track, "Mass Production", which contains numerous "proto-industrial noises" created using tape loops , and is described by Hugo Wilcken as "early industrial electronica". The Idiot has been described as having
3626-601: The closing show for the 2011 edition of the Montreal Jazz Festival , as well as being the house band during the 2012 TV Land Awards . At the end of 2012, Strickland announced he would no longer tour with the B-52s, though he would continue as a member of the band. Without Strickland, the B-52s continued to tour across the world with groups including The Go-Go's , Tears for Fears , The English Beat , The Psychedelic Furs , Simple Minds , Boy George and Culture Club , and Thompson Twins' Tom Bailey . Aside from touring,
3700-407: The core of the band has always been Mann and McCoy, both on record and in the live act. The "Sexplosion!" tour in 1991 achieved a particularly edgy reputation. In addition to its staging, which featured a bar and bartender onstage with the band, the show also featured a male/female duo known as Ten and Avaluscious White, who appeared onstage dressed in a number of different guises. At one point, Ten
3774-600: The dream, he heard someone whisper in his ear that the band's name was "the B-52's". The band's quirky take on the new wave sound of its era was a combination of dance and surf music set apart from their contemporaries by thrift-store chic and the unusual guitar tunings Ricky Wilson used. The band's first single, " Rock Lobster ", recorded for DB Records in 1978, was an underground success, selling over 2,000 copies, that led to gigs at CBGB and Max's Kansas City . Both this version of "Rock Lobster" and its B-side, "52 Girls", are different recordings from those that appear on
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#17331057530053848-492: The drums, so the band switched to drum machines for this album, with Strickland and Ricky Wilson playing all the music on the album, and the rest of the band providing vocals only. Having originally played guitars, organ, bass guitar and synthesizers, Pierson switched to a mainly vocal role in the studio, but remained behind the keyboards on tour. The band also began experimenting heavily with synthesizers during this period. Released on April 27, 1983, Whammy! reached No. 29 on
3922-620: The end of the farewell tour, the B-52s embarked on residencies at The Venetian Las Vegas in Paradise, Nevada . The first residency concerts took place in May, August and September 2023, with further dates scheduled for April 2024. On May 15, 2024, the City of Athens, Georgia , announced that their Federal Prospects Hockey League team would be named the Rock Lobsters , honoring the band and their hit song. The decision came after an online poll where
3996-517: The group covered the Squidbillies theme song during Season 10 of the Adult Swim series and appeared as guests in the sketch comedy show Portlandia . In 2019, the group announced a tour to begin in May in the United States, which took them to Europe and back to the U.S. On September 30, 2019, it was reported that the band would be featured in the upcoming Archie Comics ' comic book Archie Meets
4070-530: The local no wave scene, notably Glenn Branca's band Theoretical Girls "You Got Me" as well as punk rock, noise music (particularly Whitehouse ) and the original industrial groups. Steve Albini 's Big Black followed a similar path, while also incorporating American hardcore punk . Big Black has also been closely associated with post-hardcore and noise rock , though their ties to industrial music are extremely apparent. The Swiss trio The Young Gods , who deliberately eschewed electric guitars in favor of
4144-458: The movie Pokémon: The Movie 2000 . In 2002, a more extensive anthology, Nude on the Moon: The B-52's Anthology , was released, and in February of that year the band held a series of concerts celebrating their 25th anniversary. The Irving Plaza show in New York City featured Yoko Ono, as well as Tina Weymouth and Chris Frantz of Talking Heads , as guests, with Chicks on Speed as
4218-463: The new instrument, leaving session players to complete the rhythm section. The results were released on September 8, 1986, as Bouncing off the Satellites , a mixture of solo efforts and group efforts. Because of Wilson's death, the band did not tour to promote the album. A music video was made for " Girl from Ipanema Goes to Greenland " and the band appeared on some UK television programs but then took
4292-555: The nightclub shootout scene. Both Mann and McCoy have worked on various side projects and with other bands and musicians. McCoy has also remixed tracks for bands such as Radio Iodine , KMFDM, Evil Mothers , Pigface, Voodou, and Professional Murder Music . As an original Wax Trax! artist, Buzz McCoy returned to Chicago February 23, 2007, to DJ Classic Wax Trax! rarities and remixes from his personal collection at famed TKK hangout, Berlin Chicago. Industrial rock Industrial rock
4366-494: The opener. Coinciding with the band's 25th anniversary was the publication of The B-52's Universe: The Essential Guide to the World's Greatest Party Band , the first and only officially authorized biography of the band. The book was nominated for a Lambda Lit Award and was a Minnesota Book Awards finalist. The B-52s recorded the song "Orange You Glad it's Summer" for a Target commercial that aired in spring/summer 2002. Target also used
4440-498: The other band members, they all agreed to try writing together again, with Pierson, Wilson and Schneider contributing the lyrics and melodies. In 1989, the band released Cosmic Thing , their mainstream breakthrough, on Reprise Records worldwide. The single " Channel Z " from the new album became an alternative and college radio hit, hitting No. 1 on the U.S. Hot Modern Rock Tracks chart, receiving significant airplay on MTV 's modern rock show 120 Minutes . They then embarked on
4514-635: The overtly occult imagery in both the music and the artwork of the releases. The group continued to stoke controversy with each subsequent release, which included a remix EP entitled Nervous Xians , and they became even more popular with release of the 12-inch single "Kooler Than Jesus". Thrill Kill Kult's second album, Confessions of a Knife... , became one of the best-selling releases on Wax Trax!, and continued to goad parental groups with song titles like "A Daisy Chain 4 Satan" and "Rivers of Blood, Years of Darkness". Along with labelmates Ministry , KMFDM , and Front 242 , Thrill Kill Kult helped develop
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#17331057530054588-593: The record and appeared on the cover of Rolling Stone in March 1990. In 1990, the B-52s were nominated for four MTV Video Music Awards , including Video of the Year. They won two awards: Best Group Video and Best Art Direction. Pierson sang on Iggy Pop 's song " Candy ", which gave him a top 40 hit. In 1991, Schneider's 1984 solo record, Fred Schneider and the Shake Society , was repackaged and re-released, resulting in his first Hot 100 single when "Monster" climbed to No. 85. Also that year, Pierson again guest-starred on
4662-479: The recording, guitarist Wilson had been suffering from AIDS , though none of the other band members were aware of his illness except for Strickland, as Wilson "did not want anyone to worry about him or fuss about him." Wilson died from his illness on October 12, 1985, at the age of 32. When the band returned to the studio, Strickland had learned how to play the guitar in Wilson's unique style and switched permanently to
4736-532: The release of their 1994 album The Downward Spiral , which was certified 4× platinum by the RIAA in 1998. The band's 1999 album The Fragile was certified 2× platinum in January 2000. With the success of Nine Inch Nails, the band's debut album Pretty Hate Machine was certified 3× platinum by the RIAA. In the 1990s, four Nine Inch Nails songs went on the Billboard Hot 100 . Several industrial rock and industrial metal artists such as KMFDM , Fear Factory , Gravity Kills and Sister Machine Gun appeared on
4810-511: Was asked to work on the album based on his work with New Order on the album Get Ready . The album debuted at No. 11 on the Billboard charts in the U.S., immediately making it the second-highest charting B-52s album ever. The band toured in support of the album and made appearances on talk shows, including The Tonight Show and The Ellen DeGeneres Show , and performed on The Today Show on Memorial Day 2008. They also participated in
4884-507: Was certified 2× platinum by the RIAA in March 1996. White Zombie's vocalist Rob Zombie began creating pure industrial metal albums in his solo career. Rob Zombie's 1998 solo debut studio album Hellbilly Deluxe was certified 3× platinum by the RIAA less than two years after its release date. In November 1999, Powerman 5000 's album Tonight the Stars Revolt! was certified platinum by the RIAA. The album sold at least 1,316,172 units in
4958-556: Was certified platinum by the RIAA in February 1999 and sold at least 1,409,000 copies in the United States. Orgy also experienced mainstream success during the 1990s. The band's 1998 album Candyass was certified platinum by the RIAA in July 1999. Orgy's cover of New Order 's song " Blue Monday " went to number 56 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 2 on the Dance Club Songs chart. White Zombie experimented with industrial metal on its 1995 album Astro-Creep: 2000 , which
5032-410: Was dressed as Jesus strapped to a cross and featuring a large black dildo or alternately a large sausage between his legs, while Avaluscious White dress as a demon girl simulated oral sex on him. This created controversy and protest in a number of American locations, adding to the band's notoriety. In the summer of 2010, the band once again hit the road with Lords of Acid , with whom they toured on
5106-553: Was listed on Wire 's "100 Records That Set The World On Fire (When No One Was Listening)". Industrial rock was created in the mid- to late 1970s, amidst the punk rock revolution and disco fever. Prominent early industrial musicians include Throbbing Gristle , Cabaret Voltaire , NON , SPK and Z'EV . Many other artists have been cited as influences such as Kraftwerk , Gary Numan , and Tubeway Army as well as Einstürzende Neubauten and Fad Gadget . Many other musical performers were incorporating industrial music elements into
5180-458: Was made more accessible to mainstream audiences in the 1990s with the aid of acts such as Nine Inch Nails and Marilyn Manson , both of which have released platinum-selling records. Richie Unterberger assessed the Red Krayola as "a precursor to industrial rock" with their 1967 record The Parable of Arable Land exhibiting music made by 50 people on anything from industrial power tools to
5254-509: Was never completed, but the music they had recorded for its soundtrack appealed to Wax Trax! Records , who released the completed songs as a three-track EP . Dubbing themselves Groovie Mann (Nardiello) and Buzz McCoy (Daley), they launched My Life With the Thrill Kill Kult . When the first EP sold well, a full-length album, I See Good Spirits and I See Bad Spirits , followed in 1988. Both attracted attention from college radio stations and dancefloors, as well as religious groups who balked at
5328-400: Was not grammatically correct. It's not like a possessive. It just seemed superfluous." Funplex , the band's first original album in 16 years (since 1992's Good Stuff ), was released on March 25, 2008, by Astralwerks . Talking about the record's sound, Strickland noted, "It's loud, sexy rock and roll with the beat turned up to hot pink." The album was produced by Steve Osborne , who
5402-469: Was released on Red Ant Records. In 2001 the album The Reincarnation of Luna appeared on their own Sleazebox Records imprint, distributed by Invisible Records . The band released a companion piece to Luna called Golden Pillz: The Luna Remixes , as well as a live album called Elektrik Inferno . Rykodisc became the band's next and most current home after putting out the rarities compilation Dirty Little Secrets . Rykodisc eventually released My Life with
5476-588: Was replaced that year by Zack Alford , who had recorded and toured with the band during the Cosmic Thing era. Pierson and Cindy Wilson recorded a cover of the McFadden & Whitehead song " Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now " for the 1996 film The Associate , starring Whoopi Goldberg; Wilson rejoined the B-52s the same year. A career retrospective, Time Capsule: Songs for a Future Generation , appeared in 1998, along with two remixed maxi-singles: "Summer of Love '98" and "Hallucinating Pluto". A major tour (with co-headliners
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