111-528: The New Christs are an Australian garage rock band formed in 1980 by founding mainstay, Rob Younger , on lead vocals. Younger was the lead singer for punk rockers, Radio Birdman , and in other hard rock groups, New Race , Bad Music, the Other Side, Nanker Phelge, and Deep Reduction. The New Christs line-up since 2011 is Younger with Jim Dickson on bass guitar, Dave Kettley on guitar, Paul Larsen on drums and Brent Williams on guitar and keyboards. Over their career
222-728: A fuzzbox , as well as often unsophisticated and occasionally aggressive lyrics and delivery. Its name derives from the perception that groups were often made up of young amateurs who rehearsed in the family garage , although many were professional. In the US and Canada, surf rock —and later the Beatles and other beat groups of the British Invasion —motivated thousands of young people to form bands between 1963 and 1968. Hundreds of grass-roots acts produced regional hits, some of which gained national popularity, usually played on AM radio stations. With
333-751: A fuzzbox , teamed with bass and drums. Guitarists sometimes played using aggressive-sounding bar chords or power chords . Portable organs such as the Farfisa were used frequently and harmonicas and hand-held percussion such as tambourines were not uncommon. Occasionally, the tempo was sped up in passages sometimes referred to as "raveups". Garage rock acts were diverse in both musical ability and style, ranging from crude and amateurish to near-studio level musicianship. There were also regional variations in flourishing scenes, such as in California and Texas. The north-western states of Idaho, Washington and Oregon had
444-423: A "back to basics" or " do-it-yourself " musical approach. The term "garage rock", often used in reference to 1960s acts, stems from the perception that many performers were young amateurs who rehearsed in the family garage. While numerous bands were made up of middle-class teenagers from the suburbs, others were from rural or urban areas or were composed of professional musicians in their twenties. Referring to
555-409: A 2× CD studio album, We Got This! , in 2002, which was produced by Wayne Connolly . Online webzine, Oz Music Project ' s Pants noticed that "The crux of this album though is the incredible vibrancy and individuality of the songs, each track rocking hard but having its own identity and personality, yet amazingly intertwining such emotion into each track." I-94 Bar's Simon Li felt that "Younger
666-495: A Boy or Are You a Girl ". In 1964, the group appeared on the T.A.M.I. Show on same bill as the Rolling Stones and James Brown . In the film of the show, their drummer, Victor "Moulty" Moulton, is seen holding one of his drumsticks with a prosthetic clamp while playing—the result of a previous accident in which he lost his left hand. In 1966, Moulton recorded " Moulty ", a spoken monologue set to music, in which he recounted
777-516: A Curbstone" and "I'm Movin' On". Like the United States, Canada experienced a large and vigorous garage rock movement. Vancouver's the Northwest Company , who recorded "Hard to Cry", had a power chord-driven approach. The Painted Ship were known for primal songs such as the angst-ridden "Frustration" and "Little White Lies", which Stansted Montfichet called a "punk classic". Chad Allan and
888-667: A Curse", as being "more slam-bang rock with great rhythm from a man who has it coursing in his bones." The group's music was used on the soundtrack of the feature film, Going Down (1982). This line-up broke up in May 1984. Another version of the New Christs were assembled in February 1987: with Younger were Louis Burdett on drums (ex-Powerhouse, Ed Kuepper Band ), Jim Dickson on bass guitar (ex- Railroad Gin , Survivors, Passengers, Barracudas) and Charlie Owen on lead guitar (ex-Tango Bravo). Burdett
999-640: A big hit for Chicago's the Shadows of Knight , and "I Can Only Give You Everything". Keith Richards 's use of fuzz distortion in the Rolling Stones' 1965 hit, " (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction " affected the sound of countless American garage bands. Also influential were the Pretty Things and the Downliners Sect , both of whom were known for a particularly raw approach to blues-influenced rock that has sometimes been compared to garage. By 1965, bands such as
1110-431: A contract with Motown Records and recorded several songs including "It's My Time". Outside of the mainland, garage rock became a fixture in the islands and territories adjacent to the continent. The Savages from Bermuda recorded the album Live 'n Wild , which features " The World Ain't Round It's Square ", an angry song of youthful defiance. The garage phenomenon, though most often associated with North America,
1221-720: A controlling influence and sought to market more conventionally acceptable recordings. Electric musical instruments (particularly guitars) and amplification were becoming more affordable, allowing young musicians to form small groups to perform in front of local audiences of their peers; and in some areas there was a breakdown, especially among radio audiences, of traditional black and white markets, with more white teenagers listening to and purchasing R&B records. Numerous young people were inspired by musicians such as Chuck Berry , Little Richard , Bo Diddley , Jerry Lee Lewis , Buddy Holly , and Eddie Cochran , whose recordings of relatively unsophisticated and hard-driving songs from
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#17328773514261332-476: A couple times on this tour and told them that if they ever wanted to make a record, to come see him at Waterfront. After a two-week tour of Sydney, the band returned to Perth, but, buoyed by the success of the tour, they decided to try it again. The trip was a disaster, with Ford and Underwood getting arrested halfway across the Nullarbor Plain , subsequent tour dates being cancelled or rescheduled, resulting in
1443-499: A distinctly recognizable regional sound with bands such as the Sonics and Paul Revere & the Raiders . In the 1960s, garage rock had no name and was not thought of as a genre distinct from other rock and roll of the era. Rock critic and future Patti Smith Group guitarist Lenny Kaye remarked that the period "dashed by so fast that nobody knew much of what to make of it while it
1554-529: A few years earlier proclaimed personal independence and freedom from parental controls and conservative norms. Ritchie Valens ' 1958 hit " La Bamba " helped jump-start the Chicano rock scene in Southern California and provided a three-chord template for the songs of numerous 1960s garage bands. By the end of the 1950s regional scenes were abundant around the country and helped set the stage for garage rock
1665-511: A gig in Sydney. Younger established the next version of New Christs in January 1992 with Billy Gibson on guitar and organ (ex-Eastern Dark), Greg Hitchcock on guitar (ex-The Neptunes, Kryptonics ), Christian Houllemare on bass guitar (ex-Happy Hate Me Nots), Peter Kelly on drums (ex-Flies, No Man's Land, Vanilla Chainsaws ) and Stevie Plunder on guitar (ex- The Plunderers ). Hitchcock soon left to join
1776-810: A hit in 1964 with " Farmer John ", and Thee Midniters are considered prominent figures in Chicano rock , as are the San Diego –based, Cannibal & the Headhunters , who had a hit with Chris Kenner 's " Land of a Thousand Dances ". San Jose and the South Bay area had a bustling scene featuring the Chocolate Watchband, the Count Five , and the Syndicate of Sound . The Chocolate Watchband released several singles in 1967, including "Are You Gonna Be There (at
1887-548: A lasting legacy, "I think much of that [perceived influence] is born of hindsight... Sure, we had some degree of influence because so many people have told me over the years they started their group after hearing us. That’s how I got started, hearing other groups, except it was via the records of the New York Dolls and the Stooges, because the local groups were so vapid rather than inspiring." The group's fifth studio album, Gloria ,
1998-518: A mini album with the help of former Kryptonics members Greg Hitchcock, Peter Kostic and Richard Corey. He continued with that band under different line-ups until its demise in 2002. He now runs Reverberation , a Sydney-based independent label and distributor with his former bandmate Russell Hopkinson . In November 2007 Underwood, Kostic, Corey and Rushan reformed to play a one-off performance in Perth, where they were joined by former guitarist Hitchcock for
2109-559: A musical solo act and television actress in the 1970s. The Luv'd Ones , also from Michigan, signed with Chicago's Dunwich Records and cut records with a sometimes somber sound, such as "Up Down Sue". San Francisco's the Ace of Cups became a fixture in the Bay Area scene in the late 1960s. Other notable 1960s female groups were the Daughters of Eve from Chicago and She (previously known as
2220-568: A particularly high concentration of acts and venues, and the Beatles emerged from this thriving music scene. In London and elsewhere, certain groups developed a harder-driving, distinctively British blues style. Nationally popular blues- and R&B- influenced beat groups included the Rolling Stones and the Yardbirds from London, the Animals from Newcastle , and Them , from Belfast , Northern Ireland, featuring Van Morrison . Coinciding with
2331-582: A racially integrated band from North London whose membership included guitarist Eddy Grant , later a popular solo artist, specialized in an upbeat style of rock—their 1966 recording " Baby Come Back " was a hit in Europe before becoming a British number one in 1968. Kryptonics Originally from Perth , Western Australia, Kryptonics were a melodic pop punk band that were active between 1985 and 1992. Kryptonics were contemporaries of notable Perth bands The Stems , The Triffids & The Bamboos , and released
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#17328773514262442-430: A racially integrated band headed by African-American musician Arthur Lee , was one of the most popular bands in the scene. Their propulsive 1966 proto-punk anthem " 7 and 7 Is " was another song often covered by other groups. The Music Machine , led by Sean Bonniwell , employed innovative musical techniques, sometimes building their own custom-made fuzzboxes. Their first album (Turn On) The Music Machine featured
2553-482: A series of 7" singles and 12" vinyl EPs on a number of Australian independent record labels. Guitarist, Ian Underwood first met Cathy Webb (bass guitar) at Balcatta Senior High School in 1982, forming a band, when drummer Shakir Pichler answered a drummer wanted classified ad. The Kryptonics spent eighteen months in rehearsals before their first public performance, supporting The Stems in August 1985. Underwood however
2664-665: A single, "Face a New God", in August 1981, which was produced by Callaway for Green Records. The track was co-written by Callaway and Younger. Australian musicologist, Ian McFarlane , described it as "searing acid-punk" which has "since emerged as one of the most collectable artefacts of the Australian punk/new wave era." They disbanded later that year. The New Christs reformed in June 1983 with Younger joined by Chris Masuak on guitar, Mark Kingsmill on drums and Tony Robertson on bass guitar (all from The Hitmen) and Kent Steedman on guitar (also in
2775-452: A split within the band. Webb, Ford and Hartley all left the band and they were replaced by Russell Hopkinson and Greg Hitchcock, both from The Bamboos . This line-up recorded the band's first EP , Sixty Nine , which was released by Sydney-based label Waterfront in May 1989. Hopkinson and Hitchcock however left the band prior to the tour to promote the record, leaving Underwood to recruit his fourth line-up. There were numerous changes to
2886-738: A string of singles, such as " Western Union ", which became a top 10 US hit in 1967. From Phoenix, Arizona, the Spiders featured Vincent Furnier, later known as Alice Cooper , and eventually adopted that name as the group's moniker. As the Spiders they recorded two singles, most notably "Don't Blow Your Mind", which became a local hit in Phoenix in 1966. The group ventured to Los Angeles in 1967 in hopes of achieving greater success, however they found it not there, but while in Detroit several years later, re-christened as Alice Cooper . From Florida, Orlando's We
2997-521: A worthy descriptive replacement". The term "garage punk" has also persisted, and style has been referred to as " '60s punk" and " proto-punk ". "Frat rock" has been used to refer to the R&;B - and surf rock - derived garage sounds of certain acts, such as the Kingsmen and others. In the late 1950s, the initial impact of rock and roll on mainstream American culture waned as major record companies took
3108-639: Is "Propelled by tough, inventive riffs and glorious rock & roll grooves, occasional keyboards now infiltrate the make up. Harnessing and driving the band's considerable power, Younger is ever on the brink of immolation, expressing a diseased soul, wracked by the compromises and humiliations of love. Long may we revel in his purgatory." An extended version included a bonus four-track EP. The group toured Australia and then, in April 1997, Europe with Al Creed on guitar and vocals (ex-Fruitworld, Hey Charger!), who replaced Harper. They disbanded in 2001 and posthumously released
3219-658: Is 60s punk at its sexually charged, aggressive best." Also recording for Dunwich were the Del-Vetts and the Banshees , who released the cathartic "Project Blue". Other notable Chicago acts were the Little Boy Blues and the New Colony Six . Michigan had one of the largest scenes in the country. In early 1966, Detroit's MC5 released a version of "I Can Only Give You Everything" before they went on to greater success at
3330-553: Is generally agreed that the garage rock boom peaked around 1966. That April, the Outsiders from Cleveland hit No. 5 with " Time Won't Let Me ", which was later covered by acts such as Iggy Pop . In July, the Standells from Los Angeles almost made it into the US top ten with " Dirty Water ", a song now often associated with Boston. " Psychotic Reaction " by the Count Five went to No. 5 on Billboard ' s Hot 100 and
3441-419: Is in some of his best vocal form on this CDLP, as the band responds the best way they can; solid and continually menacing." Fellow reviewer John McPharlin notice "there is a remarkable consistency of vision, intent and achievement across the whole album. Not for a single moment on any of these tracks does this sound like a band that had run its race, dropped the ball, hit bottom, lost the plot, shot its load and/or
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3552-425: Is outright rocking." Garage rock Garage rock (sometimes called garage punk or ' 60s punk ) is a raw and energetic style of rock music that flourished in the mid-1960s, most notably in the United States and Canada, and has experienced a series of subsequent revivals. The style is characterized by basic chord structures played on electric guitars and other instruments, sometimes distorted through
3663-411: Is the closest we came in the 1960s to the original rockabilly spirit of rock & roll." In addition to Rolling Stone and Creem , writings about the genre appeared in various independent "fanzine" publications during the period. In May 1973, Billy Altman launched the short-lived punk magazine , which pre-dated the more familiar 1975 publication of the same name , but, unlike the later magazine,
3774-589: The "British Invasion" of the US, a musical cross-fertilization developed between the two continents. In their 1964 transatlantic hits " You Really Got Me " and " All Day and All of the Night ", the Kinks took the influence of the Kingsmen's version of "Louie Louie" and applied greater volume and distortion, which in turn, influenced the approach of many American garage bands. With Van Morrison, Them recorded two songs widely covered by American garage bands: " Gloria ", which became
3885-430: The 1960s, Mike Markesich commented "teenage rock & roll groups (i.e. combos) proliferated Everywheresville USA". Though it is impossible to determine how many garage bands were active in the era, their numbers were extensive in what Markesich has characterized as a "cyclonic whirlwind of musical activity like none other". According to Mark Nobles, it is estimated that between 1964 and 1968 over 180,000 bands formed in
3996-467: The 1960s, garage rock was not recognized as a distinct genre and had no specific name, but critical hindsight in the early 1970s—and especially the 1972 compilation album Nuggets —did much to define and memorialize the style. Between 1971 and 1973, certain American rock critics began to retroactively identify the music as a genre and for several years used the term " punk rock " to describe it, making it
4107-477: The 1960s. Guitarist Link Wray has been cited as an early influence on garage rock and is known for his innovative use of guitar techniques and effects such as power chords and distortion. He is best known for his 1958 instrumental " Rumble ", which featured the sound of distorted, "clanging" guitar chords, which anticipated much of what was to come. The combined influences of early-1960s instrumental rock and surf rock also played significant roles in shaping
4218-515: The American bands who often attempted to emulate them, and the music of certain UK acts has been mentioned in particular relation to garage. Beat music emerged in Britain in the early 1960s, as musicians who originally came together to play rock and roll or skiffle assimilated American rhythm and blues influences. The genre provided the model for the format of many later rock groups. The Liverpool area had
4329-953: The Atlantic coast, with acts such as the Vagrants , from Long Island, and Richard and the Young Lions from Newark, New Jersey, and the Blues Magoos from the Bronx, who got their start in New York's Greenwich Village scene and had a hit in 1966 with " (We Ain't Got) Nothin' Yet ", which appeared on their debut album, Psychedelic Lollipop , along with a lengthy rendition of the Nashville Teens ' " Tobacco Road ". The garage craze came into full swing in California, particularly in Los Angeles. The Sunset Strip
4440-674: The B-52's , the Cramps , and Bruce Springsteen . Two months later, the Music Machine reached the top 20 with fuzz guitar-driven " Talk Talk ", whose sound and image that helped pave the way for later acts such as the Ramones . The Syndicate of Sound 's " Little Girl ", which featured a cocksure half-spoken lead vocal set over chiming 12-string guitar chords, reached No. 8 on the Billboard charts and
4551-640: The Beau Brummels broke into the national charts with " Laugh, Laugh ", followed by " Just a Little ". According to Richie Unterberger, they were perhaps the first American group to pose a successful response to the British Invasion. That year, Sam the Sham & the Pharaohs ' " Wooly Bully " went to No. 2, and they followed it up a year later with another No. 2 hit, "Little Red Riding Hood". Also in 1965,
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4662-617: The Boom Babies and, in September 1992, Plunder formed the Whitlams and was replaced by Tony Harper (ex-Viscounts, Voodoo Lust). Another four-track EP, Pedestal , was released in October 1994. In 1995 Mark Wilkinson (ex-Girlies, Lime Spiders) replaced Gibson on piano and guitar. Younger, Harper, Houllemare, Kelly and Wilkinson line-up were recorded on a seven-track EP, Woe Betide (November 1995), which
4773-565: The Castaways almost reached Billboard 's top ten with " Liar, Liar ", which was later included on the 1972 Nuggets compilation. Featuring a lead vocal by Rick Derringer , " Hang On Sloopy " became a No. 1 hit for Indiana's the McCoys , topping the Billboard charts in October 1965. They were immediately signed to Bang Records and followed up with another hit in 1966, a cover of " Fever ", originally recorded by Little Willie John . It
4884-537: The Celibate Rifles ). They supported an Australian tour by Iggy Pop and then Steedman returned to the Celibate Rifles. Younger kept the band going with Richard Jakimyszyn as a replacement on guitar (ex- Lime Spiders ). They issued two singles, "Like a Curse" (April 1984) and "Born out of Time" (April 1986), on Citadel Records, which were written and produced by Younger. McFarlane felt they were "consummate, guitar-driven, hard rock". AllMusic 's Jack Rabid reviewed "Like
4995-502: The Easter label and the flexi-single "Cyclops" / "Rock Me to Sleep" which came with issue No. 6 of Vortex fanzine. By this time, the band had reached the critical point where Perth bands either collapse or make the attempt at going the next step up, playing interstate. Playing interstate from Perth however is a different story than touring out of Brisbane, Melbourne or Adelaide. On their first trip, their van broke down in some little town in
5106-663: The Hairem) from Sacramento, California. All-female bands were not exclusive to North America. The Liverbirds were a beat group from the Beatles' home city of Liverpool, England, but became best known in Germany, often performing in Hamburg's Star-Club . All-female groups of the 1960s anticipated later acts associated with the 1970s punk movement, such as the Runaways and the Slits . In 1964 and 1965,
5217-558: The Kingsmen, frat rock also thrived elsewhere. In 1963, singles by several regional bands from other parts of the United States began appearing on the national charts, including " Surfin' Bird " by the Trashmen from Minneapolis, which essentially fused together parts from two songs previously recorded by the Rivingtons , " The Bird is the Word " and " Papa Oom Mow Mow ". " California Sun " by
5328-553: The Love In)", which was also featured on their debut album No Way Out . The album's opening cut was a rendition of "Let's Talk About Girls", previously recorded by the Tongues of Truth (aka the Grodes ). Chicago, known for electric blues, continued to have a strong recording industry in the 1960s and was also a hotbed of activity for garage rock. Chicago blues as well as the Rolling Stones,
5439-454: The Mysterians as an "exposition of punk rock". Conjuring up the mid-1960s, Lester Bangs in June 1971 wrote "...then punk bands started cropping up who were writing their own songs but taking the Yardbirds' sound and reducing it to this kind of goony fuzztone clatter ... oh, it was beautiful, it was pure folklore, Old America, and sometimes I think those were the best days ever". Much of
5550-595: The Pacific Northwest is sometimes referred to as "the Northwest Sound" and had its origins in the late 1950s, when a handful of R&B and rock & roll acts sprang up in various cities and towns in an area stretching from Puget Sound to Seattle and Tacoma, and beyond. There and elsewhere, groups of teenagers were inspired directly by touring R&B performers such as Johnny Otis and Richard Berry , and began to play cover versions of R&B songs. During
5661-558: The People came about as the result of the merger of two previous bands and featured songwriters Tommy Talton and Wane Proctor. They recorded a string of self-composed songs, such as primitive rockers, "You Burn Me Upside Down" and "Mirror of my Mind", as well as the esoteric "In the Past", later covered by the Chocolate Watchband. Evil from Miami, had a hard, sometimes thrashing sound and a reputation for musical mayhem, typified in songs such as "From
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#17328773514265772-435: The Pretty Things , and the Yardbirds influenced the Shadows of Knight , who recorded for Dunwich Records and were known for a tough, hard-driving sound. In 1966 they had hits with versions of Them 's Van Morrison -penned " Gloria " and Bo Diddley's "Oh Yeah", and also released the aggressive "I'm Gonna Make You Mine", which Mike Stax remarked "was recorded live in the studio with the amps cranked beyond distortion, this
5883-645: The Reflections from Winnipeg , Manitoba, began in 1962 and had a hit in the mid-1960s, Johnny Kidd & the Pirates ' " Shakin' All Over ", then went on to greater success in the late 1960s and early 1970s as the Guess Who . In 1966, the Ugly Ducklings from Toronto had a hit with "Nothin ' " and toured with the Rolling Stones. The Haunted from Montreal specialized in a gritty blues-based sound influenced by
5994-431: The Rivieras , from South Bend, Indiana followed, becoming a hit in early 1964. Frat rock persisted into the mid-1960s with acts such as the Swingin' Medallions , who had a top twenty hit with " Double Shot (Of My Baby's Love) " in 1966. During the mid-1960s, garage rock entered its most active period, prompted by the influence of the Beatles and the British Invasion . On February 9, 1964, during their first visit to
6105-440: The Rolling Stones and released the single "1–2–5". Two other bands from Toronto were the Paupers and the Mynah Birds . The Paupers released several singles and two albums. The Mynah Birds featured the combination of Rick James on lead vocals and Neil Young on guitar, who both went on to fame as solo acts, as well as Bruce Palmer who later accompanied Young to California to join Buffalo Springfield in 1966. They signed
6216-414: The Rolling Stones on their American tour the following year. They had a hit in England with a version of " Can't You Hear My Heartbeat ". The Continental Co-ets from Fulda, Minnesota, were active from 1963 to 1967 and had a hit in Canada with "I Don't Love You No More". The Pleasure Seekers (later known as Cradle), from Detroit, featured Suzi Quatro and her sisters. Quatro went on to greater fame as
6327-421: The Smoke , the Sorrows , and Wimple Winch . Some commentators have branded the Troggs as garage rock. Extolling the virtues of their seemingly unrepentant primitivism and sexually charged innuendo, in 1971 Lester Bangs memorialized the Troggs as a quintessential "punk" [i.e. garage] band of the 1960s. They had a worldwide hit in 1966 with " Wild Thing ", written by American Chip Taylor . The Equals ,
6438-446: The Standells who are seen during the opening credits performing the theme song, as well as San Jose's the Chocolate Watchband . The Seeds and the Leaves were favorites with the "in-crowd" and managed to achieve national hits with songs that have come to be regarded as garage classics: the Seeds with " Pushin' Too Hard " and the Leaves with their version of " Hey Joe ", which became a staple in countless bands' repertoires. Love ,
6549-418: The Troggs . Their 1966 worldwide hit " Wild Thing " became a staple in countless American garage bands' repertoires. By 1965, the influence of the British Invasion prompted folk musicians such as Bob Dylan and members of the Byrds to adopt the use of electric guitars and amplifiers, resulting in what became termed folk rock . The resulting success of Dylan, the Byrds, and other folk rock acts influenced
6660-475: The US prior to the arrival of the Beatles ... [T]he indigenous popular music which functioned in this way ... was the proto-punk more commonly identified as garage rock ". As a result of cross-pollination between surf rock, hot rod music, and other influences, a new style of rock sometimes referred to as frat rock emerged, which has been mentioned as an early subgenre of garage rock. The Kingsmen 's 1963 off-the-cuff version of "Louie Louie" became
6771-658: The United States, and several thousand US garage acts made records during the era. Garage bands performed in a variety of venues. Local and regional groups typically played at parties, school dances, and teen clubs. For acts of legal age (and in some cases younger), bars, nightclubs, and college fraternity socials also provided regular engagements. Occasionally, groups had the opportunity to open at shows for famous touring acts. Some garage rock bands went on tour, particularly those better-known, but even more obscure groups sometimes received bookings or airplay beyond their immediate locales. Groups often competed in " battles of
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#17328773514266882-399: The United States, the Beatles made an historic appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show watched by a record-breaking viewing audience of a nation mourning the recent death of President John F. Kennedy . For many, particularly the young, the Beatles' visit re-ignited the sense of excitement and possibility that had momentarily faded in the wake of the assassination. Much of this new excitement
6993-401: The White Stripes . According to Peter Blecha , they "were the unholy practitioners of punk rock long before anyone knew what to call it". Founded in 1960, they eventually enlisted the services of vocalist Gerry Rosalie and saxophonist Rob Lind and proceeded to cut their first single, " The Witch " in 1964. The song was re-issued again in 1965, this time with the even more intense "Psycho" on
7104-401: The Who and the Small Faces tailored their appeal to the mod subculture centered in London. Some of the harder-driving and more obscure bands associated with the mod scene in the UK are sometimes referred to as Freakbeat , which is sometimes viewed as a more stylish British equivalent of garage rock. Several bands often mentioned as Freakbeat are the Creation , the Action , the Move ,
7215-454: The advent of psychedelia , numerous garage bands incorporated exotic elements into the genre's primitive stylistic framework. After 1968, as more sophisticated forms of rock music came to dominate the marketplace, garage rock records largely disappeared from national and regional charts, and the movement faded. Other countries in the 1960s experienced similar rock movements that have sometimes been characterized as variants of garage rock. During
7326-409: The band line-up, taking over the front man responsibilities from Reynolds and recruiting drummer Brett Ford, who had been spending time in England, and had just returned to Perth. In addition to Ford, they also had decided to add a guitar player, Peter Hartley, from a band called Lavender Disaster. With the new line-up the released their next single, "Land That Time Forgot" / "She's Got Germs", in 1987 on
7437-469: The bands ", which allowed musicians to gain exposure and a chance to win a prize, such as free equipment or recording time in a local studio. Contests were held, locally, regionally and nationally, and three of the most prestigious national events were held annually by the Tea Council of the US, the Music Circus , and the United States Junior Chamber . Performances often sounded amateurish, naïve, or intentionally raw, with typical themes revolving around
7548-427: The bleak, venomous lyrics. The tension the musicians create in each track is spine tingling. It's an exhausting album to listen to. To my ears, it stands as the greatest, raging Australian rock'n'roll album." It reached No. 1 on the ARIA Alternative Albums Chart. They toured Australia and undertook two tours of Europe (1988, 1989). The band split up in February 1990 but briefly reformed in 1991 to support Ramones at
7659-518: The country picked up guitars and started bands by the thousands. In many cases, garage bands were particularly influenced by the increasingly bold sound of a second wave of British groups with a harder, blues-based attack, such as the Kinks , the Who , the Animals , the Yardbirds , Small Faces , Pretty Things , Them , and the Rolling Stones often resulting in a raw and primitive sound. Numerous acts sometimes characterized as garage rock formed in countries outside North America, such as England's
7770-419: The de facto "big bang" for three-chord rock, starting as a regional hit in Seattle, then rising to No. 1 on the national charts and eventually becoming a major success overseas. The group unwittingly became the target of an FBI investigation in response to complaints about the song's alleged use of profanity in its nearly indecipherable lyrics. Though often associated with Pacific Northwest acts such as
7881-406: The distortion-driven "She Lied" in 1964, which Rob Fitzpatrick called "a truly spectacular piece of proto-punk, the sort of perfect blend of melody and aggression that the Ramones would go on to transform the planet with a dozen or more years later". The Squires from Bristol, Connecticut, issued a song now regarded as a garage rock classic, "Going All the Way". Garage rock flourished up and down
7992-525: The drummer and bass player, before the line-up of Underwood (vocals and guitar), Tony Rushan (guitar), Peter Kostic (drums) and Jeff Halley (bass) was eventually finalised. The band issued the single "When It's Over" / "Oedipus Complex" on Waterfront in September 1989. A revised line-up of Underwood, Rushan, Kostic and Greg Brennan on bass recorded a new single for the Seaside label, "Bad September" / "Another Girl Another Planet" (live) / "Telephone Line" (live) which
8103-429: The ears. My personal criticisms is that Rob Younger's voice is too low in the mix - also i think there are a few cuts between the songs." This line-up issued their sixth studio album, Incantations , in June 2014. Gus Ironside of Louder Than War rated it as 9 out of 10 and felt it was "a highly melodic album, packed with hooks and insidious tunes, it's a tightly-coiled brute, as claustrophobically dense with detail as it
8214-554: The end of the decade. The Unrelated Segments recorded a string of songs beginning with local hit "The Story Of My Life", followed by "Where You Gonna Go". In 1966, the Litter from Minneapolis released the guitar-overdriven " Action Woman ", a song which Michael Hann described as "one of garage's gnarliest, snarliest, most tight-trousered pieces of hormonal aggression". In Texas, the 13th Floor Elevators from Austin, featured Roky Erickson on guitar and vocals and are considered one of
8325-458: The first form of music to bear the description, predating the more familiar use of the term appropriated by the later punk rock movement that it influenced. The term "garage rock" gained favor amongst commentators and devotees during the 1980s. The style has also been referred to as " proto-punk ", or, in certain instances, "frat rock". In the early to mid-1980s, several revival scenes emerged featuring acts that consciously attempted to replicate
8436-502: The first rock-and-roll act to be signed to Columbia Records , but did not achieve their commercial breakthrough until 1965 with the song "Steppin Out", which was followed by string of chart-topping hits such as " Just Like Me " (originally recorded by the Wilde Knights ) and " Kicks ". The Sonics from Tacoma had a raunchy, hard-driving sound that influenced later acts such as Nirvana and
8547-495: The flip side. They released several albums and are also known for other "high-octane" rockers such as "Cinderella" and "He's Waitin ' ". Prompted by the Sonics, the Wailers entered the mid-1960s with a harder-edged sound in the fuzz-driven "Hang Up" and "Out of Our Tree". The Barbarians from Cape Cod , wearing sandals and long hair and cultivating an image of "noble savages", recorded an album and several singles, such as " Are You
8658-601: The following year. Other regional scenes of teenage bands playing R&B-oriented rock were well-established in the early 1960s, several years before the British Invasion , in places such as Texas and the Midwest . At the same time, in Southern California surf bands formed, playing raucous guitar- and saxophone-driven instrumentals. Writer Neil Campbell commented: "There were literally thousands of rough-and-ready groups performing in local bars and dance halls throughout
8769-604: The fuzz-driven " It's a Cry'n Shame ", which in Mike Markesich's Teenbeat Mayhem is ranked as one of the top two garage rock songs of all time, second only to "You're Gonna Miss Me", by the 13th Floor Elevators. The Outcasts from San Antonio cut two highly regarded songs, "I'm in Pittsburgh and It's Raining", which became a local hit, and "1523 Blair", that Jason Ankeny described as "Texas psychedelia at its finest". The Five Americans were from Durant, Oklahoma, and released
8880-457: The garage outfit Thee Sixpence and had a No. 1 hit in 1967 with psychedelic " Incense and Peppermints ". Garage rock was not an exclusively male phenomenon—it fostered the emergence of all-female bands whose members played their own instruments. One of the first of such acts was New York's Goldie and the Gingerbreads , who appeared at New York's Peppermint Lounge in 1964 and accompanied
8991-721: The group have issued five studio albums, Distemper (1989), Lower Yourself (1997), We Got This! (2002), Gloria (2009) and Incantations (2014). Three former members have died: Stevie Plunder in January 1996, Mark Wilkinson in December 2012 and Christian Houllemare in June 2014. The New Christs were formed early in 1980 in Sydney as a hard rock group with Clyde Bramley on bass guitar (ex- The Hitmen , Other Side), Bruce 'Cub' Callaway on guitar (ex-X-Men, Saints), John Hoey on keyboards (ex-X-Men), Don McGloneon on drums (ex-Bedhogs) and Rob Younger on lead vocals (ex- Radio Birdman , Other Side). This line up never performed live but they released
9102-457: The hit "Talk Talk". The Electric Prunes were one of the more successful garage bands to incorporate psychedelic influences into their sound, such as in the hit " I Had Too Much to Dream (Last Night) ", whose opening featured a buzzing fuzz -toned guitar, and which appeared on their self titled debut LP . Garage rock was also present in the Latino community of East L.A. The Premiers , who had
9213-403: The impact of the Beatles and the British Invasion shifted the musical landscape, presenting not only a challenge, but also a new impetus, as previously established acts in the Pacific Northwest adapted to the new climate, often reaching greater levels of commercial and artistic success, while scores of new bands formed. After relocating to Portland, Paul Revere & the Raiders in 1963 became
9324-454: The instrumental "Tall Cool One". After the demise of the Blue Notes, "Rockin' Robin" did a brief stint with the Wailers, and with him on vocals in 1962, they recorded a version of Richard Berry's 1957 song " Louie Louie "—their arrangement became the much-replicated blueprint for practically every band in the region, including Portland's the Kingsmen who went on to achieve a major hit with it
9435-661: The late 1950s and early 1960s other instrumental groups playing in the region, such as the Ventures , formed in 1958 in Tacoma, Washington , who came to specialize in a surf rock sound, and the Frantics from Seattle. The Blue Notes from Tacoma, Washington, fronted by "Rockin' Robin" Roberts , were one of the city's first teenage rock & roll bands. The Wailers (often referred to as the Fabulous Wailers) had national chart hit in 1959,
9546-494: The look and sound of 1960s garage bands. Later in the decade, a louder, more contemporary garage subgenre developed that combined garage rock with modern punk rock and other influences, sometimes using the garage punk label originally and otherwise associated with 1960s garage bands. In the 2000s, a wave of garage-influenced acts associated with the post-punk revival emerged, and some achieved commercial success. Garage rock continues to appeal to musicians and audiences who prefer
9657-446: The middle of nowhere, and they spent three days trying to get rolling again with gigs waiting on the other end of the country. When they finally got up on a Sydney stage, things went much better. The band played well and audiences liked them, and they got to open for bands such as The Screaming Tribesmen and The Psychotic Turnbuckles . They also did some shows as headliners in smaller hotels. Chris Dunn from Waterfront Records saw them
9768-714: The new songs from the Younger canon... A solid hit-out by a new line-up with versatility and style... Europe's going to be in for a fine old time." In May and June that year the group performed in Spain – including at the Primavera Sound in Barcelona , an eclectic annual festival specialised in independent music – France, Germany and Belgium. They subsequently toured Europe four more times (2008, 2009, 2011, 2014). In January 2008 Younger told Patrick of Mess+Noise website that he disputes providing
9879-505: The prominent bands of the era. They had a regional hit with " You're Gonna Miss Me " and a string of albums, but the band was hampered by drug busts and related legal problems that hastened their demise. Richie Unterberger singled out The Zakary Thaks , from Corpus Christi, for their songwriting skills, and they are best known for the frantic and sped-up "Bad Girl". The Moving Sidewalks , from Houston, featured Billy Gibbons on guitar, later of ZZ Top . The Gentlemen from Dallas cut
9990-443: The revival of interest in 1960s garage rock can be traced to the release of the 1972 album Nuggets compiled by Lenny Kaye. In the liner notes, Kaye used "punk rock" as a collective term for 1960s garage bands and also "garage-punk" to describe a song recorded in 1966 by the Shadows of Knight. In the January 1973 Rolling Stone review of Nuggets , Greg Shaw commented: "Punk rock is a fascinating genre ... Punk rock at its best
10101-453: The sound and approach of numerous garage bands. In the wake of the British Invasion, garage rock experienced a boom in popularity. With thousands of garage bands active in the US and Canada, hundreds produced regional hits during the period, often receiving airplay on local AM radio stations. Several acts gained wider exposure just long enough to have one or occasionally more national hits in an era rife with " one-hit wonders ". In 1965,
10212-480: The sound garage rock. According to Lester Bangs , "the origins of garage rock as a genre can be traced to California and the Pacific Northwest in the early Sixties". The Pacific Northwest , which encompasses Washington , Oregon , and Idaho , played a critical role in the inception of garage rock, hosting the first scene to produce a sizable number of acts, and pre-dated the British Invasion by several years. The signature garage sound that eventually emerged in
10323-399: The term " punk rock " to characterize it, making it the first musical form to bear the description. While the coinage of the term "punk" in relation to rock music is unknown, it was sometimes used then to describe primitive or rudimentary rock musicianship, but more specifically 1960s garage as a style. In the May 1971 issue of Creem , Dave Marsh described a performance by ? and
10434-459: The traumas of high school life and songs about "lying girls" being particularly common. The lyrics and delivery were frequently more aggressive than that of the more established acts of the time, often with nasal, growled, or shouted vocals, sometimes punctuated by shrieks or screams at climactic moments of release. Instrumentation was frequently characterized by basic chord structures played on electric guitars or keyboards often distorted through
10545-656: The travails of his disfigurement, released under the Barbarians' name, but backed by future members of the Band . Boston's the Remains (sometimes called Barry & the Remains), led by Barry Tashian , became one of the region's most popular bands and, in addition to issuing five singles and a self-titled album , toured with the Beatles in 1966. Also from Boston, the Rockin' Ramrods released
10656-449: Was "explosive" and "remains the definitive statement on the band's sound and style. It contained a wealth of powerful tracks." Penelope Layland of The Canberra Times declared it to be "good, aggressive music, full of hate, even if it has all been done before... All in all a good album. Play it as a substitute for clobbering someone." In June 2008 Dylan Lewis described it as "A non-stop ride of terrific songs full of melody and power offset
10767-819: Was about to tear itself apart." Ahead of its appearance Younger declared that it would be the last album from his group. Also in 2002, Citadel Records issued another compilation album, These Rags , using remixed versions of two earlier EPs, Pedestal and Woe Betide . Three members of the 1990s line-up have died: Stevie Plunder in January 1996, Mark Wilkinson in December 2012 and Christian Houllemare in June 2014. In May 2006 Younger displayed another New Christs line-up: Jim Dickson on bass guitar, Dave Kettley on guitar (Shifter, The Dead Set, Radio Birdman), Brent Williams on guitar and keyboards, and Stu Wilson on drums. The Barman of I-94 Bar website caught their gig in May in Wollongong , where they played "a Greatest Hits package with none of
10878-429: Was around". In the early 1970s, Kaye and other US rock critics, such as Dave Marsh , Lester Bangs , and Greg Shaw , began to retroactively draw attention to the music, speaking nostalgically of mid-1960s garage bands (and subsequent artists then perceived to be their stylistic inheritors) for the first time as a genre. "Garage rock" was not the initial name applied to the style. In the early 1970s such critics used
10989-508: Was expressed in rock music, often to the chagrin of parents and elders. In the wake of the Beatles' first visit, a subsequent string of successful British beat groups and acts achieved success in America between 1964 and 1966, often referred to in the US as "the British Invasion". Such acts had a profound impact, leading many (often surf or hot rod groups) to respond by altering their style, and countless new bands to form, as teenagers around
11100-627: Was largely devoted to discussion of 1960s garage and psychedelic acts. Greg Shaw's seasonal publication, Who Put the Bomp! , was influential amongst enthusiasts and collectors of the genre in the early 1970s. Though the phrase "punk rock" was the favored generic term in the early 1970s, "garage band" was also mentioned in reference to groups. In Rolling Stone in March 1971, John Mendelsohn made an oblique reference to "every last punk teenage garage band having its Own Original Approach". The term "punk rock"
11211-480: Was later appropriated by the more commonly-known punk rock movement that emerged in the mid-1970s and is now most commonly applied to groups associated with that movement or who followed in its wake. For the 1960s style, the term "garage rock" came into favor in the 1980s. According to Mike Markesich: "Initially launched into the underground vernacular at the start of the '80s, the garage tag ... slowly sifted its way amid like-minded fans to finally be recognized as
11322-647: Was later covered by acts such as the Dead Boys , the Banned , and the Chesterfield Kings . In 1965, a Pittsburgh disc jockey discovered " Hanky Panky ", a 1964 song by a since-defunct group, the Shondells; the song's belated success revived the career of Tommy James , who assembled a new group under the name Tommy James and the Shondells and produced 12 more top-40 singles. In 1967, Strawberry Alarm Clock emerged from
11433-407: Was later memorialized by Lester Bangs in his 1971 piece "Psychotic Reactions and Carburetor Dung". " 96 Tears " (1966) by Question Mark and the Mysterians , from Saginaw, Michigan, became a No. 1 hit in the US. The song's organ riffs and theme of teenage heartbreak have been mentioned as a landmark recording of the garage rock era and recognized for influencing the works of acts as diverse as
11544-443: Was not confident singing and playing guitar at the same time so Michael Reynolds was approached to perform lead vocals for the band. Shortly after the band recorded its first single, "Baby"/"Plastic Imitation" on local label, Cherry Top. On the eve of the single being released in January 1986 Pichler left the band to join another local band, The Bamboos . With the loss of Pichler, Underwood decided to go for an even bigger change with
11655-515: Was not exclusive to it. As part of the international beat trend of the 1960s, other countries developed grass-roots rock movements that closely mirrored what was happening in North America, which have sometimes been characterized as variants of garage rock or as closely related forms. Although Britain did not develop a distinct garage rock genre in the same way as the United States, many British beat groups shared important characteristics with
11766-544: Was produced by Younger. A Canadian label, Lance Rock Records, issued a compilation album, Born out of Time (1996), which McFarlane described as "13 tracks of prime New Christs aural mayhem." Younger felt it contained "the songs I can still stand." The New Christs were temporarily put on hold in early 1996 while Younger toured with a reformed, Radio Birdman. The New Christs resumed by mid-year and released their second studio album, Lower Yourself (early 1997), produced by Younger. Lauren Zoric of Rolling Stone explained that it
11877-514: Was released in May 2009. Jeff Glorfeld of The Age rated it at three out of five. The Barman described it as "the most low key-sounding New Christs album in the canon. Production was an exercise in economic rationalism – live crowds are small and labels with cash to burn are thin on the ground – and much of what resulted from an earlier session was scrapped." In that same year they played at the Azkena Rock Festival in Spain. In 2011 Wilson
11988-800: Was released in November 1990. Richard Corey replaced Brennan in July 1990, and the band re-located to Sydney in August 1990 and toured heavily up and down the Eastern seaboard. The Kryptonics issued a 12-inch EP, Tonka Tuff , on the Zero Hour label in 1991 before parting company in mid-1992. They are remembered chiefly today for the number of ex-members who have gone to feature prominently in high-profile Australian artists including You Am I , Front End Loader , Lubricated Goat , Regurgitator & The Chevelles . Underwood later formed Challenger 7 in Sydney in 1995, and recorded
12099-489: Was replaced by Paul Larsen (also with The Celibate Rifles). Dominique Genot of I-94 Bar reviewed the group's live album, Live 2011 , which is "[as] live as you hope to see them (and I did during the 2011 Euro tour). The record was done at the Excelsior Hotel's closing night in Sydney in May, and the thing was quickly mixed by guitarist-keyboardist Brent Williams. The album's got a big sound, with Dave Kettley's guitar high in
12210-640: Was soon replaced on drums by Nick Fisher (ex-Wet Taxis, Paris Green). This line up released four singles, "The Black Hole" (July 1987), "Dropping Like Flies'" (December), "Headin' South" (November 1988) and "Another Sin" (June 1989). A four-track extended play, Detritus , was issued as a compilation in 1987 for the United Kingdom and United States markets. It was followed in 1988 by an Australian compilation album, Divine Rites , which collected five singles from Citadel Records. The group's first studio album appeared in August 1989, Distemper , which McFarlane opined
12321-463: Was the center of L.A. nightlife, providing bands with high-profile venues to attract a larger following and possibly capture the attention of record labels looking to sign a new act. Exploitation films such as Riot on Sunset Strip , Mondo Hollywood , captured the musical and social milieu of life on the strip. In Riot on Sunset Strip , several bands make appearances at the Pandora's Box , including
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