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44-535: The Teen Idles were among the first punk groups from the early 1980s hardcore movement to break out of their regional scene to tour and sell nationally. Inspired by other American punk bands like the Cramps and Bad Brains , the Teen Idles' music was an early version of hardcore punk, and an attempt, in the words of MacKaye, "to get away from a really corrupted music". Their appearance, lyrics and musical style sought to revive

88-567: A dilapidated row house in the Adams-Morgan neighborhood, called Madam's Organ . To revive the fervor of punk, which the band felt was being distorted by new wave , the Idles sought to look as intimidating as possible. They shaved their heads, grew mohawks and wore various punk accessories. Nelson and MacKaye even drove thumbtacks into the soles of their boots so they would make an "ominous clacking" sound when they walked. The band's visual presentation

132-448: A live show. On January 10, 2001, Bryan Gregory died at Anaheim Memorial Medical Center of complications following a heart attack . He was 49. In 2002, the Cramps released their final album, Fiends of Dope Island , on their own label, Vengeance Records. That same year, Lux Interior did a voiceover for the lead singer character of the band The Bird Brains on the animated TV show SpongeBob SquarePants singing 'Underwater Sun.' The song

176-402: A marker and put a big 'X' on our hand, So we came back to Washington, D.C., and went to this nightclub, the 9:30, and said 'Hey look, we're not going to drink and we will put this 'X' on our hand. If you see us drinking you can throw us out forever. We are not going to drink, we just came to see the music'". The band adopted the marking, and though it was initially meant to signify youth, it became

220-646: A number of concerts in D.C. opening for bands such as the Untouchables , the Idles decided to tour the West Coast in August 1980. Along with roadies Garfield and Sullivan, the band traveled to California. They were immediately hassled by police upon their arrival, and after challenging the police, Nelson was handcuffed for an hour. When the Teen Idles eventually began their tour, they were refused entry at Los Angeles' Hong Kong Café because of their age. Originally due to open for

264-563: A punk movement that they believed had lost its original zeal. In 1978, Washington teenager MacKaye discovered punk rock through a local college radio station, Georgetown University 's WGTB . He met Nelson at Woodrow Wilson High School a classmate of his, after the latter set off a pipe bomb outside their school and MacKaye went to investigate. The two became friends and quickly discovered their shared interest in punk. MacKaye and Nelson saw their first punk show in January 1979—a benefit concert by

308-948: A short period of time, the Cramps changed drummers twice; Miriam Linna (later of Nervus Rex , the Zantees, and the A-Bones and co-owner of Norton Records ) replaced Pam Balam, and Nick Knox (formerly with the Electric Eels ) replaced Linna in September 1977. In the late 1970s, the Cramps briefly shared a rehearsal space with the Fleshtones , and performed regularly in New York at clubs such as CBGB and Max's Kansas City , releasing two independent singles produced by Alex Chilton at Ardent Studios in Memphis in 1977 before being signed by Miles Copeland III to

352-596: A single show before Sullivan went to college. After a failed attempt to recruit MacKaye's friend Henry Garfield (later Henry Rollins ), the band added Strejcek as the vocalist. The Slinkees soon renamed themselves the Teen Idles. After touring and practicing for several months, the band recorded two demo sessions at a local studio in February and April 1980, despite the engineer and a visiting band openly laughing as they recorded. They also began playing at house parties and pizza parlors, and opened for Bad Brains at an art gallery, in

396-456: A small recording studio in Arlington, Virginia . They were introduced to engineer and owner Don Zientara (the "studio" was a four-track recorder at Zientara's house). The Teen Idles played live in the basement while Zientara engineered and Groff produced. Seven tracks were recorded in total. However, the band was undecided about what to do with the tapes and eventually shelved them. In late 1980,

440-402: A style of music." Nevertheless, The Cramps, along with artists such as Screamin' Jay Hawkins, are considered important precursors to psychobilly. Critics and journalists classified the Cramps' sound as psychobilly, gothabilly, garage punk , rockabilly, horror punk , garage rock , punk rock and surf. The Cramps have been cited as an influence by musicians including 45 Grave ,

484-551: A time each: Knox, Fur, Ivy and then Lux before launching into their take on Elvis' "Heartbreak Hotel". The album featured what was to become a predominating theme of their work from here on: a move away from the B-movie horror focus to an increased emphasis on sexual double entendre. The album met with differing fates on either side of the Atlantic: in Europe, it sold over 250,000 copies, while in

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528-492: A whole style and look, which is what "psychobilly" came to mean later in the '80s. We also used the term "rockabilly voodoo" on our early flyers. — Poison Ivy Rorschach The Cramps' music is played at varying tempos, with a minimal drumkit. An integral part of the early Cramps sound was dual guitars, without a bassist . The focus of their songs' lyrical content and their image was camp humor, sexual double-entendre, and retro horror/sci-fi b-movie iconography. Their sound

572-403: A wider emblem for bands prepared to play to audiences under the legal age to be served alcohol. MacKaye noted that at the time the symbol "wasn't supposed to signify straight edge—it was supposed to signify kids. It was about being young punk rockers... it represents youth". Most of the band's lyrics were written by MacKaye. Like the group's appearance, their lyrical subject matter reacted against

616-667: The Dead Kennedys and the Circle Jerks , they settled for playing the next night, opening for the Mentors and a band called Puke, Spit and Guts in exchange for just $ 15. The Teen Idles impressed those at the venue; MacKaye later said, "People were freaked out by how fast [we played]". Upon returning to D.C., the Teen Idles were asked by Skip Groff , owner of the Washington record store Yesterday and Today, to record some tracks at Inner Ear ,

660-491: The Germs . These influences were reflected in the Teen Idles' songs, which consisted mostly of Strejcek shouting over a one-two hardcore beat, with MacKaye and Grindle providing short and speedy riffs, interspersed with quick guitar solos from Grindle. Former members The Cramps The Cramps were an American rock band formed in 1976 and active until 2009. Their lineup rotated frequently during their existence, with

704-463: The Ramones and Screamin' Jay Hawkins . Poison Ivy stated, "The failure of outsiders to acknowledge the influence of blues and R&B on The Cramps is an omission bordering on racism. Rockabilly is rooted in the blues and we consider ourselves a blues band." The band used the phrases gothabilly , psychobilly and "rockabilly voodoo" to market their music. The term "psychobilly" was first used in

748-542: The UK Albums Chart . The band appears in the 1982 film Urgh! A Music War . In 1985 the Cramps recorded a one-off track for the horror movie The Return of the Living Dead called "Surfin' Dead", on which Ivy played bass as well as guitar. With the release of 1986's A Date With Elvis , the Cramps permanently added a bass guitar to the mix, but had trouble finding a suitable player, so Ivy temporarily filled in as

792-487: The 1990s and 2000s, for various labels. When the band signed to The Medicine Label, a Warner Brothers imprint, in 1994 – the label made the announcement via a limited edition (500 copies) 12" live album of the Cramps' first two Max's Kansas City shows, given away to all ticket holders as they exited a secret CBGB show in early January of that year. In 1994, the Cramps made their national US television debut on Late Night with Conan O'Brien performing "Ultra Twist". In 1995

836-602: The Cramps appeared on the TV-series Beverly Hills, 90210 in the Halloween episode "Gypsies, Cramps and Fleas". They played two songs in the episode: "Mean Machine" and "Strange Love". Lux Interior started the song by saying "Hey boys and ghouls, are you ready to raise the dead?". In honor of the success of the Cramps, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has on display a shattered bass drum head that Lux's head went through during

880-486: The Cramps for WGTB. The concert inspired the pair; MacKaye later admitted, "It blew my mind because I saw for the first time this huge, totally invisible community that had gathered together for this tribal event. [...] I thought, 'This appeals to me. This is the world I think I can breathe in. This is what I need'". After seeing a Bad Brains concert, MacKaye and Nelson began playing in a punk band, The Slinkees, with school friends Grindle and Mark Sullivan. The Slinkees played

924-483: The Cramps' pre-bass era. He accompanied them on an extensive European tour in 1984 (that had been canceled twice because they could not find a suitable guitarist) which included four sold out nights at the Hammersmith Palais . They also recorded performances of "Thee Most Exalted Potentate of Love" and "You Got Good Taste" which were broadcast on 'The Midsummer Night's Tube 1984.' Smell of Female peaked at No. 74 in

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968-546: The Gun Club . While recording their second LP, Psychedelic Jungle , the band and Miles Copeland began to dispute royalties and creative rights. The ensuing court case prevented them from releasing anything until 1983, when they recorded Smell of Female live at New York's Peppermint Lounge ; Kid Congo Powers subsequently departed. Mike Metoff of the Pagans (cousin of Nick Knox) was the final second guitarist – albeit only live – of

1012-466: The Teen Idles decided to break up, mostly because Grindle had fallen out with Nelson. Grindle's new girlfriend, a born-again Christian , disapproved of the band, causing Grindle to question his role. Tensions between Grindle and Nelson, who was an outspoken atheist, escalated until Grindle decided to quit. Their last show was on November 6, when they opened for SVT at the 9:30 Club . It was a key event for

1056-562: The Teen Idles' final show passed without incident. After a year in existence, the band had earned a total of $ 600. They now faced two options: divide the money among the members, or press the recordings they had made with Zientara at Inner Ear. Choosing the latter, Nelson, Strejcek and MacKaye formed Dischord Records with Groff's help, to release the recordings. The band sent the tapes to a pressing plant in Nashville, Tennessee that specialized in pressing country music records. Initially puzzled by

1100-458: The U.S. the band had difficulty finding a record company prepared to release it until 1990. It also included their first UK Singles Chart hit: "Can Your Pussy Do the Dog?" It was not until 1986 that the Cramps found a suitable permanent bass player: Candy del Mar (of Satan's Cheerleaders), who made her recorded debut on the raw live album RockinnReelininAucklandNewZealandxxx , which was followed by

1144-635: The band's bassist. Jennifer "Fur" Dixon joined them on the world tour to promote the album. Their popularity in the UK was at its peak as evidenced by the six nights at Hammersmith in London, three at the Odeon (as well as many other sell out dates throughout the UK) and then three at the Palais when they returned from the continent. Each night of the tour opened with the band coming on one at

1188-509: The death of lead singer Interior in 2009. Lux Interior (born Erick Lee Purkhiser) and Poison Ivy (born Kristy Marlana Wallace) met in Sacramento, California , in 1972. In light of their common artistic interests and shared devotion to record collecting, they decided to form the Cramps. Lux took his stage name from a car ad, and Ivy claimed to have received hers in a dream (she was first Poison Ivy Rorschach, taking her last name from that of

1232-712: The east coast, they played the revamped 1940s swing club "The Meadowbrook" in New Jersey, which had a huge stage and dance floor. Next they recorded two singles in New York City, which were later re-released on their 1979 Gravest Hits EP, before Chilton brought them back that year to Memphis to record their first full-length album, Songs the Lord Taught Us , at Phillips Recording , operated by former Sun Records label owner Sam Phillips . The Cramps relocated to Los Angeles in 1980 and hired guitarist Kid Congo Powers of

1276-482: The husband-and-wife duo of singer Lux Interior and guitarist Poison Ivy the only ever-present members. The band are credited as progenitors of the psychobilly subgenre, fusing elements of punk rock with rockabilly . The addition of guitarist Bryan Gregory and drummer Pam Balam resulted in the first complete lineup in April 1976. They released their debut album Songs the Lord Taught Us in 1980. The band split after

1320-499: The inventor of the Rorschach test ). In 1973, they moved to Akron, Ohio , and then to New York in 1975, soon entering into CBGB's early punk scene with other emerging acts like Suicide , the Ramones , Patti Smith , Television , Blondie , Talking Heads , Mink DeVille , and fellow Ohio transplants Dead Boys . The lineup in 1976 was Poison Ivy Rorschach, Lux Interior, Bryan Gregory (guitar), and his sister Pam "Balam" (drums). In

1364-555: The lyrics to the country song " One Piece at a Time ", written by Wayne Kemp for Johnny Cash , which was a Top 10 hit in the United States in 1976. The lyrics describe the construction of a "psychobilly Cadillac using stolen auto parts." The Cramps have since rejected the idea of being a part of a psychobilly subculture, noting that "We weren't even describing the music when we put 'psychobilly' on our old fliers; we were just using carny terms to drum up business. It wasn't meant as

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1408-555: The popularity of all-ages shows—where alcohol was not for sale, and thus no age restriction for admission. Previously, at the Mabuhay Gardens in California, the band was allowed entry to the club only after big "X"s were drawn on their hands—this showed that they were under the legal drinking age . The Idles suggested this to 9:30's management, and vowed that if youths were caught drinking, the club could ban them. The management agreed;

1452-451: The request to put eight songs on a 7" record, they pressed 1,000 copies. For the cover, the band took apart another 7" record sleeve and used it as a template for their own cover design. They photocopied it on 11" × 17" paper, which the band members cut out with scissors, folded and glued by hand, then into these inserted the records and lyric sheets. Released in December 1980, Minor Disturbance

1496-465: The running of Dischord, until Nelson and MacKaye, disappointed by his lack of effort, "decided to take it back". The Teen Idles appeared on several hardcore punk compilations throughout the 1980s and 1990s, most prominently the influential collection Flex Your Head , issued by Dischord in January 1982. To celebrate the label's 100th release, Dischord issued the Anniversary EP in 1996, comprising

1540-524: The studio album Stay Sick in 1990. It spent one week at No. 62 in the UK Albums Chart in February 1990. Candy del Mar and Knox left the band in 1991. The Cramps hit the Top 40 in the UK for the first and only time with "Bikini Girls with Machine Guns"; Ivy posed as such both on the cover of the single and in the promotional video for the song. The Cramps went on to record more albums and singles through

1584-523: The then dominant new wave scene, and the perceived complacency that many first-wave punk bands, including the Clash and the Damned , seemed to have fallen into by the early 1980s. In "Fleeting Fury", Strejcek pleads, "The clothes you wear have lost their sting / So's the fury in the songs you sing". The Teen Idles were strongly influenced by punk bands in Washington and California, such as Bad Brains, Black Flag , and

1628-615: The two demo sessions the band had recorded in February and April 1980. According to journalist Michael Azerrad , the Teen Idles "played proto-hardcore tunes that skewered their social milieu". MacKaye later explained in the hardcore documentary Another State of Mind : "When I became a punk, my main fight was against the people who were around me — friends". When MacKaye was 13, he moved to Palo Alto, California for nine months. On his return, his friends had begun taking drugs and drinking. He remarked, "I said, 'God, I don't want to be like these people, man. I don't fit in at all with them.' So it

1672-674: The young I.R.S. Records label. Their first tour of Great Britain was as supporting act to the Police on that band's first UK tour promoting Outlandos d'Amour . In June 1978, they gave a landmark free concert for patients at the California State Mental Hospital in Napa, recorded on a Sony Portapak video camera by the San Francisco collective Target Video and later released as Live at Napa State Mental Hospital. Once back to

1716-427: Was "sudden, shocking and unexpected". The Cramps weren't thinking of this weird subgenre when we coined the term " psychobilly " in 1976 to describe what we were doing. To us all the '50s rockabillies were psycho to begin with; it just came with the turf as a given, like a crazed, sped-up hillbilly boogie version of country . We hadn't meant playing everything superloud at superheavy hardcore punk tempos with

1760-445: Was a local success, receiving radio airplay and reviews from fanzines such as Touch and Go , which meant that Dischord now had enough money to release records by other bands. After the Teen Idles disbanded, Grindle chose not to pursue a career in music. By the time of Minor Disturbance ' s release, Nelson and MacKaye had already formed Minor Threat . The new band's first show was on December 17, 1980. Strejcek became involved in

1804-435: Was an alternative". The graphic emblem most associated with the straight edge movement is a black "X", typically drawn on the wearer's hands with a marker. According to MacKaye, "We were in San Francisco, and we played a place called Mabuhay Gardens. They figured out we were underage, and they wouldn't let us play. We worked out a deal with their management that we just wanted to play and we weren't going to drink, so they got

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1848-551: Was at odds with their demeanor; according to MacKaye, "In our shows and within our own community, we were totally goofy guys. We were painfully honest—we didn't shoplift, we didn't vandalize, we didn't spray-paint. [...] We don't do anything—everybody just hates us because of the way we look". The members of Teen Idles were not considered to be as musically talented as other bands. The band was known for their ability to irritate using their lyrics. The lyrics consisted of no melody and digs at different things; such as, drug culture. After

1892-807: Was heavily influenced by early rockabilly , such as Jerry Lott AKA The Phantom, whose 1958 single 'Love Me' they covered, rhythm and blues , and rock and roll like Link Wray and Hasil Adkins , 1960s surf music acts such as the Ventures and Dick Dale , 1960s garage rock artists like the Standells , the Trashmen , the Green Fuz and the Sonics , as well as the post- glam /early punk scene from which they emerged, as well as citing Ricky Nelson as being an influence during numerous interviews. They also were influenced by

1936-586: Was written and composed by Stephen Hillenburg and Peter Strauss. The Cramps played their final shows in Europe in the summer of 2006 and their last live show was on November 4, 2006, at the Marquee Theater in Tempe, Arizona . On February 4, 2009, Lux Interior died at the Glendale Memorial Hospital after suffering an aortic dissection which, contrary to initial reports about a pre-existing condition,

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