Skafish -

Skafish was an American new wave/art-rock band from Chicago headed by Jim Skafish, an eccentric singer, songwriter, and performance artist. Formed in 1976, they built a Midwest audience with their provocative live shows. They made a 1980 album for I.R.S. and performed their melodramatic concert opus “Sign of the Cross” in the multi-act concert film Urgh! A Music War.

Members: Jim Skafish (vocals), Lawrence Mazalan (guitar, bass, vocals, 1976-80), Greg Sarchet (bass, vocals, 1976-79), Roger Jones (drums, 1976), Larry Mysliwiec (drums, percussion, 1976-85), David Prochazka (keyboards, vocals, 1976-78), Karen Winner (guitar, vocals, slide guitar, 1977-79), Mark Winner (keyboards, vocals, 1978-79), Javier Cruz (synthesizers, keyboards, vocals, 1979-85), Ken Bronowski (guitar, vocals, 1979-85), Barbie Goodrich (vocals, [adapted] slide guitar, 1979-83), Gayle Crowder (vocals, 1979), Lee Gatlin Jr. (bass, vocals, 1980-83)

Background

Skafish was formed in 1976 in Chicago by singer/songwriter Jim Skafish, the brother of local radio personality Bobby Skafish, a DJ on WXRT (93.1 FM).

Skafish

Skafish released their self-titled debut album on May 7, 1980, on I.R.S.

The album emphasizes internal chaos and confrontation, fusing blunt rhythmic textures with theatrical vocals and sarcastic lyrical narratives. Skafish confronts suburban repression and emotional instability through jagged structures and erratic tonal shifts, contrasting more rhythm-focused new wave peers.

Vocalist Jim Skafish drives the material with abrasive phrasing and stark piano jabs. Guitarists Ken Bronowski and Barbie Goodrich trade raw chords and slide dissonance, underpinned by Larry Mazalan’s rounded bass lines and Larry Mysliwiec’s dry, straight drum pulse. Javier Cruz offsets the roughness with brittle synth streaks, Mellotron swells, and fractured organ figures.

Skafish wrote and arranged all ten tracks. He also produced the album with engineers Paul Serrano and Scott Rowley at P.S. Recording Studios.

“Disgracing the Family Name” builds tension through mocking vocal tone and abrupt rhythmic stabs. “Work Song” sustains a compressed, almost martial pulse while layering shrill group vocals against a mechanical beat. “Joan Fan Club” starts with a slow churn and turns erratic through jarring instrumental breaks. The whole set resists resolution, amplifying discomfort rather than cohesion.

A1. “Joan Fan Club” (3:20)
A2. “Maybe One Time” (2:49)
A3. “Obsessions of You” (2:52)
A4. “We’ll See a Psychiatrist” (3:22)
A5. “Romantic Lessons” (3:31)

B1. “Work Song” (3:38)
B2. “Guardian Angel” (4:09)
B3. “Disgracing the Family Name” (3:29)
B4. “No Liberation Here” (4:40)
B5. “Take It Out On You” (3:11)

Sessions occurred in early 1980 at P.S. Recording Studios in Chicago with producer Jim Skafish and engineers Paul Serrano and Scott Rowley.

Skafish features front cover photography by Paul Natkin and inner sleeve photos by Bill Sosin.

I.R.S. promoted the album with “Obsessions of You” (b/w “Sink or Swim”), released in July 1980.

Conversation

Skafish released their second album, Conversation, in 1983 on I.R.S.

This release marks a sharp stylistic shift from the raw angularity of the debut to a more polished, rhythm-forward sound shaped by studio layering and melodic synths. While still lyrically confrontational, Conversation tempers its edge with dance-tempo propulsion and structured arrangements, signaling a move toward synth-driven formats aligned with early-’80s club sensibilities.

Jim Skafish commands vocals, piano, and synthesizer, adding vocoder textures on select tracks. Synthesist Javier Cruz shares arranging duties and expands the harmonic palette with dense electronic overlays. Guitarist Ken Bronowski and bassist Lee Gatlin maintain tight rhythmic interplay alongside drummer Larry Mysliwiec. Barbie and Marie Goodrich join in layered vocal passages, with soprano accents from Violanda Skafish.

Skafish composed all music and co-wrote lyrics with Glinda Harrison on four tracks, including “Secret Lover” and “In Another Time In Another Place.” Harrison conceived the cover design. Cruz contributed arrangements to three songs.

“Wild Night Tonight” contrasts its driving pulse with clipped phrasing and surreal vocal delivery, reinforcing its gender-defiant tone. “Victims of the Night” carries a slow burn with overlapping vocal tension and looming synth backdrops. “In Another Time In Another Place” ends the album on a subdued, minor-key drift with delicate sequencing and introspective harmonies.

A1. “Secret Lover” (3:42)
A2. “Wild Night Tonight” (3:09)
A3. “Made Up In the Dark” (3:03)
A4. “Victims of the Night” (3:58)
A5. “She Lives for Love” (4:02)
A6. “Mother Is Waiting” (1:29)

B1. “Lover In Masquerade” (3:15)
B2. “She’s Taking Her Love Away” (4:47)
B3. “I Might Move In Next Door” (3:02)
B4. “Bad Feelings Have Died” (2:55)
B5. “In Another Time In Another Place” (3:27)

Sessions occurred in 1983 at Pumpkin Studios in Oak Lawn, Illinois, with producer Jim Skafish and co-producer/engineer Gary Loizzo. Ted Jensen mastered the album at Sterling Sound.

Conversation features photography by Paul Natkin, cover design by Glinda Harrison, and art direction by Carl Grasso.

I.R.S. promoted the album with “Wild Night Tonight,” whose surrealist video was banned by MTV after one airing.

Discography: