Happy the Man is an American symphonic-rock band that released the 1977–78 Arista albums Happy the Man and Craft Hands, both comprised of lavish, intricate pieces (mostly instrumental). Their near-completed 1979 third album appeared posthumously in 1983 as 3rd – “Better Late…” Keyboardist Ken Watkins joined Camel for their 1979 album I Can See Your […]
Univers Zéro is a Belgian chamber-rock/Zeuhl ensemble that debuted with a 1977 self-titled Atem release (later retitled 1313), followed by the 1979–84 discs Hérésie, Ceux du Dehors, and Uzed. Musically, they evolved from an acoustic neo-classical sound to the hi-tech avant-rock style of their 1986 Cuneiform release Heatwave. Bandleader Daniel Denis released two Nineties solo […]
The Muffins were an American jazz-rock band that released two proper albums: the Canterbury-style Manna / Mirage (1978) and the No Wave-inspired 185, both on the avant-garde DC label Random Radar Records. Tracks from their earlier incarnation (circa 1975–76) later surfaced on the Cuneiform CD Chronometers. They backed Fred Frith on his 1980 Ralph Records […]
Curlew was an American avant-rock/jazz band from NYC that debuted with an eponymous release on Landslide Records in 1981, followed by the album North America on the German Moers Music label in 1985. The band’s 1988 release Live in Berlin kicked off a seven-disc run on Cuneiform over the ensuing 15-year period. Members: George Cartwright […]
The Motor Totemist Guild was an American avant-rock ensemble formed by composer and multi-instrumentalist James Grigsby and poet-vocalist Christine Clements. They issued the 1984–86 albums Infra Dig and Contact With Veils, plus the live Klang cassette, on the self-operated Rotary Totem label. Their 1988 collaboration with the 5uu’s produced Elements and spawned the merged group […]
However was an American symphonic-rock band formed in 1977 by Peter Princiotto, Bobby Read, Bill Kotapish, and Joe “Stellar” Princiotto. The group released the 1981 Random Radar album Sudden Dusk and the 1985 Cuneiform followup Calling. Members: Peter Princiotto (vocals, synthesizer, piano, bass, clavinet, guitar, bass, pedals, kalimba, autoharp, bells, violin), Bobby Read (vocals, alto […]
Chainsaw Jazz was an American jazz-rock band that released the album DisConcerto on Cuneiform in 1993. Members: Mark Stanley (guitar), Christian Nagle (guitar), Mark Smoot (bass), Mark Gilbert (saxophone, clarinet), Ed Maguire (violin, electric mandolin), Paul Sears (drums) DisConcerto was released on Cuneiform Records (cat# RUNE 46) in 1993. It features 15 songs and a […]
Cartoon was an American avant-rock band from Phoenix that released two albums and a live disc between 1981 and 1983 on self-press Twelve Tone Productions. Three-fifths of the band recorded two subsequent albums as PFS. Members: Scott Brazieal (keyboards), Mark Innocenti (guitars), Gary Parra (drums), Herbert Diamant (reeds), Craig Fry (violin) Background Cartoon formed in […]
Djam Karet are an American band from Claremont, Calif., that released more than 20 titles on self-press HC Productions between 1984 and the 2010s, in addition to five discs on Cuneiform. Members: Gayle Ellett (guitar, organ, percussion), Mike Henderson (guitar, synthesizer), Chuck Oken, Jr. (drums, percussion, synthesizer), Henry J. Osborne (bass, keyboards, percussion, 1984-?), Aaron […]
U Totem was an American avant-rock supergroup formed by members of the 5uu’s and the Motor Totemist Guild. They made the 1990 Cuneiform disc U Totem, followed in 1994 by Strange Attractors. Members: Dave Kerman (drums, percussion), James Grigsby (guitar, bass), Emily Hay (flute, piccolo, vocals), Sanjay Kumar (keyboards, piano, sitar), Eric Johnson (bassoon, soprano […]
Birdsongs of the Mesozoic were an American avant-rock band from Boston that released two EPs and the 1984 album Magnetic Flip on Ace of Hearts. They reappeared in 1989 with Faultline on Cuneiform, which carried followups and solo titles through the 2006 disc Extreme Spirituals. Members: Erik Lindgren (piano, synthesizer, Farfisa organ, sampling, percussion, drum programming, […]
Doctor Nerve was an American avant-rock band from NYC that released the 1984 album Out to Bomb Fresh Kings on Punos Music, followed by five discs between 1987 and 2000 on Cuneiform. Members: Nick Didkovsky (guitar), Greg Anderson (bass), Leo Ciesa (drums), Yves Duboin (soprano saxophone), Rob Henke (trumpet), Michael Lytle (bass clarinet, contrabass clarinet), […]
Forever Einstein was an American avant-rock trio from New Milford, Conn., that issued a cassette-EP on guitarist C.W. Vrtacek’s Leisure Time label in 1989, followed by five albums on Cuneiform between 1990 and 2005. Members: Charles O’Meara [C.W. Vrtacek] (guitar), John Roulat (drums), Marc Sichel (bass, 1989-90), Jack Vees (bass, 1993-2005), Kevin Gerety (bass, 2005-present) […]
A Thinking Plague are an American avant-rock band that made the 1984–86 albums …A Thinking Plague and Moonsongs on Endemic Music, followed by the 1989 RēR disc In This Life. Four further discs appeared on Cuneiform during the subsequent three decades. Members: Mike Johnson (guitar, drums, percussion, vocals), Rick Arsenault (drums, 1982-83), Sharon Bradford (vocals, […]
The 5uu’s were an American avant-rock band behind the 1986 album Bel Marduk & Tiamat on U:r Records, followed by three albums through 1997 on RēR. On their 1988 release Elements, they teamed with the Motor Totemist Guild. The two parties merged as U Totem, which made two ambitious CDs on Cuneiform, the 5uu’s home […]
Mother Mallard’s Portable Masterpiece Co. was an American electronic group that released a 1973 self-titled album on Earthquack, followed in 1976 with Like a Duck to Water. Further material, mostly Seventies archival tracks, later appeared on Cuneiform. Members: David Borden (Moog, Minimoog, electric piano), Steve Drews (Moog, Minimoog, electric piano), Linda Fisher (Moog, Minimoog, 1969-74), […]
Miriodor are a Québécois avant-garde/art-rock band that released eight studio albums and one live disc on Cuneiform over a three-decade period, starting in 1986. Members: Pascal Globensky (keyboards, acoustic guitar), François Émond (violin, flute, keyboards, clarinet, 1980-87), Denis Robitaille (guitar, bass, vocals, ?-1984), Marc Petitclerc (keyboards, ?-1984), Sabin Hudon (soprano saxophone, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone, […]
Kombinat M were an Austrian avant/space-rock quintet that was active for six years, starting in 1987. The band released its singular album, Hybrid Beat, in 1993 on Cuneiform and disbanded soon thereafter. Members: Andreas Heidu, Andreas Leikauf, Erwin Redl, Lukas Ligeti, Walter Hollinetz Discography: Hybrid Beat (1993)
