Massacre were an English-American avant-rock/No Wave trio based in NYC that released the album Killing Time on Celluloid in 1981. The band comprised guitarist Fred Frith (Henry Cow, Art Bears, Skeleton Crew), bassist/producer Bill Laswell (Material), and drummer Fred Maher, who subsequently joined Scritti Politti. In 1998, the Material nameplate was resurrected with drummer Charles […]
Curlew were 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 Lounge Lizards were an American avant-jazz/No Wave band from New York that released a self-titled album on Editions EG in 1981, followed by titles on Europa and Island during the ensuing five-year period. Members: John Lurie (alto saxophone, soprano saxophone, vocals), Evan Lurie (piano, organ, keyboards, vocals), Arto Lindsay (guitar, 1979-81), Steve Piccolo (bass, […]
Birdsongs of the Mesozoic were an American avant-rock band from Boston that released two EPs and the album Magnetic Flip on small-press Ace of Hearts between 1983 and 1985, followed by a string of discs on Cuneiform between 1989 and 2006. Members: Erik Lindgren (piano, synthesizer, Farfisa organ, sampling, percussion, drum programming, trumpet), Roger Miller […]
French TV were an American jazz-rock band from Louisville, Ken., that self-released an eponymous album in 1984, followed by After a Lengthy Silence on local-press Y-Records in 1987. Ten further titles appeared over the subsequent three decades on bassist Mike Sary’s own label. Members: Artie Bratton (guitar), Bob Douglas (drums), Fenner Castner (drums), John Robinson […]
Doctor Nerve were an American avant-rock band from NYC that released the album Out to Bomb Fresh Kings on Punos Music in 1984, followed by five discs on Cuneiform between 1987 an 2000. Members: Nick Didkovsky (guitar), Greg Anderson (bass), Leo Ciesa (drums), Yves Duboin (soprano saxophone), Rob Henke (trumpet), Michael Lytle (bass clarinet, contrabass […]
Forever Einstein were 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 from Denver, Colo., that released two albums on Endemic Music between 1984 and 1986, followed by In This Life on RēR in 1989. 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 […]
The 5uu’s were an American avant-rock band from Los Angeles that released a standalone single and the album Bel Marduk & Tiamat on Rotary Totem-subsidiary U:r Records in 1986, followed by three albums on RēR during the subsequent 11-year period. For its 1988 release Elements, the band was joined by the Motor Totemist Guild. The […]
Marillion are an English art-rock band from Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, that released a 24-minute EP on EMI in 1982, followed by four studio albums and two live discs on the label between 1983 and 1988. After the departure of frontman Fish for a solo career, the band added ex-Europeans vocalist Steve Hogarth for a lengthy run […]
Marc Almond (born July 9, 1957) is an English vocalist, songwriter, and arranger from Southport, Merseyside, who rose to fame as one-half of the synthpop duo Soft Cell, which released three albums between 1981 and 1984. While the pair was still active, he released two 1982/83 albums with the goth/cabaret side-project Marc and the Mambas. […]
Adrian Belew — aka Robert Steven Belew (born Dec. 23, 1949) — is an American art-rock guitarist and composer from Covington, Ken., who emerged in the late 1970s as a backing player for David Bowie (Stage, Lodger) and Frank Zappa (Sheik Yerbouti). After his involvement in the Talking Heads album Remain in Light and related […]
Jean-Luc Ponty is a French violinist who has been musically active since the early 1960s. Jean-Luc Ponty was born in Avranches, France, on September 29, 1942, to a pianist mother and a violinist father. At 18, he graduated with the Premier Prix from the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Paris. For the next three […]
Volapük were a French avant-rock band that released four studio albums and a live disc between 1995 and 2003, three of which were issued on Cuneiform. The band was headed by ex-Etron Fou Leloublan drummer Guigou Chenevier. Members: Guigou Chenevier (drums, marimba, vocals, keyboards, sanza), Guillaume Saurel (cello, flute), Michel Mandel (clarinet, bass clarinet, tárogató), […]
Trisomie 21 are a French coldwave combo that released two EPs and five albums on Stechak, Scarface, and PIAS between 1983 and 1989. Members: Philippe Lomprez (drums, vocals), Hervé Lomprez (guitars, keyboards), Laurent Dagnicourt (bass, ?-1992), Bruno Objoie (guitar, 1989-present) Discography: Le Repos des enfants heureux (EP, 1983) Passions Divisées (1984) Wait & Dance (EP, […]
Larsen Rupin were a Swiss avant-rock band that released the album A Ban on Ayaa in 1991, followed by two self-pressed discs during the 2000s. Members: Daniel Spahni (drums), Gilbert Ummel (saxophone, vocals), André Schenk (bass), Pier-Luigi Pision (guitar, 2007-08), Julien Baillod [aka Bio] (guitar, 2008-present) Discography: A Ban (1991) Contredanses (2003) Procès Verbal (2007)
Coroner were a Swiss heavy metal band from Zürich that issued a cassette album on self-press Rip Rec in 1986, followed by five albums on Noise International between 1987 and 1993. Members: Marquis Marky (drums, 1983-2014), Tommy Ritter (guitar, 1983-84), Phil Puzctai (bass, 1983-84), Pete Attinger (vocals, 1983-84), Oliver Amberg (guitar, vocals, 1984-85), Ron Royce […]
No Secrets in the Family were a Swiss art-pop band from Zürich that released the album In a Certain Light We All Appear Green on Ex Libris/Musikszene Schweiz in 1987, followed by the 1990/92 titles Play & Strange Laughter and Kleinzeit on local ReR-subsidiary RecRecMusic. Members: Annette Schönholzer (keyboards, synthesizer, vocals), Markus Schönholzer (guitar, vocals), […]
Nimal were a Swiss chamber-rock/folk band from Neuchâtel that released a self-titled album on local ReR-subsidiary RecRec Music in 1987, followed by the disc Voix de Surface in 1990. The band’s third and final album, DisTanz, appeared on the French ReR branch Ayaa in 1992. Members: Jean-Maurice Rossel (guitar, hurdy-gurdy, bouzouki), Tom Cora (cello), Bratko […]
L’ Ensemble Rayé were a Swiss chamber-rock/folk band from Neuchâtel that released two albums on Ayaa Disques between 1989 and 1993: Même en Hiver: Comme un Pinson Dans L’eau and Quelques Pièces Détachées. A third disc, En Frac!, appeared on LabelUsineS in 1997, followed by four further discs on Kein & Aber Records and Les […]
