Black Lab
Encyclopedia
Black Lab is an alternative rock
band founded in Berkeley, California
and currently based in Los Angeles
and Montana
.
They released one album on Geffen Records
, entitled Your Body Above Me
, and scored two rock radio hits in the US, "Wash It Away" in 1997 and "Time Ago" in 1998. After leaving Geffen in 1999, the band signed to Epic Records
, but did not release any material, and left the label after two years.
The band is now unsigned. They have independently released an EP
and three full-length albums since 2003, the latest being Two Strangers
released in October 2010. Passion Leaves a Trace
, released in 2007, featured the single "Mine Again" and gained significant exposure through internet media outlets. Paul Durham
and Andy Ellis are currently the core members, with Isaac Carpenter
and Brian Paturalski accompanying in the studio.
native Paul Durham's singing career began when he was offered a spot singing in a local youth choir. After graduating from Oberlin College
, Durham supported himself as a substitute teacher in the San Francisco Bay Area
while fronting his acoustic band, Durham. Durham did not have any official releases, but some of their recorded material was released in 2004 as part of Paul Durham's solo album Ten Million Years
. Paul Durham disbanded this band in 1995, signed to Geffen Records
in 1996 after attracting attention from a number of labels, and hired bassist Geoff Stanfield, guitarist Michael Belfer and drummer Bryan Head to form Black Lab. The name is an amalgamation of two of the band's influences, Black Sabbath
and Stereolab
.
Their debut album, Your Body Above Me
, co-produced by David Bianco
and the band, was released on October 21, 1997 in the United States. Two singles from the album charted in the U.S., the power ballad "Time Ago" and the alternative rock hit "Wash It Away"; the album also featured the PJ Harvey
-penned "All the Money in the World". The LP peaked on Billboard's Heatseekers charts at #19 in 1998, and sales of the album eventually topped 120,000. Reviews of Your Body Above Me noted the album's dark, melodic modern rock
sound, and were mixed but generally positive. The Washington Post called Your Body Above Me "moodily sumptuous", Guitar Player
described the music as having "drama and rhythmic urgency", and Allmusic noted the album's "brooding yet propulsive sound that's actually quite intriguing". The band subsequently toured with Days of the New
, Cracker
, and Our Lady Peace
, and were called "The American U2
" by the San Francisco Chronicle
. Black Lab songs were featured on soundtracks to Can't Hardly Wait
, Varsity Blues
, Permanent Midnight
, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and the song "Wash It Away" was also included on a charity album, Live in the X Lounge
. Just as momentum was building on their debut, however, Geffen went out of business after being subsumed by Universal
; dissatisfied with the new label arrangement, Durham moved to Los Angeles
, and the band broke up in 1999.
expressed an interest in releasing a second album from the band. The band was quiet until 2002, which saw the release of "Learn to Crawl" on the Spider-Man
soundtrack, with a band consisting of Paul Durham, Andy Ellis, bassist Eve Hill and drummer Scotty Coogan. The electronic-flavored result was described as "tightly spun, highly melodic rock" by Rolling Stone
.
After a series of delays, Black Lab asked to be released from Epic; legal problems with the record label ensued, but the band won the rights to the master recordings of the material they had been working on. While searching for a new label, the band self-released a six-song EP
in 2003, first online and then on CD
, which featured "Learn to Crawl" and the single "See the Sun". However, the planned second full-length, called See the Sun
, wouldn't see light until 2005, after the band decided on an independent release. See the Sun did not receive any mainstream press coverage, but online reviews noted the band's turn toward increasing use of keyboards
and synthesizer
s to introduce and underlay tracks, describing it as "startling, but in a good way". The band benefited heavily from promotion from online rock site Alternative Addiction, who included the track "Lonely Boy" on one of its compilations, regularly reports on the band's music, and places them in heavy rotation on its internet radio station.
After leaving the major labels, Black Lab essentially ceased touring, fearing that a self-booked and promoted national tour would not be cost-effective. They maintained a relationship with fans via their website and MP3 of the Month Club, through which users were able to subscribe to monthly tracks of new content, such as soundtrack songs, unreleased works, and insights into the band's songwriting process.
. At the end of October 2006, Paul also announced that a special "Director's Cut" edition of Your Body Above Me was being released. The rerelease contained two songs originally recorded for the album, extended cuts of several songs, new liner notes and photos. A third Black Lab album, entitled Passion Leaves a Trace
, was released on January 16, 2007. The track "This Night" was featured on the promotional advertisement for the sixth series of The Shield
; tracks from this album were also featured in CBS's Numb3rs
, ABC's 6 Degrees
and the films The Benchwarmers
and Lovewrecked
. The song was also featured in the TV show House MD in season 7 episode 16.
The band attracted media attention in March 2007 through the campaign "Bum Rush the Charts", in which one of their songs was promoted through podcast
ing and blog
ging. The aim of this was to harness independent media and music to promote unsigned bands and to raise money for a scholarship fund. As a result of this effort, on March 22, 2007, the single "Mine Again" was purchased over 14,000 times in the United States. The iTunes
charts represent a weekly average of purchases, not just “a snapshot of the previous 24 hours’ worth of sales,” as a spokesman for Apple
reported in a Washington Post story about the campaign. “Mine Again,” however, still cracked the top 100 songs on the U.S. chart at #99, and peaked at #11 on the U.S. rock chart. The campaign had a significant international impact, selling songs in every country in which iTunes has stores and pushing "Mine Again" to #53 on the Canadian chart (#10 rock), #15 in Holland (#2 rock), and #73 in Germany (#12 rock), among others. The song broached the iTunes rock charts in eleven additional countries as well. Songs from the album also became popular on the PMC Top10
podcast
, with three of them reaching the site's year-end Top 10: "Mine Again" (#8), "Broken Heart" (#6), and "Hole in My Heart" (#5).
In June 2007, Black Lab released its second album of the year, Technologie. It is described as an album of electronica, techno-rock and remixes. It features remixes of previously released songs, several songs released on movie soundtracks and brand new material, including the band's cover
of the Transformers
theme song.
In 2009, the band released Give Us Sugar
, a compilation of assorted rarities from throughout their career including non-LP b-sides and songs previously exclusive to movie soundtracks. It was intended to be released as a limited edition of only 250 autographed copies, but the number of pre-orders far surpassed that limit, forcing the band to change the publishing and distribution approach.
Past members
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
band founded in Berkeley, California
Berkeley, California
Berkeley is a city on the east shore of the San Francisco Bay in Northern California, United States. Its neighbors to the south are the cities of Oakland and Emeryville. To the north is the city of Albany and the unincorporated community of Kensington...
and currently based in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
and Montana
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
.
They released one album on Geffen Records
Geffen Records
Geffen Records is an American record label, owned by Universal Music Group, and operated as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group.-Beginnings:...
, entitled Your Body Above Me
Your Body Above Me
Your Body Above Me is the debut album by the alternative rock band Black Lab. Released on Geffen Records on October 21, 1997, it featured two US radio hits, "Wash it Away" and "Time Ago." The album was also simultaneously released as a three-sided vinyl LP with a press of the album artwork on the...
, and scored two rock radio hits in the US, "Wash It Away" in 1997 and "Time Ago" in 1998. After leaving Geffen in 1999, the band signed to Epic Records
Epic Records
Epic Records is an American record label, owned by Sony Music Entertainment. Though it was originally conceived as a jazz imprint, it has since expanded to represent various genres. L.A...
, but did not release any material, and left the label after two years.
The band is now unsigned. They have independently released an EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
and three full-length albums since 2003, the latest being Two Strangers
Two Strangers
Two Strangers is the fourth LP by the American alternative rock band Black Lab. The album was released on October 19, 2010, under the Blacklabworld.com label.- CD :# "This Ship Goes Down Deep"# "Something You Don’t Know"# "Bound"# "Start A Fire"...
released in October 2010. Passion Leaves a Trace
Passion Leaves a Trace
Passion Leaves a Trace is the third LP by the American alternative rock band Black Lab. The album featured the track "Mine Again," which, as part of the "Bum Rush the Charts" program peaked at #11 on the U.S. rock chart...
, released in 2007, featured the single "Mine Again" and gained significant exposure through internet media outlets. Paul Durham
Paul Durham
Paul Durham is an American musician, and is the lead singer of rock band Black Lab.- Biography :Born in Twin Falls, Idaho, Durham started his musical journey singing in LDS Church services and writing folk songs under the influence of Bob Dylan....
and Andy Ellis are currently the core members, with Isaac Carpenter
Isaac Carpenter
Isaac Carpenter is an American drummer, percussionist, producer, audio engineer and session musician. Carpenter is best known as the former drummer for the alternative rock group Gosling as well as its previous incarnation Loudermilk...
and Brian Paturalski accompanying in the studio.
Your Body Above Me
Twin Falls, IdahoTwin Falls, Idaho
Twin Falls is the county seat and largest city of Twin Falls County, Idaho, United States. The population was 44,125 at the 2010 censusTwin Falls is the largest city of Idaho's Magic Valley region...
native Paul Durham's singing career began when he was offered a spot singing in a local youth choir. After graduating from Oberlin College
Oberlin College
Oberlin College is a private liberal arts college in Oberlin, Ohio, noteworthy for having been the first American institution of higher learning to regularly admit female and black students. Connected to the college is the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, the oldest continuously operating...
, Durham supported himself as a substitute teacher in the San Francisco Bay Area
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
while fronting his acoustic band, Durham. Durham did not have any official releases, but some of their recorded material was released in 2004 as part of Paul Durham's solo album Ten Million Years
Ten Million Years - Songs from the Nineteen Nineties
Ten Million Years - Songs from the Nineteen Nineties is an album by alternative rock artist Paul Durham. Self-released in 2004, it features eleven songs recorded in the early 1990's with his band Durham, and four alternate versions of songs that would later be released on his major-label band Black...
. Paul Durham disbanded this band in 1995, signed to Geffen Records
Geffen Records
Geffen Records is an American record label, owned by Universal Music Group, and operated as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group.-Beginnings:...
in 1996 after attracting attention from a number of labels, and hired bassist Geoff Stanfield, guitarist Michael Belfer and drummer Bryan Head to form Black Lab. The name is an amalgamation of two of the band's influences, Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath are an English heavy metal band, formed in Aston, Birmingham in 1969 by Ozzy Osbourne , Tony Iommi , Geezer Butler , and Bill Ward . The band has since experienced multiple line-up changes, with Tony Iommi the only constant presence in the band through the years. A total of 22...
and Stereolab
Stereolab
Stereolab are an alternative music band formed in 1990 in London, England. The band originally comprised songwriting team Tim Gane and Lætitia Sadier , both of whom remained at the helm across many lineup changes...
.
Their debut album, Your Body Above Me
Your Body Above Me
Your Body Above Me is the debut album by the alternative rock band Black Lab. Released on Geffen Records on October 21, 1997, it featured two US radio hits, "Wash it Away" and "Time Ago." The album was also simultaneously released as a three-sided vinyl LP with a press of the album artwork on the...
, co-produced by David Bianco
David Bianco
David Bianco is the co-founder of Elderhostel, a not-for-profit organization established in the United States in 1975, which offers adults lifelong learning opportunities across North America and throughout the world.-Biography:...
and the band, was released on October 21, 1997 in the United States. Two singles from the album charted in the U.S., the power ballad "Time Ago" and the alternative rock hit "Wash It Away"; the album also featured the PJ Harvey
PJ Harvey
Polly Jean Harvey is an English musician, singer-songwriter, composer and occasional artist. Primarily known as a vocalist and guitarist, she is also proficient with a wide range of instruments including piano, organ, bass, saxophone, and most recently, the autoharp.Harvey began her career in...
-penned "All the Money in the World". The LP peaked on Billboard's Heatseekers charts at #19 in 1998, and sales of the album eventually topped 120,000. Reviews of Your Body Above Me noted the album's dark, melodic modern rock
Modern rock
Modern rock is a rock format commonly found on commercial radio; the format consists primarily of the alternative rock genre...
sound, and were mixed but generally positive. The Washington Post called Your Body Above Me "moodily sumptuous", Guitar Player
Guitar Player
Guitar Player is a popular magazine for guitarists founded in 1967. It contains articles, interviews, reviews and lessons of an eclectic collection of artists, genres and products. It has been in print since the late 1960s and during the 1980s, under editor Tom Wheeler, the publication was...
described the music as having "drama and rhythmic urgency", and Allmusic noted the album's "brooding yet propulsive sound that's actually quite intriguing". The band subsequently toured with Days of the New
Days of the New
Days of the New is an American alternative rock band from Louisville, Kentucky, formed in 1995. The band consists of vocalist/guitarist Travis Meeks and a variety of supporting musicians...
, Cracker
Cracker (band)
Cracker is an American alternative rock band featuring founders/songwriters singer David Lowery and guitarist Johnny Hickman. They are best known for their platinum-selling 1993 album, Kerosene Hat, featuring the hit songs "Low", "Euro-Trash Girl", and "Get Off This".Founders Lowery and Hickman...
, and Our Lady Peace
Our Lady Peace
Our Lady Peace is a Canadian alternative rock band that formed in Toronto, Ontario in 1992. Headed by lead vocalist Raine Maida since its formation, the band additionally consists of Jeremy Taggart on percussion, Duncan Coutts on bass, and Steve Mazur as lead guitarist...
, and were called "The American U2
U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
" by the San Francisco Chronicle
San Francisco Chronicle
thumb|right|upright|The Chronicle Building following the [[1906 San Francisco earthquake|1906 earthquake]] and fireThe San Francisco Chronicle is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California, but distributed throughout Northern and Central California,...
. Black Lab songs were featured on soundtracks to Can't Hardly Wait
Can't Hardly Wait
Can't Hardly Wait is a 1998 American teen comedy film written and directed by Deborah Kaplan and Harry Elfont. It stars Ethan Embry, Charlie Korsmo, Lauren Ambrose, Peter Facinelli, Seth Green, and Jennifer Love Hewitt, and is notable for a number of "before-they-were-famous" appearances by various...
, Varsity Blues
Varsity Blues (film)
Varsity Blues is a 1999 American drama/sport film directed by Brian Robbins that follows a small-town high school football team and their overbearing coach through a tumultuous season. The players must deal with the pressures of adolescence and their football obsessed community while having their...
, Permanent Midnight
Permanent Midnight
Permanent Midnight is a 1998 biographical romantic comedy-drama film directed by David Veloz starring Ben Stiller. The film is based on Jerry Stahl's autobiographical book of the same name, and tells the story of Stahl's rise from a small-time television writer to his success as a comedy writer...
, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and the song "Wash It Away" was also included on a charity album, Live in the X Lounge
Live in the X Lounge
Live in the X Lounge is a series of albums released by Birmingham, Alabama's former alternative rock radio station, WRAX.Though the station can no longer be found on the air, this series of live performances was produced while the station was known as 107.7 The X...
. Just as momentum was building on their debut, however, Geffen went out of business after being subsumed by Universal
Universal Records
Universal Records was a record label owned by Universal Music Group, and it is now owned by Manny Patino and Michael Jackson, and operated as part of the Universal Motown Republic Group.-History:...
; dissatisfied with the new label arrangement, Durham moved to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, and the band broke up in 1999.
See the Sun
In 2000, Paul Durham re-formed Black Lab with an alternate lineup after Epic RecordsEpic Records
Epic Records is an American record label, owned by Sony Music Entertainment. Though it was originally conceived as a jazz imprint, it has since expanded to represent various genres. L.A...
expressed an interest in releasing a second album from the band. The band was quiet until 2002, which saw the release of "Learn to Crawl" on the Spider-Man
Spider-Man (film)
Spider-Man is a 2002 American superhero film, the first in the Spider-Man film series based on the fictional Marvel Comics character Spider-Man. It was directed by Sam Raimi and written by David Koepp...
soundtrack, with a band consisting of Paul Durham, Andy Ellis, bassist Eve Hill and drummer Scotty Coogan. The electronic-flavored result was described as "tightly spun, highly melodic rock" by Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
.
After a series of delays, Black Lab asked to be released from Epic; legal problems with the record label ensued, but the band won the rights to the master recordings of the material they had been working on. While searching for a new label, the band self-released a six-song EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
in 2003, first online and then on CD
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
, which featured "Learn to Crawl" and the single "See the Sun". However, the planned second full-length, called See the Sun
See the Sun (Black Lab album)
See the Sun is the second LP by the American alternative rock band Black Lab. The album was released eight years after their debut, Your Body Above Me...
, wouldn't see light until 2005, after the band decided on an independent release. See the Sun did not receive any mainstream press coverage, but online reviews noted the band's turn toward increasing use of keyboards
Keyboard instrument
A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
and synthesizer
Synthesizer
A synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
s to introduce and underlay tracks, describing it as "startling, but in a good way". The band benefited heavily from promotion from online rock site Alternative Addiction, who included the track "Lonely Boy" on one of its compilations, regularly reports on the band's music, and places them in heavy rotation on its internet radio station.
After leaving the major labels, Black Lab essentially ceased touring, fearing that a self-booked and promoted national tour would not be cost-effective. They maintained a relationship with fans via their website and MP3 of the Month Club, through which users were able to subscribe to monthly tracks of new content, such as soundtrack songs, unreleased works, and insights into the band's songwriting process.
Passion Leaves a Trace and other projects
Early in 2006, Durham and a few of his old friends reacquainted to record as a side project, called Cake or Death. This band, featuring Kristin Kelly, Joshua Leavitt and Olya Mokina, have recorded one full-length self-titled LPCake or Death (album)
Cake or Death is a self-titled LP by a group formed as a side project by Paul Durham . Durham produced the album, performed as one of the lead vocalists, and co-wrote many of the lyrics.-Track listing:# "Whiplash"# "Rise"...
. At the end of October 2006, Paul also announced that a special "Director's Cut" edition of Your Body Above Me was being released. The rerelease contained two songs originally recorded for the album, extended cuts of several songs, new liner notes and photos. A third Black Lab album, entitled Passion Leaves a Trace
Passion Leaves a Trace
Passion Leaves a Trace is the third LP by the American alternative rock band Black Lab. The album featured the track "Mine Again," which, as part of the "Bum Rush the Charts" program peaked at #11 on the U.S. rock chart...
, was released on January 16, 2007. The track "This Night" was featured on the promotional advertisement for the sixth series of The Shield
The Shield
The Shield is an American television drama series starring Michael Chiklis which premiered on March 12, 2002 on FX in the United States and concluded on November 25, 2008 after seven seasons...
; tracks from this album were also featured in CBS's Numb3rs
NUMB3RS
Numb3rs is an American television drama which premiered on CBS on January 23, 2005, and concluded on March 12, 2010. The series was created by Nicolas Falacci and Cheryl Heuton, and follows FBI Special Agent Don Eppes and his mathematical genius brother, Charlie Eppes , who helps Don solve crimes...
, ABC's 6 Degrees
Six Degrees
Six Degrees is an American dramatic television series about six residents of New York City and their respective relationships and connections with one another, based on the idea of six degrees of separation....
and the films The Benchwarmers
The Benchwarmers
The Benchwarmers is a 2006 American sports-comedy film directed by Dennis Dugan. It stars Rob Schneider, Jon Heder, and David Spade. It is produced by Revolution Studios and Happy Madison Productions and distributed by Columbia Pictures.-Plot:...
and Lovewrecked
Lovewrecked
Love Wrecked is a 2005 romantic comedy film directed by Randal Kleiser and starring Amanda Bynes. It was originally produced as a feature film by Media 8 Entertainment, but ended up as an ABC Family television film...
. The song was also featured in the TV show House MD in season 7 episode 16.
The band attracted media attention in March 2007 through the campaign "Bum Rush the Charts", in which one of their songs was promoted through podcast
Podcast
A podcast is a series of digital media files that are released episodically and often downloaded through web syndication...
ing and blog
Blog
A blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...
ging. The aim of this was to harness independent media and music to promote unsigned bands and to raise money for a scholarship fund. As a result of this effort, on March 22, 2007, the single "Mine Again" was purchased over 14,000 times in the United States. The iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
charts represent a weekly average of purchases, not just “a snapshot of the previous 24 hours’ worth of sales,” as a spokesman for Apple
Apple Computer
Apple Inc. is an American multinational corporation that designs and markets consumer electronics, computer software, and personal computers. The company's best-known hardware products include the Macintosh line of computers, the iPod, the iPhone and the iPad...
reported in a Washington Post story about the campaign. “Mine Again,” however, still cracked the top 100 songs on the U.S. chart at #99, and peaked at #11 on the U.S. rock chart. The campaign had a significant international impact, selling songs in every country in which iTunes has stores and pushing "Mine Again" to #53 on the Canadian chart (#10 rock), #15 in Holland (#2 rock), and #73 in Germany (#12 rock), among others. The song broached the iTunes rock charts in eleven additional countries as well. Songs from the album also became popular on the PMC Top10
PMC Top10
The Pod Music Countdown is a music program that is broadcast over the internet as a podcast. It is hosted by Chris Doelle and is a weekly countdown show featuring the top podsafe tunes being spun by podcasters all over the globe. The PMC Top10 is recognized as the first podcast counting down the...
podcast
Podcast
A podcast is a series of digital media files that are released episodically and often downloaded through web syndication...
, with three of them reaching the site's year-end Top 10: "Mine Again" (#8), "Broken Heart" (#6), and "Hole in My Heart" (#5).
In June 2007, Black Lab released its second album of the year, Technologie. It is described as an album of electronica, techno-rock and remixes. It features remixes of previously released songs, several songs released on movie soundtracks and brand new material, including the band's cover
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of the Transformers
The Transformers: The Movie
The Transformers: The Movie is a 1986 animated feature film based on the animated series of the same name. It was released in North America on August 8, 1986 and in the UK on December 5, 1986....
theme song.
In 2009, the band released Give Us Sugar
Give Us Sugar
Give Us Sugar is the 2-CD compilation album released in 2009 by the alternative rock band Black Lab. It is a collection of assorted rarities from throughout their career, including non-LP B-sides and songs previously exclusive to movie soundtracks...
, a compilation of assorted rarities from throughout their career including non-LP b-sides and songs previously exclusive to movie soundtracks. It was intended to be released as a limited edition of only 250 autographed copies, but the number of pre-orders far surpassed that limit, forcing the band to change the publishing and distribution approach.
Two Strangers
In 2010, Black Lab released official updates about a new album in the works. On September 29 of that year, it was officially announced that the title of the new album would be Two Strangers, and that its release date would be October 19. Two Strangers introduces orchestrations and pianos by Jonathan Grand on several tracks, cello by Zach Kroff and Banjo by Paul Bohak, on track 11.Members
Current members- Paul DurhamPaul DurhamPaul Durham is an American musician, and is the lead singer of rock band Black Lab.- Biography :Born in Twin Falls, Idaho, Durham started his musical journey singing in LDS Church services and writing folk songs under the influence of Bob Dylan....
- lead vocals, guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, Pro ToolsPro ToolsPro Tools is a digital audio workstation platform for Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X operating systems, developed and manufactured by Avid Technology. It is widely used by professionals throughout the audio industries for recording and editing in music production, film scoring, film, and television... - Andy Ellis - guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
, programmingProgramming (music)Programming is a form of music production and performance using electronic devices, often sequencers or computer programs, to generate music. Programming is used in nearly all forms of electronic music and in most hip hop music since the 1990s. It is also frequently used in modern pop and rock... - Brian Paturalski
- Isaac Carpenter
Past members
- Michael Belfer - guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
(1996–1999) - Geoff Stanfield - bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
(1996–1999) - Bryan Head - drums, percussion (1997–1999)
- Eve Hill - bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
(2000–2003) - Scotty Coogan - drums, percussion (2000–2003)
- Michael UrbanoMichael UrbanoMichael Urbano is a studio drummer, band member, programmer, and record producer.One of his first gigs was as a member of Bourgeois Tagg, a 1980s band that was fronted by Brent Bourgeois and Larry Tagg and included Lyle Workman as the guitarist...
- drums, percussion (1996–1997)
Albums
- Your Body Above MeYour Body Above MeYour Body Above Me is the debut album by the alternative rock band Black Lab. Released on Geffen Records on October 21, 1997, it featured two US radio hits, "Wash it Away" and "Time Ago." The album was also simultaneously released as a three-sided vinyl LP with a press of the album artwork on the...
(GeffenGeffen RecordsGeffen Records is an American record label, owned by Universal Music Group, and operated as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group.-Beginnings:...
, October 21, 1997) - I Feel FineI Feel Fine (album)I Feel Fine is an EP by the alternative rock band Black Lab. Four of the six tracks on this album would later be released on their second LP, See the Sun, and a fifth, "Perfect Girl", was re-recorded for the See the Sun album...
(Self-released, 2003) - See the SunSee the Sun (Black Lab album)See the Sun is the second LP by the American alternative rock band Black Lab. The album was released eight years after their debut, Your Body Above Me...
(Self-released, June 2005) - Your Body Above Me: The Director's CutYour Body Above MeYour Body Above Me is the debut album by the alternative rock band Black Lab. Released on Geffen Records on October 21, 1997, it featured two US radio hits, "Wash it Away" and "Time Ago." The album was also simultaneously released as a three-sided vinyl LP with a press of the album artwork on the...
(Self-released, October 2006) - Passion Leaves a TracePassion Leaves a TracePassion Leaves a Trace is the third LP by the American alternative rock band Black Lab. The album featured the track "Mine Again," which, as part of the "Bum Rush the Charts" program peaked at #11 on the U.S. rock chart...
(Self-released, January 16, 2007) - TechnologieTechnologieTechnologie is the second album released in 2007 by the alternative rock band Black Lab. It consists of several new tracks, remixes of some songs that appeared on the album See the Sun, a song that previously had been released on the soundtrack to Blade: Trinity and a cover of the theme song to...
(Self-released, June 2007, electronica and B-sides) - Give Us SugarGive Us SugarGive Us Sugar is the 2-CD compilation album released in 2009 by the alternative rock band Black Lab. It is a collection of assorted rarities from throughout their career, including non-LP B-sides and songs previously exclusive to movie soundtracks...
(Self-released, August 2009; B-sides and rarities collection) - Two StrangersTwo StrangersTwo Strangers is the fourth LP by the American alternative rock band Black Lab. The album was released on October 19, 2010, under the Blacklabworld.com label.- CD :# "This Ship Goes Down Deep"# "Something You Don’t Know"# "Bound"# "Start A Fire"...
(Self-released, October 2010)
Solo and side projects
- Ten Million Years – Songs from the Nineteen Nineties (Paul DurhamPaul DurhamPaul Durham is an American musician, and is the lead singer of rock band Black Lab.- Biography :Born in Twin Falls, Idaho, Durham started his musical journey singing in LDS Church services and writing folk songs under the influence of Bob Dylan....
, Self-released, 2004) - Cake or DeathCake or Death (album)Cake or Death is a self-titled LP by a group formed as a side project by Paul Durham . Durham produced the album, performed as one of the lead vocalists, and co-wrote many of the lyrics.-Track listing:# "Whiplash"# "Rise"...
(Cake or Death, Self-released, February 2006) - Mirror Ball Associates: Covers, Vol. 1 (Mirror Ball Associates, Self-released, 2008)
- Stray Palace EP (Stray Palace, Self-released, 2009)
Charting singles
| Year | Title | Chart Positions | Album | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Modern Rock | US Mainstream Rock | US Adult Top 40 | US Top 40 Mainstream | |||
| 1997 | "Wash It Away" | 13 | 6 | - | - | Your Body Above Me |
| 1998 | "Time Ago" | 28 | 26 | 38 | 37 |
Soundtrack appearances
| Movie/Show Title | Song Title |
|---|---|
| The Benchwarmers The Benchwarmers The Benchwarmers is a 2006 American sports-comedy film directed by Dennis Dugan. It stars Rob Schneider, Jon Heder, and David Spade. It is produced by Revolution Studios and Happy Madison Productions and distributed by Columbia Pictures.-Plot:... |
"Good" |
| Blade: Trinity Blade: Trinity Blade: Trinity is a 2004 American superhero vampire action film, written and directed by David S. Goyer, who also wrote the screenplays to the first two Blade films... |
"This Blood" |
| Buffy the Vampire Slayer | "Keep Myself Awake" |
| Can't Hardly Wait Can't Hardly Wait Can't Hardly Wait is a 1998 American teen comedy film written and directed by Deborah Kaplan and Harry Elfont. It stars Ethan Embry, Charlie Korsmo, Lauren Ambrose, Peter Facinelli, Seth Green, and Jennifer Love Hewitt, and is notable for a number of "before-they-were-famous" appearances by various... |
"Tell Me What to Say" |
| The Covenant The Covenant (film) The Covenant is a 2006 American action supernatural thriller written by J. S. Cardone, directed by Renny Harlin, and starring Steven Strait, Taylor Kitsch, Toby Hemingway, Chace Crawford, Sebastian Stan, Laura Ramsey, and Jessica Lucas... |
"River of Joy" (in trailer) |
| Lovewrecked Lovewrecked Love Wrecked is a 2005 romantic comedy film directed by Randal Kleiser and starring Amanda Bynes. It was originally produced as a feature film by Media 8 Entertainment, but ended up as an ABC Family television film... |
"Perfect Girl" and "Lonely Boy" |
| Permanent Midnight Permanent Midnight Permanent Midnight is a 1998 biographical romantic comedy-drama film directed by David Veloz starring Ben Stiller. The film is based on Jerry Stahl's autobiographical book of the same name, and tells the story of Stahl's rise from a small-time television writer to his success as a comedy writer... |
"Horses" |
| The Shield The Shield The Shield is an American television drama series starring Michael Chiklis which premiered on March 12, 2002 on FX in the United States and concluded on November 25, 2008 after seven seasons... |
"This Night" (Season 6 promo) |
| Spider-Man Spider-Man (film) Spider-Man is a 2002 American superhero film, the first in the Spider-Man film series based on the fictional Marvel Comics character Spider-Man. It was directed by Sam Raimi and written by David Koepp... |
"Learn to Crawl" |
| Varsity Blues Varsity Blues (film) Varsity Blues is a 1999 American drama/sport film directed by Brian Robbins that follows a small-town high school football team and their overbearing coach through a tumultuous season. The players must deal with the pressures of adolescence and their football obsessed community while having their... |
"Black Eye" |
| What I Like About You What I Like About You (TV series) What I Like About You is an American television sitcom set mainly in New York City, following the lives of two sisters, Valerie Tyler and Holly Tyler . The series ran on The WB Television Network from September 20, 2002, to March 24, 2006, with a total of 86 episodes produced... |
"Lonely Boy" (Season 3 Episode 13) "Remember" |
| Transformers | "Transformers Theme" |
| House MD | "This Night" (Season 7 Episode 16) |
| Flashpoint Flashpoint (TV series) Flashpoint is a Canadian police drama television series that debuted on July 11, 2008, on CTV in Canada and ran on CBS in the United States for its first three and a half seasons. In 2011, Ion Television began airing new episodes of the series in the United States... |
"Weightless" (Season 2 Episode 6) "The Fortress" |