Kepone was an American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 indie rock

Indie rock

Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...

 band based out of Richmond, Virginia

Richmond, Virginia

Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...

. Formed in 1991, the band's name was derived from the Kepone

Kepone

Kepone, also known as chlordecone, is a carcinogenic insecticide related to mirex, used between 1966 and 1975 in the USA for ant and roach baits.- Chemistry and toxicology :...

 crisis that occurred in the Richmond area in the 1970s. Originally formed as a sideproject of Michael Bishop

Michael Bishop (bassist)

Michael Bishop is an American musician, and Bishop attended Thomas Dale high school. Most notably, he was the bass guitarist for the American heavy metal band GWAR. As a member of GWAR, he was the first to play the role of "Beefcake the Mighty") . In addition to GWAR, Bishop played bass and sang...

 of GWAR

GWAR

Gwar is a satirical heavy metal band formed in Richmond, Virginia, United States, in 1984. The band is best known for its elaborate science fiction/horror film inspired costumes, obscene lyrics and graphic stage performances, which feature humorous enactments of politically and morally taboo...

, the original lineup of the band also included guitarist Tim Harriss of Burma Jam and Hoi-Polloi as well as drummer Seth Harris

Seth Harris

Seth D. Harris is the 11th United States Deputy Secretary of Labor. Nominated by Barack Obama in February 2009, Harris was confirmed unanimously by the U.S. Senate in May 2009...

 of Honor Role. Kepone released their full length debut album

Album

An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...

, Ugly Dance, through Quarterstick Records

Quarterstick Records

-Artists:*Bad Livers*Calexico*DK3*Dead Child*June of 44*Kepone*The Mekons*Mi Ami*Peter Móren *Mule*Naked Raygun*Tara Jane O'Neil*Pegboy*Phono-Comb*Rachel's*Rodan*Henry Rollins*Shipping News*Sholi*The Sonora Pine*Therapy?...

 in 1994. Harris left soon after to focus on environmental activism

Environmentalism

Environmentalism is a broad philosophy, ideology and social movement regarding concerns for environmental conservation and improvement of the health of the environment, particularly as the measure for this health seeks to incorporate the concerns of non-human elements...

, and Ed Trask of the Holy Rollers

Holy Rollers

Holy Rollers is a 2010 independent film written by Antonio Macia, directed by Kevin Asch, and starring Jesse Eisenberg, Justin Bartha, Ari Graynor, Danny Abeckaser, Q-Tip and Jason Fuchs...

replaced him. The band released two more albums, Skin and Kepone, before their eventual break up. The three would play separately in other bands before reuniting to form American Grizzly with vocalist Bunny Wells. American Grizzly broke up in 2005.

The band reunited for one night at the 2011 Gwar-B-Q in Richmond, Virginia on September 17, 2011.

Singles

• From Ugly Dance
  • 1994 "Henry"
  • 1994 "Ugly Dance

• From Skin
  • 1995 "Knifethrower"

• From Kepone
  • 1997 "Ghost"

External links

• Band Fansite
  Myspace tribute page