King Louie Bankston
Encyclopedia
King Louie Bankston is a prolific garage punk
musician from Harahan, Louisiana. He is best known for his work in The Royal Pendletons, The Persuaders
, The Exploding Hearts
, and The King Louie One Man Band.
in 1995, and in 1998 put out a full-length LP out on Sympathy for the Record Industry
with producer Alex Chilton
entitled Oh, Yeah Baby.
band, The Persuaders
in 1996, along with Jason Panzer on guitar, and Shaggy
on drums. In The Persuaders
, Louie and Jason Panzer both sang and played Gibson Flying V
guitars. The Reatards, featuring Jay Reatard
opened for The Persuaders
on the very first The Reatards tour.
and Jay Reatard
. The band recorded an album’s worth of material after only one practice session in 1998, releasing a self-titled LP in 2001. After one live performance the band disbanded, the members returning to their respective solo commitments.
, where he co-wrote, and played keyboards on their only LP, Guitar Romantic
.
(Oblivians
, Cool Jerks, Tearjerkers), Harlan T. Bobo (Viva L'American Deathray Music), Adam Woodard (Tearjerkers), and Chad Booth (Kajun SS).
and Bassist Bennett Bartley— both members of Ian Saint Pé's (Black Lips
, Almighty Defenders
) side project theFixedFocus— to form the power pop
group King Louie's Missing Monuments. In April 2010, King Louie's Missing Monuments released their first 7" on Douchemaster Records.
(1996–1999), Bad Times (1998), Head Wounds (1999), King Louie One Man Band (1999–present), 10-4 Backdoor (2000–2003), Exploding Hearts (2002–2003), King louie and the Loose Diamonds (2003–present), Hot Dog (2004), Kajun SS (2004–2005), Kondor (2003–present), Black Rose Band (2005–present), Lonely Knights (2007–present)... sang on an Oblivians record (199?).
Garage punk
Garage punk is a fusion of garage rock and punk rock. It is fast-paced lo-fi music characterized by a dirty, choppy guitar sound—usually played by bands who are on independent record labels or who are unsigned...
musician from Harahan, Louisiana. He is best known for his work in The Royal Pendletons, The Persuaders
The Persuaders
The Persuaders can refer to:* The Persuaders!, a 1970s TV series starring Roger Moore and Tony Curtis* The Persuaders , a 1970s soul music band...
, The Exploding Hearts
The Exploding Hearts
The Exploding Hearts were an American punk rock and power pop band formed in Portland, Oregon in 2001. The band was composed of vocalist/guitarist Adam Cox, bassist Matt Fitzgerald, guitarist Terry Six, and drummer Jeremy Gage....
, and The King Louie One Man Band.
The Royal Pendeltons
King Louie helped found the Royal Pendeltons in 1991 along with Michael Hurtt on guitar/vocals, J. Matthew Uhlman on guitar/vocals, and G. Thomas Oliver on organ. The Pendeltons put out their first 7" out on Goner RecordsGoner Records
Goner Records is an independent record label and record store co-owned by Eric Friedl of The Oblivians and Zac Ives and is based in Memphis, Tennessee. It is known for releasing albums by punk and garage rock bands such as the King Khan & BBQ Show and the late Jay Reatard...
in 1995, and in 1998 put out a full-length LP out on Sympathy for the Record Industry
Sympathy for the Record Industry
Sympathy for the Record Industry is a mainly independent garage rock and punk label formed in 1988 by record industry anti-mogul Long Gone John...
with producer Alex Chilton
Alex Chilton
William Alexander "Alex" Chilton was an American songwriter, guitarist, singer and producer, best known as the lead singer of the Box Tops and Big Star...
entitled Oh, Yeah Baby.
The Persuaders
King Louie Bankston formed the critically acclaimed and highly influential garage rockGarage rock
Garage rock is a raw form of rock and roll that was first popular in the United States and Canada from about 1963 to 1967. During the 1960s, it was not recognized as a separate music genre and had no specific name...
band, The Persuaders
The Persuaders
The Persuaders can refer to:* The Persuaders!, a 1970s TV series starring Roger Moore and Tony Curtis* The Persuaders , a 1970s soul music band...
in 1996, along with Jason Panzer on guitar, and Shaggy
Shaggy
Shaggy may refer to:*Shaggy Rogers, a fictional character from the Scooby-Doo series*Shaggy , Jamaican American reggae rapper & singer*Shaggy , radio personality and producer of 2 Live Stews...
on drums. In The Persuaders
The Persuaders
The Persuaders can refer to:* The Persuaders!, a 1970s TV series starring Roger Moore and Tony Curtis* The Persuaders , a 1970s soul music band...
, Louie and Jason Panzer both sang and played Gibson Flying V
Gibson Flying V
-External links:*, , , , and , from the Gibson website*, a June 2001 article from Guitar Collector magazine*, a tribute site that lists all models and re-issues and most notable players**...
guitars. The Reatards, featuring Jay Reatard
Jay Reatard
Jimmy Lee Lindsey Jr. , better known by the stage name Jay Reatard, was an American musician from Memphis, Tennessee. Lindsey was signed to Matador Records...
opened for The Persuaders
The Persuaders
The Persuaders can refer to:* The Persuaders!, a 1970s TV series starring Roger Moore and Tony Curtis* The Persuaders , a 1970s soul music band...
on the very first The Reatards tour.
The Bad Times
Bad Times were a one-off band which also included Eric FriedlEric Friedl
Eric Friedl, also known by his stage name, Eric Oblivian, is the founder and owner of Goner Records, an independent music label and record store located in Memphis, Tennessee.He is also an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, and entrepreneur...
and Jay Reatard
Jay Reatard
Jimmy Lee Lindsey Jr. , better known by the stage name Jay Reatard, was an American musician from Memphis, Tennessee. Lindsey was signed to Matador Records...
. The band recorded an album’s worth of material after only one practice session in 1998, releasing a self-titled LP in 2001. After one live performance the band disbanded, the members returning to their respective solo commitments.
The Exploding Hearts
In 2000, Louie moved to Portland, OR and joined the Exploding HeartsThe Exploding Hearts
The Exploding Hearts were an American punk rock and power pop band formed in Portland, Oregon in 2001. The band was composed of vocalist/guitarist Adam Cox, bassist Matt Fitzgerald, guitarist Terry Six, and drummer Jeremy Gage....
, where he co-wrote, and played keyboards on their only LP, Guitar Romantic
Guitar Romantic
Guitar Romantic is the sole studio album by American punk rock band The Exploding Hearts, released by Dirtnap Records in 2003.Guitar Romantic was deemed the 60th best album of the first decade of the 21st century and the song "Modern Kicks" was listed as the 290th greatest song of the same decade...
.
King Louie and the Loose Diamonds
In 2007, Empty Records released Memphis Treet by King Louie and the Loose Diamonds. The Loose Diamonds are: King Louie Bankston, Jack YarberJack Yarber
Jack Yarber, also known by his stage name, Jack Oblivian, is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist based in Memphis, Tennessee. He was a founding member of the garage-bands The Compulsive Gamblers, and The Oblivans and currently fronts Jack O & the Tennessee Tearjerkers.Yarber has also been...
(Oblivians
Oblivians
The Oblivians were an American punk rock trio that existed from 1993 to 1998. In the 1990s, their blues-infused brand of bravado, crudely-recorded music made them one of the most popular and prominent bands within the underground garage rock scene....
, Cool Jerks, Tearjerkers), Harlan T. Bobo (Viva L'American Deathray Music), Adam Woodard (Tearjerkers), and Chad Booth (Kajun SS).
The King Louie One Man Band
King Louie started his One Man Band in 1999. In the King Louie One Man Band, Louie sings, plays drums, guitar, cowbell, and harmonica. The King Louie One Man Band has released several 7" records on various labels, and put out a full-length LP on Goner in 2004.King Louie's Missing Monuments
In 2009, King Louie along with longtime friend and collaborator, revered lead guitarist Julien Fried formerly of Seattle, recruited drummer Aaron HillAaron Hill
Aaron Hill was an English dramatist and miscellaneous writer.The son of a country gentleman of Wiltshire, Hill was educated at Westminster School, and afterwards travelled in the East. He was the author of 17 plays, some of them, such as his versions of Voltaire's Zaire and Mérope, being adaptations...
and Bassist Bennett Bartley— both members of Ian Saint Pé's (Black Lips
Black Lips
Black Lips are a "Flower Punk" band from Atlanta, Georgia.-History:The band formed in 1999 in Dunwoody, Georgia after guitarist Cole Alexander and bassist Jared Swilley left the Renegades, and guitarist Ben Eberbaugh left the Reruns. Alexander and Swilley were known for their crude antics both...
, Almighty Defenders
Almighty Defenders
The Almighty Defenders is a supergroup consisting of members from the Black Lips and The King Khan & BBQ Show. The band was formed in February 2009 in Berlin, Germany.-References:...
) side project theFixedFocus— to form the power pop
Power pop
Power pop is a popular musical genre that draws its inspiration from 1960s British and American pop and rock music. It typically incorporates a combination of musical devices such as strong melodies, crisp vocal harmonies, economical arrangements, and prominent guitar riffs. Instrumental solos are...
group King Louie's Missing Monuments. In April 2010, King Louie's Missing Monuments released their first 7" on Douchemaster Records.
Other Bands
King Louie Bankston has played in a number of bands in the past 20 years. These bands include the Intelligenitals (1987), The Lame Ones (1988) The Clickems (1990–1991), Dirt Boys/Harahan Crack Combo (1991–1992) Gerry and the bastard Makers (1992–1994), The Royal Pendletons (1991-1999/2003–present), Christies Paddad Toilet Seat (1992), Sun of the Caesar (1994), Funny Boys (1995), The PersuadersThe Persuaders
The Persuaders can refer to:* The Persuaders!, a 1970s TV series starring Roger Moore and Tony Curtis* The Persuaders , a 1970s soul music band...
(1996–1999), Bad Times (1998), Head Wounds (1999), King Louie One Man Band (1999–present), 10-4 Backdoor (2000–2003), Exploding Hearts (2002–2003), King louie and the Loose Diamonds (2003–present), Hot Dog (2004), Kajun SS (2004–2005), Kondor (2003–present), Black Rose Band (2005–present), Lonely Knights (2007–present)... sang on an Oblivians record (199?).