Mono Men
Encyclopedia
The Mono Men were an American garage punk
band, based in Bellingham, Washington
. Their sound contained elements of grunge
(distortion-heavy guitars, sneering vocals), but the Mono Men filtered these through a mimicry of 1960s Washington proto-punk, garage rock
bands such as The Sonics
.
, Mexico
, Japan
, Canada
, and the United States
. They were featured in the Northwest Rock & Roll documentary Hype!
. Their albums all received generally positive reviews. The band split in 1998, though in 2006, the Mono Men reunited to play a series of concerts called the "Spanish Attack."
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...
band, based in Bellingham, Washington
Bellingham, Washington
Bellingham is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Whatcom County in the U.S. state of Washington. It is the twelfth-largest city in the state. Situated on Bellingham Bay, Bellingham is protected by Lummi Island, Portage Island, and the Lummi Peninsula, and opens onto the Strait of Georgia...
. Their sound contained elements of grunge
Grunge
Grunge is a subgenre of alternative rock that emerged during the mid-1980s in the American state of Washington, particularly in the Seattle area. Inspired by hardcore punk, heavy metal, and indie rock, grunge is generally characterized by heavily distorted electric guitars, contrasting song...
(distortion-heavy guitars, sneering vocals), but the Mono Men filtered these through a mimicry of 1960s Washington proto-punk, garage rock
Garage 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...
bands such as The Sonics
The Sonics
The Sonics are an American garage rock band from Tacoma, Washington, originating from the early and mid-1960s. Among The Sonics' contemporaries were The Kingsmen, The Wailers, The Dynamics, The Regents, and Paul Revere & the Raiders...
.
History
The Mono Men rose up from the ashes of another Washington band, the Roofdogs. John Mortensen came from the Dehumanizers and Game for Vultures before joining the Mono Men. The band came together in late 1987. They played shows in EuropeEurope
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. They were featured in the Northwest Rock & Roll documentary Hype!
Hype!
Hype! is a documentary directed by Doug Pray about the popularity of grunge rock in the early to mid-1990s United States. It incorporates interviews and rare concert footage to trace the steps of grunge, from its subversive inception in neighborhood basements, to its explosion as a pop culture...
. Their albums all received generally positive reviews. The band split in 1998, though in 2006, the Mono Men reunited to play a series of concerts called the "Spanish Attack."
Trivia
- Members of the Mono Men went to the same high schoolHigh schoolHigh school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
as the FastbacksFastbacksThe Fastbacks were a Seattle punk rock band. Formed in 1979 by songwriter/guitarist Kurt Bloch , and friends Lulu Gargiulo and Kim Warnick , they disbanded in 2001...
. - In 2006 the Mono Men launched the 5-show "Spanish Attack" tour with shows in Bellingham, WA and various venues in Spain.
Members
- Dave Crider (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...
, vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
) - Ledge Morrisette (bassBass (instrument)Bass describes musical instruments that produce tones in the low-pitched range. They belong to different families of instruments and can cover a wide range of musical roles...
) - Aaron Roeder (drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
) - John Mortensen (guitar, vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
) (from late 1990) - Marx Wright (guitar) (1987–1990)
Albums and EPs
- Stop Dragging Me Down (Estrus, 1990)
- Wrecker (Estrus, 1992)
- Back To Mono (1+2 Records, 1992). The title is a reference to a Phil SpectorPhil SpectorPhillip Harvey "Phil" Spector is an American record producer and songwriter, later known for his conviction in the murder of actress Lana Clarkson....
slogan, advocating monophonicMonauralMonaural or monophonic sound reproduction is single-channel. Typically there is only one microphone, one loudspeaker, or channels are fed from a common signal path...
recording. - Shut the Fuck Up (Estrus, 1992)
- Bent Pages (Estrus, 1993)
- Sin and Tonic (Estrus, 1994)
- Those Mono Men Recorded Live At Tom's Strip and Bowl (Estrus, 1995)
- Gypsy Woman Live (Impossible Records, 1996)
- Ten Cool Ones (Scat, 1996)
- Have a Nice Day Motherfucker (Estrus, 1997)
Split Singles
- 1993 - Demolition Derby w/ Apeman Dragship
- 1994 - Kronophonic w/ Stokastikats
- 1995 - Gearhead w/ Girl Trouble