Rusty Willoughby
Encyclopedia
Rusty Willoughby is an active American musician born in Staten Island
and currently living in Redmond, Washington
, a suburb of Seattle. , he has been vocalist, songwriter and guitarist or bass guitarist for several Seattle based bands: Pure Joy (1984–1989, 1997–2004), Flop
(1990–1995), Llama (2005–2008), and Cobirds Unite (2010–). He also briefly played drums for the Fastbacks
. He also played with Kurt Bloch
of the Fastbacks, Jonathan Poneman (co-founder of the record label Sub Pop
), and Scott Sutherland (of Seattle bands Model Rockets and Chemistry Set) in a Cheap Trick
cover band called Sick Man of Europe, and appeared in the film Hype!
, a documentary directed about the popularity of grunge rock.
In a 1999 review of Willoughby's self-titled solo album, Don Yates of KEXP-FM described his "Beatlesque
songcraft" as "bring[ing] to mind the starker side of Elliott Smith
."
Staten Island
Staten Island is a borough of New York City, New York, United States, located in the southwest part of the city. Staten Island is separated from New Jersey by the Arthur Kill and the Kill Van Kull, and from the rest of New York by New York Bay...
and currently living in Redmond, Washington
Redmond, Washington
Redmond is a city in King County, Washington, United States, located east of Seattle. The population was 54,144 at the 2010 census,up from 45,256 in 2000....
, a suburb of Seattle. , he has been vocalist, songwriter and guitarist or bass guitarist for several Seattle based bands: Pure Joy (1984–1989, 1997–2004), Flop
Flop (band)
Flop was an early-1990s pop punk band from Seattle, Washington. The band gained some exposure as a result of a brief appearance in Doug Pray's motion picture documentary Hype!.-The Beginning :...
(1990–1995), Llama (2005–2008), and Cobirds Unite (2010–). He also briefly played drums for the Fastbacks
Fastbacks
The 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...
. He also played with Kurt Bloch
Kurt Bloch
Kurt Bloch is an American songwriter, guitarist, engineer and producer, best known as songwriter and lead guitarist of Fastbacks. He has also been a member of The Young Fresh Fellows and has recorded tracks and produced albums for Tokyo Dragons, Robyn Hitchcock, Les Thugs, Flop, Sicko , The Minus...
of the Fastbacks, Jonathan Poneman (co-founder of the record label Sub Pop
Sub Pop
Sub Pop is a record label founded in 1986 by Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman in Seattle, Washington. Sub Pop achieved fame in the late 1980s for first signing Nirvana, Soundgarden, Mudhoney and many other bands from the Seattle music scene...
), and Scott Sutherland (of Seattle bands Model Rockets and Chemistry Set) in a Cheap Trick
Cheap Trick
Cheap Trick is an American rock band from Rockford, Illinois, formed in 1973. The band consists of members Robin Zander , Rick Nielsen , Tom Petersson , and Bun E...
cover band called Sick Man of Europe, and appeared in the film 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...
, a documentary directed about the popularity of grunge rock.
In a 1999 review of Willoughby's self-titled solo album, Don Yates of KEXP-FM described his "Beatlesque
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
songcraft" as "bring[ing] to mind the starker side of Elliott Smith
Elliott Smith
Steven Paul "Elliott" Smith was an American singer-songwriter and musician. Smith was born in Omaha, Nebraska, raised primarily in Texas, and resided for a significant portion of his life in Portland, Oregon, where he first gained popularity...
."
Solo albums
- Rusty Willoughby (Scott Brookins, 1999)
- Filament Dust (self-released, 2009)
Solo singles
- "Here Come the Weakened" / "And the World Moves On" (Sub PopSub PopSub Pop is a record label founded in 1986 by Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman in Seattle, Washington. Sub Pop achieved fame in the late 1980s for first signing Nirvana, Soundgarden, Mudhoney and many other bands from the Seattle music scene...
, 1999, 7-inch vinyl)
Flop albums
- Flop and the Fall of the Mopsqueezer! (Frontier RecordsFrontier RecordsFrontier Records is an independent record label, started in 1980 in Los Angeles by Lisa Fancher, a former employee of Bomp! Records and writer of the liner notes for the first album by The Runaways....
- 1992) - Whenever You're Ready (Sony 550 - 1993)
- World of Today (Frontier RecordsFrontier RecordsFrontier Records is an independent record label, started in 1980 in Los Angeles by Lisa Fancher, a former employee of Bomp! Records and writer of the liner notes for the first album by The Runaways....
- 1995)
Flop EPs and Singles
- The Losing End (Lucky RecordsLucky Records-Lucky Records - Tokyo:Lucky Records of the 1930s was a record label based in Tokyo, Japan which specialized in issuing United States popular music to the Japanese audience....
- 1990) - Drugs (Dashboard Hula Girl Records - 1990)
- Anne (1993)
- We Are You (Munster Records - 1993)
- Regrets (Sony 550 - 1993)
- The Great Valediction (Sony 550 - 1993)
- Act 1 Scene 1 (Super Electro - 1995)
- Place I Love (1995)
Pure Joy albums and EPs
- Pure Joy (Dwindle Music, 1986, EP)
- Carnivore (PopLlamaPopLlama RecordsPopLlama Records is an independent record label founded by record producer Conrad Uno in Seattle, Washington, in 1984. After making several of his own demos in his basement studio, Uno would produce the Young Fresh Fellows' debut album The Fabulous Sounds of the Pacific Northwest at the bands request...
, 1989) - Sore Throte, Ded Goat (No Threes, 1989 or 1990, EP)
- Unsung (Flydaddy, recorded 1987, released 1994)
- Purify (CD, Naïve, 1999)
External links
- rustywilloughby.com, official web site
- Willoughby's blog
- Live performance, KEXP-FM, October 5, 2002
- Mike Baehr, Better Late: Unlovable party, Fantagraphics BooksFantagraphics BooksFantagraphics Books is an American publisher of alternative comics, classic comic strip anthologies, magazines, graphic novels, and the adult-oriented Eros Comix imprint...
: page includes video of Willoughby performing at the Fantagraphics store February 7, 2009.