Scared of Chaka
Encyclopedia
Scared Of Chaka is a punk rock
band based in Albuquerque, New Mexico
, USA, which was formed in 1993 by guitarist/vocalist David Yanul Hernandez
, bass guitarist Dameon Waggoner and drummer Jeff Jones. Jone was later replaced by Ron Skrasek. The band played a Dickies
inspired mix of garage and pop-punk, following in the footsteps of local Albuquerque act the Drags. The band released a number of full lengths, 7" EPs, and split records throughout its career for labels including 702 Records, Empty Records, Dirtnap Records and Hopeless spin off Sub City Records
. Following the 2001 release of Crossing with Switchblades the band dissolved. The band played a number of reunion shows in 2008, including Music Fest NW in Portland, Oregon, and FunFunFunFest in Austin, Texas. On September 20 they performed with Dillinger Four
as part of the inaugural year of Forward Music Fest in Madison, Wiconsin.
, Dead Low Tide and Big Business) and Andrew Church (of The Droo Church and Supersuckers).
Hernandez had previously performed in projects with James Mercer
, who went on to form the popular indie rock
act The Shins
(Scared of Chaka also released a split 7" with the pre-Shins act Flake Music). The original line-up of The Shins featured Hernandez on bass guitar. After a year, however, he left the band to pursue a personal relationship in New York. http://www.theshins.com/ In 2003, when Shins bass guitarist Neal Langford left the group, Hernandez re-joined the Shins as a bass guitarist. He currently lives in Seattle. Skrasek lives in Portland, Oregon
, and Waggoner lives in Los Angeles
.
Scared of Chaka's music was influential in the U.S. garage / punk rock scene. Current bands which have continued similar musical threads, such as the Riverboat Gamblers
, have cited Scared of Chaka as an influence. http://72.14.207.104/search?q=cache:I8ZWWHn5QdYJ:www.insiteaustin.com/insite_music.html+%22riverboat+gamblers%22+%22Scared+of+chaka%22+influence&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=2&client=safari
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
band based in Albuquerque, New Mexico
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Albuquerque is the largest city in the state of New Mexico, United States. It is the county seat of Bernalillo County and is situated in the central part of the state, straddling the Rio Grande. The city population was 545,852 as of the 2010 Census and ranks as the 32nd-largest city in the U.S. As...
, USA, which was formed in 1993 by guitarist/vocalist David Yanul Hernandez
Dave Hernandez
Dave Hernandez plays guitar and bass in the American indie band The Shins.Hernandez met Shins frontman James Mercer when both lived in Albuquerque playing in underground bands in the early/mid 90s...
, bass guitarist Dameon Waggoner and drummer Jeff Jones. Jone was later replaced by Ron Skrasek. The band played a Dickies
The Dickies
The Dickies are an American punk rock group formed in San Fernando Valley, Los Angeles, California, U.S. in 1977.-History:The Dickies were among the first punk rock bands to emerge from Los Angeles...
inspired mix of garage and pop-punk, following in the footsteps of local Albuquerque act the Drags. The band released a number of full lengths, 7" EPs, and split records throughout its career for labels including 702 Records, Empty Records, Dirtnap Records and Hopeless spin off Sub City Records
Sub City Records
Sub City Records is a record label which was created by Hopeless Records to raise funding and awareness for non-profit organizations. Sub City has been active for eleven years now, and has now over 30 releases....
. Following the 2001 release of Crossing with Switchblades the band dissolved. The band played a number of reunion shows in 2008, including Music Fest NW in Portland, Oregon, and FunFunFunFest in Austin, Texas. On September 20 they performed with Dillinger Four
Dillinger Four
Dillinger Four is an American punk rock band formed in 1994 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They have released four full-length studio albums. The current band members are Patrick Costello on bass guitar and vocals, Erik Funk and Bill Morrisette on guitars and vocals, and Lane Pederson on drums.- Studio...
as part of the inaugural year of Forward Music Fest in Madison, Wiconsin.
Legacy
Following the breakup of Scared of Chaka, Hernandez formed Broadcast Oblivion in 2002 with Coady Willis (of Murder City DevilsMurder City Devils
-History:The band's original lineup, consisting of Spencer Moody, Dann Gallucci, Derek Fudesco, Coady Willis, and Nate Manny formed in Seattle, Washington in 1996. Gabe Kerbrat was their permanent roadie, and considered a member...
, Dead Low Tide and Big Business) and Andrew Church (of The Droo Church and Supersuckers).
Hernandez had previously performed in projects with James Mercer
James Mercer (musician)
James Russell Mercer is an American guitarist and Alternative rock musician. He is a founding member and lead singer-songwriter of the Grammy-nominated indie rock group The Shins. In 2009, Mercer and producer Danger Mouse formed the side project Broken Bells, for which they released a...
, who went on to form the popular 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...
act The Shins
The Shins
The Shins are an American indie rock band comprising singer, songwriter, and guitarist James Mercer, guitarist/bassist Dave Hernandez, Eric Johnson of Fruit Bats, drummer Joe Plummer and bassist Ron Lewis. Their sound draws on several musical genres, including pop, alternative rock, indie rock,...
(Scared of Chaka also released a split 7" with the pre-Shins act Flake Music). The original line-up of The Shins featured Hernandez on bass guitar. After a year, however, he left the band to pursue a personal relationship in New York. http://www.theshins.com/ In 2003, when Shins bass guitarist Neal Langford left the group, Hernandez re-joined the Shins as a bass guitarist. He currently lives in Seattle. Skrasek lives in Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
, and Waggoner lives 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...
.
Scared of Chaka's music was influential in the U.S. garage / punk rock scene. Current bands which have continued similar musical threads, such as the Riverboat Gamblers
The Riverboat Gamblers
The Riverboat Gamblers are a punk rock band originally from Denton, Texas but now residing in Austin, Texas. They are currently signed to Volcom Entertainment.Their song "Don't Bury Me...I'm Still Not Dead" is featured in the video game Rock Band 3....
, have cited Scared of Chaka as an influence. http://72.14.207.104/search?q=cache:I8ZWWHn5QdYJ:www.insiteaustin.com/insite_music.html+%22riverboat+gamblers%22+%22Scared+of+chaka%22+influence&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=2&client=safari
Main albums
- Hutch Brown Sayngwich (702, 1995) - LP
- Scared of Chaka (702) - LP
- Masonic Youth (Empty, 1996) - LP
- How to Lose (702 / Empty, 1998) - EP
- Tired Of You (Hopeless / Sub City, 1999) - LP
- Crossing with Switchblades (Hopeless / Sub City, 2001) - LP
Singles/EPs and splits
- Scared of Chaka / The Gain - split 7" '(702 Records) - EP
- Scared of Chaka / Flake Music - split 7" (702 Records / Science Project) - EP
- Scared of Chaka / Fatal Flyin' Guilloteens - split 7" (Dirtnap Records)
- Scared Of Chaka / Real Swinger - split 7" (Ballroom Blitz Records)
- Scared of Chaka / The Traitors - split 7" (Johanns Face Records)
- "live at Jay's" (Bad Man Records, 2002) - 7" EP - ltd 200 - white marble vinyl
- Scared Of Chaka / Word Salad - split 7" (Science Project)
- Scared of Chaka "Automatic" 7" (eMpTy)