Stan Ridgway
Encyclopedia
Stanard 'Stan' Ridgway (born April 5, 1954) is an American multi-instrumentalist
singer-songwriter
known for his distinctive voice, dramatic lyrical narratives, and eclectic solo albums and was the original lead singer of the band Wall of Voodoo
by Ridgway before their first gig, in reference to a comment made by a friend of Ridgway's while recording and overdubbing a Kalamazoo Rhythm Ace drum machine. While listening to some of the music that created in the studio, Ridgway jokingly compared the multiple-drum-machine- and Farfisa
-organ-laden recordings to Phil Spector's
Wall of Sound
, whereupon the friend commented it sounded more like a "wall of voodoo" and the name stuck.
Ridgway's WoV music could fairly be described as a cross between early synthesizer pop and Ennio Morricone
's soundtracks for Italian director Sergio Leone
's epic western films of the 1960's. Adding to the music's distinctiveness was percussive and textural experimentation, i.e. mixing drum machines with unconventional instruments such as pots, pans and various kitchen utensils, raw electronics with interlocking melodic figures as well as twangy spaghetti-western guitar. On top of the mix was Ridgway's unusual vocal style and highly stylized, cinematic narratives heavily influenced by science fiction and film noir, sung from the perspective of ordinary folks and characters wrestling with ironies inside the American Dream.
that same year. After collaborating on the song, "Don't Box Me In" with Stewart Copeland
from The Police
for the soundtrack to Francis Ford Coppola
's Rumble Fish
starring Mickey Rourke
, Matt Dillon
and Dennis Hopper
, he released his first proper solo album, The Big Heat (1986), which included the top 5 European (and UK) hit "Camouflage". This was followed by numerous other solo recordings: Mosquitos (1989), Partyball (1991), Black Diamond (1995), and Anatomy (1999), The Way I Feel Today (1998), a collection of big band standards, and Holiday in Dirt (2001), a compilation of outtakes and previously unreleased songs. Ridgway's album Snakebite: Blacktop Ballads and Fugitive Songs (2005), features the narrative song, "Talkin' Wall Of Voodoo Blues Pt. 1", a history of his former band in song.
Since the early days of Wall of Voodoo, Ridgway has been interested in making music for the cinema. A list of films for which Ridgway has written scores and/or original songs is included below. Ridgway's album Holiday in Dirt was a quasi-cinematic project, with the release of the album accompanied by a showing of 14 short films by various independent filmmakers, each film a visual interpretation of one of the songs on the album. A compilation DVD of the films was released in February 2005.
In 1994, Ridgway began work on a new project in the form of a trio called Drywall
, the other members of the trio being Ridgway's wife, keyboardist/vocalist Pietra Wexstun
of the band Hecate's Angels
(who had previously worked with Ridgway on Mosquitos and Partyball), and former Rain Parade
drummer Ivan Knight. In 1995, Drywall released its first album (first of a "trilogy of apocalyptic documents"), titled Work The Dumb Oracle. A short film directed by Carlos Grasso titled The Drywall Incident was released the same year. An extended, instrumental soundtrack album for The Drywall Incident was released in 1996.
Ridgway and Wexstun also collaborated and forayed into new musical territory, composing a suite of mostly instrumental and orchestral pieces to accompany an exhibition of postmodern surrealist artist Mark Ryden
's paintings after being introduced by a mutual friend, Sean P. Riley, who toured with Wall Of Voodoo on their 1982 "Call Of The West - Tour Of Virtue" as the band's merchandiser. The album was released on CD in 2003 as Blood — Miniature Paintings of Sorrow and Fear in a unique 3-panel packaging design by the artist which quickly sold out of its limited pressing of 7,500. Ridgway plays banjo and harmonica in Wexstun's group Hecate's Angels
.
Stan Ridgway and Drywall regrouped in 2006 to release the album Barbeque Babylon, the third "apocalyptic document" with the single "The AARP
Is After Me". The new Drywall lineup features Rick King on guitars and bass and Bruce Zelesnik on drums and percussion. In 2008 Ridgway and Wexstun released "Silly Songs For Kids Vol. 1", a collection of children's songs that feature the duo and also saxophonist and woodwind player Ralph Carney
.
Ridgway's most recent solo recording is Neon Mirage
(2010).
Ridgway has also contributed to albums and projects by producer Hal Willner
, Frank Black and the Catholics
, The Flesh Eaters
, The Divine Horsemen
, The Ray Campi Quartet
, The Fibonaccis
, and Roger McGuinn
.
Multi-instrumentalist
A multi-instrumentalist is a musician who plays a number of different instruments.The Bachelor of Music degree usually requires a second instrument to be learned , but people who double on another instrument are not usually seen as multi-instrumentalists.-Classical music:Music written for Symphony...
singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
known for his distinctive voice, dramatic lyrical narratives, and eclectic solo albums and was the original lead singer of the band Wall of Voodoo
Wall of Voodoo
Wall of Voodoo was an American New Wave group from Los Angeles best known for the 1983 hit "Mexican Radio". The band had a sound that was a fusion of synthesizer-based New Wave music with the spaghetti western soundtrack style of Ennio Morricone.-Formation:...
Wall of Voodoo
The band was named Wall of VoodooWall of Voodoo
Wall of Voodoo was an American New Wave group from Los Angeles best known for the 1983 hit "Mexican Radio". The band had a sound that was a fusion of synthesizer-based New Wave music with the spaghetti western soundtrack style of Ennio Morricone.-Formation:...
by Ridgway before their first gig, in reference to a comment made by a friend of Ridgway's while recording and overdubbing a Kalamazoo Rhythm Ace drum machine. While listening to some of the music that created in the studio, Ridgway jokingly compared the multiple-drum-machine- and Farfisa
Farfisa
Farfisa is a manufacturer of electronics based in Osimo, Italy.The Farfisa brand name is commonly associated with a series of compact electronic organs, and later, a series of multi-timbral synthesizers. At the height of its production, Farfisa operated three factories to produce instruments, in...
-organ-laden recordings to Phil Spector's
Phil Spector
Phillip Harvey "Phil" Spector is an American record producer and songwriter, later known for his conviction in the murder of actress Lana Clarkson....
Wall of Sound
Wall of Sound
The Wall of Sound is a music production technique for pop and rock music recordings developed by record producer Phil Spector at Gold Star Studios in Los Angeles, California, during the early 1960s...
, whereupon the friend commented it sounded more like a "wall of voodoo" and the name stuck.
Ridgway's WoV music could fairly be described as a cross between early synthesizer pop and Ennio Morricone
Ennio Morricone
Ennio Morricone, Grand Officer OMRI, , is an Italian composer and conductor, who wrote music to more than 500 motion pictures and television series, in a career lasting over 50 years. His scores have been included in over 20 award-winning films as well as several symphonic and choral pieces...
's soundtracks for Italian director Sergio Leone
Sergio Leone
Sergio Leone was an Italian film director, producer and screenwriter most associated with the "Spaghetti Western" genre.Leone's film-making style includes juxtaposing extreme close-up shots with lengthy long shots...
's epic western films of the 1960's. Adding to the music's distinctiveness was percussive and textural experimentation, i.e. mixing drum machines with unconventional instruments such as pots, pans and various kitchen utensils, raw electronics with interlocking melodic figures as well as twangy spaghetti-western guitar. On top of the mix was Ridgway's unusual vocal style and highly stylized, cinematic narratives heavily influenced by science fiction and film noir, sung from the perspective of ordinary folks and characters wrestling with ironies inside the American Dream.
Solo career
Ridgway embarked on a solo career in 1983, shortly after Wall of Voodoo's appearance and break up at the US FestivalUS Festival
The US Festivals were two early 1980s music and culture festivals sponsored by Steve Wozniak, formerly of Apple Computer. The first was held Labor Day weekend in September 1982 and the second was Memorial Day weekend in May 1983...
that same year. After collaborating on the song, "Don't Box Me In" with Stewart Copeland
Stewart Copeland
Stewart Armstrong Copeland is an American musician, best known as the drummer for the band The Police. During the group's extended hiatus from the mid-1980s to 2007, he played in other bands and composed soundtracks...
from The Police
The Police
The Police were an English rock band formed in London in 1977. For the vast majority of their history, the band consisted of Sting , Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland...
for the soundtrack to Francis Ford Coppola
Francis Ford Coppola
Francis Ford Coppola is an American film director, producer and screenwriter. He is widely acclaimed as one of Hollywood's most innovative and influential film directors...
's Rumble Fish
Rumble Fish
Rumble Fish is a 1983 film directed by Francis Ford Coppola. It is based on the novel Rumble Fish by S.E. Hinton, who also co-wrote the screenplay....
starring Mickey Rourke
Mickey Rourke
Philip Andre "Mickey" Rourke, Jr. is an American actor, screenwriter and retired boxer, who has appeared primarily as a leading man in action, drama, and thriller films....
, Matt Dillon
Matt Dillon
Matthew Raymond "Matt" Dillon is an American actor and film director. He began acting in the late 1970s, gaining fame as a teenage idol during the 1980s.- Early life :...
and Dennis Hopper
Dennis Hopper
Dennis Lee Hopper was an American actor, filmmaker and artist. As a young man, Hopper became interested in acting and eventually became a student of the Actors' Studio. He made his first television appearance in 1954 and appeared in two films featuring James Dean, Rebel Without a Cause and Giant...
, he released his first proper solo album, The Big Heat (1986), which included the top 5 European (and UK) hit "Camouflage". This was followed by numerous other solo recordings: Mosquitos (1989), Partyball (1991), Black Diamond (1995), and Anatomy (1999), The Way I Feel Today (1998), a collection of big band standards, and Holiday in Dirt (2001), a compilation of outtakes and previously unreleased songs. Ridgway's album Snakebite: Blacktop Ballads and Fugitive Songs (2005), features the narrative song, "Talkin' Wall Of Voodoo Blues Pt. 1", a history of his former band in song.
Since the early days of Wall of Voodoo, Ridgway has been interested in making music for the cinema. A list of films for which Ridgway has written scores and/or original songs is included below. Ridgway's album Holiday in Dirt was a quasi-cinematic project, with the release of the album accompanied by a showing of 14 short films by various independent filmmakers, each film a visual interpretation of one of the songs on the album. A compilation DVD of the films was released in February 2005.
In 1994, Ridgway began work on a new project in the form of a trio called Drywall
Drywall (musical project)
Drywall is a musical project of Los Angeles singer-songwriter Stan Ridgway, which he has variously described as an "electro/experimental noise combo," a "mad apocalyptic project," and "an experiment in terror, a collection of rants, laments and media overload."...
, the other members of the trio being Ridgway's wife, keyboardist/vocalist Pietra Wexstun
Pietra Wexstun
Pietra Wexstun is an electronic musician and singer-songwriter from Los Angeles, California. She has fronted for the band Hecate's Angels since 1996, and has performed with her husband Stan Ridgway since 1986. She has contributed to all of Ridgway's solo and Drywall albums, performing backing...
of the band Hecate's Angels
Hecate's Angels
Hecate's Angels is a musical group from Los Angeles, California that has been described as having an "arty, futuristic cabaret sound." The group was founded in the mid-1990s by electronic musician and singer Pietra Wexstun, and has released two albums to date....
(who had previously worked with Ridgway on Mosquitos and Partyball), and former Rain Parade
Rain Parade
The Rain Parade was a band active in the Paisley Underground scene in Los Angeles in the 1980s.-History:The band was founded by college roommates Matt Piucci and David Roback in 1981, originally as The Moving Sidewalks. David's brother Steven Roback joined the band shortly thereafter...
drummer Ivan Knight. In 1995, Drywall released its first album (first of a "trilogy of apocalyptic documents"), titled Work The Dumb Oracle. A short film directed by Carlos Grasso titled The Drywall Incident was released the same year. An extended, instrumental soundtrack album for The Drywall Incident was released in 1996.
Ridgway and Wexstun also collaborated and forayed into new musical territory, composing a suite of mostly instrumental and orchestral pieces to accompany an exhibition of postmodern surrealist artist Mark Ryden
Mark Ryden
-Early life:Ryden is the son of Barbara and Keith Ryden, born in Medford, Oregon but raised in Southern California. He has two sisters and two brothers, one a fellow artist named Keyth Ryden....
's paintings after being introduced by a mutual friend, Sean P. Riley, who toured with Wall Of Voodoo on their 1982 "Call Of The West - Tour Of Virtue" as the band's merchandiser. The album was released on CD in 2003 as Blood — Miniature Paintings of Sorrow and Fear in a unique 3-panel packaging design by the artist which quickly sold out of its limited pressing of 7,500. Ridgway plays banjo and harmonica in Wexstun's group Hecate's Angels
Hecate's Angels
Hecate's Angels is a musical group from Los Angeles, California that has been described as having an "arty, futuristic cabaret sound." The group was founded in the mid-1990s by electronic musician and singer Pietra Wexstun, and has released two albums to date....
.
Stan Ridgway and Drywall regrouped in 2006 to release the album Barbeque Babylon, the third "apocalyptic document" with the single "The AARP
AARP
AARP, formerly the American Association of Retired Persons, is the United States-based non-governmental organization and interest group, founded in 1958 by Ethel Percy Andrus, PhD, a retired educator from California, and based in Washington, D.C. According to its mission statement, it is "a...
Is After Me". The new Drywall lineup features Rick King on guitars and bass and Bruce Zelesnik on drums and percussion. In 2008 Ridgway and Wexstun released "Silly Songs For Kids Vol. 1", a collection of children's songs that feature the duo and also saxophonist and woodwind player Ralph Carney
Ralph Carney
Ralph Carney is an American musician. While his primary instruments are various saxophones and clarinets, Carney collects and plays many instruments, often unusual or obscure ones....
.
Ridgway's most recent solo recording is Neon Mirage
Neon Mirage
Neon Mirage is an album by Stan Ridgway. It was released on August 24, 2010 through A440 Records. It has been called his most emotionally revealing and mature work to date.- Track listing :# "Big Green Tree"# "This Town Called Fate"...
(2010).
Ridgway has also contributed to albums and projects by producer Hal Willner
Hal Willner
Hal Willner is an American music producer working in recording, films, TV and live events. He is best known for assembling tribute albums and events featuring a wide variety of artists and musical styles...
, Frank Black and the Catholics
Frank Black
Black Francis is an American singer, songwriter and guitarist. He is best known as the frontman of the influential alternative rock band Pixies, with whom he performs under the stage name Black Francis. Following the band's breakup in 1993, he embarked on a solo career under the name Frank Black...
, The Flesh Eaters
The Flesh Eaters (band)
The Flesh Eaters are an American punk rock band, formed in Los Angeles, California in 1977. They are the most prominent of the bands which have showcased the compositions and singing of their founder, punk poet Chris Desjardins, known as...
, The Divine Horsemen
The Divine Horsemen
Divine Horsemen were a punk/roots band founded in 1983 by Chris D. , formerly of L.A. punk rock band The Flesh Eaters. The band developed a distinctive alt country- type sound. They took their name from a voodoo term; a worshiper who is possessed by loa during a ceremony is said to be being ridden...
, The Ray Campi Quartet
Ray Campi
Ray Campi is a distinguished musician often called The King of Rockabilly. Campi's trademark is his white double bass, which he often jumps on top of and "rides" while playing....
, The Fibonaccis
The Fibonaccis
The Fibonaccis were an American art rock band formed in 1981 in Los Angeles. The band consisted of songwriter John Dentino , Ron Stringer , Magie Song , Joe Berardi and later Tom Corey .-Overview:...
, and Roger McGuinn
Roger McGuinn
James Roger McGuinn is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. He is best known for being the lead singer and lead guitarist on many of The Byrds' records...
.
Solo
- The Big HeatThe Big Heat (album)The Big Heat is the 1986 debut solo album by former Wall of Voodoo vocalist Stan Ridgway, named after the 1953 noir film of the same name. Originally released as a nine-song album, including the #4 UK hit "Camouflage", the album was re-released in 1993 with six additional tracks...
(IRS, 1986) - MosquitosMosquitos (album)-Track listing:# "Heat Takes a Walk" - 2:43# "Lonely Town" - 4:09# "Goin' Southbound" - 4:42# "Dogs" - 4:05# "Can't Complain" - 3:49# "Peg and Pet and Me" - 4:41# "Newspapers" - 2:41# "Calling Out to Carol" - 4:04# "The Last Honest Man" - 4:01...
(Geffen, 1989) - PartyballPartyballPartyball is the third album by Stan Ridgway and his last release by Geffen Records.-Track listing:All tracks composed by Stan Ridgway# "Watch Your Step/Jack Talked " - 4:19 # "I Wanna Be a Boss" - 4:52...
(Geffen, 1991) - Songs That Made This Country GreatSongs That Made This Country GreatSongs That Made This Country Great is a compilation album by American New Wave artist Stan Ridgway with songs spanning from his time with Wall of Voodoo to his third album Partyball. It was released on February 25, 1992 through I.R.S...
(IRS, 1992) a compilation of older, published material - Black Diamond (Birdcage, 1995. Re-issued 2002, UltraModern/New West )
- Film Songs (EP) (TWA, 1997) a compilation of individual songs written for various films
- The Way I Feel Today (Impala, Disinformation, 1998) a compilation of big band cover songs
- Anatomy (Ultramodern/New West, 1999)
- Holiday in Dirt (Ultramodern/New West, 2002) a compilation of older, mostly unpublished material
- Snakebite (redFLY, 2004)
- Neon MirageNeon MirageNeon Mirage is an album by Stan Ridgway. It was released on August 24, 2010 through A440 Records. It has been called his most emotionally revealing and mature work to date.- Track listing :# "Big Green Tree"# "This Town Called Fate"...
(August 24, 2010)
Wall of Voodoo
- Wall of VoodooWall of Voodoo (EP)Wall of Voodoo is an EP released by Wall of Voodoo in 1980. In 1991, it was re-released on CD under the title, The Index Masters, with live bonus tracks. It contains one of Wall of Voodoo's more well-known songs, "Ring of Fire", which is a cover of the Johnny Cash song featuring moody guitars and...
(EP) (Index, 1980) - Dark ContinentDark Continent (album)In a retrospective review, Allmusic declared Dark Continent to be Wall of Voodoo's greatest album, claiming the absence of any weak songs and the album's intensely original voice and style as justification.-Track listing:All tracks written by Wall of Voodoo...
(IRS, 1981) - Call of the WestCall of the WestCall of the West is the second studio album by Los Angeles new wave band Wall of Voodoo, released in 1983. "Mexican Radio", released as a single and as a video that received moderate airplay on MTV), is the group's most well-known song....
(IRS, 1982) - Granma's House (IRS 1983)
- The Index MastersThe Index MastersThe Index Masters is a 1991 compilation album from Los Angeles new wave band Wall of Voodoo consisting of the original 1980 EP and live tracks from 1979...
(BMG/Restless, 1999) remastered release of "Wall of Voodoo" EP with additional concert tracks
Drywall
- Work the Dumb Oracle (IRS, 1995)
- The Drywall Incident Soundtrack (Geffen, 1996)
- The Drywall Project/The Drywall Incident (TWA, 1996)
- Barbeque Babylon (redFLY, 2005)
DVD
- Holiday in Dirt:14 short films of the Music of Stan Ridgway DVD (Ultramodern/New West, 2005)a collection of short films of songs found on the Holiday in Dirt Album
Live
- Stan Ridgway Live: “Poolside with Gilly”: The “Partyball” Tour: The Strand, Hermosa Beach, CA 1991 (Dis-Information, 2001)
- Stan Ridgway Live: The “Beyond Tomorrow” Show: The Coach House 3/16/90 (Dis-Information, 2002)
- Stan Ridgway Live in NYC: The “Black Diamond” Tour: The Mercury LoungeMercury LoungeThe Mercury Lounge is a club/music venue, in the Lower East Side section, of New York City. The structure, at 217 East Houston Street, housed the servants to the Astor Mansion, connected to it by an underground labyrinth of tunnels...
6/17/96 (Dis-Information, 2002) - Stan Ridgway Live: The Mosquitos Tour: The Ancient Town of Frankfurt December 6, 1989 (Dis-Information, 2002)
With Pietra Wexstun
- Blood: Miniature Paintings of Sorrow and Fear (Dis-Information, 2003)
Singles
| Year | Title | Chart Positions | Album | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | The Netherlands | UK UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
US Modern Rock |
|||
| 1984 | "Don't Box Me In" (with Stewart Copeland Stewart Copeland Stewart Armstrong Copeland is an American musician, best known as the drummer for the band The Police. During the group's extended hiatus from the mid-1980s to 2007, he played in other bands and composed soundtracks... ) |
- | - | - | - | Rumblefish Rumblefish Rumblefish were a UK indie pop group, formed in Birmingham in 1986. After several releases on independent labels they were signed by East West who issued the band's only album while still together in 1992.-History:... Soundtrack |
| 1986 | "Drive, She Said" | 60 | - | - | - | The Big Heat |
| "Camouflage" | 76 | 11 | 4 | - | ||
| "The Big Heat" | 91 | - | - | - | ||
| 1989 | "Goin' Southbound" | - | - | - | 8 | Mosquitos |
| "Calling Out to Carol" | - | 23 | - | 13 | ||
| 1991 | "I Wanna Be a Boss" | - | - | - | 13 | Partyball |
Film scores
- Rumble FishRumble FishRumble Fish is a 1983 film directed by Francis Ford Coppola. It is based on the novel Rumble Fish by S.E. Hinton, who also co-wrote the screenplay....
(1983), directed by Francis Ford CoppolaFrancis Ford CoppolaFrancis Ford Coppola is an American film director, producer and screenwriter. He is widely acclaimed as one of Hollywood's most innovative and influential film directors...
(end title song "Don't Box Me In," with Stewart CopelandStewart CopelandStewart Armstrong Copeland is an American musician, best known as the drummer for the band The Police. During the group's extended hiatus from the mid-1980s to 2007, he played in other bands and composed soundtracks...
) - Terminus (1986), directed by Pierre-William Glenn (title song)
- Slam DanceSlam Dance (film)Slam Dance is a 1987 thriller directed by Wayne Wang and starring Virginia Madsen, Tom Hulce, and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio. It was screened out of competition at the 1987 Cannes Film Festival.-Plot:A married cartoonist named C.C...
(1987), directed by Wayne WangWayne WangWayne Wang is a Chinese American film director.-Biography:Wang was born and raised in Hong Kong, and named after his father's favorite movie star, John Wayne...
(song "Bing Can't Walk") - Pump Up the VolumePump Up the Volume (film)Pump Up the Volume is a 1990 comedy-drama film written and directed by Allan Moyle and starring Christian Slater and Samantha Mathis.- Plot summary :...
(1990), directed by Allan Moyle (song, "Talk Hard") - Future Kick (1991), directed by Damian Klaus (score)
- Floundering (1994), directed by Peter McCarthy (title song & "My Drug Buddy" (later renamed "Amnesia" when released on Holiday In Dirt))
- Melting Pot (1997), directed by Tom Musca (score)
- Death Smokes a Big Cigar (1997), directed by Franco Riccardi (score)
- Error In Judgment (1998), directed by Scott Levy (score)
- Desperate But Not Serious (1999), directed by Bill Fishman (score)
- Speedway Junky (1999), directed by Nick Perry (score)
- The Keening (1999), directed by Alex & Andrew Smith (score)
- Simpatico (1999), directed by Matthew WarchusMatthew Warchus-Life:Warchus studied music and drama at Bristol University. He has directed for the National Youth Theatre, Bristol Old Vic, Donmar Warehouse, Royal Shakespeare Company, Royal National Theatre, Opera North, West Yorkshire Playhouse, Welsh National Opera, English National Opera and in the West...
(end title song) - $pent (2000), directed by Gil Cates, Jr. (score)
- Vengeance (2001), directed by Brian Belefant (songs)
- Desert Saints (2002), directed by Richard Greenberg (song)
External links
- 2010 Stan Ridgway interview
- Stuck In The 80's - Stan Ridgway Interview 2006
- Official Stan Ridgway Site
- Essays and Reviews on Stan Ridgway, by Prof. Sam Umland
- Stan Ridgway Profile
- Complete Discography
- "Beyond Tomorrow" fan site
- Trouser Press entry
Related artists
- Wall of VoodooWall of VoodooWall of Voodoo was an American New Wave group from Los Angeles best known for the 1983 hit "Mexican Radio". The band had a sound that was a fusion of synthesizer-based New Wave music with the spaghetti western soundtrack style of Ennio Morricone.-Formation:...
- Pete McRaePete McRaePete McRae is an American rock guitarist.Born Robert F. McRae, Jr. in Austin, Texas in 1955, McRae and his family moved to California when he was aged ten. Pete graduated from Terra Linda High School, in Marin County, in 1973. He began serious guitar studies with Paul Miller, in Terra Linda, and...
- Hal WillnerHal WillnerHal Willner is an American music producer working in recording, films, TV and live events. He is best known for assembling tribute albums and events featuring a wide variety of artists and musical styles...
- Frank Black and the Catholics
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- The Divine HorsemenThe Divine HorsemenDivine Horsemen were a punk/roots band founded in 1983 by Chris D. , formerly of L.A. punk rock band The Flesh Eaters. The band developed a distinctive alt country- type sound. They took their name from a voodoo term; a worshiper who is possessed by loa during a ceremony is said to be being ridden...
- The Ray Campi Quartet
- The FibonaccisThe FibonaccisThe Fibonaccis were an American art rock band formed in 1981 in Los Angeles. The band consisted of songwriter John Dentino , Ron Stringer , Magie Song , Joe Berardi and later Tom Corey .-Overview:...
- Roger McGuinnRoger McGuinnJames Roger McGuinn is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. He is best known for being the lead singer and lead guitarist on many of The Byrds' records...