Tadpoles
Encyclopedia
Tadpoles are a psychedelic rock
band formed in 1990 in New York City
by Todd Parker (guitars/vocals), Michael Kite Audino (drums) and Josh Bracken (bass.) In 1992, Nick Kramer (guitars/vocals), David Max (bass) and Andrew Jackson (guitars) of the fledgling Manhattan group, Hit, joined the Tadpoles after putting Hit on hiatus.
In 1993 Kite and Jackson left the group, which relocated to Hoboken, New Jersey
, where Parker formed Bakery Records. In 1996, Adam Boyette (drums) joined Tadpoles to complete what would be their final line-up. Parker announced the Tadpoles would be going on an “indefinite hiatus” in 2000, and the group disbanded. Kramer, Max and Boyette reformed Hit and continued on.
in 1985 as an outlet for mostly solo 4-track recordings. These recordings were released on the cassettes, Ham & Eggs (1987); Limousines, Sardines, Dinosaurs (1988); Beautiful Music For Ugly Children (1989); and William’s Doll (1990). New York University
(NYU) filmmaker, Michael Kite Audino became increasingly more involved in the recordings, so Parker and Kite decided to form a live version of the Tadpoles in New York City in 1990. They released one more cassette album Ride The Soul (1991) which featured their initial NYC recordings.
While Parker’s previous recordings were all over the musical map, the new group focused on their psychedelic rock
influences, combining Kite’s films , a homemade light show, and an excessively loud sound volume to create a multi-sensory live experience…akin to what the Butthole Surfers
, My Bloody Valentine, Spacemen 3
, and The Flaming Lips
were doing at the time. Tadpoles became fixtures on the Manhattan rock club scene in 1992-1993 after NYU students, Nick Kramer, David Max and Andrew Jackson, joined the group.
In 1992, the band recorded a 10 song demo tape, Superwhip, and began a relationship with producer/Shimmy Disc
Records owner, Mark Kramer
, who offered to record the group at his Noise New Jersey Studio, where in 1993, Tadpoles recorded their debut album, He Fell Into The Sky. However, internal issues led to the departure of both Kite and Jackson before the album was released, and the group stalled temporarily.
In 1994, Parker formed Bakery Records to release He Fell Into The Sky, an album of short, powerful, psychedelic pop-rock songs; and, it received very positive reviews... although, the band still had a difficult time finding their audience in the Manhattan clubs. Tadpoles continued to record new material with Kramer at Noise New Jersey with guest drummers, Steve Savoca (The Werefrogs) and Edward Odowd (The Toilet Boys / Psychic TV
) and with Nick Kramer taking a bigger role in song-writing and guitar-playing. Jeff Passifiume (The Lost Continentals/Hank McCoy and The Dead Ringers) added tasty, soaring lap steel to the mix. In the fall of 1994, Tadpoles were showcased in the College Music Journal
(CMJ) music marathon at Manhattan's Batcave club.
In 1996, Tadpoles’ second album, Far Out, again produced by Shimmy Disc’s Kramer, was released on Bakery Records and was extremely well received, both nationally and internationally, by the alternative music press. Far Out also garnered an unexpected and uncommon (for a self-released band) 4-star review from Rolling Stone magazine by writer Jim DeRogatis
. With a smoother, spacier sound, Far Out gained Tadpoles a national fan base due to enthusiastic airplay on college radio. This led to the group being picked up by larger distributors so that their albums were able to reach a wider audience. The group, which rarely played live, added Adam Boyette as their permanent drummer and began writing and recording their next album.
In 1997, Tadpoles performed a well-received set at the first Terrastock Festival held in Providence, Rhode Island
. The performance gained them new fans and was released in 1998 as Destroy Terrastock – Live, with both the album cover and title being derived from a Kiss (band)
Bootleg “Destroys Anaheim.” In the fall of 1997, Tadpoles toured the US west coast along with fellow Terrastock veterans, Cul de Sac (group) and Windy & Carl
, and played a show in Portland, Oregon
with the legendary John Fahey
.
Coinciding with the tour, Tadpoles released an EP, Know Your Ghosts, which contained a track from the upcoming new studio album, along with a few other unreleased songs, one of which was a cover of the Tony Mentzer track, “Oops, I Lost Your Mind.” “Oops, I Lost Your Mind” featured Tony Mentzer on vocals, along with Chris Butler
(The Waitresses
/Tin Huey) on drums.
In 1998, Tadpoles released their third Bakery Records studio album, Smoke Ghost, which was once again produced by Kramer (Shimmy Disc/Bongwater
) at Noise New Jersey. The album, richly layered, thick, lush psychedelia, was again well received by press; but, by this point, Tadpoles had essentially eschewed live performance, with little intention of venturing outside their Hoboken rehearsal studio except for a rare local club appearance. Smoke Ghost featured a significant song-writing contribution from Nick Kramer, who wrote half the material.
Tadpoles recorded their final studio album, Whirlaway, (producing themselves this time,) at Ampreon Recorder in Youngstown, Ohio
. Engineer Pete Drivere captured the live feel of the expansive set of songs; and, the result was the first Tadpoles album released on a label other than Bakery Records. Australia’s Camera Obscura Records released Whirlaway in 1999, again garnering rave reviews and new fans for the group. Whirlaway's long instrumental closing track, "Horse and Buggy", was recorded at Manhattan's Knitting Factory
by their long-time producer, Kramer; and, Tadpoles mixed an entire version of the album with Gene Holder (The dB's
), although only a few of these mixes were used. (Drivere's mix was preferred by the band.)
Sharing the bill with Thurston Moore
and Half Japanese
, Tadpoles gave their final performance in February 2000 at a sold-out show at Maxwell's
in Hoboken, which was the first time they ever played their legendary hometown club. Later in 2000, Todd Parker announced that the group was going on an “indefinite hiatus” and they disbanded.
In 2001, Bakery Records released Use With Headphones Late At Night- Best of 1990-2000, a remastered compilation featuring tracks from each studio album, along with alternate mixes.
Since the Tadpoles disbanded, David Max, Nick Kramer and Adam Boyette, reformed Hit and released the vinyl EP Quosibility and completed a currently unreleased album "See It Majestic." David Max joined seminal psychedelic electronic noise group, Psychic TV
(PTV3) along with Edward Odowd (who played drums on 2 tracks on Tadpoles’ Far Out album.) David Max performs guitar on the 2007 PTV3 album, "'Hell is Invisible... Heaven is Her/e
'" and the 2008 PTV3 album, "'Mr Alien Brain vs. The Skinwalkers'" Also, in 2007, Nick Kramer, along with Alex Kress, released an album of duets/covers, "Nicholas & Alexandra."
In 2010, David Max released a solo album, "'Simple Psychedelic Pleasures'". In August, 2010, Todd Parker released a solo album, "'Greetings From The Star Chamber'" by his new project, Todd Parker and The Witches. Parker released the companion EP "'The Star Club E.P.'" in December, 2010 as well as two additional EPs "'Ukulele Colored Glasses EP'" and "'Temple of The Goddess EP'" in 2011.
Psychedelic rock
Psychedelic rock is a style of rock music that is inspired or influenced by psychedelic culture and attempts to replicate and enhance the mind-altering experiences of psychedelic drugs. It emerged during the mid 1960s among folk rock and blues rock bands in United States and the United Kingdom...
band formed in 1990 in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
by Todd Parker (guitars/vocals), Michael Kite Audino (drums) and Josh Bracken (bass.) In 1992, Nick Kramer (guitars/vocals), David Max (bass) and Andrew Jackson (guitars) of the fledgling Manhattan group, Hit, joined the Tadpoles after putting Hit on hiatus.
In 1993 Kite and Jackson left the group, which relocated to Hoboken, New Jersey
Hoboken, New Jersey
Hoboken is a city in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population was 50,005. The city is part of the New York metropolitan area and contains Hoboken Terminal, a major transportation hub for the region...
, where Parker formed Bakery Records. In 1996, Adam Boyette (drums) joined Tadpoles to complete what would be their final line-up. Parker announced the Tadpoles would be going on an “indefinite hiatus” in 2000, and the group disbanded. Kramer, Max and Boyette reformed Hit and continued on.
History
Todd Parker originally formed the group while living in Champaign, IllinoisChampaign, Illinois
Champaign is a city in Champaign County, Illinois, in the United States. The city is located south of Chicago, west of Indianapolis, Indiana, and 178 miles northeast of St. Louis, Missouri. Though surrounded by farm communities, Champaign is notable for sharing the campus of the University of...
in 1985 as an outlet for mostly solo 4-track recordings. These recordings were released on the cassettes, Ham & Eggs (1987); Limousines, Sardines, Dinosaurs (1988); Beautiful Music For Ugly Children (1989); and William’s Doll (1990). New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
(NYU) filmmaker, Michael Kite Audino became increasingly more involved in the recordings, so Parker and Kite decided to form a live version of the Tadpoles in New York City in 1990. They released one more cassette album Ride The Soul (1991) which featured their initial NYC recordings.
While Parker’s previous recordings were all over the musical map, the new group focused on their psychedelic rock
Psychedelic rock
Psychedelic rock is a style of rock music that is inspired or influenced by psychedelic culture and attempts to replicate and enhance the mind-altering experiences of psychedelic drugs. It emerged during the mid 1960s among folk rock and blues rock bands in United States and the United Kingdom...
influences, combining Kite’s films , a homemade light show, and an excessively loud sound volume to create a multi-sensory live experience…akin to what the Butthole Surfers
Butthole Surfers
Butthole Surfers is an American alternative rock band formed by Gibby Haynes and Paul Leary in San Antonio, Texas in 1981. The band has had numerous personnel changes, but its core lineup of Haynes, Leary, and drummer King Coffey has been consistent since 1983. Teresa Nervosa served as second...
, My Bloody Valentine, Spacemen 3
Spacemen 3
Spacemen 3 were an English alternative rock band, formed in 1982 in Rugby, Warwickshire by Peter Kember and Jason Pierce. Their music was "colorfully mind-altering, but not in the sense of the acid rock of the '60s; instead, the band developed its own minimalistic psychedelia"...
, and The Flaming Lips
The Flaming Lips
The Flaming Lips are an American alternative rock band, formed in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma in 1983.Melodically, their sound contains lush, multi-layered, psychedelic rock arrangements, but lyrically their compositions show elements of space rock, including unusual song and album titles—such as "What...
were doing at the time. Tadpoles became fixtures on the Manhattan rock club scene in 1992-1993 after NYU students, Nick Kramer, David Max and Andrew Jackson, joined the group.
In 1992, the band recorded a 10 song demo tape, Superwhip, and began a relationship with producer/Shimmy Disc
Shimmy Disc
Shimmy Disc was an influential New York City based record label founded in 1987 by Mark Kramer. Before it was sold to the Knitting Factory, it was responsible for providing a mass audience for acts including Bongwater, Daniel Johnston, Fly Ashtray, Galaxie 500, King Missile, Boredoms, Ruins, Ween,...
Records owner, Mark Kramer
Mark Kramer
Mark Kramer , known professionally as Kramer, is a musician, composer, record producer and founder of the New York City record label Shimmy-Disc...
, who offered to record the group at his Noise New Jersey Studio, where in 1993, Tadpoles recorded their debut album, He Fell Into The Sky. However, internal issues led to the departure of both Kite and Jackson before the album was released, and the group stalled temporarily.
In 1994, Parker formed Bakery Records to release He Fell Into The Sky, an album of short, powerful, psychedelic pop-rock songs; and, it received very positive reviews... although, the band still had a difficult time finding their audience in the Manhattan clubs. Tadpoles continued to record new material with Kramer at Noise New Jersey with guest drummers, Steve Savoca (The Werefrogs) and Edward Odowd (The Toilet Boys / Psychic TV
Psychic TV
Psychic TV or PTV, is a video art and music group that primarily performs psychedelic, punk, electronic and experimental music...
) and with Nick Kramer taking a bigger role in song-writing and guitar-playing. Jeff Passifiume (The Lost Continentals/Hank McCoy and The Dead Ringers) added tasty, soaring lap steel to the mix. In the fall of 1994, Tadpoles were showcased in the College Music Journal
College Music Journal
College Music Journal, commonly known as CMJ, is a music events/publishing company which hosts an annual festival in New York City, the CMJ Music Marathon, as well as a weekly magazine of and for the music industry and college radio stations in the United States and Canada. It publishes top 30...
(CMJ) music marathon at Manhattan's Batcave club.
In 1996, Tadpoles’ second album, Far Out, again produced by Shimmy Disc’s Kramer, was released on Bakery Records and was extremely well received, both nationally and internationally, by the alternative music press. Far Out also garnered an unexpected and uncommon (for a self-released band) 4-star review from Rolling Stone magazine by writer Jim DeRogatis
Jim DeRogatis
James "Jim" DeRogatis is an American music critic and co-host of Sound Opinions. DeRogatis has written articles for magazines such as Spin, Guitar World and Modern Drummer, and for fifteen years was the pop music critic for the Chicago Sun-Times.He joined Columbia College Chicago as a full-time...
. With a smoother, spacier sound, Far Out gained Tadpoles a national fan base due to enthusiastic airplay on college radio. This led to the group being picked up by larger distributors so that their albums were able to reach a wider audience. The group, which rarely played live, added Adam Boyette as their permanent drummer and began writing and recording their next album.
In 1997, Tadpoles performed a well-received set at the first Terrastock Festival held in Providence, Rhode Island
Providence, Rhode Island
Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...
. The performance gained them new fans and was released in 1998 as Destroy Terrastock – Live, with both the album cover and title being derived from a Kiss (band)
KISS (band)
Kiss is an American rock band formed in New York City in January 1973. Well-known for its members' face paint and flamboyant stage outfits, the group rose to prominence in the mid to late 1970s on the basis of their elaborate live performances, which featured fire breathing, blood spitting,...
Bootleg “Destroys Anaheim.” In the fall of 1997, Tadpoles toured the US west coast along with fellow Terrastock veterans, Cul de Sac (group) and Windy & Carl
Windy & Carl
-Overview:Cited as "A leading light of the Michigan space-rock scene" by Allmusic, the minimalist group formed in 1993 around the core husband-and-wife duo of guitarist Carl Hultgren and bassist/singer Windy Weber...
, and played a show 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...
with the legendary John Fahey
John Fahey (musician)
John Fahey was an American fingerstyle guitarist and composer who pioneered the steel-string acoustic guitar as a solo instrument. His style has been greatly influential and has been described as the foundation of American Primitivism, a term borrowed from painting and referring mainly to the...
.
Coinciding with the tour, Tadpoles released an EP, Know Your Ghosts, which contained a track from the upcoming new studio album, along with a few other unreleased songs, one of which was a cover of the Tony Mentzer track, “Oops, I Lost Your Mind.” “Oops, I Lost Your Mind” featured Tony Mentzer on vocals, along with Chris Butler
Chris Butler (musician)
Chris Butler is an American musician led the experimental new wave 1980s band The Waitresses . Butler grew up in the U.S. state of Ohio and majored in sociology at Kent State University...
(The Waitresses
The Waitresses
The Waitresses were an experimental new wave band from Akron, Ohio. The group was led by guitarist/songwriter Chris Butler with lead vocals performed by Patty Donahue.-Career:...
/Tin Huey) on drums.
In 1998, Tadpoles released their third Bakery Records studio album, Smoke Ghost, which was once again produced by Kramer (Shimmy Disc/Bongwater
Bongwater
Bongwater may refer to:* Bongwater , a 1997 comedy film* Bongwater , a former college rock band* Bong water, the used fluid from a bong...
) at Noise New Jersey. The album, richly layered, thick, lush psychedelia, was again well received by press; but, by this point, Tadpoles had essentially eschewed live performance, with little intention of venturing outside their Hoboken rehearsal studio except for a rare local club appearance. Smoke Ghost featured a significant song-writing contribution from Nick Kramer, who wrote half the material.
Tadpoles recorded their final studio album, Whirlaway, (producing themselves this time,) at Ampreon Recorder in Youngstown, Ohio
Youngstown, Ohio
Youngstown is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Mahoning County; it also extends into Trumbull County. The municipality is situated on the Mahoning River, approximately southeast of Cleveland and northwest of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania...
. Engineer Pete Drivere captured the live feel of the expansive set of songs; and, the result was the first Tadpoles album released on a label other than Bakery Records. Australia’s Camera Obscura Records released Whirlaway in 1999, again garnering rave reviews and new fans for the group. Whirlaway's long instrumental closing track, "Horse and Buggy", was recorded at Manhattan's Knitting Factory
Knitting Factory
The Knitting Factory is a music venue and concert house with locations in Brooklyn, Boise, Reno, and Spokane. The club originally specialized in jazz and experimental music and has expanded to showcasing all genres of music, performing arts and comedy....
by their long-time producer, Kramer; and, Tadpoles mixed an entire version of the album with Gene Holder (The dB's
The dB's
The dB's are a jangle pop/power pop group who came into prominence in the late 1970s and 1980s. The bandmembers were Peter Holsapple, Chris Stamey, Will Rigby and Gene Holder, all of whom were from Winston-Salem, North Carolina...
), although only a few of these mixes were used. (Drivere's mix was preferred by the band.)
Sharing the bill with Thurston Moore
Thurston Moore
Thurston Joseph Moore is an American musician best known as a singer, songwriter and guitarist of Sonic Youth. He has also participated in many solo and group collaborations outside of Sonic Youth, as well as running the Ecstatic Peace! record label...
and Half Japanese
Half Japanese
Half Japanese is a punk rock band formed by brothers Jad and David Fair in their Coldwater, Michigan bedroom around 1975. Their original instrumentation included a small drum set, which they took turns playing; vocals; and an out of tune guitar...
, Tadpoles gave their final performance in February 2000 at a sold-out show at Maxwell's
Maxwell's
Maxwell's is a music club in Hoboken, New Jersey that also has a restaurant. The intimate venue often attracts a wide variety of acts looking for a change from the New York City concert spaces across the river.-History:...
in Hoboken, which was the first time they ever played their legendary hometown club. Later in 2000, Todd Parker announced that the group was going on an “indefinite hiatus” and they disbanded.
In 2001, Bakery Records released Use With Headphones Late At Night- Best of 1990-2000, a remastered compilation featuring tracks from each studio album, along with alternate mixes.
Since the Tadpoles disbanded, David Max, Nick Kramer and Adam Boyette, reformed Hit and released the vinyl EP Quosibility and completed a currently unreleased album "See It Majestic." David Max joined seminal psychedelic electronic noise group, Psychic TV
Psychic TV
Psychic TV or PTV, is a video art and music group that primarily performs psychedelic, punk, electronic and experimental music...
(PTV3) along with Edward Odowd (who played drums on 2 tracks on Tadpoles’ Far Out album.) David Max performs guitar on the 2007 PTV3 album, "'Hell is Invisible... Heaven is Her/e
Hell is Invisible... Heaven is Her/e
Hell is Invisible... Heaven is Her/e is the 2007 album by counter cultural provocateur Genesis P-Orridge and the reactivated Psychic TV aka “PTV3”. This current line up has been active for the past two years and much of the material on this new album developed from ideas that emerged during PTV3's...
'" and the 2008 PTV3 album, "'Mr Alien Brain vs. The Skinwalkers'" Also, in 2007, Nick Kramer, along with Alex Kress, released an album of duets/covers, "Nicholas & Alexandra."
In 2010, David Max released a solo album, "'Simple Psychedelic Pleasures'". In August, 2010, Todd Parker released a solo album, "'Greetings From The Star Chamber'" by his new project, Todd Parker and The Witches. Parker released the companion EP "'The Star Club E.P.'" in December, 2010 as well as two additional EPs "'Ukulele Colored Glasses EP'" and "'Temple of The Goddess EP'" in 2011.
Cassette-Only Albums
- Ham and Eggs-A Collection (1987)
- Limousines, Sardines, Dinosaurs (1988)
- Beautiful Music For Ugly Children (1989)
- William's Doll (1990)
- Ride The Soul E.P. (1991)
- Superwhip (1992)
Official Studio Albums
- He Fell Into The SkyHe Fell Into The SkyHe Fell Into The Sky is the first full length album released on CD by Tadpoles The album was the first CD album release on Bakery Records, the Tadpoles' label...
(Bakery 1994, and remastered version Bakery 1997) - Far OutFar Out (album)Far Out is the second full length album released on CD by Tadpoles. The album was recorded by the core trio of Todd Parker, David Max and Nick Kramer after drummer, Michael Kite Audino and guitarist Andrew Jackson Shapiro left the group. Guest musicians Edward Odowd and Steve Savoca perform...
(Bakery 1996) - Smoke GhostSmoke Ghost (album)Smoke Ghost is the third full length studio album released on CD by Tadpoles and is the first album with Tadpoles' new drummer, Adam Boyette. Upon original release, Bakery Records included a copy of Tadpoles Destroy Terrastock - Live with all mail-orders...
(Bakery 1998) - WhirlawayWhirlaway (album)Whirlaway is the fourth and final full length studio album released on CD by Tadpoles and is the first Tadpoles' album to be released by a label other than the band's own Bakery Records. Australian independent label, Camera Obscura Records, licensed and released the album worldwide...
(Camera Obscura/Bakery 1999)