The Horse Flies
Encyclopedia
The Horse Flies are an American
alternative rock
/folk
band, founded in the late 1970s under the name 'Tompkins County Horseflies' by husband and wife Jeff Claus and Judy Hyman, along with Richie Stearns and John Hayward.
Songs by Claus and Stearns included surreal elements that simultaneously evoke Appalachian imagery and the alienated perspective British and American indie rock bands of the 1980s. (Citation?) This link was perhaps most explicit in their reworking of the Cramps
' "Human Fly," the title cut of the Horseflies' first album. (Citation?) Claus's homage to their adopted hometown of Ithaca, New York, "I Live Where It's Grey" recalls early Talking Heads
and Devo
, but the mechanical precision is executed on traditional acoustic instruments. Stearns' adaptation of the lullaby "Hush Little Baby" transforms it into a series of heartfelt promises from someone who has little, but offers everything. (?)
Their second album, "Gravity Dance (1991)," threw the musical balance greatly over to the rock sensibility. Claus's "Sally Ann," later re-recorded by Natalie Merchant
, retains the band's connection to Appalachian balladry, while Stearns' "I Need a Plastic Bag (to Keep My Brains In)" and Claus's "Life Is a Rubber Rope" are more nearly "New Wave" pop songs.
Hayward, the band's original bassist, died of cancer in 1997 . The last Horse Flies recording featuring Hayward was the serendipitously recorded "Live in the Dance Tent," which was taped "from the board" at the 6th Finger Lakes Grassroots Festival of Music and Dance in July 1996. (NEEDS CITATION)
According to its liner notes, the sessions that form the basis of Two Traditions (2000) were recorded soon after the Live in the Dance Tent performance in an effort to capture some of the energy and beauty of that evening. (citation?) After Hayward's death, the band felt unable to proceed with the project. Producer Jim Roberts added some interstitial material and released the album as a fusion of African and Appalachian traditions. It includes renditions of well known old-time tunes like "Ride Ol'Buck," "Jimmy Sutton," "Emory Bailey," and "John Brown's Dream."
Heartbroken after Hayward's death, the remaining band members put the Horse Flies on hiatus, eventually reemerging publicly under the name Edna's Driveway in 2003 with bassist June Drucker and keyboardist/accordionist Rick Hansen. Not long after, the band reclaimed their name, and the Horse Flies toured Europe and played festivals in the United States.
The Horse Flies' current lineup features:
In 2008, the band released Until the Ocean, the first album to featuring its current line-up, again reinventing their sound. Until the Ocean features a return to the band's acoustic roots while expounding upon their alternative rock and world music sensibilities. The album features Claus's "Build A House and Burn it Down", a compelling roots-based pop song, and Stearns' "Veins of Coal", a ballad with Appalachian-echoes, as well as Doc Boggs's "Drunkard's Child" and old-time classic, "Cluck Old Hen."
and performed on Merchant's The House Carpenter's Daughter
and Leave Your Sleep
albums. The House Carpenter's Daughter features Claus's song, "Sally Ann".
Ithaca-based Hyman, Claus, Hanson, and Olsa also play in A Boy With A Fish.
Stearns has released albums titled "Solo," on which he plays banjo, tenor guitar and sings in his back yard, and "Missing," (2011). Missing recorded was recorded in large part with the Evil City String Band, with whom Sterns regularly plays.
Boston-based Masuko is an active performer, dance accompanist, clinician, and teacher, who frequently collaborates with the women's vocal ensemble Tapestry, the Zamir Chorale of Boston, Le Bon Vent, and Claire Ritter, among others. (Citation pending)
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
alternative rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
/folk
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
band, founded in the late 1970s under the name 'Tompkins County Horseflies' by husband and wife Jeff Claus and Judy Hyman, along with Richie Stearns and John Hayward.
Background
The four original members of the Horse Flies emerged from the old-time music scene and, in collaboration with percussionist Taki Masuko and keyboardist/accordionist Peter Dodge, would develop their unique sound by twining old-time fiddle tunes with modern art/alt rock influences and world folk music traditions.Songs by Claus and Stearns included surreal elements that simultaneously evoke Appalachian imagery and the alienated perspective British and American indie rock bands of the 1980s. (Citation?) This link was perhaps most explicit in their reworking of the Cramps
The Cramps
The Cramps were an American rock band, formed in 1976 and active until 2009. The band split after the death of lead singer Lux Interior. Their line-up rotated much over their existence, with the husband and wife duo of Interior and lead guitarist Poison Ivy the only permanent members...
' "Human Fly," the title cut of the Horseflies' first album. (Citation?) Claus's homage to their adopted hometown of Ithaca, New York, "I Live Where It's Grey" recalls early Talking Heads
Talking Heads
Talking Heads were an American New Wave and avant-garde band formed in 1975 in New York City and active until 1991. The band comprised David Byrne, Chris Frantz, Tina Weymouth and Jerry Harrison...
and Devo
Devo
Devo is an American band formed in 1973 consisting of members from Kent and Akron, Ohio. The classic line-up of the band includes two sets of brothers, the Mothersbaughs and the Casales . The band had a #14 Billboard chart hit in 1980 with the single "Whip It", and has maintained a cult...
, but the mechanical precision is executed on traditional acoustic instruments. Stearns' adaptation of the lullaby "Hush Little Baby" transforms it into a series of heartfelt promises from someone who has little, but offers everything. (?)
Their second album, "Gravity Dance (1991)," threw the musical balance greatly over to the rock sensibility. Claus's "Sally Ann," later re-recorded by Natalie Merchant
Natalie Merchant
Natalie Anne Merchant is an American singer-songwriter and musician. She joined the alternative rock band 10,000 Maniacs in 1981 and left it to begin her solo career in 1993.-Early life:...
, retains the band's connection to Appalachian balladry, while Stearns' "I Need a Plastic Bag (to Keep My Brains In)" and Claus's "Life Is a Rubber Rope" are more nearly "New Wave" pop songs.
Hayward, the band's original bassist, died of cancer in 1997 . The last Horse Flies recording featuring Hayward was the serendipitously recorded "Live in the Dance Tent," which was taped "from the board" at the 6th Finger Lakes Grassroots Festival of Music and Dance in July 1996. (NEEDS CITATION)
According to its liner notes, the sessions that form the basis of Two Traditions (2000) were recorded soon after the Live in the Dance Tent performance in an effort to capture some of the energy and beauty of that evening. (citation?) After Hayward's death, the band felt unable to proceed with the project. Producer Jim Roberts added some interstitial material and released the album as a fusion of African and Appalachian traditions. It includes renditions of well known old-time tunes like "Ride Ol'Buck," "Jimmy Sutton," "Emory Bailey," and "John Brown's Dream."
Heartbroken after Hayward's death, the remaining band members put the Horse Flies on hiatus, eventually reemerging publicly under the name Edna's Driveway in 2003 with bassist June Drucker and keyboardist/accordionist Rick Hansen. Not long after, the band reclaimed their name, and the Horse Flies toured Europe and played festivals in the United States.
The Horse Flies' current lineup features:
- Judy Hyman: violinViolinThe violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
, vocals - Jeff Claus: 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...
, banjo ukulele, vocals - Rich Stearns: banjoBanjoIn the 1830s Sweeney became the first white man to play the banjo on stage. His version of the instrument replaced the gourd with a drum-like sound box and included four full-length strings alongside a short fifth-string. There is no proof, however, that Sweeney invented either innovation. This new...
, tenor guitarTenor guitar1932 Martin 0-18 T Sunburst Tenor Guitar|thumb|rightThe tenor guitar or four-string guitar is a slightly smaller, four-string relative of the steel-string acoustic guitar or electric guitar. The instrument was developed so that players of the four-string tenor banjo could double on the guitar...
, vocals - Taki Masuko: percussionPercussion instrumentA percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
- Jay Olsa: 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...
- Rick Hansen: accordionAccordionThe accordion is a box-shaped musical instrument of the bellows-driven free-reed aerophone family, sometimes referred to as a squeezebox. A person who plays the accordion is called an accordionist....
, organOrgan (music)The organ , is a keyboard instrument of one or more divisions, each played with its own keyboard operated either with the hands or with the feet. The organ is a relatively old musical instrument in the Western musical tradition, dating from the time of Ctesibius of Alexandria who is credited with...
In 2008, the band released Until the Ocean, the first album to featuring its current line-up, again reinventing their sound. Until the Ocean features a return to the band's acoustic roots while expounding upon their alternative rock and world music sensibilities. The album features Claus's "Build A House and Burn it Down", a compelling roots-based pop song, and Stearns' "Veins of Coal", a ballad with Appalachian-echoes, as well as Doc Boggs's "Drunkard's Child" and old-time classic, "Cluck Old Hen."
Side Projects and Other Collaborations
In 2000, 2004, and 2010, Hyman and Stearns toured with Natalie MerchantNatalie Merchant
Natalie Anne Merchant is an American singer-songwriter and musician. She joined the alternative rock band 10,000 Maniacs in 1981 and left it to begin her solo career in 1993.-Early life:...
and performed on Merchant's The House Carpenter's Daughter
The House Carpenter's Daughter
The House Carpenter's Daughter is an acoustic album by Natalie Merchant. It consists of both traditional songs and cover versions of contemporary folk music. It was released on August 12, 2003 via her web-site and on September 16, 2003 in stores...
and Leave Your Sleep
Leave Your Sleep
-Inspiration:The sleeve notes credit inspiration for the songs of this album as follows:* Adventures of Isabel - Ogden Nash* Autumn Lullaby - Anonymous* Bleezer's Ice-Cream - Jack Prelutsky* Calico Pie - Edward Lear...
albums. The House Carpenter's Daughter features Claus's song, "Sally Ann".
Ithaca-based Hyman, Claus, Hanson, and Olsa also play in A Boy With A Fish.
Stearns has released albums titled "Solo," on which he plays banjo, tenor guitar and sings in his back yard, and "Missing," (2011). Missing recorded was recorded in large part with the Evil City String Band, with whom Sterns regularly plays.
Boston-based Masuko is an active performer, dance accompanist, clinician, and teacher, who frequently collaborates with the women's vocal ensemble Tapestry, the Zamir Chorale of Boston, Le Bon Vent, and Claire Ritter, among others. (Citation pending)
Discography
- Chokers and Flies: Old Time Music (1985) (one-side only; shared album with the Chicken Chokers)
- Human Fly (1987)
- Gravity Dance (1992)
- Where the Rivers Flow North (film score)(1994)
- A Stranger in the Kingdom (film score)(1998)
- Two Traditions (2000)
- In the Dance Tent (2000)
- Until the Ocean (2008)
Sources
External links
- Official website
- The Horse Flies collection at the Internet ArchiveInternet ArchiveThe Internet Archive is a non-profit digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It offers permanent storage and access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, music, moving images, and nearly 3 million public domain books. The Internet Archive...
's live music archive - Judy Hyman