The Muggs
Encyclopedia
The Muggs or the Ugliest Band in the World is an American blues-rock band from Detroit, Michigan. Formed in February 2000 by guitarist
Danny Methric, bassist
Tony DeNardo and drummer
Matt Rost. They were ranked in December 2008 on the 100 Hot Unsigned Band by Music Connection Magazine. They won several awards including the Best Blues Artist and the Best Rock Band for 2007, and they have over 86,000 fans on Myspace
.
In October 2000, the band recorded their first EP demo to play to help get gigs.
In March 2001, they were invited to play the Hamtramck Blowout, a music festival that involves hundreds of Detroit bands at nearly twenty different bars in Hamtramk City in Detroit, and continued playing more shows until September. In August 2001 they played the last Gold Dollar show ever and Cadieux Café's "Mussel Beach Music Festival." September 2 was their last show before Tony suffered from a hemorrhagic stroke that nearly ended his life. He was completely paralyzed on his right side and unable to speak. DeNardo survived his stroke but was in bad shape.
The other members decided to not replace him. Instead, they became involved with several other groups until Tony recovered. These bands and projects included Over Under Sideways Down
, the Kingsnakes
, The Go, and the Paybacks.
After three fundraisers for DeNardo, he was able to go to Southern California.
Tony decided to try his bass lines on a Rhodes keyboard bass after a suggestion from the Muggs' old friend Matt Smith, from the band Outrageous Cherry. They returned to rock together after DeNardo got out of the hospital, and then were signed with indie label Times Beach Records.
.
In August 2007, the band was selected to audition for the Fox T.V. show, The Next Great American Band and made it to the Top 12 out of 10,000+ applicants. The band appeared on The Next Great American Band for four episodes and got to play two originals for the entire nation to see: Should’ve Learned My Lesson from their first CD, and Slow Curve from their not then yet released yet second CD.
In February 2008 they won Best Rock Band of 2007 and, at the 2008 Detroit Music Awards, won Outstanding Rock Artist/Group award. Danny Methric won the Outstanding Rock/Pop Instrumentalist award as a guitarist.
, Robin Trower
, Cactus
, Savoy Brown
, Ten Years After
, Glenn Hughes of Deep Purple
/Black Sabbath
, Johnny Lang, Candlebox
, North Mississippi Allstars
, the Verve Pipe
, Electric Six
, and the Detroit Cobras
. In October 2009, Matt Rost stepped down as drummer of The Muggs. Todd Glass, one of the most sought after drummers in Detroit replaced Rost.
Best Blues Artist/Group for 2007 ("Real Detroit Weekly")
Best Rock Band of 2007 on February 2008
Outstanding Rock Artist/Group 2008 Detroit Music Awards
Danny Methric won the Outstanding Rock/Pop Instrumentalist 2008 award for electric guitar playing.
Outstanding Rock Album-On With The Show 2009 Detroit Music Awards
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
Danny Methric, bassist
Bassist
A bass player, or bassist is a musician who plays a bass instrument such as a double bass, bass guitar, keyboard bass or a low brass instrument such as a tuba or sousaphone. Different musical genres tend to be associated with one or more of these instruments...
Tony DeNardo and drummer
Drummer
A drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...
Matt Rost. They were ranked in December 2008 on the 100 Hot Unsigned Band by Music Connection Magazine. They won several awards including the Best Blues Artist and the Best Rock Band for 2007, and they have over 86,000 fans on Myspace
Myspace
Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
.
Early Years (2000-2004)
Danny Methric and Tony DeNardo got together and decided to form a more bluesy band than their previous bands had been. They found drummer Matt Rost who agreed to join the band.In October 2000, the band recorded their first EP demo to play to help get gigs.
In March 2001, they were invited to play the Hamtramck Blowout, a music festival that involves hundreds of Detroit bands at nearly twenty different bars in Hamtramk City in Detroit, and continued playing more shows until September. In August 2001 they played the last Gold Dollar show ever and Cadieux Café's "Mussel Beach Music Festival." September 2 was their last show before Tony suffered from a hemorrhagic stroke that nearly ended his life. He was completely paralyzed on his right side and unable to speak. DeNardo survived his stroke but was in bad shape.
The other members decided to not replace him. Instead, they became involved with several other groups until Tony recovered. These bands and projects included Over Under Sideways Down
Over Under Sideways Down
"Over Under Sideways Down" was a single by The Yardbirds released on Columbia in the UK and Epic in the U.S. Chart tops: UK: #10, US: #13.It was the title song to the album Over Under Sideways Down , or Yardbirds which is more commonly referred to as Roger the Engineer...
, the Kingsnakes
The Kingsnakes
The Kingsnakes are a Detroit based rock and roll band formed in 2001.The band has toured in various parts of the US and in Windsor- some of the highlights have been in New York City as part of an after-party for the MC5 documentary "A True Testimonial" shown at the Annual Tribeca Film Festival...
, The Go, and the Paybacks.
After three fundraisers for DeNardo, he was able to go to Southern California.
Tony decided to try his bass lines on a Rhodes keyboard bass after a suggestion from the Muggs' old friend Matt Smith, from the band Outrageous Cherry. They returned to rock together after DeNardo got out of the hospital, and then were signed with indie label Times Beach Records.
The Muggs (2005-2007)
They released their self-titled album in 2005, after having their songs on the documentary rockumentary. During a tour in Spain they were voted the Best Blues Artist/Group for 2007 in the Feb 28th, 2007 issue of Real Detroit WeeklyReal Detroit Weekly
Real Detroit Weekly is a weekly newspaper distributed free of charge every Wednesday, that focuses mainly on entertainment news from Hollywood and the metro Detroit nightclub scene...
.
In August 2007, the band was selected to audition for the Fox T.V. show, The Next Great American Band and made it to the Top 12 out of 10,000+ applicants. The band appeared on The Next Great American Band for four episodes and got to play two originals for the entire nation to see: Should’ve Learned My Lesson from their first CD, and Slow Curve from their not then yet released yet second CD.
In February 2008 they won Best Rock Band of 2007 and, at the 2008 Detroit Music Awards, won Outstanding Rock Artist/Group award. Danny Methric won the Outstanding Rock/Pop Instrumentalist award as a guitarist.
On With The Show (2008-2009)
On May 9, 2008, the band released "On With The Show," their second CD. The album received a 8/10 article from Classic Rock Magazine. The band then opened for a variety of rock bands including MountainMountain (band)
Mountain is an American hard rock band that formed in Long Island, New York in 1969. Originally comprising vocalist and guitarist Leslie West, bassist Felix Pappalardi and drummer N. D. Smart, the band broke up in 1972 before reuniting in 1974 and remaining active until today...
, Robin Trower
Robin Trower
Robin Leonard Trower , known professionally as Robin Trower, is an English rock guitarist who achieved success with Procol Harum during the 1960s, and then again as the bandleader of his own power trio.-Biography:...
, Cactus
Cactus
A cactus is a member of the plant family Cactaceae. Their distinctive appearance is a result of adaptations to conserve water in dry and/or hot environments. In most species, the stem has evolved to become photosynthetic and succulent, while the leaves have evolved into spines...
, Savoy Brown
Savoy Brown
Savoy Brown, originally known as the Savoy Brown Blues Band, are a British blues rock band, formed in 1965, in Battersea, South West London...
, Ten Years After
Ten Years After
Ten Years After is an English blues-rock band, most popular in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Between 1968 and 1973, Ten Years After scored eight Top 40 albums on the UK Albums Chart...
, Glenn Hughes of Deep Purple
Deep Purple
Deep Purple are an English rock band formed in Hertford in 1968. Along with Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, they are considered to be among the pioneers of heavy metal and modern hard rock, although some band members believe that their music cannot be categorised as belonging to any one genre...
/Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath are an English heavy metal band, formed in Aston, Birmingham in 1969 by Ozzy Osbourne , Tony Iommi , Geezer Butler , and Bill Ward . The band has since experienced multiple line-up changes, with Tony Iommi the only constant presence in the band through the years. A total of 22...
, Johnny Lang, Candlebox
Candlebox
Candlebox is an American alternative rock band from Seattle, Washington. Since their debut, the group has released four studio albums, which have achieved multi-platinum and gold certification, as well as numerous charting singles, a compilation, and a CD+DVD....
, North Mississippi Allstars
North Mississippi Allstars
North Mississippi Allstars is a Southern rock/blues jam band from Hernando, Mississippi, founded in 1996. The band is composed of brothers Luther Dickinson and Cody Dickinson , and Chris Chew...
, the Verve Pipe
The Verve Pipe
The Verve Pipe is an American rock band from East Lansing, Michigan. It was formed in 1992 by Brian and Brad Vander Ark, Brian Stout and Donny Brown.-History:...
, Electric Six
Electric Six
Electric Six is a six-piece metro Detroit-based band that plays what has been described as a brand of rock music infused with elements of "garage, disco, punk, new wave, and metal." The band met recognition in 2003 with the singles "Danger! High Voltage" and "Gay Bar", and subsequently recorded...
, and the Detroit Cobras
The Detroit Cobras
The Detroit Cobras are an American garage rock cover band from Detroit, Michigan, formed in 1994.-History:The Detroit Cobras signed with Sympathy for the Record Industry and released their first full-length album, Mink Rat or Rabbit, in 1998...
. In October 2009, Matt Rost stepped down as drummer of The Muggs. Todd Glass, one of the most sought after drummers in Detroit replaced Rost.
Born Ugly (2010-present)
In late 2010, the band, now with Glass on drums, entered the studio to begin recording their third CD, entitled "Born Ugly." The official release date was April 29, 2011.List of Awards
100 Hot Unsigned Bands ("Music Connection")Best Blues Artist/Group for 2007 ("Real Detroit Weekly")
Best Rock Band of 2007 on February 2008
Outstanding Rock Artist/Group 2008 Detroit Music Awards
Danny Methric won the Outstanding Rock/Pop Instrumentalist 2008 award for electric guitar playing.
Outstanding Rock Album-On With The Show 2009 Detroit Music Awards