The Napoleon Blownaparts
Encyclopedia
The Napoleon Blownaparts, also known as the Blownaparts are a punk rock
/hard rock
band formed in Hollywood, California during 1995. Led by frontman and forming member Ajax Garcia, the band are currently working on their 6th album to date and follow up to 2010's release CRISIS. See CRISIS ( http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/napoleonblownaparts )
and The Stooges
to AC/DC
The Rolling Stones and The Ramones playing a sonic mix of hard rock, punk rock, and also incorporating a blues edge.
Formed in the mid 1990s in North Hollywood California by musician/artist Ajax Garcia, The band began to gather speed during 1998, Taking their show on the road playing everywhere from small clubs to opening for Fiona Apple
and Social Distortion
at The "Paul Paul theatres" in California
, The same year the group was booked by VANS WARPED TOUR founder Kevin Lyman to play on the 1998 Vans Warped Tour. The bill also included THE LIVING END, BAD RELIGION and RANCID.
In the mid 90's (1995) Ajax Garcia was asked by then KISS
rep Frank Munoz to create comic book designs that were to be used for retale merchandise to promote an upcoming KISS reunion tour. The artist went to work and the results surpassed everyone's expectations as the four KISS icons have helped generate millions in revenue for Gene Simmons and his masked rock legends. The Ajax art pieces were purchassed by Sony Signatures in late 95 and there is no doubt that Ajax's KISS ICONS have become some of the most popular KISS packaging and toy designs ever created. The Ajax created designs can be found on everything from KISS toy packaging to even KISS toys and the latest money maker KISS HIS and HERS FRAGRANCES. With his designs Garcia and KISS hit a home run on the first try and it is documented that Ajax Garcia is in fact the very first comic book artist/designer to bring the rock legends back to the modern comic book world. His KISS comic style work pre-dates Tod McFarlane's KISS work by at least 2 years. Frank Munoz later became the manager of The Napoleon Blownaparts but parted ways with the band at some point after The Blownaparts opened for KISS and WEEZER in 01 (see KISS-WEEZER below). Munoz then went on to work with METALLICA bringing with him Blownaparts members Ajax Garcia and drummer Jesse Mendez, Munoz remains apart of the METALLICA team. Till this day Ajax Garcia's management The Loud Americana Group in Los Angeles California fills requests from KISS fans all over the world who seek the signature of the popular artist/musician Ajax Garcia on KISS merchandise.
http://www.myspace.com/blownaparts
July of 2000 saw Ajax and the Blownaparts playing on the KISS
farewell tour as the band struck a sponsorship deal with the LEVI'S brand.
August 2001 The Napoleon Blownaparts perform a home coming concert in California in front of a sold out audience of more than 7,000 kids. Also on the bill are nerd rockers WEEZER, and rap rockers CRAZY TOWN.
In 2004 during a radio interview as part of a joke Garcia expressed interest in the vacancy left by Guns N' Roses guitarist BucketHead. Ajax Garcia receives a telephone call back from Guns N' Roses
bassist Tommy Stenson regarding the spot made vacant by guitarist who hides his identity with a chicken bucket. Axl Rose later goes public denying him or Stinson had ever heard from Garcia. Ajax later says what ever to the statement made by Axl Rose and says he has Tommy Stinson on voice mail. http://www.roadrun.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=21426 Though it would be Bumblefoot
not Garcia who replaced Buckethead in Guns N' Roses
during early 2006 fans on G N'R forums express that it was Garcia who would have been the best choice to fill the giant boots of Slash.
During 2004-5, bassist of the Murderdolls
; Eric Griffin
joined the Blownaparts and Griffin enters the recording studio to put down bass tracks to a cover of Puss N' Boots a NEW YORK DOLLS classic, The Napoleon Blownaparts (Jesse Mendez, Ajax Garcia, Eric Griffin) were asked to contribute to JETBOYS OF BABYLON a tribute to The Dolls album that included such legends as THE ALARM, David Johansen (NY DOLLS) and Steve Jones (SEX PISTOLS). Though he is no longer an active member of the family it is said that Eric Griffin will appear on the new Blownaparts record due out in 2006. Also regarding this Dolls song it is friend and sit in drummer Wade Krause who performs the drums on the Puss N' Boots track and not drummer Jesse Mendez. Mendez was on tour with the Richie Scarlet band and was unavailable during the recording schedule. Krause is a member of the band SPARKLE JET and is also a founding member of the popular low brow toy company CIRCUS PUNKS. http://www.circuspunks.com
See: Richie Scarlet/Jesse Mendez:
http://www.rockdetector.com/officialbio,7385.sm;jsessionid=86526FC30D1C0B1CDD31322784B7C089
In 2006 Griffin was officially replaced as the Blownaparts bass player by former PIPE DOWN bassist Doug Welon. In 2005 Drummer Jesse Mendez joins a jam band with former Metallica bassist Jason Newsted. Blownaparts drummer Jesse Mendez also backs Ritchie Scarlet former Ace Frehley (KISS)guitarist on a west coast tour.
2004- EXTREME BEVERAGE CO. "BLAVOD" teams up with rocker Ajax Garcia for an unprecedented multi media ADV campaign- http://blackvodka.com/read.html
In 2004 Dark Horse Comics releases the pictorial novel titled ELECTRIC FRANKENSTEIN". The coffee table book features the art work of Ajax Garcia. A follow up for 2007 is in the works-never before seen KISS art from the 1995 reunion tour days are rumored to appear in the new book.
2005- Ajax Garcia launches the "FLY ON THE WALL" editorial piece. Celebrity guest interviews include from Image Comics Kevin Conrad (SPAWN and KISS artist), THE HIVES guitarist Niklause Arsen, Brian Ball of the Ernie Ball/Music Man Co.
http://www.blistering.com/fastpage/fpengine.php/link/1/templateid/10807/tempidx/5/menuid/3
2006- Magnatune Licensing Company sells THE BLOWNAPARTS music to restaurant chain and an amusement theme park in both mid west and west coast markets for radio and television advertisements. See Blownaparts profile on www.magnatune.com for licensing details: http://magnatune.com/artists/blownaparts
2006- EeriePop issues a product line to feature the art work of Ajax Garcia through a toy product called EeriePop BLISTER PACKS. Each Blister Pack comes packaged up two posters, FREE CDs, Decals and other goodies all design to suck in the adolescent consumer! see:
2006- LEGENDARY EXTREME BMX COMPANY SKYWAY TAPS ROCK STARS & APPAREL TRENDSETTERS;
GRAPHITE WHEEL COMPANY TAKES GLOBAL AIM AT YOUTH MARKET
LOS ANGELES, CA – MARCH 29, 2005 – Skyway BMX, makers of the Tuff Wheel and the company responsible for the mag wheel phenomenon of the 1970’s and 80's, is re-emerging as a must have “old Skool” product for a new generation of street riders. Read Press Release: http://www.fatbmx.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=386
2009- Legendary KISS guitarist Ace Frehley co-writes his first single from his new 2009 album Anomaly entitled "Outer Space" with The Napoleon Blownaparts drummer Jesse Mendez. In June 2009 Jesse Mendez and co-writer Ajax Garcia announced that they have completed work on their long awaited followup to their 2001 release "Land Of Hype & Glory entitled CRISIS.
March 2010-2011 Vancouver youth movement. Headlines read 'TEENS PROTEST TO THE TUNE OF THE NAPOLEON BLOWNAPARTS'
see link for full story: http://www.vancouverobserver.com/city/education/2010/05/07/protesting-education-cuts
Lord Byng students, Randy Lee and Kurt Ahn, directed "Can't Afford To Be Smart," a music video matching clips of an April protest at the Vancouver School Board to the tune of Hollywood punk band The Napoleon Blownaparts' "Higher Education". "Can't Afford To Be Smart" aka "Higher Education" was originally released on the Blownaparts 1997 album THRILLBOUND on Eerie Pop Records.
See video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qKSztzAaunI
http://www.eeriepopindustries.com
http://www.facebook.com/ajaxgarcia
http://www.thekissicons.com
http://www.kissikons.com
http://www.jetboysofbabylon.com
EeriePop Store On Ebay
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...
/hard rock
Hard rock
Hard rock is a loosely defined genre of rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage rock, blues rock and psychedelic rock...
band formed in Hollywood, California during 1995. Led by frontman and forming member Ajax Garcia, the band are currently working on their 6th album to date and follow up to 2010's release CRISIS. See CRISIS ( http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/napoleonblownaparts )
Sound
Musically, The Blownaparts take influence from the likes of the New York DollsNew York Dolls
The New York Dolls is an American rock band, formed in New York in 1971. The band's protopunk sound prefigured much of what was to come in the punk rock era; their visual style influenced the look of many new wave and 1980s-era glam metal groups, and they began the local New York scene that later...
and The Stooges
The Stooges
The Stooges are an American rock band from Ann Arbor, Michigan first active from 1967 to 1974, and later reformed in 2003...
to AC/DC
AC/DC
AC/DC are an Australian rock band, formed in 1973 by brothers Malcolm and Angus Young. Commonly classified as hard rock, they are considered pioneers of heavy metal, though they themselves have always classified their music as simply "rock and roll"...
The Rolling Stones and The Ramones playing a sonic mix of hard rock, punk rock, and also incorporating a blues edge.
History
The following information is not in chronological order. Events recorded were taken from internet research and creditable sourcesFormed in the mid 1990s in North Hollywood California by musician/artist Ajax Garcia, The band began to gather speed during 1998, Taking their show on the road playing everywhere from small clubs to opening for Fiona Apple
Fiona Apple
Fiona Apple McAfee Maggart is an American singer-songwriter and pianist. Apple met international acclaim for her 1996 debut album, Tidal, which was a critical and commercial success...
and Social Distortion
Social Distortion
Social Distortion is an American punk rock band formed in 1978 in Fullerton, California. The band currently consists of Mike Ness , Jonny Wickersham , Brent Harding and David Hidalgo, Jr...
at The "Paul Paul theatres" in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, The same year the group was booked by VANS WARPED TOUR founder Kevin Lyman to play on the 1998 Vans Warped Tour. The bill also included THE LIVING END, BAD RELIGION and RANCID.
In the mid 90's (1995) Ajax Garcia was asked by then KISS
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,...
rep Frank Munoz to create comic book designs that were to be used for retale merchandise to promote an upcoming KISS reunion tour. The artist went to work and the results surpassed everyone's expectations as the four KISS icons have helped generate millions in revenue for Gene Simmons and his masked rock legends. The Ajax art pieces were purchassed by Sony Signatures in late 95 and there is no doubt that Ajax's KISS ICONS have become some of the most popular KISS packaging and toy designs ever created. The Ajax created designs can be found on everything from KISS toy packaging to even KISS toys and the latest money maker KISS HIS and HERS FRAGRANCES. With his designs Garcia and KISS hit a home run on the first try and it is documented that Ajax Garcia is in fact the very first comic book artist/designer to bring the rock legends back to the modern comic book world. His KISS comic style work pre-dates Tod McFarlane's KISS work by at least 2 years. Frank Munoz later became the manager of The Napoleon Blownaparts but parted ways with the band at some point after The Blownaparts opened for KISS and WEEZER in 01 (see KISS-WEEZER below). Munoz then went on to work with METALLICA bringing with him Blownaparts members Ajax Garcia and drummer Jesse Mendez, Munoz remains apart of the METALLICA team. Till this day Ajax Garcia's management The Loud Americana Group in Los Angeles California fills requests from KISS fans all over the world who seek the signature of the popular artist/musician Ajax Garcia on KISS merchandise.
http://www.myspace.com/blownaparts
July of 2000 saw Ajax and the Blownaparts playing on the KISS
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,...
farewell tour as the band struck a sponsorship deal with the LEVI'S brand.
August 2001 The Napoleon Blownaparts perform a home coming concert in California in front of a sold out audience of more than 7,000 kids. Also on the bill are nerd rockers WEEZER, and rap rockers CRAZY TOWN.
In 2004 during a radio interview as part of a joke Garcia expressed interest in the vacancy left by Guns N' Roses guitarist BucketHead. Ajax Garcia receives a telephone call back from Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band, formed in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, in 1985. The band has released six studio albums, three EPs, and one live album...
bassist Tommy Stenson regarding the spot made vacant by guitarist who hides his identity with a chicken bucket. Axl Rose later goes public denying him or Stinson had ever heard from Garcia. Ajax later says what ever to the statement made by Axl Rose and says he has Tommy Stinson on voice mail. http://www.roadrun.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=21426 Though it would be Bumblefoot
Bumblefoot
Bumblefoot may refer to:*Bumblefoot , an infection found on the feet of birds of prey and some animals*Bumblefoot , alias of musician Ron Thal...
not Garcia who replaced Buckethead in Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band, formed in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, in 1985. The band has released six studio albums, three EPs, and one live album...
during early 2006 fans on G N'R forums express that it was Garcia who would have been the best choice to fill the giant boots of Slash.
During 2004-5, bassist of the Murderdolls
Murderdolls
Murderdolls is an American horror punk supergroup, founded during 2002 in Hollywood, California. The band line-up consists of core members Wednesday 13 and Joey Jordison. Former members include Ben Graves, Acey Slade, Eric Griffin & Tripp Eisen....
; Eric Griffin
Eric Griffin
Eric Michael Griffin is an American rock guitarist. He is most famous for playing bass in the horror punk band Murderdolls and guitar in Wednesday 13...
joined the Blownaparts and Griffin enters the recording studio to put down bass tracks to a cover of Puss N' Boots a NEW YORK DOLLS classic, The Napoleon Blownaparts (Jesse Mendez, Ajax Garcia, Eric Griffin) were asked to contribute to JETBOYS OF BABYLON a tribute to The Dolls album that included such legends as THE ALARM, David Johansen (NY DOLLS) and Steve Jones (SEX PISTOLS). Though he is no longer an active member of the family it is said that Eric Griffin will appear on the new Blownaparts record due out in 2006. Also regarding this Dolls song it is friend and sit in drummer Wade Krause who performs the drums on the Puss N' Boots track and not drummer Jesse Mendez. Mendez was on tour with the Richie Scarlet band and was unavailable during the recording schedule. Krause is a member of the band SPARKLE JET and is also a founding member of the popular low brow toy company CIRCUS PUNKS. http://www.circuspunks.com
See: Richie Scarlet/Jesse Mendez:
http://www.rockdetector.com/officialbio,7385.sm;jsessionid=86526FC30D1C0B1CDD31322784B7C089
In 2006 Griffin was officially replaced as the Blownaparts bass player by former PIPE DOWN bassist Doug Welon. In 2005 Drummer Jesse Mendez joins a jam band with former Metallica bassist Jason Newsted. Blownaparts drummer Jesse Mendez also backs Ritchie Scarlet former Ace Frehley (KISS)guitarist on a west coast tour.
2004- EXTREME BEVERAGE CO. "BLAVOD" teams up with rocker Ajax Garcia for an unprecedented multi media ADV campaign- http://blackvodka.com/read.html
In 2004 Dark Horse Comics releases the pictorial novel titled ELECTRIC FRANKENSTEIN". The coffee table book features the art work of Ajax Garcia. A follow up for 2007 is in the works-never before seen KISS art from the 1995 reunion tour days are rumored to appear in the new book.
2005- Ajax Garcia launches the "FLY ON THE WALL" editorial piece. Celebrity guest interviews include from Image Comics Kevin Conrad (SPAWN and KISS artist), THE HIVES guitarist Niklause Arsen, Brian Ball of the Ernie Ball/Music Man Co.
http://www.blistering.com/fastpage/fpengine.php/link/1/templateid/10807/tempidx/5/menuid/3
2006- Magnatune Licensing Company sells THE BLOWNAPARTS music to restaurant chain and an amusement theme park in both mid west and west coast markets for radio and television advertisements. See Blownaparts profile on www.magnatune.com for licensing details: http://magnatune.com/artists/blownaparts
2006- EeriePop issues a product line to feature the art work of Ajax Garcia through a toy product called EeriePop BLISTER PACKS. Each Blister Pack comes packaged up two posters, FREE CDs, Decals and other goodies all design to suck in the adolescent consumer! see:
2006- LEGENDARY EXTREME BMX COMPANY SKYWAY TAPS ROCK STARS & APPAREL TRENDSETTERS;
GRAPHITE WHEEL COMPANY TAKES GLOBAL AIM AT YOUTH MARKET
LOS ANGELES, CA – MARCH 29, 2005 – Skyway BMX, makers of the Tuff Wheel and the company responsible for the mag wheel phenomenon of the 1970’s and 80's, is re-emerging as a must have “old Skool” product for a new generation of street riders. Read Press Release: http://www.fatbmx.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=386
2009- Legendary KISS guitarist Ace Frehley co-writes his first single from his new 2009 album Anomaly entitled "Outer Space" with The Napoleon Blownaparts drummer Jesse Mendez. In June 2009 Jesse Mendez and co-writer Ajax Garcia announced that they have completed work on their long awaited followup to their 2001 release "Land Of Hype & Glory entitled CRISIS.
March 2010-2011 Vancouver youth movement. Headlines read 'TEENS PROTEST TO THE TUNE OF THE NAPOLEON BLOWNAPARTS'
see link for full story: http://www.vancouverobserver.com/city/education/2010/05/07/protesting-education-cuts
Lord Byng students, Randy Lee and Kurt Ahn, directed "Can't Afford To Be Smart," a music video matching clips of an April protest at the Vancouver School Board to the tune of Hollywood punk band The Napoleon Blownaparts' "Higher Education". "Can't Afford To Be Smart" aka "Higher Education" was originally released on the Blownaparts 1997 album THRILLBOUND on Eerie Pop Records.
See video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qKSztzAaunI
Current
- Ajax Garcia - vocals, guitar
- Jesse "The Mexican" Mendez - drums
- Jes Reckless - Guitars, Vox
Former
If anyone has any more informtaion on past members please edit this portion of the page-- Eric Griffin- Bass 2004
- Shawn Gatlin- Bass/Guitars 1997-2001
- Josh Armstrong- 2000-2001
- Charlie Odauhl- Drums 1997-1999
- Grant Bo Johns- Drums 1998-1999
- Jeff Vanada- Drums 1996-1996
- Bumper Renga- Guitars 1998
- Shawn Medina- Bass 2001
- Shawnie Aldredi- Drums 2001
- Dat Ngo 1995-1996
Albums
- Thrillbound - 1998 EeriePop Records
- Hearts Of Saturday Night - 2000 EeriePop Records
- Land Of Hype & Glory - 2001 EP Records/BLAVOD
- Thrill Hype - 2004 Magnatune Records & Licensing
- Fistful Of Rock N' Roll 2003 Victory Records
- Rock N' Roll Au Go Go - 2004 Devil Doll Records
- CRISIS - 2010 Eerie Pop Entertainment / Loud Americana Group
External links
http://www.eeriepopindustries.com
http://www.facebook.com/ajaxgarcia
http://www.thekissicons.com
http://www.kissikons.com
http://www.jetboysofbabylon.com
EeriePop Store On Ebay