The Pain Teens
Encyclopedia
Pain Teens was an experimental noise rock
band
formed in Houston, Texas
in 1985 by Scott Ayers and Bliss Blood
. The band used tape manipulation, digital delays, sampling, tape cut-ups and other effects in their music. They also included guitar, violin, marimba, saxophone, percussion, and many other musical instruments.
Beginning in 1987, Pain Teens released nine out-of-print cassette tapes and two LPs
on their own Anomie Records label. Soon after, they released four LPs for Trance Syndicate Records, an Austin
, Texas label run by King Coffey
of the band Butthole Surfers
. Their eponymous first LP release was re-released by Mason Jones and Charnel Music
in 1998.
and Scott Ayers formed The Pain Teens. The group was signed to King Coffey
's Trance Syndicate
label for their offbeat yet nightmarish psychedelic music—similar to labelmates Crust
and Coffey's band, Butthole Surfers
.
Drummer Frank Garymartin and bassist Kirk Carr joined the band in 1990.
The Pain Teens broke up in 1995. Blood moved to New York City
that year and began playing solo gigs on her ukulele doing 1920's tunes and original music, forming several groups, including The Moonlighters
in 1998. The Moonlighters have released 4 cds on their own label, ONLIEST Records, and their fifth cd "Enchanted" was released on WorldSound Records, a Seattle-based label, in July 2009. Ayers still resides in Houston and has played with a number of other bands since—including Truth Decay and Walking Timebombs. Garymartin briefly played with Helios Creed
and launched a hip-hop act under the name of Hundred. Kirk Carr died of cancer in May 2008.
The entire catalog is now available for the first time on iTunes, including the early cassette-only releases.
Noise rock
Noise rock describes a style of post-punk rock music that became prominent in the 1980s. Noise rock makes use of the traditional instrumentation and iconography of rock, but incorporates atonality and especially dissonance, and also frequently discards usual songwriting conventions.-Style:Noise...
band
Band (music)
In music, a musical ensemble or band is a group of musicians that works together to perform music. The following articles concern types of musical bands:* All-female band* Big band* Boy band* Christian band* Church band* Concert band* Cover band...
formed in Houston, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
in 1985 by Scott Ayers and Bliss Blood
Bliss Blood
Bliss Blood is a musician and songwriter from Houston, Texas. She moved to New York City, New York in 1996. She has written and recorded one album with Evanescent in 2011 , five albums with New York jazz band The Moonlighters from 2000-2009, and six albums from 1988-1995 with Houston noise rock...
. The band used tape manipulation, digital delays, sampling, tape cut-ups and other effects in their music. They also included guitar, violin, marimba, saxophone, percussion, and many other musical instruments.
Beginning in 1987, Pain Teens released nine out-of-print cassette tapes and two LPs
LP record
The LP, or long-playing microgroove record, is a format for phonograph records, an analog sound storage medium. Introduced by Columbia Records in 1948, it was soon adopted as a new standard by the entire record industry...
on their own Anomie Records label. Soon after, they released four LPs for Trance Syndicate Records, an Austin
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
, Texas label run by King Coffey
King Coffey
King Coffey is an American drummer, best known for being the drummer of the psychedelic/noise rock band the Butthole Surfers. He began drumming in a Fort Worth hardcore punk band called The Hugh Beaumont Experience. Around that same time he published a fanzine called Throbbing Cattle...
of the band 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...
. Their eponymous first LP release was re-released by Mason Jones and Charnel Music
Charnel Music
Charnel Music is an independent record label devoted to putting out strange and improvisational music. The label was formed in 1988 by Mason Jones as "Charnel House" and had initially released works by his band Trance. The label's name later changed to "Charnel Music," and went on to release music...
in 1998.
History
In 1985, Houston residents Bliss BloodBliss Blood
Bliss Blood is a musician and songwriter from Houston, Texas. She moved to New York City, New York in 1996. She has written and recorded one album with Evanescent in 2011 , five albums with New York jazz band The Moonlighters from 2000-2009, and six albums from 1988-1995 with Houston noise rock...
and Scott Ayers formed The Pain Teens. The group was signed to King Coffey
King Coffey
King Coffey is an American drummer, best known for being the drummer of the psychedelic/noise rock band the Butthole Surfers. He began drumming in a Fort Worth hardcore punk band called The Hugh Beaumont Experience. Around that same time he published a fanzine called Throbbing Cattle...
's Trance Syndicate
Trance Syndicate
Trance Syndicate was an independent record label founded in 1990 by King Coffey, drummer of Austin, TX band the Butthole Surfers.. Its first release was Crust's The Sacred Heart of Crust EP...
label for their offbeat yet nightmarish psychedelic music—similar to labelmates Crust
Crust (band)
Crust was a musical group from Austin, Texas that was active during the late-1980s and 1990s and was featured on Trance Syndicate Records, a record label run by King Coffey from the Butthole Surfers...
and Coffey's band, 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...
.
Drummer Frank Garymartin and bassist Kirk Carr joined the band in 1990.
The Pain Teens broke up in 1995. Blood moved to 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...
that year and began playing solo gigs on her ukulele doing 1920's tunes and original music, forming several groups, including The Moonlighters
Bliss Blood
Bliss Blood is a musician and songwriter from Houston, Texas. She moved to New York City, New York in 1996. She has written and recorded one album with Evanescent in 2011 , five albums with New York jazz band The Moonlighters from 2000-2009, and six albums from 1988-1995 with Houston noise rock...
in 1998. The Moonlighters have released 4 cds on their own label, ONLIEST Records, and their fifth cd "Enchanted" was released on WorldSound Records, a Seattle-based label, in July 2009. Ayers still resides in Houston and has played with a number of other bands since—including Truth Decay and Walking Timebombs. Garymartin briefly played with Helios Creed
Helios Creed
Helios Creed is an American guitarist, singer and bandleader. He first came to prominence in the mid 1970s with the San Francisco band Chrome. They are credited with being the godfathers of what later became known as Industrial Rock music...
and launched a hip-hop act under the name of Hundred. Kirk Carr died of cancer in May 2008.
The entire catalog is now available for the first time on iTunes, including the early cassette-only releases.
Albums
- Pain TeensPain Teens (album)Pain Teens is the debut studio album of the American Noise rock/Industrial band Pain Teens, released in 1988 through Anomie Records. It was later reissued, remixed, and remastered on CD and released on Charnel Music in 1998.-Reception:...
(1988, Anomie) - Case HistoriesCase Histories (album)Case Histories is the second studio album by the American Noise rock/Industrial band Pain Teens, released in 1989 through Anomie Records.- Reception :Piero Scaruffi gave it a 6 out of 10, calling it a "expressionist, dissonant wasteland"....
(1989, Anomie) - Born in BloodBorn in BloodBorn in Blood is the third studio album by the American Noise rock/Industrial band Pain Teens, released in November 1990 through Trance Syndicate.- Reception :Kathleen C...
(1990, Trance Syndicate) - Stimulation FestivalStimulation FestivalStimulation Festival is the fourth studio album by the American Noise rock/Industrial band Pain Teens, released on May 18, 1992 through Trance Syndicate.-Reception:...
(1992, Trance Syndicate) - Destroy Me, LoverDestroy Me, LoverDestroy Me, Lover is the fifth studio album by the American Noise rock/Industrial band Pain Teens, released on July 5, 1993 through Trance Syndicate.-Reception:...
(1993, Trance Syndicate) - Beast of DreamsBeast of DreamsBeast of Dreams is the sixth and final studio album by the American Noise rock/Industrial band Pain Teens, released on October 24, 1995 through Trance Syndicate.- Music :...
(1995, Trance Syndicate)
Singles
- "Bondage" (1990, Rave)
- "Lady Of Flame" (1991, Smilin' Ear)
- "Sacrificial Shack" (1992, C/Z)
- "Come Up and See Me Sometime" 1992, C/Z)
- "Death Row Eyes" (1992, Sub PopSub PopSub Pop is a record label founded in 1986 by Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman in Seattle, Washington. Sub Pop achieved fame in the late 1980s for first signing Nirvana, Soundgarden, Mudhoney and many other bands from the Seattle music scene...
)
Cassettes
- Psychoactive (1985, Anomie)
- Manmade Disasters (1986, Anomie)
- Cathy (1986, Anomie)
- Pain Teens IV (1986, Anomie)
- King God (1987, Anomie)
- Obliviated (1987, Anomie)
- Dog Spirits (1988, Anomie)
- Narcolepsy(1988, Anomie)
- Collective Unconscious Mythology and You (1988, Anomie)