The Red Hearts
Encyclopedia
History
The Red Hearts, initially called The Thieves, were formed by Lenny Pops in 2004 after the breakup of The Snakes. Pops' framed the band as a minimal mod/punk three piece backed by Nina Cole and Hethur Suval. He changed the band's name to The Red Hearts. The band played many local shows around Los AngelesLos Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
and Long Beach
Long Beach, California
Long Beach is a city situated in Los Angeles County in Southern California, on the Pacific coast of the United States. The city is the 36th-largest city in the nation and the seventh-largest in California. As of 2010, its population was 462,257...
, and made it as far north as San Francisco in the first few years of its existence. In mid-2006, The Red Hearts were approached by Matt Friction
Matt Friction
Matthew Bell, better known as Matt Friction, is an American musician, singer, and songwriter.Friction's music career began in 1998 as lead singer and songwriter of the band Silent Friction. He later moved on to establish power pop band The Pink Spiders with Bob Ferrari and Jon Decious...
of The Pink Spiders
The Pink Spiders
The Pink Spiders are an American rock band, formed in Nashville, Tennessee in 2003. The band currently consists of Matt Friction , Bob Ferrari , and Brandon Jazz ....
to be one of the first singles distributed by his new Mean Buzz Records label.http://www.laweekly.com/music/diggin-your-scene/the-red-hearts/15688/
Shortly before the release of the Mean Buzz single, both Cole and Suval left the band. Pops decided to continue the band and recruited Richie Cardenas on drums and Daniel Clodfelter on bass. To add an extra dynamic to the new lineup, Pops also got Dan Collins of The Shakes to join the band full time (he contributed Farfisa to the Mean Buzz single) on Farfisa organ. With the new line-up, The Red Hearts developed a faster, more raw sound and energetic live show. In November 2006 Cardenas left the band to play in the Portland
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...
, Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
based Clorox Girls. Following Cardenas' departure the Red Hearts went through a series of drummers, including Eric Tretbar, ex-Rat Bastards (pre-Devil Dogs
Devil Dogs
The Devil Dogs were a New York-based garage punk band, started in 1989 by Andy Gortler , Steve Baise and Paul Corio .Two members of the Devil Dogs had been members of the Rat Bastards when that band dissolved during the recording of an album; they regrouped as The Devil Dogs and continued recording...
) and Funseekers; and Justino Polimeni, who had previously backed Arthur Lee
Arthur Lee
Arthur Lee may refer to:*Arthur Lee , U.S. envoy to France*Arthur Lee, 1st Viscount Lee of Fareham , British soldier and diplomat*Arthur Lee , American psychedelic-rock musician...
and Sky Saxon
Sky Saxon
Sky "Sunlight" Saxon was an American rock and roll musician who was best known as the leader and singer of the 1960s Los Angeles psychedelic garage rock band The Seeds.-Biography:...
. Kirk Podell is the band's current drummer.
After Podell joined the band, The Red Hearts embarked on a tour of the Southern States
Southern States
Southern States may refer to:*Southern United States*Southern States Cooperative*The independent states of the South in the North-South divide*The independent states of the Southern hemisphere...
traveling as far east as Atlanta, Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
in September 2007.
Future plans
The band has a new 7" coming out on the FrenchFrance
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
label, April 77 Records, in April 2008.http://www.april77records.com
Past Projects
Pops is a former member of the Brian Jonestown Massacre, and also played with Blake Miller of Moving UnitsMoving Units
Moving Units is a dance-punk band from Los Angeles, California.-History:The band was formed in 2001 by Chris Hathwell, Blake Miller, and Johan Boegli, when Hathwell's previous band, Festival of Dead Deer, broke up. They released their debut EP, Moving Units, on Three One G in early 2002...
in a band called Spectacle
Spectacle (band)
Spectacle was an alternative indie pop rock band from California during the 1990s fronted by Blake Miller . Their sound was characterized as "sunny, melodic, jangling folk-rock." Other Spectacle members included Alex Crain, Brad Laner , and Brent Rademaker...
(which toured with the BJM).
Pops' previous band The Snakes released one album on The Committee to Keep Music Evil, a subsidiary of Bomp! Records
Bomp! Records
Bomp! Records is an Los Angeles-based indie label formed in 1974 by fanzine publisher and music historian Greg Shaw.-History:The label has featured punk, pop, powerpop, garage rock, new wave, old school rock, neo-psychedelia among other genres, and its roster has included artists such as The Modern...
run by Anton Newcombe
Anton Newcombe
Anton Alfred Newcombe is a singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and leader of the music group, The Brian Jonestown Massacre.-Music:...
of the Brian Jonestown Massacre, in 2002. http://www.bompstore.com/servlet/Detail?no=3729 http://www.bomp.com/Committee.html
Pops' was also a member of a recent version of 1980s garage revival band The Morlocks
The Morlocks
The Morlocks is an American garage rock band from San Diego, California, which formed in 1984. In its first incarnation, the band consisted of guitarist Tommy Clarke, bassist Jeff Lucas , drummer Mark Mullen, as well as vocalist Leighton Koizumi and guitarist Ted Friedman, former members of the...
, though he quit after the band's first European tour in 2007.
Band members
- Lenny Pops - Vocals, Guitar (2004–present)
- Daniel Clodfelter - Bass, Vocals (2006–present)
- Dan Collins - Farfisa Organ, Vocals (2006–present)
- Kirk Podell - Drums (2007–present)
- Hethur Suval - Bass (2004–2006)
- Nina Cole - Drums (2004–2006)
- Richie Cardenas - Drums (2006)
- Eric Tretbar - Drums (2007)
- Justino Polimeni - Drums (2007)
Singles
- "More and Faster" b/w "Synths and Tranqs" 7" - 2006 (Mean Buzz Records)
- "Let's Get Lost" b/w "Big Ripoff" 7" - 2008 (April 77 Records)