The Sneetches (band)
Encyclopedia
The Sneetches was an indie pop
/power pop
band formed in San Francisco, California
in 1985, who released several albums before splitting up in the mid-1990s. The band was described by Trouser Press
as "one of the most tasteful, consistently tuneful pop bands on the American scene".
by 1988. The band showed influences from the likes of The Zombies
, The Left Banke
and The Easybeats
, all of whom had tracks covered
by The Sneetches. They signed to the London
-based Kaleidoscope Sound
label, and debuted in 1988 with "Only For a Moment", followed by the mini-album Lights Out! With The Sneetches. They were then signed by Creation Records
in the UK and Alias Records
in the United States, who issued the band's debut full-length album, Sometimes That's All We Have, in 1989, described by Allmusic as "a masterful album highly recommended to all fans of the style". Levy switched to guitar with the recruitment of former Stingrays
bassist Alejandro "Alec" Palao in 1990. Slow followed on Alias in 1990, the band then moving on to the Bus Stop label for three singles between 1991 and 1993, later compiled on the Think Again compilation.
In 1993, the band recorded a mini-album with Chris Wilson
of The Flamin' Groovies, and recorded a final album, Blow Out the Sun, in 1994, before splitting up. A posthumous mini-set, Starfucker, comprising demo recordings of tracks that were not included on Blow Out the Sun, was released by Bus Stop in 1995.
Levy began work on a solo album in 1995, Fireflies, which was eventually released in 2000.
Compilations:
Indie pop
Indie pop is a genre of alternative rock music that originated in the United Kingdom in the mid 1980s, with its roots in the Scottish post-punk bands on the Postcard Records label in the early '80s, such as Orange Juice, Josef K and Aztec Camera, and the dominant UK independent band of the mid...
/power pop
Power pop
Power pop is a popular musical genre that draws its inspiration from 1960s British and American pop and rock music. It typically incorporates a combination of musical devices such as strong melodies, crisp vocal harmonies, economical arrangements, and prominent guitar riffs. Instrumental solos are...
band formed in San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
in 1985, who released several albums before splitting up in the mid-1990s. The band was described by Trouser Press
Trouser Press
Trouser Press was a rock and roll magazine started in New York in 1974 as a mimeographed fanzine by editor/publisher Ira Robbins, fellow Who fan Dave Schulps and Karen Rose under the name "Trans-Oceanic Trouser Press" ...
as "one of the most tasteful, consistently tuneful pop bands on the American scene".
History
The initial line-up was Mike Levy (vocals, bass) and Matt Carges (guitar) adding English drummer Daniel Swan, formerly of The CortinasThe Cortinas (punk band)
The Cortinas were a 1970s Bristol-based punk rock band. Guitarist Nick Sheppard went on to play with The Clash. In 2001, the band’s debut single, "Fascist Dictator" , was included in a leading British music magazine’s list of the best punk-rock singles of all-time.-Biography:Named after a car, the...
by 1988. The band showed influences from the likes of The Zombies
The Zombies
The Zombies are an English rock band, formed in 1961 in St Albans and led by Rod Argent, on piano and keyboards, and vocalist Colin Blunstone. The group scored a UK and US hit in 1964 with "She's Not There"...
, The Left Banke
The Left Banke
The Left Banke is an American baroque pop band that formed in New York City in 1965 and disbanded in 1969. They are best remembered for their two U.S. hit singles, "Walk Away Renée" and "Pretty Ballerina"...
and The Easybeats
The Easybeats
The Easybeats were an Australian rock and roll band. They formed in Sydney in late 1964 and broke up at the end of 1969. They are regarded as the greatest Australian pop band of the 1960s, and were the first Australian rock and roll act to score an international pop hit with their 1966 single...
, all of whom had tracks covered
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
by The Sneetches. They signed to the London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
-based Kaleidoscope Sound
Slaughter Joe
Slaughter Joe aka Joe Foster is a musical artist, record producer, historian, and former child actor.Along with Alan McGee and Dick Green, he had formed Creation Records in 1983. He set up the Kaleidoscope Sound label in the mid 1980s, and Creation's subsidiary label Rev-Ola Records in the early...
label, and debuted in 1988 with "Only For a Moment", followed by the mini-album Lights Out! With The Sneetches. They were then signed by Creation Records
Creation Records
Creation Records was a British independent record label headed by Alan McGee. Along with Dick Green and Joe Foster, McGee founded Creation in 1983. The label lasted until its demise in 1999. The name came from the 1960s band The Creation , whom McGee greatly admired. McGee, Green and Foster were...
in the UK and Alias Records
Alias Records
Alias Records is a small American indie-rock record label based in California.Alias has released albums by American Music Club, Archers of Loaf, Yo La Tengo, The Loud Family, Too Much Joy and Knapsack among others....
in the United States, who issued the band's debut full-length album, Sometimes That's All We Have, in 1989, described by Allmusic as "a masterful album highly recommended to all fans of the style". Levy switched to guitar with the recruitment of former Stingrays
The Stingrays
The Stingrays are a New Wave/Rockabilly band, which originally formed in 1977 in Bristol, England, and is still gigging today. ....
bassist Alejandro "Alec" Palao in 1990. Slow followed on Alias in 1990, the band then moving on to the Bus Stop label for three singles between 1991 and 1993, later compiled on the Think Again compilation.
In 1993, the band recorded a mini-album with Chris Wilson
Chris Wilson (guitarist)
Chris Wilson is a guitarist and multi instrumentalist, most known for his role as the singer of the best-remembered line-up San Francisco cult band The Flamin' Groovies, having replaced original singer Roy Loney in 1971...
of The Flamin' Groovies, and recorded a final album, Blow Out the Sun, in 1994, before splitting up. A posthumous mini-set, Starfucker, comprising demo recordings of tracks that were not included on Blow Out the Sun, was released by Bus Stop in 1995.
Levy began work on a solo album in 1995, Fireflies, which was eventually released in 2000.
Albums
- Light Out! With The Sneetches (1988) Kaleidocope Sound
- Sometimes That's All We Have (1989) CreationCreation RecordsCreation Records was a British independent record label headed by Alan McGee. Along with Dick Green and Joe Foster, McGee founded Creation in 1983. The label lasted until its demise in 1999. The name came from the 1960s band The Creation , whom McGee greatly admired. McGee, Green and Foster were...
/AliasAlias RecordsAlias Records is a small American indie-rock record label based in California.Alias has released albums by American Music Club, Archers of Loaf, Yo La Tengo, The Loud Family, Too Much Joy and Knapsack among others.... - Slow (1990) Alias
- Chris Wilson & The Sneetches (1993) Marilyn
- Blow Out the Sun (1994) spinARTSpinART RecordsspinART Records is a now-defunct New York City-based independent record label that released recordings by artists such as The Apples in Stereo, Clem Snide, Frank Black and Michael Penn....
- Starfucker (1995) Bus Stop
Compilations:
- 1985-1991 (1991) Alias
- Think Again (1993) Bus Stop
- Obscureyears (1994) Creation Rev-OlaRev-Ola RecordsRev-Ola Records is a UK record label formed in 1988 that specializes in reissues, as well as select new releases. The label is headed by Joe Foster, a former child actor and musician/producer...
Singles
- "Only for a Moment" (1988) Kaleidoscope Sound
- "He's Frank"/"Please Don't Break My Heart" (1989) Alias
- "She Does Everything For Me" (1991) Bus Stop
- "...and I'm Thinking" (1992) Bus Stop
- "A Good Thing" (1993) Bus Stop
- "She May Call You Up Tonight" (1993) Jelly Bean
- Sunnyside Down EP (1993) ElefantElefant RecordsElefant Records is an independent record label based in Spain. Elefant records was founded in 1989 by Luis Calvo as an offshoot of a fanzine he produced called "La Línea Del Arco"...
External links
- The Sneetches at The Bus Stop Label