Tsunami (band)
Encyclopedia
Tsunami was an American
indie rock
band from Arlington, Virginia, formed by housemates Jenny Toomey
and Kristin Thomson in late 1990 to play at New Year's party. They enlisted former housemate John Pamer to play drums and Andrew Webster from Jenny's previous band Geek to complete the line up.
record label- from which Tsunami would release the majority of their own music. The band recorded their debut album, Deep End during the summer of 1992. However, due to manufacturing and mixing problems this was not released until early 1993.
It was then that the band were invited to play the side stage at Lollapalooza
, going on to play six shows with Sebadoh
, Free Kitten
and Thurston Moore
. After the release of the band's second album The Heart's Tremolo, Tsunami completed two tours of the US, a tour of England, and an appearance at the Phoenix Festival
on the Melody Maker
Stage.
In 1995, Tsunami continued to tour the States and also managed to release their third album World Tour and Other Destinations. The band subsequently had an official one year hiatus whilst John attended UMASS Amherst to complete his undergraduate degree.
. With this in mind, Tsunami enlisted the services of another Arlington drummer, Luther Gray. Having practiced with Gray for six months, the band recorded their fourth album at the Kingsize Soundlabs in Chicago. The result, A Brilliant Mistake, was released in August 1997 on Simple Machines
. The band embarked on another US tour to promote the album, taking on new members, Amy Domingues (bass) and Bob Massey (guitar & keyboards).
Whilst the end of the record label also marked the end of musical releases from Tsunami, they subsequently fulfilled a short East Coast tour in the same year. Toomey & Thomson joined up for two sets between 2001 and 2003 with a mixture of former members and guest musicians to perform at the Ladyfest
festivals in Washington, D.C.
and Philadelphia
, whose aim is 'to protest the rights of the recording artist in lieu of technological advances'. She was to be joined by Thompson who became Education Director for the organisation after completing a Masters in Urban Affairs and Public Policy from the University of Delaware
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
indie rock
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
band from Arlington, Virginia, formed by housemates Jenny Toomey
Jenny Toomey
Jenny Toomey is an American indie rock musician and arts activist from Chevy Chase, Maryland, and later, Washington, D.C. She was a member of the bands Geek, Tsunami, Liquorice, Grenadine, So Low and Choke, among others, and has also recorded under her own name...
and Kristin Thomson in late 1990 to play at New Year's party. They enlisted former housemate John Pamer to play drums and Andrew Webster from Jenny's previous band Geek to complete the line up.
Early days
Following their inception, Tsunami split their time between touring, recording various 7" singles and devoting time to Toomey & Thomson's Simple MachinesSimple Machines
Simple Machines was a record label that operated out of Arlington, Virginia. The label was masterminded by Jenny Toomey and Kristin Thomson and, at its peak, had four paid workers- Toomey, Thomson, Pat Graham and Mickey Menard...
record label- from which Tsunami would release the majority of their own music. The band recorded their debut album, Deep End during the summer of 1992. However, due to manufacturing and mixing problems this was not released until early 1993.
It was then that the band were invited to play the side stage at Lollapalooza
Lollapalooza
Lollapalooza is an annual music festival featuring popular alternative rock, heavy metal, punk rock and hip hop bands, dance and comedy performances, and craft booths. It has also provided a platform for non-profit and political groups. The music festival hosts more than 160,000 people over a...
, going on to play six shows with Sebadoh
Sebadoh
Sebadoh is an American indie rock band, formed in 1986 in Westfield, Massachusetts by Eric Gaffney and Dinosaur Jr bass player Lou Barlow. Along with such bands as Pavement and Guided by Voices, Sebadoh helped pioneer lo-fi music, a style of indie rock characterized by low-fidelity recording...
, Free Kitten
Free Kitten
Free Kitten is a musical collaboration between Sonic Youth's Kim Gordon and Pussy Galore's Julie Cafritz. Originally performing under the name Kitten, they changed their name, after receiving threats of legal action by a heavy metal singer performing under that name...
and Thurston Moore
Thurston Moore
Thurston Joseph Moore is an American musician best known as a singer, songwriter and guitarist of Sonic Youth. He has also participated in many solo and group collaborations outside of Sonic Youth, as well as running the Ecstatic Peace! record label...
. After the release of the band's second album The Heart's Tremolo, Tsunami completed two tours of the US, a tour of England, and an appearance at the Phoenix Festival
Phoenix Festival
The Phoenix Festival was set up by Vince Power of the Mean Fiddler Music Group in 1993 as an alternative to the established Glastonbury and Reading Festivals...
on the Melody Maker
Melody Maker
Melody Maker, published in the United Kingdom, was, according to its publisher IPC Media, the world's oldest weekly music newspaper. It was founded in 1926 as a magazine targeted at musicians; in 2000 it was merged into "long-standing rival" New Musical Express.-1950s–1960s:Originally the Melody...
Stage.
In 1995, Tsunami continued to tour the States and also managed to release their third album World Tour and Other Destinations. The band subsequently had an official one year hiatus whilst John attended UMASS Amherst to complete his undergraduate degree.
Fresh Faces
Following his graduation in 1996, John decided to stay in Amherst in order to save up so he could move to New York CityNew 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...
. With this in mind, Tsunami enlisted the services of another Arlington drummer, Luther Gray. Having practiced with Gray for six months, the band recorded their fourth album at the Kingsize Soundlabs in Chicago. The result, A Brilliant Mistake, was released in August 1997 on Simple Machines
Simple Machines
Simple Machines was a record label that operated out of Arlington, Virginia. The label was masterminded by Jenny Toomey and Kristin Thomson and, at its peak, had four paid workers- Toomey, Thomson, Pat Graham and Mickey Menard...
. The band embarked on another US tour to promote the album, taking on new members, Amy Domingues (bass) and Bob Massey (guitar & keyboards).
Simple Machines
In 1998, Toomey & Thomson took the decision to call time on the Simple Machines Record Label. The event was marked by the 'Simple Machines Finale party' at which the band performed.Whilst the end of the record label also marked the end of musical releases from Tsunami, they subsequently fulfilled a short East Coast tour in the same year. Toomey & Thomson joined up for two sets between 2001 and 2003 with a mixture of former members and guest musicians to perform at the Ladyfest
Ladyfest
Ladyfest is a community-based, not-for-profit global music and arts festival for female artists that features bands, musical groups, performance artists, authors, spoken word and visual artists, films, lectures, art exhibitions and workshops; it is organized by volunteers. The first ever Ladyfest...
festivals in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
and Philadelphia
After Simple Machines
After Simple Machines was wound up in 1998, Toomey went on to become the executive director of the Future of Music CoalitionFuture of Music Coalition
Future of Music Coalition is a U.S. 501 national non-profit organization specializing in education, research and advocacy for musicians with a focus on issues at the intersection of music technology, policy and law.- Background :...
, whose aim is 'to protest the rights of the recording artist in lieu of technological advances'. She was to be joined by Thompson who became Education Director for the organisation after completing a Masters in Urban Affairs and Public Policy from the University of Delaware
University of Delaware
The university is organized into seven colleges:* College of Agriculture and Natural Resources* College of Arts and Sciences* Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics* College of Earth, Ocean and Environment* College of Education and Human Development...
.
Singles
- Headringer (Simple MachinesSimple MachinesSimple Machines was a record label that operated out of Arlington, Virginia. The label was masterminded by Jenny Toomey and Kristin Thomson and, at its peak, had four paid workers- Toomey, Thomson, Pat Graham and Mickey Menard...
, 1991) - Genius of Crack (Homestead RecordsHomestead RecordsHomestead Records was a Long Island, NY based sublabel of music distributor Dutch East India Trading. It was founded in 1984 by Sam Berger, who was the American Independent buyer for Dutch East India Trading. Berger was finding that many bands who had perhaps released their own first 45 were...
, 1991) - Teriyaki Asthma vol.7 (C/Z RecordsC/Z RecordsC/Z Records is a Seattle-based record label that was established in early 1985 by Chris Hanzsek and Tina Casale with the release of the now-legendary, Deep Six LP, which collected the earliest recordings of the real pro-genitors of what later came to be known as grunge...
, 1992) - Beautiful Arlington (IV (Australia), 1992)
- Diner (Simple MachinesSimple MachinesSimple Machines was a record label that operated out of Arlington, Virginia. The label was masterminded by Jenny Toomey and Kristin Thomson and, at its peak, had four paid workers- Toomey, Thomson, Pat Graham and Mickey Menard...
, 1993) - Matchbook (Simple MachinesSimple MachinesSimple Machines was a record label that operated out of Arlington, Virginia. The label was masterminded by Jenny Toomey and Kristin Thomson and, at its peak, had four paid workers- Toomey, Thomson, Pat Graham and Mickey Menard...
, 1993) - Be Like That (Simple MachinesSimple MachinesSimple Machines was a record label that operated out of Arlington, Virginia. The label was masterminded by Jenny Toomey and Kristin Thomson and, at its peak, had four paid workers- Toomey, Thomson, Pat Graham and Mickey Menard...
, 1994) - Poodle/Old City (Simple MachinesSimple MachinesSimple Machines was a record label that operated out of Arlington, Virginia. The label was masterminded by Jenny Toomey and Kristin Thomson and, at its peak, had four paid workers- Toomey, Thomson, Pat Graham and Mickey Menard...
, 1997)
Albums
- Deep EndDeep End (Tsunami album)Deep End is the first full-length album by American Alternative rock band Tsunami in 1993.-Track listing:All tracks by Tsunami except were noted# "In a Name" – 3:03# "The Spook" – 0:22# "Slugger" – 3:29# "Lucky" – 3:44...
(Simple MachinesSimple MachinesSimple Machines was a record label that operated out of Arlington, Virginia. The label was masterminded by Jenny Toomey and Kristin Thomson and, at its peak, had four paid workers- Toomey, Thomson, Pat Graham and Mickey Menard...
, 1993) - The Heart's TremoloThe Heart's TremoloThe Heart's Tremolo is the second full-length album by American Alternative rock band Tsunami, and was released in 1994.-Track listing:# Loud Is as Loud Does# Quietnova# Be Like That# Fast Food Medicine# Kidding on the Square...
(Simple MachinesSimple MachinesSimple Machines was a record label that operated out of Arlington, Virginia. The label was masterminded by Jenny Toomey and Kristin Thomson and, at its peak, had four paid workers- Toomey, Thomson, Pat Graham and Mickey Menard...
, 1994) - World Tour & Other DestinationsWorld Tour & Other DestinationsWorld Tour & Other Destinations is the third full-length album by American alternative rock band Tsunami. A compilation album, it is a collection of hard-to-find singles, b-sides and compilation tracks from 1991-1997.-Track listing:# "Flameproof Suit"...
(Simple MachinesSimple MachinesSimple Machines was a record label that operated out of Arlington, Virginia. The label was masterminded by Jenny Toomey and Kristin Thomson and, at its peak, had four paid workers- Toomey, Thomson, Pat Graham and Mickey Menard...
, 1995) - A Brilliant MistakeA Brilliant MistakeA Brilliant Mistake is the fourth full-length album by American alternative rock band Tsunami.-Track listing:# "Old Grey Mare"# "Great Mimes"# "Double Shift"# "Enter Misguided"# "The Workers Are Punished"# "Liar's Dice "...
(Simple MachinesSimple MachinesSimple Machines was a record label that operated out of Arlington, Virginia. The label was masterminded by Jenny Toomey and Kristin Thomson and, at its peak, had four paid workers- Toomey, Thomson, Pat Graham and Mickey Menard...
, 1997)
Compilation appearances
- Tsunami/Velocity Girl split 7" (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...
, 1992) - Season's Greetings split 7" w/ Velocity Girl (Simple MachinesSimple MachinesSimple Machines was a record label that operated out of Arlington, Virginia. The label was masterminded by Jenny Toomey and Kristin Thomson and, at its peak, had four paid workers- Toomey, Thomson, Pat Graham and Mickey Menard...
, 1992) - Inclined Plane comp 7" (Simple MachinesSimple MachinesSimple Machines was a record label that operated out of Arlington, Virginia. The label was masterminded by Jenny Toomey and Kristin Thomson and, at its peak, had four paid workers- Toomey, Thomson, Pat Graham and Mickey Menard...
, 1993) - Teen Beat 100 comp 7" (TeenBeat RecordsTeenBeat RecordsTeen Beat is an independent record label, originally based in Arlington, VA, now based in Cambridge, MA. It was founded by Mark Robinson in 1984 at Wakefield High School along with Phil Krauth , Andrew Beaujon , Tim Moran , and Ian Zack .The label was originally set up like a lending library...
, 1993) - August Working Holiday split 7" w/Small Factory (Simple MachinesSimple MachinesSimple Machines was a record label that operated out of Arlington, Virginia. The label was masterminded by Jenny Toomey and Kristin Thomson and, at its peak, had four paid workers- Toomey, Thomson, Pat Graham and Mickey Menard...
, 1993) - Echoes from the Nation's Capital comp CD/CS (TWUnderground, 1993)
- The Machines: Simple Machines 7"s (1990-1993) comp. (Simple MachinesSimple MachinesSimple Machines was a record label that operated out of Arlington, Virginia. The label was masterminded by Jenny Toomey and Kristin Thomson and, at its peak, had four paid workers- Toomey, Thomson, Pat Graham and Mickey Menard...
- SMR 19, 1994) - Monsters of Rock II CDw/Eggs & Rodan (Simple MachinesSimple MachinesSimple Machines was a record label that operated out of Arlington, Virginia. The label was masterminded by Jenny Toomey and Kristin Thomson and, at its peak, had four paid workers- Toomey, Thomson, Pat Graham and Mickey Menard...
, 1994) - Working Holiday!Working Holiday!Working Holiday! is a CD album released on the Simple Machines label. It is a compilation of tracks by American indie bands which were originally released on a series of 12 7" singles by Simple Machines as part of the Working Holiday monthly record club starting from December 1992. Each song was...
Compilation Album (Simple MachinesSimple MachinesSimple Machines was a record label that operated out of Arlington, Virginia. The label was masterminded by Jenny Toomey and Kristin Thomson and, at its peak, had four paid workers- Toomey, Thomson, Pat Graham and Mickey Menard...
, 1994) - "Our Band Could Be Your Life" Minuteman tribute comp LP/CD (Little Brother, 1995)
- Tsunami/Superchunk split 7" (Honeybear, 1995)
- Compulsiv comp #3 7" (Compulsiv RecordsCompulsiv RecordsCompulsiv Records was a record label that operated out of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.- History :The label was founded by Bryan Dilworth and James Payne.Dilworth found and signed the talent...
, 1996)
External links
- http://www.simplemachines.net/tsunami.html
- http://www.futureofmusic.org/