Volcano Suns
Encyclopedia
Volcano Suns was an American alternative rock
band from Boston, Massachusetts formed by Mission of Burma
drummer Peter Prescott
in 1984.
and Molls drummer Peter Prescott
, the only founding member of the Suns to remain until their break-up in 1991. Prescott had auditioned for the position of drummer with Disneyland, but took two of that band's members to form Volcano Suns; The other original members were Gary Waleik and Steve Michener who would leave after a few months, before the release of the first Suns album, to form Big Dipper
. Prescott then added Jeff Weigand on bass guitar and Jon Williams on guitar. This second line-up created the band's debut album The Bright Orange Years (1985), as well as its follow-up, All-Night Lotus Party
(1986), both released on the now-defunct Homestead Records
. In 1987, Bob Weston
and Chuck Hahn replaced Weigand and Williams respectively for Bumper Crop
, the band's final release on Homestead. Other contributors included Roger Miller
on piano and Gary Waleik on sitar.
In 1988, the band moved to Greg Ginn's
SST Records
for their 4th release, Farced
. The line-up however was the same as on Bumper Crop
, including Miller on piano and Waleik on sitar. 1989 brought their most experimental release, Thing of Beauty
, also on SST, on which David Kleiler replaced Chuck Hahn on guitar. This would be the Volcano Suns' final line up. The band moved to Chicago-based indie label Quarterstick Records
for their final release, Career in Rock
in 1991. The album was engineered by Steve Albini
, who would later work with Bob Weston in their band Shellac
.
The Volcano Suns also doubled as the Din, the backing band for Dredd Foole (a.k.a. Dan Ireton). The Din are identified as Din Wanna (Prescott), Bonus "The Bone Man" McGinty (Weigand) and Webb Finga (Williams), and The Kaiser (Kenny Chambers from Moving Targets) on "Eat My Dust Cleanse My Soul" (Homestead, 1985). The follow-up album Take Off Your Skin (PVC, 1988) is identified by Foole as the same line-up as the previous album.
Their music is often compared to the works of bands like Hüsker Dü
and Mudhoney.
The band split up in 1994, with Prescott forming Kustomized
.
Prescott reformed Volcano Suns in 2005 with Weston and Kleiler for some reunion shows.
The band's first two albums were reissued by Merge Records
in 2009, remastered by Weston and including bonus material.
As the Din, backing band for Dredd Foole
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
band from Boston, Massachusetts formed by Mission of Burma
Mission of Burma
Mission of Burma is an American post-punk band formed in Boston, Massachusetts in 1979. The band was formed by Roger Miller , Clint Conley , Peter Prescott and Martin Swope...
drummer Peter Prescott
Peter Prescott (American musician)
Peter Prescott is a musician from Boston, Massachusetts.He is best known as the drummer for Mission of Burma. After Burma disbanded in 1983, Prescott remained active in the Boston music scene, forming Volcano Suns and later Kustomized and The Peer Group...
in 1984.
History
The band was founded in Spring 1984 by former Mission of BurmaMission of Burma
Mission of Burma is an American post-punk band formed in Boston, Massachusetts in 1979. The band was formed by Roger Miller , Clint Conley , Peter Prescott and Martin Swope...
and Molls drummer Peter Prescott
Peter Prescott (American musician)
Peter Prescott is a musician from Boston, Massachusetts.He is best known as the drummer for Mission of Burma. After Burma disbanded in 1983, Prescott remained active in the Boston music scene, forming Volcano Suns and later Kustomized and The Peer Group...
, the only founding member of the Suns to remain until their break-up in 1991. Prescott had auditioned for the position of drummer with Disneyland, but took two of that band's members to form Volcano Suns; The other original members were Gary Waleik and Steve Michener who would leave after a few months, before the release of the first Suns album, to form Big Dipper
Big Dipper (band)
Big Dipper was an indie rock band from Boston, Massachusetts, USA, formed in 1985 by former members of Volcano Suns and The Embarrassment. They released 4 albums between 1987 and 1990, before splitting up...
. Prescott then added Jeff Weigand on bass guitar and Jon Williams on guitar. This second line-up created the band's debut album The Bright Orange Years (1985), as well as its follow-up, All-Night Lotus Party
All-Night Lotus Party
-Track listing:- Personnel :*Lou Giordano – engineer*Peter Prescott – drums, vocals*Volcano Suns – producer*Jeff Weigand – bass,vocals, photography*Jon Williams – guitar, vocals, engineer...
(1986), both released on the now-defunct Homestead Records
Homestead Records
Homestead 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...
. In 1987, Bob Weston
Bob Weston
Bob Weston is an American musician, producer, recording engineer, and record mastering engineer. Critic Jason Ankeny declares that "Weston's name and fingerprints are all over the American underground rock of the post-punk era, producing and engineering dates for a seemingly endless number of...
and Chuck Hahn replaced Weigand and Williams respectively for Bumper Crop
Bumper Crop (album)
Bumper Crop is a 1987 record from the band Volcano Suns.-Track listing:...
, the band's final release on Homestead. Other contributors included Roger Miller
Roger Miller (rock musician)
Roger Miller is an American singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist best known for co-founding the groups Mission of Burma and Alloy Orchestra.His main instruments are guitar and piano...
on piano and Gary Waleik on sitar.
In 1988, the band moved to Greg Ginn's
Greg Ginn
Gregory Regis Ginn is a guitarist, songwriter, and singer. He is best known for being the leader of and primary songwriter for the hardcore punk band Black Flag, which he founded and led from 1976 to 1986....
SST Records
SST Records
SST Records is an American independent record label formed in 1978 in Long Beach, California by musician Greg Ginn. The company was initially called Solid State Transmitters through which Ginn sold electronics equipment...
for their 4th release, Farced
Farced
Farced is a 1988 record from the band Volcano Suns.-Track listing:*Side One#"Can I have the key?"#"Brother superior"#"Belly full of lead"#"Meat and potatoes"#"A definite maybe"#"Where the wrecks go"#"Nature and me"*Side Two#"Laff riot"...
. The line-up however was the same as on Bumper Crop
Bumper Crop (album)
Bumper Crop is a 1987 record from the band Volcano Suns.-Track listing:...
, including Miller on piano and Waleik on sitar. 1989 brought their most experimental release, Thing of Beauty
Thing of Beauty
Thing of Beauty is a 1989 double album from the band Volcano Suns. It was the first Suns album to feature David Kleiler, Jr. as primary guitarist, with previous guitarist Chuck Hahn having exited the group. This album sees the band functioning more democratically than before...
, also on SST, on which David Kleiler replaced Chuck Hahn on guitar. This would be the Volcano Suns' final line up. The band moved to Chicago-based indie label Quarterstick Records
Quarterstick Records
-Artists:*Bad Livers*Calexico*DK3*Dead Child*June of 44*Kepone*The Mekons*Mi Ami*Peter Móren *Mule*Naked Raygun*Tara Jane O'Neil*Pegboy*Phono-Comb*Rachel's*Rodan*Henry Rollins*Shipping News*Sholi*The Sonora Pine*Therapy?...
for their final release, Career in Rock
Career in Rock
Career in Rock is the final studio album from the band Volcano Suns, released on 17 May 1991 on Quarterstick Records..- Track listing :# "Blue Rib"# "Binds That Tie"# "Mystery Date"# "Silly Misunderstanding"# "Total Eclipse"# "Horrorscope"...
in 1991. The album was engineered by Steve Albini
Steve Albini
Steven Frank Albini is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, audio engineer and music journalist. He was a member of Big Black, Rapeman, and Flour, and is currently a member of Shellac...
, who would later work with Bob Weston in their band Shellac
Shellac (band)
Shellac is an American group composed of Steve Albini , Bob Weston and Todd Trainer...
.
The Volcano Suns also doubled as the Din, the backing band for Dredd Foole (a.k.a. Dan Ireton). The Din are identified as Din Wanna (Prescott), Bonus "The Bone Man" McGinty (Weigand) and Webb Finga (Williams), and The Kaiser (Kenny Chambers from Moving Targets) on "Eat My Dust Cleanse My Soul" (Homestead, 1985). The follow-up album Take Off Your Skin (PVC, 1988) is identified by Foole as the same line-up as the previous album.
Their music is often compared to the works of bands like Hüsker Dü
Hüsker Dü
Hüsker Dü was an American rock band formed in Saint Paul, Minnesota in 1979. The band's continual members were guitarist Bob Mould, bassist Greg Norton, and drummer Grant Hart....
and Mudhoney.
The band split up in 1994, with Prescott forming Kustomized
Kustomized
Kustomized was an American indie rock band formed by former Mission of Burma and Volcano Suns member Peter Prescott.-History:The band was formed by Prescott following the breakup of Volcano Suns in 1993. and consisted of Prescott , Bob Moses , Ed Yazijian and Kurt Davis, a.k.a...
.
Prescott reformed Volcano Suns in 2005 with Weston and Kleiler for some reunion shows.
The band's first two albums were reissued by Merge Records
Merge Records
Merge Records is an independent record label based in Durham, North Carolina. It was founded in 1989 by Laura Ballance and Mac McCaughan. It began as a way to release music from their band Superchunk and music created by friends, and has expanded to include artists from around the world and records...
in 2009, remastered by Weston and including bonus material.
Albums
- The Bright Orange Years (Homestead, 1985 / Merge, January 2009)
- All-Night Lotus PartyAll-Night Lotus Party-Track listing:- Personnel :*Lou Giordano – engineer*Peter Prescott – drums, vocals*Volcano Suns – producer*Jeff Weigand – bass,vocals, photography*Jon Williams – guitar, vocals, engineer...
(Homestead, 1986 / Merge, January 2009) - Bumper CropBumper Crop (album)Bumper Crop is a 1987 record from the band Volcano Suns.-Track listing:...
(Homestead, 1987) - FarcedFarcedFarced is a 1988 record from the band Volcano Suns.-Track listing:*Side One#"Can I have the key?"#"Brother superior"#"Belly full of lead"#"Meat and potatoes"#"A definite maybe"#"Where the wrecks go"#"Nature and me"*Side Two#"Laff riot"...
(SST, 1988) - Thing of BeautyThing of BeautyThing of Beauty is a 1989 double album from the band Volcano Suns. It was the first Suns album to feature David Kleiler, Jr. as primary guitarist, with previous guitarist Chuck Hahn having exited the group. This album sees the band functioning more democratically than before...
(SST, 1989) - Career in RockCareer in RockCareer in Rock is the final studio album from the band Volcano Suns, released on 17 May 1991 on Quarterstick Records..- Track listing :# "Blue Rib"# "Binds That Tie"# "Mystery Date"# "Silly Misunderstanding"# "Total Eclipse"# "Horrorscope"...
(Quarterstick, 1991)
Singles
- "Sea Cruise" b/w "Greasy Spine" (Homestead, 1986)
- "Blue Rib" b/w "Openings" (Quarterstick, 1990)
Compilation appearances
- Claws—The Third Throbbing Lobster Compilation (Throbbing Lobster, 1985)
- song: "Tree Stomp"
- Materials and Processes (Materials and Processes, 1985)
- song: "Silvertone"
- The New Originals (Materials and Processes, 1986)
- song: "Polythene Pam"
- The Wailing Ultimate (Homestead, 1987)
- song: "White Elephant"
- Human Music (Homestead, 1988)
- song: "Ultravixen"
- Duck and CoverDuck and Cover (compilation)Duck and Cover was a compilation album featuring 13 bands doing cover songs.- Track listing :# Hüsker Dü - "Eight Miles High" - 3:57...
(SST, 1990)
- Duck and Cover
- song: "Kick Out the JamsKick Out the JamsKick Out the Jams is the first album by Detroit protopunkers MC5, released in 1969. It was recorded live at Detroit's Grande Ballroom over two nights, Devil's Night and Halloween, 1968. In 2003, the album was ranked number 294 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time...
"
As the Din, backing band for Dredd Foole
- Eat My Dust Cleanse My Soul (Homestead, 1987)
- Take Off Your Skin (PVC, 1988)
External links
- [ Allmusic entry]
- Interview with former bassplayer Jeff Weigand