Scratch Acid | |
|---|---|
 Scratch Acid in 2011 | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Austin, Texas, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Years active |
|
| Labels |
|
| Past members |
|
Scratch Acid was an American post-hardcore/noise rock band from Austin, Texas, formed in 1982. [1] One of the pioneers of noise rock in the 1980s, the band is best remembered as a stepping stone for its frontman David Yow, and bass player David Wm. Sims, both later of The Jesus Lizard.
Scratch Acid was launched in Austin, Texas in 1982. When they first began, their lineup was Steve Anderson (vocals), David Wm. Sims (guitar), Brett Bradford (guitar), David Yow (bass), and Rey Washam (drums). [2] Anderson was kicked out of the band before they ever recorded an album, [2] prompting Yow to move to vocals and Sims to move to bass.
Scratch Acid's first EP was released in 1984, [2] by Texas indie record label Rabid Cat and featured the song "Lay Screaming", a track which vocalist David Yow indicated was "inspired by Marquis de Sade, reading his shit." [3]
The band returned to Rabid Cat for their debut album, Just Keep Eating, released in 1986. [2] When queried about the significance of the title in a February 1987 interview, the band called the title "kinda silly" and "an inside joke", related to the fact that they all had lived together and done well to just keep surviving. [3] Eschewing pop sensibilities but instead pushing boundaries with noise, the band listed Sonic Youth, Big Black, and Butthole Surfers as their stylistic peers. [3]
The band's third and final release, an EP entitled Berserker, was released by Touch and Go Records. [2] A posthumous compilation CD entitled The Greatest Gift was released by Touch and Go Records in 1991.
The band was named by music journalist Will Lerner as "the American equivalent of the Birthday Party." [4] After developing a reputation as a crazy, noisy punk band, Scratch Acid disbanded in 1987. According to the liner notes of The Greatest Gift, the band members never received compensation from either Rabid Cat or Fundamental Records (who distributed their releases in Europe).
Writing in Flipside magazine, Gary Davis emphasized the band's rawness, energy, and earnestness in a live setting:
"...The band is unpretentious, fast, and forceful. They present no gimmicks, glamor, or elaborate stage show. After all, that's already been done so many times before. Scratch Acid simply walk on stage in their street clothes and begin to play. The quality of their music stands on its own." [3]
Brett Bradford went on to form Colorado punk band Great Caesar's Ghost, who disbanded in 1993. He also formed Sangre De Toro and played with Areola 51. Washam went on to perform with many other bands, including the Big Boys, Ministry, Helios Creed, the Didjits, Lard, and Tad. In 1987, Sims and Washam joined Steve Albini in the band Rapeman, which disbanded just before Sims reunited with Yow in 1989 to form the Jesus Lizard.
All of the original members of the band appeared at Emo's nightclub in Austin on September 2, 2006, [5] and at the Touch and Go 25th anniversary celebration in Chicago, Illinois on September 9, 2006. [6] They played their third and final show of the brief reunion at Seattle's Showbox Theater on Saturday, September 16, playing 20 songs from their 28-song (recorded) oeuvre before leaving the stage.
The band reunited for their first UK show since 1987 at the second British All Tomorrow's Parties music festival March 9 through 11, 2012, curated by Neutral Milk Hotel's Jeff Mangum. [7] David Wm. Sims also announced in his blog that the band will play some dates in November and December in the US "and possibly in Europe". [8] On August 31, David Yow released the complete list of tour dates on his Facebook page. [9]
Rapeman was a short-lived American noise rock band founded in 1987 and disbanded in 1989. It consisted of Steve Albini on guitar and vocals, David Wm. Sims (formerly of Scratch Acid on bass and Rey Washam on drums. In the years since their brief tenure, Rapeman’s sound has also been described as post-hardcore.
David William Sims is an American musician, best known as the bass guitarist of the bands Scratch Acid, Rapeman, and The Jesus Lizard. He has also recorded or performed with Sparklehorse, Rhys Chatham, Shivaree, Pigface, Flour, and others. Sims currently performs experimental solo electric bass as Unfact.
The Jesus Lizard is an American rock band formed in 1987 in Austin, Texas and based in Chicago, Illinois. They were "a leading noise rock band in the American independent underground…[who] turned out a series of independent records filled with scathing, disembowelling, guitar-driven pseudo-industrial noise, all of which received positive reviews in underground music publications and heavy college-radio play."
Jade Tree International, Inc. is an independent record label formed by Darren Walters and Tim Owen in 1990 in Wilmington, Delaware.
Toys Went Berserk were an Australian post-punk outfit that formed in late 1985. They released two studio albums, The Smiler with a Knife (1989) and Sensory (1990), before disbanding in early 1992. They subsequently reformed in 1998, 2005 and 2016.
Big Boys were an American pioneering punk rock band who are credited with having helped to create and introduce skate punk as a new style of music, which became popular in the 1980s. They also were famous for bringing elements of funk into their hardcore punk style.
Killdozer was an American rock band formed in Madison, Wisconsin, in 1983 with members Bill Hobson, Dan Hobson and Michael Gerald. They took their name from the 1974 TV movie, directed by Jerry London, itself based on a Theodore Sturgeon short story. They released their first album, Intellectuals are the Shoeshine Boys of the Ruling Elite, in the same year. The band split in 1990 but reformed in 1993, losing guitarist Bill Hobson and gaining Paul Zagoras, and continued until they split up in 1996. Their farewell tour was officially titled "Fuck You, We Quit!", and included Erik Tunison of Die Kreuzen in place of Dan Hobson on drums and Jeff Ditzenberger on additional guitar. The band released nine albums, including a post-breakup live album, The Last Waltz.
David Yow is an American musician and actor born in Las Vegas, Nevada and best known as the vocalist for the noise rock bands Scratch Acid and the Jesus Lizard. Yow's debut solo album, Tonight You Look Like a Spider, was released in June 2013 on Joyful Noise Records.
The Didjits were an American punk rock band formed in Mattoon, Illinois in 1983, composed of Rick Sims on guitar/vocals, Doug Evans on bass, and Rick's brother Brad Sims, on drums. Didjits were known for the aggressive guitar playing and persona of Rick Sims, who often baited the audience between songs, and took plenty of abuse for it. Moreover, the band also added odd stunts and theatrical bits to some of their stage shows, particularly when playing in Chicago and Champaign.
Head is the debut studio album by The Jesus Lizard. It was released on Touch and Go Records in 1990. It was their first album to feature a drummer, Mac McNeilly.
Reynolds Washam is an American drummer who has been performing for more than 35 years. He has collaborated with many bands, the most notable of which include: Scratch Acid, Rapeman, Ministry, the Big Boys, Helios Creed, the Didjits, Lard, and Tad and Butthole Surfers offshoot Daddy Longhead. When Jason Schwartzman of Phantom Planet left that band, Washam was hired to fill in on drums for a tour which never materialized. Washam also played jazz with a band, Euripides Pants, that recorded an unreleased album.
Pure is the debut EP by The Jesus Lizard, released in 1989. The cover artwork was by bassist David Wm. Sims. This is the only record by the Jesus Lizard recorded with a drum machine. Drummer Mac McNeilly was added to the group soon after it was recorded.
The Greatest Gift is a posthumously-released compilation album by the American noise rock band Scratch Acid. It contains all of the material they released throughout their career, in chronological order of release.
Shot is an album by the band The Jesus Lizard, its first release on Capitol Records. Some copies of the album were accompanied by a documentary titled "Sho(r)t".
Two Nuns and a Pack Mule is the only studio album by the Chicago noise rock band Rapeman, released by Touch & Go Records on August 23, 1988. The CD re-release contained the Budd extended play in its entirety.
Budd is the first release by the Chicago noise rock band Rapeman. The first three songs on the EP were recorded live. The title is a reference to Budd Dwyer, a politician who committed suicide during a televised press conference. The lyrics of the title track contain references to phrases used during the incident.
Scratch Acid is the self-titled debut by the Austin, Texas noise rock band Scratch Acid. It was only released on vinyl, but now can be found as the first 8 tracks on the compilation album The Greatest Gift.
Just Keep Eating is the only full-length album by the Austin, Texas noise rock band Scratch Acid. Although it was only released on vinyl, it can be found as tracks 9-21 on the compilation album The Greatest Gift.
Berserker is an EP, the final release by the Austin, Texas, noise rock band Scratch Acid. The songs can also be found as tracks 22-27 on the compilation album The Greatest Gift.
"Mouth Breather" is a 1990 song by American rock band The Jesus Lizard from the album Goat. Yow would admit in the documentary Breadcrumb Trail that the song was about Slint drummer Britt Walford.
| International | |
|---|---|
| Artists | |
