Dead Kennedys are an American punk rock band that formed in San Francisco, California, in 1978. The band was one of the defining punk bands during its initial eight-year run.
Eric Reed Boucher, known professionally as Jello Biafra, is an American singer, spoken word artist and political activist. He is the former lead singer and songwriter for the San Francisco punk rock band Dead Kennedys.
Alternative Tentacles is an independent record label established in 1979 in San Francisco, California. It was used by Dead Kennedys for the self-produced single "California Über Alles". After realizing the potential for an independent label, they released records for other bands as well. Dead Kennedys guitarist East Bay Ray and vocalist Jello Biafra formed Alternative Tentacles, but Biafra became the sole owner in the mid-1980s. Alternative Tentacles no longer owns the rights to Dead Kennedys recordings after a 2000 lawsuit.
Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables is the debut studio album by the American punk rock band Dead Kennedys. It was first released on September 2, 1980, through Cherry Red Records in the United Kingdom, and I.R.S. Records in the United States. It was later issued by Jello Biafra's own Alternative Tentacles label in the United States. It is the only Dead Kennedys studio album to feature drummer Bruce Slesinger and guitarist Carlos Cadona.
Nomeansno was a Canadian punk rock band formed in Victoria, British Columbia and later relocated to Vancouver. They issued 11 albums, including a collaborative album with Jello Biafra, as well as numerous EPs and singles. Critic Martin Popoff described their music as "the mightiest merger between the hateful aggression of punk and the discipline of heavy metal." Nomeansno's distinct hardcore punk sound, complex instrumentation, and dark, "savagely intelligent" lyrics inspired subsequent musicians. They are often considered foundational in the punk jazz and post-hardcore movements, and have been cited as a formative influence on the math rock and emo genres.
Neurosis is an American avant-garde metal band from Oakland, California. It was formed in 1985 by guitarist Scott Kelly, bassist Dave Edwardson, and drummer Jason Roeder, initially as a hardcore punk band. Chad Salter joined as a second guitarist and appeared on the band's 1987 debut Pain of Mind and then Steve Von Till replaced him in 1989. The following year, the lineup further expanded to include a keyboardist and a visual artist. Beginning with their third album Souls at Zero (1992), Neurosis transformed their hardcore sound by incorporating diverse influences including doom metal and industrial music, becoming a major force in the emergence of the post-metal and sludge metal genres.
The No WTO Combo was a one-shot punk rock band started by Krist Novoselic. The band consisted of Jello Biafra ; guitarist Kim Thayil of Soundgarden; and the rhythm section of Sweet 75, with Gina Mainwal on drums and Novoselic on bass.
Amebix were an English crust punk band. Formed as the Band with No Name, the band's original run was from 1978 to 1987, during which time they released two EPs and three albums. The group reunited in 2008, released another full-length album in 2011, and disbanded again in November 2012.
Zeni Geva is a Japanese noise rock band featuring singer and guitarist KK Null and drummer Tatsuya Yoshida. Formed in Tokyo in 1987, the group's name translates roughly as "money violence".
The Phantom Limbs were a post-punk/deathrock band formed in Oakland, California, in 1999. The group combined the unusual keyboard-driven compositions of Stevenson Sedgwick with an aggressive, punk-influenced rhythm section and a very odd singer, Loto 'Hopeless' Ball, whose howled lyrics and unpredictable stage behavior quickly gained them an infamous reputation in the SF Bay Area.
Dash Rip Rock is an American rock band. The band is best known for its cowpunk sound, which mixes punk rock, rockabilly, hard rock, country and boogie. The New York Times stated that Dash Rip Rock combines “fluency in American roots music with a robust dose of punk-rock spirit.” Bill Davis, Dash Rip Rock's founder and frontman, is a songwriter known for his blistering guitar work. Spin praised Dash Rip Rock as “undeniably the South’s greatest rock band.” In 2012, Dash Rip Rock was inducted into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame.
Pain of Mind is the debut studio album by Californian band Neurosis, originally released on Alchemy Records in 1987. It was later reissued by Alternative Tentacles in 1994 and by Neurot Recordings in 2000; the 2000 reissue contains a special bonus disc that includes live tracks, live radio tracks, and demo tracks. Pennsylvanian politician Budd Dwyer is pictured on the front cover of the 1994 vinyl release, moments before he committed suicide during a televised press conference in 1987.
Souls at Zero is the third studio album by the American avant-garde metal band Neurosis. It was released in 1992 by the Alternative Tentacles record label. It was reissued in 1999 with bonus tracks on the band's own Neurot Recordings label. On February 15, 2010, the album was reissued on CD and digitally with new artwork by Neurot. On February 14, 2012, a fully remastered version was released on vinyl by Relapse Records. The album was deducted into Decibel Magazine's Hall of Fame in August of 2016.
Prairie Home Invasion is a collaborative studio album by Jello Biafra and Mojo Nixon, backed by Nixon's backing band the Toadliquors. Released in 1994 by Biafra's record label Alternative Tentacles, the album's lyrics predominantly deal with political themes, as well as criticism of corporate rock and country pop.
Virus 100 is a compilation album released by Alternative Tentacles. Featuring cover versions of Dead Kennedys songs performed by various artists, the album celebrates the record label's 100th release and its 10th anniversary.
Steel Pole Bath Tub was an American rock band, formed in 1986 in Bozeman, Montana, United States, by Mike Morasky (guitar/vocals) and Dale Flattum (bass/vocals).
M.I.A. is an American 1980s punk rock band from Las Vegas, Nevada. The band's sound is generally hardcore and thrasher, though they produced more melodic and progressive sounds in their later albums. AllMusic called the band "one of the 50 best So-Cal punk bands of the great early-'80s second wave explosion."
Jello Biafra and the Guantanamo School of Medicine is a punk rock band led by Jello Biafra. They released their debut album, The Audacity of Hype in October 2009.
Grong Grong were a punk rock band from Adelaide. They formed in 1982 with Michael Farkas on vocals, synthesiser and saxophone, his half-brother Charlie Tolnay on guitar, George Klestinis on drums, and Dave Taskas on bass guitar. They disbanded in late 1984 after Farkas had overdosed and lapsed into a drug-induced coma for nine months. He recovered and worked in other bands including Hack. Grong Grong reformed in 2009 with Farkas, Klestinis and Tolnay joined by Nathan Dale on bass guitar; but disbanded again in 2013. They issued a self-titled album in 1984 and a live album, Live at the Sound Lounge, in 2014.
DUH was a San Francisco-based alternative and noise rock supergroup. The band comprised an ever-rotating line-up that featured members of Steel Pole Bath Tub, Faith No More, Models, Fang, Milk Cult, Phantom 309, Pansy Division and Despise You.
