Alice Donut

Last updated
Alice Donut
Origin New York City, United States
Genres Grunge, punk rock, psychedelic rock
Years active1986–1996, 2001–present
Labels Alternative Tentacles,
Howler Records
Members
  • Tomas Antona
  • Stephen Moses
  • Michael Jung
  • Sissi Schulmeister
  • David Giffen
Past members
  • Richard Marshall
  • Ted Houghton
  • Tom Meltzer
Website www.alicedonut.com

Alice Donut is a punk rock band from New York City formed in 1986. [1] The band released six albums before splitting up in 1996. They reformed in 2001.

Contents

History

1986–1996: Formation to split

Alice Donut formed in 1986 after the demise of the Sea Beasts, a band at Columbia University, the name soon trimmed from the initial Alice Donut Liver Henry Moore, a play on "Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore". [2] Ted Houghton, Tomas Antona, Dave Giffen and Tom Meltzer recruited drummer Stephen Moses and quickly found a substantial audience at CBGB. Guitarist Michael Jung soon replaced Meltzer. The band's first commercial release was the Donut Comes Alive album, released in 1988 on Jello Biafra's Alternative Tentacles label, [3] [4] followed in 1989 with Bucketfulls of Sickness and Horror in an Otherwise Meaningless Life. [5] [6]

In August 1990, the band's debut single, a cover version of "My Boyfriend's Back", preceded third album Mule, released the following month, and described by Trouser Press as "challenging and invigorating". [5] [7] [8] Revenge Fantasies of the Impotent was released in May 1991 (and later included in Andrew Earles' Gimme Indie Rock: 500 Essential American Underground Rock Albums 1981-1996 ), [9] and included an instrumental cover of Black Sabbath's "War Pigs". [5] [10] Austrian born Bassist Sissi Schulmeister joined the band before the end of the year, [11] with Richard Marshall also joining on guitar. [5]

The band's fifth album, The Untidy Suicides of Your Degenerate Children, was released in September 1992; It was described by CD Review as "a peculiar mixture of ornate and wicked little bits about suicide, strippers, and a disgruntled ex-postal worker". [12] It would be over three years before the bands's next studio album, Pure Acid Park, [13] although a (mostly) live album, Dry-Humping the Cash Cow, came out in 1994. [5] [14]

The band decided to call it a day after playing their 1,000th show, in London on November 25, 1995, and confirmed the split in February 1996. [15] The band's many shows between 1988 and 1996 included tours of the United States, Europe, and Japan, [1] including a performance at the Reading Festival in 1993.

Moses went on to briefly join Rasputina, while Antona and Schulmeister got married and relocated to Durham, North Carolina. [11] [16]

Reunion

In 2001, Alice Donut started recording and writing again and in 2003 Three Sisters, their first release after their hiatus, was recorded as a four-piece with Tom Antona on vocals, Michael Jung on guitar, Stephen Moses on drums and Sissi Schulmeister on bass. [16] [17]

Guitarist Dave Giffen rejoined the group for Fuzz, which was recorded in Brooklyn's BC Studio with longtime co-producer Martin Bisi, mixed and engineered by Joel Hamilton, and released on September 5, 2006. [16]

The band's tenth studio album followed, Ten Glorious Animals, released in September 2009, again on Alternative Tentacles. [16] [18]

In 2011, the band's 25th anniversary was marked with the documentary Freaks in Love. [16] In 2012, the Freaks in love compilation was released. Alice Donut still performs live on some occasions, like a show in 2014 in France and 2017 in Baltimore, MD at Ottobar.

On November 11, 2016, Tomas Antona stated on Facebook that Alice Donut are writing a new album. No completion or release date was given.

Musical style

The band has been described as "punk...with elements of oddball country and funk" by Allmusic writer John Bush, [16] and as "abstract metal" by Andrew Earles. [9] The New Yorker described the band as a "dadaist punk ensemble" playing "oddball psychedelic noise-rock with a spiky sense of humor". [2] Trouser Press described the band as "a little bit Zappa, a little bit cacophonous punk", calling it "a belated East Coast response to the Dickies and Redd Kross". [8] Critics also drew comparisons with artists such as Butthole Surfers, Frank Zappa, and G.G. Allin. [6] [8] [9] [13]

Members

Discography

Demos

Albums

Studio

  • Donut Comes Alive (1988), Alternative Tentacles
  • Bucketfulls of Sickness and Horror in an Otherwise Meaningless Life (1989), Alternative Tentacles
  • Mule (1990), Alternative Tentacles
  • Revenge fantasies of the impotent (1990), Alternative Tentacles
  • The Untidy Suicides of your Degenerate Children (1992), Alternative Tentacles
  • Pure Acid Park (1995), Alternative Tentacles
  • Three Sisters (2004), Howler
  • Fuzz (2006), Howler
  • Ten Glorious Animals (2009), Alternative Tentacles

Live

  • Dry-humping the Cash Cow (1994), Alternative Tentacles – live

Compilations

  • Freaks in Love (2011), Alternative Tentacles – compilation
  • Poof. (2013), MVD

Singles and EPs

VHS

DVD

Related Research Articles

<i>Frankenchrist</i> 1985 album by Dead Kennedys

Frankenchrist is the third album by the American hardcore punk band Dead Kennedys, released in 1985 on Alternative Tentacles.

Alternative metal is a genre of heavy metal music that combines heavy metal with influences from alternative rock and other genres not normally associated with metal. Alternative metal bands are often characterized by heavily downtuned, mid-paced guitar riffs, a mixture of accessible melodic vocals and harsh vocals and sometimes sounds that are unconventional within other heavy metal styles. The term has been in use since the 1980s, although it came into prominence in the 1990s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nomeansno</span> Canadian rock band

Nomeansno was a Canadian punk rock band formed in Victoria, British Columbia, and later relocated to Vancouver. They released 11 albums, including a collaborative album with Jello Biafra, and 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 were a formative influence on punk jazz, post-hardcore, math rock, and emo.

<i>Adema</i> (album) 2001 studio album by Adema

Adema is the debut album by American rock band Adema. It was released on August 21, 2001 through Arista Records and peaked at #27 on the Billboard 200. The album was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on March 6, 2002 for selling over 500,000 copies in the United States, and has since sold over 1 million copies worldwide. The major singles from the album were "The Way You Like It" and "Giving In". "Freaking Out" has also seen some radio airplay. It remains their best-selling album to date.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brutal Juice</span> American acid punk band

Brutal Juice is a self-proclaimed "acid punk" band from Denton, Texas. The band formed in 1990 and officially disbanded in February 1997, although they held several reunion concerts between 1999 and 2012, which usually took place at Fry Street Fair in Denton. They officially reformed in 2012 and released their latest album, titled "Welcome to the Panopticon," on October 28, 2016. Brutal Juice still performs a few times a year, typically playing shows in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, or in Austin.

<i>The Essential Alice in Chains</i> 2006 compilation album by Alice in Chains

The Essential Alice in Chains is a two-disc compilation album by the rock band Alice in Chains, and part of Sony BMG's The Essential series. Originally scheduled to be released on March 30, 2004, it was delayed until September 5, 2006. The album was reissued in 2010 with different artwork. A DVD with the mockumentary The Nona Tapes came as a bonus disc with the compilation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Victims Family</span>

Victims Family is a hardcore punk band formed in 1984 in Santa Rosa, California, by bass guitarist Larry Boothroyd and guitarist and vocalist Ralph Spight. Devon VrMeer completed the trio as drummer. Their sound blended punk, heavy metal and jazz, making them difficult to categorize into a single genre. Allmusic says, "Since its inception, the trio has refused to be pigeonholed to any single musical style — incorporating elements of hardcore punk, jazz, funk, hard rock, and noise into its challenging sound". They were known as one of the most musically diverse bands in the San Francisco underground music scene. Over the years, Victims Family went through four drummers and two break-ups. Their name was taken from a piece by the cartoonist B. Kliban.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jesus Freak (song)</span> 1995 single by DC Talk

"Jesus Freak" is a song by the American contemporary Christian music group DC Talk. Released on August 1, 1995, it was the lead radio single from the group's fourth album. The song was written and produced by Toby McKeehan and Mark Heimermann. Lyrically, the song is about standing up for the belief in Jesus Christ in the midst of persecution. Musically, the song has been described as alternative rock and grunge. It received airplay on both contemporary Christian music and alternative rock stations, formats that rarely interact. "Jesus Freak" earned DC Talk three GMA Dove Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sea of Sorrow</span> 1991 single by Alice in Chains

"Sea of Sorrow" is a song by the American rock band Alice in Chains, featured on their debut full-length album Facelift (1990). The song was included on the compilation album The Essential Alice in Chains (2006). A demo version of the song was included on the box set Music Bank (1999).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heaven Beside You</span> 1996 single by Alice in Chains

"Heaven Beside You" is a song by American rock band Alice in Chains and the second single from their third studio album, Alice in Chains (1995). It was written by guitarist and vocalist Jerry Cantrell about his relationship with his then-girlfriend, Courtney Clarke. Cantrell sings lead vocals, with Layne Staley doing harmonies during the chorus. The song spent 26 weeks on Billboard's Mainstream Rock Tracks chart and peaked at No. 3. An acoustic version performed on Alice in Chains' MTV Unplugged in 1996 was released in a live album and DVD. "Heaven Beside You" was included on the compilation albums Music Bank (1999), Greatest Hits (2001), and The Essential Alice in Chains (2006).

<i>Erpland</i> 1990 album by British band Ozric Tentacles

Erpland is the second studio album by British psychedelic rock band Ozric Tentacles. It was originally released on 25 June 1990 on Dovetail Records, with a digitally remastered CD/DVD release on 6 February 2017 through Snapper Music's Madfish label.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Got Me Wrong</span> 1994 single by Alice in Chains

"Got Me Wrong" is a largely acoustic song by the American rock band Alice in Chains, originally featured on the band's 1992 EP, Sap. It was written by guitarist and vocalist Jerry Cantrell, who also shared vocals with Layne Staley. A slightly different version of the song also appeared on the soundtrack to the 1994 comedy film Clerks, and is played when the character Randal first appears in the movie. "Got Me Wrong" was released as a single in 1994 after being featured on Clerks. The song was included on the compilation albums Nothing Safe: Best of the Box (1999) and Music Bank (1999). An acoustic version performed on Alice in Chains' MTV Unplugged concert in 1996 was released on a live album and DVD.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Over Now (Alice in Chains song)</span> 1996 single by Alice in Chains

"Over Now" is a song by the American rock band Alice in Chains. Written by Jerry Cantrell, who also sings lead vocals, the song is the last track on the band's third studio album, Alice in Chains (1995), and it is about the 1995 breakup of the band. The song closed the televised broadcast of Alice in Chains' MTV Unplugged performance, and that version was released as a single in 1996. The B-side is the original studio version. The single peaked at No. 4 on Billboard's Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, and at No. 24 on the Modern Rock Tracks chart in 1996. The song was included on the live album Unplugged (1996), on the box set Music Bank (1999), and the compilation album The Essential Alice in Chains (2006). The MTV Unplugged concert was the first and only time that Alice in Chains performed the song. It was performed again 23 years later at Jerry Cantrell's solo concert at the Pico Union Project in Los Angeles on December 6, 2019.

Terminal was an American rock band from Mansfield, Texas.

<i>Thats So Gay</i> 2009 studio album by Pansy Division

That's So Gay is an album by the American queercore band Pansy Division. It was released on March 31, 2009, by Alternative Tentacles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sent by Ravens</span> American Christian post-hardcore band

Sent by Ravens was a Christian post-hardcore band from Hartsville, South Carolina. Their debut EP was released in 2007, and they have since released a following EP and two full-length albums. They take their name from 1 Kings 17:6, a verse that references Elijah receiving bread and meat from ravens while in the wilderness.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Burning Image</span> American deathrock band

Burning Image are an American deathrock band formed in Bakersfield, California in 1982. Burning Image first released a 7" single with the songs "The Final Conflict" and "Burning Image, Burning" in the summer of 1984. The compilation 1983–1987 in 2004 and album Fantasma (2009) were both released on Alternative Tentacles, record label owned by former Dead Kennedys singer, Jello Biafra, with album Oleander (2011) being self-published. Burning Image celebrates 39 years as a band, in 2021, with a new album.

Downy Mildew was an American folk pop/alternative rock band from Los Angeles, California active from 1984 to 1995.

The Other Kids was an American alternative pop band formed in Madison, Wisconsin in 1985 by Steve Watson, Allyn Watson, and Chris Fink. One of the most popular Madison rock bands of the mid-to-late 1980s, The Other Kids disbanded in 1992, just as the alternative pop sound they were known for began to break into the commercial mainstream. The Milwaukee Shepherd called The Other Kids "probably Wisconsin's best classic pop-rock band, working those Alex Chiltonesque melodies together with empathetic intelligent lyrics, edgy guitars and a solid beat." The band's sound was a melodic mixture of power chords influenced by classic bands like The Who and the pure, guitar pop of The Hollies.

<i>Formless/Functional</i> 1998 album by Minneapolis alternative rock band Polara

Formless/Functional is a 1998 album by Minneapolis alternative rock band Polara, their third full-length album and their last for Interscope Records.

References

  1. 1 2 Alice Donut on Alternativetentacles.com
  2. 1 2 The New Yorker, Volume 85, 2009, Issues 31-39, p. 11
  3. ↑ Ankeny, Jason "Donut Comes Alive Review", Allmusic. Retrieved December 14, 2018
  4. ↑ Jenkins, Mark (1989) "Alice Donut Rising from the Dead", The Washington Post , April 7, 1989. Retrieved December 14, 2018
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 Strong, Martin C. (2003) The Great Indie Discography, Canongate, ISBN   1-84195-335-0, p. 196
  6. 1 2 Mason, Stewart "Bucketfulls of Sickness and Horror in an Otherwise Meaningless Life Review", Allmusic. Retrieved December 14, 2018
  7. ↑ Raggett, Ned "Mule Review", Allmusic. Retrieved December 14, 2018
  8. 1 2 3 Robbins, Ira & Sprague, David "Alice Donut", Trouser Press . Retrieved December 14, 2018
  9. 1 2 3 Earles, Andrew (2014) Gimme Indie Rock: 500 Essential American Underground Rock Albums 1981-1996, Voyageur Press, ISBN   978-0760346488, p. 14
  10. ↑ Ankeny, Jason "Revenge Fantasies of the Impotent Review", Allmusic. Retrieved December 14, 2018
  11. 1 2 Schramm, Stephen (2017) "Blue Devil of the Week: Rocker Blends Creativity and Web Design", today.duke.edu, December 11, 2017. Retrieved December 14, 2018
  12. ↑ CD Review, Volume 9, Issues 7-12, WGE, 1993
  13. 1 2 Stewart, Allison (1995) "Pure Acid Park Review", CMJ New Music Monthly , September 1995, p. 28. Retrieved December 14, 2018 via Google Books
  14. ↑ Raggett, Ned "Dry Humping the Cash Cow Review", Allmusic. Retrieved December 14, 2018
  15. ↑ "Dunkin' Donuts: Alice Donut Calls It Quits", MTV, February 2, 1996. Retrieved December 14, 2018
  16. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Bush, John "Alice Donut Biography", Allmusic. Retrieved December 14, 2018
  17. ↑ Buchanan, Jason "Three Sisters Review", Allmusic. Retrieved December 14, 2018
  18. ↑ Cooke, Jennifer (2009) "Alice Donut, Ten Glorious Animals", PopMatters, September 29, 2009. Retrieved December 14, 2018

Further reading

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.