Atticus (band)

Last updated

Atticus
Atticusarena2.jpg
Atticus live at the Knoxville Civic Coliseum
Background information
Origin Knoxville, Tennessee
Genres Progressive rock, power pop, alternative rock
Years active1995–present
LabelsGoldacre & Horner
MembersDonnie Shockley
Aaron Gabriel
Allen Clark
Past membersNick Swan
Jon Rumbolt
Adam Menhinick
Jeev Raghow
Jamaal Kirkpatrick

Atticus is an American rock band formed in 1995 in Knoxville, Tennessee, noted for progressive compositions, complex harmonies, innovative cover art, and a small but loyally devoted fan base. The band is named after the Atticus Finch character of To Kill a Mockingbird , a novel by Harper Lee which won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1961, and commonly picturized in posters and T-shirts developed by various print companies and Express clothing line. Atticus reunited with former Atticus guitarist Nick Swan for a special reunion show at the New City Cafe in Knoxville's Old City on July 16, 2005. [1] The band officially went on indefinite hiatus on June 7, 2006 to pursue other artistic endeavors, though several side projects are underway.

Contents

History

Atticus began as a grunge style garage band formed by Aaron Gabriel, Donnie Shockley, and Allen Clark just before they graduated junior high school. Nick Swan and Adam Menhinick joined the group a few years later, completing the lineup. The very first Atticus album was self-titled and actually the third or fourth attempt the band had made to record a CD on a portable Fostex four-track recorder. Allen's family was in the process of moving from their already nice home to an even nicer mansion, and the band had the perfect opportunity and space to record an album in the Clarks' abandoned former residency. Atticus began tracking songs and made significant progress on what would have been their first album until something happened. They don't remember what happened, but something definitely happened that caused them to abandon the project. Then Nick received a new four-track recorder for his birthday that had some EQ knobs and gadgets that the little Fostex they'd been using didn't possess. Hastily recorded and produced at the end of the last century, Atticus was thrust into the hands of awaiting fans and music stores all over Knoxville and then quickly confiscated. The limited number of copies in existence makes Atticus a collector's item, noted for its distinctly atrocious production and sound quality. This album is considered to be very important to the development of Atticus because it got them accustomed to the recording process and largely determined what songs would later be found on High Expectations.

After several years of polishing a repertoire of original songs and attempting several demo recordings, Atticus decided that the time had come to professionally record a collection of their songs for release by Goldacre & Horner. They entered the studio in December 1999 and recorded twelve of the thirteen songs – the thirteenth having already been recorded earlier that year at Tony Verdera's home studio in Knoxville – for their full-length debut, High Expectations, released on February 12, 2000. Atticus presents their adroit ability on this very guitar-driven CD to perform a variety of styles of rock while maintaining an identifiably signature sound – from southern-fried blues-rock stomp to placid, wistful love ballads. So innovative, in fact, was their debut release that Atticus received Rik's Music's prestigious "No Cheese" award in September 2000.

In December 2000, Nick and Adam left Atticus, leaving Donnie and Aaron as the only ones who wanted to keep the band alive (Allen also wanted to continue, but he was on a mission trip in Mexico at the time). Donnie tried forming a new group with several different musicians over the following months, but it was clear that nothing was working out quite right. There was just no combination of people who could create that same great Atticus sound as the original lineup. Donnie was at the point of giving up altogether when he finally realized the obvious solution: record an Atticus album with the three members who formed the group in 1995 – Allen Clark, Aaron Gabriel, and himself. In April 2001, the original Atticus returned to Dwell Studios.Eight months later, Figment was born. Figment was a mostly acoustic album that included Pachelbel's Kanon in D performed by Aaron on the violin. 99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall , recorded at the Glasgow Cathouse in Scotland, [2] was named the top drinking song/booze ballad of all time by Modern Drunkard Magazine for what Rich Stewart aka Homebrew Stew of the now defunct Craphouse Press called "a raucous, thirteen minute party-jam ," beating out the likes of Ozzy Osbourne, The Rolling Stones, Johnny Cash, and Willie Nelson, just to name a few. [3] Stewart also placed Atticus' version of the song at #1 in his book entitled The Top 151 Drinking Songs. [4]

Selections From The Vault was a concurrently self-released EP of Atticus rarities arranged while putting the finishing touches on Grand Theft Audio. In addition to the original, widely-downloaded version of Romance Is A Slowdance, the first three studio recordings Atticus ever did, c. 1996 – Stardust,Pipe Dreams, and Pathetic – were included as well. The disc also included an extremely rare, extremely unusual instrumental track that was recorded around the same time entitled Let Go of My Shoe, You Nasty Dog! Most noteworthy however was the inclusion of Think I'm Gonna Kill Myself, the Atticus radio single under the pseudonym The Green Apple Splatters of the infamous "Green Apple Splatters Hoax." [5]

The Atticus single Forever My Darling was performed nationwide on September 19, 2003 on the WB's The Daily Buzz , [6] seen in a total of 140 markets, clearing over 41% of the country. [7] Ron Corning, news anchor on the syndicated morning talk show, described the performance as "... an amazing song, I thought. [The song is] very much a Buddy Holly 1950s kind of sound." [8] A studio version of that song is included on Grand Theft Audio, the latest album by Atticus which includes the Green Apple Splatters' Southeast Exports interview.

Discography

Album TitleYear
Atticus (self-titled)1999
High Expectations2000
Figment2001
Selections From the Vault2003
Grand Theft Audio2005

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds</span> Australian post punk/alternative rock band

Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds are a rock band formed in Melbourne in 1983 by lead vocalist Nick Cave, multi-instrumentalist Mick Harvey and German guitarist-vocalist Blixa Bargeld. The band has featured international personnel throughout its career and presently consists of Cave, violinist and multi-instrumentalist Warren Ellis, bassist Martyn P. Casey, guitarist George Vjestica, touring keyboardist/percussionist Larry Mullins, also known as Toby Dammit, and drummers Thomas Wydler (Switzerland) and Jim Sclavunos. Described as "one of the most original and celebrated bands of the post-punk and alternative rock eras in the '80s and onward", they have released eighteen studio albums and completed numerous international tours.

<i>Eight Step Rail</i> 1996 EP by The Superjesus

Eight Step Rail is the debut EP by Australian rock band The Superjesus. The EP was released in May 1996.

Superdrag is an American alternative rock band from Knoxville, Tennessee, United States. They had a hit single in 1996, "Sucked Out", from their album Regretfully Yours. The original lineup reunited in 2007, releasing a full-length album in 2009: Industry Giants. The same lineup reunited again in 2021.

<i>Hot Streets</i> 1978 studio album by Chicago

Hot Streets is the tenth studio album by the American rock band Chicago, released on October 2, 1978, by Columbia Records. This was the band's first album with all-new material released since their second that did not have a numbered title. It was also the first album not to feature original guitarist/vocalist and group founder Terry Kath, who died from an accidental self-inflicted gunshot wound in January 1978. He was replaced by Donnie Dacus on this album.

<i>Chicago 13</i> 1979 studio album by Chicago

Chicago 13 is the eleventh studio album by American rock band Chicago, released on August 13, 1979, by Columbia Records. Chicago 13 was the band's final release with guitarist Donnie Dacus, who had followed founding member, guitarist Terry Kath, after his death. All band members contributed to the songwriting.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kix (band)</span> American glam metal band

Kix was an American glam metal and hard rock band formed in 1976, that achieved popularity during the 1980s. The band's classic lineup consisted of guitarists Ronnie "10/10" Younkins and Brian "Damage" Forsythe, bassist Donnie Purnell and frontman Steve Whiteman and drummer Jimmy "Chocolate" Chalfant. Kix covered Aerosmith, April Wine, Led Zeppelin, and others before signing with Atlantic Records in 1981. After peaking in the late 1980s, band members continued to record and tour until their disbandment in 2023.

Poor Old Lu was a pioneering Christian alternative rock band based in the American Northwest. The band experimented with a variety of sounds and genres, particularly grunge, funk and psychedelic rock. The band consisted of Scott Hunter (vocals), Jesse Sprinkle (drums), Aaron Sprinkle (guitar), and Nick Barber (bass). Hunter was the lyricist who wrote on philosophical, metaphorical, and spiritually oriented topics. Common themes in the lyrics include introspective struggles with identity and spirituality, struggles with a superficial, secular, and modern society, and hope for life abundant. The Encyclopedia of Contemporary Christian Music calls the band "One of the most accomplished and creative Christian bands of the '90s".

Matchbook Romance was an American emo band from Poughkeepsie, New York and was formed in 1997. They were signed to Epitaph Records. They released two full-length albums and one EP. Their EP, West for Wishing, released in 2003 was their first recorded album during their time on Epitaph; their full-length debut album, Stories and Alibis, was recorded in the same year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bishop Allen</span>

Bishop Allen is an American indie rock band from Brooklyn, New York, United States. The band's core members are Justin Rice and Christian Rudder, who are supported both on stage and in the studio by a rotating cast of musical collaborators. The band was formed in 2003 and grew out of Rice and Rudder's friendship; it takes its name from Bishop Allen Drive in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where the two lived together after attending Harvard University.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Moxy (band)</span> Canadian rock band

Moxy is a Canadian rock band, formed in Toronto, Ontario in 1973. They toured Canada before having a hit in late 1975 with "Can't You See I'm A Star". Moxy then toured the United States on the strength of their radio airplay. Markets in which the band was very popular included Ontario, Chicago, St. Louis, Detroit, and San Antonio. Joe Anthony, "The Godfather of Rock" in San Antonio on KISS-FM was largely responsible for the popularity of the band in Texas and helped bring about their first headline appearance in the U.S. in 1977, appearing with AC/DC as their opening act.

<i>Heroine</i> (From First to Last album) 2006 studio album by From First to Last

Heroine is the second studio album by American post-hardcore band From First to Last. It was released on March 21, 2006 through Epitaph Records. It is the band's only album to feature Wes Borland, who plays bass, and the band's last album to feature lead vocalist Sonny Moore before his first departure from the band in early 2007.

Flee the Seen was a post-hardcore band from Kansas City, Missouri composed of Kim Anderson (vocals), R. L. Brooks (vocals/guitar), Manuel Sanchez(guitar), Aaron Crawford (drums), and Lucas Dills (bass). They were signed to Facedown Records in December, 2005 and released their first full-length record, Doubt Becomes The New Addiction, on March 14, 2006. Kim Anderson played bass from 2003–07, including on their debut album. Dills was recruited in 2007.

<i>Sad Songs for Dirty Lovers</i> 2003 studio album by The National

Sad Songs for Dirty Lovers is the second studio album by indie rock band the National. It was released in 2003 on Brassland Records. This is the first album on which the band worked with Peter Katis, who would produce the band's next albums Alligator and Boxer.

Nick Raskulinecz is an American record producer. He resides in Nashville, Tennessee.

Ed Rose is an American sound engineer and record producer. He has worked extensively with groups in the modern emo and pop punk scenes. He also co-owns Black Lodge Recording with Rob Pope and his brother Ryan Pope, members of the emo band The Get Up Kids.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Donnie Fritts</span> American singer-songwriter (1942–2019)

Donald Ray Fritts was an American session musician and songwriter. A recording artist in his own right, he was Kris Kristofferson's keyboardist for over forty years. In 2008, he was inducted into the Alabama Music Hall of Fame.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Buzz Busby</span> American singer-songwriter

Bernarr Graham Busbice, known professionally as Buzz Busby, was an American bluegrass musician, known for his mandolin style and high tenor voice. He was nicknamed the "Father of Washington, D.C. Bluegrass".

Society's Finest is an American metalcore band from Dallas, Texas. Their first full-length album, The Journey...So Far, was released on Solid State Records in May 2000. Due to member changes and personal matters the band took a break from touring and recording to focus on their personal lives. During this hiatus, vocalist Josh Ashworth toured with the metalcore band Zao.

<i>Mutilator Defeated at Last</i> 2015 studio album by Thee Oh Sees

Mutilator Defeated at Last is the sixteenth studio album by the American psychedelic rock band Thee Oh Sees, released on May 18, 2015, on Castle Face Records. The album is the tenth to be released under the name, Thee Oh Sees.

"Maybe" is a song by American musician Machine Gun Kelly. It was released on March 16, 2022, as the fourth single from his sixth studio album Mainstream Sellout. The song features performances from members of the British rock band Bring Me the Horizon.

References

  1. ↑ Atticus. "NEWS 8/11/06 Archived May 5, 2009, at the Wayback Machine ." www.Atticus.biz. August 11, 2006.
  2. ↑ The Daily Beacon Volume 91 Number 13. http://www.shiftyisnifty.com/sarahjane/writingarch/beacon/090902cdatticus.htm Archived May 6, 2009, at the Wayback Machine www.dailybeacon.utk.edu. September 9, 2002.
  3. ↑ Modern Drunkard Magazine. "Modern Drunkard Magazine". Archived from the original on December 22, 2011. Retrieved 2012-01-09.www.moderndrunkardmagazine.com. November 2002.
  4. ↑ Stewart, Rich. The Top 151 Drinking Songs. Craphouse Press. 2003. ASIN B001Q1FZJI
  5. ↑ SouthEast eXports. "SouthEast eXports" Podcast 777 dated Saturday, November 19, 2005." . November 19, 2005.
  6. ↑ IMDb. The Daily Buzz Episode dated 19 September 2003." IMDb . September 13, 2003.
  7. ↑ Acme Communications. Viacom Adds The Daily Buzz in Three of its Top Ten Television Markets [usurped] ." www.acmecommunications.com. August 25, 2005.
  8. ↑ The Daily Buzz. The Daily Buzz Episode (Video) dated 19 September 2003." www.dailybuzz.tv. September 19, 2003.
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.