Chris Houston | |
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Born | Hamilton, Ontario, Canada |
Chris Houston is a Canadian punk rock musician and songwriter, who was in the band the Forgotten Rebels [1] in the late 1970s. He co-wrote "Surfin' on Heroin", [2] one of the band's most famous songs.
Following the band's album This Ain't Hollywood, he left to pursue a solo career. He recorded songs for four of the five It Came from Canada compilation albums, including a solo rendition of "Surfin' on Heroin". He released his solo debut Chris Houston and the Sex Machine domestically as a vinyl LP in 1986 on label Caucasian Records. [3] On cassette tape, he released Hate Filled Man in 1987 on Caucasian-Driveway Records. [4]
He lived in Vancouver B.C. for a spell, working as a writer for the CBC Television teen series Pilot One , [5] and now lives and performs in his hometown of Hamilton, Ontario.[ citation needed ]
Grunge is an alternative rock genre and subculture that emerged during the mid-1980s in the American Pacific Northwest state of Washington, particularly in Seattle and nearby towns. Grunge fuses elements of punk rock and heavy metal, but without punk's structure and speed. The genre featured the distorted electric guitar sound used in both genres, although some bands performed with more emphasis on one or the other. Like these genres, grunge typically uses electric guitar, bass guitar, drums and vocals. Grunge also incorporates influences from indie rock bands such as Sonic Youth. Lyrics are typically angst-filled and introspective, often addressing themes such as social alienation, self-doubt, abuse, neglect, betrayal, social and emotional isolation, addiction, psychological trauma and a desire for freedom.
Industrial rock is a fusion genre that fuses industrial music and rock music. It initially originated in the 1970s, and drew influence from early experimental and industrial acts such as Throbbing Gristle, Einstürzende Neubauten and Chrome. Industrial rock became more prominent in the 1980s with the success of artists such as Killing Joke, Swans, and partially Skinny Puppy, and later spawned the offshoot genre known as industrial metal. The genre was made more accessible to mainstream audiences in the 1990s with the aid of acts such as Nine Inch Nails and Marilyn Manson, both of which have released platinum-selling records.
Everclear is an American rock band formed in Portland, Oregon, in 1991. The band was formed by Art Alexakis, the band's lead songwriter, vocalist, and guitarist; and for most of the band's height of popularity, consisted of Craig Montoya on bass guitar and Greg Eklund on drums. After the limited release of their independently released debut album, World of Noise, the band found success with their first three albums on Capitol Records: Sparkle and Fade, So Much for the Afterglow, and Songs from an American Movie Vol. One: Learning How to Smile, which were all certified platinum in sales. However, the following two albums Songs from an American Movie Vol. Two: Good Time for a Bad Attitude and Slow Motion Daydream, were not as well received, and as sales suffered, Montoya and Eklund left the band shortly after in 2003.
Surf music is a genre of rock music associated with surf culture, particularly as found in Southern California. It was especially popular from 1958 to 1964 in two major forms. The first is instrumental surf, distinguished by reverb-heavy electric guitars played to evoke the sound of crashing waves, largely pioneered by Dick Dale and the Del-Tones. The second is vocal surf, which took elements of the original surf sound and added vocal harmonies, a movement led by the Beach Boys.
The Saints were an Australian rock band, originating in Brisbane, Queensland in 1973. The band was founded by Chris Bailey, Ivor Hay (drummer), and Ed Kuepper (guitarist-songwriter). They were initially labeled a punk band because, like American punk rock band the Ramones, the Saints were employing the fast tempos, raucous vocals and "buzzsaw" guitar that characterised early punk rock – although this only reflects a portion of their overall sound. With their debut single "(I'm) Stranded" in September 1976, they became the first punk band outside the US to release a record, ahead of better-known acts the Damned, the Sex Pistols and the Clash. They are considered one of the first and most influential groups of the genre, particularly within Australia.
The Salteens are a Canadian indie pop group based in Vancouver, British Columbia. The band released several albums of light pop music, toured in Canada and Australia; a number of their tracks were in rotation on CBC Radio.
Sackville was a Montreal-based musical group that played what has been classified as country and pop, although their style resembles more folk, rock and avantgarde. They formed in 1994 and recorded their first album in 1996.
The Forgotten Rebels are a punk rock band from Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Founded in 1977, the Forgotten Rebels have a discography of seven albums and a collection of EPs and singles.
Christopher William Ward is a Canadian songwriter and broadcaster, known as a former long-standing on-air personality at MuchMusic, Canada's music video network, where he and J. D. Roberts were among the first video jockeys in 1984. Ward was a judge on The Next Star which was a Canadian reality television show on YTV.
The Demics were a Canadian punk rock band that formed in 1977 in London, Ontario.
Quickflight was a new wave band formed in Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada. The band released two albums in the early 1980s Breakaway on Tunesmith and their second Decent Beat on Star Song Records.
"Wild Thing" is a song written by American songwriter Chip Taylor and popularized by the English rock band the Troggs. It was originally recorded and released by the American rock band the Wild Ones in 1965, but it did not chart. The Troggs' single reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and number two on the UK Singles Chart in 1966. Their version of "Wild Thing" was ranked at number 257 on the Rolling Stone magazine's 2004 list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. It has also been performed by many other musicians.
Kill Cheerleadër was a Canadian rock band whose members formed in 1999 in Toronto. Mainly influenced by punk rock and heavy metal acts such as The Stooges, early era Guns N' Roses, Mötley Crüe, Iron Maiden, the Ramones, Girlschool, Joan Jett and Neil Young, they had crafted their own unique, sleazy style of rock 'n' roll, once being described as "a derailed train hitting a Baptist Church". Lemmy from Motörhead described Kill Cheerleader as the "greatest rock n' roll band since Guns N' Roses."
Rhythm Activism was a Canadian, Montreal-based musical collective, revolving around the core duo of Sylvain Côté and Norman Nawrocki. The group, formed in 1985 as a poetry and music ensemble, evolved into performing a politically radical brand of "rock 'n roll cabaret" and incorporating elements of post-punk and folk into their music. They featured on 36 releases.
James Lee Lindsey Jr., known professionally as Jay Reatard, was an American musician from Memphis, Tennessee. He was signed to Matador Records. He released recordings as a solo artist and as a member of the Reatards and Lost Sounds.
Dakona was a Canadian alternative rock music group from Vancouver, British Columbia.
Derek Miller is an Aboriginal Canadian singer-songwriter. He has received two Juno Awards. He performed at the Closing Ceremonies of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics with Eva Avila and Nikki Yanofsky.
Gilles Zolty is a Canadian musician, singer, songwriter and producer. He has released three solo albums.
The Darlings of Chelsea are a Canadian punk rock band formed in 2008 in Toronto. The band toured Ireland in 2009 as part of Canadian Music Week.
Punchbuggy in Ottawa, Ontario was a Canadian pop punk band. The band released four full-length albums. Their song "Lucky Me, Lucky You" appeared in Tom Green movie Freddy Got Fingered.