Dan Cunneen

Last updated
Dan Cunneen
Dan Cunneen (2021).jpg
Cunneen in 2021
Background information
Birth nameDaniel Robert Cunneen
Also known asDan Steely, DJ Diamondan, The Russian Dragon
Born (1963-03-14) March 14, 1963 (age 61)
Origin Portland, Oregon
Genres Punk rock, rock, heavy metal, soul, lounge music
Occupation(s) Musician
Songwriter
Disc jockey
Graphic designer
Screen printer
Instrument(s) Vocals, drums, guitar, bass
Years active1982–present
LabelsFatal Erection, Highgate, New Weave, Empty, Sub Pop, Rendezvous Recordings, Estrus, V2, Southern Lord, ORANJ
Website dan-steely.com

Dan Cunneen (aka Dan Steely) is an American musician, [1] songwriter, [1] disc jockey, screen printer and graphic designer [2] originally from Portland, Oregon, United States. Cunneen is best known for his drum work with the 1980s Portland, Oregon bands Final Warning and The Obituaries as well as the 1990s Seattle, Washington-based bands Zipgun and Nightcaps. [3] In 2020, Cunneen began recording under the moniker Dan Steely. He also occasionally plays drums with the Perkins Coie Band (aka PCBs), the in house band for the Seattle, Washington-based law firm Perkins Coie. [4] As Dan Steely, Cunneen is currently the lead singer and principal songwriter for the Seattle-based band Roxbury Saints.

Contents

On January 3, 2015, Cunneen was ordained as a minister in the Universal Life Church. [5]

Musician

Cunneen formed his first band, Final Warning, in 1982 with Jeff “Simon” Simoncini, bassist Tim Paul and vocalist Jeff Paul. Final Warning were notable for their anti-war political themes and as one of the early hardcore bands to incorporate heavy metal into their sound. [6] [7]

After Final Warning broke up in 1987, Cunneen played drums with Portland-based folk-rock singer songwriter Lew Jones. [8]

In 1987 Cunneen was recruited to play drums for the Portland-based punk, rock, and blues band, The Obituaries. [9] Along with bands like Napalm Beach, Dead Moon, and Poison Idea, The Obituaries were one of the notable bands in the Portland underground club scene in the late 1980s. [9] Cunneen played drums and co-wrote one song on The Obituaries EP, but left the band mid-tour in 1989.

After relocating to Seattle in 1991, Cunneen formed the punk band Zipgun with guitarist Neil Rogers, singer Robb Clarke and bassist Mark Wooten. Zipgun released three singles and two full-length albums on Pacific Northwest independent record label Empty Records and several singles on various labels. [10] Zipgun toured extensively throughout the United States and Canada and appeared in the Doug Pray film Hype! a documentary chronicling the 1990s Seattle Grunge music scene.

After Zipgun’s demise in 1995, Cunneen formed and led the Seattle-based lounge band, Nightcaps with vocalist Theresa Hannam, guitarist Garth Brandenburg and bassist William Herzog. Nightcaps were an integral part of the mid 1990s Lounge music resurgence that included bands such as Combustible Edison, Squirrel Nut Zippers and Love Jones. The Nightcaps were known as one of the few renascent lounge bands to avoid irony and kitsch. [11]

In 2011, Rendezvous Recordings released Cunneen's "The Answer b/w Shoot & Share" solo 7-inch single. Cunneen described the two songs as "Black comedy metal, combining lyrical irony with metallic garage-punk musical sensibilities." [12]

In 2020, under the moniker "Dan Steely", Cunneen released a single and music video of the Electric Light Orchestra song "Showdown." The seven-inch single's B-side features a remix of the A-side, "Showdown (DJ Yot Roc Mix)", in the yacht rock style.

Disc jockey

In 1994, using the moniker "DJ DiamonDan," Cunneen began what would become a two-year DJ residency at Linda's Tavern in Seattle. Throughout the 1990s and 2000s he performed at private parties and Seattle venues such as Re-bar, the Baltic Room, Moore Theater and the Capitol Club. [13] Cunneen continues to occasionally disc jockey at clubs and private events using the name "DJ Dan Steely."

Graphic design

Cunneen was art director and designer for many of the commercial releases and promotional material for the bands he played in. [14] In 2016, he founded the Seattle-based company ORANJ Custom Printing.

Discography

with Final Warning

with Lew Jones

with Obituaries

with Zipgun

with Nightcaps

Dan Cunneen

Dan Steely

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References

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  14. "ORANJ Posters". Theoranjgroup.com. 8 May 2017. Archived from the original on 14 April 2019. Retrieved 20 September 2020.