Dave Schramm (musician)

Last updated

Dave Schramm is an American musician best known for his stint as the lead guitarist for Yo La Tengo during the band's early years.

Schramm was born and raised on Long Island, New York. After learning to play several instruments from the age of eight, Schramm picked up the guitar in his teenage years. He began his music career with a late incarnation of Human Switchboard, a short-lived group heavily influenced by The Velvet Underground and Joy Division. Although Schramm was not around early enough to be involved in the band's only LP, he did contribute to the album After Words, a solo album by Switchboard lead singer Bob Pfeifer released in 1987, five years after the band's breakup. [1] Following Human Switchboard's breakup, Schramm played briefly with Jon Klages, formerly of The Individuals. Soon after that, Schramm joined fledgling band Yo La Tengo, serving as the band's lead guitarist for a period of approximately two years. During this span, he contributed to their debut recording "The River of Water" and the band's highly acclaimed first LP, Ride the Tiger .

Following Ride the Tiger, Schramm amicably left Yo La Tengo to form the Schramms with a number of musicians he had previously been connected to - Ron Metz, who had played drums in Human Switchboard, and former Yo La Tengo members Mike Lewis (bass) and Terry Karydes, who initially played bass until her bass guitar was stolen, after which she moved to keyboards. The band also had guitarist Todd Novak and saxophonist Pete Linzell. The Schramms released their debut album Walk to Delphi in 1989, and gained a following in Germany. [1]

In 1990, Schramm briefly worked with Yo La Tengo again, this time contributing to their album Fakebook . Meanwhile, he continued writing songs with the Schramms, and after being signed to European label Normal Records, the band released its second album, Rock, Paper, Scissors, Dynamite in 1992.

Around this time, much of the original lineup had left the band, and a more-or-less new version of the Schramms released two albums in the mid-1990s: 1994's Little Apocalypse and 1996's Dizzy Spell. In 2000, the Schramms released their most recent record, 100 Questions, again with a different lineup than the previous album. Schramm has also released two solo albums: 1994's Folk und die Folgen (only released in Germany), and 1999's Hammer and Nails. He has worked on three albums by singer/songwriter Kate Jacobs, and has done session guitar and lap steel work for many artists, including The Replacements, Soul Asylum, Freedy Johnston, Richard Buckner, and Chris Stamey - whom he had worked with previously as a member of The dB's in the 1980s. He plays in Syd Straw's band at her annual Valentine's Day 'Heartwreck' shows. [2]

In 2015, he once again reunited with Yo La Tengo for their album Stuff Like That There and subsequent tour. [3]

Schramm lives in Hoboken, New Jersey. [4]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chris Robinson (singer)</span> American musician

Christopher Mark Robinson is an American musician. He founded the rock band The Black Crowes, then known as Mr. Crowe's Garden, with his brother Rich Robinson in 1984. Chris is the lead singer of The Black Crowes, and he and his brother are the only continuous members of the Crowes. He is the vocalist and rhythm guitarist for the Chris Robinson Brotherhood, which was formed in 2011 while the Black Crowes were on hiatus. Robinson is noted for his high tenor vocal range and bluesy vocal runs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yo La Tengo</span> American rock group

Yo La Tengo is an American indie rock band formed in Hoboken, New Jersey, in 1984. Since 1992, the lineup has consisted of Ira Kaplan, Georgia Hubley, and James McNew. In 2015, original guitarist Dave Schramm rejoined the band and appeared on their fourteenth album, Stuff Like That There.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nanci Griffith</span> American singer-songwriter (1953–2021)

Nanci Caroline Griffith was an American singer, guitarist, and songwriter. She appeared many times on the PBS music program Austin City Limits starting in 1985. In 1994 she won a Grammy Award for the album Other Voices, Other Rooms.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Café Tacuba</span> Latin rock band

Café Tacuba, stylized as Café Tacvba, is a band from Naucalpan de Juárez, State of Mexico. The group gained popularity in the early 1990s. They were founded in 1989, before they had the current lineup of Rubén Isaac Albarrán Ortega, Emmanuel del Real Díaz, José Alfredo "Joselo" Rangel Arroyo, and Enrique "Quique" Rangel Arroyo:, their friend Roberto Silva played the keyboards for a short period of time. Since the Cuatro Caminos World Tour, Luis "El Children" Ledezma has played the drums in every concert but is not considered an official member of the band, as well as Ramiro Del Real Díaz, who joined the band as a support musician playing the guitar since 2015.

Cop Shoot Cop was a noise rock group founded in New York City in 1987. They disbanded in 1996. The band were frequently classified as industrial rock, but were often quite different from many bands so dubbed: having a distinctive instrumental lineup that encompassed twin bass guitars, found metal percussion, and no lead guitar. The group had little mainstream success, despite tours with Iggy Pop and music videos on MTV's Headbangers Ball and 120 Minutes. They retain a cult following—their out-of-print releases sometimes sell for large amounts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Colin Meloy</span> American musician (born 1974)

Colin Patrick Henry Meloy is an American musician, singer-songwriter and author best known as the frontman of the Portland, Oregon, indie folk rock band the Decemberists. In addition to vocals, he performs with an acoustic guitar, 12-string acoustic guitar, electric guitar, bouzouki, harmonica and percussion instruments.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nymphs (band)</span> American alternative rock band

Nymphs are an American alternative rock band that performed in the late 1980s and early 1990s with lead singer Inger Lorre. The band was signed to Geffen Records, and released their debut album in 1991. Nymphs are known for their wild stage shows and their rebellious attitude towards record companies. The band formed in 1985 and broke up in 1992, formed again in 2016, and broke up the same year, later reforming in 2017.

<i>Ride the Tiger</i> (album) 1986 studio album by Yo La Tengo

Ride the Tiger is the debut studio album by American indie rock band Yo La Tengo. It was released in 1986 by record label Coyote.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tim Kinsella</span> Musical artist

Tim Kinsella is an American musician, author, and film director from Chicago, Illinois.

<i>Painful</i> (album) 1993 studio album by Yo La Tengo

Painful is the sixth studio album by American indie rock band Yo La Tengo, released in 1993 by record label Matador, their first for the label.

<i>Fakebook</i> (album) 1990 studio album by Yo La Tengo

Fakebook is the fourth studio album by American indie rock band Yo La Tengo, released in 1990 by record label Bar None.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jon Poole</span> Musical artist

Jonathan Charles Poole, also known by his stage name Random Jon Poole, is an English musician and songwriter. A multi-instrumentalist, singer and producer, he is best known for his work as guitarist for Cardiacs and as bass player for the Wildhearts and Lifesigns.

Whysall Lane was an American indie rock band based in San Francisco whose music combines elements of 1990s indie rock and classic rock with lyrics inspired by romantic obsession. The band's members were Richard Baluyut, Mikel Delgado and Adam Pfahler.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kavus Torabi</span> Iranian guitarist

Kavus Torabi is a British-Iranian musician, composer, record label owner and radio broadcaster. A multi-instrumentalist, he is known for his work in the psychedelic, avant-garde rock field. Torabi was one of the founding members of the Monsoon Bassoon, was a member of cult progressive rock group Cardiacs, and fronts and plays guitar for the current lineup of legendary psychedelic band Gong.

Kate Jacobs is an American singer-songwriter.

Translator is an American rock band from San Francisco that had success during the 1980s, which continues into the present day. The group created a sound that spanned updated British Merseybeat and stripped-down punk-like rock to psychedelia. Inspired by the Beatles, Cream and 1960s California folk rock bands such as the Byrds, their guitar-based music had wide exposure during the early 1980s on non-commercial campus radio and new wave music stations. The group's stripped-down music and sometimes ironic and disturbing existentialist lyrics may have been a precursor to alternative rock.

Human Switchboard was an American punk rock band formed in Cleveland, Ohio in 1977. According to a Rolling Stone review, Human Switchboard "was of its time — mixing Velvet Underground guitar churn, Sixties garage-rock organ, rubbery Pere Ubu-like baselines, skronky sax and athletically spazzy drumming."

The Cyclones were a rock and roll band that helped pioneer the new wave music scene that erupted in the New York City area during the late 70s, early 80s. A female fronted trio, they began as a rockabilly cover band, became an original group in 78/79 which lasted until 1984. Original members included Dan Reich on drums and Walter Sczesny on bass. The group came into its own with addition of singer/guitarist/songwriter Donna Esposito. After a few transitions on bass guitar, the band's stable lineup was complete in late 79/ early 1980 with the addition of Marc Seligman.

Kevin Salem is an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and record producer. He began his career as a member of Dumptruck, and subsequently played with multiple artists on tour, including Yo La Tengo and Freedy Johnston, before beginning his solo career.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Taylor Goldsmith</span> American musician

Taylor Dawes Goldsmith is an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and record producer. He serves as the lead singer, guitarist, and chief songwriter of American folk rock band Dawes.

References

  1. 1 2 amg
  2. ↑ "Christine Ohlman & Rebel Montez - Photos" . Retrieved 2007-12-06.[ dead link ]
  3. ↑ "Yo La Tengo Official Site".
  4. ↑ Testa, Jim. "Hoboken singer/songwriter Kate Jacobs releasing new album, returning to live performance", The Jersey Journal , November 5, 2010. Accessed January 21, 2018. "It’s been six years since singer/songwriter Kate Jacobs released her last album, time she’s spent raising two sons in her Hoboken apartment.... Another longtime Hobokenite, guitarist Dave Schramm (who’s worked with Jacobs for over a decade,) produced the new album, which Jacobs says strays from her usual country/folk stylings a bit."
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.