Figures of Light | |
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 Dixon and Downey in 2012. | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | New Brunswick, NJ, USA |
| Genres | Proto-punk |
| Years active | 1970–1972; 2006–2015 |
| Labels | Norton Records |
| Members | Wheeler Winston Dixon Michael Downey |
| Past members | Phil Cohen Dennis Druzbik |
Figures of Light is an American proto-punk band formed in 1970 by Wheeler Winston Dixon (lead vocals, slide guitar) and Michael Downey (rhythm guitar, backing vocals). [1] [2]
At the time of the band’s formation, Dixon, 20, and Downey, 23, were roommates, and the band, which at the time included Phil Cohen (lead guitar) and Dennis Druzbik (bass), rehearsed in their apartment in New Brunswick, New Jersey. [1] [2] [3] Guitarist William Spaceman Patterson jammed with the band during their early practice sessions, though he never performed or recorded with the group. They were influenced by the Velvet Underground, The Stooges, and other pre-punk bands of that era. [4] [5] In 1972, Figures of Light cut their debut 7” single, “It’s Lame,” with a limited pressing of 100. [3] The single has since been called “raw, loud, and nothing like the prevailing music of the time.” [3] The band was unable to get a record deal, which led to its dissolution later that year. [1]
At their debut live performance, at Rutgers University in 1970, band members smashed 15 television sets and “a bunch of mirrors” with axes and sledgehammers. They also drove a motorcycle down the main aisle of the concert hall and destroyed a record player. [1] [6] [7] Dixon has called it a protest against the Vietnam War and the way it was being presented on television. [1] The band performed regularly from 1970 until their breakup in 1972. [1]
In 2006, Norton Records founders Billy Miller and Miriam Linna discovered and re-released the “It’s Lame” single, prompting Figures of Light to reunite. [1] [8] At the time, Dixon and Downey hadn’t spoken in around 25 years. [9] The band’s newly recorded material was combined with early in-studio and live tracks for their first full-length release, Smash Hits (2008). [9] They followed that up with Drop Dead, recorded in Brooklyn in 2011. [4] [9] Dixon and Downey were joined on the album by Linna (of The Cramps and The A-Bones), Mick Collins (of The Gories and The Dirtbombs) and Marcus “The Carcass” Natale (of The A-Bones). Collins produced the album, which has a raw, reverb-saturated, stripped down sound. [10] “It’s Lame” was later included on the 2009 compilation I Still Hate CD's: Norton Records 45 RPM Singles Collection Vol. 2. [11] Dixon explained his approach:
Keep it simple, two chords max, simple lyrics, but with content. We’re purveyors of cheerful nihilism. Make an impact, keep it short, say what you want, and get out.
The band broke up amicably in March, 2015; with Dixon stating that "we've done everything we want to do with FOL; now it's time to move on." A permanent archive of FOL videos is on YouTube; their music is still available on Amazon, iTunes, Spotify and other content providers. Despite the band's formal breakup, they continue to release new recordings, and are now a studio band.
The Cramps were an American rock band formed in 1976 and active until 2009. Their lineup rotated frequently during their existence, with the husband-and-wife duo of singer Lux Interior and guitarist Poison Ivy the only ever-present members. The band are credited as progenitors of the psychobilly subgenre, uniting elements of punk rock with rockabilly.
The Smashing Pumpkins are an American alternative rock band from Chicago, Illinois. Formed in 1988 by frontman and guitarist Billy Corgan, bassist D'arcy Wretzky, guitarist James Iha, and drummer Jimmy Chamberlin, the band has undergone several line-up changes since their reunion in 2006, with Corgan being the sole constant member since its inception. The current lineup features Corgan, Chamberlin, and Iha.
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James Newell Osterberg Jr., known professionally as Iggy Pop, is an American singer, musician, songwriter, actor, and radio broadcaster. He was the vocalist and lyricist of proto-punk band The Stooges, who were formed in 1967 and have disbanded and reunited many times since. Often called the "Godfather of Punk", he was named one of the 50 Great Voices by NPR. In 2010, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, as a member of the Stooges. Pop also received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2020, for his solo work.
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Psychobilly is a rock music fusion genre that fuses elements of rockabilly and punk rock. It's been defined as "loud frantic rockabilly music", it has also been said that it "takes the traditional countrified rock style known as rockabilly, ramp[ing] up its speed to a sweaty pace, and combin[ing] it with punk rock and imagery lifted from horror films and late-night sci-fi schlock,... [creating a] gritty honky tonk punk rock."
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Anna King was an American soul and gospel singer who performed with both James Brown and Duke Ellington.
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