Billy Childish is an English painter, author, poet, photographer, film maker, singer and guitarist. Since the late 1970s, Childish has been prolific in creating music, writing and visual art. He has led and played in bands including the Thee Milkshakes, Thee Headcoats, and the Musicians of the British Empire, primarily working in the genres of garage rock, punk and surf and releasing more than 100 albums.
Thee Michelle Gun Elephant was a Japanese garage rock band formed in 1991.
The Prisoners are a British garage rock band formed in 1980 in Rochester, Kent, England. Their 1960s garage sound made them a regular live fixture in London's underground "psychedelic revival" and "mod revival" scene of the early 1980s, as well as a linchpin of the Medway scene.
The Detroit Cobras are an American garage rock band from Detroit, Michigan, which was formed in 1994 by guitarist Steve Shaw, guitarist Mary Ramirez, bassist Jeff Meier, drummer Vic Hill, and singer Rachel Nagy. The group was later known for a constantly changing assortment of musicians. Rachel Nagy died on January 14, 2022.
Thee Headcoats is a band formed in Chatham, Kent, England in 1989, that was well known for its garage rock sound, explicitly sticking to this style on almost all of their albums. The band's signature sound as well as their prolific writing has been attributed to Billy Childish's love of simple, direct recording. The band has been on multiple labels including Billy's own Hangman Records, Damaged Goods and Sub Pop.
The Medway scene consists of the bands and related cultural activities of the Medway Towns, north Kent, England. Main towns involved are Strood, Rochester, Chatham, Gillingham, and Rainham. The Medway scene is typically dated from the punk era of the late 1970s, when the presence of the Medway College of Design influenced a "vibrant art, poetry and music scene."
The Greenhornes were an American garage rock band from Cincinnati, Ohio, formed in 1996 by vocalist/guitarist Craig Fox, bass guitarist Jack Lawrence and drummer Patrick Keeler. They released their debut album Gun For You in 1999, followed by a self-titled album in 2001. A third studio album, Dual Mono, was released in 2002, with the band taking a small hiatus. The Greenhornes returned in 2005 to release a new EP, East Grand Blues, and a compilation album, Sewed Soles. During this time, Lawrence and Keeler formed The Raconteurs with Detroit musicians and personal friends Jack White and Brendan Benson, leaving very few performances and interaction with Fox. In 2010, the band reunited once again to record a studio album, Four Stars, their first in eight years.
Thee Headcoatees were an all-female garage band formed in Chatham, Kent, England in 1991. They were part of the Medway scene. The members were Holly Golightly, Kyra LaRubia, Ludella Black and "Bongo" Debbie Green.
James Patrick Keeler is an American rock music drummer from Cincinnati, who is best known for playing in The Greenhornes, The Raconteurs, and The Afghan Whigs. He plays with both traditional and matched grips.
Damaged Goods is a British independent record label.
The Geraldine Fibbers were an alt-country band founded in 1994 by Carla Bozulich. Initially, band members included Bozulich, Daniel Keenan, Julie Fowells, William Tutton and Kevin Fitzgerald. While Bozulich had previously been known for noisy industrial music, The Geraldine Fibbers fused American roots music and blues-influenced punk.
Dan Melchior is an English singer, songwriter and guitarist, often labeled a garage rock musician. He has formed the named groups of musicians Broke Revue and Dan Melchior und Das Menace.
Thee Shams was a garage rock band from Cincinnati, Ohio, consisting of Zachary Gabbard, Andrew Gabbard, Joey Sebaali, Chad Hardwick, Adam Wesley, Max Bender, and Keith Fox. They were signed to Mississippi's Fat Possum Records and also released records on Shake It Records and several other small labels. Many of Thee Shams' recordings were engineered by John Curley at Ultrasuede Studios in Cincinnati. The band played a large role in Cincinnati's garage rock scene until they broke up in 2006.
The Clique was an English rock band, formed in the late 1980s by Jon Paul Harper, Paul Newman, Phillip Otto and Gilles B. Mery. This line-up played many gigs centred on the revived UK mod scene. After sporadic experiments with keyboard players, including James Taylor, Dom Strickland became full-time Hammond player in late 1991, and also their main songwriter, and Trevor French became lead singer. Up to that point the Clique had been a covers band, making up for their lack of original material by covering rare and obscure freakbeat material. Shortly thereafter, in an unrelated move, Mery departed to his native France, and he was replaced by Matthew Braim, who played his first gig in April 1993. This particular line-up is now generally regarded as the Clique at the height of their powers.
The Dirty Water Club was a long-running London club night featuring bands influenced by 1960s garage punk. It was named after The Standells' 1966 hit single "Dirty Water".
The Fire Dept (1987–2004) were a British punk rock group. The main core of the band over the years comprised Neil Palmer on guitar and vocals, Neale Richardson on bass and Robin Taylor on drums. Johnny Johnson of Thee Headcoats played bass on stage from 1995 to 1997, and on the Fire Dept's Elpee for Another Time (1996).
You Can't Buy a Gun When You're Crying is the first album recorded by Holly Golightly and the Brokeoffs, a project involving Golightly's established United States band member Lawyer Dave.
Mambo Taxi were an English, London-based British indie band, linked with riot grrrl, who formed in 1991 and split up in 1995.
Fabienne Delsol is a French singer who performs primarily in English. Influenced by the 1960s, her music is a mix of garage rock, pop and psychedelic music.
SmartGuy is an American record label. It has released bands from the UK, US, Australia and New Zealand. Releases include The Tyrades, Total Control, Billy Childish, Thee Headcoats, Dan Melchior, and Bill Direen. The label has been described as "seriously diverse" and "delving into divergent sounds and coming up with some real treats".
