John Mermis, known as Long Gone John, is an American entrepreneur best known for his record label, Sympathy for the Record Industry, and his vinyl toy company, Necessaries Toy Foundation. He lived in Long Beach, California, for 30 years, but relocated to Olympia, Washington, in 2007.
The Devil Dogs were an American, New York-based garage punk band, started in 1989 by Andy Gortler (guitars), Steve Baise (bass) and Paul Corio (drums).
Johnny Vomit & The Dry Heaves was an American high school garage band, that formed in mid-1980s in Corinth, Mississippi, United States, that featured future leaders of the Oblivians and Squirrel Nut Zippers, Jack Oblivian and Jim Mathus. Under the names Johnny Goopa and Bart Barf, they supported Johnny Vomit on two seven-inch records issued on Eric Oblivian's Goner Records.
Reigning Sound was an American rock and roll band originally based in Memphis, Tennessee, United States. As of 2019, along with fronting Reigning Sound, Cartwright also reformed his past band Greg Oblivian and the Tip Tops. In 2020, he also reformed with the original "Memphis lineup" of Reigning Sound is once again playing shows with the outfit's first incarnation. In a June 8, 2022, message on the group's Facebook page, Cartwright formally announced the end of Reigning Sound.
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.
Goner Records is an independent record label and record store co-owned by Eric Friedl of The Oblivians and Zac Ives and based in Memphis, Tennessee. It is known for releasing albums by punk, garage rock, and more recently post-punk and synth-oriented bands, such as the King Khan & BBQ Show, Nots, Low Life, and the late Jay Reatard. The label also hosts Gonerfest, an annual Memphis music festival.
Greg Cartwright, also known by his stage name Greg Oblivian, is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist from Memphis, Tennessee. From 2001 to 2022 he fronted Reigning Sound which was signed to Merge Records. After moving away from Memphis in the mid-2000s, he has since lived with his family in Asheville, North Carolina.
Compulsive Gamblers were an American garage rock group formed in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1990 by Greg Cartwright and Jack Yarber, both future members of the Oblivians.
Eric Friedl, also known by his stage name, Eric Oblivian, is a musician and the founder and owner of Goner Records, an independent music label and record store located in Memphis, Tennessee.
'68 Comeback is an American garage rock band formed in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1992 by singer, songwriter, and musicologist Jeffrey Evans. For the purposes of the band, Evans is frequently billed as either "Monsieur Evans" or "Monsieur Jeffrey Evans". The group contains a revolving cast of musicians, the only constant member being Evans himself.
Walter Daniels is an American musician and harmonica player noted for introducing the instrument into a number of styles of music not usually associated with the harmonica, including punk rock, and avant-garde free improvisation.
Gambling Days Are Over is the debut studio album by the Compulsive Gamblers. It was released in 1995 by Sympathy for the Record Industry. The album, with the exception of the last three songs, was recorded on an 8-track recorder in vocalist Jack Oblivian's apartment. The album was released after the band had already broken up, and was essentially a collection of the group's three 7-inch releases, "Church Goin'," "Joker," and Goodtime Gamblers." During the recording of the album the Compulsive Gamblers lineup consisted of Jack Oblivian and Greg Oblivian on guitar and vocals, Bushrod Thomas on drums, Fields Trimble on bass, and Greg Easterly on violin. The first three songs on the album are cover songs reflecting the band's diverse influences; the album contains covers by The Tornados, the Bar-Kays, and Tom Waits. The song "Sour and Vicious Man" was covered by Jay Reatard of the Reatards on their third album, Not Fucked Enough.
Bluff City is the second studio album by the Compulsive Gamblers. It was released on April 27, 1999, by the independent music label, Sympathy for the Record Industry. The album was recorded after the band returned from a four-year hiatus in which members Greg Cartwright and Jack Yarber were recording under the name, the Oblivians. Bluff City was written while the Compulsive Gamblers were a threesome, with Cartwright and Yarber joined by Bushrod Thomas on drums. After the recording of Bluff City, the group recruited bassist Jeff Meier for a European tour in support of the album.
Crystal Gazing Luck Amazing is the third and final studio album by The Compulsive Gamblers. The album was released June 20, 2000 by Sympathy for the Record Industry. The album's lineup consisted of Gamblers mainstays Greg Cartwright and Jack Yarber on guitar and vocals. The Compulsive Gamblers began recording the album following their first European tour, which saw the addition of bassist Jeff Meier and keyboardist Brendan Lee Spengler to the Compulsive Gamblers' formerly three-piece outfit. The track Rock & Roll Nurse was covered by the band The Von Bondies on their 2001 debut album Lack of Communication.
Live & Deadly: Memphis–Chicago is a live album recorded by the Compulsive Gamblers. It is the final release by the band, released on April 15, 2003 by the independent record label Sympathy for the Record Industry. The album contains 16 tracks recorded during two May 2002 performances, one in Memphis, Tennessee, and the other in Chicago, Illinois. Live & Deadly was released just prior to the second and final time the Compulsive Gamblers disbanded. The album contains cover songs by the Bar-Kays, Tom Waits, and Nolan Strong & The Diablos. The song "Sour and Vicious Man" was in turn covered by The Reatards on their third album, Not Fucked Enough.
Jeffrey Evans is a singer and songwriter best known for his Memphis, Tennessee based bands: '68 Comeback, The Gibsons Bros., South Filthy and his current solo career. Evans' musical style combines elements of rockabilly, blues, garage rock, punk and rock and roll.
Alicja Trout is an American, Memphis-based rock guitarist, singer and songwriter.
The Oblivians are an American garage punk trio that has existed since 1993. In the 1990s, their blues-infused brand of bravado, crudely recorded music made them one of the most popular and prominent bands within the underground garage rock scene.
The following is the discography for American garage punk musician Jay Reatard and his associated acts.
The Reatards were an American garage punk band formed in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1995. Originally a one-man project by guitarist Jay Reatard, the group's sound was marked by raw, stripped-down instrumentals and lo-fi recording quality. After distributing privately pressed cassettes and EPs, most notably Fuck Elvis, Here's the Reatards, the band released their debut album Teenage Hate in 1998, followed by Grown Up, Fucked Up a year later. By 1999, the group only sporadically performed as Reatard began exploring other endeavors, but in 2005 he reformed the band for their third and final studio album. Much of the Reatards' discography remains a subject of interest, leading to reissues of their work years later.
