This article needs additional citations for verification .(February 2022) |
Mephiskapheles | |
---|---|
![]() Mephiskapheles at Riot Fest in 2013 | |
Background information | |
Origin | New York City, New York, United States |
Genres | |
Years active |
|
Labels | |
Members | Andre A. Worrell Adam Bower Michael Bitz Wayne Dunton Brian Martin Greg Robinson Greg Lapine Eric Molina |
Past members | Brendan Tween Mikal Reich Alexander McCabe Osho Endo Vattel Cherry Victor Rice Dan Jeselsohn Bill McKinney Bourbon Zeigler, Jr. Michael McDermott Neil Johnson Ian Hendrickson-Smith Gardner Dunn Nathan Breedlove Jerica Rosenblum Rick Sanford Dave Doris Gina Latessa Stu Klinger Ray (last name unknown) James Morris Dave Hahn Fernando León Andy Muñante |
Website | www.mephiskapheles.com |
Mephiskapheles is a ska band based in New York City. Their name is a portmanteau of "ska" and "Mephistopheles", of the Faust legend. As their name suggests, their lyrics are often playfully satanic in nature.
The band began when New York hardcore band The Shaved Pigs split up, and guitarist Brendan Tween and his roommate (drummer) Mikal Reich, both residents of New York City's East Village, decided to start a ska band. Over the next year, and after recruiting several friends, including keyboardist Brian "Underpants" Martin,[ citation needed ] the band was formed under the name Skatterbrains. It was changed to Mephiskapheles, adopting a satanic gimmick, once the band realized that another band had already taken the name. [4]
On January 3, 1991, the band played its first show at Ugo's, a bar in Locust Valley, NY.[ citation needed ] Trinidadian Andre A. Worrell (also known as "The Nubian Nightmare") – who studied at Hunter College with Tween – became lead singer and frontman. [4] The band recorded its 4-song debut, released only as cassette tape, titled The DEMOn . The tape contained the songs, Doomsday, Eskamoes, Dansmenot, and a cover of the ska classic, Shame & Scandal. The cassette became a pre-viral, viral hit, played on many ska, punk and college radio stations. The song Doomsday had also been widely heard on television in New York as the soundtrack to a fitness-center commercial.
In summer 1991,[ citation needed ] trombonist Greg Robinson joined alto saxophonist Alexander McCabe and trumpeter Osho Endo in the horn section, [4] completing the section that would tour and record for the next six years. The band continued to play live, winning the Brooklyn Lager Band Search in the World Beat category in 1992 and building a devoted fan base throughout the Northeast by performing frequently at colleges and bars. In 1993, bass player Michael Bitz joined, replacing Vattel Cherry, who had taken over from original bassist Victor Rice soon after Mephiskapheles got started, in early 1991. Cherry left to tour with avant-garde saxophonist Charles Gayle.
In 1994, Mephiskapheles released its debut album, God Bless Satan , produced by Bill Laswell. [4] BrooklynVegan included the album in their 2021 list "64 Essential Ska Albums from 1964 to Present". [5] Originally released on the band's own label Pass The Virgin, it saw wider release after being licensed by Moon Ska Records for national distribution [4] starting in 1995. A video the band produced for the song "Doomsday" began receiving airplay on MTV around this time. Mephiskapheles was among the bands that regularly attracted capacity crowds to Wetlands during the New York City nightclub's golden era in the mid-1990s. Other New York City clubs where Mephiskapheles headlined during its 1990s rise included S.O.B.'s, New Frontier, New Music Café, The Cooler, Tramps, Palladium, Bond Street, Cat Club, Lone Star Café, Don Hill's, West End Gate, Pyramid Club, Kenny's Castaways, Café Wha?, Nightengales, and Tilt.
After completing its first cross-country tour in 1995, Mephiskapheles toured extensively through the U.S. and Europe in 1996, including a triumphant trip to Honolulu, Hawaii to celebrate a string of three hit singles on the Hawaiian Island Charts: "Doomsday," "Saba," and "Bumble Bee Tuna." Mephiskapheles began playing frequent shows with the Blue Meanies, from Chicago, and Inspecter 7, from New Brunswick, New Jersey, during this time. Soon after Mephiskapheles' first European tour, in late 1996, drummer and creative force in the early phase, Mikal Reich, left the band to pursue a career outside of music. He was replaced by Wayne Dunton[ citation needed ] who recorded on the band's 1997 album, Maximum Perversion . On the album, the group "explored a heavier side [...] by fusing heavy riffs to ska songs". [6] With support from Moon Ska Records, a video was filmed for the track "Break Your Ankle Punk" which featured hip-hop DJ Lyvio G.
As the band's profile continued to rise, the band embarked on a national tour with British pop-punk icons the Buzzcocks in the spring of 1997. McCabe, one of Mephiskapheles' main composers during the fertile mid-1990s period, had ceased touring with the band prior to the recording of Maximum Perversion, the band on the road opting for a two-piece section with Endo and Robinson. However, McCabe, Endo, and Robinson were reunited when they recorded on Moby's version of John Barry's "James Bond Theme" for the soundtrack of the film Tomorrow Never Dies . In its various remixes, "James Bond Theme (Moby's Re-Version)" became a hit in several countries, and was included on Moby's greatest-hits albums I Like to Score and Go - The Very Best of Moby . In late 1998, Mephiskapheles shocked some fans' sensibilities when they toured the U.S. opening for heavy-metal shock rockers Gwar.
By 1999, the band had gone through a major lineup change with Tween, Bitz, and Endo all leaving the band, for various reasons. New members, bassist Dan Jeselsohn, guitarists Bill McKinney and Dave Hahn and saxophonist Ian Hendrickson-Smith [ citation needed ] were brought in to record an album, Might-Ay White-Ay , that featured reggae, hardcore, and metal with some straight-ahead ska included. [6] Longtime Skatalites trumpeter Nathan Breedlove played on the album, but he did not tour with Mephiskapheles. After continuing to play live performances for two more years, the band stopped playing shows without any official announcement of a breakup.
After Mephiskapheles, Worrell, McKinney, Robinson, and Bitz played in the band Skull-A-Ball. Robinson played guitar in this project. The band self-released three songs on CD and played several shows before disbanding. Worrell also appeared with Bitz and Jeselsohn in the band Burn Guitars. The band featured three bass players, a drummer, and no guitars. This band also played numerous shows but disbanded after recording one demo. A third band, named Tirade, spun off from Mephiskapheles and featured McKinney, Jeselsohn, and future Joan Jett drummer Michael McDermott, performing more heavy metal-based material. This band also recorded one demo.
In spring of 2012, Tween and Worrell led separate Mephiskapheles reunion shows. Worrell's lineup resurrected the 8 Iron Men-era band of 2000-01, and consisted of Worrell, Dunton, Hahn, McKinney, Jeselsohn, and Robinson, plus saxophonists Bourbon Zeigler Jr., who had toured with Mephiskapheles in the late 1990s, and Neil Johnson, who the band knew from his having been a member of The Planet Smashers and The Toasters. Tween's group, Doomsday: The Ultimate Mephiskapheles Tribute, boasted a lineup of Tween, Reich, Jeselsohn, Endo, Robinson, and McCabe, plus keyboardist Jerica Rosenblum, and performed one night in April 2012, thrilling the small crowd in an Upper West Side bar with a recital of Mephiskapheles classics. Subsequent "Doomsday" shows have included Tween, Reich, and Rosenblum with new members, and have featured other music besides Mephiskapheles songs.[ citation needed ]
Since regrouping, Mephiskapheles has continued to stay active both on tour and in the studio. Notable appearances in 2013 included featured sets at the Apple Stomp ska festival in New York and at Riot Fest in Chicago, where the band preceded T.S.O.L., Rancid, and Blink-182 on the Riot Stage. Bassist Michael Bitz returned to the band in 2013, replacing Jeselsohn who left to focus on the Brooklyn Attractors, a band he cofounded with members of Westbound Train. Guitarist Bill McKinney also departed the band in 2013, going on to found The West Kensingtons, a Philadelphia-based ska band with former members of Inspecter 7. Mephiskapheles rounded out an eventful year with gigs in support of the Mighty Mighty Bosstones and the Bouncing Souls, in addition to being the headliner for several shows.[ citation needed ]
In late 2013, founding keyboardist Brian Martin rejoined Mephiskapheles. The band played in Honolulu in February 2014 and also made tours through the Southeast and Midwest. Mephiskapheles entered the recording studio in mid-2014 to begin recording its fourth album, a self-titled EP featuring music composed by Hahn, Bitz, Worrell, and Robinson, with lyrics by Worrell. The band was joined in the studio and subsequently onstage by Burning Spear trumpet player James K. Smith. Highlights of 2014 also included a sold-out show at Irving Plaza with British punk band the Anti-Nowhere League and the Cro-Mags. Mephiskapheles finished 2014 with a holiday tour supporting the Slackers.[ citation needed ]
Mephiskapheles played several Northeast dates in early 2015[ citation needed ] before travelling to Denver, Colorado to perform along with Hepcat at Skalorado Fest. [7] In April 2015, Mephiskapheles recorded two new songs as part of the Converse Rubber Tracks project, at Rubber Tracks studio in Brooklyn.[ citation needed ] In June, Mephiskapheles released its eponymous EP, the first new Mephiskapheles music in 16 years, on Meph Records, in 12-inch vinyl and online digital formats. The EP was produced by Mephiskapheles and mastered by Stephen Egerton of Descendents. [7] Mephiskapheles also made successful headlining tours to the Midwest and Florida, in 2015, as well as hosting its annual Devil's Night party (i.e., the night before Halloween) at the Mercury Lounge in New York. A handful of shows supporting the Voodoo Glow Skulls filled out a busy and productive year.[ citation needed ]
Saxophonists Neil Johnson and Bourbon Zeigler had both left the band by early 2016, clearing the way for their longtime sub, tenor saxophonist Fernando Leon to join. Leon also played on the band's 2015 EP but was not credited. Mephiskapheles continued to share the stage with established punk and ska-punk bands in 2016, making separate East Coast runs with Less Than Jake and NOFX in the early part of the year. After Meph Records released a promotional video for the song "Friends Like You", in April, the band announced work was ongoing on another video, for the song "Satan Stole My Weed". Returning from a well-received tour of Texas, in May, Mephiskapheles headlined in Asbury Park, New Jersey as part of the Punk Rock Bowling & Music festival in June 2016. Later that month, Mephiskapheles traveled to Montreal and played in support of legendary British glam rockers The Adicts at the official after-party for the Amnesia Rockfest.[ citation needed ]
After a frantic five years of activity since regrouping, Mephiskapheles slowed the pace slightly in 2017, playing several shows, occasionally venturing off the Atlantic seaboard such as to play a series of shows in the Midwest with Mustard Plug. God Bless Satan was released in a limited edition on cassette for Cassette Store Day by Jump Up in September. The sixth annual Mephiskapheles Devil's Night Danse was held in late October in two locations, at the Wonder Bar in Asbury Park and the Bowery Electric in New York. Jump Up released a 20th-anniversary colored vinyl LP edition of Maximum Perversion to mark the occasion.[ citation needed ] In November, Mephiskapheles made its first-ever tour to Central America, playing shows in Guatemala and El Salvador. [8]
The Presidents of the United States of America were an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1993. The three-piece group's initial lineup consisted of vocalist and bassist Chris Ballew, drummer Jason Finn, and guitarist Dave Dederer. The band became popular in the mid-1990s for their hits "Lump" and "Peaches"—released in 1995 and 1996, respectively—which helped their self-titled debut album go triple Platinum.
Blue Meanies were an American ska-core band founded in Carbondale, Illinois, at Southern Illinois University, in 1989.
The Offspring is the debut studio album by American rock band the Offspring, released on June 15, 1989, by Nemesis Records. After being out of print for years, the album was re-released by Nitro and Epitaph Records in 1995 with a different album cover. Both the re-releases on the two respective labels are nearly identical. The Offspring has rarely played any songs from this album live since the Ignition tour finished in 1994.
The Mighty Mighty Bosstones were an American ska punk band from Boston, Massachusetts, formed in 1983. From the band's inception, lead vocalist Dicky Barrett, bassist Joe Gittleman, tenor saxophonist Tim "Johnny Vegas" Burton and dancer ("Bosstone") Ben Carr remained constant members. The band's final line-up also included drummer Joe Sirois, saxophonist Leon Silva, guitarist Lawrence Katz, keyboardist John Goetchius, and trombonist Chris Rhodes.
Less Than Jake is an American ska punk band from Gainesville, Florida, formed in 1992. The band consists of Chris DeMakes, Roger Lima, Matt Yonker (drums), Buddy Schaub (trombone), and Peter "JR" Wasilewski (saxophone).
Operation Ivy was an American punk rock band from Berkeley, California, formed in May 1987. They were critical to the emergence of Lookout Records and the so-called "East Bay Sound."
Skankin' Pickle was an American ska punk band formed in San Jose, California that was active from 1989 to 1997.
The Broadways was a short-lived American punk band from Chicago, Illinois, United States, formed in 1996 after the dissolution of the ska-punk band Slapstick. The latter's vocalist Brendan Kelly and trumpet player Dan Hanaway assumed the roles of bassist and guitarist, joined by Rob DePaola on drums and Chris McCaughan on guitar. All but DePaola also assumed vocal duties.
Hellbastard is an English crust punk/thrash metal band formed in 1984 in Newcastle.
Let's Go Bowling is an American third wave ska band hailing from Fresno, California. Since the band's inception in the year 1986, the band's traditional ska style, barbershop harmonies, wisely crafted instrumentals, and its frantic live performances, helped set the standard for dress and culture for West Coast Ska, which in turn, set the groundwork for the Third Wave Movement in 1995.
The Pietasters are an American eight-piece ska/soul band from Washington, D.C., with additional members from Maryland and Virginia.
Pilfers are an American ska band formed in 1997, when former Toasters vocalist, Coolie Ranx, at the urging of Pietaster's vocalist Steve Jackson, joined with former Bim Skala Bim trombonist, Vinny Nobile. To complete the lineup, they recruited the Skinnerbox rhythm section of Anna Milat-Meyer on bass and James Blanck on drums, as well as guitar player, Nick Bacon of The Erratics.
Sloppy Seconds is an American, Ramones-influenced punk band sometimes referred to as a junk rock band from Indianapolis, Indiana, that started in 1984. They gained notoriety in the underground punk scene with gritty and controversial songs like "Come Back, Traci," "I Don't Want to be a Homosexual", "Janie is a Nazi", "I Want 'em Dead" and "So Fucked Up."
Spring Heeled Jack is a third wave ska band based out of New Haven, Connecticut. The band was formed by guitarist/vocalist Ron Ragona and drummer Dave Karcich in 1991. After a short breakup, Ragona and Karcich reformed the band with a new lineup. This lineup went on to record two albums before announcing a hiatus in 2000. While the band members moved on to perform in several new bands, their intention was to play the occasional reunion show. This plan would never come to fruition as a cerebral aneurysm would be cause for Karcich's death in 2002. In 2015, several band members returned to reform the band full-time. A third studio album, Sound Salvation, followed in 2017.
King Django is an American bandleader, singer, songwriter, arranger, engineer, producer, and multi-instrumentalist, especially in the genres of ska, rocksteady, reggae, dub, dancehall, rhythm & blues and soul. Other influences in his music have included traditional jazz, swing, klezmer, hardcore/punk rock, hip-hop and electronica.
The Uptones are an American ska band, based in Northern California. Formed in 1981 by a group of high school students in Berkeley, California, The Uptones were influenced by the English 2 Tone sound, as well as the British mod scene, punk rock, and the original Jamaica ska sound. The Uptones were one of the first U.S. bands devoted to playing ska and were an influence on the burgeoning West Coast punk/ska scene. The band reformed with core founding members in the early 2000s and continued to play live shows throughout the Bay Area until 2018.
Carburetor Dung is a Malaysian punk rock band formed in 1991 in Kuala Lumpur. Formed by bassist Fendi as a band called Stormfish but later changed its name to Carburetor Dung when guitarist Joe Kidd joined the fold. The name came from Lester Bangs' book Psychotic Reactions and Carburetor Dung.
The King Blues are a British punk rock band from London credited for fusing punk and hip hop together with influences from ska and spoken word. Tariq Ali described the band's sounds as "rough, radical music that should unsettle the rulers of this country. A new generation of musicians are challenging war-monger politicians and their courtiers". Influences include Public Enemy, The Clash and The Specials. Lead singer Jonny "Itch" Fox describes the band's sound as 'rebel street music.'
Sublime is an American rock band from Long Beach, California, formed in 1988. The band's original lineup consisted of Bradley Nowell, Eric Wilson (bass), and Bud Gaugh (drums). Lou Dog, Nowell's dalmatian, was the mascot of the band. Nowell died of a heroin overdose in 1996, resulting in the band's breakup. In 1997, songs such as "What I Got", "Santeria", "Wrong Way", "Doin' Time", and "April 29, 1992 (Miami)" were released to U.S. radio.
Dead Fucking Last is an American punk rock band that was founded in 1991 in Los Angeles, California by Tom Davis, Monty Messex, Adam (Ad-Rock) Horovitz and Tony Converse.
{{cite news}}
: CS1 maint: date format (link)