Leslie Edward Claypool is an American musician, best known as the founder, lead singer, bassist, primary songwriter, and only continuous member of the funk metal band Primus. Frequently considered one of the best bass players of all time, his playing style is well known for mixing tapping, flamenco-like strumming, whammy bar bends, and slapping.
Purple Onion is the only studio album by The Les Claypool Frog Brigade, released on September 24, 2002. It followed two live releases by the band, and is the first release of the Frog Brigade's original compositions. While the Brigade regulars are consistent on much of the record such as Jay Lane, Eenor Wildeboar, Skerik and new percussionist Mike "Tree Frog" Dillon, many special guests appear on the album as well. Guests on multiple tracks include Ben Barnes and Sam Bass. "D's Diner," a tribute to a Sebastopol, California restaurant, features sitar player Gabby La La in addition to the triple-bass onslaught of Claypool, Norwood Fisher (Fishbone) and Lonnie Marshall. Warren Haynes adds slide guitar on the "Buzzards of Green Hill" and Fish Fisher guests on "Whamola." "Whamola" was a live show staple named after the unique instrument Les employs—a one-string bass played with a drumstick. The song later appeared as a remix for the theme of South Park Season 10. "Barrington Hall" is a tribute to the UC Berkeley student housing known in the 1960s-1980s for counterculture. Purple Onion was released on vinyl for the first time on November 24, 2009.
Colonel Claypool's Bucket of Bernie Brains (C2B3) was an experimental rock supergroup featuring bassist Les Claypool, guitarist Buckethead, keyboardist Bernie Worrell and drummer Bryan "Brain" Mantia.
Colonel Les Claypool's Fearless Flying Frog Brigade is a musical project with rotating personnel, led by American singer/bassist Les Claypool. The Frog Brigade was formed during a hiatus from Claypool's main group Primus.
Live Frogs Set 1 is a live album by Colonel Les Claypool's Fearless Flying Frog Brigade, released by Prawn Song Records on 10 April 2001. It is composed of songs recorded during the 8–9 October 2000 shows the Frog Brigade played at the Great American Music Hall in San Francisco, the second part released as Live Frogs Set 2. It is primarily composed of originals by the various side projects of Claypool and his fellow band members but also includes two cover songs.
Prawn Song Records is an independent record label owned by Les Claypool of Primus. The name and logo are a parody of Led Zeppelin's label Swan Song Records.
Electric Apricot: Quest For Festeroo is a mockumentary film by Primus lead-man Les Claypool, featuring himself as well as others using pseudonyms. The band Electric Apricot played occasional shows in 2004 and 2005, unannounced, in the California area for footage. The Electric Apricot also made an appearance at the SXSW music festival in Austin, TX in 2007. The movie has been screened at film festivals internationally, including the Bonnaroo Music Festival and The Raindance Festival in London.
Be Careful What You Wish For... is the first album by Gabby La La, the multi-instrumentalist on Les Claypool's Prawn Song record label.
Critters Buggin is a Seattle, Washington-based instrumental group which performs in a jazz, rock and African-influenced, eclectic style. The band is composed of Matt Chamberlain, Skerik, Brad Houser and Mike Dillon.
Skerik is an American saxophonist from Seattle, Washington. Performing on the tenor and baritone saxophone, often with electronics and loops, he is a pioneer in a playing style that has been called saxophonics.
Gabby La La is a vocalist and multi-instrumentalist, signed to Prawn Song Records. Her music is self described as "fun, unique, crazy (and) kooky". La La's debut album, Be Careful What You Wish For..., is a collaboration with Les Claypool that though "peculiar... reveals gems of pop merriment."
Breaking the Ethers is the debut album from collaborative group Tuatara. Released on Epic Records, it was an attempt by members of Luna, the Screaming Trees and R.E.M. to try their hand at experimental, multi-ethnic music.
Mike Dillon is a percussionist, vibraphonist, bandleader, vocalist and songwriter born in San Antonio, Texas. He is a member of Critters Buggin, Les Claypool's Fancy Band and Garage A Trois. He has performed with many musicians including Ani DiFranco, Galactic, Brave Combo, Karl Denson's Tiny Universe, Marco Benevento, Claude Coleman Jr., and New Orleans musicians Kevin O'Day, Johnny Vidacovich and James Singleton.
Les Claypool's Fancy Band was a lineup of musicians on tour with Les Claypool from 2005 to 2007. The band consisted of Claypool on bass, Skerik on tenor and baritone saxophone, Mike Dillon on vibraphone, marimba, tabla, cuíca and percussion, Gabby La La on sitar, ukulele and theremin and Paulo Baldi on drums. The Fancy Band's first appearance was 2005. They toured nationally in 2006 promoting the album Of Whales and Woe. They toured the early Summer of 2007 with the release of the DVD Fancy.
"Long Gone Day" is a song by the American rock band Mad Season, released in 1995 as the third single from the band's sole studio album, Above (1995).
Fancy is a DVD of live concert footage compiled from the Les Claypool's Fancy Band 2006 tour. Filmed by Jim "Jimbo" Charna, Jeremy "staunchy" Sewell and Crew, it was released by Prawn Song Records on May 29, 2007. The soundtrack combines soundboard and "taper (Jimbos)" recordings for concert-like experience.
Solarallergy is a jazz and rock instrumental album by Black Frames. Black Frames is a collaborative project by Skerik, Mike Dillon, Earl Harvin and Brad Houser from 2002. The album was accompanied by a national tour. Between the musicians are long-time associations: Dillon and Harvin from Ten Hands and Billy Goat; Skerik, Houser and Dillon from Critters Buggin. Though Dillon and Harvin are primarily percussionists, for Solarallergy all members are credited for percussion. Each musician is also credited for composition.
There are multiple instruments referred to as a bass banjo. The first to enter real production was the five-string cello banjo, tuned one octave below a five-string banjo. This was followed by a four-string cello banjo, tuned CGDA in the same range as a cello or mandocello, and modified upright bass versions tuned EADG. More recently, true bass banjos, tuned EADG and played in conventional horizontal fashion have been introduced.
Of Fungi and Foe is the second solo album by Les Claypool. The album was released on the March 17, 2009. The album featured Eugene Hütz, Paulo Baldi, Mike Dillon, Lapland Miclovik, Sam Bass, Cage Claypool, and Bryonn Bain.
Primus & the Chocolate Factory with the Fungi Ensemble is the eighth studio album by American rock group Primus. The album is a re-imagining of the soundtrack of the 1971 film Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory. The album was released on October 21, 2014. It is the first full-length album with Tim "Herb" Alexander since 1995's Tales from the Punchbowl.
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