Orange Hat | |
---|---|
Origin | Gainesville, GA, United States |
Genres | Psychedelic pop, power pop |
Years active | 1983 – present |
Labels | Cringe |
Members | Christo Harris David "Zeus" Henderson Lee Flier Eskil Wetterqvist Kenny Howes |
Past members | Chris Collins Amy Henderson John Henry Anissa "Mickey" King Keli Mercadante John "Beaver" Myers Jason NeSmith Nathaniel Parker Ron Pickle |
Orange Hat is an American rock and psychedelic pop band from Atlanta, GA.
Guitarist Christo Harris started Orange Hat while in high school in 1983 and was joined by guitarist/bassist David "Zeus" Henderson several years later. The pair, with constantly changing lineups, took advantage of the '80s DIY cassette culture and released a half dozen independent albums on cassette between 1985 and 1995, including Pork! and Pterodactyl Universe. (A long running inside joke demands all Orange Hat album titles begin with the letter P.) [1] The band also released a full length independent mockumentary, Pork Rinds, in 1992.
Orange Hat took a three-year hiatus starting in 1992 following the death of drummer "Beaver" Myers. During that time, Henderson recorded and toured with Shawn Mullins. [2]
Orange Hat reformed in 1995 and Harris and Henderson were joined by keyboardist John Henry, part-time percussionist Keli Mercadante, and drummer/record producer/audio engineer Jason NeSmith (also known as Casper, from Casper & the Cookies). With the release of the 7-inch "Humpty Dumpty / Entropy" in early 1997, the band began to receive college radio airplay and national press.
While the band's earlier work varied between new wave and tongue-in-cheek garage rock, Harris and Henderson focused their sound during this period on imagery-filled psychedelic pop, and began to incorporate appropriate effects and instruments such as the Theremin into their sound. NeSmith's contributions toward this style included the use of a Synsonics toy electronic drum pad sent through delay effects.
Keyboardist John Henry was replaced by Kenny Howes in 1997, who then contributed the distinctive sound of the Vox Continental organ to the band. [3] John Henry remains associated with Orange Hat today, in the capacity of "psychic mentor."
The quartet released the CD Pufferfish in 1999, [4] the single "13th Floor" in 2000, and a full-length film Psychedelic Elevator (on VHS) in 2001. This lineup of the band was as notable for its psychedelic fashion sense [5] as for its Squeeze-like pop sound. [6]
From 2001 to 2003, Orange Hat produced over 50 episodes of The Orange Hat Hour, a weekly, half-hour cable television show. The program featured music videos, band performances, and surreal/deconstructionist comedy, similar in style to The Monkees and SCTV. [7]
Howes and NeSmith, who both relocated, were replaced by guitarist Lee Flier and drummer Eskil Wetterqvist (both of the Atlanta band What The...?). This incarnation released the EP Ponytail in 2005. [8] Howes returned to Atlanta in 2012 and re-joined the band.
Orange Hat continues to occasionally perform in the Atlanta area.
Wired is the third solo album by the British guitarist Jeff Beck, released on Epic Records in 1976. An instrumental album, it peaked at No. 16 on the Billboard 200 and was certified platinum by the RIAA.
The Apples in Stereo are an American indie rock band associated with Elephant 6 Collective, a group of bands also including Neutral Milk Hotel, The Olivia Tremor Control, Elf Power, of Montreal, and Circulatory System. The band is largely a product of lead vocalist/guitarist/producer Robert Schneider, who writes the majority of the band's music and lyrics. Currently, The Apples in Stereo also includes longstanding members John Hill and Eric Allen (bass), as well as more recent members John Dufilho (drums), John Ferguson (keyboards), and Ben Phelan (keyboards/guitar/trumpet).
Boredoms is a rock band from Osaka, Japan formed in 1986. The band's sound is often referred to as noise rock, or sometimes Japanoise, though their more recent records have moved toward repetitive psychedelic rock, ambient soundscapes, and tribal drumming.
Magnapop is an American rock band based in Atlanta, Georgia. Formed in 1989, the band has consistently included songwriting duo Linda Hopper as vocalist and Ruthie Morris on guitar. Magnapop first achieved recognition in the Benelux countries of Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg through the festival circuit and have remained popular in Europe throughout their career. After modest success in the United States in the mid-1990s with the singles "Slowly, Slowly" and "Open the Door" and a series of albums produced by Michael Stipe, Bob Mould, and Geza X, the band went on an extended hiatus due to the dissolution of their record label. They returned with a new rhythm section in 2005 on the Daemon Records release Mouthfeel. The band has continued to perform and record since this reunion and have self-released two more albums. Magnapop's musical style is noted for blending the pop vocals and melodies of Hopper with the aggressive, punk-influenced guitar-playing of Morris and her back-up vocal harmonies.
James Robbins, better known as J. Robbins, is an American rock musician.
Latino Buggerveil is an independent record label and publishing company that was founded by psychedelic noise-punk band the Butthole Surfers.
Eyeless In Gaza is an English musical duo of Martyn Bates and Peter Becker, based in Nuneaton, Warwickshire. They have described their music as "veer[ing] crazily from filmic ambiance to rock and pop, industrial funk to avant-folk styles." Formed in 1980, the group went into hiatus in 1987, re-emerging in 1993.
Plexi was an American gothic noise rock band consisting of Michael Angelos, Michael Barragan and Norm Block. Formed in 1993, their original name was Godseed. Their sound has been compared to bands such as Bauhaus, Sonic Youth, The Cure, Bailter Space, Swervedriver, The Psychedelic Furs, My Bloody Valentine and Psi Com. Plexi's material combined a mix of detached, wry, existential, and romantic lyrics with a flamboyant blend of glam rock and artsy avant-garde textures and noise. Guitarist Michael Barragan was known for regular use of an Echoplex unit to create chaotic walls of sound.
Rembrandt Pussyhorse is the second full-length studio album by American experimental rock band Butthole Surfers, released in April 1986. All songs were written and produced by Butthole Surfers, except "American Woman"—which was written by Randy Bachman, Burton Cummings, Jim Kale, and Garry Peterson of The Guess Who—and "Perry", which borrows the theme music to the Perry Mason TV show starring Raymond Burr.
Parts & Labor was an American rock band formed in 2002 by B. J. Warshaw and Dan Friel in Brooklyn, New York. Drummer Joe Wong joined the band in 2007. Parts & Labor released five albums, two EPs, one split album, and numerous 7"s and compilation tracks. Their music is influenced by DIY punk, experimental/psychedelic rock, and lo-fi electronic music.
Casper & the Cookies is an American rock and pop band from Athens, Georgia, United States.
Robert "Bobby" Winkelman was an American singer, song writer, rhythm guitarist, and bass guitarist. He was a founding member of the East Bay band, "The Epics".
The Shore is an American psychedelic rock group formed in 2002 in Los Angeles, California. They were signed to Maverick Records in 2002 and released their self-titled debut album in 2004. After Maverick was shut down, they independently released their second and third studio albums, Light Years and Second Sight, in 2008 and 2014, respectively.
Wendy and Bonnie Flower were American singing sisters, who recorded the album Genesis in 1969 for Skye Records. The album was produced and arranged by jazz polymath Gary McFarland. McFarland at the time was a partner in the ownership of Skye, along with music impresario Norman Schwartz, Latin percussionist Cal Tjader, and guitarist Gábor Szabó.
Kenny Howes is an American musician primarily in the power pop genre.
The Alice Rose were an indie pop/rock band from Austin, Texas, formed in 2000. The group's founding members are songwriter and guitarist JoDee Purkeypile, bassist Sean Crooks, and drummer Chris Sensat.
The Julia Dream is a rock band based out of Atlanta, GA founded by bassist Matt Spatial and singer Vernon P. Love. The sound of the band has been described as new wave, psychedelic trance-rock, and "melodic post-punk".
Reid Laurence "Larry" LaLonde, also known as Ler LaLonde, is an American musician. He has been the guitarist for the rock band Primus since 1989, where he is known for his experimental accompaniment to the bass playing of bandmate Les Claypool. Previously, he played guitar for several groups including Possessed and Blind Illusion. He also has collaborated more recently with artists such as Serj Tankian and Tom Waits.
The Hot Place is an American rock band formed in Atlanta, Georgia in 2011. They have released one full-length album, The Language of Birds on No Big Wheel Records, which was recorded at Southern Tracks Recording. They have released 2 Singles/EP's, Petals of Ruin and A Second to Live.
Arcadea is an American synth-metal supergroup from Atlanta, formed in 2015 by Mastodon drummer Brann Dailor, Zruda guitarist Core Atoms, and guitarist Raheem Amlani. Arcadea's self-titled album was released in June 2017 via Relapse Records.