Orbit (band)

Last updated
Orbit
Origin Boston, Massachusetts
Genres Alternative rock, Indie rock, Power pop
Years active1994–2001, 2007, 2011
Labels A&M, Lunch
Website http://www.orbitband.com/
Past members Jeff Robbins
Paul Buckley
Fred Archambault
Mark Brookner
Wally Gagel
Linda Bean

Orbit is a Boston, Massachusetts-based rock band. Formed in 1994, the band went on hiatus in late 2001. Their initial releases were on drummer Buckley's own Lunch Records label before the band moved to major label A&M Records in the summer of 1995. The three members of the original trio (Robbins, Buckley, Brookner) signed the deal with A&M. [1] [2]

Boston State capital of Massachusetts, U.S.

Boston is the capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city proper covers 48 square miles (124 km2) with an estimated population of 694,583 in 2018, making it also the most populous city in New England. Boston is the seat of Suffolk County as well, although the county government was disbanded on July 1, 1999. The city is the economic and cultural anchor of a substantially larger metropolitan area known as Greater Boston, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) home to a census-estimated 4.8 million people in 2016 and ranking as the tenth-largest such area in the country. As a combined statistical area (CSA), this wider commuting region is home to some 8.2 million people, making it the sixth most populous in the United States.

Massachusetts State of the United States of America

Massachusetts, officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is the most populous state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It borders on the Atlantic Ocean to the east, the states of Connecticut and Rhode Island to the south, New Hampshire and Vermont to the north, and New York to the west. The state is named after the Massachusett tribe, which once inhabited the east side of the area, and is one of the original thirteen states. The capital of Massachusetts is Boston, which is also the most populous city in New England. Over 80% of Massachusetts's population lives in the Greater Boston metropolitan area, a region influential upon American history, academia, and industry. Originally dependent on agriculture, fishing and trade, Massachusetts was transformed into a manufacturing center during the Industrial Revolution. During the 20th century, Massachusetts's economy shifted from manufacturing to services. Modern Massachusetts is a global leader in biotechnology, engineering, higher education, finance, and maritime trade.

A&M Records American historical record label

A&M Records was an American record label founded as an independent company by Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss in 1962. Due to the success of the discography A&M released, the label garnered interest and was acquired by PolyGram in 1989 and began distributing releases from Polydor Ltd. from the UK. Throughout its operations, A&M housed well-known acts such as Gin Blossoms, Dishwalla, Joe Cocker, Procol Harum, Captain & Tennille, Sting, Sergio Mendes, Ozark Mountain Daredevils, Supertramp, Bryan Adams, Burt Bacharach, Liza Minnelli, The Carpenters, Paul Williams, Quincy Jones, Janet Jackson, Cat Stevens, Peter Frampton, Elkie Brooks, Carole King, Styx, Extreme, Amy Grant, Joan Baez, the Human League, The Police, CeCe Peniston, Blues Traveler, Soundgarden, Duffy and Sheryl Crow.

Contents

The band completed recording their second major label album, "Guide To Better Living", but it was never released by A&M. The band then moved back to Lunch Records for the rest of their releases.

Perhaps the high point of the band's career was the hit, "Medicine", and their presence on the 1997 Lollapalooza tour. They also had the song, "XLR8R", included on the soundtrack of the PlayStation 2 game, FreQuency.

Lollapalooza music festival in the United States

Lollapalooza is an annual 4-day music festival based in Chicago, Illinois at Grant Park. Performances include but are not limited to alternative rock, heavy metal, punk rock, hip hop, and electronic music. Lollapalooza has also provided a platform for non-profit and political groups and various visual artists. The music festival hosts more than 160,000 people each year.

<i>Frequency</i> (video game) video game on Playstation 2

Frequency is a music video game developed by Harmonix and published by SCEA. It is the first major release from Harmonix. It was released in November 2001. A sequel titled Amplitude was released in 2003.

Orbit played two reunion shows on December 28 and 29, 2007, at the Paradise Rock Club in Boston, MA. They performed with also defunct Boston indie rock group The Sheila Divine.

The Sheila Divine is a Boston-based rock group. Critics compare their sound to the band's own heroes, mainly early 1980s post-punk. The band is most often noted for its loud/soft musical dynamic and Aaron Perrino's soaring vocals, screaming in key one moment and howling a falsetto the next. The band has a large die hard fan base in what is often called "the three Bs": Boston, Buffalo, and Belgium.

Orbit performed a show on January 14, 2011, at the Paradise Rock Club in Boston, MA with The Sheila Divine.

Members

Jeff Robbins American musician

Jeff Lowe Robbins is an American musician and co-founder of the web development company Lullabot.

Wally Gagel American record producer, songwriter, engineer and musician

Wally Gagel is an American, multi platinum, award-winning record producer, audio engineer, mixer, multi-instrumentalist and songwriter. His current work with Blondfire, Zella Day, Best Coast, Hunter Hunted, The Mowglis and Redlight King has garnered critical acclaim as well as commercial success. His production of Family of the Year's #1 single "Hero" caught the attention of movie director Richard Linklater who used it in the film "Boyhood."

Original band members Jeff Robbins and Paul Buckley were the only constant band members during Orbit's active years. Fred Archambault and Linda Bean joined before the release of Tonedeaf. Since the band went on hiatus, Robbins and Bean formed the band WELL and Paul Buckley drums for Dear Leader and runs independent record label Lunch Records.

An independent record label is a record label that operates without the funding of major record labels. Many artists begin their careers on independent labels.

Discography

Studio albums

EPs

Singles

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References

  1. ↑ Personal copy of contract between Orbit and A&M Records. Dated June 30, 1995.
  2. ↑ "On the quiet side of success". The Boston Globe. November 19, 1995. p. 19. Archived from the original https://secure.pqarchiver.com/boston/doc/290752176.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Nov+19%2C+1995&author=&pub=Boston+Globe+%28pre-1997+Fulltext%29&edition=&startpage=19&desc=On+the+quiet+side+of+success on June 23, 2016.


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