Sharkboy

Last updated
Sharkboy Sharkboy Band Avy.jpg
Sharkboy

Sharkboy
Origin Brighton, England, United Kingdom
Genres Alternative rock
Years activeEarly 1990s–Present
Labels Nude Sign Of The Sharkboy Studio
Past membersAvy
Adrian Oxaal
Alan Stirner
Gavin Cheyne
Dil Davies
Nick Wilson
Jessica Fischer

Sharkboy is an alternative rock band from Brighton, England, formed and led from the early 1990s by Avy, lead singer, songwriter and guitarist. She first released albums with Nude Records, home of Suede, and continues to release independently through her creative audio-visual studio. / [1]

Contents

The current outfit features Avy as solo artist with collaborators including Adrian Oxaal and Brightons Mark 7, along with guest musicians.

History

The band was formed in the early 1990s by the Preston-born Avy (vocals, guitar), recruiting American-born Oxaal (guitar, cello, keyboards) and multi-instrumentalist Gavin Cheyne on bass. [2] [3] The band signed to Nude Records after being championed by Brett Anderson of Suede and released their debut album Matinee in 1994, which was described by CMJ New Music Monthly as "moody aggression with bite", and by Allmusic writer Ned Raggett as "an enjoyable, moody debut". [2] [4] [5] Everett True wrote in Melody Maker that Matinee possessed ‘a sensuous collage of sounds which plays havoc with the emotions’. [6] Original members included Toby Shippey (trumpet), Dil Davies (drums, percussion) Alan Stirner (guitar) and Nick Wilson (keyboards, trumpet, percussion). [2] Four singles in 1995 preceded the band's second album, The Valentine Tapes, which included Dickon Hinchcliffe of Tindersticks on violin. [2] The band carried on in various forms, including drummer Steve Hewitt joining the outfit following the departure of Dil Davies. They released a limited edition 500 vinyl boxed set featuring cover versions of lounge classics and a thrash feedback version of the Serge Gainsbourg penned "Je t'aime... moi non plus" which remains a rarity. Following the demobbing of original members after the second album's release, Avy, Adrian Oxaal and Jessica Fischer (bass/cello) played to appreciative audiences in New York and Los Angeles in 1997.

Oxaal went on to join James. Toby Shippey was a founder member of Salsa Celtica. Steve Hewitt joined Placebo before going on to form his own band Love Amongst Ruin. Avy’s work continues on soundtracks to her animated stop motion films, including the award-winning [https://bestshortfilms.discover.film/videos/a-new-life-tomorrow ]the story of her stepfathers boyhood in wartime London. A new album / multi-media release titled ‘BirdTown’ is being recorded for release in 2023.

Musical style

The band has been compared to My Bloody Valentine, Mazzy Star, Drugstore, Tindersticks, and Mojave 3. [2] [5] On the band's second album, Allmusic identified a "blend of country, blues, post-punk textures". [7]

Discography

Albums

Singles

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Lucksmiths</span> Australian indie pop band

The Lucksmiths were an Australian indie pop band formed in March 1993 by Marty Donald on guitar, Mark Monnone on bass guitar and Tali White on drums and lead vocals. Louis Richter joined on guitar in 2005. They released eight studio albums, First Tape, The Green Bicycle Case, What Bird Is That?, A Good Kind of Nervous (1997), Why That Doesn't Surprise Me, Naturaliste, Warmer Corners and First Frost (2008), before disbanding in August 2009.

Alice Donut is a punk rock band from New York City formed in 1986. The band released six albums before splitting up in 1996. They reformed in 2001.

<i>The Infotainment Scan</i> 1993 studio album by The Fall

The Infotainment Scan is the fifteenth album by The Fall, released in 1993 on Permanent Records in the UK and by Matador Records in the USA. At the time of its release, it was considered the band's most accessible album and came when the band were experiencing unprecedented recognition in the media. It entered the UK Albums Chart at number 9, making it their highest-charting album.

Adrian Oxaal is an American-born English musician and music educator, best known for being the lead guitarist in James 1997–2002 and 2015–present. He has also played with the bands Sharkboy, Oysterband and Goat.

<i>Ichabod and I</i> 1990 studio album by The Boo Radleys

Ichabod and I is the debut album by British indie rock band The Boo Radleys, released in 1990 on the indie label Action Records. It has never been released on CD. Steve Hewitt, the drummer for this album, would later join Placebo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">And Also the Trees</span> English post-punk and gothic rock band

And Also the Trees are an English rock band, formed in 1979 in Inkberrow, Worcestershire. They are characterised by their poetic lyrics and evocative music which are strongly influenced by the native English countryside.

<i>Rusty</i> (Rodan album) 1994 studio album by Rodan

Rusty is the first and only full-length studio album by American band Rodan. It was released on April 4, 1994, on Quarterstick Records. The album takes its name from its engineer, Bob "Rusty" Weston.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">What the Hell Have I</span> 1993 single by Alice in Chains

"What the Hell Have I" is a song by the American rock band Alice in Chains. It was originally featured on the soundtrack to the 1993 John McTiernan film Last Action Hero starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. The song was released as a single and peaked at No. 19 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. It was included on the compilation album Nothing Safe: Best of the Box (1999). A remixed version of the song was included on the compilation albums Music Bank (1999) and The Essential Alice in Chains (2006).

<i>New Mother</i> 1999 album

New Mother is the debut studio album by American folk music act Angels of Light. It was released on April 5, 1999 via frontman Michael Gira's own record label Young God Records, immediately after Michael Gira disbanded his previous band, Swans. The album features contributions from various musicians, including violinist Hahn Rowe, Rasputina band cellist Julia Kent, drummer Thor Harris, composer Joe McGinty and ex-Swans members Bill Rieflin, Phil Puleo and Bill Bronson.

<i>Ask Me Tomorrow</i> 1995 studio album by Mojave 3

Ask Me Tomorrow is the debut album by Mojave 3, released by 4AD on 16 October 1995 in the UK and on 16 January 1996 in the US. The album was released roughly eight months after the release of Pygmalion, the third studio album by Mojave 3 founders Neil Halstead, Rachel Goswell, and Ian McCutcheon's previous band Slowdive.

God were a British experimental band formed in London by Kevin Martin. The band's first official release was 'Sounds Like Thunder' in 1988, for a Mark E. Smith-curated 'Disparate Cognescenti' compilation. The band expanded to include nine members and released two studio albums before disbanding in 1996. The group's abrasive combination of ambient, dub, free jazz and noise rock music garnered respect from their peers such as Bill Laswell, Ministry, My Bloody Valentine, J. G. Thirlwell and John Zorn.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Honey Tongue</span> British alternative rock band

Honey Tongue were an alternative rock band formed by former member of The Perfect Disaster and The Breeders Josephine Wiggs and The Perfect Disaster/Spacemen 3/Spiritualized drummer Jon Mattock. The band later recorded as The Josephine Wiggs Experience.

<i>Eccsame the Photon Band</i> 1994 studio album by Lilys

Eccsame the Photon Band is the second full-length 1994 album by the American indie rock band, Lilys, originally released on the spinART label. The album saw the band move towards dream pop. The notoriously nomadic Kurt Heasley refers to this period of Lilys history as EPOCH I, also included is his first seven-inch single " February Fourteenth", the mini LP A Brief History of Amazing Letdowns and Lilys' first full-length album, In The Presence of Nothing. Eccsame the Photon Band was recorded at Mike Deming's Studio 45 in Hartford, Connecticut, largely as duo of Heasley and Harold Evans.

Bandit Queen were a three-piece indie rock band from Manchester, England, formed in 1992. They disbanded in 1998 after releasing one album.

Kustomized was an American indie rock band formed by former Mission of Burma and Volcano Suns member Peter Prescott.

Appliance were a British experimental post-rock three piece band, who released four albums between 1999 and 2003 on Mute Records.

<i>Cascade</i> (Peter Murphy album) 1995 studio album by Peter Murphy

Cascade is the fifth studio album by English musician Peter Murphy. It was released on 11 April 1995, through Atlantic and Beggars Banquet Records. Produced by Pascal Gabriel, it is Murphy's last album on Beggars Banquet and first album not to feature his backing band, The Hundred Men, which disbanded after Holy Smoke tour.

<i>The Buried Life</i> (album) 1993 studio album by Medicine

The Buried Life is the second album by American rock band Medicine, released on October 12, 1993 by American Recordings.

<i>That That Is ... Is (Not)</i> 1995 studio album by Dissolve

That That Is ... Is (Not) is the debut album of Dissolve, released in 1995 through Kranky.

<i>Interstate</i> (album) 1995 studio album by Pell Mell

Interstate is the fifth album by American post-rock and instrumental rock band Pell Mell, released in 1995. After issuing Flow in 1991, the band members wrote new material separately, sending each other ideas, until more concrete ideas were becoming formed, leading to the band recording Interstate between two studios in 1993 and 1994. Defined by a breezy, wide-open sound, Interstate features sparse, rhythmic guitar riffs, organ playing, drums and thematic instrumentation, in addition to a distinctive compositional style that has been compared to "the dynamics of a good conversation" by one critic. Additionally, the album has been considered a post-rock album and critics have noticed its display of krautrock influences.

References

  1. https://www.signofthesharkboy.com//
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Strong, Martin C. (1999) The Great Alternative & Indie Discography, Canongate, ISBN   0-86241-913-1, p. 558
  3. Larkin, Colin (2006) The Encyclopedia of Popular Music, Oxford University Press, ISBN   978-0195313734, p. 386
  4. Taraska, Julie (1995) "Sharkboy Matinee", CMJ New Music Monthly , March 1995, p. 41, retrieved 2012-05-01
  5. 1 2 Raggett, Ned "Matinee Review", Allmusic, retrieved 2012-01-05
  6. True, Everett (16 April 1994). "The Boy Can't Help It!'". Melody Maker.
  7. Raggett, Ned "The Valentine Tapes Review", Allmusic, retrieved 2012-05-01