Sound of Urchin

Last updated
The Sound of Urchin
Outtake 2000.jpg
Background information
OriginBrooklyn, New York &
New Hope, Pennsylvania
Genres Alternative rock
Experimental rock
Heavy metal
Arena rock
Outsider music
Years active1998–present
Labels RCA, Hybrid,
Steven Records
Associated acts Ween, Moistboyz,
Project/Object
Website www.soundofurchin.com
Members Tomato (Chris Harfenist)
Reverend B-ILL (Bill Fowler)
Matt Holloman
Brian Ellingham

The Sound of Urchin (Sound Of Urchin / SOU / TSOU / Urchin) is a musically diverse "outsider arena-rock" band from Brooklyn, New York and New Hope, Pennsylvania. SOU is known for their eclectic songs, for energetic, spontaneous live shows, and for their heavy touring schedule. [1]

Contents

Band History

The Sound of Urchin's debut E.P. was released on lead-singer/drummer Tomato’s own independent label, Steven Records. [2] [3]

After further developing their style and sound, they signed to major label RCA Records and began working with Dean Ween of Ween. From 2000 to 2002, the band released two E.P.’s, The Orange E.P. (produced by Dean Ween) and the Jack And Diane E.P. (produced by Keith Cleversley of Flaming Lips and Hum fame), and their first full length album, You Are The Best (produced by Keith Cleversley), on RCA Records. [4] In 2002, the band made a video for their song "Scary Skull Eyes". It was directed by Lorin Finkelstein and featured on MTV2’s 120 Minutes. [5]

In 2005, The Sound of Urchin's second full length album The Diamond was released on Hybrid Recordings, and produced by Fountains Of Wayne's Adam Schlesinger, and mixed by Chris Shaw. The independent label is led by former A&M Records label head Al Cafaro and legendary concert promoter John Scher. [6] SOU performed their best-known song from 2005, "There Are People In The Clouds", before nationwide audiences on CBS' The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, [7]

In 2007 SOU released the "Rejoice (Limited Edition)" album, their 3rd full-length release, as a fans-only CD, to those who attended the Rejoice US Tour. It was produced by Tomato and mixed by Josh Wilbur. And features the lineup that included Tomato on vocals/drums, B-ILL and Robbie “Seahag” Mangano on lead guitars, and Michael Davidson on bass. Rejoice also features vocal legend Ellen Foley (Meatloaf, The Clash) on the song “The Rooster Says Good Morning”.

2014 saw the vinyl-only release of the 4th full length Urchin album, "Black Castle", on Tucson AZ's Baby Gas Mask Records. Black Castle was produced by Tomato and showcases a more experimental studio/home-recording hybrid sound.

In 2015, Urchin released the full length "The WoozyFly Sessions" album, which were live-in-the-studio recordings of live show staples of the Rejoice-era line-up.

2017 saw the re-release of both "The Diamond" album as "The Diamond Deluxe", and the "Jack And Diane E.P." as "Jack And Diane Deluxe", as extended albums with unreleased recordings from each era as bonus tracks.

2019 saw the official release of the "Rejoice" album on Tomato's Steven Records, with the bonus “Rock n’ Roll is True E.P." as extended tracks; and also saw the official release of the "Black Castle" album on Tomato's Steven Records in 2019, with the bonus “The Crypt E.P." as extended tracks.

Touring History and Affiliations

The Sound of Urchin are Zelig-esque chameleons of rock, as their diverse style has gained them entrance into likewise diverse rock circles. For example, over the years SOU has toured with bands like Tenacious D, Ween, Dio/Deep Purple/Scorpions, Cracker, Mike Watt, Slightly Stoopid, Fishbone, The North Mississippi Allstars, The Urge, SR-71, Trik Turner, Bargain Music, The Ziggens, as well as sharing stages with Public Enemy, Twisted Sister, Slash's Snakepit, Dick Dale, Butthole Surfers, Everclear, Project/Object, Vernon Reid, Lit, 2 Skinnee J's, Cobra Verde, and Local H.

Urchin has had a long affiliation with the band Ween; Dean Ween has been a mentor to the band and produced their first major label release The Orange E.P., [8] Tomato and B-ILL play in Dean Ween and Guy Heller's Moistboyz (featured on the "Live Jihad" DVD release [9] ) and have played with Ween, Dean Ween's Tenderloin and toured with the Dean Ween Group in 2018. B-ILL also played guitar on Ween's “The Mollusk” album, and Tomato plays drums with Ween's bassist Dave Dreiwitz, as a duo called Crescent Moon.

They have also collaborated with Tenacious D; Urchin was the opening act on their 2001 tour, and Tomato played drums with them for their 2002 Comedy Central Crank Yankers recording of “Friendship”.

Members

Current members

Side members

Live members

Past members

Discography

Early pre-official SOU 4-track albums (1994-1998)

YearTitleLabel
1994Four Fours From A Calendar FanSteven Records (originally released on Mighty Monster as cassette only)
1995Springtime Makes Me FeelSteven Records
1996Approval – Cob 9Steven Records
1997Earth BlanketSteven Records
1998Willow For Gasoline AlleySteven Records

Official SOU Studio albums (1998–present)

YearTitleLabel
1998All That And A Brandy AlexanderSteven Records
2000The Orange E.P. RCA Records
2001The Jack And Diane E.P. RCA Records
2002You Are The Best RCA Records
2002Blame Canada – Live In Toronto RCA Records promo only
2005The Diamond Hybrid Recordings
2008Rejoice CD-Only releaseSelf-Release To Fans Only
2014Black Castle Vinyl-Only ReleaseBaby Gas Mask Records
2015The WoozyFly SessionsBaby Gas Mask Records
2017The Diamond DeluxeSteven Records
2017Jack And Diane DeluxeSteven Records
2019Rejoice Official Extended ReleaseSteven Records/Baby Gas Mask Records
2019Rock n' Roll Is True E.P.Steven Records
2019Black Castle Official Extended ReleaseSteven Records/Baby Gas Mask Records
2019The Crypt E.P.Steven Records

Related Research Articles

<i>Head Injuries</i> 1979 studio album by Midnight Oil

Head Injuries is the second studio album by Australian pub rockers Midnight Oil, which was released in October 1979 on their own Powderworks label and distributed by Columbia Records. The album was produced by Leszek J. Karski, recorded at 'Trafalgar Studios' in Sydney. It was the last Midnight Oil album to feature founding bass guitarist Andrew James, who quit the band due to illness. It peaked at No. 36 on the Australian Kent Music Report and by mid-1980 had achieved gold status.

The Turtles American rock band

The Turtles are an American rock band led by vocalists Howard Kaylan and Mark Volman, later known as Flo & Eddie. The band had several Top 40 hits beginning in 1965 with their cover version of Bob Dylan's "It Ain't Me Babe". They scored their biggest and best-known hit in 1967 with the song "Happy Together".

<i>Quebec</i> (album) 2003 studio album by Ween

Quebec is the eighth studio album by the American rock band Ween, released on August 5, 2003 on Sanctuary Records. It was the first album released after the band's contract with Elektra expired, and marked its return to independent labels.

The Dead Milkmen American satirical punk rock band

The Dead Milkmen is an American punk rock band formed in 1983 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Their original lineup consisted of vocalist and keyboardist Rodney Linderman, guitarist and vocalist Joe Genaro, bassist Dave Schulthise and drummer Dean Sabatino.

<i>The Pod</i> 1991 studio album by Ween

The Pod is the second studio album by American rock band Ween. It was released on September 20, 1991, by Shimmy Disc.

Magic Dirt Australian rock band

Magic Dirt are an Australian rock band, which formed in 1991 in Geelong, Victoria, with Daniel Herring on guitar, Adam Robertson on drums, Adalita Srsen on vocals and guitar, and Dean Turner on bass guitar. Initially forming an alternative underground band called Deer Bubbles which split and formed into the much heavier, rock based group called The Jim Jims, they were renamed as Magic Dirt. Their top 40 releases on the ARIA Albums Chart are Friends in Danger (1996), What Are Rock Stars Doing Today (2000), Tough Love (2003) and Snow White (2005). They have received nine ARIA Music Award nominations including four at the ARIA Music Awards of 1995 for Life Was Better – their second extended play. Turner died in August 2009 of dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans. From 2010 to November 2018, the band were on hiatus.

<i>The Mollusk</i> 1997 studio album by Ween

The Mollusk is the sixth studio album by American rock band Ween, released by Elektra Records on June 24, 1997. It is a multi-genre concept album with a dark nautical theme, with most songs incorporating elements from psychedelia and/or sea shanties while also featuring a heavy progressive rock influence. Dean Ween described the album as "the only record that I ever felt really confident about" and "my favorite record we've ever done." Gene Ween has echoed the same sentiment, saying "The Mollusk is probably my favorite, at the end of the day."

<i>Paintin the Town Brown: Ween Live 1990–1998</i> 1999 live album by Ween

Paintin' the Town Brown is the first live album by American rock band Ween, released by Elektra Records on June 22, 1999.

Ween American rock band

Ween is an American rock band from New Hope, Pennsylvania, formed in 1984 by Aaron Freeman and Mickey Melchiondo, better known by their respective stage names, Gene and Dean Ween. Generally categorized as an alternative rock band, the band are known for their highly eclectic catalog of songs inspired by funk, soul, country, gospel, prog, psychedelia, R&B, heavy metal, punk rock, and countless more.

Humble Pie are an English hard rock music group band formed by Steve Marriott in Moreton, Essex during 1969. They are known as one of the first supergroups of the late 1960s and found success on both sides of the Atlantic in the early 1970s with such songs as "Black Coffee", "30 Days in the Hole", "I Don't Need No Doctor" and "Natural Born Bugie". The original band line-up featured lead vocalist and guitarist Steve Marriott from Small Faces, vocalist and guitarist Peter Frampton from The Herd, former Spooky Tooth bassist Greg Ridley and a 17-year-old drummer, Jerry Shirley, from The Apostolic Intervention.

Pretty Mary Sunshine was a band formed in Seattle, Washington in March 1993.

Moistboyz is an American hard rock band formed in New Hope, Pennsylvania in 1991 by Guy Heller and Mickey Melchiondo. Moistboyz music is typically fast-paced punk/metal, combining stream-of-consciousness lyrics with aggressive rock guitar riffs.

Sultans (band)

The Sultans were an American rock and roll band led by John Reis, formed in 2000 in San Diego, California and disbanded in January 2007. Over the course of the band's lifespan they released two full-length albums on Reis' Swami Records label. The band took pride in their "stripped down" rock and roll approach, using a simple guitar/bass/drum structure and recording quickly using pre-used equipment and borrowed instruments in order to maintain a loose, spontaneous feel.

Screamfeeder is an Australian indie guitar pop group formed in Brisbane in 1991. The band's original line-up was composed of drummer Tony Blades, bassist/vocalist Kellie Lloyd and vocalist/guitarist Tim Steward. In 1995, Dean Shwereb replaced Blades on drums. Darek Mudge later joined on lead guitar from 2001 to 2005, and eventually rejoined in 2014. Screamfeeder have released seven studio albums: Flour, Burn Out Your Name, Fill Yourself With Music (1995), Kitten Licks (1996), Rocks on the Soul (2000), Take You Apart (2003) and Pop Guilt (2017).

Chris Harford is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist and painter.

Beat Union English pop-punk band

Beat Union was a pop-punk band from Birmingham, Bromsgrove and Redditch, United Kingdom. They were formerly known as Shortcut to Newark. The group has garnered comparisons to Elvis Costello and The Jam, as well as pop punk groups like Green Day.

Zac Brown Band American band

Zac Brown Band is an American country band based in Atlanta, Georgia. The lineup consists of Zac Brown, Jimmy De Martini, John Driskell Hopkins, Coy Bowles, Chris Fryar (drums), Clay Cook, Matt Mangano, and Daniel de los Reyes (percussion).

Hotwire was an American alternative metal band from Newbury Park, California.

Hope is a Canadian punk rock band formed in 1992 based out of Riverview. The band consists of songwriter/guitarist/vocalist Dana. "Britney" Robertson, bassist Jamie "Jimmy" Oldfield, songwriter/guitarist/vocalist Marco "The Chief" Rocca, and drummer Tom "T-Bone" Antle.

A Heavy Mental Christmas is a CD released by heavy metal band Helix in 2008. It is Helix' 11th full-length studio album and 20th album released overall. It is a Christmas album featuring both standards and original music. It was released in Walmart stores in Canada in October 2008 through Universal Music and GBS Records.

References

  1. "Sound of Urchin at CBGB, SPIN, Newswire". 8 June 2005. Retrieved 27 April 2013.
  2. "Pointless Questions: The Sound of Urchin". April 2013. Retrieved 27 April 2013.
  3. "NIPP: Sound of Urchin". April 2013. Retrieved 27 April 2013.
  4. allmusic.com
  5. altmusictv.com
  6. allmusic.com
  7. imdb.com. The album also includes cameos by Twisted Sister's Jay Jay French and Smashing Pumpkins' James Iha
  8. allmusic.com
  9. nytimes.com
  10. Czerwinski, Christian (November 11, 2008). "Music: Sound of Urchin – High-energy attitude keeps rock band tuned into its fans". Lansing State Journal. Retrieved March 17, 2014.
  11. Brodeuer, Melissa (March 24, 2009). "Sound of Urchin". Glide magazine.