Melvins

The Melvins are a group of Rock independent American usually occurring in the shape of a trio. The singer/guitarist Buzz Osborne (called " King Buzzo") and the Batteur Dale Crover are the permanent members, and several bass players belonged to the group. The name of the group comes from a head of department of supermarket to Montesano, Washington where Osborne was employed as cash clerk (and vandal). Melvin was strongly scorned, and the members of the group thought that the ridiculous one of the name would be appropriate to them well.

The music of Melvins is influenced by the Punk of the era My War of the group Black Flag, by the slower Rock of groups like Flipper and Swans, and more manifestly by the metal style Black Sabbath. But their idiosyncratic approach , their direction of odd humor, just like their propensity with the experimentation makes difficult a precise categorization. Melvins often support very slow Tempo S, and their pasty metal was of a decisive influence on the music Grunge, especially for Nirvana and other groups of Seattle (Washington). Kurt Cobain worked besides like Roadie of Melvins. Their heirs from the musical point of view, however, tended to use more conventional musical structures with this type of sound. Melvins influenced many groups of Doom metal, more particularly Boris, which drew their name with the source of a song of Melvins.

If the group received criticisms musical positive in the majority of the cases, qualities of Crover to the battery were particularly greeted; Patrick Kennedy describes his play like " astonishing, powerful and audacieux."

Although not finding (and probably not seeking) never the recognition of a general public, Melvins have very faithful fans. They preserve a immpressionnant diary of rounds and leave new opus regularly. Among their productions, one can notice two albums carried out in collaboration with Jello Biafra, the ex leader of the Dead Kennedys. The group was informellement famous name of " Jelvins" during the period of work with Biafra. To thank their devoted fans, Melvins published various Collector S with the length of their career. One counts there headstocks with two heads, a cassette of 8 tracks, a plastic fetus in a bottle, and a myriad of posters, tee-shirts and fanzines single.

History

Beginnings

Melvins were formed with the beginning of the year 1980 by Buzz Osborne (guitar/song), Matt Lukin (low) and Mike Dillard (battery) which attended together the college of Montesano, Washington. At the beginning, they played of the resumptions of The Who and Jimi Hendrix, then they started to play of the faster Punk hardcore. When Dillard left the group, Dale Crover arrived and the repetitions of the group moved in a room of the house of the parents of Crover with Aberdeen, Washington. Shortly after they started to play of the songs more slowly and more " lourdement" that no matter who at that time.

A resident of Aberdeen named Kurt Cobain (a good friend of Crover) was a large fan of Melvins and helped them to transport their equipment at the time of certain concerts. Cobain passed also a hearing to join the group with low, but does not succeed because, according to the people present, it was so nervous that it had forgotten all the songs. Cobain remained friendly with the group, and helped later to produce and record pieces of guitar on certain songs (Guitar on Sky Pup , percussions on Spead Eagle Beagle ) of their beginning in a major label, Houdini .

In 1985 C/Z Records was creates to support the music scene of Washington, the label published Deep Six , including six songs of Melvins. In 1986 the group published its first album, the EP Six Songs at C/Z Records (later republished under the name 8 Songs , 10 Songs then 26 Songs in 2003 at Ipecac Recordings), recorded on line with Ironwood, the February 8th 1986.

In December 1986 they recorded, with the Studio D with Sausalito, California, their first album complete which was published in 1987 on the label Alchemy Records (republished later on the version CD of their second album, Ozma at Boner Records and in 1999 at Ipecac Recordings with demonstrations amateur).

With Nirvana

Crover played of the battery for Nirvana when they recorded a demonstration of the song ten the January 23rd 1988 with the studios Reciprocal Recording with Seattle (Washington), and at the time of a concert with Tacoma the same day. This year there, Osborne and Crover moved with San Francisco. Lukin did not follow them and formed the group Mudhoney. Lori Black (called " Lorax") Lukin with low replaced. The group recorded a new album, Ozma , in May 1989, which was published the year even. This album was produced by Mark Deutrom, which joined the group with low later.

In 1990, Nirvana did not have any more a beater, and Crover gave a knack while playing during a short round on the west coast with Sonic Youth. Osborne gave to Dave Grohl group Scream the phone number of the bass player of Nirvana Krist Novoselic; Grohl became thereafter the beater full-time of Nirvana.

Boner Records (beginning of the year 1990)

After having finished to work on the album Bullhead , the group turned to Europe and their concert of the January 23rd 1991 with Azley in Germany was published under the title Your Choice Live Series Vol.12 , without the song It' S Shoved which was on compilation It' S Your Choice . On their return to the United States, they recorded their following album, Eggnog , which was published the same year at Boner Records.

Lori Black, the girl of Shirley Temple, left the group and was replaced by Joe Preston. One can see Preston on the video Salad Of has Thousand Delights (1992, Box Dog Video), it had even his own EP " solo" of Melvins ( King Buzzo , Dale Crover and Joe Preston which all was published in 1992 at Boner Records, the concept and the covers of the albums were inspired of the four albums solo of the members of KIS published in 1978) and appeared in 1992 on the album Lysol (which was later famous Melvins because the name Lysol had been used without permission). Preston left the group, and Lorax briefly returned.

With the majors

When Nevermind of Nirvana became a massive and unexpected success, Melvins were one of the many groups to benefit from the assistance of Nirvana: they signed a contract with Atlantic Records, and their first album under this new label was Houdini in 1993. Mark Deutrom replaced Lorax at the low shortly after exit of the album.

Melvins published two albums in 1994, Stoner Witch (Atlantic Records) and Prick (Amphetamine Reptile Records, under the name SNIVLEM ). Stag left in 1996. The group leaves Atlantic Records in 1997.

End of the year 1990 and beginning of the year 2000 (with Ipecac Recordings )

Of return to Amphetamine Reptile Records, the group publishes the album Honky this same year, as well as a concert recorded in August 1997 in Richmond, Melbourne Australia under the name Alive At The F*ckerclub in 1998.

1999 sees the beginning of a partnership with the label Ipecac Recordings directed by Mike Patton, which in addition to leaving two new albums Melvins, starts with remasteriser and arising the majority of the discography of the group. The Crybaby , their third album at Ipecac, and last part of a trilogy, sees many singers and admirors to take part in the songs; one of surprised this album is a resumption curiously touching of the song " Smells Like Teen Spirit " nirvana, sung by Leif Garrett, idol of young American in the years 1970. The bass player of the group was at that time Kevin Rutmanis, former member of The Cows.

One can quote off Colossus Destiny in example of the experimental tendencies of Melvins, an album live composed of tests to the Synthétiseur and the Sampler in the shape of two long tracks, and described extremely precisely by a critic " more like electroacoustic Avant-garde that very other chose." Other examples of their disturbed humor can be found in the titles of their albums and songs, like in their frankness on scene. One of mimicry of the group in concert sees King Buzzo raising with crowd the " question; Were you as surprised as me to learn as Rob Zombie was gay? ".

In 2003, Atlantic Records (the U.K.) published Melvinmania: The Best Off The Atlantic Years 1993-1996 , a compilation of songs recycled since the three albums of the group at this major label (with sometimes of incredibly erroneous information in the booklet). This album is not officially recognized by the group which did not have anything to see with the selection of the pieces or the development of the booklet.

In 2004, Osborne and Crover left in round to celebrate to them 20th birthday as a group, and left also a Artbook, Neither Here NOR There . This book is a collection of works made by the artists usually carrying out their covers of albums, and by certain friends of the group; it contains also a retrospective over the twenty years of the group. The book also contains CD of songs selected of the group.

Various recent contributions and a new album

The same year, Melvins collaborated with the artist Dark ambient off Lustmord for Pigs the Roman Empire and with the singer of the Dead Kennedys, Jello Biafra for Never Breathe What You Can' T See and Sieg Howdy! respectively left in 2004 and 2005. Never Breathe What You Can' T See was followed of a mini round with Jello Biafra and Adam Jones of the group Tool. A European round was fallen through with at the beginning of October 2004, apparently of with problems implying Rutmanis. Following this cancellation, Melvins finished the year while playing during some concerts with David Scott Stone, to support in Europe and with the the United States the work of the realizer of cinema Cameron Jamie.

When, questioned in connection with Rutmanis and of the stopped round, Osborne and Crover declared that Rutmanis had " disparu". The fans feared that Rutmanis left like so many of other bass players before him; however it briefly returned to the beginning of the year 2005. In June, Rutmanis left officially the group, the abuse drogue' being the cause most often evoked. At the end of June 2005, they gave their single European concert with Jello Biafra to Furyfest in Mans, one great moment! When Melvins occurred with Jello Biafra in October and November 2005, David Scott Stone played of low.

With the beginning of the year 2006, Corver confirmed the rumors saying that the members of Big Business joined Melvins. Commenting on the addition of a second beater, Crover called in connection with Coady Willis: " It is left-handed, then one will do that kind “image mirror”. One tried to amalgamate our two batteries together, and one will try to make rather insane things with. One divides these large toms between nous."

They made a round with the the United States with the autumn 2006 at the time of the exit of their album (A) Senile Animal . Melvins passed also quickly in England to semi December.

There exist rumors according to which Melvins would play in 2007 with the festival Coachella in California, like with a deprived concert with Stubbs, Texas, organized by Vice magazine.

Members

Buzz Osborne (Guitar/Song)

Also known like " King Buzzo." Guitarist of the groups Fantômas and Venomous Concept.

Flagstone Crover (Battery)

Founding member of the first group of Kurt Cobain, Fecal Matter. Sing and plays of the guitar in the group Altamont, and of the battery for the group Porn.

Coady Willis (Battery)

Founding member of the The Murder City Devils. Beater of Big Business.

Jared Warren (low Guitar/Song)

Founding member of Tight Bro' S From Way Back , Karp and The Whip. Bass player and singer of Big Business.

Additional members (round)

David Scott Stone - Second guitar, low Guitar
Adam Jones - Second guitar
Trevor Dunn - Low
Jello Biafra - Song (for the rounds of their joint albums)

Former members

Mike Dillard - Battery (at the beginning of 1980-1984)
Matt Lukin - Low (at the beginning of 1980-1987)
Lori Black - Low (1987-1991, 1992-1993)
Joe Preston - Low (1991-1992)
Mark Deutrom - Low (1993-1998)
Kevin Rutmanis - Low (1998-2005)

Principal albums

External bonds

Official site
the guide Stoner Rock'n'roll of Melvins
The MR. E L V I NR S .net
MelvinsWiki
Interview of Melvins
Melvins in French
To download of audio/video Live of Melvins
Melvins with metal-archives.com

References

Erlewine, Stephen Thomas & Prato, Greg. " Melvins". Guide All Music . Found on June 13rd, 2005.
Press release. " THE MELVINS To Release “has Senile Animal” In October - July 18,2006". " Blabbermouth.net ". Found on July 20th, 2006.

Simple: Melvins

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