Bill Janovitz

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Bill Janovitz is best known as the singer and guitarist of the alternative rock band Buffalo Tom.

[edit] History

After enrolling at the University of Massachusetts, Janovitz formed Buffalo Tom with fellow students Chris Colbourn and Tom Maginnis. A friendship with J. Mascis of Dinosaur Jr helped the band's career to take off, with Mascis producing the band's first two albums to critical acclaim. Commercial success followed with their subsequent records as the band developed a fanbase both at home and abroad.

In 1997, Janovitz released the solo album Lonesome Billy, with help from Joey Burns and John Convertino of Giant Sand and Calexico, utilising unused Buffalo Tom songs to form the bulk of the album.

During Buffalo Tom's long hiatus after Smitten in 1998, Bill worked with keyboardist Phil Aiken and Chris Toppin and released the album Up Here in 2001.

He continued to work with Aiken and released the album Fireworks on TV! as Crown Victoria (also including Tom Polce on drums and Matt Tahaney on bass) in 2004.

[edit] Solo Discography

• Lonesome Billy (1997)
• Up Here (2001)
• Fireworks on TV! (as Crown Victoria, 2004)

[edit] Trivia

• His younger brother Paul Janovitz is the singer and guitarist of Cold Water Flat.
• Janovitz is a frequent contributor to allmusic.com
• Janovitz also has a side project, the Bathing Beauties; formed originally to play covers for fun at the occasional bar gig.