Dan Cunneen
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Dan Cunneen | |
|---|---|
 Dan Cunneen 1984 and 1998 (photos: S. Meechum, Mark Van S)
|
|
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Daniel Robert Cunneen |
| Born | March 14, 1963 |
| Origin | Portland, Oregon, United States |
| Genre(s) | Punk Rock, Rock, Heavy Metal, Lounge music |
| Occupation(s) | Drummer Producer Disc Jockey Songwriter |
| Instrument(s) | Drums |
| Years active | 1982-2007 |
| Associated acts | Final Warning, Lew Jones, The Obituaries, Zipgun, Nightcaps |
Dan Cunneen (aka The Russian Dragon) is a left-handed, self-taught drummer originally from Portland, Oregon, U.S.A..
Cunneen was a co-founder (with guitarist Jeff "Simon" Simoncini and bassist Tim Paul) and drummer for the Portland band Final Warning in 1982.
While Final Warning would only record five songs in the studio, their influence was felt far beyond the Pacific Northwest as one of the first hardcore punk bands to incorporate heavy metal into their music. The band was also known for their anti-war and anti-violence politics. In 2007, noted Los Angeles-based label Southern Lord Records released a 16-song retrospective of Final Warning's music.
After Final Warning broke up in 1986, Cunneen played drums with Portland singer/songwriter Lew Jones and then later joined the Portland punk and blues band The Obituaries (playing drums on the Obituaries EP).
After moving to Seattle, Washington in 1991, Cunneen played drums with punk and roll band Zipgun. Zipgun released several singles, two full-length albums and toured extensively. Zipgun also appeared in the Doug Pray film Hype!, a documentary chronicling the 1990s Seattle Grunge music scene.
In 1994, Cunneen began disc jockeying under the moniker "DJ Diamondan" at clubs in Seattle.
In 1995, Cunneen formed (with vocalist Theresa Hannam and guitarist Garth Brandenburg) and led the Seattle based Nightcaps, an early "Cocktail Nation" (or Lounge music band). While the Nightcaps never attained the prominence of bands such as Combustible Edison, Squirrel Nut Zippers, Love Jones or Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, they did have an impact on the genre as one of the few bands that avoided kitsch, while adding elements of punk rock and garage rock to their sound. In addition to playing drums, Cunneen co-produced all the Nightcaps recordings and co-wrote most of the band's material. The Nightcaps played their last show in 2002.
In August, 2007 Cunneen announced his retirement as a professional musician due to acute stage-fright and a self-confessed,"Lack of metronomic aptitude."
[edit] Discography
with Final Warning
- 1983 Rain of Death demo (self released)
- 1984 Final Warning (EP) Fatal Erection Records
- 1985 Drinking is Great (EP) (track on compilation: “I Quit”) Fatal Erection Records
- 2007 PDX (CD) Southern Lord Records
with Lew Jones
- 1994 Lew Jones Anthology 1978-1994: Take Me to the Future (CD) (played drums on several tracks) New Weave Records
with Obituaries
- 1988 Obituaries (EP) Highgate Records
- 2007 The Obituaries (anthology CD) (played drums on several tracks) Highgate Records
with Zipgun
- 1991 Together Dumb/Cool in the Cell (single) Empty Records
- 1991 Ten (one sided promo single) Empty Records
- 1992 8 Track Player (CD/LP) Empty Records
- 1992 The End/Nothing Cures (single) Musical Tragedies
- 1993 Put Me Away (split single w/ Derelicts) Rekkids
- 1993 Baltimore (CD/LP) Empty Records
- 1994 I Can't Wait/Tight Black Pants (single) Thrill Jockey Records
with Nightcaps
- 199] Gambler's Game/For Me (single) Rendezvous Recordings
- 1996 I Don't Like You/Love You More (single) Sup Pop
- 1997 Split (CD) Rendezvous Recordings/Sub Pop
- 1998 You Lied/Last of the Secret Agents (single) Estrus Records
- 2000 Get On (CD) Rendezvous Recordings
- 2002 Spin Out 3 (CD) (track on compilation: “Love You More”) V2 Records (Japan)
- 2003 I Don't Like You (CD) User Records (Japan)
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- Final Warning website
- 1984 Final Warning Maximum Rock 'n Roll interview with Pushead
- Dan Cunneen at Allmusic
- Hype! at the Internet Movie Database
