Nightcaps (band)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Nightcaps | |
|---|---|
 Nightcaps (1997), left to right: Robert Fucci, Dan Cunneen, John Broeckel, Theresa Hannam, Garth Brandenburg (photo: Mark Van S)
|
|
| Background information | |
| Origin | Seattle, Washington, USA |
| Genre(s) | Pop, Jazz, Soul, Lounge |
| Years active | 1995–2002 |
(“Nightcaps” should not be confused with The Nightcaps, a Texas garage rock band that had a national hit in 1962 with Wine, Wine, Wine)
Nightcaps were an American Lounge music (or “Cocktail Nation”) band from Seattle, Washington active from 1995 until 2002.
Nightcaps were an integral part if the mid-nineties Lounge music resurgence that included bands such as Combustible Edison, Squirrel Nut Zippers, Love Jones and Big Bad Voodoo Daddy. While Nightcaps never attained the prominence of those bands, they did nevertheless have an impact as one of the few bands in the genre that avoided kitsch while adding elements of punk rock and garage rock to their sound. The band combined jazz, soul, blues and jump swing with their punk-rock roots to create a sound that was influenced by such diverse artists as Sarah Vaughn, Henry Mancini and Oscar Brown Jr., as well as Nancy Sinatra, Joe Tex and The Sonics.
[edit] History
Originally formed in 1994 by drummer Dan Cunneen (Final Warning, The Obituaries, Zipgun), vocalist Theresa Hannam and guitarist Garth Brandenburg (YGBG, The Crows, Lushy), and stand-up bassist William "Bill" Herzog (Citizens Utilities, Joel RL Phelps and the Downer Trio, Jesse Sykes and the Sweet Hereafter).
In the summer of 1995 the Nightcaps expanded their line-up to include saxophone and percussion. The first of five Nightcaps horn players was Lauren Abady (Abady, who now goes by the name Lola RocknRolla, lives in New York City where she is a film director, actress and musician). Rounding out the new line-up was percussionist John Broeckel.
In early 1996 Bill Herzog left the band and Robert Fucci was recruited to play double bass.
The first Nightcaps release, the Gambler's Game/For Me single, was released in the fall of 1996 on the Nightcaps own label, Rendezvous Recordings. (The Nightcaps ultimately released two other singles: I Don't Like You/Love You More on Sub-Pop, in early 1997 and You Lied/Last of the Secret Agents on Estrus Records in 1998).
The relative success of the first two singles and the band's growing live reputation led to a manufacturing and distribution agreement with Sub-Pop for the Nightcaps first compact disc, Split. Released in 1997 and bearing the Rendezvous Recordings trademark, Split contained 12 original songs written by the songwriting team of Cunneen, Hannam and Brandenburg.
In 2000, the Nightcaps released their second CD, Get On, on the Rendezvous Recordings label. With darker lyrical themes than Split and the addition of keyboardist/guitarist Tor Midtskog and the return of Bill Herzog (now playing electric bass), the Nightcaps' music evolved from jazzy pop and swing into a harder edged, 1960's soul-rock sound. Many fundamental elements remained that had inspired Nightcaps however.
In 2002 the B-side of their Sub-Pop single, a re-working of the Buzzcocks tune "Love You More” appeared on a compilation by Japanese DJ Masanori Ikeda called Spinout 3, released in Japan by V2 Records.
In 2003 A "Best of" retrospective titled I Don't Like You, was released in Japan on the User Records label.
[edit] Discography
- 1996 Gambler’s Game/For Me (single) Rendezvous Recordings
- 1997 I Don’t Like You/Love You More (single) Sup Pop
- 1998 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)
