Red Monkey (band)
Red Monkey | |
---|---|
Origin | Newcastle, England |
Genres | Post hardcore, riot grrrl, post-punk |
Years active | 1996–2005, 2008 |
Labels |
Slampt Troubleman Unlimited Kill Rock Stars |
Associated acts |
Pussycat Trash Avocado Baby Matter Of Exact Milky Wimpshake Do The Right Thing The Guise Month Of Birthdays Chronicity Kodiak Bilge Pump Spinach |
Past members |
Pete Dale Rachel Holborow Marc Walker Joe Mask |
Red Monkey were a English DIY post-hardcore, post-riot grrrl band, active from 1996 to 2005.[1] The band are notable for their political lyrics.[2][3]
History
Red Monkey was formed by Rachel Holborow, Pete Dale and Marc Walker in 1996,[4] following on from Rachel and Pete’s earlier bands, the riot grrrl four-piece Pussycat Trash,[5][6][7] and lo-fi duo Avocado Baby.[8] Both acts had released records on the duo’s own record label Slampt, based in their adopted home town of Newcastle. Marc had previously drummed for Newcastle-based Post Hardcore/Rock bands Spinach and Kodiak.[9]
Red Monkey’s first release was the "Do What You Feel"[10] EP on Slampt, followed by "The Time Is Right"[11] EP on US label Troubleman Unlimited and then their debut album Make The Moment. Allmusic praised the album for its "melodic appeal" and the band’s "ability to make entirely political lyrics work in a personal, intelligent manner",[12] while the group’s sound was compared to Gang of Four.
In 1998 the band toured the US to support the stateside release of the album, and a third single followed on Kill Rock Stars records,[13] including two tracks performed on the band’s Peel Session earlier the same year.[14] Tours of Ireland and Europe followed before the band recorded their second album Difficult Is Easy, released in 1999. The record received more mixed reviews than the first; it was praised by the NME[15] but Popmatters criticised the album for failing to capture the live energy of the band,[16] albeit while making favourable comparisons to both Minutemen and Fugazi, the latter of whom Red Monkey supported on their American tours.
Third and final album Gunpowder, Treason and Plot[17] was released in 2001 on Troubleman Unlimited, after Slampt records was wound down the previous year. Joe Mask (ex-Bilge Pump) joined the band on second guitar. The album was praised as a return to form and noted for the use of non-standard time signatures, as well as horns, which brought comparisons to The Ex.[18]
From 2001 the band was less active as members focused increasingly on their families and careers. A final split single with Erase Errata was released in 2003 and the band played their last shows in 2005.[1] Dale started work as a music teacher, and later as a lecturer at Oxford Brookes University,[19] while continuing to play in long term side project Milky Wimpshake[20] and also, immediately following Red Monkey, in a band called Chronicity. Marc Walker and Rachel Holborow went on to play in The Guise and Do The Right Thing, respectively.[1]
Red Monkey reformed for a night to play a Slampt Records retrospective event in Newcastle in 2008, alongside a new generation of post riot-grrrl bands which they and their label helped influence.[6] They continue to be invoked as a touchstone for bands up to the present day.[21][22][23] In 2014, Berlin-based label Our Voltage released a Red Monkey singles and rarities compilation, calling it "posthumous post-punk.. by one of England’s finest Post-RiotGrrrl-Outfits".[24]
Reception
The band have been notated for their overt left-leaning political lyrics. Allmusic acclaimed the political agenda of the group, describing it as "down with materialist culture, up with self-actualization".[2] Chris Nelson, writing for MTV in 1998, noted the group's lyrics and "jagged" sound. He added that the three members had "... distinct voices moving forward as one."[3]
Discography
Singles and EPs
- Do What You Feel (Feel What You Do), EP, 1997 (Slampt, UK)
- The Time Is Right, EP, 1997 (Troubleman Unlimited, USA)
- Mailorder Freak 7” Singles Club, EP, 1998 (Kill Rock Stars, USA)
- "Get Uncivilised", single, 2000 (Troubleman Unlimited)
- (Split single with Submission Hold) 7”, 2000 (Radio One, Australia)[25]
- (Split single with Erase Errata) 7”, 2003 (Gringo Records, UK)[26]
Albums
- Make The Moment, 1997 (Slampt/Troubleman Unlimited)
- Difficult Is Easy, 1999 (Slampt/Troubleman Unlimited)
- Gunpowder, Treason and Plot, 2001 (Troubleman Unlimited)
- How We Learned To Live Like A Bomb, 2014 (Our Voltage)
Compilation appearances
- Taking A Chance On Chances LP, 1998[27] (Slampt/Troubleman Unlimited)
References
- 1 2 3 "Red Monkey". Kill Rock Stars. 1997-01-17. Retrieved 2015-06-02.
- 1 2 Charlie Wilmoth (1999-06-01). "Difficult Is Easy - Red Monkey | Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 2015-06-02.
- 1 2 http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/151560/red-monkeys-radical-new-punk.jhtml Red Monkey: 1998 interview
- ↑ Strong, Martin C. (1999). The Great Alternative & Indie Discography. Canongate. ISBN 0-86241-913-1.
- ↑ "Pussycat Trash Discography". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2015-06-02.
- 1 2 Julia Downes. "DIY Queer Feminist (Sub)cultural Resistance in the UK" (PDF). Etheses.whiterose.ac.uk. Retrieved 2015-06-03.
- ↑ "Pussycat Trash - The Brat Years: 1992-1995 gullbuy music review". Gullbuy.com. 2003-06-10. Retrieved 2015-06-02.
- ↑ "Avocado Baby Discography". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2015-06-02.
- ↑ "Independent Music Publishers". Wipeoutmusic.com. Retrieved 2015-06-02.
- ↑ "Red Monkey (2) - Do What You Feel (Feel What You Do) (Vinyl)". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2015-06-02.
- ↑ "Red Monkey (2) - The Time Is Right (Vinyl)". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2015-06-02.
- ↑ Nitsuh Abebe (1998-03-30). "Make the Moment - Red Monkey | Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 2015-06-02.
- ↑ "Red Monkey (2) - Mailorder Freak 7" Singles Club (March) (Vinyl)". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2015-06-02.
- ↑ "Radio 1 - Keeping It Peel - 25/01/1998 Red Monkey". BBC.co.uk. Retrieved 2015-06-02.
- ↑ "NME Reviews - Difficult Is Easy". Nme.Com. 2005-09-12. Retrieved 2015-06-02.
- ↑ . "Red Monkey: Difficult Is Easy". PopMatters.com. Retrieved 2015-06-02.
- ↑ "Red Monkey (2) - Gunpowder, Treason And Plot". Discogs.com. 2011-12-19. Retrieved 2015-06-02.
- ↑ "insound". Archived from the original on April 8, 2014. Retrieved May 16, 2014.
- ↑ "Pete Dale — School of Arts — Oxford Brookes University". Arts.brookes.ac.uk. 2010-07-05. Retrieved 2015-06-02.
- ↑ "Milky Wimpshake Discography". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2015-06-02.
- ↑ "Giant Haystacks". Fdhmusic.com. Retrieved 2015-06-02.
- ↑ "reconfest". Archived from the original on April 9, 2014. Retrieved May 16, 2014.
- ↑ "Music features | Erika Elizabeth | obligatory backwards gazing for 2013". Collapse Board. 2015-05-26. Retrieved 2015-06-02.
- ↑ "Our Voltage — VOLT 2 | RED MONKEY | How We Learned To Live Like A Bomb LP". Ourvoltage.bigcartel.com. 2014-01-15. Retrieved 2015-06-02.
- ↑ "Red Monkey (2) / Submission Hold - Split Single (Vinyl)". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2015-06-02.
- ↑ "Erase Errata / Red Monkey (2) - Erase Errata / Red Monkey (Vinyl)". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2015-06-02.
- ↑ "Taking a Chance on Chances - Various Artists | Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. 1998-11-03. Retrieved 2015-06-02.
Further reading
- Punk and the Politics of Empowerment, Pete Dale (2010)
- DIY Queer Feminist (Sub)cultural Resistance in the UK, Julia Downes (2009)