Wool (band)

Wool were a rock band from Washington, D.C. (but based in Los Angeles), specialising in a rough-hewn but melodic brand of punk-based hard rock from 1990-1996.

Wool formed in the early '90s when brothers Peter and Franz Stahl (vocals/guitar and guitar/vocals, respectively) were forced to terminate their popular band Scream when bassist Skeeter Thompson went AWOL and drummer Dave Grohl defected to Nirvana mid-way through a U.S. tour.The brothers then teamed up with former Government Issue and future Burning Airlines drummer Peter Moffett and Seattle native and ex-Concrete Blonde bassist Al Bloch (brother of Seattle Sub-Pop legend Kurt Bloch from the Fastbacks).

The quartet's first single "Little Darlin'", is widely regarded as one of the finest punk singles ever. Then, the band released an EP, 1992's rollicking "Budspawn", which was released independently on External Records. The material on "Budspawn" combined the four members' inherent punk aesthetics with a tendency toward more straight-ahead, anthemic hard rock and drug-induced psychedelia.

Following a lineup change in which Moffett was replaced by former Inside Out, Chain of Strength, and Drive Like Jehu drummer, Chris Bratton, Wool were signed to London Records in the newly punk-friendly climate of 1993. The band recorded "Box Set" in early 1994 and released it in the Fall of that year. Following in the footsteps of its predecessor, "Box Set" expanded on the basic blueprint of Wool's already established sound. Surprisingly pop-friendly throughout, "Box Set" could have easily succeeded alongside contemporaries Stone Temple Pilots or Green Day, but the album spawned no real hits.

After a less than enthusiastic commercial response to "Box Set", the band was dropped by London Records, early on in 1996. Wool recorded new demos in late '94 and late '95, but split up by summer of 1996. Later on guitarist/vocalist Franz Stahl joined former Scream band mate Dave Grohl in the Foo Fighters, replacing departing guitarist Pat Smear. Franz's tenure in the band included the entire world tour for the 1997 album The Colour And The Shape. Peter Stahl went on to play with Earthlings? and Goatsnake and appeared on several of Josh Homme's (Queens of the Stone Age) The Desert Sessions albums. Later on he became a Tour Manager for many bands, including Foo Fighters , Cave In and Rammstein.

Discography

"Budspawn" (1992)

# "S.O.S."
# "Slightly Under"
# "Clear My Head"
# "Wait"
# "Medication"
# "Eff"

"Box Set" (1994)

# "Eden"
# "Kill The Crow"
# "Eat Some Ziti"
# "Superman Is Dead"
# "B-350"
# "Chances Are"
# "Coalinga"
# "Speak"
# "God Rest His Soul"
# "Blackeye
# "Take A Look"

"Your Choice Live Series" (1995, Your Choice Records)

# "S.O.S."
# "Kill The Crow"
# "Soundchecksong"
# "Clear My Head"
# "Eden"
# "B-350"
# "Coalinga"
# "Superman Is Dead"
# "Medication"
# "Wait"
# "Eff"
# "Sistersong"

Members

* Peter Stahl - vocals/guitar
* Franz Stahl - guitar/vocals
* Al Bloch - bass/vocals
* Chris Bratton - drums (1993-1996)
* Peter Moffett - drums/vocals (1990-1993)