Breaking Circus

Infobox musical artist
Name = Breaking Circus
Landscape = yes
Background = group_or_band
Origin = Chicago, Illinois, USA
Instrument =
Genre = Alternative rock Post-punk
Occupation =
Years_active = 1984–1988
Label = Homestead Records
Associated_acts = Shellac (band)
Brick Layer Cake
Flour (band) Rifle Sport
Big Trouble House
Man Sized Action
Past_members = Steve Björklund
Peter Conway
Todd Trainer
Phil Harder
Tony Pucci

Breaking Circus was a postpunk band from the 1980s, based in Chicago and later Minneapolis, led by guitarist and vocalist Steve Björklund.

History

Björklund had earlier been a guitarist and vocalist for Strike Under; after a short stint in Terminal Beach, [cite web | url=http://punkdatabase.com/wiki/Terminal_Beach|title=Terminal Beach|accessdate=2008-10-09|publisher=ChicagoPunk] Breaking Circus was his next project, which initally also included bassist Bruce Lange.cite web |url=http://gapersblock.com/transmission/2008/07/11/bands_you_missed_vol_2/|title=Bands You Missed, Vol. 2|accessdate=2008-10-09 | publisher=Gapers Block: Transmission, a Chicago music site | author=Graham Sanford] Breaking Circus signed to Homestead Records for their first release, "The Very Long Fuse" (1985), which used the Roland TR-606 drum machine. The EP included the song "Knife in a Marathon", which has been cited as "stuck in several thousand heads" and a "college-radio favorite" [Citation | last = Hicks | first = Dillon | title = How Could You Idiots Forget...? | journal = City Pages | date = June 8, 2005| url = http://www.citypages.com/2005-06-08/news/how-could-you-idiots-forget|accessdate=2008-10-09]

In 1986, Björklund moved to Minneapolis and began working with Rifle Sport bassist Pete "Flour" Conway and drummer/guitarist Todd Trainer. [cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:kcz1z8bajyv2~T1|title=Breaking Circus|author=Andy Kellman|publisher=All Music Guide|accessdate=2008-10-09] In 1986 the band released a song, "Driving the Dynamite Truck" on the Twin/Tone compilation "Big Hits Of Mid-America Volume Four", with a slightly different lineup having Tony Pucci of Man Sized Action in the drummer's chair. [cite web |url=http://www.twintone.com/projects/8681.html |title=Big Hits Of Mid-America Volume Four |accessdate=2008-10-09 | publisher=Twin/Tone Records] "Driving the Dynamite Truck" was later covered by the band Seam on the "Kernel EP". [cite web |url=http://www.secondhandsongs.com/song/66794 |title=Song: Driving the Dynamite Truck|accessdate=2008-10-09 | publisher=Second Hand Songs] Homestead Records released the band's "The Ice Machine" LP with the album's credits appearing as a Monopoly-style drinking game insert.

Breaking Circus was joined by second guitarist Phil Harder for a national tour before returning to the studio to record another LP that was to feature four songs by Björklund, four by Flour, and four by Trainer. When the band arrived in the studio, they received word from Homestead that the label would only pay for six of the twelve songs that they had originally planned to record. All four of Björklund's songs and one by each of the other members were released on the EP "Smoker's Paradise" in 1987.

The band broke up in 1988. Phil Harder went on to form the trio Big Trouble House [cite web|url=http://www.trouserpress.com/entry.php?a=breaking_circus|title=Breaking Circus|author=Jack Rabid|publisher=Trouser Press|accessdate=2008-10-09] and became a music video director.Citation
last = Scholtes
first = Peter
title = Seen Your Video
journal = City Pages
date = 2007-08-22
url = http://www.citypages.com/2007-08-22/news/seen-your-video] Flour recorded four full-length solo albums for Touch and Go Records. Todd Trainer recorded two EPs under the name Brick Layer Cake before joining Shellac. Björklund released a final 7" single of solo electro-pop versions of songs by Naked Raygun and the UK Subs under the name Breaking Circus and was briefly in the band Balloon GuyCitation | last = Groebner | first = Simon Peter | title = Electronic Flashbacks | journal = City Pages | date = February 17, 1997 | url = http://www.citypages.com/1997-02-17/news/electronic-flashbacks/|accessdate=2008-10-09] before moving on to work as a producer.

Discography

tudio albums

*"The Very Long Fuse EP" (Homestead Records HMS012, 1985)
*"The Ice Machine" (Homestead Records HMS075, 1986)
*"Smokers' Paradise EP" (Homestead Records HMS092, 1987)

ee also

*List of alternative rock artists
*Music of Minnesota
*Shellac
*Rifle Sport
*Brick Layer Cake

References