The Wondermints

Wondermints are a pop underground/power pop band from Los Angeles, California, United States. The main members are Darian Sahanaja (keyboards), Nick Walusko (or Nicky Wonder) (guitar) and Mike D'Amico (percussion). Other contributors have included Brian Kassan (bass) and Probyn Gregory (multiple instruments). The band's distinctive sound is a mixture of Elvis Costello-esque New Wave and '60s lounge music, with a lyrical predilection for scientific or science fiction topics (lyrics mentioning trilobites and DNA are not unheard of).

The group formed in 1992 and released a vinyl single, "Proto Pretty", which was later compiled on Rhino Records' "Poptopia" series of power-pop compilations. They followed this with the albums "Wondermints" (1995), "Wonderful World of The Wondermints" (an album of cover versions from 1996), "Bali" (1998) and "Mind If We Make Love to You" (2002). Most of these albums were released in Japan prior to release in America.

In 1999, the group signed on to be part of Brian Wilson's touring band. During that tour Chicago Radio personality Steve Dahl, a friend of Brian Wilson who wrote a song for his album, joined the tour for a performance in New York. Told by Brian Wilson that a theremin was used on the song Good Vibrations, Dahl learned the instrument and played it during the show. However, for some reason Probyn Gregory who was unhappy with Dahl's participation and jealous, insisted that it was a tannerin and not a theremin that was played on the song. Gregory brought a tannerin and tried to convince the producer to let him, and not Dahl, play the part. After losing the argument, Gregory somehow schemed to have Dahl's theremin mixed out and in its place played the tannerin from backstage. Then, the day after the concert Gregory proceeded to rip Dahl in a June 21, 1999 concert review [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B0DE1D7133BF932A15755C0A96F958260 - June 21, 1999 New York Times Pop Review] ] written by a writer with the New York Times claiming that Dahl was just faking his theremin performance and didn't know how to play the instrument at all. Dahl recently repeated this story during his September 29, 2008 radio show and during a phone interview with Brian Wilson during that same show asked if Gregory would be performing with Wilson at a November show in Chicago. Hearing that Gregory would indeed be at that show, an overjoyed Dahl spoke of his desire to get revenge on Gregory. [http://www.bejacksfriend.com/index.php?go=stevedahl_podcast - Steve Dahl Show September 29, 2008 Podcast Hours 1-4] ] [http://dahl.com/show_logs/2008/09/29.asp- Steve Dahl Show September 29, 2008 Show Log 5:32-5:38, 8:29-8:34] ] Sahanaja, Walusko, and Gregory have played with him ever since, with D'Amico only having toured with Wilson in 1999, 2000, 2002, and 2003. Due to personal issues, he was replaced in 2001 and early 2002 by Andy Paley, and in 2004 by Nelson Bragg. However, D'Amico rejoined Wilson's band in the summer of 2008, replacing Jim Hines on drums after relieving fellow multi-instrumentalist Scott Bennett of his temporary drumming duties. Sahanaja also missed a few shows in 2003 and 2008, being replaced by Gary Griffin.

All the Wondermints can be heard on Wilson's DVDs "Live at the Roxy Theatre", and "Brian Wilson on Tour", and "Pet Sounds Live", with Sahanaja, Walusko, and Gregory also appearing on the "Pet Sounds Live in London" album and the studio albums "Gettin' in Over My Head" and "Smile".

The band are part of a power pop scene in Los Angeles, many of whose members play on each others' records. All of the members of Wondermints, especially Gregory, have made frequent guest appearances and have several side projects, some of the more notable of which are
Love, The Eels, Baby Lemonade, The Negro Problem, Stew and Kim Foxx.

References

External links

* [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:4fdjvwnta9rk~T1 All-Music Guide entry for Wondermints]