Joe Strell

Infobox musical artist
Name = Joe Strell


Background = group_or_band
Origin = Chicago, Illinois, United States
Genre = Folk, Rock
Years_active = 1979-Current
Label = Dansbane Elandet
Associated_acts =
URL = http://www.joestrell.com/
Current_members =
Past_members =

Discography

*"In the Balance", Joe Strell (2007), Dansbane Elandet DEI-CAT-003
*"Enormous Morning", Joe Strell (2006), Dansbane Elandet DEI-CAT-002
*"Under a Mackerel Sky", Joe Strell (2005), Dansbane Elandet DEI-CAT-001
*"Sand Dancing", Sylvia Darling (1988), Office Records fil-213
*"Hydraulic Angel Hymns", Split Heavens (1988), Office Records fil-244
*"Stronger Than the Rain", Split Heavens (1986), Office Records fil-93
*"Automatic" b/w "Shadow of a Heart", "Tracks" (1986), ¡Ack-Ack!, Office Records fil-57
*"Another Face" b/w "Look (the Other Way)" (1985), ¡Ack-Ack!, Office Records fil-36
*"Visions of Reality" b/w "Darkness of Light" (1980), The Imports, Cirkle Records 008071-A/B

Biography

The Imports

Joe Strell began his musical career in 1980 as songwriter and bassist for The Imports, one of Chicago's first punk rock / post punk bands, which was named after their favorite section in the Wax Trax record bins. The Imports entertained local audiences with their dark minimalism, playing the intimate circuit of alternative dance clubs of the day including Ann Arkees, Tuts, Ruts, Waves, Gaspar's, Huey's, Jamie's Elsewhere, and the Lucky Number. The final lineup of The Imports consisted of Ben Krug (vocals), Tom Krug (guitar), Joe Strell (bass), and Tom Wall (drums).

The Imports released a 7" vinyl single on Cirkle Records which remains an obscure cult favorite and has gone through multiple printings. For their penultimate show on December 4th, 1980, they opened for The Jim Carroll Band at Sam's (later known as First Avenue) in Minneapolis, a date they followed by headlining the next evening at the neighboring 7th Street Entry. After sharing the night with friends from Chicago in a cramped (but warm) hotel room in freezing downtown Minneapolis, The Imports found their separate ways home through the blinding snow of a Midwestern blizzard.

¡Ack-Ack!

In the fall of 1981 Strell left Chicago for Champaign, Illinois, where he eventually joined up with the new wave music / art rock band ¡Ack-Ack! in 1984. This band, known for its eclectic compositions, released 7" and 12" singles and contributed to a number of cassette compilations on the small, independent Office Records label. Playing out in local clubs several times a month for a couple years, Strell developed a talent for melodic Rickenbacker bass lines that became his trademark. The lineup for ¡Ack-Ack! consisted of Steve Shields (vocals), Lynn Canfield (keyboards), Henry Frayne (guitar), Joe Strell (bass), and Brendan Gamble (drums). Previous band members also included Tim Stephens (guitar) and Brian Reedy (drums), who went on to form the power alternative trio Lonely Trailer.

plit Heavens

During the period when he was playing bass for ¡Ack-Ack!, Strell built Dansbane Elandet Studios as an additional outlet for his creativity, and launched Split Heavens, which he would use as the primary vehicle for his solo and collaborative efforts over the next two decades. Strell also contributed his skills as bassist to recordings by The Arms of Someone New, TX St Mexico, and Club Crack, as well as produced recordings for Club Crack, and engineered and produced several recordings for Lonely Trailer that were later released on Mud Records.

ylvia Darling

When ¡Ack-Ack! broke up in the winter of 1986, bassist Strell and drummer Brendan Gamble combined their creativity in a studio project they called Sylvia Darling, culminating in the release of the album-length cassette "Sand Dancing" (1988) on Office Records. This collaboration lasted until 1989, when Strell left Champaign to move to New York City. Meanwhile, fellow ¡Ack-Ack! alumni Henry Frayne, Lynn Canfield and Brendan Gamble formed The Moon Seven Times (M7X), whose debut CD release on Third Mind Records features Joe Strell on bass on the track "Rise", as well as a credit for "train sounds and glasses". Henry Frayne later went on to form his own musical project Lanterna, while Lynn Canfield and Brendan Gamble created Shotgun Wedding.

olo career

After leaving New York in May 1995, Strell moved to San Francisco where he re-established the Dansbane Elandet recording studio and record label, on which he has released a number of solo albums. Joe Strell is still active as of 2007.

External links

* [http://info.comm.uic.edu/arms/discog.html The Arms of Someone New website]
* [http://punk.dee-nee.com/wiki/Main_Page The Chicago Punk Database]
* [http://www.electrical.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=13441&start=0&postdays=0&postorder=asc&highlight=&sid=36323b1564242208b90e3c724c89d312 Chicago Punk History Radio Documentary]
* [http://www.dansbane.com Dansbane Elandet website]
* [http://kmier.net/mixed/punks1.html Ephemeral Creation: Music and Art in Chicago, 1978 - 1982]
* [http://web.irridia.com/M7x/ The Moon Seven Times website]
* [http://www.split-heavens.com Split Heavens website]