Trotsky Icepick

Infobox Musical artist
Name = Trotsky Icepick


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Origin = Los Angeles, United States
Genre = Alternative rock
Years_active = 1986–1993
Label = SST
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Past_members = Vitus Mataré
Kjehl Johansen
John Frank (drums)
Jamie Lennon
John Rosewall
Jason Kahn
John Talley-Jones (vocals)

Trotsky Icepick were a US-American Indie rock band. Their active period was 1983 through 1991. During that time they released six records, all on SST Records. Members included alumni from LA indie groups The Last, Urinals (100 Flowers,) Middle Class and Leaving Trains.

Trivia

*The band name refers to the type of weapon used to murder Leon Trotsky. Trotsky was assassinated with an icepick to the ear.
*For their first albums (both entitled Poison Summer), they adhered to the concept that the name of the band would change with each new album while each record would bear the same title. With their third album ready for release the group finally bowed to record label pressure and permanently adopted Trotsky Icepick as a handle.
*The group had performed for several years in L.A. area night clubs selecting a new moniker to go along with each performance. This made it extremely difficult for the group to build up any sort of following. It was at a Club Lingere show that the quartet was subjected to horrific levels of feedback on stage during a performance causing guitarist Vitus Matare to quip, "THANKS FOR THE TROTSKY ICEPICK, DUDE!" to the errant sound man. They picked this tag for the second Poison Summer LP.
*For the Baby album, the band used "found materials," negatives of a chubby baby retrieved from a photomat dumpster for the sleeve artwork. The recordings are almost entirely live with a rather compelling garage tone. Although a lyric sheet wasn't included, it was available by sending a SASE to the band. This album also included what could have been their best-known song, "Bury Manilow." While the song itself had absolutely nothing to do with the hirsute schlockmeister, it berated those who took it upon themselves to dis this hapless pop star. The album cover and one particularly memorable bass line proved inspirational to the Sub Pop band Nirvana in their subsequent Nevermind release.
*In July 1989 during a brief California tour; one night had them headlining in Berkeley at Gilman Street, with Indian Bingo as support. The following night had them in San Francisco at The Covered Wagon with "support" bands Blood Circus and Les Thugs, two bands of Sub Pop fame. Both nights they covered and demolished Elvis' "Burning Love" as a final encore.
*There were two US tours by Trotsky Icepick sharing bills with Cracker, Sebadoh, Scrawl and Volcano Suns before band members went off in separate directions sometime after 1991.

Discography

*Whispering Glades / In Exile (45)
*Poison Summer (Danny & the Doorknobs)
*Poison Summer (Trotsky Icepick)
*Baby
*El Kabong
*The Ultraviolet Catastrophe
*Carpetbomb the Riff
*Hot Pop Hello

External links

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* [http://www.myspace.com/118611753 Trotsky Icepick on Myspace]