DMZ (band)

DMZ
Origin	Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
Genres	Punk rock, garage punk
Years active	1976–1978 reunion shows in 1993 and 2001–2003
Labels	Bomp! Sire
Associated acts	Lyres, The Odds, The Queers, Yo La Tengo, The Downbeat 5, The Cars
Past members
Jeff Conolly : Vocals, keyboards Rick Coraccio : Bass guitar Peter Greenberg : Lead guitar Jack Hickey : Guitar Mike Lewis : Bass guitar Mike "Drums" Lewis : Drums Paul Murphy : Drums J. J. Rassler : Guitar David Robinson : Drums Adam Schwartz : Drums Preston Wayne : Guitar

DMZ was a first-wave American punk rock band from Boston, Massachusetts, strongly influenced by 1960s garage rock. In early 1976, Jeff Conolly (sometimes credited as J. Connally, Mono Mann, Monoman, etc.) stole the lead vocalist position in the nascent band by out-performing their singer at one of the band's practices.^[1] Along with his vocals he brought two things the band lacked: keyboards (an electric piano) and original songs. Just over one year later, in April 1977, the band went into the recording studio with Craig Leon (who had produced the Ramones first album). Four songs from that session were released by Bomp! on a 7" vinyl EP. DMZ was signed by Sire Records and went to New York to record their debut album, produced by Flo & Eddie. It was released in 1978 without much success and by the end of the year the group had splintered. Guitarists J. J. Rassler and Preston Wayne left to start the Odds,^[2] and Conolly, bassist Rick Coraccio and drummer Paul Murphy formed Lyres.^[3]

DMZ has re-formed periodically; a 1993 set appears on the Live at the Rat album.

Early drummer David Robinson (who had previously been in The Modern Lovers) left DMZ to join The Cars. Bassist Mike Lewis later joined the Lyres for a couple of years and later recorded with The A-Bones and Yo La Tengo.

Partial discography

• DMZ EP (1977, Bomp!)

1. "Lift Up Your Hood"
2. "Busy Man"
3. "You're Gonna Miss Me" (originally recorded by the 13th Floor Elevators)
4. "When I Get Off"

• DMZ LP (1978, Sire)

1. "Mighty Idy"
2. "Bad Attitude"
3. "Watch for Me Girl"
4. "Cinderella" (orig. recorded by The Sonics)
5. "Don't Jump Me Mother"
6. "Destroyer"
7. "Baby Boom"
8. "Out of Our Tree" (orig. recorded by The Wailers)
9. "Border Line"
10. "Do Not Enter"
11. "From Home" (orig. recorded by The Troggs)

• Relics LP (1981, Voxx/Bomp!)
  • Includes the complete DMZ EP, as well as 5 previously unreleased 4-track demos recorded April 1977:

1. "Can't Stand the Pain" (orig. recorded by The Pretty Things)
2. "Do Not Enter"
3. "Shirt Loop"
4. "Guilty Child"
5. "Barracuda" (orig. recorded by The Standells)

• "When I Get Off"—The Classic Originals CD (1993, Voxx/Bomp!)
  • Includes same 5 demos as on Relics, plus live radio recordings (July 1976, WTBS, Cambridge, Massachusetts):

1. "Busy Man"
2. "You're Gonna Miss Me"
3. "When I Get Off"
4. "Lift Up Your Hood"
5. "Comin' After Me" (orig. recorded by The Flamin' Groovies)
6. "Bloody Englishmen"
7. "First Time"
8. "Oedipus Show"
9. "Rosalyn" (orig. recorded by The Pretty Things)
10. "Mighty Idy"
11. "From Home"
12. "Are You Gonna Be There" (orig. recorded by The Chocolate Watch Band)
13. "Pretty Girl"

• Live at the Rat CD (2001, Bomp!)
  • Recorded in 1976 + 1993

1. "Intro"
2. "First Time Is the Best Time"
3. "Boy from Nowhere"
4. "Ball Me Out"
5. "Lift Up Your Hood"
6. "Go to School"
7. "Watch for Me Girl"
8. "Don't Jump Me Mother"
9. "Don't Start Cryin' Now" (orig. recorded by Slim Harpo; also recorded by Them)
10. "Raw Power" (orig. recorded by Iggy and the Stooges)
11. "Cinderella"
12. "He's Waiting"
13. "Frenzy" (orig. recorded by The Fugs)
14. "When I Get Off"
15. "Out of Our Tree"
16. "Mighty Idy"
17. "You're Gonna Miss Me"

References

1. ^ Monomania, Johnny Angel, LA Weekly, February 13, 2003
2. ^ Garageland Brett Milano, Boston Phoenix, January 30, 2003
3. ^ The Lyres to set Toast on fyre Aug. 20, Nancy L. Foster, Somerville News, August 18, 2004

Sources

• Grunnen Rocks