Cheer-Accident

Cheer-Accident
Origin	Chicago, Illinois, United States
Genres	Progressive rock, alternative rock, punk
Years active	1981–present
Labels	Neat Metal, Pravda, Skin Graft, Cuneiform Records
Associated acts	Brise-Glace Dazzling Killmen Dot Dot Dot Gastr del Sol Illusion of Safety Smog The Flying Luttenbachers U.S. Maple Yona-Kit You Fantastic! Harvey Sid Fisher
Website	Cheer Accident official site
Members
Thymme Jones Jeff Libersher Alex Perkolup Carmen Armillas Andrea Faught Todd Rittmann Scott Rutledge (lyrics collaborator)
Past members
Chris Block (bass, 1987–1992) Phil Bonnet (guitar, 1993–1999; deceased) Jim Drummond (vocals, 1981–1984) Dan Forden (bass, 1992–1993) Dylan Posa (bass, 1994–2003) Mike Greenlees (drums, 1981–1987) Jamie Fillmore (guitars, 2000-2003)

Cheer-Accident is an American indie rock ensemble headed by Thymme Jones. Jones took the name of the band from a Hallmark Cards shopping display, and first formed the group in 1981 with singer Jim Drummond and drummer Mike Greenlees.

Biography

Cheer Accident's first album, Life Isn't Like That, was released in 1986, after which Drummond and Greenlees left the group. They were replaced by bassist Chris Block and guitarist Jeff Libersher. The group's second release, 1988's Sever Roots, Tree Dies, which was produced and engineered by the Phil Bonnet.

Their 1990 EP, Dumb Ask, was produced by Steve Albini, and following this the group signed to British label Neat Records. However, the album was pressed poorly and the group severed its ties to the label, and went back to recording for Complacency Records with Bonnet, who by that time had joined the group on guitar. Block left the band in 1992 and was replaced by Dan Forden, after which the group returned to the studio.

In 1994, the group released The Why Album and helped start a local Chicago Public-access television show called Cool Clown Ground. Albini recorded the group's next release, Not a Food (recorded in July 1994 and eventually released in 1996). Shortly after these sessions, Forden left the band who was then replaced with Dylan Posa (formerly of The Flying Luttenbachers). By this time, Cheer-Accident members were collaborating regularly with other Chicago indie artists such as U.S. Maple, Bobby Conn, Gastr del Sol, and Smog.

In January 1999, Phil Bonnet died of a brain aneurysm while the group recorded material for its eighth album, Salad Days. The group decided to continue with Jamie Fillmore filling Bonnet's role as guitarist. Also, a 1997 recording session, which yielded a 52-minute song called "Trading Balloons", was released as an EP. Salad Days was finally released on Skin Graft Records in October 2000.

The group serves as an occasional live backup band for Harvey Sid Fisher. In 2001, Fischer and the band collaborated on a cover of "52 Girls" for the B-52s tribute album, Wigs on Fire!, which was released on Nihilist Records.^[1] In 2003, the group recorded another full-length for Skin Graft, Introducing Lemon, as well as a soundtrack CD to a comic book called Gumballhead the Cat. In 2006, Cheer-Accident performed at North East Sticks Together in Boston.

Influence

Sleepytime Gorilla Museum covered Cheer Accident's Transposition (from The Why Album) and was featured on their Live album, as sung by Moe! Staiano (humorously titled Moe! Sings Cheer Accident (Same Mix). Both bands have toured together in the summer of 2007 and members of both bands had guested on each other's live sets.

Discography

• Life Isn't Like That (Complacency Records, Cassette, 1986)
• Sever Roots, Tree Dies (Complacency Records, LP, 1988, CD Reisssue on Freakshow, 2007)
• Vasectomy (Complacency Records, Cassette, 1989)
• Dumb Ask (Complacency Records, 1990. Reissued on Neat Metal and Pravda Records)
• Babies Shouldn't Smoke (Complacency Records, CD, 1991)
• The Why Album (Complacency Records, CD, 1994)
• Not a Food (Pravda Records, CD, 1996)
• Enduring the American Dream (Pravda Records, CD, 1997)
• Trading Balloons (self-released CD-R, 1999)
• Salad Days (Skin Graft Records, CD, 2000)
• Variations On A Goddamn Old Man (Vol. 1, Pravda Records, CD, 2002)
• Introducing Lemon (Skin Graft Records, CD/LP, 2003)
• Gumballhead the Cat (Skin Graft Records, CD and comic book, 2003)
• Younger Than You Are Now: 1981-1984 (Pravda Records, CD, 2004)
• Variations On A Goddamn Old Man (Vol. 2, Pravda Records, CD, 2005)
• What Sequel? (Pravda Records, 2006)
• Variations On A Goddamn Old Man (Vol. 2.1, Pro Janitor Records, CD-R, 2007)
• Variations On A Goddamn Old Man (Vol. 3, Complacency Records, CD, 2008)
• Fear Draws Misfortune (Cuneiform Records, 2009)
• Barely Breathing b/w Cynical Girl (7" Single, Rampage Recordings, 2010)
• No Ifs Ands Or Dogs (Cuneiform Records, May 2011)

References

1. ^ Wigs on Fire! on Discogs.com

External links

• Cheer-Accident Official website at Cheer-Accident.com
• Cheer-Accident at Allmusic.com
• Skin Graft Records Artist page