- Dead Meadow
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Dead Meadow Origin Washington, D.C., USA Genres Hard rock, stoner rock, neo-psychedelia Years active 1998–present Labels Matador, Tolotta, Xemu Associated acts Wolfmother Website www.deadmeadow.com Members Jason Simon
Steve Kille
Mark LaughlinPast members Stephen McCarty
Cory ShaneDead Meadow is an American hard rock band that formed in Washington, D.C. in 1998. Currently comprising vocalist and guitarist Jason Simon, bassist Steve Kille and drummer Mark Laughlin, the band has released five studio albums and one live album.
Contents
Biography
Dead Meadow formed in 1998 from the remnants of two young indie DC bands, The Impossible Five "Gern Blandsten Records" and its immediate follow-up Colour.[1] The band started as Jason Simon on vocals and guitar, Steve Kille on bass, and Mark Laughlin on drums. They began to combine 70s hard rock and 60s psychedelic rock with themes from authors such as J. R. R. Tolkien and H. P. Lovecraft.[1] The first album, Dead Meadow, was released in 2000 on Tolotta Records, a label run by Fugazi bassist Joe Lally. The LP version was released by Planaria Records. This was quickly followed by 2001's Howls from the Hills, also released on Tolotta Records. At the completion of "Howls from the Hills" John Peel asked Dead Meadow to record a Peel Session which was recorded in Fugazi's home studio, the first time a Peel Session was recorded outside the BBC studios.[1]
In Spring 2002, Laughlin parted ways with the band in order to pursue a career as a lawyer. He was replaced by long-time friend Stephen McCarty (previously with Canyon, also of Gern Blandsten). A live album, Got Live If You Want It, was released in mid-2002, which documented one of the last shows with drummer Mark and was produced by Anton Newcombe of Brian Jonestown Massacre. In early 2003 the band signed with Matador Records and released Shivering King and Others. Along with the heavy song and blues-influenced songs as on the previous two records, the band continued in their psychedelic style, with acoustic elements and ballads. With the addition of second guitarist Cory Shane, Feathers was released in 2005. Simon’s guitar virtuosity is as influenced by the droning modal character of Eastern music as by classic rock riffs.
Jason Simon is the nephew of The Wire creator David Simon. Dead Meadow's music was used briefly in both the season four premiere "Boys of Summer and the season five episode React Quotes of The Wire.
In 2007 the band has reverted back to a three piece, made an appearance at the 5th annual Green Man Festival in Crickhowell, Wales and relocated from Washington, D.C. to Los Angeles, California.
In the beginning of 2008, Dead Meadow released Old Growth on Matador Records. A collection of songs that brought the band back initially to the same farm that their second release Howls from the Hills was created and eventually finished up at the legendary Sunset Sound studio in Los Angeles. As with the last three albums Old Growth was produced by bassist Steve Kille.
Later in that same year a brief session with Andrew Stockdale of Wolfmother led to the reinterpretation of the Dead Meadow song "Everything's Goin' On" as a new song "Pilgrim" landing on the second release for Wolfmother, "Cosmic Egg".
In March 2010 the band released a feature length live film and soundtrack, "Three Kings", that spotlights their stage show along with psychedelic dream scenarios. The live footage and audio was captured at the bombastic final show of the five month "Old Growth" tour. The film premiered at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Los Angeles, California[2] and was released on the NYC label Xemu Records, co-run by Kille. The film was directed by Simon Chan & Joe Rubalcaba of Artificial Army.
In August 2010, a tour of Australia is announced with original drummer Mark Laughlin. The tour will include U.S. reunion shows and a headline run of Australia in October 2010.[3] A new studio album is in the works. In January 2011, Mark Laughlin threw away a not-so-promising career in law to rejoin the band and tour Europe and the Pacific Northwest.
Jason Simon also announced his September release of his first solo "self-titled" acoustic album on TeePee Records.
The song "Sleepy Silver Door", "Greensky Greenlake" and "That Old Temple" were featured in the skate video "Emerica, Stay Gold."
Band members
- Current members
- Former members
- Stephen McCarty – drums
- Cory Shane – guitar
Discography
- Studio albums
- Dead Meadow (2000)
- Howls from the Hills (2001)
- Shivering King and Others (2003)
- Feathers (2005)
- Old Growth (2008)
- Three Kings (2010)
- Live albums
- Got Live If You Want It (2002)
References
External links
Categories:- Rock music groups from Washington, D.C.
- Musical groups from Los Angeles, California
- Musical groups established in 1998
- Stoner rock musical groups
- Musical groups from Washington, D.C.
- Musical trios
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