Dog Fashion Disco
Dog Fashion Disco | |
|---|---|
 Final bow after their farwell show on January 14, 2007. | |
| Background information | |
| Also known as | Hug the Retard |
| Origin | Rockville, Maryland, U.S. |
| Genres | Experimental metal, alternative metal[1] |
| Years active | 1995–2007, 2013-present (reunions 2008, 2010, 2011, 2013) |
| Labels | Outerloop Spitfire Artemis Rotten Razor to Wrist[2] |
| Members | Todd Smith Jasan Stepp Brian "Wendy" White Tim Swanson John Ensminger |
| Past members | Greg Combs Stephen Mears Jeff Siegel Mike "Ollie" Oliver Sennen Quigley Jason Stevens Mark Ammen Geoff Stewart Kristen Ensminger Josh Gifford Dave Sislen Ken Willard |
| Website | http://www.razortowrist.com/ http://www.facebook.com/DogFashionDisco/ |
Dog Fashion Disco is an experimental metal band from Rockville, Maryland, that was active from 1995 to 2007 before disbanding. The band has officially reunited as of October 10, 2013.
Biography
Combining many different music styles (70's psychedelic, jazz, piano recital, heavy metal, circus music and vocals, among others) Dog Fashion Disco was primarily considered an avant-garde metal band.[3][4] The band's lyrical content is often highly esoteric and satirical, with constant tongue-in-cheek references to the occult, drug use, and mutilation. A major influence on the band's sound was the California genre-defying act, Mr. Bungle.
Early Years (1995–2000)
Dog Fashion Disco, or DFD as many fans refer to them as, was formed in 1995 by Todd Smith, Greg Combs, and John Ensminger, who all went to high school together.[5] Originally their name was Hug The Retard,[6] but this was changed name to Dog Fashion Disco before releasing any material, as they felt the name Hug The Retard was too offensive and might cost them fans.[7] Their first two releases were self released and low budget products. The first - Erotic Massage - was funded by a loan taken out by drummer John Ensminger, which his father had to co-sign on and "took nearly a year of local shows to pay off the part of the loan that was used for studio time, printing and pressing"[8] and was released independently by the band in 1997. The second self-released album was titled Experiments In Alchemy and released in 1998. Experiments saw more heavy metal numbers, as opposed to the more ballady feel on many of Massage's songs. That same year, DFD signed with Outerloop Records and released The Embryo's in Bloom. The studio quality of the album is noticeably better than its predecessors, and the band was very pleased with the resulted sound.[9] It was then that their management by Maryland resident Derek J. Brewer began and lasted until they disbanded. Polkadot Cadaver is now also managed by Derek J. Brewer under Outerloop Management.[10][11] In late 1998, Jeff Siegel would join the band as the keyboard player, replacing Sennen Quigley. This lineup would be the longest lasting lineup and stay intact for over 4 years.
Rising Popularity & Personnel Changes (2000–2004)
In 2000, DFD played on USA Network's FarmClub.[12] The exposure DFD received from the show lead them to signing with Spitfire Records.
With the release of their major label debut Anarchists of Good Taste in 2001 on Spitfire Records, DFD saw much wider popularity and distribution of their music than ever before, and recorded a track with System of a Down front-man, Serj Tankian providing vocals, "Mushroom Cult" on the Anarchists album. This song is often wrongly attributed to System of a Down, although Serj Tankian was the only member of System of a Down to perform on the track.[13] The band shot their first music video for the song "Leper Friend", and embarked on their first UK tour in support of the album. DFD also toured with the likes of Mindless Self Indulgence[14] and Tub Ring through 2002.
In 2003, they released Committed to a Bright Future on Spitfire Records and toured with Lacuna Coil on Lacuna Coil's first U.S. tour in support of the album.[15][16] Although the album contains the same lineup as Anarchists, both guitarist Greg Combs and drummer John Ensminger left the band before it was released, the latter being replaced by Mike "Ollie" Oliver before the album was released (and is pictured in the album booklet, as well as being listed as an official member of the band). Ensminger and Combs were credited as performing on the album, though not as band members. The spot of lead guitar was temporarily filled by Jason Stevens for the Committed tour, during which bassist and original member Stephen Mears left the band to join the Navy. Mears was replaced by Brian White, and after the tour, Stevens was replaced by Margret Heater member Jasan Stepp as lead guitarist. This lineup recorded the Day of the Dead EP and the live album The City Is Alive Tonight, released in 2004 and 2005 respectively, and is the band lineup in DFDVD.
Rotten Records, Adultery and End (2005–2007)
After a short period of off-time in the first half of 2005 (in which The Alter Boys sole album was made and released), Oliver quit the band. Shortly after, DFD's contract with Artemis was ended, and DFD were signed to Rotten Records. On April 4, 2006, they released their sixth studio album, Adultery, which featured the return of original drummer John Ensminger. Their CD release party was held at Peabody's in Cleveland on the April 6th with Tub Ring.[17] The band toured in support for the release of Adultery along with Tub Ring during the summer of 2006, in which keyboardist Tim Swanson temporarily replaced Jeff Siegel. Many of the shows took place in smaller venues (with subsequently smaller audiences) than their tours while signed to Spitfire and Artemis, and, according to Jasan Stepp, resulted in low morale among the band.
On December 5, 2006, Todd Smith Dog posted a blog entry on Dog Fashion Disco's official MySpace stating that the band had decided to call it quits.[18] They performed their farewell show at the Sonar Lounge in Baltimore, Maryland on January 13, 2007 to a capacity crowd, with fans coming from as far away as the United Kingdom. The band played a marathon 25+ song set, ending with the crowd-favorite "Albino Rhino" from the 1998 Experiments in Alchemy album (this was a common concert-closer), and played the song "Sweet Insanity" from their newest album, Adultery, for an encore song. Other past band members including Sennan Quigley and Mike "Ollie" Oliver attended to show support for their former musical family. The show was opened by the band Oddzar.[19] The event was recorded and then released on the DVD DFDVD II by Rotten Records on October 28, 2008.
Post–Disbandment
Polkadot Cadaver
On April 17, 2007, a bulletin was posted on the Dog Fashion Disco MySpace page, announcing a new project, Polkadot Cadaver, which is stylistically similar to Dog Fashion Disco. The project features Todd Smith, Jasan Stepp and John Ensminger. The project's MySpace page has four songs and an album (Purgatory Dance Party) which was released on the week of November 17, 2007 for pre-orders and had a street date of November 27, 2007.
"Its not a DFD song but it's the closest thing that you are ever going to get again. Todd and I have been putting in quite a bit of time working on material for all of you kiddies. We are excited about the direction of this project and we are looking forward hearing what you think."
— Jasan Stepp on "A Wolf in Jesus Skin", via a Dog Fashion Disco MySpace Bulletin
They released their second album, Sex Offender on May 10, 2011. Their third album (and first on their own record label Razor to Wrist Records), titled Last Call in Jonestown, was released on May 14, 2013.
Knives Out!
In late 2008, Todd Smith and Jasan Stepp teamed up with members of Nothingface as well as Hellyeah to form Knives Out!. They released their debut album, Black Mass Hysteria, on February 14, 2012.
El-Creepo!
In 2010, Smith released his first solo album titled El-Creepo! under this moniker. He released his second album under the El-Creepo! name, entitled Aloha, in 2012.
Celebrity Sex Scandal
In 2012, ex-guitarist Greg Combs's new band Celebrity Sex Scandal released their first single "Ode to Katy Perry".[20] Their full length debut, entitled Derivative, was released in February 2013.
Other projects
Todd Smith, Matt Rippetoe and Jeff Siegel are members of The Alter Boys since 2005, although Todd Smith has stated that The Alter Boys will not release any new material.[21]
Tim Swanson has since formed the band Ideamen.[22] The band released an EP titled Progress in 2007 Their full length debut studio album, May You Live in Interesting Times, was released in 2009 on Rotten Records and their second full length album Schemata, was released in 2014.
Reunions
The group reunited four times after breaking up before reforming in 2013.
They first reunited on September 12, 2008 for the release of DFDVD II and their compilation Beating a Dead Horse to Death... Again.[23] The show featured Stephen Mears on bass for the first time in nearly 5 years.
The second reunion (and first with the final lineup) took place on April 17, 2010 at the Ottobar. The show was opened by Smith and Stepp's side projects Polkadot Cadaver and Knives Out!
They reunited once more on June 24 and 25 2011 for the tenth and fifth anniversary of their albums Anarchists of Good Taste and Adultery, respectively.[24][25] At the second show, Dog Fashion Disco announced that they will be releasing an acoustic album. Attendees of the reunion shows with VIP passes were provided with a code that allowed them to download an acoustic version of their song "Sweet Insanity." it was also announced that the concert series are to be released on DVD sometime in the future. However, these DVD and acoustic plans have been postponed, and their fate is uncertain.
The most recent reunion was a two night set of shows that took place on May 31 and June 1, 2013 at Baltimore Sound Stage, featuring the Adultery lineup like the previous two reunions. These Shows were preceded by an El-Creepo! "warm up" show at the Ottobar on May 30, which included drummers John Ensminger and Scott Radway, as well as Jasan Stepp. The first night of the reunion featured original guitarist Greg Combs on stage with DFD for the first time in over 10 years. At the second show, Smith announced plans for a new album, with the title "Sweet Nothings". It is currently set for release in July of 2014, and the band plan to tour behind it. On October 10, 2013, a status update via the Polkadot Cadaver Facebook page confirmed that Dog Fashion Disco is officially back together as a band. The line-up is the same as the previous three reunion line-ups, however, Tim Swanson will replace Jeff Siegel on keyboards once again. It was then announced that Mike Oliver would be playing drums on the summer tour of 2014.
Members
Current Lineup
- Todd Smith — vocals (1995–2007, 2013–present); Reunions 2008, 2010, 2011, and 2013
- Jasan Stepp — guitars (2003–2007, 2013–present); Reunions 2008, 2010, 2011, and 2013
- Brian "Wendy" White — bass guitar (2003–2007, 2013–present); Reunions 2010, 2011, and 2013
- Tim Swanson — keyboards (2006; 2013–present)
- John Ensminger — drums (1995–2003; 2006–2007, 2013–present); Reunions 2008, 2010, 2011, and 2013
Never an official member
- Matt Rippetoe — saxophones and woodwinds (2001–2007; 2013–present); Reunions 2011 and 2013
Previous members
- Greg Combs — guitars (1995–2003); Reunion 2013
- Stephen Mears aka "Grand Master Super Eagle Sultan" — bass guitar (1996–1998; 1998–2003); Reunion 2008
- Mike "Ollie" Oliver — drums (2003–2005, Live drummer for 2014 summer tour)
- Jeff Siegel — keyboards (1998–2006; 2006–2007); Reunions 2008, 2010, 2011, and 2013
- Jason Stevens — guitar (2003)
- Sennen Quigley — guitars, keyboards (1997–1998)
- Mark Ammen — bass guitar (1998)
- Geoff Stewart — alto/tenor/bari saxophone (1997–1998)
- Kristen Ensminger — trumpet (1997–1998)
- Josh Gifford — trumpet (1996–1997)
- Dave Sislen — saxophone (1996–1997)
- Ken Willard — bass guitar (1995)[26]
Discography
Studio albums
| Title | Album details |
|---|---|
| Erotic Massage | |
| Experiments in Alchemy |
|
| The Embryo's in Bloom |
|
| Anarchists of Good Taste |
|
| Committed to a Bright Future |
|
| Adultery |
|
Compilation Albums
| Title | Album details |
|---|---|
| Beating a Dead Horse to Death... Again |
|
Live Albums
| Title | Album details |
|---|---|
| The City is Alive Tonight...Live in Baltimore |
|
EPs
| Title | EP details |
|---|---|
| Mutilated Genitals EP |
|
| Day of the Dead EP |
|
DVDs
| Title | DVD details |
|---|---|
| DFDVD |
|
| DFD-Day |
|
| DFDVD II |
|
References
- ^ Dog Fashion Disco. "Dog Fashion Disco - Music Biography, Credits and Discography". AllMusic. Retrieved 2013-01-07.
- ^ "Razor to Wrist Records » Artists". Razortowrist.com. Retrieved 2013-01-07.
- ^ "Top Artists tagged as 'avant-garde metal' – Music at". Last.fm. 2013-11-26. Retrieved 2014-01-08.
- ^ "Albums by Dog Fashion Disco: Discography, songs, biography, and listening guide". Rate Your Music. Retrieved 2014-01-08.
- ^ http://www.theprp.com/thevault/interviews/dogfashiondisco.shtml
- ^ Interview with Burt Wolf
- ^ Dog Fashion Disco Background, Music Facts, and Group Influences – Juggle.com
- ^ http://www.razortowrist.com/forum/index.php?topic=60.new#new
- ^ R. Scott Bolton. "Interview with Dog Fashion Disco". Roughedge.com. Retrieved 2013-01-07.
- ^ Outerloop Management - Arlington, VA - Management Service - Résumé | Facebook
- ^ "Razor to Wrist Records » Polkadot Cadaver Signs with Outerloop Management". Razortowrist.com. Retrieved 2013-01-07.
- ^ 'FarmClub.com,' Music Concert Series on USA Network Announces Encore Presentation of Ruff Riders - Eve, DMX, The Lox and Drag-On, May 15th. - Free Online Library
- ^ Anarchists of Good Taste credits
- ^ http://www.oocities.org/userboots/shows.html
- ^ Biography
- ^ LACUNA COIL Return To Headline US Tour | News | APESHIT
- ^ DomainCleveland.net >> News
- ^ Farewell and Good Night....
- ^ Dog Fashion Disco | Biography
- ^ Ode To Katy Perry... | Facebook
- ^ "The Wolf and the Sheep – Phantom Communique – Discover music at". Last.fm. 2013-11-26. Retrieved 2014-01-08.
- ^ Ideamen - Artist - The Shell Agency
- ^ September 15, 2008 (2008-09-15). "Dog Fashion Disco: Reunion Concert Footage Available". Blabbermouth.net. Retrieved 2014-01-08.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ United States. "Dog Fashion Disco Reunion Show: Anarchists of Good Taste at Bourbon Street (Baltimore) on 24 Jun 2011 –". Last.fm. Retrieved 2014-01-08.
- ^ United States. "Dog Fashion Disco Reunion Show: Adultery at Bourbon Street (Baltimore) on 25 Jun 2011 –". Last.fm. Retrieved 2014-01-08.
- ^ http://www.razortowrist.com/forum/index.php?topic=56.msg508#new