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Sugar (American band)

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Sugar was an alternative rock band of the early 1990s led by former Hüsker Dü vocalist/guitarist Bob Mould. Ex-Mercyland bassist David Barbe and ex-Zulus and Human Sexual Response drummer Malcolm Travis rounded out the trio. Mould envisioned Sugar as a similar musical venture to Hüsker Dü except with him writing all the songs and calling all the shots, Their first show was Feburary 20th, 1992, at the 40 Watt Club in Athens, GA, after a few weeks warming up in REM's downtown practice space. It was a "secret" show, not advertised in the local media, bumping then Athens favorite Roosevelt from headliner to opener. Word got out and the club was packed.

The show was blistering and the fans were blown away. There were two encores, with the second kicking off with The Beatles' "Helter Skelter" and ending with the Sugar original "Try Again." That song ended with Bob Mould placing his guitar in front of an amplifier, resulting in minutes of screeching feedback, which the audience lapped up, not wanting to leave.

In 1992, the band released the album Copper Blue, which was named NME's Album of the Year. The following year they released Beaster, an EP of darker material recorded during the Copper Blue sessions. The single "If I Can't Change Your Mind" was a moderate UK hit. After an aborted attempt to record a second full-length, the band regrouped and File Under: Easy Listening was recorded quickly in the spring of 1994, and was released that fall. A B-side collection, Besides, followed in 1995; a limited number of copies included a bonus live disc titled The Joke Is Always on Us, Sometimes. Mould broke the band up later that year because Barbe wished to spend more time with his growing family. Travis then took over the drumming slot in the band Kustomized.

Barbe contributed bass to two tracks on Mould's 2005 album Body of Song.


Discography

Albums

Singles

  • "Changes" Single (Creation, 1992)
  • "Helpless" Single (Rykodisc, 1992)
  • "A Good Idea" Single (Rykodisc, 1992)
  • "If I Can't Change Your Mind" Single (Rykodisc, 1992)
  • "Tilted" Single (Rykodisc, 1993)
  • "Your Favorite Thing" Single (Rykodisc, 1994)
  • "Believe What You're Saying" Single (Rykodisc, 1994)
  • "Gee Angel" Single (Rykodisc, 1994)
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