Beatnik Turtle
Encyclopedia
Beatnik Turtle is an indie rock
band from Chicago
formed in 1998. Beatnik Turtle plays alternative and pop-rock "with a sense of humor." Their sound is rooted in the song-based pop-rock sound of They Might Be Giants
, Fountains of Wayne
, The Saw Doctors
, Barenaked Ladies
, Cracker
, Cake
, and The Beatles
.
In 2007, Beatnik Turtle began TheSongOfTheDay.com where they released an original, free-to-download song every day during 2007 as a podcast. This was accomplished in part through the involvement of numerous "guest" musicians and other creative individuals who contributed their efforts to the project. The band is continuing this format, in a modified form, throughout 2008 with The Song of the Week.
In 2006, Beatnik Turtle published an online guide for indie bands called the Indie Band Survival Guide, written by sax player Randy Chertkow. The guide shares the band's experiences running and being in an indie band. The guide was published in book form in 2008 with co-author credit to band member/founder, Jason Feehan.
A number of other musicians frequently perform with Beatnik Turtle.
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
band from Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
formed in 1998. Beatnik Turtle plays alternative and pop-rock "with a sense of humor." Their sound is rooted in the song-based pop-rock sound of They Might Be Giants
They Might Be Giants
They Might Be Giants is an American alternative rock band formed in 1982 by John Flansburgh and John Linnell. During TMBG's early years Flansburgh and Linnell were frequently accompanied by a drum machine. In the early 1990s, TMBG became a full band. Currently, the members of TMBG are...
, Fountains of Wayne
Fountains of Wayne
Fountains of Wayne is an American power pop band that formed in New York City in 1996. The band consists of members Chris Collingwood, Adam Schlesinger, Jody Porter and Brian Young.-Early years:...
, The Saw Doctors
The Saw Doctors
The Saw Doctors are an Irish rock band. Formed in 1986 in Tuam, County Galway, they have achieved eighteen Top 30 singles in Ireland, including three number ones. Their first number one, "I Useta Lover," topped the Irish charts for nine consecutive weeks in 1990, and still holds the record for the...
, Barenaked Ladies
Barenaked Ladies
Barenaked Ladies is a Canadian alternative rock band. The band is currently composed of Jim Creeggan, Kevin Hearn, Ed Robertson, and Tyler Stewart. Barenaked Ladies formed in 1988 in Scarborough, Ontario, then a suburban municipality outside the City of Toronto...
, Cracker
Cracker (band)
Cracker is an American alternative rock band featuring founders/songwriters singer David Lowery and guitarist Johnny Hickman. They are best known for their platinum-selling 1993 album, Kerosene Hat, featuring the hit songs "Low", "Euro-Trash Girl", and "Get Off This".Founders Lowery and Hickman...
, Cake
Cake (band)
Cake is an American alternative rock band from Sacramento, California. Consisting of singer John McCrea, trumpeter Vince DiFiore, guitarist Xan McCurdy, bassist Gabe Nelson and drummer Paulo Baldi, the band has been noted for McCrea's sarcastic lyrics and deadpan voice, DiFiore's trumpet parts, and...
, and The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
.
In 2007, Beatnik Turtle began TheSongOfTheDay.com where they released an original, free-to-download song every day during 2007 as a podcast. This was accomplished in part through the involvement of numerous "guest" musicians and other creative individuals who contributed their efforts to the project. The band is continuing this format, in a modified form, throughout 2008 with The Song of the Week.
In 2006, Beatnik Turtle published an online guide for indie bands called the Indie Band Survival Guide, written by sax player Randy Chertkow. The guide shares the band's experiences running and being in an indie band. The guide was published in book form in 2008 with co-author credit to band member/founder, Jason Feehan.
Band members
- Beatnik Turtle band members include:
- Jason Feehan - Vocals, Guitar
- Randy Chertkow - Saxes, Vocals
- Dave Hallock - Trumpet
- Chip Hinshaw - Trombone
- John Owens - Drums, Vocals
- Tom Roper - Guitar
- Tom Susala - Bass Guitar
A number of other musicians frequently perform with Beatnik Turtle.
Discography
- Beatnik Turtle has released eight album-length CDs:
- So Much To Rock About (2010)
- When I Was Your Age (2009), featuring guest performance by George HrabGeorge HrabGeorge Joseph Hrab is a drummer, guitarist, composer and podcaster known for performing rock, funk and jazz and for exploring atheist, skeptic and science themes in his work. He has released six albums as a solo artist.-Musical career:Hrab performs in several genres of music, but most often in...
- Sham Rock (2008)
- All In A Day's Work (2007)
- Thanks For Coming Out! Beatnik Turtle Live! (2006)
- The Cheapass Album (2004) (Music based on games from Cheapass GamesCheapass GamesCheapass Games is a game company founded and run by game designer James Ernest, based in Seattle, Washington. Cheapass Games operates on the philosophy that most game owners have plenty of dice, counters, play money, etc., so there is no need to bundle all of these components with every game that...
, with album cover art by Phil FoglioPhil FoglioPhilip "Phil" Foglio is an American cartoonist and comic book artist best known for his humorous science fiction and fantasy work.-Early life and career:...
) - Santa Doesn't Like You (2002) (also known as "The Un-Holiday Album")
- What We've Got (2001)
Notable Airplay
- Chicago Public Radio'sChicago Public RadioWBEZ is a noncommercial, public radio station broadcasting from Chicago, Illinois. Financed primarily by listener contributions, the station is affiliated with both National Public Radio and Public Radio International; they also broadcast content from American Public Media...
- Dr. DementoDr. DementoBarret Eugene Hansen , better known as Dr. Demento, is a radio broadcaster and record collector specializing in novelty songs, comedy, and strange or unusual recordings dating from the early days of phonograph records to the present....
- Jonathon BrandmeierJonathon Brandmeier-Career:Born John Francis Brandmeier to a German father and a Lebanese mother, Brandmeier started his radio career in 1973 at WFON in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin...