Bill Janovitz
Encyclopedia
Bill Janovitz is best known as the singer and guitarist of the alternative rock
band Buffalo Tom
.
, Janovitz formed Buffalo Tom
with fellow students Chris Colbourn and Tom Maginnis. A friendship with J. Mascis of Dinosaur Jr. helped the band's career to take off, with Mascis producing the band's first two albums to critical acclaim. Commercial success followed with their subsequent records as the band developed a fanbase both at home and abroad.
In 1997, Janovitz released the solo album Lonesome Billy, with help from Joey Burns and John Convertino of Giant Sand
and Calexico, utilising unused Buffalo Tom songs to form the bulk of the album.
During Buffalo Tom's long hiatus after Smitten
in 1998, Bill worked with keyboardist Phil Aiken and Chris Toppin and released the album Up Here in 2001.
He continued to work with Aiken and released the album Fireworks on TV! as Crown Victoria (also including Tom Polce on drums and Matt Tahaney on bass) in 2004.
Bill took many of the songs he wrote with his bar-band/side project The Bathing Beauties (featuring Tanya Donelly of Belly, Dean Fisher, Phil Aiken, Chris Toppin and Paul Kolderie) and put out a CD under the name Show People with Toppin.
Beginning in November 2008, Bill, as part of his Part Time Man of Rock blog, started a Cover of the Week project, featuring new recording of cover songs along with lengthy essays detailing his relationship with each of the songs. Some of these articles detail Bill's career in music, but many, connect deeply to his personal life.
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
band Buffalo Tom
Buffalo Tom
Buffalo Tom is an alternative rock band from Boston, Massachusetts, formed in 1986. Its principal members are guitarist Bill Janovitz, bassist Chris Colbourn, and drummer Tom Maginnis. The band's name is derived from the band Buffalo Springfield and the first name of the drummer.-Career:Dinosaur Jr...
.
History
After enrolling at the University of MassachusettsUniversity of Massachusetts
This article relates to the statewide university system. For the flagship campus often referred to as "UMass", see University of Massachusetts Amherst...
, Janovitz formed Buffalo Tom
Buffalo Tom
Buffalo Tom is an alternative rock band from Boston, Massachusetts, formed in 1986. Its principal members are guitarist Bill Janovitz, bassist Chris Colbourn, and drummer Tom Maginnis. The band's name is derived from the band Buffalo Springfield and the first name of the drummer.-Career:Dinosaur Jr...
with fellow students Chris Colbourn and Tom Maginnis. A friendship with J. Mascis of Dinosaur Jr. helped the band's career to take off, with Mascis producing the band's first two albums to critical acclaim. Commercial success followed with their subsequent records as the band developed a fanbase both at home and abroad.
In 1997, Janovitz released the solo album Lonesome Billy, with help from Joey Burns and John Convertino of Giant Sand
Giant Sand
Giant Sand is an American rock band, based in Tucson, Arizona, USA. The name is shortened from the original Giant Sandworms, a reference to the creatures in the Dune books. Overseen by singer-songwriter Howe Gelb, its membership has shifted over the years—at times with each album...
and Calexico, utilising unused Buffalo Tom songs to form the bulk of the album.
During Buffalo Tom's long hiatus after Smitten
Smitten (Buffalo Tom album)
Smitten is a 1998 album by Buffalo Tom. It was their only album for Polydor Records.Singer/guitarist Bill Janovitz said that, as the band members looked over demos in preparation for the album, they noticed that keyboards were taking a larger role in their songs than before...
in 1998, Bill worked with keyboardist Phil Aiken and Chris Toppin and released the album Up Here in 2001.
He continued to work with Aiken and released the album Fireworks on TV! as Crown Victoria (also including Tom Polce on drums and Matt Tahaney on bass) in 2004.
Bill took many of the songs he wrote with his bar-band/side project The Bathing Beauties (featuring Tanya Donelly of Belly, Dean Fisher, Phil Aiken, Chris Toppin and Paul Kolderie) and put out a CD under the name Show People with Toppin.
Beginning in November 2008, Bill, as part of his Part Time Man of Rock blog, started a Cover of the Week project, featuring new recording of cover songs along with lengthy essays detailing his relationship with each of the songs. Some of these articles detail Bill's career in music, but many, connect deeply to his personal life.
Solo discography
- Lonesome Billy (1997)
- Up Here (2001)
- Fireworks on TV! (as Crown Victoria, 2004)
- Show PeopleShow PeopleShow People is a 1928 comedy silent film directed by King Vidor. The movie was a starring vehicle for actress Marion Davies and actor William Haines and included notable cameo appearances by many of the film personalities of the day, including stars Charlie Chaplin, Douglas Fairbanks, William S....
(2007)
Trivia
- His younger brother Paul Janovitz is the singer and guitarist of Cold Water FlatCold Water FlatCold Water Flat was an American band formed in 1990 by Paul Janovitz , Ted Silva and Paul Harding when the trio studied at University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Paul is the younger brother of Bill Janovitz, lead singer and songwriter of Buffalo Tom...
. - Janovitz is a frequent contributor to allmusic.com
- Janovitz also has a side project, the Bathing Beauties; formed originally to play covers for fun at the occasional bar gig.
- Bill composed the theme song for CBSCBSCBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
television series Yes, DearYes, DearYes, Dear is a television sitcom that aired from October 2, 2000, to February 15, 2006, on CBS. It starred Anthony Clark, Jean Louisa Kelly, Mike O'Malley and Liza Snyder....
.