Happy Flowers
Encyclopedia
The musical group, Happy Flowers, was formed in Charlottesville, Virginia
, United States, in 1983 by two members of the Landlords
, John Beers ("Mr. Horribly Charred Infant", drums, vocals) and Charlie Kramer ("Mr. Anus", guitar, vocals), both students at the University of Virginia
. This duo combines improvisational noise punk guitar and drums with lyrics often written in the first person from the perspective of a child, with childlike intonation and grammar. Their humorous songs are mainly about freak childhood accidents and common childhood gripes.
s. The band received a wider audience with the albums My Skin Covers My Body (1987) and I Crush Bozo
(1988), both released by Homestead Records
. The 1990 album Lasterday I Was Been Bad featured drummer Scott Pickering on half of the tracks. In March 2000, the band went on a four-date tour, the band's first tour in nearly ten years. In February 2004, the band reunited in Charlottesville, Virginia for a 20th anniversary performance, a limited-edition DVD from which is available from Lost Frog Productions. In March 2006, the band reunited again and played at the South by Southwest
music festival in Austin, Texas
.
Compilations:
Charlottesville, Virginia
Charlottesville is an independent city geographically surrounded by but separate from Albemarle County in the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States, and named after Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, the queen consort of King George III of the United Kingdom.The official population estimate for...
, United States, in 1983 by two members of the Landlords
The Landlords
The Landlords were an early hardcore punk band from Charlottesville, Virginia, United States. The band, consisting of four students from the University of Virginia, was formed at around October of 1983....
, John Beers ("Mr. Horribly Charred Infant", drums, vocals) and Charlie Kramer ("Mr. Anus", guitar, vocals), both students at the University of Virginia
University of Virginia
The University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...
. This duo combines improvisational noise punk guitar and drums with lyrics often written in the first person from the perspective of a child, with childlike intonation and grammar. Their humorous songs are mainly about freak childhood accidents and common childhood gripes.
History
Happy Flowers' first song, "Mom, I Gave the Cat Some Acid", was released during the summer of 1984 as a part of the compilation album called Brain of Stone. This was followed the same year by the band's first two EPExtended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
s. The band received a wider audience with the albums My Skin Covers My Body (1987) and I Crush Bozo
I Crush Bozo
I Crush Bozo is an album by the band Happy Flowers. The album was released in 1988.-Track listing:#"Get Me off the Broiler Pan" - 2:54#"I'm the Stupid One" - 2:29#"More Mittens" - 1:22#"Old Relatives" - 2:22#"Get Paul's Head" - 1:34...
(1988), both released by Homestead Records
Homestead Records
Homestead Records was a Long Island, NY based sublabel of music distributor Dutch East India Trading. It was founded in 1984 by Sam Berger, who was the American Independent buyer for Dutch East India Trading. Berger was finding that many bands who had perhaps released their own first 45 were...
. The 1990 album Lasterday I Was Been Bad featured drummer Scott Pickering on half of the tracks. In March 2000, the band went on a four-date tour, the band's first tour in nearly ten years. In February 2004, the band reunited in Charlottesville, Virginia for a 20th anniversary performance, a limited-edition DVD from which is available from Lost Frog Productions. In March 2006, the band reunited again and played at the South by Southwest
South by Southwest
South by Southwest is an Austin, Texas based company dedicated to planning conferences, trade shows, festivals and other events. Their current roster of annual events include: SXSW Music, SXSW Film, SXSW Interactive, SXSWedu, and SXSWeco and take place every spring in Austin, Texas, United States...
music festival in Austin, Texas
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
.
Line-up
- Mr. Horribly Charred Infant (vocals, instruments, non-instruments)
- Mr. Anus (vocals, instruments, non-instruments)
Albums
- My Skin Covers My Body (1987), Homestead
- I Crush BozoI Crush BozoI Crush Bozo is an album by the band Happy Flowers. The album was released in 1988.-Track listing:#"Get Me off the Broiler Pan" - 2:54#"I'm the Stupid One" - 2:29#"More Mittens" - 1:22#"Old Relatives" - 2:22#"Get Paul's Head" - 1:34...
(1988), Homestead - OofOofOof is an album by the band, Happy Flowers. The album was released in 1989.-Track listing:#"Stop Touching My Food#"Unhappy Meal"#"Pickin' Scabs"#"There's a Soft Spot on the Baby's Head"#"Finger in My Crackerjacks"#"Ain't Got Nothin'"...
(1989), Homestead - Lasterday I Was Been Bad (1990), Homestead
Compilations:
- Making the Bunny Pay (1987), Catch Trout - compilation of first two EPs
- Too Many Bunnies, (Not Enough Mittens) (1989), Homestead
- Flowers on 45: The Homestead Singles (1992), Homestead
Singles, EPs
- Songs for Children 7" EP (1984), Catch Trout
- Now We Are Six 7" EP (1986), Catch Trout
- "They Cleaned My Cut Out With a Wire Brush" (1988), Homestead
- "BB Gun" (1989), Homestead
- "Call Me Pudge" (1990), Homestead
- The Peel Sessions 7" EP (1991), Homestead
External links
- Happy Flowers entry at Monocular Times
- 20th Anniversary Show DVD available from Lost Frog Productions