House of Freaks
Encyclopedia
Richmond, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
in the mid 1980s. Bryan Harvey
Bryan Harvey (musician)
Bryan Harvey was an American musician noted for his fronting role in House of Freaks. He was murdered with his wife Kathryn and their two daughters Stella and Ruby on January 1, 2006....
played guitar and sang, and Johnny Hott
Johnny Hott
Johnny Hott was the drummer for the House of Freaks, a musical duo with singer/guitarist Bryan Harvey. He was also one of three drummers for the band Cracker. He has also played drums for indie supergroup Gutterball, Sparklehorse, and Timothy Bailey and The Humans.Hott currently lives in Richmond,...
played percussion. The band managed to achieve a remarkably full sound, mostly because of Hott's inventive drumming and Harvey's confident vocals and knack of playing bass lines on his guitar (cribbed from his many years as a bass player) while simultaneously playing a melody.
The Freaks' sound was a combination of folk and rock, and drew heavily from the blues
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
and primitive Americana
Americana (music)
Americana is an amalgam of roots musics formed by the confluence of the shared and varied traditions that make up the American musical ethos; specifically those sounds that are merged from folk, country, blues, rhythm and blues, rock and roll and other external influential styles...
music. Their lyrics focused on race, religion, and life in the South
Southern United States
The Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive area in the southeastern and south-central United States...
, although Harvey was also adept at writing about more personal topics (the lack of success of independent bands, his sex life and meeting the woman who would become his wife on "I Got Happy") using rich metaphors from these former topics, so that many of their songs could be interpreted in two entirely different ways. Bryan's obsession with southern Gothic
Southern Gothic
Southern Gothic is a subgenre of Gothic fiction unique to American literature that takes place exclusively in the American South. It resembles its parent genre in that it relies on supernatural, ironic, or unusual events to guide the plot...
issues influenced his song writing. These sentiments can be heard in such songs as "White Folk's Blood", "Family Tree" and "Big Houses" from the album Tantilla, and he cribbed the title of "A Good Man" from "Cakewalk" from Flannery O'Connor
Flannery O'Connor
Mary Flannery O'Connor was an American novelist, short-story writer and essayist. An important voice in American literature, O'Connor wrote two novels and 32 short stories, as well as a number of reviews and commentaries...
.
Career
Harvey and Hott moved to Los AngelesLos Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
for the release of the band's first album, Monkey on a Chain Gang, which received considerable critical acclaim. However, unsatisfied with life in L.A., they moved back east, where they recorded their subsequent albums and faded from the public spotlight. On March 13, 1988, House of Freaks performed at the legendary Auditorium Fillmore
The Fillmore
The Fillmore Auditorium is a historic music venue in San Francisco, California, made famous by Bill Graham. Named for its original location at the intersection of Fillmore Street and Geary Boulevard, it lies on the boundary of the Western Addition and the Pacific Heights neighborhoods.In 1968,...
in San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
with The 77s
The 77s
The 77s are an American rock band consisting of Michael Roe on vocals/guitar, Mark Harmon on bass, and Bruce Spencer on drums.-Scratch Band:...
and The Alarm
The Alarm
The Alarm are an alternative rock band that emerged from North Wales in the late 1970s. They started as a mod band and stayed together for over ten years. As a rock band, they displayed marked influences from Welsh language and culture...
. Audience members included Neil Young
Neil Young
Neil Percival Young, OC, OM is a Canadian singer-songwriter who is widely regarded as one of the most influential musicians of his generation...
. The band did minor radio hits with singles "When The Hammer Came Down" and "Sun Gone Down" from Tantilla and "Rocking Chair" from Cakewalk.
After the band's breakup, Harvey and Hott joined a Paisley Underground
Paisley Underground
Paisley Underground is an early genre of alternative rock, based primarily in Los Angeles, California, which was at its most popular in the mid-1980s.- History :...
supergroup called Gutterball
Gutterball
Gutterball is a compound word devised from "gutter" and "ball", which has several meanings:*"Gutterball" is a phrase often used in American ten-pin bowling to describe a delivery that falls into one of the gutters before it reaches the pins....
, headed by Steve Wynn
Steve Wynn (songwriter)
Steve Wynn is a songwriter based in New York . He led the band the Dream Syndicate from 1981 to 1989 and afterward began a solo career.- Career in bands :...
, formerly of Dream Syndicate
Dream Syndicate
The Dream Syndicate was an alternative rock band from Los Angeles, California active from 1981 to 1989. The band was associated with the Paisley Underground music movement.-History:...
and also featuring Stephen McCarthy of The Long Ryders
The Long Ryders
The Long Ryders are an American alternative country and Paisley Underground band, principally active between 1983 and 1987, and which reformed in 2004 to do a reunion tour...
and Bob Rupe
Bob Rupe
Bob Rupe, born in Detroit, Michigan on September 16, 1956, was co-founder of the NYC based indie band Silos. He was lead guitarist, writer and producer for the band from 1985-1991. Bob Rupe was also a member of the indie supergroup Gutterball in 1992. Bassist for Cracker from 1994-2000...
of The Silos. The group released two albums, Gutterball (1993) and Weasel (1995). Harvey co-wrote many songs on each. Hott later joined the band 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...
. Harvey has guested on a number of other artists' albums, including September 67's Lucky Shoe, two albums by Shannon Worrell
Shannon Worrell
Shannon Worrell is a singer-songwriter based in Charlottesville, Virginia. Known for a series of critically acclaimed albums in the 1990s culminating with an appearance on the Lilith Fair tour and for collaborations with fellow Charlottesville-based musicians Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds,...
(formerly of September 67), and Magnet's Shark Bait. Both Harvey and Hott assisted Mark Linkous
Mark Linkous
Mark Linkous was an American singer, songwriter and musician, best known as leader of Sparklehorse. He was also known for his collaborations with such notable artists as Tom Waits, PJ Harvey, Daniel Johnston, Radiohead, Black Francis, Julian Casablancas, Nina Persson, Sean Terrington Wright, David...
on the debut Sparklehorse
Sparklehorse
Sparklehorse was an American indie rock band led by the singer and multi-instrumentalist Mark Linkous.-History:Sparklehorse's first album, Vivadixiesubmarinetransmissionplot featuring Bob Rupe of the Silos and Cracker, was a modest college radio success...
record. Bryan Harvey played in a funk band, NRG Krysys, in Richmond, Virginia
Richmond, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
with Coby Batty of The Fugs
The Fugs
The Fugs are a band formed in New York in late 1964 by poets Ed Sanders and Tuli Kupferberg, with Ken Weaver on drums. Soon afterward, they were joined by Peter Stampfel and Steve Weber of the Holy Modal Rounders...
. Johnny Hott has a jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
combo with Stephen McCarthy.
In an interview for his most recent band, NRG Krysys, Harvey addressed his initial disapproval for R&B and funk
Funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
music when he was growing up saying it was music for "squares", and he claimed that his band played this type of music now because he discovered he had the talent.
NRG Krysys even performed at the screening of Mel Stuart's documentary Wattstax
Wattstax
Wattstax is a 1973 documentary film by Mel Stuart that focused on the 1972 Wattstax music festival and the African American community of Watts in Los Angeles, California. The film was nominated for a Golden Globe award for Best Documentary Film in 1974...
during a festival in Richmond.
On New Year's Day, 2006, after a performance with his band NrG Krysys, Bryan Harvey, his wife Kathryn, and their daughters Stella and Ruby were found brutally murdered in the basement of their Richmond home. Their killers were convicted on August 17, 2006. One was sentenced to death and the other received life in prison. Media reports said about 1,400 people turned out for a memorial service, showing how well-regarded Harvey was in his community and among fellow musicians.
In an obituary, Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
noted that the House of Freaks aesthetic foreshadowed such later duos as the White Stripes and The Black Keys
The Black Keys
The Black Keys are an American rock duo consisting of vocalist/guitarist Dan Auerbach and drummer/producer Patrick Carney. The band was formed in Akron, Ohio, in 2001. As of October 2011, the band has sold over 2 million albums in the U.S....
.
Albums
- Monkey On A Chain GangMonkey on a Chain GangMonkey on a Chain Gang is the first album by the rock band House of Freaks. It was released in 1987 by Rhino Records on 12" vinyl and a short time later on CD Monkey on a Chain Gang is the first album by the rock band House of Freaks. It was released in 1987 by Rhino Records on 12" vinyl (R1...
, 1987 - TantillaTantilla (album)Tantilla is the second album by the rock band House Of Freaks. It is widely considered to be their best work. It was released in 1989 by Rhino Records on CD and 12" vinyl...
, 1989 - All My FriendsAll My Friends (album)All My Friends is an EP by House of Freaks released on CD and 12" vinyl in 1989 by Rhino Records. In 2004 these tracks were remastered and included on the reissue of the album Tantilla.-Track listing:All tracks by House of Freaks...
EP, 1989 - Cakewalk, 1991
- Invisible Jewel, 1994
Tantilla and Monkey on a Chain Gang were rereleased with numerous bonus tracks in limited editions by Rhino Records in 2004.
Singles
| Year | Title | Chart positions | Album | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
US Modern Rock | US Mainstream Rock | UK UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
|||
| 1989 | "Sun Gone Down" | - | 23 | - | - | Tantilla |
| "When the Hammer Came Down" | - | 27 | - | - |