Mute Angst Envy (band)
Encyclopedia
Mute Angst Envy is a rock
band based in the United States of America
. The band formed in San Jose, California
, in 1987
. The band's most consistent lineup includes Jack Holmes II, on guitar, bass, and vocals, Keith St. Thomas on guitar, vocals, and drum programming, Paul Zimmerman on bass, guitar, keyboards, and vocals, and Les Shanrock on drums.
. The band began with the community around the Upstart Crow bookshop and coffeehouse in San Jose. The early period of the band also included many lineup changes, especially with drummers.
An excerpt from an unpublished interview:
In 1989, the band (without a regular drummer at the time) recorded the Trust EP at Sherwood Forrest Sound, with engineer/producer Chris Salmassy. This EP contained lush keyboards and a drum machine, adding an atmospheric element to the songs. Three years later, Trust was pressed as a vinyl EP and distributed by Epithet Records from Palo Alto, California
. The song "Creep" was played in rotation on KITS (105.3FM) in San Francisco, as well as on college stations across the U.S.
Mute Angst Envy split with Epithet Records in 1992 and joined with 21st Circuitry
, a San Francisco, California
label. The label specialized in Industrial music
, which was a bit different than Mute Angst Envy's more melodic and guitar-based sound. Mute Angst Envy recorded the Archetype EP at this time, using real drums, very little keyboard, and a more punk-oriented engineer, Bart Thurber of the House of Faith studio. 21st Circuitry
released the Archetype/Trust CD in 1992, which comprised the Trust EP with the previously unreleased Archetype EP.
The band continued to play shows during this period, with drummer Les Shanrock finally adding a stable percussionist. Mute Angst Envy headlined many shows in the Bay Area, and also supported touring bands, playing with groups like Xymox and the Wolfgang Press.
In 1993, Keith St. Thomas left the band to pursue his other project, Luxocrush. Jack, Paul and Les continued to perform and record, although no new material was released to the public during this time.
Mute Angst Envy went on hiatus in 1995. Keith continued to play with his Luxocrush project, and Paul joined him in the later 90's. In 2001, Paul and Keith joined Lisa Dewey and the Lotus Life and continue to play in that group.
As Keith and Paul continued to play, the idea of reforming Mute Angst Envy began to brew. In 2004, the band reunited to record South 11th Street. Some songs on the record were recorded in the 90's, including the material that was recorded during the period when Mute Angst Envy was a three-piece. The album was released on Kitchen Whore Records
.
In 2007, Mute Angst Envy's song "Siege" was used as the opening song for Todd Downing's film Ordinary Angels.
With the original Archetype/Trust CD out of print and unavailable in digital media, Mute Angst Envy decided to remaster the songs and release them as Archetype in 2008.
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band based in the United States of America
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The band formed in San Jose, California
San Jose, California
San Jose is the third-largest city in California, the tenth-largest in the U.S., and the county seat of Santa Clara County which is located at the southern end of San Francisco Bay...
, in 1987
1987 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1987.See also:Record labels established in 1987-January-February:*January 3 – Aretha Franklin becomes the first woman inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame...
. The band's most consistent lineup includes Jack Holmes II, on guitar, bass, and vocals, Keith St. Thomas on guitar, vocals, and drum programming, Paul Zimmerman on bass, guitar, keyboards, and vocals, and Les Shanrock on drums.
History
Mute Angst Envy was started by Jack Holmes and Keith St. Thomas in 1987 in San Jose, CaliforniaSan Jose, California
San Jose is the third-largest city in California, the tenth-largest in the U.S., and the county seat of Santa Clara County which is located at the southern end of San Francisco Bay...
. The band began with the community around the Upstart Crow bookshop and coffeehouse in San Jose. The early period of the band also included many lineup changes, especially with drummers.
An excerpt from an unpublished interview:
Jeff Blanding: "in 1987 and 1988 we recorded several tapes. I had been studying with Chris Salmassy for several years in the early 80s to learn recording and production techniques. I think those early recordings were our best produced work. We recorded with Chris Salmassy in 1989 and while i think the end result was good, i still like our earlier self-produced tapes better. It's always better when you do it yourself. We played a lot of great shows back then with bands like The Jazz Men, Autumn Cathedral and whatever the mod bands of the time were."
In 1989, the band (without a regular drummer at the time) recorded the Trust EP at Sherwood Forrest Sound, with engineer/producer Chris Salmassy. This EP contained lush keyboards and a drum machine, adding an atmospheric element to the songs. Three years later, Trust was pressed as a vinyl EP and distributed by Epithet Records from Palo Alto, California
Palo Alto, California
Palo Alto is a California charter city located in the northwest corner of Santa Clara County, in the San Francisco Bay Area of California, United States. The city shares its borders with East Palo Alto, Mountain View, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Stanford, Portola Valley, and Menlo Park. It is...
. The song "Creep" was played in rotation on KITS (105.3FM) in San Francisco, as well as on college stations across the U.S.
Mute Angst Envy split with Epithet Records in 1992 and joined with 21st Circuitry
21st Circuitry
21st Circuitry was a record label based in San Francisco, United States that was founded in early 1991 and released electro-industrial, industrial rock and similar styles of music. Bands that were signed to or distributed material through the label included Covenant, Unit:187, Hate Dept., Xorcist,...
, a 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...
label. The label specialized in Industrial music
Industrial music
Industrial music is a style of experimental music that draws on transgressive and provocative themes. The term was coined in the mid-1970s with the founding of Industrial Records by the band Throbbing Gristle, and the creation of the slogan "industrial music for industrial people". In general, the...
, which was a bit different than Mute Angst Envy's more melodic and guitar-based sound. Mute Angst Envy recorded the Archetype EP at this time, using real drums, very little keyboard, and a more punk-oriented engineer, Bart Thurber of the House of Faith studio. 21st Circuitry
21st Circuitry
21st Circuitry was a record label based in San Francisco, United States that was founded in early 1991 and released electro-industrial, industrial rock and similar styles of music. Bands that were signed to or distributed material through the label included Covenant, Unit:187, Hate Dept., Xorcist,...
released the Archetype/Trust CD in 1992, which comprised the Trust EP with the previously unreleased Archetype EP.
The band continued to play shows during this period, with drummer Les Shanrock finally adding a stable percussionist. Mute Angst Envy headlined many shows in the Bay Area, and also supported touring bands, playing with groups like Xymox and the Wolfgang Press.
In 1993, Keith St. Thomas left the band to pursue his other project, Luxocrush. Jack, Paul and Les continued to perform and record, although no new material was released to the public during this time.
Mute Angst Envy went on hiatus in 1995. Keith continued to play with his Luxocrush project, and Paul joined him in the later 90's. In 2001, Paul and Keith joined Lisa Dewey and the Lotus Life and continue to play in that group.
As Keith and Paul continued to play, the idea of reforming Mute Angst Envy began to brew. In 2004, the band reunited to record South 11th Street. Some songs on the record were recorded in the 90's, including the material that was recorded during the period when Mute Angst Envy was a three-piece. The album was released on Kitchen Whore Records
Kitchen Whore Records
Kitchen Whore Records is a San Jose, California-based independent record label that released recordings by artists such as Lisa Dewey, Bethany Curve, Marc Moreland and Mute Angst Envy. The label was started in 1997.-Artists:*Bethany Curve* Gina Chiala...
.
In 2007, Mute Angst Envy's song "Siege" was used as the opening song for Todd Downing's film Ordinary Angels.
With the original Archetype/Trust CD out of print and unavailable in digital media, Mute Angst Envy decided to remaster the songs and release them as Archetype in 2008.
Band members
- Jack Holmes II – vocals, bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with... - Keith St. Thomas – vocals, bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, programmingProgramming (music)Programming is a form of music production and performance using electronic devices, often sequencers or computer programs, to generate music. Programming is used in nearly all forms of electronic music and in most hip hop music since the 1990s. It is also frequently used in modern pop and rock... - Paul Zimmerman – vocals, bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
(1989–present) - Les Shanrock – drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
(1991–present)
Former members
- Jeff Blanding - keyboards, vocals, songwriting (1987–1989)
- Tom Catalano - drums (1987)
- Mark Prather - drums (1987–1988)
- Andy Traepin - drums (1989)
- Clay Kenyon - drums (1990)
- Lisa DeweyLisa DeweyLisa Dewey is an American shoegaze, alternative rock and dream pop singer-songwriter and musician.Dewey is best known for her unique musical style and her personal lyrics...
- drums (2004 for Toyko Dark Castle SF)
Discography
- 1990: Trust EP
- 1992: Archetype/Trust
- 2005: South 11th Street
- 2008: Archetype (remastered)