Radial Spangle
Encyclopedia
Radial Spangle was an indie rock
band from Norman, Oklahoma
, United States
, that released two albums in the 1990s.
The band was formed in 1991 by Alan Laird (vocals, guitar
), April Tippens (bass guitar
), and former Flaming Lips drummer Richard English. The band members were friends of Mercury Rev
, whose David Fridmann engineered their debut album, Ice Cream Headache, released in 1993 on the Mint Tea label. The album featured boy/girl vocal harmonies and an array of guitar effects. Shortly after the album was released, English was replaced by Kelsey Kennedy. After a further single, "Raze", on Mint Tea, the band signed to Beggars Banquet Records
, who issued the "Birthday" EP
(which included the three tracks recorded for a session for John Peel
's BBC Radio 1
show in July) in late 1993, and the band's second album, Syrup Macrame, again with Fridmann at the controls, in August 1994. The band split up in 1996.
Laird later released Radial Spangle songs under the name The Charm Pops, with recordings that included Tippens and Kennedy and later a variety of musician friends to complete the album.
Tippens is currently a member of the Oklahoma City art rock band the Feel Spectres.
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 Norman, Oklahoma
Norman, Oklahoma
Norman is a city in Cleveland County, Oklahoma, United States, and is located south of downtown Oklahoma City. It is part of the Oklahoma City metropolitan area. As of the 2010 census, Norman was to have 110,925 full-time residents, making it the third-largest city in Oklahoma and the...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, that released two albums in the 1990s.
The band was formed in 1991 by Alan Laird (vocals, guitar
Guitar
The 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...
), April Tippens (bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
), and former Flaming Lips drummer Richard English. The band members were friends of Mercury Rev
Mercury Rev
Mercury Rev is an American alternative rock group, that formed in the late 1980s in Buffalo, New York. Original personnel were David Baker , Jonathan Donahue , Sean Mackowiak, a.k.a...
, whose David Fridmann engineered their debut album, Ice Cream Headache, released in 1993 on the Mint Tea label. The album featured boy/girl vocal harmonies and an array of guitar effects. Shortly after the album was released, English was replaced by Kelsey Kennedy. After a further single, "Raze", on Mint Tea, the band signed to Beggars Banquet Records
Beggars Banquet Records
Beggars Banquet is an English independent record label that began as a chain of record shops owned by Martin Mills and Nick Austin, and is part of the Beggars Group of labels...
, who issued the "Birthday" EP
Extended 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...
(which included the three tracks recorded for a session for John Peel
John Peel
John Robert Parker Ravenscroft, OBE , known professionally as John Peel, was an English disc jockey, radio presenter, record producer and journalist. He was the longest-serving of the original BBC Radio 1 DJs, broadcasting regularly from 1967 until his death in 2004...
's BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
show in July) in late 1993, and the band's second album, Syrup Macrame, again with Fridmann at the controls, in August 1994. The band split up in 1996.
Laird later released Radial Spangle songs under the name The Charm Pops, with recordings that included Tippens and Kennedy and later a variety of musician friends to complete the album.
Tippens is currently a member of the Oklahoma City art rock band the Feel Spectres.
External links
- Phares, Heather, "[ allmusic Biography]", allmusic.com, Macrovision Corporation
- Details of Radial Spangle's Peel Session
- Radial Spangle at discogs.com