Ruth Ruth
Encyclopedia
Ruth Ruth is a pop punk
band formed in New York City
in 1993, initially playing gigs for free at New York City's Continental nightclub. Their occasional shows became a residency and by the following year, Chris Kennedy (Bass/ Lead Vocals/ Songwriter), Mike Lustig (Guitar), and drummer Dave Snyder had signed a record deal with American Recordings. Their debut album "Laughing Gallery," co-produced by Ted Nicely (Fugazi, Girls Against Boys) and Kennedy, was released in October 1995. The song "Uninvited" from the album gained Ruth Ruth some success, including alternative radio play and a few months of MTV
rotation. The band toured nationally with Everclear and No Doubt, while also headlining shows and making several television appearances in the UK.
Unhappy with the American Recordings handling of Laughing Gallery, in 1996 the band began to break away from the label by releasing a 45 single on Deep Elm Records (Brainiac / Love Potion #10, produced by Kennedy) as well as the Epitaph EP "The Little Death, co-produced by Kennedy and Brett Guerwitz. Before "The Little Death" was released, Synder left the group, replaced by drummer Christian Nakata. A video filmed for the song "Jerome" remains unreleased. Headline tours and support tours with Spacehog, Everclear and Sam I Am followed.
In 1997, the band recorded new material, while still under contract to American. RCA A&R rep Brian Malouf, after seeing Ruth Ruth play a show at the Continental Club, expressed interest in signing the group. RCA paid American for the unreleased masters and Ruth Ruth resurfaced in 1998 on RCA with "Are You My Friend?" with the addition of Michael Kotch (Eve's Plum) on rhythm guitar. The title of the RCA Records
album Are You My Friend? was a direct, if unflattering quote from their A & R contact at American, and the cut from this album titled "Kaboom" (with lyrics such as "now you're dead and I'm happy") was said to have been a celebration of their escape from their relationship with American Recordings. The song "Condition" was featured in the film "Urban Legend." AYMF? was co-produced by Kennedy and Chris Shaw.
In 2000, the band recorded new material for RCA, which was released under the name Ultra-V. The album, "Bring on the Fuego," (co-produced by Kennedy and Matt Wallace) represented a departure stylistically from Ruth Ruth. Bassist Maggie Kim joined the group for a handful of shows. The song "Shut Your Mouth" was featured in the film "Joyride." "Can I Crash Here Tonight" was featured in the TV show "Roswell." Shortly after the album's release, the group disbanded.
In 2004, Kennedy, Lustig and Nakata reunited and released the album "Right About Now," produced by Kennedy and released on their own label, Flaming Peach Records. The album was critically well received and the band performed a handful of shows in New York City as well as the 9:30 Club in Washington D.C. with Everclear. Shortly thereafter, the group disbanded once again.
In 2009, the Kennedy produced "Live in Toronto" was released on In Music We Trust Records, a live recording culled from a 1996 CBC broadcast.
In July 2011, the Kent State University Press published 1950s Radio in Color - The Lost Photographs of Deejay Tommy Edwards, written by Chris Kennedy. Featuring over 200 color photographs, the book gives 1950s Cleveland deejay Tommy Edwards his due recognition as the deejay responsible for perhaps the most important photographic and written documentation of twentieth-century music ever produced. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is curating a Tommy Edwards photograph exhibit, January 12, 2012 through May 6, 2012.
Pop punk
Pop punk is a fusion music genre that combines elements of punk rock with pop music, to varying degrees. Allmusic describes the genre as a strand of alternative rock, which typically merges pop melodies with speedy punk tempos, chord changes and loud guitars...
band formed in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
in 1993, initially playing gigs for free at New York City's Continental nightclub. Their occasional shows became a residency and by the following year, Chris Kennedy (Bass/ Lead Vocals/ Songwriter), Mike Lustig (Guitar), and drummer Dave Snyder had signed a record deal with American Recordings. Their debut album "Laughing Gallery," co-produced by Ted Nicely (Fugazi, Girls Against Boys) and Kennedy, was released in October 1995. The song "Uninvited" from the album gained Ruth Ruth some success, including alternative radio play and a few months of MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
rotation. The band toured nationally with Everclear and No Doubt, while also headlining shows and making several television appearances in the UK.
Unhappy with the American Recordings handling of Laughing Gallery, in 1996 the band began to break away from the label by releasing a 45 single on Deep Elm Records (Brainiac / Love Potion #10, produced by Kennedy) as well as the Epitaph EP "The Little Death, co-produced by Kennedy and Brett Guerwitz. Before "The Little Death" was released, Synder left the group, replaced by drummer Christian Nakata. A video filmed for the song "Jerome" remains unreleased. Headline tours and support tours with Spacehog, Everclear and Sam I Am followed.
In 1997, the band recorded new material, while still under contract to American. RCA A&R rep Brian Malouf, after seeing Ruth Ruth play a show at the Continental Club, expressed interest in signing the group. RCA paid American for the unreleased masters and Ruth Ruth resurfaced in 1998 on RCA with "Are You My Friend?" with the addition of Michael Kotch (Eve's Plum) on rhythm guitar. The title of the RCA Records
RCA Records
RCA Records is one of the flagship labels of Sony Music Entertainment. The RCA initials stand for Radio Corporation of America , which was the parent corporation from 1929 to 1985 and a partner from 1985 to 1986.RCA's Canadian unit is Sony's oldest label...
album Are You My Friend? was a direct, if unflattering quote from their A & R contact at American, and the cut from this album titled "Kaboom" (with lyrics such as "now you're dead and I'm happy") was said to have been a celebration of their escape from their relationship with American Recordings. The song "Condition" was featured in the film "Urban Legend." AYMF? was co-produced by Kennedy and Chris Shaw.
In 2000, the band recorded new material for RCA, which was released under the name Ultra-V. The album, "Bring on the Fuego," (co-produced by Kennedy and Matt Wallace) represented a departure stylistically from Ruth Ruth. Bassist Maggie Kim joined the group for a handful of shows. The song "Shut Your Mouth" was featured in the film "Joyride." "Can I Crash Here Tonight" was featured in the TV show "Roswell." Shortly after the album's release, the group disbanded.
In 2004, Kennedy, Lustig and Nakata reunited and released the album "Right About Now," produced by Kennedy and released on their own label, Flaming Peach Records. The album was critically well received and the band performed a handful of shows in New York City as well as the 9:30 Club in Washington D.C. with Everclear. Shortly thereafter, the group disbanded once again.
In 2009, the Kennedy produced "Live in Toronto" was released on In Music We Trust Records, a live recording culled from a 1996 CBC broadcast.
In July 2011, the Kent State University Press published 1950s Radio in Color - The Lost Photographs of Deejay Tommy Edwards, written by Chris Kennedy. Featuring over 200 color photographs, the book gives 1950s Cleveland deejay Tommy Edwards his due recognition as the deejay responsible for perhaps the most important photographic and written documentation of twentieth-century music ever produced. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is curating a Tommy Edwards photograph exhibit, January 12, 2012 through May 6, 2012.
Discography
- Laughing Gallery (Ventrue Records, 1995)
- Brainiac / Love Potion #10 (1996, Deep Elm RecordsDeep Elm RecordsDeep Elm Records is an independent record label putting out albums by bands such as The Appleseed Cast, Brandtson, The White Octave, and Planes Mistaken for Stars...
) - Little Death (1996, Epitaph RecordsEpitaph RecordsEpitaph Records is a Hollywood, California based independent record label owned by Bad Religion guitarist Brett Gurewitz. The label was originally "just a logo and a P.O. box" created in the 1980s for the purpose of selling Bad Religion records, but has evolved into a large independent record...
) - Are You My Friend (1998, RCA RecordsRCA RecordsRCA Records is one of the flagship labels of Sony Music Entertainment. The RCA initials stand for Radio Corporation of America , which was the parent corporation from 1929 to 1985 and a partner from 1985 to 1986.RCA's Canadian unit is Sony's oldest label...
) - Right About Now (2004, Flaming Peach Records)
- Live In Toronto (2009, In Music We Trust Records)