Sex Clark Five
Encyclopedia
Sex Clark Five is an underground indie rock
band formed in the early 1980s in Huntsville, Alabama
. Calling their inventive, sawed-off power pop
songs "strum and drum" (a pun on Sturm und Drang
), SC5 released several albums that featured the jangly Rickenbacker
guitar sound characteristic of Southern
college rock
bands of the time, including R.E.M. Guitarists James Butler and Rick Storey and drummer Trick McKaha were all friends from Huntsville High School
. After stints in Kinks cover and pseudo punk bands, the three recruited bassist Joy Johnson.
Primary singer/songwriter Butler built quirky, catchy melodic hooks around lyrics that often included offbeat European historical references, and wrapped them around rapidly strummed guitars and rave up surf guitar riffs. Politically charged tunes such as "Liberate Tibet" and "Sarajevo" were called prophetic by some critics. In spite of their political content, SC5's songs were often filled with the kind of wry, outlandish humor exemplified by the band's name (a play on The Dave Clark Five
). SC5 would count both Goethe and the Marx Brothers
as musical influences. The band was also notorious for erratic live shows. Drummer Trick McKaha would sometimes wear a bag over his head.
Sex Clark Five came to the attention of BBC radio
legend John Peel
when he was given a copy of their debut EP
, "Neita Grew Up Last Night." After playing the disc on his show repeatedly, Peel asked the band to send more. SC5 recorded their first full length album, Strum and Drum!, in 1986 in Butler's family basement. Noted for its twenty brief tracks (several of which barely exceeded one minute in length), Strum and Drum! was a critical success and an underground favorite of 1987, hailed as "a near-classic first step" by Trouser Press
.http://www.trouserpress.com/entry.php?a=sex_clark_five The album received extensive college radio airplay and earned the band a small but devoted following. Some contemporary indie bands have acknowledged Strum and Drum! as a pop milestone. SC5 later issued Battle of Sex Clark Five, Ketchup if You Can (EP), and Antedium, incorporating essentially the same formula, but to less critical acclaim.
During the 1990s, SC5 continued to record but found only small labels with few resources to promote them. More than one major label expressed interest in SC5, but the band was unable to follow up due to chronic disorganization. The band toured sporadically and recorded four sessions for John Peel, usually with many unreleased tracks.http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/johnpeel/artists/s/sexclarkfive/ Johnson left the group in 1993 and was replaced by singer Laura E. Lee. Trick left the group in 1995, although he played accompaniment on some of the later releases. Butler and Storey collaborated on Crimson Panzer (2000), which again appeared almost exclusively on the John Peel Show.
In the May 2006 issue of GQ, A.C. Newman
of the New Pornographers nominated the SC5 as his "unsung heroes." http://men.style.com/gq/features/landing?id=content_4372
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 formed in the early 1980s in Huntsville, Alabama
Huntsville, Alabama
Huntsville is a city located primarily in Madison County in the central part of the far northern region of the U.S. state of Alabama. Huntsville is the county seat of Madison County. The city extends west into neighboring Limestone County. Huntsville's population was 180,105 as of the 2010 Census....
. Calling their inventive, sawed-off power pop
Power pop
Power pop is a popular musical genre that draws its inspiration from 1960s British and American pop and rock music. It typically incorporates a combination of musical devices such as strong melodies, crisp vocal harmonies, economical arrangements, and prominent guitar riffs. Instrumental solos are...
songs "strum and drum" (a pun on Sturm und Drang
Sturm und Drang
Sturm und Drang is a proto-Romantic movement in German literature and music taking place from the late 1760s through the early 1780s, in which individual subjectivity and, in particular, extremes of emotion were given free expression in reaction to the perceived constraints of rationalism...
), SC5 released several albums that featured the jangly Rickenbacker
Rickenbacker
Rickenbacker International Corporation, also known as Rickenbacker, is an electric and bass guitar manufacturer based in Santa Ana, California...
guitar sound characteristic of Southern
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...
college rock
College rock
College rock is a term that was used in the United States to describe 1980s alternative rock before the term "alternative" came into common usage. The term's use of the word "college" refers to campus radio stations located at institutions of higher education in Canada and the United States, where...
bands of the time, including R.E.M. Guitarists James Butler and Rick Storey and drummer Trick McKaha were all friends from Huntsville High School
Huntsville High School
Huntsville High School is a public high school in Huntsville, Alabama, United States.-History:Due to growth in Huntsville in the 1920s, Huntsville High moved to a location on Randolph Avenue and White Street in 1927. This building served the high school until 1954, when a new building opened on...
. After stints in Kinks cover and pseudo punk bands, the three recruited bassist Joy Johnson.
Primary singer/songwriter Butler built quirky, catchy melodic hooks around lyrics that often included offbeat European historical references, and wrapped them around rapidly strummed guitars and rave up surf guitar riffs. Politically charged tunes such as "Liberate Tibet" and "Sarajevo" were called prophetic by some critics. In spite of their political content, SC5's songs were often filled with the kind of wry, outlandish humor exemplified by the band's name (a play on The Dave Clark Five
The Dave Clark Five
The Dave Clark Five were an English pop rock group. Their single "Glad All Over" knocked The Beatles' "I Want to Hold Your Hand" off the top of the UK singles charts in January 1964: it eventually peaked at No.6 in the United States in April 1964.They were the second group of the British Invasion,...
). SC5 would count both Goethe and the Marx Brothers
Marx Brothers
The Marx Brothers were an American family comedy act, originally from New York City, that enjoyed success in Vaudeville, Broadway, and motion pictures from the early 1900s to around 1950...
as musical influences. The band was also notorious for erratic live shows. Drummer Trick McKaha would sometimes wear a bag over his head.
Sex Clark Five came to the attention of BBC radio
BBC Radio
BBC Radio is a service of the British Broadcasting Corporation which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a Royal Charter since 1927. For a history of BBC radio prior to 1927 see British Broadcasting Company...
legend 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...
when he was given a copy of their debut 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...
, "Neita Grew Up Last Night." After playing the disc on his show repeatedly, Peel asked the band to send more. SC5 recorded their first full length album, Strum and Drum!, in 1986 in Butler's family basement. Noted for its twenty brief tracks (several of which barely exceeded one minute in length), Strum and Drum! was a critical success and an underground favorite of 1987, hailed as "a near-classic first step" by Trouser Press
Trouser Press
Trouser Press was a rock and roll magazine started in New York in 1974 as a mimeographed fanzine by editor/publisher Ira Robbins, fellow Who fan Dave Schulps and Karen Rose under the name "Trans-Oceanic Trouser Press" ...
.http://www.trouserpress.com/entry.php?a=sex_clark_five The album received extensive college radio airplay and earned the band a small but devoted following. Some contemporary indie bands have acknowledged Strum and Drum! as a pop milestone. SC5 later issued Battle of Sex Clark Five, Ketchup if You Can (EP), and Antedium, incorporating essentially the same formula, but to less critical acclaim.
During the 1990s, SC5 continued to record but found only small labels with few resources to promote them. More than one major label expressed interest in SC5, but the band was unable to follow up due to chronic disorganization. The band toured sporadically and recorded four sessions for John Peel, usually with many unreleased tracks.http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/johnpeel/artists/s/sexclarkfive/ Johnson left the group in 1993 and was replaced by singer Laura E. Lee. Trick left the group in 1995, although he played accompaniment on some of the later releases. Butler and Storey collaborated on Crimson Panzer (2000), which again appeared almost exclusively on the John Peel Show.
In the May 2006 issue of GQ, A.C. Newman
Carl Newman
Allan Carl Newman is a Canadian musician and songwriter. He was a member of the indie rock bands Superconductor and Zumpano in the 1990s. Following the breakup of those bands, he reemerged as the leader of The New Pornographers in 2000....
of the New Pornographers nominated the SC5 as his "unsung heroes." http://men.style.com/gq/features/landing?id=content_4372
Discography
- Neita Grew Up Last Night EP (Records to Russia, 1985)
- Strum and Drum! (Records to Russia, 1987; Beehive Rebellion, 1996)
- Battle of Sex Clark Five (Bloodmoney Records/Skyclad, 1989)
- Ketchup If You Can EP (Records to Russia, 1991)
- Antedium (Records to Russia, 1993)
- Crimson Panzer (Records to Russia, 2000)