Sordid Humor was a musical band formed in 1987 by the duo of Tom Barnes and Jim Gordon. Barnes' unique vocal style and unusual phrasing was the trademark of Sordid Humor, and he went on to lend his vocals and alt-rock

Alternative rock

Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...

 guitar style to Engine 88

Engine 88

Engine 88 was a rock band that spawned out of the San Francisco Bay Area in the 1990s.- History :Engine 88 released three albums and a handful of 7 inch singles throughout the 1990s...

, and a solo project called the Blimp. Sordid Humor played what, at the time, could best be classified as 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...

, releasing several independent releases before breaking up in 1992.

An EP entitled Tony Don't was released on vinyl in 1989 by Oedpius Records of San Francisco, CA. It contained the tracks "Jumping Jesus", "Apollo XIII", "First Goodbye", "Indian Ocean", and "Broken Desert". The only full length album now available, Light Music For Dying People, was released posthumously by Capricorn Records

Capricorn Records

Capricorn Records was an independent record label which was launched by Phil Walden, Alan Walden, and Frank Fenter in 1969 in Macon, Georgia.-First Incarnation:...

 in 1994.

Despite their limited success, Sordid Humor's music has survived in the choices of College DJs. They are notable for bringing together musicians such as Adam Duritz

Adam Duritz

Adam Fredric Duritz is an American musician, songwriter, record producer, and film producer. He is best known for his role as frontman and vocalist for the rock band Counting Crows, in which he is a founding member and principal composer of their catalogue of songs.Duritz has recorded solo...

, who sang backing vocals on "Barbarossa" and several other tracks on Light Music, David Immerglück

David Immerglück

David Immerglück is an American multi-instrumentalist who is best known as a guitarist in the alternative rock bands Counting Crows, Camper Van Beethoven and the Monks of Doom...

, who played bass on several tracks of the album, and David Bryson who produced several of their tracks. Duritz who went on to form Counting Crows

Counting Crows

Counting Crows is an American rock band originating from Berkeley, California. Formed in 1991, the group gained popularity following the release of its debut album in 1993, August and Everything After, which featured the hit single "Mr. Jones"...

- later used lyrics from Sordid Humor songs "Private Archipelago," "Doris Day," and "Jumping Jesus" in live extended versions of their own songs.

Marty Jones also played bass on "Light Music". He is the namesake for the Counting Crows song "Mister Jones".