Spore (band)
Encyclopedia
Spore was a noise rock
band from Boston, Massachusetts formed in the wake of the early 1990s grunge
movement. Spore were signed in 1993 on the Taang! Records
label, the same label which initially signed The Lemonheads
, the Mighty Mighty Bosstones and Mission of Burma
, with whom the band released a 7 inch EP.
Lead singer Mona Elliot's voice has been described as channelling "anger and determination with a style heavily influenced by early Throwing Muses
-era Kristin Hersh
." The Spore song Fun, from the group's third album was included in the Natural Born Killers
film, though it was not released on the official film soundtrack CD. The band was also known for sporting an image of Andre the Giant
on their disc covers, with the image being similar to Shepard Fairey
's well known pop art interpretation, Andre the Giant Has a Posse
.
Elliot went on to form another well-regarded Boston-based band, Victory at Sea, in 1996. Ayal Naor started up the avant-garde band 27
with members of the Boston band Dirt Merchants, while also contributing on fellow Boston band Isis
' critically acclaimed album Oceanic
as well as touring with the band.
Noise rock
Noise rock describes a style of post-punk rock music that became prominent in the 1980s. Noise rock makes use of the traditional instrumentation and iconography of rock, but incorporates atonality and especially dissonance, and also frequently discards usual songwriting conventions.-Style:Noise...
band from Boston, Massachusetts formed in the wake of the early 1990s grunge
Grunge
Grunge is a subgenre of alternative rock that emerged during the mid-1980s in the American state of Washington, particularly in the Seattle area. Inspired by hardcore punk, heavy metal, and indie rock, grunge is generally characterized by heavily distorted electric guitars, contrasting song...
movement. Spore were signed in 1993 on the Taang! Records
Taang! Records
Taang! Records is an American independent record label founded by Curtis Casella in Boston, Massachusetts which is currently based in San Diego...
label, the same label which initially signed The Lemonheads
The Lemonheads
The Lemonheads are an American alternative rock band first formed in 1986 by Evan Dando, Ben Deily and Jesse Peretz. Dando has remained the band's only constant member....
, the Mighty Mighty Bosstones and Mission of Burma
Mission of Burma
Mission of Burma is an American post-punk band formed in Boston, Massachusetts in 1979. The band was formed by Roger Miller , Clint Conley , Peter Prescott and Martin Swope...
, with whom the band released a 7 inch EP.
Lead singer Mona Elliot's voice has been described as channelling "anger and determination with a style heavily influenced by early Throwing Muses
Throwing Muses
Throwing Muses is an alternative rock band formed in 1981 in Newport, Rhode Island, that toured and recorded extensively until 1997, when its members began concentrating more on other projects. The group was originally fronted by two lead singers, Kristin Hersh and Tanya Donelly, who both wrote the...
-era Kristin Hersh
Kristin Hersh
Kristin Hersh is an American singer/songwriter who performs solo acoustic concerts; she also continues to perform as lead singer and guitarist for alternative rock group Throwing Muses and the hardcore punk-influenced power trio 50 Foot Wave...
." The Spore song Fun, from the group's third album was included in the Natural Born Killers
Natural Born Killers
Natural Born Killers is a 1994 crime/black comedy film directed by Oliver Stone about two victims of traumatic childhoods who became lovers and psychopathic serial killers, and are irresponsibly glorified by the mass media...
film, though it was not released on the official film soundtrack CD. The band was also known for sporting an image of Andre the Giant
André the Giant
André René Roussimoff , best known as André the Giant, was a French professional wrestler and actor. His best remembered acting role was that of Fezzik, the giant in the film The Princess Bride...
on their disc covers, with the image being similar to Shepard Fairey
Shepard Fairey
Frank Shepard Fairey is an American contemporary graphic designer, and illustrator who emerged from the skateboarding scene. He first became known for his "André the Giant Has a Posse" sticker campaign, in which he appropriated images from the comedic supermarket tabloid Weekly World News. His...
's well known pop art interpretation, Andre the Giant Has a Posse
André the Giant Has a Posse
Andre the Giant Has a Posse is a street art and viral marketing campaign based on a design by Shepard Fairey created in 1989 in Providence, Rhode Island. Distributed by the skater community, the stickers featuring an image of André the Giant began showing up in many cities across the U.S.A...
.
Elliot went on to form another well-regarded Boston-based band, Victory at Sea, in 1996. Ayal Naor started up the avant-garde band 27
27 (band)
27 is an American rock band from Cambridge, Massachusetts. 27 was formed by Maria Christopher, formerly of Dirt Merchants, and Ayal Naor in 1997. 27 is commonly categorized as a rock or indie rock band, but the genres lo-fi and emo have occasionally been used to describe them.27 has toured...
with members of the Boston band Dirt Merchants, while also contributing on fellow Boston band Isis
Isis (band)
Isis was a Los Angeles, California-based post-metal band, founded in Boston, Massachusetts, with a career spanning from 1997 to 2010...
' critically acclaimed album Oceanic
Oceanic (Isis album)
Oceanic is the second full-length album by American post-metal band Isis, released on September 16, 2002 by Ipecac Recordings.On July 23, 2006, Isis performed Oceanic in its entirety at KOKO, Camden Town, London as part of the All Tomorrow's Parties curated Don't Look Back series. This performance...
as well as touring with the band.
Band members
- Mona Elliot (vocals, guitar, bass)
- Ayal Naor (vocals, bass, guitar)
- Marc Orleans (guitars, vocals)
- Christian Negrette (drums, vocals))
Albums
- Fear God/She's So Heavy -- Taang! RecordsTaang! RecordsTaang! Records is an American independent record label founded by Curtis Casella in Boston, Massachusetts which is currently based in San Diego...
-- 1993
- Fear God / She's So Heavy / Sick / Bleeding Gums
- Giant—Taang! Records—Recorded at Fort ApacheFort Apache StudiosFort Apache Studios is a New England recording studio internationally renowned for alternative rock sessions produced there since 1986. The studio is currently located in the village of Bellows Falls, Vermont in space leased in an old hotel called The Windham, owned by the town of Rockingham,...
, Cambridge, Massachusetts in September, 1993
- Paradise / Power Behind / Red To Green / Sick / Crazy Summer / Untitled / Age / Gunfire / Samantha / Black Nail / Flesh Eater
- Spore—Taang! Records—Recorded in June and September 1992 and March 1993
- Number One / Lee / Fun / Feedback / She Makes Me Feel Violent / Splinter / Bleeding Gums / Fear God