The Brandos
Encyclopedia
The Brandos is an American rock band
formed in New York in 1985. The core members are vocalist, guitarist and songwriter Dave Kincaid
and bassist and vocalist Ernie Mendillo
.
The Brandos achieved commercial success in the United States
in 1987 with the release of their first album, Honor Among Thieves and the single "Gettysburg". They have also established a strong fan base in Europe, where they have done promotion and extensive touring since the late 1980s. They have occasionally even made it high on the record chart
s in countries such as the Netherlands
.
and Larry Mason
were playing the Seattle club circuit as members of The Allies, one of the hardest working bands at the time. With a local radio hit ('Emma Peel') critically acclaimed recordings, and a video under their belts. At the same time, New Jersey
based Soul Attack (with Ernie Mendillo
and Ed Rupprecht) were playing gigs in and around their home state, with occasional jaunts into New York City. They had also made and released a local record in 1984.
Frustrated with The Allies lack of success, Kincaid decided to move to New York in 1985. Immediately upon arrival Kincaid began scouring the local music papers, namely the Village Voice, looking for a new band. Soul Attack had just lost their principal singer/songwriter, and had just placed an ad looking for a replacement. Kincaid joined the band and they eventually changed their name to The Brandos and performed their first show on February 14, 1986. Featuring Kincaid on vocals and guitar, Ernie Mendillo (bass, vocals), Ed Rupprecht (guitar), and Larry Mason (drums), the band began playing most of New York's most renowned clubs such as CBGB
, Tramps, The Bitter End
and Kenny's Castaways. The band also spent one month touring the Pacific Northwest. By October they had enough material for an album. While recording, the band continued to perform in the New York area, along with a brief tour of Germany in May 1987.
The Brandos released their debut album, Honor Among Thieves, on Relativity Records
in late August 1987. The album spent 19 weeks in the Billboard
charts and peaked at #108 in late October. During this period, the band began touring the States and Europe, opening for well-known bands such as The Georgia Satellites, INXS
, The Cars
and The Alarm
. Their first video was released and was placed in medium rotation on MTV
. The favorable reviews began to pour in: the Gavin Report
dubbed them "Best New American Band", Rolling Stone
magazine ran a full-page story describing them as "Real Contenders", and Time
magazine clinched it with their quote "The Brandos roots run deep and offer great nourishment". In early 1988, the band won Best Album (Independent Label), and Kincaid was honored with Best Male Vocalist (Independent Label) at the New York Music Awards. The Brandos also left Relativity
that year and signed with Geffen Records
. Their relationship with Geffen was strained from the onset and the group ended up at RCA Records
in 1989. After a massive corporate restructuring, RCA
dropped The Brandos upon completion of their second LP, Trial By Fire (unreleased), in 1990.
The better part of 1991 was spent writing and recording new material for a new album that would become Gunfire at Midnight, which would land a contract with SPV GmbH
in Germany in the spring of 1992. Two singles from the album ('The Solution' and 'The Keeper') would reach the top 100 in the Netherlands
. Extensive touring in Europe would follow, solidifying the band's fan base even further, however Rupprecht and Mason decided to leave the band in 1993. The Brandos recorded their next album The Light of Day with the help of a few friends, especially ex-Del Lords members Scott Kempner
(guitar, vocals) and Frank Funaro
(drums, vocals). They filled out the live band, and an extensive tour and live album, recorded in Amsterdam in December 1994, followed. In 1996, The Brandos returned in 1996 with Pass The Hat and Frank Giordano (guitar, vocals) replacing Kempner. The album marked a return to a more stripped-down guitar sound. Kincaid released a solo album, The Irish Volunteer
, in 1997 but returned to The Brandos for another album (Nowhere Zone) in 1998 followed by two tours of Europe with the likes of Bryan Adams
, Van Morrison
, and Deep Purple
.
1999 saw the release of Contribution: The Best of 1985-1999. The band continued to tour Europe over the next few years. Following the 2003 release of “The Irish-American’s Song,” Kincaid’s second effort of songs of the Irish in the American Civil War, a European tour was organized in early 2004. Chris Layer (uilleann pipes, flute and whistle)accompanied Kincaid, Mendillo and Giordano for performances in Germany, Holland, Belgium and Denmark, with three of the shows being recorded.
It would, however, be another seven years before the band would record any new material. Over The Border was released by Blue Rose Records in late 2006 to positive reviews. Kincaid and Mendillo were accompanied on the drums by Funaro once again along with Dennis Diken
(The Smithereens
) and Simon Kirke
(Bad Company
, Free
). The band toured extensively with ex-From Good Homes member Patrick Fitzsimmons (drums, vocals) and Ziga Stanonik (guitar, vocals). The band also recorded a live CD/DVD (Town To Town, Sun To Sun) released on Blue Rose in early 2008. Another tour followed with ex-Del Lords
/ Joan Jett
and the Blackhearts member Eric Ambel
(guitar, vocals) and Phil Cimino (drums). Their lone 2008 appearance in New York City was their first in 10 years.
In 2010 the recordings from the 2004 'Irish Tour' were mixed and the long-awaited live album "David Kincaid and The Brandos - Live in Europe" was released on Dec. 1, 2010 and distributed in Europe by Blue Rose.
The Brandos' sound, with either mandolin in front, or full throttle guitars, is as distinctive to the band as those developed by Dire Straits or Big Country. Add to that the Fogertyesque sound of Kincaid's voice and The Brandos are a unique listening experience.
Rock Band
Rock Band is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems, published by MTV Games and Electronic Arts. It is the first title in the Rock Band series. The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions were released in the United States on November 20, 2007, while the PlayStation 2 version was...
formed in New York in 1985. The core members are vocalist, guitarist and songwriter Dave Kincaid
Dave Kincaid
Dave Kincaid co-founded the New York band The Brandos with Ernie Mendillo in 1985. Besides playing with The Brandos, Kincaid has also released two albums of Irish music under the name David Kincaid....
and bassist and vocalist Ernie Mendillo
Ernie Mendillo
Ernie Mendillo co-founded the New York band The Brandos with Dave Kincaid in 1985. Besides playing with The Brandos, Mendillo is also a member of the Sarajevo rock band Bombaj Štampa....
.
The Brandos achieved commercial success in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 1987 with the release of their first album, Honor Among Thieves and the single "Gettysburg". They have also established a strong fan base in Europe, where they have done promotion and extensive touring since the late 1980s. They have occasionally even made it high on the record chart
Record chart
A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
s in countries such as the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
.
History
The passion, grit and power of New York's The Brandos has origins in the Seattle scene of the early Eighties. In the Fall of 1984, Dave KincaidDave Kincaid
Dave Kincaid co-founded the New York band The Brandos with Ernie Mendillo in 1985. Besides playing with The Brandos, Kincaid has also released two albums of Irish music under the name David Kincaid....
and Larry Mason
Larry Mason
Larry Mason is a former running back in the National Football League and the United States Football League.-Career:Mason was a member of the Jacksonville Bulls of the USFL in 1984 and 1985. He then joined the Cleveland Browns during the 1987 NFL season...
were playing the Seattle club circuit as members of The Allies, one of the hardest working bands at the time. With a local radio hit ('Emma Peel') critically acclaimed recordings, and a video under their belts. At the same time, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
based Soul Attack (with Ernie Mendillo
Ernie Mendillo
Ernie Mendillo co-founded the New York band The Brandos with Dave Kincaid in 1985. Besides playing with The Brandos, Mendillo is also a member of the Sarajevo rock band Bombaj Štampa....
and Ed Rupprecht) were playing gigs in and around their home state, with occasional jaunts into New York City. They had also made and released a local record in 1984.
Frustrated with The Allies lack of success, Kincaid decided to move to New York in 1985. Immediately upon arrival Kincaid began scouring the local music papers, namely the Village Voice, looking for a new band. Soul Attack had just lost their principal singer/songwriter, and had just placed an ad looking for a replacement. Kincaid joined the band and they eventually changed their name to The Brandos and performed their first show on February 14, 1986. Featuring Kincaid on vocals and guitar, Ernie Mendillo (bass, vocals), Ed Rupprecht (guitar), and Larry Mason (drums), the band began playing most of New York's most renowned clubs such as CBGB
CBGB
CBGB was a music club at 315 Bowery at Bleecker Street in the borough of Manhattan in New York City.Founded by Hilly Kristal in 1973, it was originally intended to feature its namesake musical styles, but became a forum for American punk and New Wave bands like Ramones, Misfits, Television, the...
, Tramps, The Bitter End
The Bitter End
The Bitter End is a nightclub in New York City's Greenwich Village. It opened its doors in 1961 at 147 Bleecker Street under the auspices of owner Fred Weintraub. The club changed its name to The Other End during the 1970s...
and Kenny's Castaways. The band also spent one month touring the Pacific Northwest. By October they had enough material for an album. While recording, the band continued to perform in the New York area, along with a brief tour of Germany in May 1987.
The Brandos released their debut album, Honor Among Thieves, on Relativity Records
Relativity Records
Relativity Records, often branded just Relativity, is an American record label founded by Barry Kobrin at the site of his company, Important Record Distribution in metro New York. Early on, as an indie label, Relativity released music in a variety of styles, including dance, jazz, punk, and...
in late August 1987. The album spent 19 weeks in the Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
charts and peaked at #108 in late October. During this period, the band began touring the States and Europe, opening for well-known bands such as The Georgia Satellites, INXS
INXS
INXS are an Australian rock band, formed as The Farriss Brothers in 1977 in Sydney, New South Wales. Mainstays are Garry Gary Beers on bass guitar, Andrew Farriss on guitar/keyboards, Jon Farriss on drums, Tim Farriss on lead guitar and Kirk Pengilly on guitar/sax...
, The Cars
The Cars
The Cars are an American rock band that emerged from the early New Wave music scene in the late 1970s. The band consisted of lead singer and rhythm guitarist Ric Ocasek, lead singer and bassist Benjamin Orr, guitarist Elliot Easton, keyboardist Greg Hawkes and drummer David Robinson...
and The Alarm
The Alarm
The Alarm are an alternative rock band that emerged from North Wales in the late 1970s. They started as a mod band and stayed together for over ten years. As a rock band, they displayed marked influences from Welsh language and culture...
. Their first video was released and was placed in medium rotation on 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....
. The favorable reviews began to pour in: the Gavin Report
Gavin Report
The Gavin Report was a San Francisco-based radio industry trade publication. The publication was founded by radio performer Bill Gavin in 1958. Its Top 40 listings were used for many years by programmers to decide content of programs...
dubbed them "Best New American Band", Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
magazine ran a full-page story describing them as "Real Contenders", and Time
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
magazine clinched it with their quote "The Brandos roots run deep and offer great nourishment". In early 1988, the band won Best Album (Independent Label), and Kincaid was honored with Best Male Vocalist (Independent Label) at the New York Music Awards. The Brandos also left Relativity
Relativity Records
Relativity Records, often branded just Relativity, is an American record label founded by Barry Kobrin at the site of his company, Important Record Distribution in metro New York. Early on, as an indie label, Relativity released music in a variety of styles, including dance, jazz, punk, and...
that year and signed with Geffen Records
Geffen Records
Geffen Records is an American record label, owned by Universal Music Group, and operated as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group.-Beginnings:...
. Their relationship with Geffen was strained from the onset and the group ended up at 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...
in 1989. After a massive corporate restructuring, RCA
RCA
RCA Corporation, founded as the Radio Corporation of America, was an American electronics company in existence from 1919 to 1986. The RCA trademark is currently owned by the French conglomerate Technicolor SA through RCA Trademark Management S.A., a company owned by Technicolor...
dropped The Brandos upon completion of their second LP, Trial By Fire (unreleased), in 1990.
The better part of 1991 was spent writing and recording new material for a new album that would become Gunfire at Midnight, which would land a contract with SPV GmbH
SPV GmbH
SPV GmbH is an independent German record label.Founded on January 1, 1984, it has slowly grown to be one of the largest independent distributors and record labels worldwide....
in Germany in the spring of 1992. Two singles from the album ('The Solution' and 'The Keeper') would reach the top 100 in the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
. Extensive touring in Europe would follow, solidifying the band's fan base even further, however Rupprecht and Mason decided to leave the band in 1993. The Brandos recorded their next album The Light of Day with the help of a few friends, especially ex-Del Lords members Scott Kempner
Scott Kempner
Scott "Top Ten" Kempner is the rhythm guitarist with The Dictators since they formed in 1974. He is also a founding member of The Del-Lords....
(guitar, vocals) and Frank Funaro
Frank Funaro
Frank Funaro is an American drummer who has played with Del Lords, The Brandos, Camper Van Beethoven, Joey Ramone, The Dictators, and Cracker....
(drums, vocals). They filled out the live band, and an extensive tour and live album, recorded in Amsterdam in December 1994, followed. In 1996, The Brandos returned in 1996 with Pass The Hat and Frank Giordano (guitar, vocals) replacing Kempner. The album marked a return to a more stripped-down guitar sound. Kincaid released a solo album, The Irish Volunteer
The Irish Volunteer (album)
The Irish Volunteer is David Kincaid's first album of Civil War related Irish music. For years Kincaid has been the lead singer, lead guitarist, and leading songwriter for the American roots rock band, The Brandos. Kincaid, a long time Civil War enthusiast, assembled a collection of songs written...
, in 1997 but returned to The Brandos for another album (Nowhere Zone) in 1998 followed by two tours of Europe with the likes of Bryan Adams
Bryan Adams
Bryan Adams, is a Canadian rock singer-songwriter, guitarist, bassist, producer, actor and photographer. Adams has won dozens of awards and nominations, including 20 Juno Awards among 56 nominations. He has also received 15 Grammy Award nominations including a win for Best Song Written...
, Van Morrison
Van Morrison
Van Morrison, OBE is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and musician. His live performances at their best are regarded as transcendental and inspired; while some of his recordings, such as the studio albums Astral Weeks and Moondance, and the live album It's Too Late to Stop Now, are widely...
, and Deep Purple
Deep Purple
Deep Purple are an English rock band formed in Hertford in 1968. Along with Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, they are considered to be among the pioneers of heavy metal and modern hard rock, although some band members believe that their music cannot be categorised as belonging to any one genre...
.
1999 saw the release of Contribution: The Best of 1985-1999. The band continued to tour Europe over the next few years. Following the 2003 release of “The Irish-American’s Song,” Kincaid’s second effort of songs of the Irish in the American Civil War, a European tour was organized in early 2004. Chris Layer (uilleann pipes, flute and whistle)accompanied Kincaid, Mendillo and Giordano for performances in Germany, Holland, Belgium and Denmark, with three of the shows being recorded.
It would, however, be another seven years before the band would record any new material. Over The Border was released by Blue Rose Records in late 2006 to positive reviews. Kincaid and Mendillo were accompanied on the drums by Funaro once again along with Dennis Diken
Dennis Diken
Dennis Diken co-founded the NJ band The Smithereens. Besides playing with The Smithereens, Dennis is a fill-in DJ on WFMU.As a musician and record producer, Diken has worked with The Smithereens, Ben E. King, Mary Weiss of 1960s girl group The Shangri-Las, Dave Amels, and R...
(The Smithereens
The Smithereens
The Smithereens are a rock band from Carteret, New Jersey, United States. The group formed in 1980 with members Pat DiNizio , Jim Babjak , Mike Mesaros , and Dennis Diken...
) and Simon Kirke
Simon Kirke
Simon Kirke is an English rock drummer best known as a member of Free and Bad Company.-Biography:...
(Bad Company
Bad Company
Bad Company were an English rock supergroup founded in 1973, consisting of two former Free band members — singer Paul Rodgers and drummer Simon Kirke — as well as Mott the Hoople guitarist Mick Ralphs and King Crimson bassist Boz Burrell. Peter Grant, who, in years prior, was a key component of...
, Free
Free (band)
Free were an English rock band, formed in London in 1968, best known for their 1970 signature song "All Right Now". They disbanded in 1973 and lead singer Paul Rodgers went on to become a frontman of the band Bad Company along with Simon Kirke on drums; lead guitarist Paul Kossoff died from a...
). The band toured extensively with ex-From Good Homes member Patrick Fitzsimmons (drums, vocals) and Ziga Stanonik (guitar, vocals). The band also recorded a live CD/DVD (Town To Town, Sun To Sun) released on Blue Rose in early 2008. Another tour followed with ex-Del Lords
Del Lords
The Del-Lords are an American rock'n'roll band that formed in New York City in 1982, founded by The Dictators' guitarist Scott Kempner. The band combined elements of '60s garage rock with country, blues, and folk influences to become one of the initial progenitors of urban-roots-rock...
/ Joan Jett
Joan Jett
Joan Jett is an American rock guitarist, singer, songwriter, producer and actress.She is best known for her work with Joan Jett & the Blackhearts including their hit cover "I Love Rock 'n' Roll", which was #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 from March 20 to May 1, 1982, as well as for their other popular...
and the Blackhearts member Eric Ambel
Eric Ambel
Eric Ambel is a New York City-based guitarist and record producer, originally from Batavia, Illinois. He has worked with a wide range of artists including Steve Earle, the Yayhoos, Del Lords, The Bottle Rockets, Joan Jett, Mojo Nixon, Blood Oranges, Blue Mountain, Freedy Johnston and Mary Lee's...
(guitar, vocals) and Phil Cimino (drums). Their lone 2008 appearance in New York City was their first in 10 years.
In 2010 the recordings from the 2004 'Irish Tour' were mixed and the long-awaited live album "David Kincaid and The Brandos - Live in Europe" was released on Dec. 1, 2010 and distributed in Europe by Blue Rose.
The Brandos' sound, with either mandolin in front, or full throttle guitars, is as distinctive to the band as those developed by Dire Straits or Big Country. Add to that the Fogertyesque sound of Kincaid's voice and The Brandos are a unique listening experience.
Releases
| Year of Release | Title | Label | Produced by |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | Honor Among Thieves | Relativity Relativity Records Relativity Records, often branded just Relativity, is an American record label founded by Barry Kobrin at the site of his company, Important Record Distribution in metro New York. Early on, as an indie label, Relativity released music in a variety of styles, including dance, jazz, punk, and... |
Dave Kincaid |
| 1992 | Gunfire at Midnight | SPV SPV GmbH SPV GmbH is an independent German record label.Founded on January 1, 1984, it has slowly grown to be one of the largest independent distributors and record labels worldwide.... |
Dave Kincaid |
| 1994 | The Light of Day | SPV SPV GmbH SPV GmbH is an independent German record label.Founded on January 1, 1984, it has slowly grown to be one of the largest independent distributors and record labels worldwide.... |
Dave Kincaid |
| 1995 | The Light Of Day - The Single [10 Song CD sold only at live concerts] | SPV SPV GmbH SPV GmbH is an independent German record label.Founded on January 1, 1984, it has slowly grown to be one of the largest independent distributors and record labels worldwide.... |
Dave Kincaid |
| 1995 | Live in Exile | SPV SPV GmbH SPV GmbH is an independent German record label.Founded on January 1, 1984, it has slowly grown to be one of the largest independent distributors and record labels worldwide.... |
Dave Kincaid |
| 1996 | Pass the Hat | SPV SPV GmbH SPV GmbH is an independent German record label.Founded on January 1, 1984, it has slowly grown to be one of the largest independent distributors and record labels worldwide.... |
Dave Kincaid |
| 1998 | Nowhere Zone | SPV SPV GmbH SPV GmbH is an independent German record label.Founded on January 1, 1984, it has slowly grown to be one of the largest independent distributors and record labels worldwide.... |
Dave Kincaid |
| 1999 | Contribution: The Best of 1985-1999 | SPV SPV GmbH SPV GmbH is an independent German record label.Founded on January 1, 1984, it has slowly grown to be one of the largest independent distributors and record labels worldwide.... |
Dave Kincaid |
| 1999 | Live at Loreley | Haunted Field Music | Dave Kincaid |
| 2002 | The Warrior's Son | TIM The International Music Company AG / Licensed by SPV GmbH | Dave Kincaid |
| 2006 | Over the Border | Blue Rose | Dave Kincaid |
| 2008 | Town to Town, Sun to Sun | Blue Rose | Dave Kincaid |
| 2010 | David Kincaid and The Brandos - Live in Europe! | Haunted Field Music | Dave Kincaid |
Singles
| Year of Release | Title |
|---|---|
| 1987 | Gettysburg |
| 1987 | Honor Among Thieves |
| 1992 | The Solution |
| 1993 | The Keeper |
| 1993 | Anna Lee |
| 1994 | The Light of Day |
| 1994 | Not a Trace |
| 1994 | Love of My Life |
External links
- [ The Brandos at Allmusic]
- Current Brandos news at hauntedfieldmusic.com.