The Gravel Pit
Encyclopedia
The Gravel Pit is a band from Boston
's underground music scene circa, 1985-2002.
Members Include:
They produced the following albums:
Original works produced by Mike Deneen of Q Division Records
.
debut (Crash Land, on Feralette Records) based on influences like the Clash
and The Undertones
. Gradually incorporating a range of influences from mod to metal and invested with Parish's extraordinary gifts as a songwriter and singer, the band quickly generated a buzz on the Boston scene. Their early fans included such local pop stars as Kay Hanley and Jen Trynin, whose spirited support helped to bring the Pit to the attention of their Boston-based indie label, Q Division Records
.
Within a year of their arrival in Boston, The Gravel Pit released the first of four Q Division releases. The Gravel Pit Manifesto (with pop-maestro producer Mike Denneen), was a brightly original, power-pop gem that earned them Best Indie Album and Best New Band at the 1996 Boston Music Awards. Their wildly energetic live shows and diverse catalogue of power-pop gems kept the momentum going strong for the next three years. They played hundreds of dates, opened for acts as diverse as Graham Parker
, Cheap Trick
, Gang of Four
and Morphine
, and released three more records on Q,: 1997's full-length No One Here Gets In For Free -- Rare and Unreleased 1989 - 1997;the 1998 hit single "Favorite," produced by Denneen; and 1999's full-length Silver Gorilla, also with Denneen, which amassed critical raves across the country, from Raygun
to Entertainment Weekly
. The Gravel Pit won the Boston Regional Poll at the 2001 Independent Music Awards
.
After their national Silver Gorilla tour, without the big break of a major label deal and commercial exposure, the band decided to tone down their intense live performance schedule and spread out their efforts for a while. Valauskas, Jackson and Caldes formed The Gentlemen, a hugely popular hard-rock act, with Mike Gent of the Figgs
. Parish has been exploring the vast and varied terrain of his musical tastes as a solo artist.
Their separate explorations did not diminish their collective chemistry. With the release of 2001's Mass Avenue Freeze-out on Q Division, The Gravel Pit came together to stake another claim as one of the most inspired power-pop outfits on the American independent music scene.
The Gravel Pit contributed a cover of the Miracle Legion song "Closer to the Wall" for the 2009 Mark Mulcahy tribute album "Ciao My Shining Star". It appears as a bonus track available on the deluxe edition.
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
's underground music scene circa, 1985-2002.
Members Include:
- Jedediah (Jed) Parish: Keys, Vocals
- Ed Valauskas: Bass
- Pete Caldes: Drums
- Lucky Jackson: Guitar
They produced the following albums:
- 1. Crash Land
- 2. The Gravel Pit Manifesto
- 3. No One Here Gets In For Free
- 4. Silver Gorilla
- 5. Mass Avenue Freeze Out
Original works produced by Mike Deneen of Q Division Records
Q Division Records
Q Division Records is an independent record label located in Somerville, Massachusetts founded in 1995.-Artists:*Merrie Amsterburg*Flying Nuns*Francine*Gigolo Aunts*Loveless*Rachael Cantu*Anne Heaton*Eli "Paperboy" Reed & The True Loves*The Gravel Pit...
.
Biography
In 1995, Jed Parish, Lucky Jackson, Ed Valauskas and Pete Caldes came to Boston as The Gravel Pit—an accomplished young rock band from New Haven, CT, seasoned by a few years of high-energy club gigs and a solid indieIndie 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...
debut (Crash Land, on Feralette Records) based on influences like the Clash
Clash (band)
Clash is a rock band from Thailand, It was founded in 2001 by Preeti Barameeanant , Thanapon Rokesomput , Thapana Na Bangchang , Sukrit Sripaoraya , and Anan Dapphetthikon...
and The Undertones
The Undertones
The Undertones are a punk rock/new wave band formed in Derry, Northern Ireland, in 1975.The original line-up of the Undertones released thirteen singles and four studio albums — The Undertones , Hypnotised , Positive Touch and The Sin of Pride — before disbanding in July 1983.Music guide Allmusic...
. Gradually incorporating a range of influences from mod to metal and invested with Parish's extraordinary gifts as a songwriter and singer, the band quickly generated a buzz on the Boston scene. Their early fans included such local pop stars as Kay Hanley and Jen Trynin, whose spirited support helped to bring the Pit to the attention of their Boston-based indie label, Q Division Records
Q Division Records
Q Division Records is an independent record label located in Somerville, Massachusetts founded in 1995.-Artists:*Merrie Amsterburg*Flying Nuns*Francine*Gigolo Aunts*Loveless*Rachael Cantu*Anne Heaton*Eli "Paperboy" Reed & The True Loves*The Gravel Pit...
.
Within a year of their arrival in Boston, The Gravel Pit released the first of four Q Division releases. The Gravel Pit Manifesto (with pop-maestro producer Mike Denneen), was a brightly original, power-pop gem that earned them Best Indie Album and Best New Band at the 1996 Boston Music Awards. Their wildly energetic live shows and diverse catalogue of power-pop gems kept the momentum going strong for the next three years. They played hundreds of dates, opened for acts as diverse as Graham Parker
Graham Parker
Graham Parker is a British rock singer and songwriter, who is best known as the lead singer of the popular British band Graham Parker & the Rumour.-Early career :...
, Cheap Trick
Cheap Trick
Cheap Trick is an American rock band from Rockford, Illinois, formed in 1973. The band consists of members Robin Zander , Rick Nielsen , Tom Petersson , and Bun E...
, Gang of Four
Gang of Four
The Gang of Four was the name given to a political faction composed of four Chinese Communist Party officials. They came to prominence during the Cultural Revolution and were subsequently charged with a series of treasonous crimes...
and Morphine
Morphine (band)
Morphine was an American alternative rock group formed by Mark Sandman and Dana Colley in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in 1989. They disbanded in 1999 after frontman Sandman died of a heart attack....
, and released three more records on Q,: 1997's full-length No One Here Gets In For Free -- Rare and Unreleased 1989 - 1997;the 1998 hit single "Favorite," produced by Denneen; and 1999's full-length Silver Gorilla, also with Denneen, which amassed critical raves across the country, from Raygun
Raygun
Rayguns are a type of fictional directed-energy weapon. They have various alternate names: ray gun, death ray, beam gun, blaster, laser gun, phaser, etc. They are a well-known feature of science fiction; for such stories they typically have the general function of guns...
to Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
. The Gravel Pit won the Boston Regional Poll at the 2001 Independent Music Awards
The Independent Music Awards
The Independent Music Awards is an international program that honors top-ranked independent artists and releases in more than 50 Album, Song, Music Video and Design categories....
.
After their national Silver Gorilla tour, without the big break of a major label deal and commercial exposure, the band decided to tone down their intense live performance schedule and spread out their efforts for a while. Valauskas, Jackson and Caldes formed The Gentlemen, a hugely popular hard-rock act, with Mike Gent of the Figgs
Figgs
The Figgs are a rock band out of Saratoga Springs, New York. First formed in 1987 , their output has included at least nine traditional full length albums , multiple EPs and singles, a live album, and gigs backing Graham Parker since 1996 and on Graham's 2005 release Songs of No Consequence, as...
. Parish has been exploring the vast and varied terrain of his musical tastes as a solo artist.
Their separate explorations did not diminish their collective chemistry. With the release of 2001's Mass Avenue Freeze-out on Q Division, The Gravel Pit came together to stake another claim as one of the most inspired power-pop outfits on the American independent music scene.
The Gravel Pit contributed a cover of the Miracle Legion song "Closer to the Wall" for the 2009 Mark Mulcahy tribute album "Ciao My Shining Star". It appears as a bonus track available on the deluxe edition.