Unrest (band)
Encyclopedia
Unrest is an indie rock
band from the Washington, D.C.
area. It was one of Mark Robinson's
projects for what would eventually become the TeenBeat
label, also created by Mark while in high school. Developing from an experimental approach of never playing the same song twice, earlier material seemed to be influenced by everything from punk
to funk
to Ennio Morricone
. Original members Mark (guitar) and drummer Phil Krauth were joined by Bridget Cross on bass in 1990 and their sound evolved into a minimalist
but lively kind of pop
. The two full length albums released with this line up, 1992's Imperial f.f.r.r. and 1993's Perfect Teeth (distributed by the influential British label 4AD Recordshttp://www.4ad.com/) featured finely crafted pop songs interspersed with strange avant-garde
percussive and sonic tracks (sometimes featuring nothing but white noise, beeps or sirens). EP
s released around the same time period reveal an even more pronounced gap between pop and experimental elements. The group broke up in 1994 with Phil pursuing a solo career and Mark and Bridget continued for a time as Air Miami
, which released two singles and one album, me me me. Since Air Miami's demise in the mid '90s, Mark has continued to release various solo projects, as well as albums with his bands Cotton Candy and Flin Flon, and continues to run the TeenBeat label as well.
On February 24, 2005, Unrest played a one-time reunion show at Washington, D.C.'s Black Cat club as a part of the TeenBeat Records 20th anniversary celebration. Also appearing were Eggs
, +/-
, True Love Always
, The Fontaine Toups, and Jonny Cohen.
On April 22, 2008, Teenbeat released an album by Bridget Cross under the alias Maybe It's Reno. The self-titled album features Robinson and Krauth on the first seven tracks, almost equating this project to another reunion of Unrest, though this time, all of the songs are written by Cross and she also performs all of the vocals.
Unrest reunited again for a small east coast tour in July 2010.
Singles and EPs
Compilations
Other
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 from the Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
area. It was one of Mark Robinson's
Mark Robinson (musician)
Mark Robinson is an indie-rock musician from Washington, D.C. who founded TeenBeat Records in 1984. Best known for founding Unrest , he has also been a member of Air Miami, Flin Flon, Grenadine, and currently plays with Evelyn Hurley in Cotton Candy. He has released a number of solo records...
projects for what would eventually become the TeenBeat
TeenBeat Records
Teen Beat is an independent record label, originally based in Arlington, VA, now based in Cambridge, MA. It was founded by Mark Robinson in 1984 at Wakefield High School along with Phil Krauth , Andrew Beaujon , Tim Moran , and Ian Zack .The label was originally set up like a lending library...
label, also created by Mark while in high school. Developing from an experimental approach of never playing the same song twice, earlier material seemed to be influenced by everything from punk
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
to funk
Funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
to Ennio Morricone
Ennio Morricone
Ennio Morricone, Grand Officer OMRI, , is an Italian composer and conductor, who wrote music to more than 500 motion pictures and television series, in a career lasting over 50 years. His scores have been included in over 20 award-winning films as well as several symphonic and choral pieces...
. Original members Mark (guitar) and drummer Phil Krauth were joined by Bridget Cross on bass in 1990 and their sound evolved into a minimalist
Minimalism
Minimalism describes movements in various forms of art and design, especially visual art and music, where the work is set out to expose the essence, essentials or identity of a subject through eliminating all non-essential forms, features or concepts...
but lively kind of pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
. The two full length albums released with this line up, 1992's Imperial f.f.r.r. and 1993's Perfect Teeth (distributed by the influential British label 4AD Recordshttp://www.4ad.com/) featured finely crafted pop songs interspersed with strange avant-garde
Avant-garde
Avant-garde means "advance guard" or "vanguard". The adjective form is used in English to refer to people or works that are experimental or innovative, particularly with respect to art, culture, and politics....
percussive and sonic tracks (sometimes featuring nothing but white noise, beeps or sirens). 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...
s released around the same time period reveal an even more pronounced gap between pop and experimental elements. The group broke up in 1994 with Phil pursuing a solo career and Mark and Bridget continued for a time as Air Miami
Air Miami
Air Miami was a band from Washington DC. The band was formed by Mark Robinson and Bridget Cross, both former members of Unrest, and drummer Gabriel Stout...
, which released two singles and one album, me me me. Since Air Miami's demise in the mid '90s, Mark has continued to release various solo projects, as well as albums with his bands Cotton Candy and Flin Flon, and continues to run the TeenBeat label as well.
On February 24, 2005, Unrest played a one-time reunion show at Washington, D.C.'s Black Cat club as a part of the TeenBeat Records 20th anniversary celebration. Also appearing were Eggs
Eggs (band)
Eggs was a Washington, DC based indie rock band centered around Andrew Beaujon. The band was active in the early and mid nineteen-nineties and was signed to prominent indie pop record label TeenBeat Records.-Albums:* Bruiser Teenbeat 76...
, +/-
+/- (band)
+/-, or Plus/Minus, is an American indietronic band formed in 2001. The band makes use of both electronic and traditional instruments, and has sought to use electronics to recreate traditional indie rock song forms and instrumental structures...
, True Love Always
True Love Always
True Love Always is a pop band formed in Charlottesville, Virginia in 1995, with a mission to play only love songs. Heavily influenced by Joao Gilberto, Dionne Warwick and Earth, Wind and Fire, their sound was at odds with much of the more macho indie-rock gaining popularity at the time...
, The Fontaine Toups, and Jonny Cohen.
On April 22, 2008, Teenbeat released an album by Bridget Cross under the alias Maybe It's Reno. The self-titled album features Robinson and Krauth on the first seven tracks, almost equating this project to another reunion of Unrest, though this time, all of the songs are written by Cross and she also performs all of the vocals.
Unrest reunited again for a small east coast tour in July 2010.
Discography
Albums- Unrest!, TeenBeat Records (TEENBEAT 2), (05/01/1985) CS
- Lisa Carol Freemont, TeenBeat Records (TEENBEAT 6), (08/29/1985) CS
- Tink of S.E.Tink of S.E.-Personnel:Unrest*Phil Krauth – drums, bass guitar, vibraphone, percussion, backing vocals, production*Tim Moran – guitar, acoustic guitar, bass guitar, vocals, percussion...
, TeenBeat Records (TEENBEAT 14), (10/31/1987) LP - Twister, TeenBeat Records (TEENBEAT 23), (09/09/1988) CS
- Malcom X Park, TeenBeat Records (TEENBEAT 21)/ Caroline RecordsCaroline RecordsCaroline Records started out as a subsidiary of Richard Branson's Virgin Records label during the early to mid 1970s. The label originally specialized in putting out budget price LPs by mainly progressive rock and jazz artists generally not considered to have a great deal of 'mainstream' or...
, (10/31/1988) LP/CS - Live at DC Space with Dustdevils, Easy Records (Easy 6)/ TeenBeat Records (TEENBEAT 41), (02/15/1990) CS
- Kustom Karnal Blackxploitation, TeenBeat Records (TEENBEAT 21)/ Caroline Records, (04/06/1990) LP/CS
- Imperial f.f.r.r.Imperial f.f.r.r.-Personnel:Unrest*Bridget Cross – bass guitar*Phil Krauth – drums, production*Mark Robinson – vocals, guitar, productionAdditional musicians and production*Wharton Tiers – production, engineering*Terry Tolkin – recording...
, TeenBeat Records (TEENBEAT 77)/ Caroline Records/ No.6 RecordsNo.6 RecordsNo.6 Records was an independent record label, started in 1989 as a subsidiary of Rough Trade Records by A&R representative and booking agent Terry Tolkin...
/ Guernica, (03/16/1992) LP/CD/CS - Perfect Teeth, TeenBeat Records (TEENBEAT 119)/ 4AD, (03/16/1992) 7" Box Set/LP/CD/CS
- Fuck Pussy Galore (& All Her Friends), TeenBeat Records (TEENBEAT 67)/ Matador RecordsMatador RecordsMatador Records is an independent record label, with a roster of indie rock artists and bands.-History:Matador was started by Chris Lombardi in 1989 in his New York City apartment. The following year, Lombardi was joined by former Homestead Records manager Gerard Cosloy, and the two of them have...
, (12/13/1993) LP/CD/CS - B.P.M., TeenBeat Records (TEENBEAT 175), (06/20/1995) LP/CD/CS
- Newcastle, August 4, 1993, TeenBeat Records (TEENBEAT 462), (09/28/2009) CD
- Washington D.C., February 24, 2005, TeenBeat Records (TEENBEAT 469), (09/28/2009) CD
Singles and EPs
- Unrest, TeenBeat Records (TEENBEAT 7), (11/07/1985) 7"
- Catchpellet, TeenBeat Records (TEENBEAT 28), (03/01/1989) 7"
- Catch of the Day, split single with Shudder to Think, Big Dragg Records (1990) 7"
- Cherry Cherry, TeenBeat Records (TEENBEAT 49)/ Hemiola Records, (03/11/1991) 7"
- Yes, She Is My Skinhead Girl, TeenBeat Records (TEENBEAT 42)/ K RecordsK RecordsK Records is an independent record label in Olympia, Washington, co-founded, owned, and operated by Calvin Johnson, formerly of the bands Cool Rays, Beat Happening, The Go Team, The Halo Benders and presently in the bands Dub Narcotic Sound System and The Hive Dwellers...
(IPU 17), (03/16/1991) 7" - A Factory Record, TeenBeat Records (TEENBEAT 63)/ Sub Pop Records, (04/08/1991) 7"
- Bavarian Mods & Other Hits, TeenBeat Records (TEENBEAT 84)/ Homestead RecordsHomestead RecordsHomestead Records was a Long Island, NY based sublabel of music distributor Dutch East India Trading. It was founded in 1984 by Sam Berger, who was the American Independent buyer for Dutch East India Trading. Berger was finding that many bands who had perhaps released their own first 45 were...
, (01/27/1992) 7" - Isabel Bishop E.P., TeenBeat Records (TEENBEAT 70)/ 4AD4AD4AD is a British independent record label that was started in 1979 by Ivo Watts-Russell and Peter Kent, funded by Beggars Banquet Records, and is still active today...
, (07/21/1992) 7"/12"/CD - Cath CarrollCath CarrollCath Carroll is a British musician and music journalist.-Career:Carroll was raised in Swansea, then Manchester. She played guitar in post-punk band Property of... in 1978, which also included former Warsaw drummer Tony Tabac. In 1979 she formed the band Glass Animals with her friend Liz Naylor...
E.P., TeenBeat Records (TEENBEAT 105)/ 4AD, (06/23/1993) 7"/12"/CD - So Sick, TeenBeat Records (TEENBEAT 98), (08/23/1993) 7"
- Stereolab & Unrest with StereolabStereolabStereolab are an alternative music band formed in 1990 in London, England. The band originally comprised songwriting team Tim Gane and Lætitia Sadier , both of whom remained at the helm across many lineup changes...
, TeenBeat Records (TEENBEAT 121), (10/13/1993) split 7" - Make Out Club (Remix), TeenBeat Records (TEENBEAT 126C/D), (12/17/1993) 7"
- Animal Park E.P., TeenBeat Records (TEENBEAT 133C/D), (02/23/1994) 7"
Compilations
- Extremism in Defense of Liberty is No Vice, TeenBeat Records (TEENBEAT 1), (02/23/1985) CS
- The Trouble with Harry, TeenBeat Records (TEENBEAT 11), (01/25/1986) CS
- Magic Ribbons, 7", Leopard Gecko Records (LG 005) (1991) 7" box set compilation
- Teenbeat 50, TeenBeat Records (TEENBEAT 50)/ Matador Records, (11/12/1993) CD/LP/CS
- Afternoon Delight: Love Songs From Sub Pop, Sub Pop (1992)
- International Hip SwingInternational Hip SwingInternational Hip Swing is a compilation CD released by the label K Records in 1993.International Hip Swing gathered together a selection of recordings previously released in the series of "International Pop Underground" 7" 45 vinyl singles....
, K Records (1993) - The Machines: Simple Machines 7"s (1990-1993), Simple Machines Records (SMR19), (1994)
Other
- 1977 Ford Ltd Country Squire, TeenBeat Records (TEENBEAT 20), (06/19/1988) Station Wagon
- Metal CD Jewel Box, TeenBeat Records (TEENBEAT 26), (12/27/1988) CD Case
- 11 X 17 Poster, TeenBeat Records (TEENBEAT 32), (05/18/1989) Poster
- Invoking Osiris, TeenBeat Records (TEENBEAT 34), (11/06/1989) T-shirt
- Live at The Tube Bar, TeenBeat Records (TEENBEAT 43), (09/20/1990) T-shirt
- Imperial F.F.R.R., TeenBeat Records (TEENBEAT 78)/ Caroline Records, (10/11/1991) Ceramic Mug
- Cherry Cream On, directed by James Brummel (TEENBEAT 74), (01/04/1992) Film Shoot
- Imperial F.F.R.R., TeenBeat Records (TEENBEAT 72), (01/31/1992) T-shirt and Poster
- Unrest and Teenbeat Agreement with 4AD Records, TeenBeat Records (TEENBEAT 107), (05/04/1993) Contract
- Perfect Hairdo, TeenBeat Records (TEENBEAT 108), (06/09/1993) Unbreakable comb
- Perfect Teeth, TeenBeat Records (TEENBEAT 118), (10/18/1993) Adhesive sticker