Matt Hollywood

Matt Hollywood is an American indie rock guitarist and singer. He was a founding member and leader of the Portland-based indie rock band The Out Crowd, as well as a founding member of the neo-psychedelic rock band The Brian Jonestown Massacre. He currently fronts the drone rock band The Rebel Drones.

He was born in Syracuse, New York in 1973. He grew up in and around Ventura, California, and now resides in North Portland, Oregon.

The Imajinary Friends

Hollywood had been involved with the neo-psychedelic/surrealist rock band, The Imajinary Friends, that spawned from the original line-up of The Brian Jonestown Massacre in 1993. The band consisted of Travis Threlkel, Ricky Maymi (both from The BJM), Matt Hollywood, Graham Bonnar (of Swervedriver) and Tim Digulla (later of Tipsy). The band recorded its debut album Lunchtime In Infinity on Bomp! Records in 1994. Hollywood left the band due to his full time commitment to The BJM and was replaced by Jeremy Davies (brother of founding BJM-member Jeff Davies).

The Brian Jonestown Massacre

Matt Hollywood was a founding member of neo-psychedelic rock band, The Brian Jonestown Massacre, with the initial line-up of Anton Newcombe (guitar/vocals), Travis Threlkel (guitar), Ricky Maymi (drums), Jeff Davies (guitar) and Hollywood (bass).

Hollywood was a member of The BJM for roughly seven years as mainly a bass guitar player, but was also known to play acoustically at times. Over this period, Hollywood contributed many musical ideas to the band. He composed and sang several of The BJM's songs, most notably "Oh Lord", "Maybe Tomorrow", "No Come Down" and "Not if You Were the Last Dandy on Earth"; the latter of which parodied The Dandy Warhols' single "Not if You Were the Last Junkie on Earth", and led many people to believe the 'Warhols and The BJM were fighting. Hollywood has said of the song: "It always amazed me how this song got taken as evidence that Anton (Newcombe) was 'stalking' the Dandys - since he didn't even write it." The song was featured in the Jim Jarmusch film Broken Flowers.

He appears on the 2004 documentary DiG! with The BJM, which also includes footage of the onstage altercation that led to his departure from the band.

In 2010, it was reported that he has returned to the studio with The Brian Jonestown Massacre and is once again, a full-time member.

Post-BJM

Magic Fingers

Before forming The Out Crowd, Hollywood was in Magic Fingers with Eric Hedford (of The Dandy Warhols and We Are Telephone) and Spike Keating (of Swoon 23 and Black Rebel Motorcycle Club).

The Out Crowd

Hollywood formed the indie rock band, The Out Crowd, in late 2001 with drummer Stuart Valentine, guitarist Elliott Barnes and tambourine player Sarah Jane.

The group released their debut album Go on, Give a Damn which was produced by Gregg Williams (The Dandy Warhols) in early 2003. Their follow up Then I Saw The Holy City was produced by Brian Coates and released in the fall of 2004. Hollywood confirmed that the band broke up in 2006[1].

The Rebel Drones

Of his current work, Hollywood says,

We plan on doing some recording in the near future. Beyond that nothing's been discussed. I'm currently writing and rehearsing an album I hope to get recorded within the next few months with a new band. So far it's some dark, heavy, spacey stuff in a suicide/spacemen 3 vein with a few moments of quiet sadness and hope for better days, with the odd krautrock sex jam thrown in here and there. Pretty much reflecting the state of my mixed-up life right now.

Hollywood's new band, The Rebel Drones, consist of Dand Lee Strickland [2], Collin Hegna (of The Brian Jonestown Massacre), Jason "Plucky" Anchondo (of The Warlocks and Spindrift), William Slater (of Grails) and Peter Holmstrom (of The Dandy Warhols).

Discography

Albums with The BJM

• Spacegirl & Other Favorites (1993) Candy Floss
• Methodrone (1995) Bomp! Records
• Their Satanic Majesties' Second Request (1996) Bomp! Records/Tangible
• Take It From The Man! (1996) Bomp! Records/Tangible/Tee Pee Records
• Thank God For Mental Illness (1996) Bomp! Records/Tangible
• Give It Back! (1997) Bomp! Records/Tangible
• Strung Out in Heaven (1998) TVT Records

EPs with The BJM

• Bringing It All Back Home Again (1999)

Albums with The Out Crowd

• Go On, Give a Damn (2003) Elephant Stone Records
• Then I Saw the Holy City (2004) The Kora Records

External links

• Matt Hollywood at MySpace [3]
• The Rebel Drones at MySpace [4]
• The BJM Archives [5]