Bizarre

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The Bizarros are a punk rock band from Akron , Ohio , formed in 1976 . Akron was one of the main locations of the American rubber and tire industry, which was just as affected by the recession of the late 1970s, as was the case, for example, for the motor city of Detroit , which was characterized by car production .

The band is named after the opponents of Superman in the relevant DC Comics . The band's founding members were Nick Nicholis (lead vocals), Terry Walker (bass, keyboards, guitar, viola), Jerry Parkins (lead guitar, vocals), Don Parkins (bass, guitar, vocals) and Rick Garberson (drums). Martyn Flunoy later took the place of Rick Garberson.

The Bizarros were influenced by bands such as Velvet Underground , Roxy Music and The Doors , but their more direct style of presentation is also close to the early Ohio punk rock school , which was still committed to the 60ies garage sound, for example the Seeds or Sonics .

This orientation towards the mainstream bands that were rather distant at the time can be traced back to various factors: On the one hand, the range of non-mainstream offers as a result of the emerging college radios, on the other hand the existence of a relatively stable "underground" as a result of youth and countercultural currents of the late 60s also outside the metropolises. Ohio in particular is known as "as American as applepie" in terms of its social structure and was thus a preferred test area for market research. Music productions were also tested here before their national market launch. Thus, the radio offer here was also richer and more differentiated than in other regions.

The beginning of the rather short career of the Bizarros coincided with an era of exceptionally strong national interest in bands from the industrial cities of Ohio, which haunted the American music press as the Ohio hype in the late 1970s. Most succinctly the spirit of these bands was formulated by the Rubber City Rebels , also from Akron , who sang:

"East Coast / West Coast / you can jump into the sea / we don't need no ocean / we've got industry"

The Akron Compilation , released in 1979 , on which in addition to the Bizarros also z. B. Tin Huey , The Waitresses or the Rubber City Rebels were represented, documents the height of the national interest in the Akron scene. The further development of the Bizarros was hindered rather than promoted by this hype. After the hype around these bands from the supposed "musical province" on the edge of the Midwest subsided, hardly any of them managed to free themselves from an image that was characterized by a commitment to "working-class-style" driving rock and lyrics full of biting humor. This is how the musical career of the Bizarros and that of many of their countrymen and women in the early 80s went.

Today the still existing Bizarros occasionally give concerts, mainly in Ohio.

Discography

  • 1976 Lady Dubonette / I Bizarro 7 "(Gorilla)
  • 1977 From Akron (Clone)
  • 1978 Bizarros 7 "(Clone)
  • 1979 Bizarros LP (Mercury)
  • 1979 Akron Compilation (Stiff)
  • 1980 The Cube / Underground 7 "(Sordide / France)
  • 1981 Bowling Balls From Hell Vol. 2 (Clone)
  • 1983 Trouser Press Presents the Best of America Underground (ROIR)

Most of these recordings are out of print, but they are antiquarian or can be found on Ebay.

swell

  • Savage, John: England's Dreaming, St. Martin's Griffin, Updated Edition 2002

Web links