Babyland
Babyland was an American performance-based "independent electronic junk punk" band from Los Angeles, California, featuring Dan Gatto performing vocals and electronics and Michael Smith on percussion.
Babyland | |
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Background information | |
Origin | Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
Genres | "Electronic Junk Punk" (Industrial) |
Years active | 1989–2009 |
Labels | Flipside Mattress dependent Metropolis Records |
Members | Dan Gatto Michael Smith |
History
Formed in 1989, they were advocates of the DIY punk ethic and part of the musical underground culture. They were well regarded in Industrial music, punk rock, indie rock and electronic music communities. Known for their live performances, Babyland shared the stage with bands such as The Offspring, Ethyl Meatplow, Grotus, Legendary Pink Dots, Dystopia, Foetus, Add N to (X), Nitzer Ebb, VNV Nation, and Psychic TV. Most of their live performances occurred in underground locations that have included places like LA's Jabberjaw, Kontrol Faktory, The Smell and 924 Gilman in Berkeley.
Recordings prior to 1996 were released on the Los Angeles Punk rock label Flipside, including the band's first three albums: You Suck Crap (1992), A Total Letdown (1994) and Who's Sorry Now (1995). These albums were positively received by critics, with Alternative Press crediting the band with embodying "all the confusion, resentment, anger, and frustration felt by an entire generation."[1] The band also participated in several of Flipside's Mojave Desert events. Subsequent material has been released by the band's own label, Mattress. The fifth full length The Finger and a compilation of earlier songs Decade One was released in Europe by dependent. Most recently, a deal with Metropolis Records has resulted in the commercial release of the sixth album Cavecraft.[2]
A post to the band's Myspace site on October 9, 2009, confirmed the long-lived group's breakup.
The singer, Dan, has a new music project called "Continues".
Discography
Studio albums
- You Suck Crap (Flipside, 1992)
- A Total Letdown (Flipside, 1994)
- Who's Sorry Now (Flipside, 1995)
- Outlive Your Enemies (Mattress, 1998)
- The Finger (Dependent/Mattress, 2004)
- Cavecraft (Mattress, 2008)
Compilations
- Decade One (Dependent, 2001)
EPs
- Dog Snatcher (Flipside, 1992)
- 2002 (Mattress, 2002)
- Not Modern (Mattress, 2008)
Singles
- 1991 (Flipside, 1991)
- Reality Under Smrow-Toh (Flipside, 1992)
- Stomach (Flipside, 1993)
- Past Lives (Mattress, 2004)
References
- "Babyland: A Total Letdown". Alternative Press. November 1994. p. 80.
- "Babyland: Cavecraft > Overview". AllMusic. Retrieved October 29, 2016.