The Residents | Artist
The Residents are an American art collective formed 1971 in Shreveport, Louisiana, by four musicians. The group members remain anonymous and operate under the entity The Cryptic Corporation. They play avant garde music which blends experimental rock, minimal synth, musical parody and conceptual art. Since their first official release, Meet the Residents in 1974, they have released over 60 albums, numerous music videos and short films, three CD-ROM projects, and ten DVDs over the course of over half a century. They have undertaken seven major world tours and scored multiple films. Pioneers in exploring the potential of CD-ROM and similar technologies, the Residents have won several awards for their multimedia projects. They founded Ralph Records, a record label focusing on avant-garde music, in 1972. The Residents' albums generally fall into two categories: deconstructions of Western popular music, and complex conceptual pieces composed around a theme, theory or plot. The group is noted for surrealistic lyrics and sound, with a disregard for conventional music composition. Outstanding albums include Meet The Residents (1974), The Third Reich 'n Roll (1976), Not Available (1978), Duck Stab (), Eskimo (1979), Mark of the Mole (1981), God in Three Persons (1988), Demons Dance Alone (2002), and Animal Lover (2005). The band has also released work under alternate names The Delta Nudes, and Pre-sidents. In the group's early days, many rumours circulated about its membership. As the cover art of Meet the Residents was a parody of the Beatles' 1964 album Meet the Beatles!, rumours circulated that the Residents were actually the Beatles, even specifically naming George Harrison. Many other rumours have come and gone over the years, one being that '60s experimental band Cromagnon shared members with the band. Les Claypool of Primus, and Gerald Casale and Mark Mothersbaugh of Devo, have also been accused of being members of the band. From available data, the lineup has included Philip Lithman aka Snakefinger, Hardy Fox aka Charles Bobuck, Nessie Lessons, the wife of Hardy Fox, Nolan Cook, from the band I Am Spoonbender, and Carlos Cadona, from the Dead Kennedys, and female vocalist Laurie Amat. Former Henry Cow members Chris Cutler and Fred Frith are also know to have been contributors. The first known public performance of the Residents, Uninc. was at the Boarding House in San Francisco in 1971. The brief, guerrilla-style performance took the audience by surprise. A photo from it, showing Philip Lithman playing violin with his pinky "about to strike the violin like a snake", originated the stage name he used for the rest of his life, Snakefinger.
Artist Website: theresidents.com
Featured Albums: The Residents
Related Artists: Snakefinger, Charles Bobuck, Don Preston
