NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Meat Puppets

The Meat Puppets are an American rock band formed in January 1980, in the Sunnyslope neighborhood of Phoenix, Arizona. The group's classic lineup was Curt Kirkwood (guitar/vocals), his brother Cris Kirkwood (bass guitar), and Derrick Bostrom (drums). The trio met while attending Brophy Prep High School in Phoenix. They then moved to Tempe, Arizona (a Phoenix suburb and home to Arizona State University) where the Kirkwood brothers purchased two adjacent homes, one of which had a practice "shed" in the back where they regularly practiced. This same house would years later be the scene of at least two tragedies. Nickname: Location in Maricopa County and the state of Arizona Coordinates: , Country United States State Arizona Counties Maricopa Incorporated February 25, 1881 Government - Type Council-Manager - Mayor Phil Gordon (D) Area - City 515. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_USA.svgâ€Ž REDIRECT File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Elvis Presley Stevie Nicks Jodie Foster Janet Jackson Meryl Streep Jessica Lange Faye Dunaway Madonna (entertainer) Trent Reznor Diana Ross User:Mtiedemann... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Alternative rock (also called alternative music or simply alternative; known primarily in the UK as indie) is a genre of rock music that emerged in the 1980s and became widely popular in the 1990s. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... Year 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar). ... Year 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar). ... Year 1999 (MCMXCIX) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1999 Gregorian calendar). ... Also see: 2002 (number). ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays full 2006 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The present is the time that is perceived directly, not as a recollection or a speculation. ... This does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... SST Records is a Lawndale, California based independent record label formed in 1978 in Long Beach, California by Black Flag founder/guitarist Greg Ginn. ... London Records is a record label headquartered in the United Kingdom, originally marketing records in the United States, Canada and Latin America from 1947 through the 1980s. ... Atlantic Records (Atlantic Recording Corporation) is an American record label, and operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of Warner Music Group. ... Rykodisc is a Salem, Massachusetts based record label. ... Curt Kirkwood (born January 10, 1959) is an American musician, who sings and plays guitar. ... Cris Kirkwood (Born October 22, 1960) was the bassist for the Meat Puppets, an alternative/punk rock band he formed along with his brother Curt who played guitar, and Derrick Bostrom on drums. ... Ted Marcus is an American drummer currently playing with the Meat Puppets. ... Derrick Bostrom (born June 23, 1960) is an American musician. ... For other uses, see Rock music (disambiguation). ... Nickname: Location in Maricopa County and the state of Arizona Coordinates: , Country United States State Arizona Counties Maricopa Incorporated February 25, 1881 Government - Type Council-Manager - Mayor Phil Gordon (D) Area - City 515. ... Curt Kirkwood (born January 10, 1959) is an American musician, who sings and plays guitar. ... Cris Kirkwood (Born October 22, 1960) was the bassist for the Meat Puppets, an alternative/punk rock band he formed along with his brother Curt who played guitar, and Derrick Bostrom on drums. ... Derrick Bostrom (born June 23, 1960) is an American musician. ... Location in Maricopa County and the state of Arizona Coordinates: Country United States State Arizona Counties Maricopa Incorporated November 29, 1894 Government - Mayor Hugh Hallman Area - City 39. ... Arizona State University (ASU) is a public research institution of higher education and research with campuses located in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area. ...

One of the more notable groups on the roster of SST Records (who released most of their albums), the Meat Puppets started as a punk rock band, but like most of their SST peers, the Meat Puppets established their own unique style, blending punk with country and psychedelic rock, and featuring Curt's warbling vocals. The Meat Puppets later gained significant exposure when the Kirkwood brothers served as guest musicians on Nirvana's MTV Unplugged performance in 1993. The band's 1994 album Too High to Die subsequently became their most successful release. The band broke up twice, in 1996 and 2002, but reunited again in 2006. SST Records is a Lawndale, California based independent record label formed in 1978 in Long Beach, California by Black Flag founder/guitarist Greg Ginn. ... Punk rock is an anti-establishment music movement beginning around 1976 (although precursors can be found several years earlier), exemplified and popularised by The Ramones, the Sex Pistols, The Clash and The Damned. ... This article includes a list of works cited but its sources remain unclear because it lacks in-text citations. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Nirvana was an American rock band that formed in Aberdeen, Washington. ... MTV Unplugged is a series showcasing popular musical artists playing acoustic instruments. ... Too High to Die is the eighth album by the Meat Puppets, released on January 25, 1994 (see 1994 in music). ...

History

Early career (1980-1990)

They began rehearsing together by learning songs from Bostrom's collection of punk rock 45s. After briefly toying with the name "the Bastions of Immaturity," they settled on the name Meat Puppets in June, 1980, after a song by Curt of the same name which appears on their first album. Their early works were made up of hardcore punk, and attracted the attention of Joe Carducci as he was starting to work with legendary punk label SST Records. Carducci suggested they sign with the label, and the Meat Puppets released their first album Meat Puppets in 1982.^[1] Punk rock is an anti-establishment music movement beginning around 1976 (although precursors can be found several years earlier), exemplified and popularised by The Ramones, the Sex Pistols, The Clash and The Damned. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... Joe Carducci is a writer, record producer, and former A&R executive, formerly most closely associated with the influential record label SST Records. ... SST Records is a Lawndale, California based independent record label formed in 1978 in Long Beach, California by Black Flag founder/guitarist Greg Ginn. ... Meat Puppets is the self-titled debut by the alternative band the Meat Puppets. ...

By the release of 1984's Meat Puppets II, the bandmembers "were so sick of the hardcore thing," according to Bostrom. "We were really into pissing off the crowd."^[2] The band experimented with acid rock and country western sounds. While the album had been recorded in early 1983, the album's released was delayed for a year by SST.^[3]Meat Puppets II turned the band into one of the leading bands on SST Records, and along with the Violent Femmes, the Gun Club and others, helped establish cow punk. Meat Puppets II is considered by many people to be the greatest album by the Tempe, Arizona band the Meat Puppets. ... Acid rock is a form of psychedelic music and was the first form of it to achieve popular acclaim. ... Country music, once known as Country and Western music, is a popular musical form developed in the southern United States, with roots in traditional folk music, spirituals, and the blues. ... SST Records is a Lawndale, California based independent record label formed in 1978 in Long Beach, California by Black Flag founder/guitarist Greg Ginn. ... This article is about the band. ... The Gun Club were a rock band from Los Angeles in the 1980s led by flamboyant singer/guitarist, ex-rock critic Jeffrey Lee Pierce. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

Meat Puppets II was followed by 1985's Up on the Sun. The album's sound and vision became closely aligned with that of The Byrds; some of the group's fans accused the Meat Puppets of becoming dangerously hippie-sounding, and abandoning their punk roots. Up on the Sun was a 1985 album by the Meat Puppets. ... The Byrds (formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1964) were an American rock band. ... Singer at a modern Hippie movement in Russia Hippie (sometimes spelled hippy) refers to a member of a subgroup of the counterculture that began in the United States during the early 1960s, becoming an established social group by 1965, and expanding to other countries before declining in the mid-1970s. ...

Over the next decade, the Meat Puppets remained on SST and released a series of albums, touring relentlessly. After the release of Out My Way in 1986, however, the band was briefly sidelined by an accident when Curt's finger was broken after being slammed in their touring van's door. The accident delayed the band's next album, the psychedelic Mirage, until the next year. The final result was considered their most polished sounding album to date.^{[citation needed]} Out My Way is an EP released by the alternative rock band the Meat Puppets in 1986. ... Mirage is an album by the Arizona alternative rock band Meat Puppets. ...

Subsequently, their next album, the heavier, Huevos came out less than six months afterward, in late summer of 1987. In stark contrast to its predecessor, Huevos was recorded in a swift, fiery fashion, with many first takes, and minimal second guessing.^{[citation needed]} These recordings were completed in only a matter of days, and along with a few drawings and one of Curt's paintings taken from the wall to serve as cover art (a dish of three boiled eggs, a green pepper, and a bottle of Tabasco sauce), was all sent to SST shortly before the band returned to the road en route to their next gig. Huevos is an album by the Arizona alternative rock band the Meat Puppets. ... Huevos is an album by the Arizona alternative rock band the Meat Puppets. ... Boiled eggs are cooked by immersing eggs (typically chickens eggs) in boiling water with their shells unbroken. ... Species (incl. ... The classic Tabasco red pepper sauce Tabasco sauce is a brand of hot sauce made from tabasco peppers (Capsicum frutescens var. ...

Monsters was released in 1989, featuring a new sound with extended jams such as "Touchdown King" and "Flight of the Fire Weasel." Monsters is a 1989 album by the Meat Puppets. ...

Major label career (1991-1995)

As numerous bands from the seminal SST label, and other kindred punk-oriented indies, grappled with the "going major" decision, so did the 'Pups. Two years after their final studio recording for SST, 1989's Monsters, the trio released its major-label debut, Forbidden Places, on the indie-friendly London Records. In late 1993, the 'Pups reached their brightest mainstream spotlight as the band achieved sudden popularity when Nirvana's Kurt Cobain invited Cris and Curt to join him on MTV Unplugged for acoustic performances of "Plateau", "Oh Me" and "Lake of Fire" (all originally from Meat Puppets II). The resulting album, MTV Unplugged in New York, served as a swan song for Nirvana, as Cobain died six months after the concert. "Lake of Fire" became a cult favorite for its particularly wrenching vocal performance from Cobain. Subsequently, the Nirvana exposure and the strength of the single "Backwater" (their only charting single) helped lift the Meat Puppets to new commercial heights. The band's studio return was 1994's Too High To Die, produced by Butthole Surfers guitarist Paul Leary. The album featured "Backwater", a minor hit on alternative radio, and a hidden-track update of "Lake of Fire." Too High To Die earned the 'Pups a gold record (500,000 sold), outselling their previous records combined. 1995's No Joke! was the final album recorded by the original Meat Puppets lineup. Though the band's drug use included cocaine, heroin, and many others, Cris' use of heroin and crack cocaine in particular became so bad he never left his house except to score more drugs. At least two people (including one of his best friends and his wife) died of overdoses at his house in Tempe, AZ during this time. This time has been chronicled in a publication called NEW TIMES in an article entitled "Shooting Star". The Brothers Kirkwood had always had a legendary appetite for illegal substances and when they went on tour to support No Joke! with Stone Temple Pilots, the free drugs, particularly cocaine, that surrounded the tour were too much for Cris. When the tour was over he was severely addicted to cocaine. This article is about monsters as a kind of legendary creature. ... Forbidden Places is a 1991 album by the Meat Puppets. ... Nirvana was an American rock band that formed in Aberdeen, Washington. ... Kurt Donald Cobain (Aberdeen, Washington, USA; February 20, 1967 â€“ c. ... MTV Unplugged is a series showcasing popular musical artists playing acoustic instruments. ... Meat Puppets II is considered by many people to be the greatest album by the Tempe, Arizona band the Meat Puppets. ... MTV Unplugged in New York is a live album by the American grunge band, Nirvana. ... A swan song is a reference to an ancient and false belief that the occasional Mute Swan (Cygnus olor) is completely mute during its lifespan, but may sing one heartbreakingly beautiful song just before it dies. ... Too High to Die is the eighth album by the Meat Puppets, released on January 25, 1994 (see 1994 in music). ... The Butthole Surfers are an American rock band founded in 1981 by Gibby Haynes and Paul Leary in San Antonio, Texas. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... First single from Too High to Die. ... Too High to Die is the eighth album by the Meat Puppets, released on January 25, 1994 (see 1994 in music). ... No Joke! is the ninth album by the Meat Puppets, released in 1995 (see 1995 in music), and third album on their new label London This is also the last album by the original trio. ... Heroin (INN: diacetylmorphine, BAN: diamorphine) is an opioid synthesized directly from the extracts of the opium poppy, Papaver somniferum. ... A pile of crack cocaine â€˜rocksâ€™. Crack cocaine is a form of cocaine. ... No Joke! is the ninth album by the Meat Puppets, released in 1995 (see 1995 in music), and third album on their new label London This is also the last album by the original trio. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

First hiatus and reunion (1996-2001)

Derrick recorded a solo EP under the moniker Today's Sounds in 1996, and later on in 1999 took charge of re-issuing the Puppets' original seven records on Rykodisc as well as putting out their first live album, Live in Montana. Curt formed a new band in Austin, TX called the Royal Neanderthal Orchestra, but they changed their name to Meat Puppets to release a promotional EP entitled You Love Me in 1999, Golden Lies in 2000 and Live in 2002. The line-up was Curt (voc/git), Kyle Ellison (voc/git), Andrew Duplantis (voc/bass) and Shandon Sahm (drums). Sahm's father was the legendary fiddler-singer-songwriter Doug Sahm of The Sir Douglas Quintet and Texas Tornados. The concluding track to Classic Puppets entitled "New Leaf" also dates from this incarnation of the band. Rykodisc Records is an American record label, and subsidiary of Warner Music Group. ... Nickname: Location in the state of Texas Coordinates: , Country United States State Texas Counties Travis County Government - Mayor Will Wynn Area - City 296. ... Official language(s) No official language See languages of Texas Capital Austin Largest city Houston Largest metro area Dallasâ€“Fort Worth Metroplex Area Ranked 2nd - Total 261,797 sq mi (678,051 kmÂ²) - Width 773 miles (1,244 km) - Length 790 miles (1,270 km) - % water 2. ... Golden Lies is a 2000 album by the Meat Puppets. ... Douglas Wayne Sahm (born November 6, 1941, San Antonio, Texas, died November 18, 1999, Taos, New Mexico) was a musician from Texas. ... Sir Douglas Quintet was a popular Rock and Roll group of the 1960s. ... Texas Tornados are a Tejano band. ...

Break up (2002-2005)

Around 2002, the Meat Puppets dissolved as Curt had gone on to release albums with the groups Eyes Adrift and Volcano. In 2005, he released his first solo album entitled Snow. Eyes Adrift is a rock supergroup consisting of Curt Kirkwood (vocals & guitar, formerly of the Meat Puppets), Krist Novoselic (vocals & bass, formerly of Nirvana) and Bud Gaugh (drums, formerly of Sublime). ... For other uses, see Volcano (disambiguation). ... Snow is the first solo album of Curt Kirkwood, former frontman of the now-defunct Meat Puppets. ...

Bassist Cris was arrested in December 2003 for attacking a security guard at the Main post office in downtown Phoenix, AZ with the guard's baton. The guard shot Kirkwood in the stomach at least twice during the melee, causing serious gunshot injuries requiring major surgery. Kirkwood was subsequently denied bail, the judge citing Kirkwood's previous drug arrests and parole violations. He eventually went to prison at the Arizona state prison in Florence, AZ for felony assault. He was released in July of 2005.

Derrick Bostrom began a home page for the band about six months before the original trio stopped working together. The site went through many different permutations before it was essentially mothballed in 2003. In late 2005, Bostrom revamped it once again, this time as a "blog" for his recollections and as a place to share pieces of Meat Puppets history.

Second reunion (2006-present)

On March 24, 2006, Curt Kirkwood polled fans at his MySpace page[1] with the following bulletin: "Question for all! Would the original line up of the Meat Puppets interest anyone? Feedback is good - do you want a reunion?!" The response from fans was overwhelmingly positive within a couple of hours, leading to speculation of a full-blown Meat Puppets reunion in the near future. However, a post made by Derrick Bostrom on the official Meat Puppets site dismissed the notion. [2] MySpace is a social networking website offering an interactive, user-submitted network of friends, personal profiles, blogs, groups, photos, music, and videos. ...

In April 2006 Billboard reported that the Kirkwood brothers would reunite as the Meat Puppets without original drummer Derrick Bostrom.^[4] Primus drummer Tim Alexander was announced as Bostrom's replacement, a role that was later revealed be attributed to drummer Ted Marcus. The new lineup recorded a new full-length album, Rise to Your Knees, in mid-to-late 2006; the album was released by Anodyne Records on July 17, 2007. Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry. ... Primus is a Grammy-nominated American rock band formed in California in the mid-1980s. ... Tim Alexander Tim Herb Alexander Described as one of the most innovative drummers in the drumming community, Alexander is known best for playing in the rock band Primus. ... Ted Marcus is an American drummer currently playing with the Meat Puppets. ... Rise to Your Knees is the confirmed title for the Meat Puppets eleventh full-length studio album, which is set to be released on July 17, 2007[1]. Not only is it their first studio release since 2000s Golden Lies, it is also their first to feature the original...

On January 20, 2007, The Meat Puppets brothers performed two songs during an Army of Anyone concert, at La Zona Rosa in Austin, TX. The first song was played with Curt Kirkwood and Cris Kirkwood, along with Army of Anyone's Ray Luzier and Dean DeLeo. Then the second song was played with original members Curt and Cris Kirkwood and new Meat Puppets drummer Ted Marcus. This was in the middle of Army of Anyone's set and on their set list they listed the segment of the show as "Meat Puppet Theatre". The band performed several new songs in March at the South by Southwest festival. On March 28, 2007, the band announced a west coast tour through their MySpace page[3]. This is the first tour with original bassist Cris in eleven years. The website also promises Midwest and east coast concert dates later in the year. Army of Anyone is a rock band formed by Filter frontman Richard Patrick with two of the former members of rock band Stone Temple Pilots. ... Ray Luzier (pronounced Lose-Ear) is an American drummer musician. ... Dean DeLeo (born August 23, 1961 in New Jersey) is an American guitarist, best known for his work with the 90s grunge band Stone Temple Pilots. ... Downtown Austin, Texas, where SXSW is held each spring Bloc Party performing at Stubbs BBQ in 2007 Carrie Rodriguez, a SXSW 2007 performer Morrissey at SXSW 2006 South by Southwest (SXSW) is a set of interactive, film, and music festivals and conferences that have taken place every spring in... MySpace is a social networking website offering an interactive, user-submitted network of friends, personal profiles, blogs, groups, photos, music, and videos. ...

Lineups

Curt Kirkwood (born January 10, 1959) is an American musician, who sings and plays guitar. ... Cris Kirkwood (Born October 22, 1960) was the bassist for the Meat Puppets, an alternative/punk rock band he formed along with his brother Curt who played guitar, and Derrick Bostrom on drums. ... Ted Marcus is an American drummer currently playing with the Meat Puppets. ...

Selected discography

// 1985 â€“ Swimming Ground 1987 â€“ I Am a Machine 1987 â€“ I Cant Be Counted On 1991 â€“ Sam 1991 â€“ Whirlpool 1994 â€“ Backwater 1994 â€“ We Donâ€™t Exist 1994 â€“ Tender Cuts 1994 â€“ Meat Puppets Promo 1994 â€“ Roof with a Hole 1994 â€“ Lake of Fire 1995 â€“ Scum 1995 â€“ Taste of the Sun 2000... In A Car is one of the first releases by the Arizona alternative rock band the Meat Puppets. ... Meat Puppets is the self-titled debut by the alternative band the Meat Puppets. ... Meat Puppets II is considered by many people to be the greatest album by the Tempe, Arizona band the Meat Puppets. ... Up on the Sun was a 1985 album by the Meat Puppets. ... Out My Way is an EP released by the alternative rock band the Meat Puppets in 1986. ... Mirage is an album by the Arizona alternative rock band Meat Puppets. ... Huevos is an album by the Arizona alternative rock band the Meat Puppets. ... Monsters is a 1989 album by the Meat Puppets. ... No Strings Attached is a 1990 compilation CD by the Meat Puppets. ... Forbidden Places is a 1991 album by the Meat Puppets. ... Too High to Die is the eighth album by the Meat Puppets, released on January 25, 1994 (see 1994 in music). ... No Joke! is the ninth album by the Meat Puppets, released in 1995 (see 1995 in music), and third album on their new label London This is also the last album by the original trio. ... You Love Me is a 1999 promotional EP by the Meat Puppets. ... Live in Montana is a 1999 live album by the Meat Puppets of two concerts on 7 and 8 December 1988 in U.S.A. This was released simultaniously with the re-issues of the SST back catalogue. ... Golden Lies is a 2000 album by the Meat Puppets. ... Live is a 2002 live album by the Meat Puppets. ... Alive in the Nineties is the first video released by the American Rock Group the Meat Puppets. ... Classic Puppets is a 2004 compilation CD by the Meat Puppets. ... Rise to Your Knees is the confirmed title for the Meat Puppets eleventh full-length studio album, which is set to be released on July 17, 2007[1]. Not only is it their first studio release since 2000s Golden Lies, it is also their first to feature the original...

Contents

History

Early career (1980-1990)

Major label career (1991-1995)

First hiatus and reunion (1996-2001)

Break up (2002-2005)

Second reunion (2006-present)

Lineups

Selected discography

See also

Notes and references

External links

Contents

History GA_googleFillSlot("encyclopedia_square");

Early career (1980-1990)

Major label career (1991-1995)

First hiatus and reunion (1996-2001)

Break up (2002-2005)

Second reunion (2006-present)

Lineups

Selected discography

See also

Notes and references

External links

History